"YOU!"

Cullen and Alistair looked up from the door as it opened loudly, ushering in Morrigan and Alex, with the dark haired mage looking positively livid with anger, while Alex looked embarrassed. The apostate mage strolled towards Alistair, who looked surprised, and she poked him at the middle on his chest plate, "You! You did it, didn't you? With that offensive elf in Skyhold? Where is she?!"

"What are you talking about, Morrigan?" Alistair said as he raised his hands in surrender, "I didn't do anything to you!"

"My… my things!" Morrigan said, flushing crimson from embarrassment and fury, "Somebody hoisted them up into the flag poles! You did this, didn't you?!"

Alistair and Cullen blinked in shock, and they looked at Alex, who shrugged and stood aside, pointing at the flagpoles that adorned the top of the towers. Sure enough, an… undergarment hung from one of them, waving merrily with the mountain wind, causing some of the soldiers to laugh. Morrigan's face twisted in anger again, "Tell the truth, Alistair. Did you do this?"

The Warden huffed, "We travelled with Solona for a year, Morrigan. Did I really do such a prank on you during that time? I. Did. Not. I taught Barkspawn to put a rabbit on your bag before, sure, but I never did that."

Morrigan's face swelled in anger again, "You were the one who taught that flea-infested mongrel to put a dead rabbit on my things?!"

"That was years ago!" Alistair exclaimed, "Think back, who amongst us often did that kind of prank before? And besides, if I were you, I'd bury the past behind me and worry about that pink colored… does that thing even cover you, Morrigan?"

Alex covered her mouth as she giggled, but when Morrigan rounded on her, she straightened her face into a stern gaze. Morrigan huffed as she strode out of Cullen's office and shouted at the top of her voice, "LELIANA! TAKE THAT DOWN THIS INSTANT! I KNOW THAT IT WAS YOU!"

Morrigan's tirade faded off as the woman headed into the rookery, and Cullen, Alistair and Alex looked at each other, before bursting out laughing.

"Oh Maker! Leliana sure hasn't changed." Alistair said, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes, "She did the same thing to Solona ten years ago in Redcliffe. I didn't think she turned as red as a tomato, but she did. Arl Eamon laughed so hard that he had tears in his eyes."

"She did the same thing with Josephine recently." Cullen said, chuckling as his laughter silenced.

Alex shook her head, "I couldn't dare tell her, but Leliana had a bit of help. Max and Dale and Sera thought it was funny, so they helped her."

Cullen smiled fondly at her, "Well, you were right about having two more Seras, after all."

"Told you." She said, heading towards the desk, "That's why we need to be careful."

"Honestly, I think I've already been pranked." Cullen said, sighing frustrated as he pushed down at his desk, and she realized that it was… wobbly. "I can't understand why this thing has been wobbling badly the whole week. It's driving me insane."

Alistair and Alex looked at each other and laughed, and Alex shook her head again, "Move over. I'll see what I can do."

"Well, I'll leave you to fix that. Dancing tables are a nasty thing. Commander, we'll continue our discussion later." Alistair said, and he bowed at Alex before heading out the door. Alex went around the desk and bent down, getting on her hands and knees, looking at the table's legs. "Well, there's your problem, Commander. There's something stuck under one of the legs. Lift it up a little so I can get it out."

Cullen let out a short growl as he moved near her and hoisted the table, "Maker, this thing is heavy. How did she even lift it up?"

"The twin's fault, probably." Alex said from under the desk, "She probably asked them to lift it up while she slipped this in." She wiggled the offending object from the table and giving it up to him.

Cullen lowered the table and took the folded paper, while Alex remained on her knees. He unfolded it, seeing a single word, and he looked down at her, "It says… 'freeze'."

The door burst open, and Cullen looked to see Bull entering the threshold. "Hey, Cullen. I…" But the Qunari stopped and blinked, before a mischievous grin settled on his face.

Bull's grin made him confused for a moment, but soon he flushed he realized what it had looked like. He was standing directly in front of Alex, with her still kneeling in front of him, her head a dangerous distance to his crotch. He looked down at the woman incredulously, who also looked just as confused as him, but soon he saw the comprehension dawn on her face.

"Looks like I'm disturbing something." Bull said as Alex hurriedly stood up, "Good on you, Commander."

"Maker's breath… it's not what it looks like, Bull!" Alex said in exasperation, and Cullen rubbed a hand at the back of his neck again in embarrassment as the Qunari laughed and raised his hands up in surrender.

"Far be it from me to assume anything, Alex." Bull said as he turned, "Well, don't let me disturb you. Carry on with your… thing." He laughed again as he closed the door, "Give her a mouthful, Cullen."

Both Cullen and Alex smacked a hand on their foreheads, but soon Alex was laughing, "Oh, Maker… the nobles by the hallway is going to have a field day with this."

"I'm assuming your siblings had something to do with this?" Cullen said as he lowered his hand, but he still looked embarrassed.

"If they planned this all, I would have to say I'm impressed." Alex said as she pushed herself to sit down at his desk, "It's hard to make Bull leave the tavern and the training grounds."

"Yes, I'm sure your siblings are all kinds of impressive." Cullen said sarcastically, but he was smiling.

Alex laughed a little again, before smirking up at him, "By the way, Cullen… the day you kissed me on the battlements… how long have you wanted to do that?"

Cullen looked at her and smiled seductively, "Longer than I should admit."

"I just asked because you don't have much patience for nobility. I'm glad my title didn't scare you off."

At this the Commander blinked, "I… hadn't considered. I have no title outside the Inquisition. I hope that doesn't… I mean… does it bother you?"

She smiled and shook her head, "No. if you care for me that's all that matters." She looked apologetically at him, "I wasn't trying to put you on the spot."

Cullen sighed as he neared her, taking her hands into his, "I'm… not very good at this, am I? If I seem unsure, it's because it has been a long time since I wanted anyone in my life. I wasn't expecting to find that here… or you."

Alex smiled beautifully at him, and she placed her hand on his cheek, "Neither did I."

Cullen smiled back at her and kissed her forehead, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He reciprocated by wrapping his own arms around her waist, and she laughed a little, "The Commander of the Inquisition and the Herald of Andraste… that would have people talking."

He laughed, "As if they hadn't talked enough in Halamshiral. And you won't believe how quickly the gossip spreads through the barracks."

She looked up at his amber eyes, "Does it bother you?"

"I would rather my… our… private affairs remain that way. But if there were nothing here for people to talk about, I would regret it more." He said, smiling down at her as he ran a finger through the curling tendrils of hair on her forehead, "They're already talking about us after our… display at the ball. Aside from that, I'd be perfect happy never again setting foot in the Winter Palace. If it wasn't the gossip and the backstabbing are what the Game entails, but the indifference to it all."

She smiled, "At least there was dancing."

Cullen laughed out a little as he tightened his arms around her, "Or an attempt to it anyway."

"I thought you did well."

He grinned and kissed her forehead again, "Well, I'm grateful for your poor taste in dance partners."

Alex giggled, and she looked up at him again, silencing as she ran a hand down his cheek again, and for a moment, she looked very pensive. Cullen took her hand, "What's wrong?"

"I was…" she bit her lip, "I was thinking about … your lyrium addiction."

Cullen silenced as well, and he lowered her hands, "About that…I… wanted to thank you. When you came to see me… if there's anything…" He sighed and ran a hand on the back of his head again. "This sounded much better in my head."

"I trust you're feeling better?" She asked, and he nodded a little at her. "I… yes."

"Is it always that bad?" She asked worriedly, and he squeezed her hands lightly, "The pain comes and goes. Sometimes I feel as if I'm back there. I should not have pushed myself so far that day."

"I'm just glad you're alright."

He smiled up at her, "I am." He sighed a little, "I've never told anyone what truly happened to me at Ferelden's Circle. I was… not myself after that. I was angry. For years that anger blinded me. I'm not proud of the man that made me. When I saw mages, I'm not sure if I would've cared for you, and the thought of that sickens me." He smiled at her again, "And now I can put some distance between myself and everything that had happened. It's a start."

Alex looked up at him again, and she ran her finger on his cheek, "For what it's worth, I like who you are now."

He blinked and looked at her, "Even after…"

She sighed before leaning forward, kissing him so passionately that it made his toes curl. The scent of her swirled around him again, and he took a deep inhale as he tasted her. She separated from him for a moment, and he saw a sincere look on her face, "Cullen, I care about you. You've done nothing to change that."

He smiled down at her, before saying, "What about you? I'm sure you have troubles of your own. How are you holding up?"

Alex's eyes widened at his question, and Cullen watched as she lowered her head to his chest, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, cuddling him, "Honestly? I'm terrified." She admitted, and he even felt her shiver, "So many people depend on us… on me. Corypheus is still out there."

He tightened his hold on her and kissed the top of her head, hoping that his embrace comforted her, and he felt her relax a bit, "Alexandra, we have made great strides. Do not doubt yourself… or the Inquisition just yet. If there's anything I can do, you have only to ask."

She nodded on his chest, and he looked down at her, "Well… you can hold me for a little bit longer…"

"SERA! WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO MY DOOR?!"

Alex and Cullen chuckled as the high pitched voice of Josephine echoed from the grounds, and she looked up at Cullen, "…And you can make sure that Josephine doesn't throttle my brothers and Sera."

He laughed as Alex straightened from her place on his desk, and he kissed her hand gallantly, "I will my best with that, Alexandra." He said as he left his office to head to the grounds to talk Josephine down.