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Cullen watched Evelyn across the table. Her brows were knitted in thought, and she twirled a half eaten piece of licorice around her fingers as she planned her next move. She would lean forward as if she were about to touch a chess piece and then settle back for more consideration. She hated losing, and Cullen had her cornered. He saw one countermove that would get her out of check and place him on the defensive, and he was loathe to look at the board in case his eyes gave that thought away. A grin made its way across her face. She saw the play. Moving her piece, she sat back in her chair and began munching on her licorice. Her eyes danced with delight at having evaded him.
“Well done. I was hoping you wouldn’t see that.” Cullen commented.
“Hoping to finish our game so quickly? I thought you enjoyed playing with me.” The timbre of her voice, coy twist of her lip, and smolder in her gaze let him know she intended the double meaning.
Evelyn was an unabashed tease, and he was enthralled by her. She was also the kindest most self-sacrificing person he’d ever known. Granted she was a neat freak and a grouch in the mornings, but even those flaws were endearing. I love you. he thought.
Except he didn’t just think it. The words had spilled out of his mouth. Cullen felt his face flush as he saw Evelyn’s surprised expression. Stumbling to recover, he started to stammer, “What I mean is... uh...”
“Cullen...” she interrupted as her eyes locked on his, “I love you, too.”
A rush of emotions came over him. That slip of the tongue had opened a floodgate of feelings - excitement, panic, relief, embarrassment, contentment, lust, wonder... It was so much to take in that he just sat still, trying to swallow the lump in his throat, and keep his heart from popping out of his chest.
Her tiny hand reached across the table for his. Taking it, he felt calmer. She smiled at him and then squeezed his hand. They sat that way for some time just relishing the moment and each other.
Evelyn was the first to speak. “Thinking about your next move, Commander?” she teased not letting go of his hand.
Cullen chuckled. “You could say that.” He knocked over his own queen ceding the game, stood up from the table, and moved toward Evelyn with surprising speed given his heavy armor. Pulling her up from her seat in one smooth motion, he encased her in his arms and kissed her. Rumors be damned. he thought pointedly ignoring the dozen or so people in the garden who were staring at the couple.
Evelyn didn’t seem particularly bothered by his indiscretion. After their kiss ended, she continued to hold on to him, burying her face in the fur of his pauldrons. His hands moved up and down her back gently while he nuzzled the top of her head drinking in the smell of gardenias and Andraste’s grace. He wished he could just keep her there safe in his embrace. Maker, watch over her. was his silent prayer.
She couldn’t stay, however. Letters from Emprise du Lion stressed how desperate the situation there was becoming, and the intelligence Evelyn had gathered in the Emerald Graves suggested Samson and his Red Templars were active in the region. The next morning Evelyn and her team were preparing to leave. Cullen held her horse as she mounted. “Please, be careful. Don’t take unnecessary risks. You don’t have to solve every problem on your own. You have an army at your disposal.”
Evelyn reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out his coin. “Don’t worry. I have luck - remember?”
“That isn’t as reassuring as I hoped it would be.” he said flatly.
“I’ll be careful, and I’ll write when I can.” she said as she adjusted her stirrups. Settling back in the saddle, she looked at him and lowered her voice, “I love you, and I’ll see you soon. I promise. Sahrnia is close to Skyhold. This shouldn’t take too long.”
***********************************
Six weeks passed, and Evelyn was still in Emprise du Lion. Evelyn sent detailed reports every few days. She also wrote separate, shorter letters for Cullen. The reports she sent were disturbing. Red templars had made encampments throughout the region which she had systematically destroyed. Cullen imagined she attacked them with the same zeal and tenacity that she had shown in tackling his errant paperwork piles.
Her group had been able to liberate a number of prisoners from a quarry in Sahrnia. Samson’s men were intentionally infecting people with red lyrium. The red templars grew the corrupted lyrium in the captives’ bodies causing the people to become crystallized husks. Then they would “harvest” the mineral from the bodies. The actions of the men and women who had once been his comrades were monstrous. What had happened to the Templar Order?
Evelyn’s last report mentioned that she was planning an attack on Suledin Keep. Michel de Chevin, Empress Celene’s former champion, was in Sahrnia and had asked for the Inquisition’s assistance in confronting Imshael, a powerful demon that had allied with the Red Templars. Imshael and the remainder of the Red Templar forces in the region were inside the large castle. Cullen had written Evelyn to wait for reinforcements before trying to capture the Keep. In a personal letter to her, he had gone so far as to remind her of her promise to be careful and ask that she write back agreeing to wait.
That report had arrived a week ago. A few days later, Leliana’s agents sighted fighting at Suledin Keep. Skyhold had yet to receive word from the Inquisitor or any of her companions. Everyone was on edge waiting for an update. Cullen felt sick when Leliana entered his office wearing a grave expression. “Commander, I have news from Emprise du Lion.”
His heart sunk. “What is it?”
“We just received a report from Cassandra. They successfully routed the remaining red templars and the demon Imshael. The Inquisitor, however, was badly injured in the fight with the demon. Solas was able to stabilize her at the scene. It was touch and go at first, but she should make a full recovery. When the Inquisitor is strong enough, the team will return to Skyhold. They successfully secured the keep, and it will be quite an asset to the Inquisition.” Leliana gave Cullen a sympathetic smile then continued, “I have a letter for you. I believe it may be from the Inquisitor. We can discuss the reports in more depth later. I will leave you for now.”
Cullen nearly ripped the letter out of Leliana’s hand. The missive was brief and written in a shaky script, but it was definitely Evelyn’s handwriting. He let out a sigh of relief as he read,
I’m sorry I didn’t wait for reinforcements. Wanted to finish here and get home. Miss you terribly. Will be more careful from now on. I love you. Evelyn
He spent the next few minutes alternatively cursing Evelyn’s willfulness and thanking the Maker for sparing her. Folding the letter and placing it near his chest, Cullen walked to find Leliana and Josephine. They would have much to plan, and he wanted to get as much as possible done before Evelyn returned.
*********************************
Another week passed before Cullen heard the horn sounding the Inquisitor’s return. He was in Josephine’s office coordinating details for turning Suledin Keep into a trading and diplomatic hub. Not bothering to even finish his thought to the ambassador, Cullen took off through the great hall and down the steps to reach the returning party. Evelyn was not on her horse. Cassandra saw him looking for the Inquisitor and motioned to the wagon at the back of the caravan.
Evelyn was laying on a pile of furs in the back of the wagon. Her body was covered with a light quilt. Only a tangled mess of brown hair and Evelyn’s paler-than-normal face were visible. Solas was sitting beside her and nodded at Cullen. “I have kept her sedated for most of the journey. Her injuries are extensive, but it is my hope that she will recover fully now that Skyhold’s surgeons and healers may attend to her care. She has a remarkable will to live.”
“Yes. I wish she would stop putting that will to the test.” Cullen responded.
Solas gave a wry smile. “I think we all agree with that assessment, Commander.”
Cullen called over some of his soldiers to help move the Inquisitor to her quarters. She slept through the transfer although she moaned whenever her position was changed. Solas pulled Cullen aside. “I will show you how to tend her wounds. Perhaps you will have better luck than Cassandra and I have had keeping her in bed. The sleeping draught I administered will wear off soon. It would be best if I showed you what to do before she is awake.”
Solas pulled back the covers. Evelyn was wearing only small clothes and bandages. She groaned as Solas began to remove the dressings covering her chest. He moved with precision and seemed to be casting a healing spell as he worked. Before long, Evelyn’s injury was exposed. It was some sort of burn that extended from her right shoulder blade to her left hip. Her damaged skin looked like an angry red sash. Cullen winced at how exquisitely painful it seemed.
Solas commented, “It is considerably better than it was at the beginning. I recognize that you will not be able to cast healing magic as you remove the dressings, but any soothing words you give her will have much the same effect. Your army’s healers, Vivienne, and I have all taken turns repairing the internal damage caused by the demon’s strike. Now only the external wounds remain, but they are still quite painful.”
Cullen nodded still trying to grasp how she had sustained such a wound. “What happened?”
“We were in a protracted battle with a very powerful demon. At some point, most of our party was injured so severely that we could not continue fighting. The Inquisitor revived us all at once but drained her mana in doing so. The demon unleashed an electrical attack, and she was unable to maintain a barrier.”
Sacrificing herself for others. Sounds exactly like something Evelyn would do. Cullen thought while wishing she wouldn’t be so damn selfless.
Solas gestured to some ointments and potions he had brought. “You should see that these are applied twice a day. Her wounds are now superficial enough that we should be able to cast healing spells without having to disturb the bandages. Do not let her fuss with the dressings no matter how much she complains. She undid several days worth of healing trying to be helpful.”
That sounds like Evelyn, too. Cullen sighed and removed his gloves. Taking some clean dressing, he gingerly applied the potions and ointments as Solas directed. Then he re-bandaged Evelyn with a soldier’s efficiency. Solas nodded his approval and left.
Evelyn roused a few minutes later and motioned for Cullen to sit beside her. “So this isn’t quite what I pictured would get you in my bed.”
“Not funny, Evelyn.”
“Really? But I’ve thought up a bunch of horrible jokes and puns.” she said trying to take the glare off his face. She pursed her lips together and laid silent for a moment. “I am sorry, Cullen.”
“I know.” he said and pressed a kiss to her forehead. A sly smile crossed his face. “So you’ve been thinking about getting me in your bed, huh? You had only to ask, my lady.”
Evelyn laughed then gasped from the pain, “Now you tell me.” She took his hand and squeezed, “Duly noted, Commander.”