Chapter Six

Back to Business

{-Cullen-}

They lay alone beneath the willow tree, and Cullen couldn't be happier. Ellaina had fallen asleep long ago. He watched her. She was smiling in her dreams. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her do that. He didn't want to wake her, but he knew he had to. It had been drizzling for the better part of an hour and the horses were getting soaked. At this rate it would be a long ride back to Skyhold.

"Ellaina, my love." He poked her cheek not wanting to startle her too badly. "Darling, we need to get back to Skyhold. Everyone will worry." Her eyes fluttered so he knew she had stirred.

"Let them worry." She slurred groggily.

"It's raining; the horses are getting soaked." He objected as she tried to snuggle back up to him.

She exhaled, knowing she'd been defeated. "Alright." Between himself and Dakota, sometimes he wondered which of them she loved more.

Cullen gave her time to prop herself up before, not without some hesitation, he got up. He dressed quickly and started folding up the blankets as she laced her boots. He tended to the horses giving them an apple and a sugar cube along with some oats. Cullen was relieved to see they weren't cold. He had grown quite fond of Judex and knew that Ellaina treasured Dakota. Cullen walked back over to hug Ellaina and give her a quick kiss beneath the tree before they packed up the basket and mounted their horses. They rode in peaceful silence to the gates of Skyhold where Master Dennet tried to take the horses from them. Ellaina objected claiming that Dakota would be mad at her for not brushing her after being out in the rain. Dennet shrugged and left them alone to de-tackle and groom their horses.

Ellaina broke the peaceful silence. "Cullen?"

"Yes my Lady?"

"Could I ask you a favor?"

"Certainly. What is it?"

"You know how I was talking about needing combat training."

Puzzled Cullen tried to grasp at where she was going with this, "Yes?"

"Do you think…" she swallowed loudly, "Would it be ok if we sparred?" she blurted.

Cullen paused for a moment, speechless. He understood she needed to gauge her strength. He just wasn't sure she was ready.

"Are you sure you're up for it?"

"I think so. I've regained my strength and I've made it through all of Cassandra's exercises. You know how tough she works her recruits. I don't think I could be any more prepared."

"You don't have to tell me twice about Cassandra being tough." Cullen chuckled and nodded. "Alright. If you're certain you're ready we will, but let's wait until this rain lets up. The day is still rather young."

"Really?" Her eyes shone with delighted excitement.

"Of course, my Lady." He bowed deeply to her and she giggled.

"I'll come find you later. Bring your best, Commander." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and bounced off toward the main doors of Skyhold.

"Have a nice ride?" Cullen jumped when he heard Dorian.

"Maker, Dorian! You almost scared the pants off me!" Cullen chuckled at that as soon as it came out of his mouth.

"If only!" Dorian laughed boisterously. "It's nice to see the spring back in our Inquisitor's step. Care for a game? There are some matters I'd like to discuss."

Cullen hadn't even noticed the mage had been holding a chess box. "Certainly. So long as you promise not to cheat this time."

"Me cheat? Never." Dorian winked at him as they walked out toward the garden.

"Black or white, Commander?"

"I'm feeling confident today."

"Look's like I'll be the dark haired brute yet again."

Cullen made his move first and they settled in to a steady rhythm. The rain continued to fall on the gazebo. Cullen lost track of time as his adversary was taking the game seriously for once. As Cullen played he allowed his mind to drift. He thought about Ellaina. He saw her as that young Templar in Starkhaven's circle. She was so radiant in that memory untainted by fear or struggle. She was still beautiful today, but in a different way. He hoped that she would grow her hair out again. He would have to talk to her about that. How different our lives were in the Order. How different our lives are now.

"How are you holding up?" Dorian was on a streak of jarring the Commander from his thoughts today.

"Hmm?"

"I asked, Chantry Boy, how you are holding up?"

"Chantry Boy?" Cullen's cheeks warmed as he thought of Ellaina calling him that when they made love at the pond. "I'm fine."

"Honestly, what does it take to get you to open up? You aren't at all affected by my charm. I pity you, honestly." Dorian shook his head; a smile taking residence beneath is moustache.

Cullen was grateful for the mage's presence. Dorian may be Tevinter, but he was a good man. One of the few people Cullen could call friend and honestly confide in. He shook his head and answered the mage in earnest.

"Last week was rough, but I'm better now. The relapses aren't coming as often, and the pain is slowly becoming more bearable." Cullen hesitated before continuing. "Ellaina helps."

"Better, but I know there's more."

How the man could read Cullen's thoughts without removing his eyes from the board would always elude him. It was like Dorian could read his thoughts just by being in proximity to him. It was a gift; one Dorian utilized more often than he probably should.

"It's hard sometimes. Being with her. I love her-" Cullen coughed, his throat suddenly tight.

"Say no more. I understand. She smells like a thunderstorm doesn't she? Bull gave her a clever nickname in more ways than one."

"It's comforting I'm not the only one who recognizes it." Cullen moved his knight into position and called, "Checkmate."

"Well played, Commander." Dorian said as he scooped the pieces back into the box. "I wish you luck. You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for. Just remember, honesty is the best remedy for a troubled heart."

With that, Cullen was left to sit alone in the garden. The rain had stopped some time ago and the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds. Honesty is the best remedy for a troubled heart. Oh, Dorian, if only you knew. Cullen thought back to the night that started this whole ordeal. He still blamed himself. He knew she didn't blame him but he knew it was his fault. If only I'd been more understanding. If only I hadn't lost my temper. If only… Cullen stopped himself before he could continue. Allowing his guilt to take him over would only make things worse. He had allowed that to happen before, and he would not do so again.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting in the garden, lost in his thoughts, when someone nudged his shoulder. He turned around expecting to see Ellaina, but the spymaster greeted him instead.

"Commander, the Inquisitor has called a war council." Leliana

"Really?"

"Believe me, I'm shocked as well. However, the Inquisitor insists that she has shirked her duties for far too long." Leliana filled Cullen in on the details as they walked toward Skyhold's war room. "She's worried about the state of matters in Orlais. Grand Duke Gaspard has extended a formal invitation to a masquerade hosted by his sister, Grand Duchess Florianne, at the winter palace. The ball is taking place at the end of the week, and the Inquisitor has emphasized the importance of an alliance with Orlais."

"That's understandable. What do you think her plan is?"

"No clue, but I'm glad to be providing council instead of making the decisions myself."

"Agreed."

Cullen set his worry aside as he entered the war room. Lady Montilyet and Ellaina were already there bantering across the war table. Something about a Nevarran noble and how the Trevelyans could help with talks. It was a refreshing sight to see and Cullen didn't try to hide the smile that made its way across his lips. He didn't want to admit it, but he loathed doing her job. He just wasn't as good at it as she was. She had a natural gift. She could make decisions that shook the world, and never felt self-doubt. Cullen was content just to lead her army.

Ellaina looked at each of her councilors, her eyes lingered on Cullen for just a little longer than the other two.

"It's wonderful to see you all." She said with an earnest smile. Ellaina had the air of seriousness about her that asserted her being in command. Cullen would be lying to himself if he said he hadn't missed this. Seeing her in control was a nice change of pace. "Now then, let's get down to business shall we?"

They all nodded.

"We know how we'll reach the empress before Corypheus. The Grand Duke took care of that for us. However, I am still concerned that we don't know where our enemy is hiding. Absolutely everyone in Orlais will be there, including Gaspard and Ambassador Briala. "With whom Empress Celene will be holding peace talks during the festivities." Josephine stated.

"We are certain that the assassin is hiding within one of these factions." Leliana interjected.

"What do we know about the Grand Duke, aside from him sending us this lovely invitation?" Ellaina questioned.

"He's Celene's cousin, and was first in line to inherit the throne when Emperor Florian died. Celene outmaneuvered him and won over the Council of Heralds, the group in charge of title disputes. She became Empress, and Gaspard a General in the Imperial Army. He's well loved by the troops, and he's also a Chevalier. Most of the Chevaliers sided with him after Celene became empress." Cullen replied.

"I thought the Chevaliers were part of the army. Why would they follow the Duke?" Ellaina seemed to puzzle over the situation.

"Most Chevaliers are sworn to serve the crown. That, however, does not give them faith in the person wearing it. The Empress has tried to improve relations with Ferelden and Nevarra. The Chevaliers see her as antimilitary. They believe that Gaspard could lead the Empire back to its former glory."

"I've never heard of this Ambassador Briala. What do we know about her?" Ellaina pointed her question towards Leliana.

"She is an ambassador in name only. She has organized the elves of Halamshiral into an underground army. The empress invited her to the peace talks as a gambit to gain the elves' alliance in the war. That would be scandal enough without the rumor that Briala is a jilted lover of Celene's." Leliana answered.

Ellaina had placed her hand on her chin in a thoughtful pose and nodded. "A personal grudge and a network of saboteurs at her disposal? That sounds like a promising lead. Well I've certainly got plenty to think about. What's the plan?"

"With Gaspard and Celene's armies thoroughly entrenched, we can't exactly march troops to the palace." Cullen stated.

"My agents will ensure your troops get inside, but it must be a few at a time to avoid attention." Leliana interjected.

"Understood."

"Well the ball isn't until the end of the week. I believe we have everything worked out, and I have all the information I need. Thank you all. Dismissed." With a wave of her hand Ellaina turned on her heels and headed to the doors of the war room.

"That went very well." Josephine said after the doors had closed.

"Indeed. I'm impressed. She's come through a lot. I just hope can make a proper decision when we get to the ball." Leliana sounded worried for their friend.

"I'm sure she will." Josephine replied.

"I have every confidence in our Inquisitor." Cullen added and the women nodded.

{-Ellaina-}

Maker's balls, I'm glad that's over. Ellaina could feel the exhaustion wash over her as she exited the war room. It felt good to be back in action, but she needed to be careful not to push herself too hard. Her mind wasn't as sharp as it used to be and she had a headache trying to sort out everything her councilors had said. I really need to hit something. She chuckled to herself. She was starting to sound like Cassandra.

Ellaina made her way to her quarters where she stored her armor. She opened the wardrobe and looked at the Templar armor set Ser had given to her as congratulations for "making it through initiation." A pang of guilt hit her hard as she traced her fingers over the crest on the armor. Holding the flood of memories at bay Ellaina closed the wardrobe and headed to the chest at the opposite side of the room that held the obsidian armor she and Harrit had crafted together. The armor was incredibly breathable and surprisingly comfortable for how heavy it was. She pulled on her dragon skin leather trousers and tunic and laced them up. She pulled out her cuisses and greaves along with her boots and donned each, meticulously checking each buckle. Her breastplate, gauntlets, and pauldrons came next. The sound of the metal clinking as she fastened every piece in to place brought a sense of security she hadn't been aware she missed. She couldn't help but laugh at herself when she looked in the mirror and imagined herself in Cullen's fur pauldrons instead of her own ornate masterwork pauldrons.

"It needs more curls Trevelyan." Harrit had insisted so they curled up the metal on her pauldrons and gauntlets giving her the relative appearance of a dragon.

She couldn't help feeling weak still, as she looked at herself in the red and black armor that used to make her feel so powerful and intimidating. She saw a shadow of her former self. Her once strongly fierce blue eyes were now sunken with dark circles beneath them, a testament to her lack of sleep for the past several months. Her once strong and proud face had grown gaunt and her complexion was ashy despite her health and strength returning. No amount of make up could hide the new scars that donned her face and neck. Ellaina had never been one for wearing a helmet, but she found herself wishing she had one on at this moment.

Tearing away from her reflection, Ellaina strode to the weapon rack and grabbed her favorite greatsword. The blade was obsidian, and it was crafted to match her armor. The cross guard was made from bloodstone in the shape of a dragon's head embellished with two small emeralds for eyes. The hilt was wrapped in the same dragon skin leather that made up her tunic and trousers, and the pommel was bloodstone and in the center a large emerald was set. The blade itself was shaped like the greatswords the Templars wielded. However, Harrit's smithing techniques were much better than any Templar smith she had ever met. This blade was strong and incredibly light for it's size. She sheathed it behind her back and turned to face herself again in the mirror. That's more like it. She thought to herself with a smile.

"A warrior is not whole without her sword." Ellaina's hands instinctively went through the motions of retracting the greatsword she had just sheathed as she turned to face the intruder. When she turned around and pointed the blade to the perpetrator's throat she instantly regretted it.

"Maker's breath, Cullen! You should know better than to scare me like that!" she chastised him, pulling the blade away from his throat.

"Well, at least we're even now." He said with a slight chuckle as she looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. "The box." He continued.

"Ah, that." She nodded. She had almost forgot about that.

"Were you just dressing for fun or were you getting cold feet about our match?"

"Do you intend to let me warm up first? I think it would only be fair."

"Certainly. I just wanted to make sure you're feet were still warm." Cullen winked at her. He's been winking an awful lot lately. This is Dorian's influence. I'll have to have a word with him about that later.

"Don't you worry, Commander, my feet are just fine." She lowered her voice, hoping he wouldn't hear, and looked away to avoid his eyes. "It's my head I'm worried about."

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'll be fine. I just need a distraction for a bit."

"I understand. I'll meet you in the sparring ring soon."

"I look forward to it." With that she turned and walked out the door towards the courtyard, hoping he hadn't noticed the tears welling in her eyes.

How could I have drawn my sword against him like that? I knew it was him as soon as he spoke. Why can't I be like a normal person and jump instead of drawing my sword?

She had made it to the courtyard and was surprised to see Cassandra wasn't in her usual place, beating the stuffing out of some unsuspecting practice dummy. Bull and Krem were training not far from her but she didn't feel like conversation. She unsheathed her sword in front of a dummy in a somewhat secluded corner.

What was Corypheus trying to prove? That he was better than me? He could conquer the world if I was out of the way? Bastard! She allowed the anger to control her movements and her sword met the dummy with greater force than she had intended and the unexpected shock reverberated up her arms. Dammit! Control your strikes Ellaina. Stop being stupid. You're better than him. You've been trained better than this. She stepped back and recovered and struck again. This time more controlled, hitting squarely on the exact point she had targeted. That's more like it. Do it again. Step back, recover, hit. Faster. Step back, recover, hit. Ellaina became absorbed in the dance as she pushed herself to go faster. Throwing in bobs and weaves as thought the dummy would strike her down at any moment. She got into a rhythm and started stringing different strikes together. One hit with her pommel, a spin on the balls of her feet as the weight of the greatsword whirled around her, and as she came back around she struck downward to the ground through the dummy, splitting it in half. It wasn't until then that she realized she was drenched in sweat. She also realized she didn't care. She freed the length of the sword from the ground and then turned, hilt up, and lodged the tip back into the soil so she could use it to get up. That was when she heard it. Clapping. She had been so focused on her training that she hadn't realized half of Skyhold had gathered around to watch her. They were cheering for her. The wordless encouragement made her heart swell.

"Inquisitor!" Cullen's voice roared above the crowd and a hush followed it. It was haunting how he could silence an entire fortress with just a word. She would have to ask for lessons later. "I have seen your strength, and I would like to challenge you to a duel!"

Ellaina pulled the tip of her sword from the ground and raised it with one hand in a single fluid motion. "I hear your challenge Commander and I accept!"

A roar erupted to the crowd as they parted, fists over hearts, making a path for her to the sparring ring. Ellaina sheathed her sword and saw the door to Cassandra's quarters open in her periphery. She breathed a sigh of relief. The thought of two tortured Templars sparring without the Seeker had turned her stomach into knots. She felt much more comfortable about the whole thing now that she knew Cassandra would be present in case something went horribly wrong.

Ellaina entered the ring where the commander was standing. He picked up his shield and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Ellaina decided the pose suited him. His lips parted into a wry smile pulling at the scar on his lip. Ellaina felt her heart flop in her chest. She loved his smile. She shook herself mentally. Now was not the time to be daydreaming.

Ellaina crossed the ring to officially accept the challenge with a handshake. She spoke softly so that only he could hear. "Don't hold back."

He nodded as she released the grip on his hand and made her way back to her side of the ring.

"Any mages in the area should stay outside a ten meter radius!" Cassandra piped above the crowd. "As you all well know, you're about to witness a fight between two very capable Templars. I'm sure they have no desire to cause injuries to any of their subordinates!" Several mages stepped backward until they were out of range. Many of them ran up to the ramparts to get a better, safer, view.

Ellaina nodded at Cassandra, conveying her silent thanks. The two warriors unsheathed their weapons and the fight began. They circled each other, both waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Cullen lunged at her first, sword heading for her blind spot. She parried and struck back, but he blocked with his shield. He was quicker than she was but her weapon was much larger and heavier. The blow landed hard. Ellaina saw him grimace under the weight of it and temporarily loose his footing. She took advantage of his slip up and lunged toward his left thigh. He gracefully blocked her blow with his sword hand and used his shield to push her back to the opposite side of the ring. She had underestimated him. She would not make the same mistake twice.

They circled once more. The glint of determination in his eyes was a welcome sight. She was glad he was feeling more like himself. He took advantage of her distraction and lunged at her again. She anticipated his sword hand, ducked beneath it, and planted a pommel strike on his abdomen. She had knocked the wind out of him but he recovered faster than she had predicted and shoved her again with his shield. She lost her footing and instead of stumbling she abandoned her sword and somersaulted to the opposite side of the ring. She felt the electricity in the air as the energy from her spell shatter built. She waited a split second longer until the spell begged for release. She obliged, stunning Cullen long enough for her to roll back and grab her sword before he could bring his own down on her. She blocked the blow and swung herself up, extending a leg, and taking his out from underneath him. She recovered and was about to strike when she felt the energy again. This time, Cullen unleashed a spell shatter that made her stagger. She barely collected herself in time to dodge his next blow. They recovered and started circling again.

They were both panting, tired, and sweaty now, but the cheer of the crowd kept them going. Ellaina wanted to steal a glance at the onlookers, but she didn't dare take her eyes off her opponent. He was doing exactly as she asked. He wasn't holding back, and she was glad. It was Ellaina's turn to initiate the next volley of blows. She swung the blade up to meet her off hand as she dive-rolled toward Cullen's left side. The blade bit into her gloved hand, but it didn't bother her. She had perfected this technique and had the calluses to prove it. She came out of the roll, landed on her right knee, replaced her off-hand on the hilt, twisted the greatsword, and used the broad side to smack Cullen's back. As he staggered toward the edge of the ring Ellaina pushed off with her non-dominant foot and charged at him. He recovered in time to raise his shield. They locked for a moment, both refusing to give in. The mutual shove drove them apart.

The cheers were deafening now, and Ellaina reveled in the feeling of it all. This was what she had been missing. She'd never faced a worthier than Cullen, but Ellaina knew that Cullen wouldn't play chivalrous knight much longer. She'd seen him play dirty before. She was prepared for it, and she would play dirty right back. She felt it in the air a second too late to anticipate. Cullen unleashed his spell shatter yet again, blinding her temporarily. When she opened her eyes, Cullen was running full speed toward her. She changed her stance to brace for his head on attack, but at the last second he extended his shield arm and spun on his heel around her to slap her back with the broad side of his sword.

She swung the greatsword around her; just as she had earlier against the dummy. As she had hoped, he blocked her blow. She used the momentum to spin backwards around him, using her sword to guide her trajectory, and kicked him in the small of his back. He fell to the ground. Tossing the sword into the air and catching it again with her dominant hand she grinned at Cullen. The move was more for embellishment than practicality, and the flourish worked. The crowd, which had hushed for their most recent volley, started up again. This confusion paired with one final spell shatter stunned him long enough for Ellaina to thrust her foot upon his breastplate and point the tip of her sword to his throat before he could recover.

Cullen smiled up at her and said, "I yield." With that the crowd unleashed a deafening cacophony. Ellaina tossed aside her weapon and extended her hand to help him up, which he accepted. Once he was back on his feet he discarded his shield and pulled her into a tight embrace, and for the first time she didn't care that everyone was watching. She was overjoyed and felt more at peace than she had in months.

She almost couldn't hear him say, "Welcome back." into her ear. Maker, was she glad to be back. She looked around at her followers and comrades. She saw the smiles and hope written on their faces. In that moment she decided that she would never let them down again.