Chapter Sixteen

She was right. After years of living in Kirkwall, one thing she had learned was that nobody kept a good story to themselves. So now, she and Cullen were officially the most watched couple in the city. It almost made them long for the days when they had their privacy again. There had to be a happy middle-ground, hadn't there?

If he was already in town, and he often found an excuse to be, he would stop by and have dinner at her estate, then go back to the Gallows afterwards. She sometimes found a reason to go to the Gallows herself, and would always stop by to say hello. They hadn't really spent much time alone, though. Part of that was the weather. They promised each other that once it got warmer, they could go on outings and spend more time together.

The first warm spell of spring gave them that opportunity.

Cullen had said to dress comfortably, so she had on wide linen pants for movement and a fitted tunic. She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She was to meet Cullen at the dock to the Gallows. He wouldn't tell her where he was taking her. When she arrived, he was waiting for her. The first thing she noticed was that he was wearing "normal" clothes. The second thing was that he looked really good in them.

When she stepped on to the dock, he offered her his hand. She took it and stepped off the boat. He immediately pulled her into an embrace and kissed her. She laughed, "Hello to you, too...So will you tell me where we are going?"

He smiled at her, "Not yet, I want to wait until the last possible moment not to ruin anything," he kissed her again, just for good measure.

He let her go and they held hands as he led her back behind the prison to an area she had never seen.

Evelyn looked up at the walls towering overhead. They seemed even more intimidating from here, "Where are we?" she asked as they continued to climb over ancient stones.

"This," Cullen explained as he helped her, "is an area of the Gallows that was used way back, but we never go into. One day, many years ago, I had just about all I could stand of Meredith and Orsino and I had to get out. I decided to come exploring and I happened upon it. Since then, it's where I go when I want to be alone. I used to spend most of my days-off there so I couldn't be found."

As he helped her over a stone, he grabbed her by the waist and hugged her, "I guess I've decided I don't want to be alone anymore." He smiled at her.

She smiled back. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, then continued to help her over the difficult terrain.

Finally, they arrived at a tower. It was very tall and formidable. There was a door on the outside for entrance.

"I think, although I don't know for certain, this is where the very highest ranking nobility were kept when they were...guests of the Imperium, sort to speak."

"Ah...I see..."

Cullen opened the door and she stepped in. He closed it behind them, surrounding them completely in darkness. Without thinking, Evelyn cast a flame to use for a light and looked for a torch. She found one on the wall and lit it. Then she smiled at him.

Cullen shook his head, "I'm still trying to get accustomed to you doing that...," he smiled. Then he took her hand again, "This way...," and led her up the stairs, which wound along the walls of the tower. When they had finally reached the top, Evelyn a was a bit out of breath and was scared to guess how high up they were. There was another door here, which Cullen opened.

When they were inside, Cullen said, "There are candles all over this room and usually I go around lighting them as necessary. This time, I think it would be alright for you to do the honor."

Evelyn smiled at him, "Right, one room of lit candles coming up." She extended her hand and cast a spell. All of the candles in the room flickered to life as the spell extended from her hand. All of a sudden, there was a roar as the fireplace did also. It startled Evelyn, making her jump, but Cullen caught her.

"Probably should have warned you about the fireplace, sorry...," he grinned at her.

Evelyn looked around. They were in a small entry way with a table to one side. Through the entry, was a living area (with the fireplace) and a sofa directly across from it with an end table to either side. There was a step up out of the living area and off to the right was a bed with a side table and across from the bed a closed bathroom. To the left of the living area was a kitchen. Beyond the living area was two sets of double-doors that opened onto a huge balcony.

When she opened the doors and stepped out, there was a breeze and she could smell the sea. The view was absolutely magnificent. She could easily see for miles around.

"Cullen, this is beautiful. Thank you for sharing this with me!"

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, "I want you to feel free to come here any time you'd like. Even if I can't make it, you're more than welcome to share it with me."

She sighed and smiled, then turned around to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, absentmindedly stroking his hair. He kissed her.

They went back inside where Cullen had prepared a meal for them. After eating lunch, they sat down on the sofa. Cullen pulled a blanket from a chest and sat down next to her. He spread it out over the two of them. She removed her shoes and put her feet on the couch, while laying her cheek on his chest. He put his arm around her. The two of them conversed for awhile, simply enjoying each other's company, until she eventually fell asleep.