Chapter 72: Surrender
"We shall begin in the Exalted Plains."
Ana's advisors nodded as they looked down at the battle map. They were all crowded around the table in her late Father's study. They had been using the Trevelyan estate as their temporary headquarters as the prepared to begin the next stage of the war.
They had arrived in Val Royeaux a week ago. It had given them time to feel out the mood in the capital, as well as plan the first stage of their expanded war here in the Empire. She had travelled by ship while Cullen led the troops along the roads. Celene had been informed of this march; in fact she had promised three full companies of heavy cavalry if the Inquisition required it. Briala's people main while made sure the roads were clear, and had promised to keep the Inquisition's supply bases secure.
Ana smiled at that thought, it was nice to have an empress and her spymaster lover in your debt.
As for Val Royeaux itself, it was far more…welcoming then it had been the last time they had been here. When Ana had come to address the mothers there had been a clear sense of hostility. The chantry had all but convinced the people that the Inquisition was a pack of heretics, plotting to overthrow their empire. After the Winter Palace, the mood had changed considerably. Inquisition soldiers now protected the Grand Cathedral. Noble and peasant alike acknowledged the Inquisitor as she passed. She had even spotted several Inquisition banners hanging from the windows of several shops, and noble apartments.
It seemed that Val Royeaux had finally embraced the fact that the Inquisition was trying to help. Mother Hevara and her fellow priests had fallen silent. Reports of the Red Templars raiding villages in the east had silenced any cries for the order to return to the chantry. The inquisitions agents had also let slip word of the death of Lord Seeker Lucius, they had not released all the details of course, but they made certain that the people knew that the man died a traitor, that he had sold the order to the Venatori in a mad gambit for power.
Most people accepted that explanation. The few that didn't chose to remain silent, not wishing to draw the attention or ire of the Inquisition, still Leliana's people watched them. The red Templars had proven themselves to be a threat. Ana could not risk them gaining anymore allies.
She pointed down at the map, the Exalted Plains were marked clearly there, as were the last known locations of the troops loyal to both Celene and the late Grand Duke Gaspard.
"The Orlesians have lost all contact with their troops here, not surprisingly considering how heavy the fighting was here. All attempts to send messages into the area have failed, and no couriers have returned to say if they were able to make it through."
Ana shook her head.
"The Inquisition might need those troops when we move forward against the Venatori. It is possible that the commanders in the Exalted Plains may not even know that the war is over.
Her people looked disturbed by that news, not that she blamed them, a little caution was good after all, and she had chosen the best people to aid her in the coming days."
If anyone could help her sort out the mess they were likely marching into, it was them
Harding was here, as was one of Cullen's Lieutenants. Vivienne had returned to the estate of her lover. Josephine had accompanied them as well; she and Ana had a meeting with some Comte tomorrow. The man knew something about the murder of several couriers in the service of House Montilyet. Josephine had suggested that the Inquisitor's help would make things go more…smoothly at this meeting. She had retired early, to prepare for that encounter. Solas had chosen to return to his room to sleep, no doubt exploring some new section of the fade even now. Varric was also in his room, taking some much needed time to work on his next book. Ana…might have mentioned that she had discovered that Cassandra liked his romance serial.
The dwarf had been inspired, he would finish it, he wanted to see the look on the Seeker's face when he presented to her.
The Inquisitor smiled slightly.
It was nice that her mentor liked something outside of Inquisition business, it made her seem…more approachable somehow.
Cullen was to arrive tonight, late. He had wanted to make sure the troops they had stationed near the capital were well supplied and cared for.
Ana would…brief him on what was going on tonight.
"Your Worship?"
She looked up; it had been Cullen's man who had spoken.
"Yes?"
"Is it possible the Venatori are behind this…silence in the Dales?"
Ana frowned.
"It is possible," she agreed, "As long as the Imperial army remains out of contact, Orlais is threatened. We saw how far the Elder One was prepared to go at the Winter Palace. He intends to throw Orlais into chaos, keeping those troops bottled up in that area is a good start to that plan."
"How do we intend to convince those soldiers that we are allies?" Harding asked.
"The Empress has prepared missives informing the Commanders what has occurred, that should be enough for them."
"What about the Grand Duke's men," Cullen's lieutenant inquired, "They might not accept that their "Emperor" is dead. They might decide to continue the war in his name, to avenge him, or perhaps in support of some other noble allied with the De Chalons?"
"I have thought of that," Ana nodded, "I have spoken with the late Grand Duke's Uncle, despite the death of his nephew; he has agreed to help us. He is on the Council of Heralds after all. The Council, as well as Gaspard's highest placed advisors have agreed to provide us with documents proving that what the Empress says is true. That should be good enough to convince any Field Marshal that the war is no longer going on. After Halamshiral, no one in the Empire wants to give Corypheus any kind of leverage to further destabilize the Empire.
Murmurs of ascent went through the room. She hated to admit it, but Vivienne had come through for in this. She had arranged Ana's meetings with the Council of Heralds in almost no time at all. The Inquisitor had hoped for a chance to speak with Duke Bastien, Vivienne's lover, to thank him for his help, but the mage informed her that that was impossible. Her Dear Bastien was unavailable, Council business.
Ana accepted that.
Of course, Vivienne had not done this entirely out of the goodness of her heart. She needed Ana's help. The Council had assigned her a project that required some…unusual ingredients, among them the heart of a Snowy Wyvern.
The Inquisitor had promised the mage that she would help acquire it. The mage had been very tight lipped about what this about, but in the end it did not matter.
Vivienne was her friend.
Ana helped her friends.
She turned to Harding; the dwarf looked grimly at the map. The Inquisitor did not blame her.
"I want you to be very careful out there, Lace. I'm sending you into the unknown…again…"
The Inquisitor chuckled nervously.
"I would hate to lose you."
Harding smiled.
"Don't worry, Your Worship," she said, "My people survived the free for all in the Hinterlands. We can handle ourselves against the Imperial army."
Ana pursed her lips.
That was the problem, the mages and Templars in the Hinterlands had been rabid dogs by the time the Inquisition arrived, if either Gaspard's or Celene's forces chose not to listen, things could get difficult, not to mention bloody very, very quickly.
The Inquisitor hoped to avoid that. They needed Orlais strong and on their side. They had denied Corypheus at the Winter Palace, after that, he would be looking for retribution…
…Terrible bloody retribution.
The Inquisition needed to be careful. If this was a trap, they would need to think quickly.
Of course, that was why Harding was in charge.
The dwarf had proven that she could think quickly.
She gave the chief scout a smile.
"Maker watch over you, Lace," she said.
The dwarf gave her a grateful smile.
The Inquisitor looked up at her soldiers, good people all, determined people.
"Maker watch over us all."
IOI
The meeting ended shortly after that. Harding would leave tonight, she would hopefully have a report for the Inquisitor before the week was out, after that, the Inquisition would enter the Plains, and the real work could begin.
Ana reminded herself to send a letter to the Winter Palace. Celene had chosen to remain there while the fighting in the Dales continued. It was far closer to the front than Val Royeaux, and by remaining she showed her commitment to bringing the chaos in the Dales to a close, not to mention from there her commanders and generals could reach her quickly if any problems developed.
The Inquisitor supported that choice. Celene might have been a peacemaker, but that did not mean that she did not understand war. Her staying showed that she supported the Inquisition's efforts on her behalf, and if trouble did arise, Briala had given Ana her word that she could have the Empress back in Val Royeaux before anyone knew she had left the Palace…
Ana did not know exactly how the elf would pull that off, but both Celene and Briala seemed confident that it could be done.
The Inquisitor had chosen to trust them.
To have faith, it was all that she could do.
A few soldiers remained behind, either to ask questions or to seek the Blessing of the Herald of Andraste. Ana tried not to winced at that request; she knew how the men saw her. If her blessing made them feel safer marching into darkness, how could she refuse?
It was for the cause, and Ana would do what she needed to advance it.
She had seen what the world would be like if she failed. She still had nightmares about that dark future…
She would die before she let that come to pass.
Finally, the last of the soldiers left, only a company of bodyguards remained. Vivienne had gracious volunteered lodging for the Inquisition officers and advisors in her own estate. Ana had accepted on the men's behalf. Now only Solas, Josephine, and Varric remained, and all of them seemed concerned with their own business.
Ana smiled.
That was more than fine with her, especially tonight.
A shiver ran down her spine, she rubbed her arms, slightly surprised to find gooseflesh there.
She took a deep breath, to steady her nerves.
She had just received word from one of her contacts in the city, a little boy who worked near the army camp.
Cullen was on his way.
The very thought made her heart pound.
Perhaps it was a small abuse of power on her part, arranging this, but after all their interruption at Skyhold, she was no longer willing to take any chances.
No, she was tired of waiting.
She needed some time with Cullen, and by the Maker, she would have it.
She returned to her room, there were a few things she needed to do before the Commander arrived, to greet him properly.
She smiled slyly.
She tried to push all worries out of her mind, any thought of this being a mistake.
She could not back out now, she wouldn't.
She needed this.
She took another deep breath.
No, she realized, this was not just about her.
It was about Cullen to.
It was about both of them, her and him.
She rubbed her neck nervously.
We need this, she thought.
We need this.
IOI
It was late when Cullen finally arrived at the Trevelyan estate in Val Royeaux. Two Inquisition soldiers stood at attention as he made his way through the iron gate.
The Commander sighed heavily, stretching, his back stiff from his long ride. As a boy he would have welcomed such a ride, not been phased by it in the least…
Cullen chuckled.
It seemed that things had changed.
I'm getting old.
The thought amused him.
After the Blight, after Kirkwall, getting old seemed like the least of his problems. Dying in battle had seemed more likely then dying of old age.
He had been lucky up to this point, but luck ran out eventually.
He found himself reaching for his lucky coin, when he remembered that he no longer had it.
He smiled slightly.
He had given it to Ana.
He looked around the estate, the lights were dimmed and no one was around, well, not, no one, an elven servant was still awake tidying up a bit.
The man noticed him with a smile; an amused twitch ran through the man's pointed ears.
"Good evening, messere."
"Good evening," Cullen responded with a slight bow, once again looking around the empty foyer.
"Where is everyone?"
"Lady Josephine has retired to her quarters for the evening. Messeres Varric and Solas as well. As for the soldiers, they are guests of Madame De Fer tonight."
Cullen blinked.
The soldiers were gone, the advisors were gone.
Why…would Ana…?
"Has the Inquisitor out for the evening?"
"No messere," the servant replied, "She is upstairs in her room. She told me to send you up as soon as you arrived."
Cullen paused.
Ana was in her room.
She…she wanted him to come up?
His mouth felt dry, he swallowed hard, trying to wet it.
Suddenly, he did not feel as weary as he had a few minutes earlier. Something within him stirred, making him smile.
He might be getting old, but it was clear that he was not too old…
…not yet anyway.
The elf smiled at him.
"The Inquisitor has prepared quarters for you tonight, Messere, but first she wishes to speak to you. She said you should proceed up as soon as you arrived."
Cullen nodded, a nervous energy washing over him.
Perhaps he was reading too much into this, perhaps he was letting his imagination run away with him.
He made his way up the staircase; the servant had said Ana's room was the last door on the right.
He tried to will himself to be calm, but it was not an easy thing.
The hallway was quiet, just the normal nighttime creaks of an old estate, the rooms were shut and mostly dark…
…All, but one, the last door on the right.
Cullen shivered
He stood before that door, trying not to sweat, wishing he had taken the time to clean up before making his report.
You're reading too much into this, his conscience chided.
He swallowed hard again.
He held up his hand to knock on the door, once again he hesitated, his hand floating so near, yet remaining so far away.
His heart pounded, his veins burned, he knew the sensation well. He felt it often when he really wanted a draft of lyrium.
But this was not about lyrium; this…was something else, entirely.
He took a deep breath and mustered his courage.
This was ridiculous, this was just Ana.
He knocked loudly on the door.
"Yes?"
Ana's voice was soft and warm; it made him pause as soon as he heard it.
He swallowed hard again.
"In…Inquisitor," he cursed how his voice cracked with nerves, almost swearing under his breath he tried again.
"It…it is Cullen, Milady," he said, "I was told to…to come up."
…Again a pause.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three…
"A moment," he heard her say.
He took a deep breath to center himself, feeling like an idiot.
She was probably resting, his conscience chided, you let your fantasies run away with you again. If you had done more than just your duty in Kirkwall you might not just turn into a nervous fool whenever she smiles at you.
He shook his head.
He had never been comfortable about this sort of thing, not after Lona, it had made him…
The door opened.
He stood at attention and…
His breath caught in his throat.
Ana was dressed in a pale green robe open in front revealing her slender neck and pale skin, the small swell of her small breasts pressed against the fabric, almost struggling for release. Her legs were bare, the robe barely coming to her thighs. Months of battle and training had made them strong, long and lean.
He swallowed hard again.
Her long red hair was pulled back into two small pigtails, revealing the freckles on her neck and shoulders. Her blue eyes flashed excitedly, a slight blush colored her cheeks.
She diverted her eyes.
"I…um…Oh Maker," she murmured, "I look ridiculous don't, I?"
Cullen shook his head no.
Ana's blush deepened.
"I…ah…I'm not really sure what I was thinking," she confessed, "After all those times in Skyhold we had people needing to speak with us…I…um…I…"
He said nothing; he just stood there, drinking in her form.
Her hand went to her neck; her eyes darted everywhere, but into his.
"I've made a fool of myself," she said, "I…I don't know what I…"
Cullen had heard enough.
He grabbed her, she yelped with surprise.
He kissed her fiercely.
His hands ran over her, making her whimper. There kiss deepened.
Cullen's head spun, he…he…
Oh Maker.
They broke for air, both panting.
"I…I," he growled, struggling with his own desire, "I…I will give you a full report, in the morning."
She nodded, dumbly, clearly not interested in reports right now.
He pulled her to him again, kissing her…
She…
Oh Maker.
She smelled so good…
…Tasted even better.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, his hands held her tight against him.
He carried her back into her room without another thought.
This…this was not a time for thought.
She gasped and giggled as he nibbled on her bare neck.
She reached out with her toe, catching the door; she kicked at it, forcing it to slam shut.
Cullen did not hear it. He likely did not hear anything.
He pulled down the front of the robe as he threw her down on the bed. She squealed excitedly. He pulled at his cloak and armor.
Ana sat up, seeking to aid him, both with her fingers and her kisses.
Cullen did not resist, he was tired of resisting.
Tired of pain.
Tired of hiding.
He let that all go.
He longer wanted it.
It was time.
Finally it was time.
Surrender.
Sweet, unconditional…
…Surrender.