She saw a beautiful young woman in a beautiful white silk wedding gown with silver filigree patterns and a lacy collar, her hair curled and piled high on her head with small pieces hanging loosely, a set of Nevarrite drop earrings and drop necklace- made to match the engagement ring on her left hand. Her eyes had been colored with a soft black kohl liner and a silver powder on her eyelids, her cheeks had been given a little bit of blush, and her lips had been colored a slightly darker peony pink.
"So... What do you think?" Elissa said, waiting eagerly for an answer.
"I... can't believe... that's really me..." Nadia said, her voice hushed in disbelief.
Elissa smiled, coming to stand beside her. She looked into the mirror and saw herself- her crimson hair curled and pinned back with a dragon bone clip, cascading down her gold and bronze-colored dress. "Nadia, you're beautiful. Hell, accepting any punishment for saying this, you're more beautiful than Andraste herself as she is described in the tales. Cullen could die and go to the Maker's side right now just at the sight of you."
Nadia blushed- deepening the color that was already there- and giggled. "Cousin, that's blasphemy. And besides, if Cullen were to die on me, then I'd be left alone and he promised Mother and Father he'd take care of me. He breaks that promise you know they will come back to haunt him."
Elissa laughed at that. "Well, regardless, your mother and father would be proud to see you today. I'm sure they're watching you from above- as are all of our ancestors, our friends, and comrades who've joined the Maker."
Nadia hugged her cousin and smiled. "Thanks, El."
"Of course, Dewdrop. Now, Lady Genevieve has one last thing for you." the queen said, looking at the seamstress as she joined them with a bouquet.
"This bouquet has Andraste's Grace, Crystal Grace, and Dawn Lotus. I hope you like it?" Genevieve said, presenting her with the bouquet.
"Oh, Lady Genevieve, it's wonderful!" Nadia said, taking the bouquet. She hugged the seamstress and smiled. "Thank you so much for all that you have done!"
"You are most welcome, my dear. You are stunning in that dress, simply marvelous."
Nadia smiled and looked up as a knock came from the door of her room and Fergus came into the room.
"Are you ready Na-" he stopped short when he saw his little cousin in her wedding dress on her big day. "Maker, look at you! You look simply marvelous!" he said, coming to her side. "Your mother and father would be so proud of you, Nadia. Cullen is indeed a very lucky man."
Nadia smiled. "We are ready, Fergus, to answer your unfinished question. Is everything all set?"
"Yes, I need to check on Cullen and make sure that he's ready as well and then the bell will toll when the wedding begins," Fergus said, nodding. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "My word, Nadia, you have grown into such a lovely young woman."
Nadia smiled. "Thank you, cousin, now go before the bell tolls."
Fergus gave her a small bow and quickly left the room.
"Well, now we just wait, right?" Nadia asked, looking at Elissa.
"Before you go, Nadia, I have something for you as well." a sultry voice came from the doorway.
Nadia looked up at smiled when she saw Morrigan- one of the mages who had accompanied Elissa on her travels and aided her in defeating the Blight.
"Lady Morrigan! Good to see you!" Nadia said.
"Well, this is a surprise," Elissa said, smirking. "I didn't think weddings were your forte."
"They normally are not, however, Nadia is a dear friend to me and I wished to support her in her union to Cullen," Morrigan replied, accepting the rather awkward hug Elissa offered.
Before the defeat of the Archdemon, Morrigan had slept with Alistair. This produced a child and when Elissa slew the Archdemon, its soul transferred to the unborn child in Morrigan's womb. Alistair was never supposed to see the child- ever- but when things had settled down and Corypheus was defeated, Alistair and Elissa had come to Skyhold to visit Matthew and Nadia. That was when Morrigan introduced her son to his father. Since then, even though Elissa was the one who had convinced Alistair of during the ritual- as Morrigan called it- Kieran had grown close to her and his father. He saw Elissa as a second mother, much to Morrigan and Alistair's surprise. Even still, things remained a bit tense and awkward between Morrigan and Elissa, though they remained friends after all those years.
"You said you had something for Nadia?" Elissa asked, standing back.
"Indeed," Morrigan said and presented Nadia with a dragon-shaped hairpin. "This hairpin has been in my possession for quite some time. I had found it with a decorative mirror I had taken from a caravan as a child, but when my mother smashed the mirror and told me I was foolish for treasuring things such as that, I hid this pin and kept it away from her for years. It is made of dragon bone, and decorated with lazurite and veridium. It has some magikal properties to it, enhancing your power over ice and electricity much as the stones would when forged into a staff blade. I want you to have it."
"Morrigan, it's beautiful," Nadia said.
"Allow me," Morrigan said, offering to put the pin into her hair. "Let this represent our friendship and let it aid you and protect you should you ever need to use your battle magik."
Nadia looked at the dragon pin in the mirror, seeing it nestled in on the right side of her hair. She smiled and turned back to Morrigan, hugging her. "Thank you, Morrigan. I will treasure it always."
"Stop pacing, Cullen, you'll wear a hole through the floor," Matthew said, chuckling as he leaned against the wall in Cullen's office.
"He's just nervous. I find it rather adorable that our little Commander is so flustered on his big day." Dorian added, crossing his legs and staring at Cullen with a big smile.
Cullen ignored them and looked in the mirror that had been set up for him in his office, sighing. He had discussed with Nadia that he had been unable to find anything that suited him for the wedding, so she suggested she just wear the usual- his armor, pauldrons, and such. He insisted that it would be unacceptable, so he asked Lady Genevieve to come up with something for him- having already spoken with her shortly before she met with Nadia to design the dress. Lady Genevieve had come up with a simple formal attire consisting of a white tunic, trousers, and boots. He wore white bear fur pauldrons over a white dragon hide cloak and he fiddled with a few things, here and there, then started to pace again as he had done sixty-five times now.
"Relax, Commander. You look dashing!" Dorian, said, assuring him.
"I just don't want to look a fool in front of Nadia," Cullen said, stopping to look at the mage.
"Cullen, if Dorian says you look dashing, then you do. I mean, it's Dorian after all." Matthew said, laughing. "This man has more fashion sense than an Orlesian noblewoman in the height of spring fashion."
Cullen rubbed his neck and sighed. "I hope today goes well."
"It'll be fine, Cullen," Fergus said, coming into the office. "Nadia is ready to go, now are you?"
"Yes."
The bell tolled and all of the guests began to make their way to the garden. Cullen stood with the cleric who was to wed him and Nadia and waited patiently. The music began when the guests were seated and the honored guests came down the stairs from the keep and into the garden, taking their places at the alter. Fergus, Alistair, and Elissa stood on the left side while Branson, Rosalie, and Mia stood on the right side with Cullen. Cassandra sat with her children next to Branson, Rosalie, and Mia's spouses and children. Josephine was joined by the Divine, Leliana- as well as the clerics who had accompanied her from Val Royeaux- and Morrigan, Varric sat with Dorian, Tom- otherwise known as Blackwall- Sera, Cole, and the Iron Bull. Vivienne hadn't accepted or denied the invitation, but Nadia could have cared less; she didn't much care for the enchantress. The music picked up and everyone turned to look as Matthew Trevelyan, the Inquisitor, walked down the stairs and into the garden with Nadia Cousland, cousin to the Queen of Ferelden and the Teyrn of Highever and resident healer of Skyhold, at his arm.