Notes:
I called this chapter 'the companion chapter' because of the companion quests I wrote into the chapter. Cullen is just a plus one to exceed all other plus ones. Next up is the Arbor Wilds, a little bit closer to the end, my friends.
Thanks to all of you who have put this story on your list of favorites and those who are following it. Special thanks to LadyDarksbane and her wonderful patience and editing skills!
Leave a comment if you can, I love reading what you think! :D
…
Blackwall turned out to be a huge problem and a bigger disappointment. He had stood in front of the crowd on the wooden execution block, stopping Cyril Mornay's hanging from being carried out when he told the crowd that he was the man who had given the order to kill the entire Callier family, even the children.
Blackwall was not who he'd said he was. He was Thom Rainier, a mass murderer and fugitive of the law.
Beatrix reaction was to be expected, really.
"Whythatfuckinglyingsonofabitchmotherfucker!" she ranted furiously, right outside the Val Royeaux prison. "UGH! HOW could he lie to us about this? Fucking ASSHOLE!"
"Why don't you let it all out," Varric joked with a smile. "I'm sure you left out some curse words, Buttercup."
"Shut up, Varric! NOT in the mood," Beatrix snarled as she faced the guard outside the prison. Varric held up his hands defensively and smirked behind her back.
"He wishes to atone, walls around him down now," Cole said, his voice a whisper.
"I'll give him walls!" Beatrix yelled, directly into the guard's face.
"No one enters!" the guard shouted right back at Beatrix.
Beatrix glared at the unfortunate guard. Then she took off her glove and raised her left hand at the guard, practically thrusting the mark into his face.
"Looking to become a fixed part of the Fade today, you fucking popinjay?" she snarled.
"Enter!" the guard said fearfully, taking a step back and allowing them to pass.
"Works every time, doesn't it?" Varric commented happily.
"Beatrix, maybe you should calm down a bit," Cullen added, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Calm down?!" she turned to yell at Cullen. "Calm down? UGH!"
Raising her hands in anger she stalked away into the prison, facing yet another guard just inside.
"I need to see the prisoner that calls himself Thom Rainier," she said through clenched teeth.
"And you are his family?" the guard asked.
"Not anymore!" Beatrix replied. "Lying piece of shit is what he is now!"
"You're the Inquisitor?" the guard asked, his eyes flitting momentarily to the mark on her left hand which was sparkling and glowing ominously.
"YES!" Beatrix shouted. "Does anyone else have this fucking mark on their fucking hand?"
"Last prison cell in the corridor," the guard prompted, looking slightly worried.
"Thank you!" Beatrix said through clenched teeth.
But before she could go downstairs to the cells, Cullen grabbed her arm and she turned to face him, her eyes flashing daggers at him.
"Beatrix, love," Cullen began, holding on firmly to her wrist. "You should calm down, or the guards here will think of putting you in a cell."
Solas stepped closer to them, watching Beatrix keenly. He didn't say a word.
All at once, Beatrix's eyes opened wide and then she suddenly collapsed into Cullen's arms.
"Sleeping spell," Solas calmly explained. "You can speak to the prisoner now. She will sleep for hours."
"I don't think she'll like that at all," Cullen replied in a worried tone.
"I'll take my chances," Solas gave him a small smile. "She won't wake up angrier at the very least."
"You know what I like about you, Chuckles?" Varric said. "Your total lack of emotion and faith in mankind. Warms my little heart."
"He wishes to atone," Cole spoke again, his voice slightly worried. "Isn't the Inquisition about forgiving?"
Cullen sighed deeply, barely keeping his own anger in check.
"He did something terrible, Cole," the Commander said, reaching the back of his neck to give it a rub.
"But the Inquisition forgives and helps," Cole pointed out. "It's like a person."
Varric slapped his face and shook his head, a grin on his face. "I gotta hand it to you, kid. You sure do know how to convince people."
"I don't matter," Cole said, his pale blue eyes open wide.
"Alright," Cullen said, holding up his right hand in a silencing gesture. "We all go visit Black – er – Thom Rainier. I'll carry Beatrix."
"I can help you carry her!" Cole said eagerly.
…
Cullen reread the missive he had received from Leliana only minutes before. How was he to know that Josephine and Black-Rainier were in a relationship? This certainly made things difficult.
He remembered how the talk with Rainier had gone. The man was a liar, sure. He ordered his men to do the unspeakable, then ran like a coward. He had been angry, of course. Any man who was part of an army would be angry. But there was more at stake here and the decision of what to do about him wasn't his to make.
Beside him, Beatrix moaned in her sleep. Cullen turned to look at her. He was sitting on their bed, having rented rooms for all during their stay in Val Royeaux. Her eyelids fluttered open and she smiled at Cullen sleepily.
"Sleep well, my love?" Cullen smiled back tenderly, his hand smoothing her hair away from her face.
"Yes, I…where are we?" Beatrix asked, her eyes looking around the strange room and far too Orlesian for her taste.
"I, ah, rented some rooms at the inn here in Val Royeaux," Cullen replied nervously, waiting for the inevitable burst of anger from her.
"What are we doing in Val –" Beatrix started to say, then her eyes widened. "That fucking lying shit!"
"Beatrix, we must get him out of there," Cullen began with a worried look on his face.
"Get him out? Are you insane?" Beatrix asked him, mouth open in surprise as she waited for his reply.
Cullen sighed. "Yes. I received this missive from Leliana, you'll see why if you read it, love. She's already sent a missive to the Empress."
Beatrix read, and as she did, her features changed. She looked up at Cullen once she was done.
"Well, I certainly didn't expect to see this…" she commented, raising one eyebrow at him.
"I had no idea as well, Beatrix," Cullen sighed.
"So, if he is the father, it's only natural that he be with us until the end," Beatrix murmured.
"Yes, love," Cullen replied. "You could pass judgment on him when we return to Skyhold, however." Cullen added. "Cole was very vocal about forgiving him, by the way. He said that the Inquisition was all about forgiving and helping others."
"Hmmm," Beatrix said, deep in thought.
"Are you ready to visit him yourself?" Cullen asked after a moment of hesitation.
"Not yet, no," she said hastily, looking into his amber eyes. "I need some time to think things out."
"Of course," Cullen said.
"I also want you to kiss me. Repeatedly," Beatrix commented, her eyes twinkling.
"Is that part of the 'thinking things out' process?" Cullen asked as he leaned forward with a lopsided smile.
"Maybe," Beatrix grinned, sitting up and meeting him halfway.
…
Unlike her prior meeting with the man, Beatrix felt something akin to pity the day she visited Thom Rainier in his cell. She strongly disapproved of what he had done, however, and told him so. When he told her he wished to hang for his mistake, Beatrix briefly wondered if Josephine had let him know what was really happening, and reached the conclusion that she hadn't. She also thought it would be something they would like to speak about privately.
Beatrix herself was certainly not going to let the man know something so important in such a careless way.
She did, however, let him know that the Inquisition had spoken to the Empress and a criminal who looked like him would be left in his cell to be hanged. He would be returning to Skyhold, where he would be judged for his crime.
Rainier shook his head mournfully and sank back to the floor in a heap, obviously disappointed at the whole thing. Beatrix frowned. This man was good at heart. He truly wanted to be executed for what he had done. She could see why Josephine had fallen in love with him.
She ordered the Inquisition guards to fetch Thom Rainier and saw him taken with a brown bag over his head to conceal his identity. The man who looked like him was placed in his old cell.
Once outside the prison, Beatrix reminded her team that they would be travelling to Redcliffe soon to take care of Cole's problem. She suggested a quick meal at the inn, then for them to be on their way. The rest nodded in agreement and silently sat at the table without further comment.
Cole did not sit at the table with them. He stood, staring intently at the host of the inn, who had led them to their table.
"You can tell her," Cole told him, his voice carrying to everyone seated at the table. "She'll laugh, but she'll do it, because she loves you."
Varric chuckled a cough into his napkin at this. Beatrix lifted an eyebrow at Cole who turned to look at her. "He wants his wife to tie him to the bedposts, little red ribbons, but was worried about her. I told him he could do it if he wanted to, that she would do it because she loved him." Cole explained, then disappeared and walked around to the table in front of them, telling the man that the woman in a red dress sitting at the other table thought he would look nice naked and that she wanted him to compliment her hat.
By the time he had spoken to at least twenty people in the restaurant, Cullen was red in the face and drinking a glass of wine, holding the goblet with a trembling hand, Beatrix was biting her lips to keep herself from bursting out laughing, Varric was laughing softly behind his napkin and Solas was looking at the menu, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.
Cole, however, was excited at this chance to make others happy. He appeared at the table, expressing his thanks to Beatrix for bringing him along. She was once again letting him help and he was forever grateful to her.
"My pleasure," Beatrix said with a grin, demurely folding her hands in front of her and hearing the entire team burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter – even Solas.
Cole just smiled and disappeared again while they were brought their food. He was just content with helping.
And he continued to help until they left.
…
Redcliffe was bustling with activity as always. Cole marched through the gates, seemingly aware of where he was going. In a few moments they arrived at a secluded area in the village, where a dwarf was talking to a man dressed in leather armor. Cole bristled visibly as the man said goodbye to the dwarf and then marched right up to him, unsheathing one of his daggers and bringing the man to his knees in front of him as he aimed the dagger straight at the man's face.
"He killed me! He killed me and I have to kill him back!" Cole said furiously as Beatrix and Solas hurried to intervene, Cullen and Varric following close behind.
The man, sensing it was time for him to escape, ran off into the village.
"Wait a minute, Cole!" Beatrix yelled. "If he killed you wouldn't you be dead?"
"You are a spirit," Solas tried comforting him. "You have not possessed anyone. How could you have died?"
"I was an apostate," Cole said, his voice cracking with sadness. "Broken, bleeding in a cell. Guts on the floor as I watched. Tried to help the real Cole. Too late to help. I couldn't help, so I became him: Cole. And I died. He watched me die. He didn't help. I have to kill him!"
"Then the guy we just saw was a templar," Varric mused. "He must have been buying lyrium from the dwarf…"
"Cole has to let this go," Beatrix said firmly. "He needs to forgive and forget."
Varric scoffed. "Yes, because he's a spirit and not a kid, right?"
"I think I can help," Solas said. "Cole, come with me."
Beatrix, Varric and Cullen were left behind. Cullen was looking at the lake from where he stood. Quiet and nostalgic.
"Is something wrong, my love?" Beatrix asked, her voice laced with concern.
"No, not wrong, but, I miss Ferelden sometimes. The place where I grew up," Cullen replied in a soft voice.
"Maybe we can visit it one day?" Beatrix asked sounding hopeful.
"Not the village," Cullen chuckled. "It was completely razed by the darkspawn during the Blight. There's nothing there now."
"I see," Beatrix replied, holding his hand tightly in hers.
"But, there is a place I'd like to visit someday. Hopefully before the demons destroy it completely. I'll…see if I can arrange something," he said smiling at her.
"I hope you can," Beatrix said.
At that moment, both Cole and Solas appeared.
"I believe we are done here," Solas said to Beatrix, while Cole looked up at both Beatrix and Cullen with a smile.
"How do you feel, Cole?" Beatrix asked in a worried tone.
"I feel well, thank you. I made him forget and I forgot too. No baggage, no chains, no walls around what I want," he answered promptly.
"He could have been a person," Varric said sadly as they made their way to the town square.
"Possibly. Would that have made him happier, Child of the Stone?" Solas asked Varric.
But Varric just sighed and continued walking, choosing not to reply at all.
…
Even though Skyhold was a welcoming sight when they arrived a few weeks later, Beatrix felt it wasn't over. There was still a lot to do and she couldn't help but grimace as she entered through the gates and headed to the barn, dismounting a few moments later.
For starters, there was the matter of Thom Rainier. If she would be passing judgment on him, it had to be fast and the main hall would have to be free of the nobles that were usually talking amongst themselves.
She made a beeline to Josephine's office, but didn't find her there. Cullen, who had followed her, took her hand.
"I've a feeling she's with…Rainier, love," he said quietly, squeezing her hand. Leliana walked into the room at that very minute.
"Inquisitor, Commander, good to see you back."
"Leliana, if I'm to pass judgment it should be in an empty main hall," Beatrix told her quickly.
"I'll arrange it immediately," Leliana told them and left.
"You're so tense love," Cullen murmured as he took her in his arms, holding her against his chest gently.
"Wouldn't you be?" Beatrix sighed as she felt him rocking her tenderly, lovingly.
"Yes," came his simple reply as he continued to rock her gently. Soon, Beatrix let herself go. A feeling of comfort, peace and security washed over her as Cullen murmured words of love and encouragement, his hands softly massaging her neck and back.
Leliana came back into the room. "The main hall is completely empty now, Inquisitor."
"Alright," Beatrix straightened, disentangling herself from Cullen's arms, and took a deep breath. "Let's do this."
…
Beatrix had considered sending Thom Rainier over to the Grey Wardens at first. Then she took one look at Josephine, who was standing right next to her on the raised dais and changed her mind. The Ambassador had red eyes, and was holding a handkerchief. It was plain to see she had been crying.
Hesitating no longer, she spoke to Thom, telling him he would be free but had to live his life as Thom Rainier, not as Blackwall.
"I don't even know Thom Rainier much to be honest. But if that's the case, I will offer my blade to you and continue to serve the Inquisition," Thom said, bowing slightly. Upon straightening, he eyed Beatrix and added, "If I had said anything different, would an arrow from the rookery have killed me?"
Beatrix frowned, the anger making her sit up and regard him with narrowed eyes. "Take your post, Thom Rainier."
Blackwall waited for the guards to take off his chains and then turned and walked off to the main hall doors. Beatrix turned to look at Josephine, who was dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief, relief plainly written on her face.
"I think you should talk to him, Josephine," Beatrix said in a low voice as the nobles started to fill the main hall again.
"I – " Josephine started to say, but Beatrix interrupted before she could continue.
"You haven't told him yet, have you?"
"No, Inquisitor, I have not," Josephine replied sadly.
"Well, you should. I think it would make his release a lot more sweeter to him. It also has to be said sooner than later," Beatrix said in a low voice.
"Yes. Can I go now?" Josie asked.
"Of course you can," Beatrix smiled. As soon as Josephine left, she stood up and turned towards her chambers. Time for a bath and a nap.
She was exhausted.
…
A few days later, Cullen walked into Beatrix's quarters carrying a bottle of the finest wine. He had already asked for dinner to be delivered to Beatrix's room.
He knew she was visiting Josephine, so he set the wine on her desk and whistled as he took off his coat and armor breastplate. There was a knock on the door, and a pretty elven servant on the other side smiled and handed Cullen a tray of food, then curtseyed and left.
Now clad only in his tunic and leather trousers, he sat in front of the fireplace, waiting for her return. Whatever was on his mind kept him smiling and when he heard her coming up the stairs at last, the smile turned into a grin as he stood to take her in his arms and greet her.
"Well, you're looking happy," Beatrix nearly purred as she walked straight into his arms. "Anything I should know?"
"As a matter of fact, there is," Cullen murmured as he held her tightly. She leaned back to look at his face and smiled waiting for him to speak.
He shifted on his legs and took her to the love seat.
"We have some dealings in Ferelden. I was hoping you could accompany me there?" Cullen smiled as he opened the wine bottle and poured the rich burgundy drink into two goblets.
"Of course I'll go, Cullen," Beatrix replied with a smile of her own. "When are we leaving?"
"Tomorrow," Cullen chuckled, knowing full well how she would react to this.
Beatrix's jaw hit the floor. "Tomorrow? Oh! I have to pack!" She moved to stand, but he held her hand and pulled her back.
"I'll help you pack later," he crooned as he embraced her again. Finding her lips, he kissed her and Beatrix let out a moan that had him smiling as soon as he pulled away to look into her eyes. "Right now I only have you on my mind."
"Ooooh," Beatrix smiled wickedly as she snaked her hands into his hair. "Anything in particular?"
"No, nothing at all. I just want to make love to you," he chuckled.
Cullen smirked as she sighed, then stood up to walk her to the bed. "We can talk about this later, love. Have I told you how beautiful you are?" He added as they sat on her bed.
"Not recently, no," Beatrix replied, her eyes twinkling.
"Oh, then I'll have to fix that at once," Cullen said between kisses. "I think you're beautiful, and I love you very much."
"That's it?" Beatrix giggled as he kissed her neck. "I would have thought you had something more 'substantial' to say to me."
"Something like, 'you drive me crazy, I want you naked'?" Cullen laughed, then bit into her flesh, which made Beatrix gasp and laugh.
"Mmm," Beatrix said breathlessly as he worked on taking off her vest and tunic while kissing down her collarbone. "I like the way you 'talk', Commander."
"All the more reason to get you comfortable," he smirked, removing her breastband at last.
…
A week later they stood in front of a large pond. The whole place had a magical quality to it, making it seem ethereal in the evening mist that rolled in. The peace the whole place depicted was remarkable.
"Where are we?" Beatrix asked, her voice nearly a whisper as she took in the surrounding beauty of the area.
"This was where I came when I wanted to be away from my siblings. Even at twelve I was looking for a bit of peace and solitude. My siblings were a little too loud at times."
"It's beautiful," Beatrix said quietly, crossing her arms around her as the cold night air bit into her leather coat.
Cullen immediately took his coat off and put it around her shoulders, then pulled her down to sit at the small wooden pier that overlooked the entire pond.
"My brother gave me this, the last time I was here. He told me to keep it for luck," Cullen chuckled, holding a silver coin in his open hand in front of Beatrix, who touched it softly with her fingertips. "Templars aren't allowed to own material things, but I've kept this coin ever since. I like to believe it's brought me luck."
They looked into each other's eyes for a few moments. Then Cullen leaned down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Maker did he ever love this woman before him, more than he could have thought possible. He wanted her safe, away from harm. But she was the Inquisitor and faced death all the time. He broke the kiss and brought the coin to her right hand, pressing it into her palm.
"I want you to keep it. I know you must face Corypheus in the end and this coin may just bring you the luck you need to fight that creature," Cullen said as he looked deeply into her eyes.
Beatrix smiled sweetly at him, returning the coin to him immediately. "Keep it. I don't want you to lose the luck it gives you."
"I don't either. For I have more luck now than I ever did before," Cullen murmured as he kissed her again.
He pocketed the coin when they came up for air, vowing to make a chain for the coin and give it to her anyway on the day of the final battle. He knew he was going to fight along her side that day, but she didn't know this.
"I think we should get going to meet the soldiers at the fork in the road? There is an inn nearby and I'd very much like to show you how much I love you," Cullen whispered.
"Oh?" Beatrix gave him a dazzling smile. "I thought you were already showing me how much you love me."
Cullen laughed at that, then stood up, helping her up immediately afterwards. "Shall we, my lady?" he held out his arm for her to take as they walked back to the horses.
Beatrix would always keep the memory of this place in her head – its peacefulness and serene beauty bringing her a piece of Cullen with the comforting memory in the years to come.
Just like it should.
Just like it was meant to do.
…