Chapter Twenty-Two

The meeting was assembled. The Divine sat across from Evelyn at the oblong table. She called the meeting to order.

"I think it best that we begin by introducing ourselves, so that everyone is at least somewhat familiar with everyone else. Of course, you know our hosts, King Alistair and Queen Solana, so I shall start with those to their right, please begin."

As Evelyn was seated to the left of Solana, she would be the last to speak. Next to her sat Cullen and next to him, Anders.

When it came time for Anders to speak, he wasn't quite sure what he should say, so he remained seated and looked to Cullen and Evelyn for guidance. In order not to keep the Divine waiting, Cullen stood and introduced himself instead, "Ser Cullen, Knight-Commander of the Templar Order of Kirkwall," he sat back down and looked to Evelyn. Evelyn still wasn't quite sure what to do about Anders, so she shrugged and stood.

"Lady Evelyn Amell Hawke, Champion and Viscountess of Kirkwall," she went to sit back down, but was stopped by the the Divine.

"Hold, a minute please, Lady Evelyn."

Evelyn remained standing while the Divine continued, "And what of the companion seated next to Ser Cullen? Why have we not heard from him?"

The Viscountess looked over at Anders. She motioned for him to stand as well. He cautiously did so. "He is," Evelyn took a deep breath and cleared her throat, she began again, "He is Anders, a Free Mage, formerly of the Circle of Ferelden, Grey Warden, and reknown healer in Kirkwall," she smiled at Anders and hoped it would do. He bowed his head in thanks.

The Divine paused at that, "He is free? Anders? I see...if I recall, Your Grace, is this not the same mage for whom you petitioned, with the aid of the King and Queen, to secure his freedom some time ago?"

Evelyn swallowed, "It is, Your Perfection."

The Divine looked at Anders, then at the Templars surrounding him, "Then, may I ask why, if he is free, is he guarded by Templars?"

Evelyn took a very shaky breath and let it out slowly before responding, "Because he is also the mage that blew up the chantry in Kirkwall."

Everyone at the table who was not aware of who Anders was started whispering to each other.

The Divine spoke up, "Silence, please." The room complied.

She spoke again, "I see...he did so quite brashly, to throw away his freedom, then, didn't he?"

Evelyn answered, "Not entirely. Although he was a free mage at the time, the letter and paperwork granting his freedom did not make their way to Kirkwall until afterwards. He thought himself an apostate. He also had no reason to suspect that he might be granted freedom because I didn't share my intentions with him. I feared rejection would only make a tenable situation in Kirkwall that much worse."

The Divine spoke again, "And when did he find out of his freedom?"

"Several months after I received everything. Since he was imprisoned, I saw no reason to tell him right away. I didn't even know what his reaction would be. It wasn't until the list of charges was presented to me that I realized I had to discuss the letter with the Knight-Commander and Guard-Captain, as it affected those. Plus, he would not be tried as an apostate, but as a free man. He deserved to know that as well."

"And what of the errant charges?"

Cullen spoke up, "They were dropped or amended, as necessary, Your Perfection."

The Divine nodded, "And what was his reaction, when he finally did find out?"

Evelyn looked to Anders, who nodded to her, then looked back to the Divine, "He said that the fact that he needed something declaring his freedom was precisely what he was fighting against. He said that he appreciated the effort, but until every mage has their freedom, it meant nothing."

The Divine looked at Anders, "Within that impertinence, there is some truth, young man." Then, she turned to Evelyn, "Tell me, Your Grace, is there not a title of your own that you've forgotten?"

Evelyn shook her head and looked at Anders, then Cullen, who was cautiously looking at the Divine, "I'm sorry, I don't..."

"Apostate, Lady Evelyn! Are you not a mage yourself?"

Evelyn nodded slowly in acknowledgement, "I am, Your Perfection. And yes, perhaps Apostate would be a title I should remember to include."

The Divine nodded, "Why did you petition for his freedom, but not your own?"

"Because," Evelyn paused, she had never thought about it before, "my father was an apostate also, but came from the tower in Kirkwall. He trained my sister and I. I grew up knowing how dangerous the towers could be to a mage, but had never lived in one. Upon becoming Champion, my freedom was tacitly approved by the people. So, I never really struggled to maintain it. I've been very lucky, I suppose." She turned to Anders, "He, on the other hand, was taken away from his family when he was twelve and forced to live in a tower, not even in the same country as his family, but in Ferelden. He tried to escape at least seven times. The last time, he was only granted freedom because he was recruited by the Wardens. Eventually, he left the Wardens and made his way to Kirkwall. Instead of not bringing attention to himself, he opened a clinic which was run entirely on donations. The clinic helped anyone, but catered mostly to Ferelden refugees. He asked nothing of those he helped, and instead gave tirelessly of himself." Briefly, she remembered nights she would wake up and he wasn't home yet. When he finally did get home, he was so tired, he'd barely said two words to her before going to sleep. Then, he would be up in the morning and do it again. It wasn't always like that, of course, but often enough.

She paused and then continued, "I suppose it was because he was fighting so hard to help everyone else, I thought that someone should try to help him, for a change." The admiration she still held for him was apparent in her voice.

The Divine nodded, thinking, "And how does it make you feel, Lady Evelyn, how he can so easily dismiss his own freedom, while you have none of your own?"

Evelyn was slightly taken aback by the question, "Well, Your Perfection, I am essentially free by the will of the people in Kirkwall."

The Divine cut in, "And by the will of the Templars."

Evelyn acknowledged that, "Yes, that is true."

"And she will remain free within the city, I give you my word," Cullen spoke up. Evelyn smiled at him.

So did Alistair, "And within all of Ferelden as well. I'll see to it myself, if necessary."

Evelyn nodded her appreciation to him as well.

The Divine nodded, "I see, but what of the rest of Thedas? Also, you have the approval of the Knight-Commander and the King, but in these troubling times," she cast a glance to Anders, who looked at her guiltily, but continued, "regimes may be toppled and soldiers lives may be lost. What then?" The Divine paused a moment while she let what she'd just said sink in, "Would you trade his freedom," she pointed to Anders, "for your own? After all, he has no use for it, does he? You, on the other hand, have a greater need for freedom now more than ever, it would seem."

Evelyn shook her head and dismissed the idea, "No. Despite anything he may have done, when I petitioned you, it was because he'd earned it and he deserved it, and so it was granted. Regardless of whether he appreciates it, or whatever his actions were since then, they do not diminish the facts upon which that freedom was granted. If I am to have mine, then I should earn it as well."

The Divine smiled at Evelyn, "And so you have." The Divine took another breath, and continued, "By the petition that I received concerning your status, please allow me to add another title to your growing list, Your Grace, or rather, exchange one for another. From now on, you should be Lady Evelyn Amell Hawke, Free Mage, Champion and Viscountess of Kirkwall."

Evelyn was speechless as she felt weak in her knees and needed to sit down. She was still processing the information when she heard the Divine speak again, "I would ask something of you as well, Lady Evelyn."

Evelyn did her best to stand again, "Anything, Your Perfection."

The Divine nodded her head, "Perhaps...I request that your prisoner be released into the custody of the Office of the Divine."

Evelyn's eyes grew wider as she looked at Anders, "I...what is to be done with him?"

"He will be safe...well, relatively so. I understand you wanted him to come here to see the consequences of his actions. I admit, I have something else in mind for him."

Evelyn took a breath, "I am afraid that is up to him, Your Perfection."

The Divine looked to Anders, "You wanted to make a difference. Whether your actions in Kirkwall started what is brewing, or whether you were merely a catalyst of what is to come, I'm afraid I don't know. What I can do is offer you a chance that the Viscountess, I feel would like to, but cannot. Instead of going back to Kirkwall and living the rest of your days in a prison cell, your life and freedom would be forfeit to me, but with what I have in mind, I have no doubt you would do well. I cannot tell you what you'd be getting into right now, but if you do accept, we can discuss it later. What do you say?"

Anders looked at Evelyn, who merely shrugged, "You'll be missed."

Anders smiled at her, then turned to the Divine, "I accept."

The Divine looked to Cullen, "Please dismiss your Templars, Knight-Commander. They will no longer be necessary."

Cullen nodded his head at the two Templars in compliance.

The Divine smiled at the group assembled, "Well, then, I think this is a good time for a recess. Everyone, please meet back here in one hour."

The group started adjourning, but Evelyn and Anders sat in their respective seats, each of them reeling from what just happened. The Divine walked up to Evelyn and handed her a parchment, "For you, my dear. I'm sorry I had to put you on the spot, especially when, I admit, I knew most of the answers already. It was for the benefit of anyone else who may question it."

Evelyn shook her head and stood up, "Not at all, Your Perfection, I understand." Then she opened up the parchment and read it. It was the same as the one Anders had received, only this one had her name on it. She paused, "You said you were petitioned, may I ask by whom?"

The Divine smiled at her and played with a second parchment that she held in her hand, then said, "I see you and your Knight-Commander have much you need to discuss."

Evelyn's mouth dropped open, "Cullen?" She turned to find him as the Divine walked away. As she found him, she saw the Divine greet Cullen and give the second parchment to him. She smiled at him as well, pointed in Evelyn's direction, then walked away.

Cullen met Evelyn's eyes and started walking toward her. He was stopped by Alistair, "Wait a second." He pulled Cullen aside, pointed to the parchment and asked, "Is that what I think it is?"

Cullen looked at him in confusion, "How do you...?"

"The Divine asked our opinion," he feigned a sigh, "Of course, since it seems to have been granted, I see she must not have taken our advice...", Alistair grinned.

Cullen rolled his eyes, "Very funny..."

Alistair smiled at him, "So, do you have everything?"

Cullen grinned back, "Ever since we left Kirkwall."

"Excellent! See those double-doors just over there," Alistair pointed over Cullen's shoulder, "it leads to a private study. You shouldn't be disturbed." Then, he shook Cullen's hand, "And good luck."

Cullen pulled him in and clapped him on the back, "Thank you. For everything."

Alistair nodded, then left Cullen to continue towards Evelyn.

When he finally reached her, she didn't quite know what to say. She held up the parchment, "You did this? For me?"

Cullen smiled, "I had to...did you think you held the monopoly on secret petitions to the Divine?"

She hugged him as tightly as she could, "Thank you."

He hugged her back, then looked at her more tenderly, "I have something else I need to discuss with you. Do you mind?"

She smiled at him, "No, not at all."

He offered his arm, which she gladly took, and led her to the two double-doors. He opened one of them and peeked inside. The room was empty. He led her in and closed the door behind them.

Once inside, he pulled off his gauntlets and tied them to his belt, then he turned to face her, "I have much to say, so please don't interrupt me until I finish, if you don't mind."

Evelyn nodded, she was slightly amused to see him this fidgety.

"I've cared about you for a long time. Long before we started seeing each other. You spoke today of how Anders always seemed to give tirelessly of himself, but you, my dear, are just as guilty of that as he is, possibly more so. It seems that any time anybody in Kirkwall needed assistance with even the most mundane of tasks, including myself, you'd be right there to help them. Your compassion and dedication to others did not escape my attention and the more time we spent together and became friends, the deeper my feelings for you grew. When you were no longer available to me, I was reminded of my hesitance with your cousin and vowed that if I were given the opportunity, I wouldn't let it slip through my fingers again. When the chantry was destroyed, I saw how devastated you were and wanted to offer some comfort, but had no place to do so. I'll admit, I've never wanted to make someone pay so much for hurting anyone, as I wanted to punish him for what had done to you. I'm happy now that I didn't, of course, but then, I could barely stand to look at him. His poor judgment was to my benefit, however. It gave me the opportunity I'd wanted for so long. At first, I'd thought that you being a mage and me being a Templar would have made our relationship more difficult, but somehow, it hasn't and we've made it work. I know that you have always been hesitant to consider a future with me, because you always felt you had no right to even bother, when it might be out of your grasp. The parchment you hold in your hands was a necessary first step and only a piece of what I requested of the Divine. The rest of it, I hold in mine."

Cullen slipped something out of a pouch at his hip, then knelt on one knee in front of Evelyn. He continued, "The parchment I hold grants me dispensation to ask for your hand in marriage. Please know that one is not contingent on the other and if you refuse, you will still have your freedom. You can start dreaming of a future that you thought would never be, even if it doesn't include me. But I certainly hope it will." He slipped the ring on her finger, and it fit perfectly. He gave a small thanks to Aveline for helping him on that. "Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Somewhere between her amusement and now, she found herself staring at him, holding his hand, with tears in her eyes. The ring he slipped on her finger practically glowed with a power of its own. She could feel something emanating from it, but couldn't place it. It was a large light blue pearlescent gem, held atop a band of diamonds. It was absolutely gorgeous and must've cost at least a few months of his salary.

Cullen looked up at her amused, "Maybe I should've put it on your finger afterwards?"

That seemed to get Evelyn's attention and snap her out of her thoughts, "Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you."

He stood and hugged her, then kissed her gently. "I love you."

She smiled, "I love you, too."

She looked at her ring again, "It's absolutely beautiful, Cullen."

"Well, it had to be fit for a Viscountess, right?" he smiled at her.

"You could've given me a piece of twine and I still would've said yes and worn it with pride."

"Now you tell me..." he rolled his eyes, then smiled again, "I'm happy you like it, my love."

"I can...for lack of a better term, feel it. What is it?"

Cullen stroked her hair, "A guarantee that you'll never be helpless again."

Evelyn looked at him, confused, so he continued, "It's refined lyrium, so it's harmless to you. There's a spell attached to it. It'll work much as a Holy Smite, but against anyone, whether they're a mage or not. The spell itself is powered by the lyrium in the ring, independent of your own mana. It is also crafted in such a way as to work on even the most resistant of foes."

Evelyn blinked at him, when she registered what this gift was, she was speechless. He had just given her the means of escaping not only mundane problems, but also from a templar prison, should she ever need.

"Cullen, you can't...this must've..."

Cullen stopped her, "It was well worth it to ensure the safety of my family. When I petitioned the Divine, it became my place to serve as your protector, first and foremost. I intend to do that to the best of my ability."

She wrapped her arms around him as he returned the embrace.

There was a knock. Cullen kissed her gently on her forehead, then went to open the door.

Alistair poked his head in, "The rest of us are waiting on you, but you know, whenever you're ready...I'm sure the Divine has all day."

Evelyn shook her head and Cullen folded his arms over his chest.

Turning to Evelyn, Alistair asked, "So, did you say yes?"

Evelyn laughed, "Of course I did! How could I not?"

"Excellent!" Extending his hand, he smiled at Cullen, "Welcome to the family." Cullen smiled at him and they shook on it.

"Now, let's get this meeting over with, if you don't mind."

"Gladly," Evelyn said. Then the three of them walked out of the study and toward the table. She noticed Anders was no longer present. The others grabbed their seats, then the Divine reconvened the meeting.