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"Lady Irini, what are you doing here at this hour?" Cullen said, worry evident in both face and voice; his brow was furrowed, his jaw tight and his eyes lacked the usual warmth that she had so inexplicably associated with him.
She did not speak, because she did not trust her voice - one faltering word, one escaped sob would put the mission in jeopardy. Instead, she padded towards him, letting her robe slide off her shoulders to her elbows, revealing the delicate tanned skin underneath. Her shift covered most of her, but she felt exposed in more ways than one.
Cullen's eyes widened in shock and trepidation, as he struggled to make sense of the situation. Irini felt sorry for the poor man - he was being the victim of a most sinister plot, but it was one that she had to carry out till the bitter end.
Her hands came to circle his neck. He watched her, unmoving and unyielding, but he had not yet made a move to stop her. She closed the distance and raising on her tiptoes, she went in for the kill.
Her lips found his, and the softness she found there surprised her. She had always thought of him more of a statue than a breathing, living man and the realization hit her like a thunderbolt. Feeling her determination wavering, she pushed harder, before she lost all nerve and ran out in tears and shame.
Finally, his hands came to her face, long and calloused fingers tracing her contours with such gentleness. Irini relished the small victory, perhaps father was right - it would be easy to seduce him.
But just as she quietly celebrated, Cullen pushed her away, firmly but not ungently. "Lady Irini," he said almost breathlessly. "What are you doing?"
Irini tried to wave him off and continue her attempt, but he put his arms on her shoulders and kept her at arm's length.
"What is the meaning of this?" He pressed, and his demeanor showed that he would have some kind of explanation from her.
"I...I have grown fond of you, Ser and this is my way of showing it to you." The lie sounded flat even to her ears. Cullen was not fooled, not for a second. He cocked his head to the side.
"Really? I've heard more passionate proclamations from dwarven golems" he smirked. He fixed her robe to sit on her shoulders properly and then motioned her to sit on the armchair by the fireplace.
For once, she followed his lead wordlessly. She should be fleeing the room, even the country, but the calm he exuded kept her anchored to the room, to him.
Cullen took the armchair opposite of her. He spoke in gentle, hushed tones, like she was a wild horse and he was afraid that he'd scared her off. "What is really going on?" She did not miss the worry in his voice. Her heart gave a traitorous flutter; perhaps she had come to care for the man, after all.
And then, she started to explain, taking many pauses to push through the tears. She told him everything; of the massive debt her father had accumulated, of his plan to secure marriages for all his daughters, and how Irini's own character had worked against her, as she had not made herself agreeable to anybody. So, deception was necessary in her case.
He listened attentively until that point.
"Why me?" He asked. A question that should be easy to answer, but it was not. As with everything in her life, it was complicated.
"Your wealth, for one. You own land and have a good income." She replied.
He instinctively knew that this was not all of it. "There's many wealthy men, it does not make me special." She heard the unspoken question. What is the real reason your father chose me?
"You are known to be a pious and honorable man, and you would presumably want to avoid the scandal. My father would not hesitate to tell the world that his daughter had been...deflowered outside of wedlock to achieve his ends." The words felt bitter and stagnant in her mouth. Irini was a victim and a perpetrator simultaneously. Her role in this scheme made sure of that.
He shook his head in disbelief. "He would do this to you? His own daughter? He would drag your reputation through the mud just to continue living his life in the way he is accustomed to?" He was exasperated, clearly and maybe a little angry. Not at her, but on behalf of her. Irini had to remind herself that he was born a commoner, and the trappings of nobility are as much of a novelty to him as poverty was to her.
"I think we can both agree that he is quite desperate. I did not...like this idea, but I am a daughter of House Narses and I must follow the bid of my father."
"Duty over self." Cullen muttered.
"Yes. Quite." She let out a defeated sigh. Her family motto was a noble ideal to aspire to, most of the time, but in this instance it was a ball and chain that trapped her. She stood up, curtsied as gracefully as she could manage in her turbulent emotional state. "I am sorry for my transgression against you, my lord. I will return to my father and inform him of my…failure. He might take advantage of the situation regardless."
Her father was a stubborn man, after all. A trait he shared with Irini. He would not lay the matter to rest, even if Irini vehemently denied that anything indecent transpired between Cullen Rutherford and herself. She was standing in his room, after all.
"Wait," came his reply. "I...might have an idea." He almost sounded…hopeful. Curious, Irini sat down and let him explain his plan.
"What if we give your father what he wants, without compromising our integrity?" He started, pausing to gauge her reaction. Irini’s mind reeled, trying to discern his meaning from the few words he had uttered so far. She failed to see how that could happen, but she remained silent, while he tried to find the words to adequately express his thoughts.
"What if I ask him for your hand in marriage tomorrow? And his blessing to properly court you?"
He could not have suggested a more preposterous idea, even if he tried. "How is that helping you, exactly?” she inquired, doubtful of his intentions and sincerity. Then another thought crossed her mind. “Unless you want to use me as a smokescreen for your more... unsanctimonious activities."
A man as handsome as he, surely he would have been wed by now. He could have his pick of all of South Reach and Denerim, and maybe even of all of Ferelden and Orlais. Perhaps his…preferences lied in men, instead of women.
Cullen shook his head. "Nothing like that, I assure you. I intend to keep true to the vow that I will make, should you agree." He paused, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. Was it from the fire, or his embarrassment, Irini could not know. "I am not young anymore; this house, the Templar clinic, the farms, the people working for me...if I die childless, all of this - my life's work - will fall upon opportunists and jackals, seeking the thrill of profit, instead of helping people."
Irini now had an inkling where the conversation was going. Still, she just nodded and prodded him to go on.
"If you agree to this marriage," he continued. “I will make sure your father gets a generous sum of money to help him settle his debts. You will be the lady of this house and my partner in all things. You don’t have to see your father ever again, if you don’t want to. I only ask that you remain truthful to me, and that we try for one child - be it boy or girl. After that, I will not bother you for anything, unless you want me to.”
It was an intriguing offer. She would have to marry and bear children at some point. Why not with him? Love was a fleeting dream, either way. "And what if a child is not possible?" Would he discard her, then? The cloud of doubt and fear descended upon her.
Cullen managed to dissipate it with just one sentence and one of his rare smiles. "Then the Maker does not see me fit for it. I will never disgrace you by sleeping with another. I'll endeavor to be a good husband to you."
"Why me?" She echoed his question from earlier.
"You are smart and well-articulated, you know how to run a household. You have empathy for those of a lesser station than you, which is a rare quality to find amongst your peers. You are young, but at an age where you know your own mind. And...you are beautiful."
He thought she was beautiful? Irini could hardly believe it - they were so often at each other’s throats that she thought he barely tolerated her presence. The revelation stunned her into silence once again. This was becoming an annoying habit between them.
“What say you?” Cullen asked, looking at her with his warm, honest eyes. And to think that she was set to destroy his life only moments before.
She rose and extended her hand, the way the southerners did when they came to an agreement. Irini smirked inwardly, she was short a Mabari to become a Fereldan dog lord.
“Deal.”