December 17th, afternoon


The town of Edgehall was a scenic, twenty minute drive away. The road gave views up to the Frostback Mountains and down to the valley in which the town was situated. Even from a distance it was possible to make out Christmas lights flickering on buildings. It was the town where Ineria's children went to school, and though small it was well populated and surprisingly busy. Over the years it had become something of a tourist town given how easy it was for visitors to take a ski lift or cable car up into the mountains to partake of the activities there.

It was mostly made up of hotels and family-run bed and breakfasts. There was a quaint, old fashioned pedestrianized high street with shops packed together on either side of a wide road. A small shopping center was undergoing some renovations, but was still accessible by three sets of doors.

It was a town that, in some ways, seemed almost untouched by modern culture. Nevena counted only two chain coffee houses as Cullen drove the car through the streets, following closely behind Ineria and Josef's people carrier. Many of the restaurants, cafés, and businesses were independently owned and seemed to do well for themselves given the bustle of the town and the number of people milling about.

As they drove, looking for a place to park, they passed a park lined with fir trees where Nevena saw a temporary ice rink was set up for the winter season. She was surprised to see so few people taking advantage of it - but given the way the weather was brighter now than it had been in the morning, she reasoned more people might be up on the mountains skiing.

Cullen parked up in a space across from the people carrier and turned off the engine. He and Nevena both waited for people to begin piling out of the larger car before either of them unfastened their seatbelts. There was still a certain coolness between them following her father's comments, and though she apologized and he accepted her apology, she had a feeling it would take an apology from Nevan himself for Cullen to truly relax.

She wanted to tell him not to hold his breath, that it wasn't worth getting worked up over. Her father was one of the most stubborn people she knew and he rarely apologized, if ever. A heat wave in winter was more likely than Nevan Trevelyan apologizing.

Cullen locked the car when they were both out and waited for Nevena's sisters to organize themselves. Ineria was staying up at the house to help Katrin and Nevan unpack, and Nevena felt a little calmer without her around. Of course, it meant she didn't know if Ineria was saying anything harmful about her to her parents, being vindictive or spreading falsehoods, but she would worry about that later.

"Nevvie!" Arienne linked her arm with Nevena's dragging her away from Cullen. Nevena stiffened for a moment, unused to the contact before she fell into step with Arienne. Ineria's youngest son, Dante, ran up to hold Nevena's hand and walked with her.

If Nevena would enjoy one thing about this time with her family, it would be catching up with her niece and nephews. They were the family members she missed the most. Matilda emailed her frequently from school, but it was not the same as seeing her. In the time since Nevena had last seen them, Matilda had grown to be almost her height - something Nevena was jealous off, given her niece was only twelve and had several years of growing still left to do. The baby fat that had lingered around Matilda's face was gone, leaving her with fine features and pretty hazel eyes. Rowan, now six, and Dante, now four, both looked more and more like Josef. They were rambunctious, energetic and always up to something. Rowan only seemed to stop when Josef told him to. Nevena noticed that morning how the two of them were the ones who played up when Ineria was telling them to change their clothes or stop fidgeting. Rowan was the ringleader, Dante copied his brother and Matilda was the quietest of the three.

"Did you see the skating rink?" Arienne asked, almost marching with Nevena down the street. Monty was on Arienne's other side, tapping furiously away at his phone. It seemed even though this was meant to be a break for everyone, Monty was still working.

"Yes." Nevena managed to wriggle her arm enough so Arienne's grip loosened. She glanced back to see Cullen a few paces behind them. He was glancing in shop windows as they walked past, but seemed alert and listening. Clotilde and Owen walked on Nevena's opposite side, going at Liam's toddler pace, and Josef had Rowan up on his shoulders. The boy was trying to reach for the Christmas lights dangling overhead on shop awnings and signposts.

"You should take Cullen skating!" Arienne told her. "Cleo and I can't go, obviously." She patted her belly. "But we could watch you."

"Maybe." Nevena held tighter to Dante's hand as they approached a road to cross. "I don't skate much anymore."

"Did you know she used to skate at a Championship level?" Arienne peered over her shoulder at Cullen. "Our Nevvie was very good!"

"Please don't call me Nevvie," Nevena muttered under her breath.

"I didn't know," Cullen's voice came from behind Nevena. She glanced back again to see him looking at her. Another thing about her life she probably should have mentioned before they entered into this arrangement. Another thing she would need to explain. Her stomach tightened at that thought. She would have to go into detail at some point, divulge to him all the details of her past and the reasons why she continued to distance herself from her family for so long.

She dreaded that inevitable conversation.

She did not want him to know the reasons. She wanted to forget them, as she had been unsuccessfully trying to do for the last three years, but some things never went away. If he asked, she would tell him. Maybe. Eventually. If it was necessary. She hoped it wouldn't be, but she knew she was fooling herself. She would have to tell him.

"What else haven't you told him?" asked Clotilde with a smile that reminded Nevena of a snake about to strike. Nevena blanched. Of course, if Ineria wasn't around to make snide and passive aggressive comments, it fell to her second-in-command. It was disappointing to realize that her sisters really had not changed much since Nevena's childhood. She was still the black sheep of the family, still the odd one out. At least Arienne seemed too focused on herself to join in - though how long that would last, Nevena was not entirely certain. Eventually she would get bored of gushing about how great it was that she was pregnant and how excited she was. When she got bored, Nevena wasn't sure if Arienne would join forces with Ineria and Clotilde, or stay out of it. Arienne always was the wild card and could be hard to read, even when they were younger she didn't always join in on tormenting Nevena. She didn't come to her aid or defense either, but she wasn't as bad as she could have been.

Nevena glanced at Clotilde. "It's never come up. There aren't any skating rinks in Denerim so..."

"So?" Clotilde pressed. "You could have told him and made a day trip somewhere. I'm sure there are ice rinks within driving distance."

"Okay, I get it." Nevena huffed suddenly irritated and weary. "I didn't tell Cullen I used to skate. Now he knows. Can we drop it, please?" Her face burned hot from her forehead to her neck. Her ears felt as though they were on fire underneath her hat and when Clotilde refused to drop her gaze, Nevena looked away submissively. "It's not like it matters anyway." She finally unlatched her arm from Arinne's grasp and walked off with Dante, following his tugging towards the window of an old fashioned sweet shop, with a decorative Father Christmas in the window.

Not caring if anyone – including her sisters - was watching, Nevena pressed her forehead to the glass, enjoying the cold surface on her hot skin. She closed her eyes, counted slowly in her head and breathed between each number. Anxiety flared in her chest. She hadn't considered the small innocuous things about her that her sisters might bring up. It seemed so foolish to get upset and angry about them mentioning the skating but it was a part of her life she once enjoyed that she was forced to give up. The last time she'd goneskating was before Dante was born. She still had a pair of skates in her closet at home. Occasionally she took them out and examined them. The blades needed sharpening, they were old and out of style, old. Not that she could bring herself to wear them again.

After allowing herself to feel the brief nostalgia of a time when she'd enjoyed herself and had things in her life which were hers, she would put the skates away and ignore that feeling. She was an expert at ignoring a lot of things, even as they scratched at the back of her mind until they were almost too invasive to bear.

"I don't know how to skate," Cullen's voice was behind her and she saw his reflection, distorted a little in, the glass. "Maybe you could teach me at some point while we're here?" He offered a supportive smile, one Nevena just managed to return.

"Maybe." She turned to face him. "It's been a long time though. I don't know if I'll even be able to balance."

"I'm sure it's just like riding a bike," Cullen remarked, his smile broadening. "You do know how to ride a bike?"

"Yes," Nevena treated him to a half-hearted withering look, her mouth pulling into a small smile. She appreciated his attempt to make light and make her smile – the only other people in her life who made the effort to do that were Roselyn and Alistair. "Who doesn't?"

"I don't!" Dante piped up, grabbing both Cullen and Nevena's attention He wiped his nose on his sleeve. Nevena grimaced and Cullen chuckled. She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and gave it to Dante. He shoved it in his pocket, unused and sniffed loudly. "Can we go in, please?" He pointed to the shop door.

"Uh..." Nevena glanced around. She could see Clotilde and Owen peering into the window of a jewellery boutique. Arienne and Monty were chatting with Josef, the three of them meandering down the road with Rowan. Matilda's attention was taken by a street performer nearby. "Sure." She looked to Cullen. "Would you like to come with us?"

He looked inside through the window at the bustling bodies and shook his head. "I'll stay out here and wait for you."

"Okay." Nevena opened the door. A bell tinkled above her and Dante slipped out of her grasp, running inside and disappearing almost immediately in the throngs of people. "We won't be long." She followed him through the people trying to keep him in sight. The door closed behind her.


Cullen waited outside as he said he would. He stepped to one side to allow other people to look in and admire the festive decoration in the window and fished his phone out of his pocket. He had a handful of text messages from his friends and family. Nothing urgent and no missed calls. He replied to a message from his sister and another from a work colleague asking if he wanted to attend a Christmas Eve party. As he was typing, an email popped through.

Hey Curly,

Been a while since I heard anything from you. How's life in the big city?
I can't believe I wrote that. That's as big a cliché as in one of my books. You don't have to answer. Kirkwall is still standing, I'm sure you're happy to hear. Cassandra says 'hi'. (Not really. She just kind of grunted when I said you emailed me. I think that means 'hello'.)

That's enough small talk.

What's this favor I owe you? I thought we were square after that whole double or nothing drunk bet debacle a couple of years back when Josephine took you for literally everything you were wearing (don't deny it, I have the photographic evidence). Or did something else crop up that I forgot? That's more likely. I really need to get myself a PA.

- Varric

Cullen smirked at the email and read it again. If Varric was good for one thing, it was replying promptly to messages that weren't from his editor or publisher. Cullen sent his email barely two hours ago while waiting for everyone to organize themselves at the house before they left to come into town. If Varric was replying this quickly, he probably had a deadline he was trying to avoid.

He started to tap out a reply.

Varric,

Burn the photos. Delete them. I don't care how; just make sure they never see the light of day. Mentioning that event in an email is still mentioning it. And we agreed not to. For all our sakes.

About this favor. Think you could squeeze in few minutes for me on Skype at some point? Between dodging your editor and deadlines.

- Cullen

PS. Grunt 'hello' at Cassandra too for me.

"What are you smiling at?" Cullen pressed a button so the screen of his phone went blank after sending his reply. Clotilde was at his side, a disarmingly sweet smile on her face. His interactions with Nevena's family so far were minimal. From meeting her the day before, Clotilde seemed a nice enough woman and happy in herself. Still, following on from the morning and Nevena's general demeanor when around her sisters, Cullen was determined to tread carefully.

"Sorry." He pocketed his phone. "Just an email."

"From?"

"A... friend." Cullen tilted a brow, uncertain as to why Clotilde inquired as to who the email was from. "An invite for to a get together on New Year's Eve. Obviously, I refused, given I'll be here."

Clotilde looked at him shrewdly, a look that matched the one Ineria had given him the day before when she answered the door and looked him up and down. If anyone ever doubted the two were related, all they would need to do is ask them both to make the expression. The similarities were uncanny. The way it pulled Clotilde's face in made her look harsher and sharpened some of the roundness of her face. "A male friend? Female friend?"

"Male," Cullen replied sharply. "What are you implying?"

"Nothing." Her eyes went wide with a look of innocence and insult that struck Cullen as very practiced. "I'm not implying anything. Just looking out for my sister."

"Right."

"We don't know you, Cullen. And Nevena is an important member of our family," Clotilde said with a smile that was less than genuine. "We protect our own."

Except from each other, Cullen wanted to say. Almost said. The words stuffed themselves onto his tongue and he had to fight the urge to let them out. He didn't have the knowledge or the grounds to say something insulting or cutting like that. Even if just watching Nevena interact with her sisters was enough to make him sure he was right, he couldn't in good conscience say it… but he could certainly think it.

"You have nothing to protect her from," said Cullen, controlling the tone of his voice to remain cordial. "I have no intention of hurting her." That was true. Even though their arrangement was a contract, she was a client, and there was nothing there, he was not about to do anything to humiliate or hurt her in what was already a difficult situation.

"That's good," Clotilde's expression slipped into a saccharine sweet smile. They stood in silence for a few moments. Cullen glanced around through the people passing by, trying to see if he could spot any of Nevena's other relatives. The faces all meshed together for him, and apart from Clotilde, he could not spot anyone else. "How did you two meet anyway?" asked Clotilde. "Nevena hasn't said."

"You never asked," Cullen replied bitingly. "Well, you started to ask at dinner last night, but when Nevena answered you lost interest."

There was an instant where Cullen saw shock flicker across Clotilde's face. Her eyes widened and he was sure he saw color flood her cheeks. She stared at him, as anger covered the shock. She was poorly forcing herself to keep it under wraps. Judging from her expression, Cullen doubted anyone ever called any one of Nevena's sisters out on their treatment towards her. It was a good feeling to know he had. If he was going to spend the next few weeks with these people, he was going to try and step in and call them out when he could.

The instant passed and Clotilde schooled her expression to cool interest. "Well, I'm asking you now," she said with an enigmatic smile. "Where did you meet?"

"At a party her friend Roselyn was throwing."

"Roselyn?" Clotilde repeated. "She's still friends with... with her?"

Cullen quirked a brow, "What's wrong with Roselyn? She's very amiable. She and Nevena are close." He assumed they were at least. He got the feeling they were from the way Nevena spoke about Roselyn when they first met.

"Roselyn is an interfering busy body," she said sharply. "She had to stick her nose in when Nevena and Rick were going through their break up. I'm sure they would have patched things up if she'd just stayed out of it!"

"I don't know." A pause and Cullen brushed his thumb over the puckered skin of his scar. He glanced across the street where he could see Rowan's head peeking over the top of the passersby from where he was sitting on his father's shoulders. "From what I understand, Roselyn is the closest friend Nevena has." Another assumption, but one he was sure he was right in making. "I don't think she would have stepped in unless she was doing it for a good reason."

"What do you know about Rick?" Clotilde spoke to Cullen but her eyes were elsewhere, looking around the people walking down the high street. "Has Nevena told you anything?"

"No, it's her business. She'll tell me when she wants to, when she feels ready to."

"It's a fascinating story," she smirked. "Completely fantastic. If it was in a book, it would be a riveting read." She looked at Cullen. "You should ask her about it."

"Why is everyone in your family so fixated on her ex?" The question left Cullen's mouth before he could stop it, and it was one he'd been wanting to ask since the day before. Seeing Nevena's reaction to the photograph that still contained him was enough to pique his interest. Her father's reaction that morning, and now Clotilde's comments were causing his curiosity to brim over. "What, was he some kind of genius? A new age thinker?"

"He was practically family," Clotilde snapped. "She was selfish when she ended it. Didn't think of us. Just herself."

"Forgive me, but shouldn't her happiness with her relationship and her life matter more than yours?"

When Clotilde looked at him, it was a look of condescension and it made Cullen bristle. "That's cute. Quaint." She patted his arm, adding to her patronizing manner. "He was gift-wrapped for her, or as good as, and he spoiled her rotten. She was ungrateful. And worse, she started to spread vindictive rumors and slander him afterwards."

"Nevena did?" Cullen crossed his arms. "That Nevena, in there?" He pointed into the shop. "The one who jumps at loud noises and apologizes just for breathing?"

"Oh, she has her claws in you very deep, doesn't she?" Clotilde smiled at him. "It's a good act, no doubt about it. She's probably a better actress than Ineria ever tried to be in school. But she'll show her true colors eventually."

"I..." Cullen wanted to laugh. He wasn't sure if Clotilde was serious or if this was just some kind of twisted hazing. As if by saying these poisonous things, it would prompt him into believing her. Or questioning her further. Or she hoped it would cause him to make a scene and confront Nevena. He was curious, there was no doubt about it. The more people mentioned this mysterious Rick, the more Cullen wanted to know. There was clearly some deep-seated issue surrounding him and whatever reason Nevena gave for ending things. But Cullen wasn't about to press for information from Clotilde. He wouldn't seek information from anyone except Nevena, and even then only if she offered it to him. He caught the things he wanted to say and held them back. Instead he took a breath to settle the tightness in his chest and reconsidered.

"Why are you telling me these things, Clotilde?" he asked, turning on a friendly smile and relaxed tone of voice. "Are you hoping saying these things will cause me to confront Nevena? Or make a fuss in public? You want me to humiliate her?"

"I don't know what you mean," Clotilde's smile was just as aimiable, warm, and false as his own. "I'm giving you some friendly advice, as someone who was there when Nevena became a member of the family and watched her grow up."

"And I'm sure you had a deft hand in molding her into the woman she is today," he continued to smile, his cheeks beginning to ache. "If this is how you 'look out' for your sister, I would hate to see how you deal with your enemies."

"I am -"

"Not in a position to tell me anything about her. She hasn't seen you in three years. So, thank you for your friendly warning - but I'll take my chances." He nodded to Clotilde, stiff but polite. "Excuse me." He left her standing as he pulled the door to the sweet shop open. It was bustling and noisy inside, but anywhere was better than out there with someone as spiteful and vicious as Clotilde.


The late-evening news was winding down, and Cullen was waiting for the next day forecast so he could get an idea of what things he might be able to do tomorrow. The trip into Edgehall had been successful and now he and Nevena had the cupboards in the kitchen stocked with bits and pieces they could use for cooking meals and snacking. He sat on the couch, legs sprawled out in front of him, while Nevena was curled up at the opposite end, already changed into her pajama bottoms and the same hooded shirt from the morning. She had a mug between her hands and her glasses on, though her attention was drawn to the tablet on her knees.

On the drive back to Skyhold and during the dinner Cullen cooked, they had made casual small talk, more comfortable alone together than the day before. He hadn't mentioned the comments Clotilde made, uncertain as to how to approach the topic. So far, Nevena's only reaction when it came to talking about Rick had been negative. Clearly it was a difficult and sensitive subject for her, but he needed to know details. Even if they were the most mundane details, just something so if Rick came up in conversation again - and Cullen had a distinct feeling he would - he would have some information at his disposal.

Adverts popped up on screen and Cullen muted the television. He glanced across at her, this woman who was putting herself through her own personal Hell, and found himself wondering why. His parents had always told him not to speak ill of people if he could help it, but the Trevelyan family were simply not nice - at least with what he knew of them so far. Perhaps, when the sisters were alone, they were nice people. But together in a gang, as they were now, they were like a pack of wolves. He knew there must have been a reason for their disdain towards Nevena beyond sibling jealousy and rivalry, but what?

There was the mysterious ex, of course. He had Clotilde, Nevena and Nevan Trevelyan confirming that Rick was almost family. Nevena had called him 'the son her father always wanted'. Maybe there was a time that he had been close to the family and almost was family, but breakups happened every day. Cullen found it astounding and immensely infuriating that her family chose to side with Nevena's ex, rather than their actual sister or daughter. She seemed to be a pariah for having done something for herself. It wasn't fair.

"What's on your mind?"

Cullen blinked hard. He practically felt himself falling back into the room as his gaze shifted from staring at nothing in the middle distance to focus in on Nevena. "What?"

"You muted the television and just... stared into nothing." Nevena unfurled her legs from beneath her and placed her tablet on the coffee table. "What's on your mind?" She stretched her arms out towards him, wriggled her fingers and gave a satisfied little groan when her muscles relaxed.

"Why should anything be on my mind?" He gathered soiled plates from the table then stood. He crossed to the kitchen area, placed them in the sink, ran the tap and began to clean up, entirely aware of Nevena watching his every move.

"You were talking to Clotilde for a while." Cullen glanced back to see Nevena leaning up over the back of the couch. It was amazing to Cullen how different she was when she was relaxed and there were no sisters. Even now, she came across as more playful. The tone of her voice was lighter and there was no tension in the way she held herself. "Did you talk about anything interesting?"

"No."

"Just me?" The mug in his hand slipped into the soapy water and clunked on the bottom of the sink. He looked across at her and noticed the wry smile on her lips. "It's okay. I knew she would talk to you about me. Either her or Ineria." He watched Nevena climb off the sofa.

"Not Arienne?"

"Eh," Nevena shrugged. "Arienne is a bit of a wildcard. Sometimes she's on their team, sometimes she's on mine." A pause. "And then sometimes she's Estwatch."

Cullen stared at her, confused. "Estwatch?" he said. "What does Estwatch have to do with anything?"

"Estwatch is an impartial party. Never gets involved with wars or politics. Somehow avoids being dragged into conflict, even though its neighboring countries might be undergoing radical changes." Nevena came to his side and leaned against the counter. "Arienne is sometimes Estwatch, even when we were kids."

"I see." He continued to wash the crockery and stack it, surprised when Nevena picked up a dishtowel and began to dry each piece as he set it aside. It was relaxed, almost domestic how easy and comfortable it was to fall into something so mundane. He was used to cleaning up after himself rather than letting things pile up. For all that it was something so simple, it was actually nice to have the company while doing such a dull task. A few times she splashed water on clean objects so he would have to clean them again. He retaliated by flicking water off his fingers tips into her face. Her nose crinkled and her expression lit up when she laughed.

"Can I ask you something?" Cullen said, after a long period of comfortable silence.

"Mhm-hm." Nevena rocked onto the balls and heels of her feet with the regularity of the metronome.

"It's about your ex."

She stopped. "Okay." She gently put the plate she was drying to one side and placed the cloth on the counter. She faced him, expression hard and steady. "What do you want to know?"

"Just..." Cullen dried his hands, crossed his arms and faced her, leaning his hip against the work surface. "Why is your family so attached to him? What happened? They act like he was Maker-sent."

Nevena smirked to herself and laughed softly through her nose. She pushed her fingers through her hair before she straightened up. "They thought he was perfect. He could do no wrong in their eyes. He was the perfect gentleman, at least in their fantasy. They loved the person he presented to them. The man they met maybe two or three times a year.."

"Oh..."

"The person he actually was... was very different."

"I see." Cullen rubbed the scar of his lip. The hair on the back of his neck prickled uncomfortably and his stomach grew strangely heavy in his gut. As if the meal he had consumed had turned to lead. "So..."

"They adored him. Adored him more than I did, that's for sure." Nevena's lips quirked to one side. "And the break up was messy." She peered up at him through messy locks of hair. "Like, nuclear fallout messy." She mimicked the sound of an explosion and gestured what Cullen assumed was meant to be a mushroom cloud.

Cullen chuckled, "That's pretty messy."

"Yeah..." Nevena trailed. Her smile weakened and she pushed both hands through her hair, brushing her fingers through until it was less tangled. She left her hands to rest on her shoulders, palms down. "They've never quite forgiven me for ending things with him. It was over three years ago, and they still ask about him in phone calls and emails. As if I would be in touch with him after-"

"After...?"

Time froze for a moment and Nevena's eyes locked with his. He saw uncertainty, rising panic, almost terror - as if concerned that just talking about this man would somehow summon him. She had let her guard down too much and he could practically see her putting the walls back up as high as they could possibly go. Protecting herself. She had to protect herself.

"Nothing." She shook her head and the moment was gone. The fear and trepidation in her expression was replaced by tiredness. "Never mind."

Cullen placed a tentative hand on her shoulder moving his thumb in a circle. "Nevena..."

"Maybe I'll give you the gory details some other time." She smiled - false and brief - before she slipped and out of his grasp and away from him. "I'm going to bed." She waved. "Night Cullen. Have a good sleep."

Cullen watched as she disappeared behind the bedroom door. He wanted to try and coax her into staying and talking longer. He found he enjoyed her company and they didn't have to talk about her family, or her ex. But the door was already closed when he opened his mouth to try and stop her. He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair.

"Goodnight, Nevena."


Hey everyone~

Thank you again for reading the previous chapter, and reading this one. I am appreciating it so much. And thank you for all the comments on the last chapter. Some really gave me some food for thought, and that is never a bad thing. I hope you liked this chapter, and you're enjoying the fic. As always, let me know in the comments.