The next morning, while Nadia went to check on her parents, Cullen sat with Fergus, Alistair, and Elissa in the study.
"So, are you going to ask her?" Elissa asked Cullen, smirking.
"What?" Cullen asked, looking up at her.
"Are you going to ask her to marry you?"
Fergus and Alistair perked up when they heard her say that. "What's this about a proposal?" Fergus asked.
Cullen blushed and cleared his throat. "Well, I uh-" He looked up as Nadia came into the room again, her face ashen and tears streaming down her cheeks. "Nadia, what is it?" he asked, standing.
Nadia looked up at her family and the man she loved. "They're... gone..." she said, her voice hushed. "They, um... must have passed sometime during the night..."
Cullen looked at her. "Nadia..."
"Nadia, we'll give you some time," Fergus said, standing. "I'll see to it that preparations are made."
Nadia nodded and thanked him. "El, I think you should... say goodbye..." she said, looking at her cousin.
The queen nodded and offered her a hug. Nadia shook her head.
"I need to get some fresh air," she said, then left the study to go out into the estate gardens.
"Cullen, go after her? We'll take of things here, but she needs you right now." Elissa said, trying to remain strong. Helene and Thomas had been there for her and Fergus after their mother and father had been killed by Arl Howe's men. They meant a lot to them both.
Cullen nodded and went after Nadia. Alistair looked at Elissa and asked if she was OK.
"I will be fine, love, but I'm worried about Nadia. She doesn't have darkspawn to take her grief out on like I did when I lost my Mother and Father. I just hope Cullen can help her through this like you helped me." she said, kissing her husband.
"So do I, my dear," Alistair said, pulling Elissa into a hug. "So do I."
Cullen hurried after Nadia, but she disappeared. "Nadia, where are you?" He searched all over the gardens, but couldn't find her. He stopped a gardener and asked if he had seen Nadia.
"No, but if she's upset, then she probably went to the fountain. That's where she would always go as a child. Just follow this path and take a right when you reach the archway." the gardener said.
"Thank you, ser," Cullen said, then followed the path and turned right at the archway. He followed the new path until it rounded into a small courtyard covered in ivy and Arbor's Blessing. He looked around at the lush greenery of the courtyard, amazed something that looked so overgrown but was well-kept could exist in Highever with such temperatures. Decorating the lush greenery was hundreds of white Andraste's Grace and in the center of the courtyard was a large fountain, granite stone figures of dragons and griffons decorating the three tiers while water spewed out of each opening. In the water danced dozens of Black Lotus flowers. And sitting in the back of the courtyard under the large willow tree overhanging the courtyard, was Nadia.
"There you are!" he said, going over to her.
Nadia looked up at him for a moment, then back down at her feet and remained silent.
Cullen sat next to her on the bench and just stayed there silent with her, knowing she'd speak when she was ready.
After what seemed like an hour, Nadia sighed and looked up at the fountain. "I feel so lost, Cullen..." She finally said.
Cullen looked at her. "It's natural to seem like that during times like these."
Nadia had cried her fill of tears when she first found her parents, their bodies entwined and cold. She knew they must have died sometime in the night after she left to let them get their rest. She felt like she had no more tears to shed. "Nothing I did to try and heal them worked. There was nothing in the library that I could find to even figure out what was killing them, nor anything that could help them. I feel like I've failed them..."
Cullen put a hand on her arm, rubbing his finger along the smooth fabric of her sleeve. "Nadia, you didn't fail them. You did what you could to try and save them and when it didn't work, you stayed by their side until the end."
"At least they died in each other's arms..." Nadia said. "It helps me remember that they were at least happy before the Maker asked them to his side."
"Come here," Cullen said, offering to wrap his arm around her.
Nadia leaned in and rested her cheek on his chest. "What do I do now..?"
"Fergus is going to take care of the arrangements. For now, all you can do is grieve in your own way and wait for things to get better."
Nadia looked up at him. "You're always there for me, Cullen. Thank you."
Cullen managed a smile and kissed her forehead. "That's what I'm here for."
"Can we stay like this for a while?" Nadia asked.
Cullen nodded. "Sure."
The thunder cracked overhead and the rain began again, but Cullen didn't care. Nadia needed him and that was all that mattered.
The funeral came a few days after the passing of Thomas and Helene Cousland. Nadia wore a hooded black dress made of Highever Weave and lined with fennec fur. Her soft brown hair was tied and hung over her shoulder, large curls hanging loosely. Cullen had been given a black formal tunic and trousers with a black cloak to match. He stood with Nadia and her family, listening to the eulogy Fergus gave of her parents. Once the eulogy was done, the cleric said a farewell prayer, asking the Maker to take the kind souls of Thomas and Helene Cousland and guide them safely to his side. The funeral came to a close and Nadia stood with Cullen, watching as her parents were buried in the family cemetery. The guests and attendees of the funeral offered their condolences and Nadia could only nod. Cullen stayed with her, by her side, through it all and tried to offer her the support she needed.
But that was nearly two months ago. Cullen had sent word to Skyhold of what happened and told Matthew that Nadia needed more time. He waited for Nadia to get back to her old self, and finally, after a few weeks, she was beginning to perk up again. She was finally moving forward and getting through her grief.