"And then he goes, 'well… this is awkward."

Solona, Marianna, Alexandra, Maxwell, Daylen and Carver laughed out loud as Varric continued with his story, spreading his arms as he grinned. Alex was covering her face in embarrassment as she blushed red, as the dwarf had just retold Solona about how Alistair first met her younger sister. Even Cullen, who was sitting beside Alex, was laughing out loud, slapping his knee in mirth at the story. Dorian sat beside Maxwell, laughing along, and Cassandra stood some distance behind them, watching over Daylen silently, as the man seemed rather inebriated from the four kegs of ale they were drinking.

"Oh Maker, I am sorry about that, sister." Solona told Alex, rubbing her shoulder, "Alistair was a bit daft, but you can't really blame him. We do look similar."

"You won't believe how many times people have told me that." Alex said, grinning at her sister, "Leliana said it, and even though he never did, Cullen thought of it too."

"Lucky for us then." Maxwell said, grinning, "Or else Ser Alistair might have kissed us too."

The siblings laughed out loud, before Daylen turned to Solona, "He must've made you laugh out loud during your journeys, sister."

Solona laughed out loud, "Oh, he definitely did. He once asked one of my Antivan companions if he could get a tattoo."

They looked at her in surprise, "What?! Why he would want that?"

"My Antivan friend, Zevran Arainai, was a Crow, and he had these tattoos on his face by his eye." Solona said, tracing curved lines by the edge of her left eye, "He asked if he could get one."

"Did your friend try to seduce you, Lady Amell?" Dorian said, grinning at her, "I've heard rumors about Antivans. Our dear ambassador denies they are true, but I've heard they are a rather… frisky bunch."

"Oh, he seduced me. And I was almost tempted." Solona said, grinning at the Tevinter, "But of course, Alistair is by far more pleasing to the eye, so I went with him."

"What happened? Did Ser Alistair get the tattoos?" Cullen asked in interest.

Solona waved a hand, "Well, you know how Antivan elves are… he turned it into a joke. He said he would have to bathe Alistair in rosewater and give him a most 'pleasurable' massage so that the ink would enter his skin." Her family laughed out loud, "Honestly, I've never seen Alistair blushed so red before. And he blushes quite a lot, in truth."

"Did he blush as you did when Leliana raised your under things on the Redcliffe flagpoles?" Alex said, grinning as she drank from her tankard, and she almost spilled her drink when Solona turned red as a tomato. "Who told you that?!"

"Alistair did." Cullen told her as he thumped Alex a little on the back as she was laughing so hard, "Leliana did the same trick to Morrigan when he was here."

Solona laughed hard, "Did she now? Maker, Leliana has certainly gotten braver. She never had the gall to do that to Morrigan when we were travelling together. Although, she did have the courage to call my Qunari companion a 'softie'."

"Isn't the one who became the Arishok, sister?" Maxwell said, and Solona nodded before grinning, "How did that happen?"

"Well, we were walking along the roads when we came through this fields that had a lot of flowers…"

Solona grinned in triumph as she looked over her relatives, seeing them slumped over the table, in various stages of inebriation. Alex slept on Cullen's shoulder as the commander leaned back against his chair, asleep with his head over hers. Maxwell and Dorian were bent over the table, obviously asleep, and Daylen was helped into his room by Cassandra moments ago, as he was the first to fall. Carver, surprisingly, was still drinking beside a clearly drunk Marianna Hawke, snoring with her face buried in her arm. Varric was still drinking, although from the smell that drifted from his tankard, he had replaced his drink with what seemed to be apple juice, to deceive the company.

Solona smiled at Varric, "You are quite the cheat, Messere Tethras. Isabella was right about you."

"Have you seen her recently then?" Varric said, grinning at her, "She did tell a most interesting tale about you during her stay in Denerim."

Solona laughed out loud, "And here I thought that story wouldn't see the light of day. Good thing Alex and Cullen are asleep, it would've scandalized them both. But yes, I did see Isabella recently. I'll be travelling with her for a while."

"Where are you headed?" Somebody asked, and Solona turned to see Cullen waking, opening his eyes blearily at her and rubbing them, before reaching over to Alex to adjust her position on his shoulder.

"I'll be heading out west, though I can't tell you where exactly." Solona said as she leaned on the table and looked at him, "My investigation leads me to that area. Alistair may be gone, but… that doesn't mean I should stop looking for a cure to the Calling. My Wardens deserve a return to their normal life after their servitude to our Order."

Cullen smiled at her, "I'm sure Ser Alistair would agree with your decision, Solona."

She smiled at him, before leaning back against her chair and looking at the two of them. Alex slumped a little lower on his shoulder, blissfully asleep, and Cullen looked down at her. With a hand, he lifted her head, before putting an arm around her so that she was cradled on his chest, despite the hardness of his armor. Alex unconsciously wrinkled her nose as the feathers of his coat tickled her, before sighing in her sleep and snuggling closer to him. Cullen smiled down at her lovingly, before burying his face on her hair and kissing her temple.

Solona's chuckle made him look up at her, only to see her smiling. She leaned forward and put her chin on her palm, resting her elbow on the table as she looked at them. "You know, if things had been different, I could have been the one on your shoulder, Cullen."

The Commander blinked at her, before he smiled, "No… I don't think it would've happened that way, Solona."

"Really? Well, what do you predict would've happened?"

Cullen thought for a moment, "If… we had been together, if you hadn't become the Warden… you would've died back there, in Uldred's tower." He looked up at her, "And I… would've gone mad and died as well."

Solona silenced for a bit, "Why do you think that?"

"Your life… our life… changed when you became the Warden." Cullen said, "When you became a Warden, your purpose became bigger, and your destiny changed. When you became a Warden, you met Alistair, and he gave you the strength to do everything you had done." He smiled at her, "Ser Alistair… is a braver man than I am, during that time. I do not think I had the courage he possessed."

"Perhaps." Solona said, and she looked down at her sister, "But… you are braver now, I think."

Cullen chuckled, "I'd like to think that I am. After everything I've been through… after Kinloch Hold and Kirkwall and Haven, I think I am… much braver now."

Solona smiled at him again, "Do you think she has something to do with it?"

Cullen looked down at Alex, and he sighed, "Yes. If it weren't for her, I don't think I would've let go of my lyrium addiction. It was her bravery and her compassion that showed me what is at stake, that we cannot fail. I saw her stare at death in the eye back in Haven. Her courage inspires us all and…" He kissed her forehead again, "I love every inch of her for it."

Solona smiled at him, "Then I am thankful… that she saved you when I cannot."

The two of them smiled at each other, and Solona reached out her hand to him. Cullen reached out and took it, even though Alex was on his shoulder, "Take care of my sister for me, Cullen." Solona said, her eyes pleading, "She will need you, when the time comes. You will be the one to push her to survive, to live longer to be with you. Love her beyond death, and give her the life she deserves."

Cullen swallowed, "But… I fear… I fear the time will come when I would have to throw her to Corypheus' path again."

"Then love her every day until that time comes." Solona told him, "I… did the same with Alistair. And each and every day that he lived, every memory he has given me, will give me the strength to continue… as she will with you."

Cullen smiled at her again, withdrawing his hand from Solona's, and at that moment, Alex stirred awake. She blinked blearily, rubbing her eyes and looking up at Cullen, "What's going on?"

He smiled down at her, "Nothing. Solona and I were just talking. Come, let us get you to your room. You can talk to your sister later when you've had your rest."

Alex hiccupped drunkenly, causing Carver and Solona to chuckle, "Everything's spinning…"

The Commander sighed as he shifted her to stand, and without much effort, he lifted Alex up to his arms, making her groan. He smiled down at Solona, "Well, one thing's for sure… your sister is lighter than you were ten years ago." Solona laughed out loud as he bowed down, "Now if you'll excuse us, messeres, I believe our Inquisitor has an appointment with her sleep."

Solona, Carver and Varric waved goodbye at him as he carried Alex out of the tavern, and the dwarf looked at her. "I'm really sorry for your loss, Warden."

She smiled down at the dwarf, "Thank you, Master Tethras. And…" She looked at Carver, "I hope you'll take care of Marianna too. You two are family after all."

Carver smiled at her, "I intend to, cousin. I will not let her throw her life away again." He laughed a little, "I'm sorry she fell asleep during your lecture. She's always been a bit of a light-weight."

Solona laughed, "No, don't apologize. Grey Warden stamina includes not being intoxicated easily… among other things."

The other Warden laughed, "Yes… I… realized that too, back at the Blooming Rose."

Varric huffed out a breath, "Oh, you Wardens and your secrets."

Solona and Carver laughed out loud, before raising their tankards, and Varric followed suit, before they leaned back and drained their drinks, while the rest of their company continued to snore at their table.