"What do you mean, she won't wake up?" Cullen roared, causing the scouts standing with the Inquisitor's team to flinch.
"It was a sleeping spell." Solas spoke up. "An incredibly powerful one, at that."
"Can you...undo it?" Josephine asked.
"Not as of now- I have tried, but I may be able to look into the Fade for more answers. I tried to find the Inquisitor already in my dreams... but could not." He responded, met with nods of approval and looks of concern and unease.
It slipped no one's notice that Cullen was particularly distraught.
She lay on her bed, sleeping so deeply and breathing so shallowly that it was hard to tell she was breathing at all. When Bull carried her into Skyhold, he thought she was dead. It had clawed at his heart like the Desire demons did back at the Circle in Ferelden, torturing him with how much he adored the Hero. Maybe it hurt worse than that.
He brushed some hair from her face tenderly, running his thumb across her cheek. At the moment, he couldn't care any less if they saw.
"What if you don't find answers?" He asked Solas.
"It is blood magic with the boost of Red Lyrium. Blood magic is... difficult to undo, as you would well know of."
"Well, find a way." Cullen snapped, his heart dropping.
"It may not be that easy." Solas said through gritted teeth, eyes flashing. "But I shall try." Voice dripping with venom, he cast a long look at the Dalish woman on her bed, then turned to look Cullen, grey eyes narrowed.
"Fine." Cullen responded, before turning to the Inquisitor and gingerly taking her shoes off, as she preferred. He could feel the Apostate's gaze burning his back.
"Wow, Commander, how... polite of you." Josephine said, giggling behind her hand. "You have become quite fond of Lady Lavellan, have you not?"
"That's of no concern right now." He growled roughly. "We need her to take on Corypheus or we are all in trouble. Lave- er, the Inquisitor-" Cullen corrected himself. "...is irreplaceable. We must do what we can, or the Inquisition- and all of Thedas- falls."
Solas remained in the room until everyone but Cullen had left. After a few moments of silence, something in the apostate's gaze changed, the look chilling the man. Cullen felt anger grab at his chest as he met Solas' gaze evenly.
"You used to be a Templar. You have killed people like her- us- for nothing other than magic. You cannot make up for such heinous crimes." He stated it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, nonchalant yet unsettling. Cullen was larger than the Apostate, but something was odd about him... and it wasn't just the weird wolf jaw necklace he wore.
"Things change." The Commander muttered.
"You can't take back murder." Solas shot back.
"It... I... by the Maker, what is your issue, elf?" He snarled in exasperation. Solas remained silent, arms crossed, and shook his head slowly. He turned and left the Inquisitor's quarters with no further word, steps inaudible even against the stone floor.
Cullen felt cold.