"So… tell me… you know of my infatuation with your sister. Did you… never become attracted to anyone in your Circle?"

Alex raised herself up from Cullen's chest, looking up at him as he continued to stare at the tent above them, as if he was thinking deeply. They were still both naked under the sheets of her bed, their legs tangled together as she lay beside him, and as always, she had lost count at how many times they did it through the night. Cullen was insatiable, his hunger for her almost increasing every time they made love, but there was still an underlying gentleness underneath it all. She was his new addiction, his new obsession, that everytime he lay with her, he did everything he could to pleasure her and make her scream his name that he was sure that the whole camp had heard it.

"Where did that question come from?" Alex asked as she lay back down on his chest again, hearing the rapid beating of his heart from their orgasm just a few moments ago, while his hand ran down her back and played with her hair.

"I… honestly don't know." Cullen said to her, "I just… thought that a beautiful woman like yourself should at least have someone after her."

Alex sighed as she stared at the wall, her fingers lightly clawing at his stomach, "I'm a mage, remember?"

"I've heard plenty of stories of mages falling in love in their Circles." Cullen said, and she gulped a little.

"There was… a templar in the Ostwick Circle." She said, "His name was Marlan… he was the one in charge of looking after me and the little ones."

"And he was… attracted to you?"

She huffed a little, "More like… I was attracted to him."

"And you never told him you… liked him?"

She shook her head a little, her red hair bristling against his skin, "No, never. I was too… afraid. He was a templar, and I am a mage. I was afraid that if anyone found out, they'd make me Tranquil. But we were very good friends. I contented myself at the fact that though he was wary of my abilities, he still considered me a human… and a friend. It was enough for me."

"What happened to him?"

"He was… with me at the Conclave." She whispered, and she felt Cullen's breath got caught in his throat, "He died at the explosion, along with my teachers and my fellow mages. When I… returned to the Temple of Sacred Ashes with Cassandra, I saw… his body. He was crush by the debris."

Cullen's arm tightened around her shoulders, "Maker, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's alright. We all lost someone that day." She said as she looked up at him, and he looked back down at her, her tawny eyes looking with pity at her emerald gaze, "The faithful lost their Divine… I'm sure even you lost some of your soldiers… and I lost my friends. But sometimes… sometimes, I couldn't help but feel like it… it was my fault."

Cullen blinked as she raised herself up on her elbow to look down at him, "If I hadn't taken the orb… that thing Corypheus carried… the Temple wouldn't have exploded, and Marlan and my friends would've have survived. They died… they died because I was too foolish and I interfered…"

"Alexandra, if you hadn't taken the orb, if you hadn't accidentally taken the Archor on yourself, imagine what the world would be." Cullen told her, reassuring her, and he raised his hand and touched her cheek, stopping a tear that rolled down her eye. "If you weren't there, Corypheus would've have killed us all. The Breach would've consumed the skies, and our world fallen into the demons clutches, and that travesty of a magister would have succeeded in his plans. The death of your… friends are regrettable, and I am deeply sorry that you lost them, but this… I'd like to believe that the Maker meant for this to happen. He meant for you to steal the Anchor, and stop Corypheus."

She shook her head, "I am not the Herald of Andraste, Cullen. Even though everybody thinks that."

"Perhaps not." He said, "But you are… a courageous and wonderful woman. You chose to bear the burden of stopping Corypheus, to lead our Inquisition to a better world. And I love you for that." He raised himself up a little and kissed her, making her moan a little, "You gave me… us… a new and better purpose. And I will continue to serve you… as both your Commander and your lover… if that is what I must do to show you how eternally grateful I am for what you have done."

Alex looked down at him, her eyes lovingly gazing into his, before she reached up and ran a hand through his hair, down his ear and to his jaw, making him sigh in pleasure, "Loving me… is more than enough to show your gratitude, Cullen."

He smiled, "And I shall always love you. Forever."

She smiled brightly as she lowered her head again, kissing him passionately as she shifted so that she straddled him, her shins on either side of his hips, her heat pressing against his shaft again, and she felt him growing hard as she ran her fingernails down his chest. Cullen growled in desire as her hips moved, sliding his length along her wetness, and he grabbed at her hips as she drew from him away a little, "There is… a good thing that my stealing the Anchor did."

"Really now?" Cullen whispered on her ear, his voice tickling her neck and sending shivers down his spine, "What would that be?"

Alex smiled seductively at him as she looked at him, her emerald eyes glazing with lust as she lowered herself on him, burying his cock inside her that he growled in pleasure again, "I met you."

Cullen's eyes grew heated as he pulled her down and kissed her hard, while he grabbed her hips to make his manhood slide in and out of her, making her moan and gasp in rapture. He wanted the night to last, but he knew that later on, they would have to fight Corypheus' army, and so he made sure that whatever time he had left, he would spend it with her… and inside her.

"Alexandra… it's time."

Alex lifted her head from the pillow, blinking blearily as she took in her surroundings, before looking behind her to see Cullen was already awake and dressed for battle. He smiled down at her as she turned around to look at him, peeking at him under the curtain of her red hair. "Are you… going? Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

He smiled as he drew away the hair from her face so that he can see her beauty more, "I wanted you well rested for the battle, Alexandra."

She blinked and looked around the tent, raising herself up on her elbows, "But… it's still dark. Cullen, did you even get any sleep at all?"

"I slept for an hour, but I'm ready." He said, making her look at him in shock that he chuckled, "Templar stamina, remember? I believe you love that about me."

"But… but you must still be exhausted… from… from…" Alex sputtered our as her cheeks turned red, and he bent over and kissed her forehead.

""I'll be fine, Alexandra. I promise, I am not tired at all." He smirked at her as he looked down at her breasts, after the silk blanket that covered her fell to reveal her nakedness, "If anything, I feel more energized now that I've seen you naked again."

Alex blinked up in surprise again, before she laughed, "Get out of that armor again and we'll see exactly how much energy you have left."

"I can't… as much as I want to." He said as he stood up, and Alex watched him as he sheathed his sword and took his shield, strapping it on his back, "Grand Enchanter Fiona is waiting for me, as are the soldiers. Cassandra, Sera and Solas are ready to head out with you once you're ready."

She nodded and made a movement to get out of the covers, but Cullen came forward and took her arm, stopping her and making her look at him, "No… wait…" He said as he stared at her, before slowly drawing the blanket away so that he saw her whole body. "Stay here… for a while. At least until I'm out of the tent." He said as he continued to look at her, and he kneeled down beside the bed and ran a leathered hand through her hair.

"What for?" Alex said, her voice almost a whisper, as the look of adorement and love on Cullen's face made her heart constrict, as his hand traveled down from her neck to her shoulders, to the tip of her left breast and to her stomach.

"I… want to remember you… like this." Cullen whispered again, his voice full of reverence as his hand continued to travel down her hips, and her thighs before he laid it on her calf, "Seeing you like this… will remind me what I'm fighting for, and what I must come back to."

Alex's breathing stopped for a moment, and she rushed forward, kissing Cullen in the mouth as she wrapped her arms around him, making him sigh. His own arms wrapped around her, one hand entwining itself on her hair, the other running down her spine and making her shiver. She felt him growl again in wanting, but he gently pushed her away. She sighed in disappointment as he took her chin and made her look at him, "I have to go."

She nodded, and Cullen gave her another kiss before standing up, walking backwards towards the flap of the tent. She watched him leave, but as he neared the exit, she couldn't help but say, "Come back to me."

Cullen's eyes looked pained, but soon enough he smiled, "I will… once this battle is over. Stay until I leave, Alexandra."

The love and reverence on his voice as he said her name made Alex clutch at the sheets, but she stayed where she was, unmoving as Cullen stopped by the flap to look at her one more time, taking in her beauty of her body, of her emerald green eyes, of her flaring red hair, and he sighed, "Take care out there, my love." He told her as he opened the flap and left the tent, leaving Alex alone inside on the bed, dreading the day ahead of them.