Overwhelmed. That was the general mood Ellie had woken up in that morning. Overwhelmed with a hint of annoyance. She had managed to wake up at her normal time, just as the dawn broke, but she didn't feel rested at all.

The rest of her night had been filled with countless hours of reports and paperwork that she had otherwise been neglecting. Tomorrow they left for the Exalted Plains, potentially making a stop in Emprise Du Lion as well, and she needed to get caught up on any pending tasks in Skyhold while she could.

Truth be told, she kind of appreciated the time alone and needed an excuse to avoid social interaction. The day had been beyond trying, worse than most days she had spent traveling throughout Ferelden and Orlais. At least when she was on missions, the people or things that attacked her weren't from her past trying to make her life hell. Most of the time, it wasn't even personal; they would attack whatever came their way. But between her nug of a mother and Fenris making a random appearance in her life on the same day, she desperately needed a reprieve from people.

It did help talking to Dorian, and surprisingly even opening up to Cullen eased her a bit. But still, her past coming back to haunt her weighed heavily on Ellie, adding to all of the other pressures she had to deal with on a daily basis since becoming the Inquisitor.

Before they had left Haven, Ellie still had a number of responsibilities outside of fighting and travelling. But now that she was the official head of the Inquisition, it seemed that every piece of paper that passed through their holdings, needed her literal stamp of approval. She could never bring herself to simply skim her reports and letters or just give her signature without thoroughly reading through everything first. Ellie was never one for doing things by halves. If she did something, she always ensured she did the best she could possibly do and endless amounts of tedious paperwork were no exception.

While the work was mind-numbing, Ellie kind of enjoyed it. It kept her thoughts focused on something other than her personal life and the people in it. After yesterday, she had desperately needed that.

Today, however, she did not have that option. There were loose ends she needed to tie before she left tomorrow, yes, but all of them involved leaving the comfort and solitude of her quarters. Though she had woke at her regular time, Ellie took her time getting up and getting herself ready for the day. Being sluggish was by no means how she normally operated, but there was a large part of her that wanted to delay her tasks for the day in fear of what they might bring.

When Ellie was freshly bathed and then dressed, she knew she couldn't procrastinate any longer and she reluctantly left her room to first grab a quick breakfast. To her relief, the kitchen was free of anyone besides the cooks so she was able to simply grab an apple and leave before anyone else showed up.

As she munched on the fruit, she thought about the first order of business she wanted to tackle. She wasn't entirely sure yet that this would be wise or helpful, but the idea kept gnawing at her incessantly and she knew it was the right thing to do. As silent as possible, the Inquisitor made her way towards the main hall.

She passed Solas on his way back into his study and she nodded a quick hello to him, which he returned in kind. Ellie was still somewhat unsure about the elf. He was calm and peaceful enough but the Herald had never trusted those who were too quiet. Still, he had proven to be useful time and time again and his abundant knowledge of spirits, magic and the Fade intrigued Ellie. Every once in a while she'd stop and pick his brain about the curiosities she had towards his field of study and Solas was always more than happy to oblige. Ellie felt that sometimes he held back in what he knew, but that didn't bother her much. She appreciated his pacified disposition, especially on a morning such as this one.

Stepping as lightly as she could, she descended the staircase that led from the main hall to the courtyard where she could see the person she was meaning to talk to in her usual spot in the training yard. Ellie was developing a cautious liking of Cassandra. Instead of being put off by her often abrasive demeanour, Ellie was beginning to understand how to deal with it and she admired the woman's sense of logic. Everything seemed very black and white to the former Seeker and Ellie could not deny that quality was an asset to their cause. The Inquisitor still knew to tread lightly around her, knowing Cassandra would always blatantly speak her mind. But right now, it was that exact quality that Ellie was looking for.

"Good morning, Inquisitor. You're here awfully early," Cassandra greeted in her firm voice, moving her eyes to the Herald just briefly enough to be polite.

Ellie took a place standing in front of the training dummy Cassandra was beside, arms crossed over her chest. "Good morning, Cassandra. I hope it's not an inconvenience that I'm here this early."

"Of course not," she turned to face Ellie fully this time, "What brings you by?"

"I was actually hoping you might be able to help me with something, though I would require both your honesty and hopefully your discretion."

The darker haired woman cocked an eyebrow, "I always speak my mind, you know this. And I can be discreet, provided it's within my ability to do so."

"Thank you, I know that you'll give me a more straightforward answer than the actual source of the question," Ellie paused a moment, wondering what the Seeker would think of her after the question was asked. A concerned leader or something more personal? Only one way to find out. "It's my understanding that Cullen has asked you to… Keep an eye on him."

Cassandra looked at her thoughtful before replying, "So he finally told you that he stopped taking lyrium? It's about time."

Ellie mumbled a quick affirmation, nodding her head, "I just wanted to know your professional opinion of how he's doing. I doubt he'd give me a real answer."

The Seeker huffed out a small laugh, "You're probably right. Typical man. They never like showing their weaknesses or admitting they need help. But I honestly think that he is handling it well, all things considered."

"Really?" Ellie was shocked at how sure she sounded.

"Cullen has been through a lot. He's a good man and a good commander because of it, but there is always a price to be paid," the Seeker mused making Ellie's heart twist a little in sadness. She couldn't imagine what kind of pain he'd had to face. She had stories, rumours of what happened at Kinloch Hold and what happened with Kirkwall's Knight-Commander. "I have seen men suffer terribly because of lyrium withdrawal. But our Commander is strong. He can get through this, I am sure of it."

Knowing how Cassandra felt, someone who's last job was to monitor Templars, it made her feel more at ease. She didn't want to lose Cullen. She didn't want to seem him throw away his hard work he had put into quitting and she really didn't want to step down because he couldn't handle the withdrawal symptoms. And though she knew it was inevitable, she desperately didn't want to seem him suffer. He had been through a lot, as Cassandra eluded to. How much could one man take?

"Is there anything you think I could do to make it easier for him, to help?" Ellie asked in earnest, though not wanting to sound too urgent.

Judging by the Seeker's faint smirk, she failed. "Just be there for him. Your care and compassion alone could work wonders. As much as he won't admit it, he needs someone to lean on. You can be that person for him, though it may take some extra initiative on your part. He's a strong man but he's a stubborn one."

Ellie pondered her words. Surely she could do that. She could be there for Cullen through his withdrawals. Maker knows he's been her rock a few times. Returning the favor is something she owes him, as far as she was concerned. If she had to be a little more sensitive to how he might be feeling, she would. From what she had gathered about his past, he had dealt with everything completely on his own. He deserved to have someone. She could be that someone.

They parted ways and the Inquisitor left feeling a little more relieved and a lot more determined. She thanked Cassandra for her advice made her way back towards the hall, all the more ready to carry out the rest of tasks that day.

"I have a bone to pick with you, Elizabeth," the familiar Tevinter accent rang out, enunciating her full name very dramatically as he knew how much she hated it.

Her head snapped in the direction of the voice, hands on her hips and a mocking glare shooting towards him, "I beg your pardon?"

"Don't you sass me. I'm quite upset with you at the moment," he drew closer to her and she could tell by his facial expression and the amusement in his tone that he was joking.

Ellie rolled her eyes as she waited for him to meet her, "Pray tell, what did I do to get your knickers in a knot?"

"You know damn well how much I've been complaining about the lack of skilled chess players in this establishment and it turns out you've been holding out on me."

She couldn't help but laugh at him as they both ascended the stairs to the main hall, then exiting it through the first door on the left, both of them not needing to be told that they were heading to the garden where the chess board was set up. "Well perhaps I actually need to play against someone who would be challenging."

Dorian scoffed at her insult, "And yet you'll play with the Commander? You only think he's a challenge because you have to concentrate on the game without being distracted by his looks."

"That's not true," Ellie defended, giving him a light playful shove as they went through the door that led outside to the green space, "I still won against him anyways. But if I remember correctly, you lost against him so perhaps I'm not the only one who gets sidetracked by his looks."

The mage shrugged, "Well he is certainly nice to look at, I won't lie." Ellie shot him a threatening look. "Don't worry, he's all yours. I prefer brunettes anyways."

Ellie chuckled at their banter. She loved how easy it was to be around Dorian and that their sarcastic teasing only strengthened their friendship.

"Speaking of you and men, I still have yet to see this past lover of yours," he admitted, slinging his arm around Ellie. It looked like a sign of affection between the two friends, and in part it was, but it was more so Dorian could whisper to Ellie about her secret connection with one of Skyhold's new guests.

As if on cue, they both heard two men arguing above them. They simultaneously turned their heads toward the sound to see one head of curly blonde hair and one of messy white locks on the rooftop that overlooked the garden.

Ellie had to suppress a groan, "Look no further."

Dorian's eyes widened as he saw his friend's ex-lover from a distance for the first time, "That's him?"

The Inquisitor made a begrudging sound of affirmation as they both still looked up at the bickering men. Whatever words were transpiring between them, it was clearly getting heated because one of them started to glow. She knew that if Fenris was getting angry beyond control, it was not a good thing. She started towards the steps closest to them, knowing she would have to do something before someone got hurt.

"I can only imagine what they're arguing over. Or should I say whom they are arguing over," Dorian insinuated as he followed up the stairs.

Ellie simply ignored him, not wanting him to actually be right but she had a sneaking suspicion he could be. Her pace quickened and she hurried to get to the rooftop. She couldn't make out what any of them were saying, but as she finally got to the level they were on she saw Fenris lunge towards the Commander. With lightning speed, she rushed between them before they started brawling. One hand was placed on the smooth metal of Cullen's chest-plate and the other was on the elf's dark, textured chest-plate, pushing on both men to keep them from ripping each other apart. She could feel the heat radiating off both of them through their armor.

To be honest, Ellie wasn't sure which one of them she thought would win the fight. She had witnessed Cullen beat a Qunari mercenary with his bare hands, but she had also seen the fancy, lyrium-enabled tricks and hate-fuelled battle prowess of Fenris firsthand. But Ellie didn't want to actually find out which of them would win in a fight now.

Her gaze darted back and forth between the two angry males. Both of them looked at each other with an unparalleled rage but Cullen's face softened when he looked at her. As always, Fenris' scowl was permanent.

"If the two of you are quite finished hosing down the place down with testosterone, will one of you explain to me what in the Maker's name is going on?" Ellie chastised them both, acutely aware of the fact that this must be how her mother used to feel when she would break up fights between her and Cain.

Cullen was the first one to speak as Fenris kept stewing in his anger. "Forgive me, Ellie," the Commanders tone sounded sincere when he addressed her, but then picked up a spiteful edge, "Fenris seems to think he still has a say on who you spend your time with. I was setting him straight."

The Inquisitor turned her eyes on the elf whose glowing had subsided, "Is this true?"

"After everything I've told you, you would decide to keep company with that," he spat as he pointed towards Dorian who only seemed to look amused by the whole situation.

A fire ignited in Ellie when he spoke of her friend as an object, not a person. "That is my friend. His name is Dorian. Yes, he is from Tevinter and yes, he is a mage but that does not give you the right to treat him like that. He has done nothing to you personally to deserve that. And Cullen is right, you do not get to tell me who I spend my time with." Her voice was firm and scathing.

Dorian was leaned up against the wall observing the scene, arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his lips. "I must say, I'm absolutely delighted to meet you too, Fenris. I have heard so much about you," his tone was full of his typical charm and sarcasm, "I do apologize for what some of my fellow countrymen have done to you, but I can assure you that I have no interest in enslaving anyone."

Fenris sneered at the mage, not ready to accept his words as any kind of actual proof of his intentions.

"They're right," Cullen piped in, his voice earnest and more reasonable, "Dorian has been an asset to the Inquisition and has done nothing to suggest he has motives similar to Tevinter magisters. I wouldn't trust Ellie's life with him otherwise."

The elf scoffed, "Right, because she means so much to you, doesn't she?"

"She is our leader," Cullen countered, the biting tone returning to his voice, "Her happiness and well-being does mean a lot to me, it means a lot to all of us. Clearly, it never meant anything to you."

"You know nothing!" Fenris snapped, reaching for the Commander once again making Ellie have to push back on both of them to stop a physical fight once again.

"Enough!" By this point, Ellie was fed up with both men. There was a part of her that was ecstatic that Cullen was trying to defend her, but at the same time her strong independence didn't need him to. She didn't need to justify herself to Fenris, not after what he did. "You're both being childish. Cullen, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I need a military commander, not a personal bodyguard. I can fight my own battles, I don't need you to fight them. Fenris, it's about time you and I dealt with our matters privately."

The Commander seemed to wince at her words and Ellie almost felt bad for saying them. To her, he was more than just the Inquisition's military commander. She cared for him, as a friend and confidante but as something more than that. But she still had no idea what, if anything, was happening between them. So as far as she was concerned, she was the sole person responsible for defending her honor.

Without a word, Cullen took a few steps back then retreated from the battlements. Ellie silently cursed herself for not handling it better. Her hands dropped to her sides now that she wasn't worried about preventing a fight and she turned her attention to Fenris. They held each other's eyes for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"Go to my quarters and we will talk there," she spoke to him softly.

After a brief pause, him looking at her almost with distrust, he obeyed and silently left the rooftop as well, leaving only Ellie, Dorian and Hawke.

The Inquisitor set her attention on Hawke who had been remarkably quiet during the entire event. Ellie's adrenaline was still reeling and she didn't hold back when she addressed the Champion, "If you knew about Fenris and I, why did you bring him here?"

The man let out a sigh before he launched into a rant, "He still cares for you to a degree, though I doubt you believe that. I know he seems like he's constantly dissatisfied with everything but he does want to help and he was also there when we faced Corypheus before. Most of my companions had other personal matters they had to attend to after Kirkwall's Circle fell. When he heard about Corypheus and learned that you were heading the fight to stop him, he dropped everything to join me in coming here. I'm not suggesting you should try to regain what you had with him before, but you could at least talk to him and try to sort this out. For all our sakes."

With that, Garrett departed the rooftop as well. Ellie knew he had a point, though she wished he didn't.

Dorian's voice brought her out of her train of thought, "Those were lyrium markings he had, yeah? I knew of a few magisters that did that to some of their slaves. Ghastly, if you ask me."

Ellie nodded mutely towards him, unsure how he could seem so unfazed by what just happened considering it, in part, was an attack on him.

He stroked his chin thoughtfully before he spoke again, "So let me get this straight. He's a handsome, overly serious warrior who has a strong hatred for mages because of the horrors he's been subjected to at the hands of magic and a history with lyrium? My my, you do have a type, don't you?"

The blonde let out a groan at the Tevinter's implication. How he always managed to find a way to tease her about Cullen in all of this, she had no idea. She gave him a gentle shove as she walked past him, privately dreading the fact that she now had to confront the man who had caused her so much pain. Ellie made her way towards her quarters as she braced herself for how this conversation could turn out.