"Good morning, Cullen."

Cullen looked up from his table to find Alex walking in, carrying what looked like a cup of Orlesian coffee, looking slightly fresher after her night of drinking with her family. He smiled at her as he made his way around his table to plant a kiss on her cheek, inhaling a little of her lavender perfume, "How are you, Alexandra?"

She groaned as she made her way to his table, "I've been better. I didn't realize that Solona is quite the drinker, but then again, there were so many things about her that I no longer know about. Where is she anyway?"

"Your sister went to Denerim with your brothers and the Hawkes." Cullen said as he stood beside her, "After Solona told them about the 'Wonders of Thedas', they surmised that there might be some documents there that might have something to do with Corypheus. After that, they will be heading to Kirkwall, to gather more information from a shop Hawke visited several times during her stay there."

"Yes, I remember. Marianna told me it was a strange shop known as The Black Emperium." Alex said as made her way around the table to look at the letters on his desk, "Anything I should know about?"

Cullen smiled triumphantly, "Yes. Now that you've destroyed Samson red lyrium mine in Sahrnia, we'll finally be able to track him down. No red lyrium, no allies, and soon Samson will have no armor, I hope."

Alex raised an eyebrow at him, "You hope?"

"Dagna has started work on her red lyrium samples, but she needs more details on the armor." Cullen told her, and he scowled a little, "We found orders in the mine. They mention Maddox… a name I did not expect to hear."

Alex put a hand on her chin as she lowered her coffee on his table, making sure not to make a mark on the wood, "Samson's letter said something about, 'taking over as the Vessel'."

"Perhaps it's a rank among the red templars. It could be a title from ancient Tevinter." Cullen said as he looked at the letters, "Or it's some other role Corypheus has planned for Samson, and Maddox is part of it."

"Did he serve with you and Samson in Kirkwall?" She asked him.

"Maddox was… a mage in Kirkwall's Circle." Cullen told her as he paced a little beside her, "Samson smuggled letters between him and his sweetheart. Eventually, Samson was caught. That's why he was cast out of the order. Maddox was made Tranquil and became a skill craftsman of magical items. Samson must've… rescued him."

Her eyebrow raised at his explanation, "I can't believe they made a man Tranquil over a few love letters."

"The official charge was 'corrupting the moral integrity of a templar.'" And he scowled again, "Knight Commander Meredith wielded the brand for far lesser offences, believe me."

"Why would Maddox need saving?"

"When the mages rebelled in Kirkwall, the worst battles took place in the Gallows… in the Circle itself." Cullen explained, "I thought Maddox had died in the fighting, or was making a living on the streets… a hard fate for a Tranquil in Kirkwall. Samson must've found him… taken him in."

Alex looked over to him, her face softening to that of pity, "Perhaps there's something left of the man Samson used to be."

Cullen scoffed, "Or he's shrewd enough to know an extraordinary resource. It seems Maddox built Samson's armor for him and maintains it still. Tranquil in Kirkwall needed rare and expensive supplies for their enchantments… supplies we can trace. I can have our men kick down some doors, Inquisitor. Samson's armor might lead us right to his stronghold."

Alex nodded as she stood up from his chair, "Get it done, Cullen. And let me know of what happens."

He nodded, "Of course, Inquisitor."

"I'll be heading out with Cole, in the meantime." She said as she took her cup again, "He was… a little disturbed about what happened in the Fade. He said he wanted to be 'bound'. Solas agrees, but Varric thinks otherwise. I'll be taking them with me."

Cullen nodded again, before putting a hand on her shoulder, "I know you're worried for the boy. Please be careful."

She nodded and smiled at him, "I will. Let me know if anything about Samson comes up."

He bent down at her and kissed her lips, before reaching back and taking her cup of coffee. She watched him drink a little, before he grinned at her, "Tasting the coffee on your lips made me envious."

She laughed as she took her mug away from him and smacked him on the arm, "I'll ask someone to send you some. There's more in the kitchens."

"I'd like that. I'll see you when you return, Alexandra." He said, and she winked at him before smacking his behind and walking towards the doors out of his office, making him grin a little.