Authors Note: Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the continued support of this story. A big thanks to everyone who reviewed/commented, it really motivates me to write more, so thank you all for that. Big thanks to David Johnston who pointed out a bit of a plot hole in regards to why Evelyn doesn't use a staff, so I have addressed that briefly in this chapter and I hope it makes a bit more sense. I hope you all enjoy! :)
Cullen was waiting with Josephine and Max near the entrance to the Winter Palace, he was chatting with Max until he saw Evelyn walking towards them.
"Yes I think-" Cullen suddenly stopped talking and his eye's widened.
Max turned around to see what Cullen was staring at, and he was not surprised to see Evelyn chatting with Dorian and Blackwall.
"No, you see mages don't need a staff to cast magic, but the lyrium in the staff makes them more powerful and gives you more stamina. What's special about Evelyn is that she can cast many powerful spells without either of those things." Dorian explained.
Blackwall shook his head, "I... I think I get it." He said.
Evelyn laughed and looked up at Cullen and smiled, "Are you alright?" She asked him quietly when she stood next to him. What she hadn't noticed was that he had caught sight of her back, and therefore her scar.
*Flashback*
Cullen was carrying Evelyn through the halls of the circle, her arm was hanging limply, blood dripping from her fingers, leaving a trail behind them.
When he reached her room he laid her down on her bed gently and sat on the floor beside her. He was only sitting for a few moments before he heard pained gasps coming from Evelyn.
Cullen stood and noticed that she was now awake, she looked at him, not with fear, but with pain. Seeing her like this reminded him of the pain he had been in in Ferelden, and that distanced her from the mages that had tortured him.
"Wha-what's your name?" Evelyn asked shakily between pained gasps.
Cullen looked at her with confusion, "It's Cullen."
"Cullen? Please help me." She whimpered.
Cullen looked at her and remembered the orders Meredith gave him, he wasn't to give her any medical attention, but he was no healer, and he didn't have any supplies, so was what little he could do really be considered medical attention? Cullen decided that it didn't.
"Can you sit up?" Cullen asked gently.
Evelyn nodded, and Cullen helped her. She clenched her jaw to stop from crying out in pain. Once she was sitting Cullen turned her around so that he could see her back.
It was worse than he had thought, the slash was long and deep, stretching across her entire back. He pulled back her robes slightly and she gasped.
"I'm sorry... I don't know what to do." Cullen said to her.
Evelyn let out a slight chuckle and asked, "You actually... care?"
"Of course, Templars are supposed to protect mages, from others and themselves," Cullen replied.
"I'm glad I've finally met one that believes that."
"Eve, you look-"
"Stunning, beautiful, gorgeous?" Dorian suggested.
Both Cullen and Evelyn blushed, but Cullen held out his hand to her and she took it, they walked up to the door.
"Ready?" Cullen asked.
"No," Evelyn said.
"Good, neither am I." Cullen said and gently squeezed her hand, "You do look beautiful." He added quietly.
"Thanks." She said.
Then Max and the others came up behind them, "Alright, we go in and they announce us? That's it?" Max asked Josephine.
"Well, yes. For now..." She replied.
Max looked and Evelyn and she nodded at him. He opened the door and it began...
"Introducing Lord Inquisitor Trevelyan, son of Bann Trevelyan of Ostwick!" The herald paused, "Vanquisher of the rebel mages of Ferelden, crusher of the vile apostates of the Mage Underground! Shepherd and leash of the wayward Order of the Templars, purger of the heretics from the ranks of the faithful!"
At this Varric and Evelyn shared a confused glance, "This guy writes better fiction than I do." He said under his breath.
The Herald continued, "Champion of the Blessed Andraste herself!" He paused, "And accompanying the Inquisitor..."
Iron Bull stepped forwards, "The Iron Bull, leader of the famed mercenary company Bull's Chargers. As the name might imply." The Herald said.
"Warden Blackwall of Val Chevin, constable of the Grey. Bearer of the Silverite Wings of Valor!" The herald announced next.
Cullen whispered to Evelyn, "I didn't know he had that title."
"Neither did I, I wonder why he never mentioned it," Evelyn whispered back.
"Renowned author Varric Tethras. Head of noble House Tethras, deshyr of Kirkwall to the Dwarven Merchants Guild." He announced, followed by "Lord Dorian Pavus, member of the Circle of Vyrantium, son of Lord Magister Halward Pavus of Asariel."
Evelyn could tell Dorian didn't like that his title had anything to do with his father.
"Seeker Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena–"
"Get on with it!" Cassandra called with annoyance.
"…Pentaghast. Fourteenth cousin to the King of Nevarra, nine times removed. Hero of Orlais, Right Hand of the Divine." He finished.
"Lady Leliana, Nightingale of the Imperial Court. Veteran of the Fifth Blight. Seneschal of the Inquisition and Left Hand of the Divine." He paused, "Lady Josephine Cherette Montilyet of Antiva City, Ambassador of the Inquisition."
Evelyn took a breath and was very glad that she wouldn't be walking down there alone.
The herald announced Cullen first, "Ser Cullen Stanton Rutherford of Honnleath. Commander of the forces of the Inquisition. Former Knight-Commander of Kirkwall." Cullen walked down the steps and waited for her, "Lady Enchanter Evelyn Trevelyan of the Kirkwall Circle of Magi. Former First-Enchanter of Kirkwall."
Evelyn tried not to let her surprise at her announcement show, something she could see Cullen trying to do as well. Evelyn hadn't been First-Enchanter, she supposed that technically Meredith had given her that title after Orsino had rebelled, but Meredith was clearly not in her right mind.
Evelyn took Cullen's outstretched hand and walked over to where the rest of their group had gathered.
"I didn't know you were the first enchanter," Max said to her quietly.
"Neither did I," Evelyn replied.
The party was in full swing and Evelyn was sitting with Dorian and Iron Bull off in a corner of the Winter Palace when Cullen walked up to them.
"Evelyn, would you- I mean can I have-" Cullen was stumbling over his words adorably.
"She would," Dorian said and grabbed Evelyn's hand and put it into Cullen's.
Both Evelyn and Cullen blushed, and they walked to the ballroom. Cullen's hand rested on her lower back and she instinctively leaned into him.
When the song was over Cullen lead her off the stage and noticed that Max was entering the ballroom with a purpose in his stride.
Cullen and Evelyn walked to Max and were met with Cassandra, Leliana and Josephine as well.
"What should we do? No one is innocent here." Maxwell said.
"Corypheus wants Orlais in chaos, no matter what we choose to do, that cannot be the end result," Leliana spoke.
"What are you suggesting?" Josephine asked, "We cannot allow the Empress to be assassinated, especially now that we know who and when."
"I don't know, allowing the Empress to fall may create a stronger Orlais, especially if Gaspard were to take the throne. He would offer unrivalled military support." Cullen then spoke.
Evelyn looked at Max's conflicted face, "I know the last thing you want is another complication, but what about Briala?" She asked gently.
"Yes, she could be a powerful force behind the right ruler," Leliana added.
Max sighed and rubbed his forehead, "What do you think Cassandra?"
"Well, I do believe Gaspard will prove the stronger ally... however I do not think it right of us to allow these events to play out now that we know what will happen if we do nothing," Cassandra said.
"Evelyn? Thoughts?" Max asked.
Evelyn thought for a moment before saying, "I agree with Cassandra, "Gaspard is a better ally in theory, but what happens when the court turns on him? He is not popular among these people." She paused, "I think we should try to reconcile Briala and Celene."
Both Cassandra and Josephine nodded, and Max hummed before nodding slowly, "Alright then, that's what we'll do. I'm going to confront Floriane in front of the court so there isn't anymore fighting." Maxwell sighed, "I'm really looking forward to this night being over."
Maxwell had confronted Floriane, gotten Gaspard executed, and reconciled the Empress and Briala. Then he had managed to snag a dance with Josephine, and now he was participating in one of his favourite pastimes, eavesdropping on Evelyn's conversations.
She leaning against a stone rail on the balcony below him with Cullen standing beside her.
"I'm sorry about the other day," Evelyn said to Cullen.
"No, I should be the one apologizing."
"No." Evelyn said and shook her head, "The truth is..." She paused and looked up at Cullen's face, "I love you, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to realize that."
Cullen was shocked, she had never told him and she loved him before. He had told her he loved her often, and he hadn't needed any explanation as to why she never said it. He knew she cared for him, but it was nice to finally hear her say it, it made it more... real. Cullen reached out to her and pulled her close to him, "I love you too." He kissed her and pulled away, "And you're worth the wait."
Evelyn leaned in and kissed him this time, Maxwell smiled to himself and walked away, ready to get a good night's sleep.
Cullen was lying awake in his bed in the room he was sharing with Maxwell when he heard a scream, one that made his heart freeze. Evelyn. Cullen looked over and saw that Maxwell was sitting up in his bed as well.
Both men jumped up and ran out into the hallway where they saw several other members of the inner circle also peeking out into the hallway to see what was going on.
"Help!" Dorian cried from the gardens outside where they were staying in Halamshiral.
Max, Cullen and Iron Bull were the first to run outside to find a bloody Dorian laying on the ground gasping in pain and clutching his bleeding side.
"Dorian!" Iron Bull called.
"Dorian, what happened?" Maxwell asked.
"They took her," He coughed blood, "They took Evelyn."
Max was following Cole and Sera who were tracking the people who had kidnapped Evelyn, behind Max was Cassandra and Blackwall.
"She fought them here," Cole said and pointed to some melting ice and scorch marks on the wall, "But they did something to her... she was hurting and then-" Cole suddenly stopped talking.
"What? What happened?" Max asked.
"No no no no no..." Cole kept repeating in horror.
Suddenly they heard another scream, Evelyn was close. The party took off towards the nearby building where they heard the screaming come from.
Cassandra kicked down the door and ran in, she immediately saw that there were two men holding Evelyn down on a table, and another doing something to her arm. Evelyn appeared to have fallen unconscious, and so the two men that were holding her down ran at Cassandra and Max who had come in after her. They made short work of the men, and Maxwell was now angrily approaching the man who was still standing over Evelyn, doing something to her arm.
The man turned and Max could see what he was doing. He had been wrapping bandages around her forearm, there were already red spots from where she was bleeding through them.
"Who are you and what have you done to my sister?" Max asked angrily.
"You will thank me Inquisitor, and she will too. She is now the most powerful mage in the world, maybe even powerful enough to rival Corypheus himself." The man said with a crazed edge to his voice.
Suddenly from behind Max a knife flew and embedded itself into the man's throat. Cole had thrown it.
Cole ran to Evelyn's side, continually muttering, "No no no no..." It was no secret that the boy looked up to Varric and Evelyn, and he was often found listening to Varric's stories or taking walks and talking with Evelyn.
Max quickly joined Cole at Evelyn's side, he carefully picked her up and together the group of them walked quickly back to their lodgings.
Solas was waiting for them when they returned "Lay her here." He said, gesturing to a bed.
Max put her down gently and took a step back so that Solas could examine her.
Solas carefully unwrapped the bandages on her forearms and gasped something in elven.
"What is it?" Max asked.
It was then that Cullen ran into the room and turned immediately to Max, "Is she alright? What's-what's that on her arm?"
"I believe in they call it 'lyrium tattoo's'" Solas said. "They appear to have... burned lyrium into her skin." Solas said, "I have only ever seen such a thing on-"
"Slaves in Tevinter." Varric finished.
Max turned around, not realizing Varric had come in as well.
"Do you know much about this?" Cullen asked, the fear and pain in his voice evident.
"I knew an escaped slave from Tevinter once, he had markings like those all over his body. They gave him... abilities even though he was not a mage and they glowed when he was angry or killing." Varric explained about Fenris, "But..." Varric paused and Max braced himself for the bad news he knew was going to come. "When my friend received his markings... he lost all his memories."
