"NO!" Cullen sat bolt upright in bed--his trembling body dripping in sweat. His eyes were wide and wild as he leapt from the bed and searched the dark room. "Where are you? Show yourself, demon! You'll never escape me! NEVER!"
"Cullen!"
Cullen whirled around to see Avery sitting up in their bed with eyes wide in alarm. Dashing to the bed, he leapt up into it and his hands flew to Avery's face--cupping it as he searched her for injury. Finding none, his hands moved down to press gently against his wife's swollen belly.
"Cullen...Cullen, my love, I'm fine. The baby is fine. We're both fine," Avery assured while moving her hands up to cup her husband's face. "It was only a dream," she murmured while brushing tender kisses to her beloved's face. "Everything is alright, my lion. It was nothing more than a nightmare." She kissed his lips softly.
"It was so real..." Cullen whispered as he wrapped his arms as tightly around Avery as he dared and held her close. "I've never been more terrified in my life. Are you certain you and our baby are alright?"
Avery nuzzled Cullen's jaw before kissing his cheek. "I promise you that we're both fine," she assured--gently cradling Cullen's head when he nuzzled into her pulse. "How about I make you some tea, and you can tell me all about it? Would you like some tea, my darling?"
"Tea…yes, some tea might help…" Cullen mused softly.
"Alright, well you're going to have to help me out of bed," Avery admitted sheepishly. Now eight months along, she was decidedly less spry in her movements--waddling everywhere now, and needing help getting up from chairs. Backaches were incessant, and her feet were swollen, but that was nothing in comparison to the ache of her heavy breasts and the fact that her belly felt stretched beyond capacity. However, for all her physical discomfort, Avery was far from miserable. Cullen was always there to rub her feet as well as her back--pampering her and seeing to her every need no matter how small.
Cullen came back to himself in that instant, and he gave a shake of his head while propping pillows up behind Avery so she could rest comfortably. "No, you stay here and rest, emma lath. I'll get the tea."
Avery sighed. "This is defeating the purpose of my trying to take care of you," she grumbled.
Cullen managed a smile. "If anyone needs taking care of, it's you," he said while climbing out of the bed. "Before I make the tea, did you need to use the privy?"
Avery thought about her answer before giving a small shake of her head. "Surprisingly, no...but you might want to hold off on my tea, or else I will have to go within five minutes," she said with a wry chuckle.
Cullen climbed back into bed. "I didn't really want tea in the first place...I was really just trying to occupy my mind," he admitted with a sheepish smile as he settled himself beside Avery and rested a hand upon her belly as he draped his other arm around her shoulders. "Little one is awake as well, it would seem..." he mused with a smile as he felt Avery's belly actually move as their unborn child rolled and shifted position within its increasingly cramped environment.
"He's worried about his father," Avery replied as she let her head fall onto Cullen's shoulder.
"You think she really is?" Cullen asked. Having grown tired of referring to their child as "it", the two of them had taken to using the gender titles interchangeably.
"Why wouldn't she be worried about her father?" Avery asked. "No doubt she can feel how much you love her...why wouldn't she worry about the one who provides that love?"
Even though he smiled, Cullen's eyes were haunted. "Because he has no concept of true terror," he answered softly.
"Tell me about what you dreamt," Avery entreated gently as her hand joined her husband's upon her belly. "Talking about it might make you feel better," she urged upon feeling Cullen tense.
Cullen was silent for several moments before slowly allowing a heavy sigh to escape him. "There was a demon," he said softly. "It…" He snapped his eyes shut and clenched his jaw as his arm tightened around his wife.
Avery kissed Cullen's shoulder and lightly rested a hand upon his closest leg. "Go ahead," she urged gently.
Cullen took a deep breath. "It had you by the throat…it…it ripped our baby out of you…" Despite the fact that his eyes were squeezed shut, tears still escaped. "It tore the both of you to shreds…it killed you both, and it…and it laughed all the while. It laughed! It laughed, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. No matter how I attacked it with my sword or my shield, nothing I did hindered it." He bit his bottom lip. "All I could do was watch you and our child die, and there was nothing I could do…I no longer had the clout to do anything…because I no longer take lyrium." He hung his head. "Without lyrium, I am no longer able to face down demons and maleficar the way I used to as a Templar." His strong body trembled. "Avery, I…I am completely useless to you and our child."
"Don't you dare say that," Avery said firmly as her hand tightened its grip upon Cullen's thigh. "Don't you ever say that again. Do you understand me, Cullen Stanton Rutherford?" She shifted so she was kneeling in front of her husband, and she gripped his shoulders. "Look at me. Cullen? Cullen, you open your eyes and look at me right now. You are not useless, and I refuse to let you talk about yourself like that."
"But the dream…" Cullen whispered.
"It was just a dream," Avery said firmly. "It was just a dream and nothing more. It didn't mean anything."
"Yes it did," Cullen said sadly. "Avery…emma lath, how will I be able to protect you? If it comes down to it, and a demon attacks our child, how will I keep our son or daughter safe?" A fresh wave of tears rolled down his cheeks. "I am useless."
Avery's hands moved up to Cullen's face and framed it gently. She leaned in and tenderly kissed away her husband's tears. "Cullen, my mighty lion…my husband, you are not now nor have you ever been useless. You are the strongest and bravest man I have ever had the honor to know. You know why? Because you knew the pitfalls that would come from you not taking lyrium, and yet you have the strength not to take it. You are stronger than your addiction. You are stronger than the lyrium." She kissed Cullen's lips tenderly, and her hands moved to take a hold of his so she could gently press them against her belly. "And I couldn’t ask for a better father for the baby growing inside of me." She leaned in and kissed her husband again. "Ma'arlath," she whispered against his lips.
"Ma'arlath," Cullen whispered back. His thumbs lightly brushed over Avery's belly as he pressed a tender kiss to her Vallaslin. "If I am stronger, it's because of you," he murmured before shifting down onto his side so he could kiss his wife's belly. "I don't profess to be perfect, da'len, but I promise you from the very depths of my soul that I will fight every day of my life to ensure that you live the fullest and happiest life possible." He kissed Avery's belly again. "You and your mother are my dream come true, and nothing will take you away from me." He smiled when he felt as well as saw Avery's belly move. "That's right. Your father has made a promise to you, my son…or daughter. I've made you a promise, my child, and you will soon come to know that I am a man of my word."
Iron Bull's eye widened briefly when the arrow whistled between his horns and lodged itself in the wall behind him. Looking up, he saw Sera standing against the railing of the tavern's second floor and motioning wildly at him for him to come up. Sighing, he uncrossed his ankles stood. "Krem, hold down the fort," he muttered as he passed his Second on his way to the stairs.
"You got it, Chief," Krem replied with a chuckle before raising his bottle to his lips.
The stairs creaked beneath Bull's bulk, but he was not worried. He had been up those very stairs countless times. He knew they could support his weight. Navigating his way around to Sera's little corner, he looked at her questioningly. "You summoned?" he asked dryly.
"Sshh," the blond elf said while pressing a finger to her lips and motioning for Bull to look into her little area.
Giving a small roll of his eye, Iron Bull peered in through the door to find none other than Avery on the window seat with her back against the glass--sound asleep. "Whatever prank you're thinking of Sera, forget about it. Even I know better than to prank a pregnant woman.
Sera rolled her eyes. "Oy, is that all you think I do? That's not all I do, you daft tit," she grumbled.
"Okay, so…why did you have me come up here?" Bull asked.
"She fell asleep," Sera said simply. "Right in the middle of her bloody thought. One minute she was talkin', and the next….she just bloody fell asleep. There was no yawn or warning, just…boom. Sleepy-time…just outta nowhere."
Bull chuckled softly. "Well, I can't say from personal experience, but from what I've heard in my travels, growing a person inside of you is hard work. The fact that she’s sitting in a warm patch of sunlight probably didn’t help either. I guess pregnant women are like cats…" he mused. “Those furry little buggers are always falling asleep in patches of sunlight.”
"Yeah, well…what do I do about it?" Sera asked while motioning towards Avery.
"What do you mean what do you do?" Bull asked incredulously. "Just let her sleep. She's not bothering anything, is she? I don't hear any snoring, so you should be fine."
"No, I mean…" Sera averted her eyes. "What if she like…I dunno…what if she leans over too far in any direction and she falls off?"
"So ease her onto her side if you’re worried," Bull replied. “Make sure it’s her side. I overheard the one of the midwives telling her not to sleep on her back…something about the baby’s weight pressing down on her organs or something…”
"She could still roll off," Sera countered. "Floor's not made of bloody pillows, is it? Don't want her getting' hurt. What if the bub gets hurt? Cullen'll have my head on a platter."
"Okay, so…what do you want from me?" Bull asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Take her to her room," Sera replied.
"You want me to carry her to her room?" Bull repeated.
"It's not like I can bloody lift her, you daft tit," Sera replied dryly. "Maybe before the belly sprouted, I could've thrown her waify self over my shoulder or somethin' but that won't work now, will it? Nah…you take her up to her room. Nice big bed…she'll have to work harder to fall of that. That'll be better…better for Inky, better for bub…just better for everyone." She blinked. "Why you smiling?"
"Naaaaw, Sera…you do care," Bull replied cheekily.
"Sharrup," Sera replied with a grin and a roll of her eyes while shoving Bull's arm. "Go on then, Get Inky up to her safe bed."
"Alright, alright," Iron Bull chuckled as he carefully stepped into the small room and gently gathered Avery's limp form into his arms. "I'll be our little secret."
~*~*~
Cullen strode down the main steps of the courtyard with Cassandra--his gaze already fixed on the training ring where he and the former Seeker were to observe the new recruits and assess their skill. It never ceased to amaze the two veteran warriors how people would still flock to Skyhold to join the Inquisition in spite of the fact that the threat of Corypheus had passed. It had been one of the main reasons that kept Cassandra from leaving as planned to rebuild the Seekers.
However, when Cullen caught sight of Iron Bull carrying Avery out of the tavern, his thoughts could not have been further away from the Inquisition. Eyes wide as his heart jumped into his throat, he practically leapt over the remaining stairs and bolted towards the massive qunari. "What happened?" he asked worriedly. "Is she alright? Is she hurt?"
"Easy, Commander," Bull soothed in a low voice. "Easy. Boss here is fine…just fell asleep is all."
Seeing the slow, even rising and falling of Avery's chest as she slept, Cullen let go of the breath he had been holding and his shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank the Maker…"
"Yeah, she was talking with Sera when she suddenly fell asleep, so I was going to take her up to her room where she would be more comfortable," Bull explained.
Cullen smiled. "She's been doing that a lot…suddenly and randomly falling asleep, I mean. The frequency of these naps has actually been increasing the further her pregnancy progresses. The midwives say it's normal, so I try not to worry about it too much…emphasis on the word try." He cleared his throat. "It was very kind of you to try and take her somewhere more comfortable, Bull, but I can manage it from here," he said while holding his arms out for Iron Bull to transfer Avery over.
"You sure?" Iron Bull asked. "I don't mind. You and Cassandra looked like you were about to do something.
"It can wait," Cullen assured with a smile. "I'm never too busy to take care of my wife," he added softly. His arms were gentle as Avery was shifted into them from Iron Bull's grasp. "Thank you again for your help, Bull," he said with his smile still in place.
"Any time," Bull replied simply with a nod. "You might want to thank Sera at some point. She was the one who came and got me when Boss fell asleep on the window seat. She didn’t think it would be the safest of places for a pregnant woman to take a nap."
Cullen was silent for a moment. "Well, then…the next time she pulls one of her harmless pranks, I'll be sure to look the other way," he said before turning to Cassandra and giving her a small nod. "Start without me. I will join you again shortly."
"Take your time," Cassandra answered with a small smile. "I can handle things until you get back…unless Iron Bull would care to join me?" she asked while turning her gaze to the giant warrior.
Iron Bull held up his hands and took a step backwards towards the tavern. "You've got this well in hand," he said with a grin
"Ugh," Cassandra retorted with a small roll of her eyes.
Cullen simply chuckled softly and gave a small shake of his head as he turned and started for the stone steps. He nuzzled Avery's hair as her head rested trustingly against his shoulder, and could not resist kissing her forehead before gazing down into her sleeping face with a loving smile. "Oh, emma lath…my poor, exhausted beloved, what am I going to do with you?"
(Here we are with part 13 of my Her Lion series. If you haven't read the previous parts (but want to), they can all be found on my profile page under the Her Lion tab :) They can also be found on AO3, Wattpad, and ff.net. Feel free to message me for the links :) )
Well, Avery slept. The sound of her slow, deep breaths was evidence of her peaceful slumber. Cullen on the other hand, was wide awake. The low flames in the hearth provided the only light in the room and gave it a warm glow. It was not too much light, but Cullen did not need it. He had every part of Avery memorized…from the single freckle on her left ankle, to the soft pattern of veins that showed through the creamy skin of her wrist.
But it was the roundness of her belly that held his interest now.
Lying on his side, Cullen had positioned himself in such a way so his face was aligned with his wife's belly--the better to allow him to nuzzle the bump in his sleep. Not wishing to awake Avery, he kept his hands still as they rested against the outer walls of his unborn child's temporary home.
Four months had now passed since Avery had first told Cullen she was pregnant, and her belly had swelled in evidence of the life growing within her. Cullen was fascinated with his wife's belly. It never ceased to amaze him how it had gone from being perfectly flat to looking as though she were smuggling a small melon under her clothing. While he understood the reasoning and the mechanics behind it, he was still ever in awe of the miracle occurring within Avery's body.
Everything that came with said miracle, Cullen took in stride. The moodiness, the odd and random cravings, and the incessant bouts of nausea that were all punctuated by days in which Avery could not keep her hands off of him, Cullen patiently dealt with them all on a daily basis. Though, admittedly, he never minded when he had to take a break from his work in order to fulfill his wife’s carnal needs. Cullen never took it personally when Avery went from being perfectly happy and loving towards him to suddenly screaming wordlessly at him in rage because he would not let her eat a sweet treat until she had eaten something more substantial and healthy. He was worried at first about the sporadic changes in her personality, but when the midwives had explained to him that it was a normal symptom that all expectant mothers went through, Cullen simply allowed it to roll off his back like water on a duck.
After all, it would be a small price to pay once their son or daughter finally arrived.
Cullen smiled at the thought of holding their baby at last, and he nuzzled Avery's belly button. "Hello, da'len," Cullen murmured softly to his wife’s belly. It's your father...again," he added with a small chuckle. "I know you're probably tired of hearing my voice at the moment, but I don't care. It will be my responsibility to teach you everything I know once you come into this world, so you had better get used to the sound of my voice. Your mother as well, since it will fall to her to teach you everything there is to know about your elven heritage."
Both Cullen and Avery took turns talking to the baby every day. It did not matter if they read passages from books or simply talked about their day, they always made a point to include the baby in the conversation.
"Well, another day has come and gone, and while we are still five months away from you being born, your mother and I can't wait to meet you," Cullen murmured. "And we're not the only ones...your Uncle Blackwall started work on your crib today, and I have it on good authority that he plans to put the griffin rocking horse he made into your nursery. Granted, you won't be able to use it right away, but it will be there waiting for you for when you are in fact big enough to use it."
Cullen fell silent when Avery sighed and shifted just a little bit--a smile curling over his lips when his wife's hand found its way down into his hair. "Let's see, what else can I tell you?" he mused softly. "Your Uncle Varric is busy penning the story of your mother's adventures for you. He wants to be certain that it is finished by the time you're born, because then he plans to return home to Kirkwall...and your Aunt Josephine is--"
Cullen started when he felt a definite thump from within Avery's belly. "Maker..." he whispered in awe. "There really is a baby in there..."
"Of course there is," Avery replied sleepily.
"How long have you been awake?" Cullen asked softly.
"Your son or daughter kicked me awake," Avery replied with a soft chuckle. "Have you and Cassandra been teaching the baby to spar when I wasn't looking?"
Cullen grinned and chuckled. "Yes, because as you know, we are both masters of stealth and subtlety," he replied cheekily before nuzzling and kissing his wife's belly through her nightgown. "Does the baby do this often?"
"No, this is the first time," Avery replied softly while slowly combing her fingers through her husband's golden hair. "I mean, I've felt the baby move and roll around inside of me before, but this is the first time I felt it kick." Her smile was evident in her voice. "Our baby likes the sound of your voice...not that I can blame it. I do so love hearing your voice," she murmured.
"Truly, emma lath?" Cullen asked with a smile as he turned his head so he could gaze up at his wife. He nuzzled her wrist. “Do you truly enjoy the sound of my voice?
"Oh, yes...especially when you sing," Avery replied with a sleepy smile before stifling a yawn. "I have a feeling the baby enjoys it as well."
Cullen's smile grew. "Then how about I sing the two of you to sleep?"
Avery smiled as she gazed down at her husband. "We would both love that, my lion." She got her head comfortable on her pillow, and her smile widened when she felt the baby kick. A blissful tear rolled down her cheek, when Cullen gasped in delight at feeling the kick against his palm. "Our child agrees."
Cullen smiled and kisses Avery's belly. "Then prepare to be serenaded, my precious ones."
Avery shifted her gaze in the mirror to catch Mia smiling at her in the reflection. Tall like her brother, Mia also shared Cullen's golden waves, but that was where the similarities ended. According to Cullen, his sister bore a striking resemblance to their mother. But that did not concern her at the moment. What did in fact concern her were the yards of fabric, lace, and pearls that made up the elaborate, Orlesian wedding gown she was currently wearing. "I look ridiculous," she whined.
"You do not," Mia replied with her smile still in place as she stepped towards Avery and smoothed the back of her voluminous skirt. Though they had only known each other for a week, the two women had already developed a friendship. Mia could see how deeply her brother and Avery loved each other, and so she had welcomed her readily into the family. She was, however, the only one of Cullen's sisters to attend since Cora, the younger one, was due to give birth any day. "As I said, you look lovely."
"I do approve of my hair," Avery admitted with a smile. Only few, select strands were pulled back so that her face was perfectly framed, and small, violet flowers were weaved all throughout her hair as is fell down her back in a cascade of waves and curls. "The gown on the other hand is another matter altogether. I look like I'm being eaten alive by this dress," Avery complained. "There's so much fabric. Never mind the fact that this corset is doing nothing to help the soreness of my breasts…and even if it wasn't, I don't like the idea of being laced up so tightly. What if it hurts the baby?" she asked worriedly. Before Mia could answer, the sound of footsteps climbing the stone stairs reached Avery's ears, and she turned around just in time to see Josephine appear. "Josie, must I wear this gown? Why can't I simply wear the one Cullen had made for me? I would much rather wear that dress."
"My brother had a dress made for you?" Mia asked in pleasant surprise.
Avery nodded. "Yes…he promised me months ago that he would get gown for me once the Breach was sealed." She smiled fondly at the memory. "It's a beautiful dress…so elegant and simple…why must I be trapped in this giant petit four?"
Mia giggled softly at that.
Josephine meanwhile slowly let out a breath and smiled soothingly while. "Because Empress Celene gifted it to you as a way of personally thanking you once again for intervening on her behalf and saving her life. Considering the amount of support she has shown the Inquisition, I think it wise to be polite and wear the gown," she explained patiently.
Avery pouted. "Fine…a compromise then," she said evenly. "I'll wear this elaborate, cake-dress for the ceremony, but for the reception, I am immediately changing into the dress my soon-to-be husband got for me. Does that sound fair?"
"It does," Josephine replied with a smile that faltered around the edges. "There has been no word from your clan, Inquisitor…and no new elves have arrived at Skyhold for the ceremony..."
Avery's eyes were sad. "I'm not surprised," she said softly while turning to look back at her reflection. "This…this is not an event they would celebrate." She cleared her throat. "How are all the other preparations coming?"
"Your husband-to-be is getting anxious, but his brother and Blackwall are keeping him calm for the most part," Josephine answered with a teasing smile. "The kitchens are bustling with activity, and the Great Hall is ready to receive all your guests."
Avery sighed wistfully. "I remember when this was going to be a simple affair…no one but our friends and family in attendance. But then Celene somehow caught wind of it because some cleric couldn't keep her mouth shut about Divine Victoria performing the ceremony…word got to us that Celene knew, and so to avoid a political scandal, both Empress Celene and King Alistair had to be invited so it wouldn't appear as though the Inquisition was playing favorites." She sighed again and gingerly rubbed her temples. "Now it's a circus…nothing like what Cullen and I originally wanted."
Josephine raised an eyebrow. "Surely you don't object to Leliana performing the ceremony?"
"No, of course not," Avery said hurriedly. "Cullen and I are both honored that she would take it upon herself to take the time out of her busy new life to join the two of us in marriage. We just wish clerics were better able to keep secrets," she added with a small pout.
Josephine giggled softly. "It will be over sooner than you know, and then you and Cullen will be able to embark upon your new lives together as husband and wife. Now, if you will excuse me, Sera was eyeing the wedding cake while I was making my way to you. I must make certain she has not engaged in any of her useful mischief." She gave a small, graceful roll of her eyes--something only the Antivan ambassador could manage.
Avery's eyes widened and she whirled around. "So help me, if she pranks me or anyone for that matter on my wedding day, I'll....well, I don't know what I'll do exactly, but it will be unpleasant. I can promise you that."
"It will be fine, don't worry yourself about it," Josephine soothed. "If need be, I'll have Iron Bull sit on her," she added cheekily as she turned and started back for the stairs. "Dorian will come get you when it is time for the ceremony to begin, since he will be the one handing you over to Cullen," she called over her shoulder as she began her descent.
"Why not?" Mia asked with genuine curiosity.
Avery blinked in surprise and looked at her soon-to-be-sister in the mirror. "Why not, what?"
"Why wouldn't your clan celebrate today? You are getting married, and nine months from now, you will have a baby." Mia smiled. "Why would they not celebrate that?" She blinked worriedly. "Forgive me if I offend with my questions, but…I know nothing about the ways of your people…"
Avery smiled sadly. "They would find no cause to celebrate because I am now tainted in their eyes," she answered softly in a calm voice. "I have been spoiled…sullied…desecrated."
Mia furrowed her brow. "Why?"
Avery slowly exhaled. "It's not the fact that I fell in love with a human, but the fact that I gave into it. I allowed a human into my bed...into my body, and I am now carrying his human child. That makes me an outcast now...a pariah. Neither of us would be welcome among my clan."
Mia blinked. "But...you saved the world. Surely your clan would look the other way in regards to who you take as a husband, wouldn't they?"
Avery gave a small shake of her head. "The Dalish have lost so much to humans… our language, culture, history...our immortality. The only thing we can do is hope to regain whatever small pieces of it that we can with each new generation, and preserve what is already known to us." She hung her head a little. "It's considered the ultimate betrayal among the Dalish to choose a human over one of our own as a spouse...let alone to have children with them."
Mia stared at Avery in silence for several moments. "Yet...in spite of all that, you still chose my brother?" she asked softly.
Avery raised her gaze to Mia and smiled. "There are some things in this world that are more powerful than ancient traditions. I fell in love with your brother, and I was powerless to stop it. As our relationship developed and our feelings for each other grew, I kept waiting for it to feel wrong...but it never did. It always felt right." Her smile grew. "Never in my life have I felt more like I was in the right place than when I am at Cullen's side, so being shunned by my clan seems a small price to pay."
Mia smiled before the corners of her mouth faltered. "Does Cullen know?" she asked softly. "About your clan's feelings, I mean," she clarified.
"No," Avery replied with a shake of her head. "And if it's all the same to you, I would rather he didn't."
"Why?" Mia asked before gasping in shock as a a tall, gangly boy with messy, white-blond hair suddenly appeared beside the mirror. "Sweet blood of Andraste!" Her hand flew to her heart.
"She's afraid...that's why she won't tell him," the youth said softly.
"Not nearly as afraid as I am," Mia protested. "What in the Maker's name...? How...? Where did you come from?"
Avery turned and gently gripped Mia's shoulders. "It's alright. His name is Cole. He's a friend, and that's just something he does. You get used to it after a while." She turned back to face the young man and reached up to gently brush his unkempt bangs out of his eyes. "How long have you been here, Cole? You weren't watching me dress, were you? Remember the conversation we had about boundaries?"
"I remember our talk. I wasn't watching you dress, I promise," Cole answered softly. "I...I could feel that you were sad, so I came to see if I could help. I want you to feel better...you have done so much for me and for everyone else, if anyone deserves to feel better, it is you."
Avery smiled. "You are very sweet, Cole, but some things simply can't be fixed." She took a step back and her smile grew as she took in the sight of the gangly youth in the same formal attire he had worn to the Winter Palace. "You look very handsome."
Cole smiled shyly. "Thank you." He raised a hand to his cheeks which had become decidedly pink instead of his usual pallor. "My cheeks are warm..."
"It's called blushing," Avery explained patiently. "It happens when...well, it happens for a variety of reasons," she said with a thoughtful pout. "It can happen when you are embarrassed and uncomfortable. It can happen when you're completely happy and overjoyed. It can happen when you're feeling bashful. Now...if I made you uncomfortable when I said you looked handsome, I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention."
Cole was silent in thought for a few moments as he looked at the floor. "No...I don't think I was uncomfortable when you said that," he mused. "I think...I think I felt...good? Yes...yes, I felt good."
Avery smiled. "Good," she said before looking to Mia at which point, her smile became sympathetic. "Allow me to explain...Cole is a spirit, but he is not possessing a body...at least not in the way that a demon would. The form you see before you is his form. He's as human as you or I, but...not completely." She sighed. "I'm afraid it's a bit complicated..."
"So it would seem," Mia replied while eyeing Cole warily.
Avery sighed softly. "All you need to know is that Cole is a good man who has done a great deal to help the Inquisition, and who still does."
"Thank you," Cole said softly.
"You're very welcome," Avery said before blinking and giving a small shake of her head. "Sorry…Cole, this is Cullen's sister, Mia."
"Hello," Cole said shyly while giving a small bow of his head.
"H...hello," Mia greeted before slowly letting out a breath and deciding to accept what Avery said on face value. After all, if Cullen trusted the spirit-boy, then so could she. "He said you were afraid...what are you afraid of?" Mia asked. "Are you afraid that Cullen would leave you if he found out? Surely you can’t think that."
"Of course I don't," Avery replied with a shake of her head. "It's not that at all. I'm afraid of what it would do to him if he were to find out."
Mia tilted her head to the side. "I don't understand."
Avery sighed and turned so she could stride towards the bed--after heating her skirt up quite a bit to ensure she did not trip. She sat on the edge of the bed and folded her hands in her lap. "Do you know how happy Cullen was when I accepted his proposal and then when I told him I was carrying his child...well, once he recovered from the initial shock of becoming a father?" She smiled. "The smile on his face was of the purest joy."
"He is still filled with joy," Cole said. "I feel it radiating from him even when I am nowhere near him."
"He's always finding reasons to touch my belly, and whenever we're alone, he always talks to the baby," Avery continued with her smile growing an inch. "He'll rest his head against my belly and simply talk to our baby and tell it about his day...and how much he already loves it." She lightly rested a hand against her middle. "The point is...our love and our baby are what give him the strength he needs to battle against the withdrawals of his lyrium addiction. The baby and I...and the life the three of us will eventually have together, Cullen sees them as something to fight for."
Mia slowly nodded in understanding. "And you're afraid that if you tell Cullen about your clan's views, that he'll lose that fight."
Avery gave a small nod. "I fear that his guilt will destroy his happiness, and I can't do that to him." She shook her head. "I won't do that to him. I love him too much for that" She let out a small sigh. "No, this secret is mine alone to bear." Her eyes widened, and she stood while clamping a hand over her mouth.
"Avery?" Mia asked worriedly. "Sister?"
"Sick…" Cole said simply while tilting his head to the side. "Need bucket…maybe I'll get out of wearing this dress after all…"
Mia leapt into action and grabbed the water basin from beside the bed before throwing the water out onto the balcony and then pushing Avery back onto the bed and placing the porcelain bowl in her lap. She then sat beside Avery and rubbed her back gently with one hand while holding her long, scarlet hair back with the other as the elf proceeded to vomit into the basin. "That's it, sister-dear…let it out. Better out than in…" she soothed all the while taking care not to ruin Avery's hair.
"Is she alright?" Cole asked worriedly. "Do I…do I need to get Cullen?"
This time, Mia smiled at the unique youth. "This is normal, Cole," she assured. "Many, if not all, women go through bouts of sickness while pregnant. It will pass shortly."
"Why does it happen?" Cole asked curiously as he cautiously took a step closer.
Mia shrugged. "Women have been asking that question for centuries," she replied with a soft chuckle before turning her head towards the stairs at the sound of footsteps.
"Amicus? Amicus are you decent?" Dorian's familiar lilt asked as he slowly appeared at the top of the stairs.
Having finally stopped vomiting, Avery's response to her fellow mage was a wordless groan as she slumped forward and simply rested her forehead against the edge of the cool bowl."This dress will be the death of me…" she muttered under her breath. The tight bodice had only made the act of vomiting more unpleasant and uncomfortable.
"Your bridegroom is eagerly awaiting your arrival, and…oh…." Dressed similarly to Cole, Dorian blinked then raised an eyebrow as he stood at the top of the stairs and took in the scene before him. "Oh, dear…what have I walked into? Wedding jitters?"
"Morning sickness," Mia answered simply.
"Ah," Dorian replied with a small nod. "Well…have you gotten it out of your system for now?"
"I…I think so…" Avery replied in a groan before slowly raising her head. She grimaced. "My mouth tastes horrible…" she whined softly.
Dorian chuckled softly. "Fear not, fair amicus," he soothed as he strode towards the small group. "We shall have you resembling a ray of sunshine in no time at all. Just leave it to me."
~*~*~
Much to Avery's eternal misery, the elaborate dress had remained unscathed during her bout of morning sickness. But, as Dorian escorted her through the door that led out from the Great Hall and into the garden where the ceremony was to take place, Avery found that she could not dwell on it too much.
How could she when her eyes found Cullen standing in the stone gazebo with Leliana? She barely even noticed the guests standing within the surrounding atrium--royal guests and dignitaries stood within the garden itself.
All Avery could see was Cullen.
Her lion was the picture of perfection. Dressed in a snowy-white version of his Winter Palace attire--another gift from Celene--the embellishment upon the edges, shoulders, and button holes were done completely in gold, and the sash he wore wrapped around his waist and shoulder was one that matched the purple of Avery's Vallaslin. Cullen had chosen it himself, and while it was a small detail in the grand scheme of the elaborate affair their wedding had become, it meant more to Avery than she could possibly put into words.
Their wedding might not have been the simple, intimate ceremony they had originally planned, but as Dorian escorted her ever closer to Cullen, Avery knew that the only thing that truly mattered was the two of them. She would remember nothing else from that moment except for her lion and the many little ways in which he expressed his undying love for her.
Avery leaned in when Dorian fondly kissed her cheek, and even brushed a kiss to his cheek in return before placing her hand eagerly into Cullen's outstretched one. She kept her gaze locked upon her beloved's for a few moments before looking to Leliana with a smile that only grew when her former Spy Master smiled and gave her a subtle yet fond wink. Avery could not deny that it was strange seeing Leliana in the robes of the Divine, but it was far outshines by the pride she felt for her friend.
Leliana softly cleared her throat before speaking in a voice loud enough for all to hear as Cullen and Avery now faced each other with joined hands. "Blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked, and do not falter. Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just. Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow. In their blood, the will of the Maker is written." She bowed her head a little before raising her gaze and smiling. "These are the words that fill my mind every time I look upon these two...especially the part about the Maker's will being written. Both Cullen and Avery come from vastly different backgrounds, and yet never before have I seen two people come together so seamlessly to lead the world out of darkness. A world falling apart hardly provides the romantic atmosphere needed for new love, but Cullen and Avery rose above it all. They overcame every obstacle thrown at them, and managed to find a deep love for one another. Such a love is a rare and precious gift…once that I have been fortunate enough to see only a few times before," she said while finding Alistair in the crowd and giving them a subtle but pointed glance--knowing how deeply he loved his Warden queen and how desperately he missed her. Returning her gaze to Cullen and Avery, she motioned subtly to the pair. "You are free to recite your vows to one another," she said with a smile.
Cullen gazed down into Avery's lovely eyes, and smiled blissfully as his thumbs slowly brushed over her knuckles. "Avery of Clan Lavellan...ma sa'lath, I steadfastly believe it was the Maker's will for you to be at the Conclave. Not only were you meant to save all of Thedas, but you were meant to save me." His hands gently tightened around Avery's. "I was a broken, shell of a man when we met, emma lath. You healed me, Avery. You healed me with your loving, giving heart, and your gentle touch. With every smile and every musical note of your voice, you showed me just how beautiful this world can be." He slowly let out a breath, and his smile grew. "You are a balm for my soul, emma lath. You are the light that keeps the darkness of my past at bay, and I am a stronger man…a better man because of you. Ma'arlath, Avery...from your delicate toes to the tip of your freckled nose…and the tips of your exquisite ears, I love you and everything about you...and I am yours until I breathe my last breath." He took a simple gold ring from Leliana's palm when she held it out to him, and slipped it onto Avery's fingers.
With one hand now free, Avery reached up and gently wiped away the lone tear that had rolled down her beloved's cheek. Her heart fluttered wildly as the band of gold made its way up her finger, and upon receiving a small nod from Leliana, she softly cleared her throat. "Cullen Stanton Rutherford of Honnleath…my fierce lion, before meeting you, my clan was the only home I ever knew…the only family I ever knew. They were my entire world, and I never had the desire to leave them. But then I met you, and everything changed." She smiled and a lone tear rolled down her cheek. "Believe me when I say that everything changed for the better, because when I opened my heart to you, I felt my entire being come to life because I had finally found the missing half of my soul." She leaned into Cullen's hand when he tenderly wiped away her tear. "From the moment of our first kiss, you became my entire world…and everything I did from that moment on was all to ensure that we could share and grow in that world together. Ma'arlath, Cullen...come what may, I will never leave your side for as long as I live." She took the remaining band of gold from Leliana's palm and slowly slid it onto Cullen's finger
Cullen's smile grew, and he had to fight the urge to pull Avery into his arms. He settled for pressing a kiss to her palm when she reached up again and wiped away the tear that had just rolled down his cheek.
Leliana's smile grew. "What the Maker brings together, let no man tear asunder. May the Maker turn his gaze upon Cullen and Avery as they begin this new chapter in their lives, and may the good times far outnumber the bad." She placed her hands upon Avery and Cullen's clasped hands. "You are now married in the eyes of the Maker. Go now and begin your lives together as husband and wife. Cullen, you may now kiss your bride," she added this last part with a small, knowing smirk.
Smiling widely, Cullen drew Avery close and wrapped his arms around her waist as she slid hers around his neck. "I love you," he whispered while leaning in and claiming his new wife's soft lips in a chaste but loving kiss. Once it broke, he lightly brushed his nose against Avery's before reverently kissing her Vallaslin. "My perfect wife," he whispered as applause erupted around them.
"My perfect husband," Avery whispered back.
"Go on, you two," Leliana urged in a soft voice as she smiled at her former comrades. "You have guests to greet."
Avery groaned softly and hung her head just a bit. "Balls...I'll never get out of this dress..."
~*~*~
Avery was in utter misery!
Not only had she and Cullen been separated in the midst of the reception, but Avery had also not been able to escape into her and Cullen's private living quarters as she had originally planned. Every time she had made her way towards the door, a guest intercepted her. Once she had finished with that guest, two more closed in on her. To her credit, Josephine tried to help at several intervals, but the moment she would "steal" Avery away from one group of guests, another group would surround her. The wedding dress did nothing to help Avery's situation. Aside from becoming progressively more and more uncomfortable with each passing minute, it made it impossible for her to sneak away unnoticed. All she could do was keep gradually inching towards the door that only seemed to grow ever further away…
And hopefully beat a hasty retreat once she was close enough.
The two people who had cornered her excused themselves…
Now was her chance!
Avery turned on her heel as stealthily as she could only to stifle a startled gasp when she found herself face to face with Sera. "Shite!" she hissed under her breath as a hand flew to her heart--her jaw clenching as she summoned up every measure of self-control it was taking her to remain in charge of all her faculties.
"Some party, eh?" Sera asked with her easy smile. "Good food, good music…it's all grand, yeah? Oh, incidentally, congratulations or whatevah on getting yourself proper married. I suppose it's all good, if you're into that sort of thing…"
"Thank you, Sera. Excuse me, Sera," Avery replied while trying to move past the blond elf who had done her the courtesy of wearing her formal attire from the Winter Palace.
"Hold on, leaving your own party already? You haven't even cut the cake yet, you daft tit," Sera teased.
"Right now at this moment, I couldn't be less interested in cake," Avery replied a little more snippily than she would have liked. "I need to get out of this dress."
"What? Hoping to get in a good shag before the cake gets cut?" Sera teased before wrapping her arms around herself and making mock-kissing noises.
Finally, Avery could not take anymore. "You want to know why I want out of this dress so badly, Sera?" she hissed. "Every time I take a step, I'm out of breath because of how bloody tight this dress is and the fact that it won't let me take in a proper breath, my breasts have been particularly tender as of late, and this dress has them squished in such a way that makes me want to curl up and die, I have an itch right in the dead center of my back that I can't get to, and I have needed to use the privy for the past hour. All I want to do is go upstairs, take off this dress, empty my bladder rub my back against a bedpost, and then put on the dress that my very sweet husband had made for me so I can actually dance with him without gasping for air, now is that so hard to understand?"
Sera blinked in surprise. While she and Avery did not always see eye to eye, the Inquisitor had never snapped at her like that. "Shite, Inky…don't normally see you this worked up. Alright, well now's your chance." She motioned to the door with a nod of her head. "Get movin' then."
"I can't," Avery whined as she turned towards the door only to see three, smiling guests approaching her. "I'm going to have company soon. "Bugger," she hissed under her breath. "Bugger, bugger, shite, balls, bugger."
Sera grinned and laughed. "No worries, Inky. I'll take care of 'em."
"No, don't you dare," Avery replied in a hurried. "I have a better idea. Tell Cullen to come over here. I don't care what you say to him, just get him to come over here, please? And be quick about it," she added desperately.
"Alright…whatevah you need, Inky," Sera replied with a nod before pushing her way hurriedly through the crowd in search of Cullen.
This left Avery alone to smile poiltely in welcome at the guests--all the while trying to keep her impatient, privy dance to a minimum. She was only half-paying attention to the conversation when Cullen politely made his way through the crowd several moments later.
"Emma lath?" Cullen asked once he had reached Avery's side. "Sera said you needed to see me. Is something the matter?"
"Oh, no, not at all," Avery replied airily with a wave of her hand before motioning to the three guests that had her cornered. "I simply wanted to introduce to you…" Her eyes suddenly rolled into the back of her head before fluttering closed as she touched a hand to her forehead then fell into her husband who was quick to catch her.
"Avery?" Cullen's eyes were wide with panic as he lifted his wife and cradled her in his arms. "Avery, can you hear me?" he asked desperately.
"Looks like she just fainted," Sera said as she made her way over to Cullen's side. "Maybe take her up to your room where she can get some air, yeah? Look, I'll even get the door for ya. That's grand, in'it?""
"Yes, of course," Cullen replied with a nod. "Thank you, Sera," he said with a smile. "Please excuse us," he said to the concerned guests who had begun gathering around. He hurriedly stepped through the door once Sera had opened it for him.
Closing the door behind Cullen, Sera chuckled and gave a small shake of her head. "Clever girl…" She started waving away the small crowd that had gathered around. "C'mon, you big time. Move along...nothin' to see here."
Across the hall, Alistair grinned and chuckled while sitting back in his chair--goblet of wine in one hand.
Leliana raised an eyebrow. "Care to let me in on the joke?" she asked with a grin as she slowly swirled the contents of her goblet.
"Oh, nothing…just the Inquisitor's way of leaving the room," Alistair replied with a knowing smirk.
"You think a lady fainting is funny?" Leliana asked incredulously. "Alistair, that's not the way I remember you," she reprimanded gently.
"Oh, please," Alistair replied with his friendly smirk and a raised eyebrow. "You think I don’t know a phony swoon when I see one?"
Leliana blinked. "Pardon?"
Alistair chuckled. "Oh, yes…I can spot it a mile away. Alona would pretend to faint, and I being the doting husband that I am, would carry her out and leave the advisors to deal with the guests." His smirk softened into a fond smile as his gaze became faraway. "It's her favorite way of leaving a party when she or I have had enough of everyone and all the pomp and circumstance."
Leliana smiled fondly before giving Alistair a knowing wink. "Or when the two of you needed a moment together?" She giggled softly. "When we traveled together during the Blight, I seem to recall the two of you being rather…shall we say, affectionate?"
The lightest of blushes tinged Alistair's. "Well, you know what they say about Warden stamina...add to that, two people who love each other deeply, things are bound to get passionate." He blinked. "And I shouldn't be telling you this."
"And why not?" Leliana asked with a giggle. "It's no secret to me."
"Maker's breath, Leliana. You're Divine now…shouldn't we speak with a little more tact?" he asked with a nervous chuckle as his blush deepened just a bit.
Leliana's blue eyes twinkled in mirth, and she giggled happily. "Still with the blushing?" She playfully nudged her old friend in the side with her elbow. "Come now, Alistair, the two of you have been married for ten years, and even have a son together. Surely, there's no need for blushing."
"Some things never change, it would seem," Alistair replied before his eyes became wistful and distance once more. He sighed and hung his head. "Maker, I miss her, Leliana…" he murmured fervently. "I miss her so very much, and so does Bryce."
Leliana reached out and gently squeezed Alistair's arm. "You must have faith in her, Alistair. Have faith and know that she will return to you and the son the two of you created."
"I do," Alistair replied softly before taking a sip from his goblet. "I believe in Alona, and I know that nothing short of the Maker himself will keep her from returning home when her family is the very thing that prompted her obsessive search for a cure."
They had been trying for another baby for six years, but all pregnancies had resulted in miscarriages, because of the Taint. They had been fortunate enough to conceive Bryce early on in their marriage before the Taint had firmly taken hold within them, but the fact that no other pregnancy lasted longer than a month only served as a reminder to the two of them that they were living on borrowed time. Alona had thereby taken it upon herself to find a cure.
Alistair sighed heavily. "I know the importance of what she is doing, Leliana. But that does nothing to ease the ache of her absence. Alona is more than my wife and mother of my son, she's…she's my best friend. This is the longest we've ever been away from each other in ten years, and it is killing me." He took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Besides…bad things happen when I'm left in charge for too long, you know that," he said with a forced chuckle as he defaulted to his usual coping mechanism of hiding behind his humor."
"Yes…" Leliana replied with a soft chuckle. "Madness and mayhem ensue, and you end up without pants."
"That's right…no pants," Alistair replied with a wry chuckle. "That hasn't happened yet, but give it time."
~*~*~
Once she had heard Cullen go through the second door, Avery opened her eyes and smiled up at Cullen. "Nice reflexes."
Cullen halted in his steps and stared down at his wife incredulously. "You...you didn't really faint?"
"Of course not," Avery replied with a waned smile. "Now would you please get me upstairs?"
Cullen's eyes narrowed as he stomped up the stairs. "Andraste's flaming...Maker's breath, Avery, don't you ever do that to me again, do you understand me? You scared me half to death."
"I'm sorry, darling, but I had no other choice and it was an emergency," Avery replied while squirming in Cullen's arms once he reached the top of the stairs. "Now please put me down and get this dress off of me. I don’t care if you have to rip it off, just please get it off my body."
Cullen blinked while putting Avery down carefully on her feet. "Emma lath, while I am flattered that you can't wait any longer to be alone it me and consummate our marriage, now really isn't the best time is it?" he asked with a slight blush even as he smirked impishly.
Avery looked incredulously up at Cullen. "First Sera, and now you?! Well, let me say this once and for all that sex is the farthest thing from my mind right now. Now would you please take this dress off me so I can finally visit the privy?!"
It was then that Cullen noticed his wife was hopping from one foot to the other, and his eyes widened as his hands quickly turned Avery so her back was to him. "Won't be a moment, emma lath," he said while hurriedly pulling the cords at the back of the gown free.
The moment she was free from the dress, Avery stiffly hurried across the room in her hooped petticoat and chemise while her hands scratched madly at the center of her back before wildly unfastening the petticoat and simply letting it fall on the way. "Don't think any less of me!" she pleaded. As she opened the door to the privy and ducked inside.
In her rush, Avery did not bother to close the door, and moments later a very audible sigh of relief coupled with the sound of what sounded like a small river reached Cullen's ears. The former Templar chuckled softly and gave a small shake of his head as he gathered up the elaborate wedding dress from the floor. He had just finished laying it across the foot of the bed when a much more relaxed looking Avery emerged and leaned against the doorframe in her chemise.
"Feel better, emma lath?" Cullen asked with a smile.
"Much better," Avery replied breathlessly before squirming and madly scratching at her back, sides and belly as all the blood suddenly came rushing back to the areas that until then had been so horribly constricted. "At least I was!" She growled in frustration. "Shite! Itchy! Itchyitchyitchyitchyitchy!!"
"Let me help you," Cullen said while crossing over to Avery and standing behind her. "You get the front, I'll get the back," he said before proceeding to scratch his wife’s itchy back. "How's that, my darling one? Any better?"
"Much," Avery replied with a relieved sigh as she leaned back against her new husband while gingerly cupping her breasts and massaging them through her chemise. "That's two problems dealt with...well, three if you count the fact that I can now breathe again."
"There's more problems?" Cullen asked worriedly.
"Four," Avery answered.
"Four?" Cullen asked in growing panic. "Avery, is the baby one of them?"
"No, but my two feet and my two breasts are," Avery replied dryly.
Cullen blinked and looked down at the pointed, elaborate shoes his beloved was wearing. "Well, the feet I can understand," he said while gathering Avery into his arms and carrying her over to their bed. "But your breasts?" He gently placed his beloved on the bed and sat down by her feet before carefully removing her shoes. "Oh, emma lath...your poor little toes..." He began to gently massage Avery's left foot.
Avery's head fell backwards with a moan as Cullen brought her foot back from the dead. "Oh, my lion.....oh, marry me."
Cullen chuckled. "I already did."
"Oh, yes...that's right..." Avery sighed while slowly wiggling her toes once she had feeling back in them. "I am the luckiest woman in all of Thedas," she purred with a lazy smile.
"And I am the luckiest man," Cullen replied with a smile. "Now what were you saying about your breasts?" he asked while switching out Avery's feet.
"They've been so tender lately because of the pregnancy," Avery explained. "Having them so constricted within that dress did nothing to help." She sighed and motioned vaguely towards her shoes and dress. "My lion, forget about dungeons. If a dungeon master wants to torture someone, he should simply force them to wear that sort of ensemble. I'm being serious…one hour in those shoes alone will have a prisoner singing like a bird and well on his way to reformation."
Cullen chuckled softly. "Well, for what it's worth, emma lath, you looked lovely…in spite of the dress being ridiculously over the top." He tenderly kissed Avery's ankle before simply letting her little feet rest upon his lap as he smiled lovingly down at her. "Are you feeling better now?" he asked softly.
Avery opened her eyes and smiled at her husband. "Yes…especially since Josephine promised me that after the ceremony, I could wear the dress that you had made for me." She sighed softly. "I wish I could've worn it from the beginning…I'm sorry our special day deviated so far from what we originally planned, my lion."
Cullen's smile grew and his shifted down so he was lying beside Avery. Propping himself up on one elbow, he moved his other hand down to rest gently upon his wife's belly. "Ma sa'lath, we're married. We're married, we're deeply in love, and we're going to have a baby." He leaned down and captured Avery's soft lips in a slow, searching kiss. Once the kiss ended, he rested his forehead against hers. "If you ask me, I'd say that makes this day completely perfect."
Avery smiled and gazed into Cullen's warm eyes as her hands moved down to her belly and joined his. "I couldn't agree more."
"I don't know what happens after this," Cullen mused with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Avery from behind.
"Neither do I," Avery replied with a blissful smile as she leaned back against Cullen's strong body and absently rested her hands against her belly. She leaned her head against his as they simply watched the setting sun. "A great many things will be happening in the coming months, but for now…this is good. Everything is more perfect at this moment than I ever could've imagined..."
"Yes it is," Cullen murmured while reveling in the quiet, tranquil moment. Who knew how many more they would get once rebuilding efforts began? No doubt the Inquisition would be spearheading the entire effort, and that meant they would all be very busy--especially once Leliana left to become Divine. "Regardless of what happens though, I would like to re-establish contact with my family. Perhaps, I could invite them to come here for a short visit?"
Cullen gave a small nod of agreement before softly kissing Avery's temple. "Yes, there is that...and I would very much like you to meet them."
Avery smiled and sighed softly. "I would be delighted to meet them if it will please you, my lion."
"Oh, it will," Cullen replied as his arms tightened around Avery. "Not only will they consider it a great honor to meet the woman who saved Thedas, but...I want to properly introduce them to the woman I intend to take as my wife."
Avery's heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened. "Wife?" she asked in a whisper.
"Yes," Cullen answered with a nod before clearing his throat and letting go of Avery so he could gently turn her to face him. "Now…I don't know how it's done among the Dalish, but among humans, we do it this way…" He got down on one knee and took Avery's hands in his while smiling lovingly up at her. "Avery of Clan Lavellan, will you make me the happiest man in all of Thedas and be my wife? Will you marry me, ma sa'lath?"
Tears of joy welled up in Avery's eyes, and her entire face lit up with her smile. "Yes," she whispered while nodding her head and squeezing Cullen's hands. "Yes, my lion. Yes!"
Cullen smiled widely, and his warm eyes were euphoric as he let go of Avery's hands in favor of wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her. "I swear on my life to spend every moment of our union loving you and remaining ever faithful to you, emma lath." He gazed up at his betrothed lovingly. "And if we are ever blessed with a child, I will protect our little one until my dying breath."
"And if that child happens to be a mage?" Avery asked softly. "What happens if the Circles are reinstated?"
Cullen set his jaw. "Anyone who would be foolish enough to try and take the child of the woman who saved Thedas from destruction will have to get past me, and I assure you that they won't," he said firmly. "Any child that we create will have been made out of the deepest, purest love that any two people could possibly have for each other...it will be a physical manifestation of our love, and I will protect it at all costs."
Smiling, Avery did not bother to wipe away the tear that rolled down her cheek. Instead, she brushed one hand over Cullen's blond, wavy hair, while her other rested upon her flat belly. "Hear that, da'len?" she asked softly. "Your father will protect you. I told you he would."
Cullen blinked. "Who are you…talking…to…?" His gaze focused upon Avery's hand as it rested upon her belly, and he blinked again before his eyes widened and met his lover's once more. "Avery…are you saying that…are you saying that you're…?"
Avery gave a small nod as her smile remained in place. "Yes, my lion."
"With…with my…my…?" Cullen stammered as his brain raced to catch up with what Avery had just told him.
Avery raised an eyebrow. "Who else's would it be?"
Lowering his gaze back to Avery's belly, Cullen's look of confusion gradually began melting away, and as he lightly pressed his hand against his beloved's flat stomach, he looked back up at her with a peaceful smile. "Mine…" he whispered.
"Yes, my lion," Avery whispered before her heart swelled within her as Cullen raised the hem of her short, fitted tunic so he could nuzzle and kiss her belly button. "Cullen, please get off the floor," she urged gently. "It can't be comfortable for you to be kneeling all this time."
"Need I remind you that I was a Templar for many years, emma lath?" Cullen asked while reluctantly standing. "I am used to kneeling in prayer," he added before lifting Avery into his arms and carrying her over to their bed like a bride. "How long have you known?" he asked softly as he gently placing his betrothed down amongst the pillows.
"A little over two weeks," Avery replied softly as she gazed up at Cullen who now removed his cloak, armor and gloves. "At first, I didn't think anything of my menses being late considering all the stress I've been under, but then Cole started saying things whenever he and I would talk alone…things like 'the new soul is eager to be born' or 'the new soul feels protected in it's warm home'. Anytime I would ask him to explain what he meant, he would simply look at my stomach." She smiled blissfully up at Cullen as he unbuttoned her tunic. "It didn't take long for me to put the pieces of the puzzle together."
"Why didn't you tell me, emma lath?" Cullen asked while lying down on his side beside Avery and resting a hand upon her now exposed belly--a trace of hurt in the tone of his voice.
"And cause you to worry about me more than normal?" Avery asked pointedly while one of her hands joined Cullen's. "My lion, you hated sending me out into danger even before I was pregnant. If I had told you that your baby was growing in my belly, you would've locked me up and thrown away the key…and that wouldn't have done Thedas or the Inquisition any good at all."
Cullen stiffened. "Maker…you knew you were pregnant when you battled Corypheus…Avery, you could have died." His hand gently pressed into his beloved's stomach. "You both could have died."
"I didn't have much choice, Cullen," Avery replied gently. "No one but me could have closed the Breach." She offered Cullen a small smile. "It just meant that I had extra motivation to come out of the ordeal alive."
Cullen's face was lined with worry. "And…you're certain the baby is alright after that battle?"
Avery smiled. "Cole said that the new soul was 'glad all the scary bits were over'. I think it's safe to assume that our baby is safe and continues to grow within me." She leaned in and brushed a tender kiss to her lover's lips. "Hardly surprised that our baby is so tenacious. He…or she gets it from you, my lion."
Cullen smiled lovingly and rested his forehead against Avery's. "You aren't exactly a pushover yourself, emma lath." He kissed her again before shifting down so his face was aligned with Avery's belly. "I am going to tell you something about your mother, da'len," he murmured before nuzzling his future wife's soft, creamy skin. "She is the strongest and most courageous woman I have ever had the honor to know. But she is also the most loving woman I have ever had the privilege to meet. I know that she already loves you, and that love will only grow with each passing moment that you continue to grow within the safety of her womb." Cullen's thumb reverently brushed over Avery's skin as he pressed a kiss to her belly button. "And know that as your father, I will be by your mother's side, and we will both teach you about the world and all its wonders."
Avery's smile grew, and her free hand stroked Cullen's hair. "Our child…our little cub couldn't ask for a better father, my lion," she murmured.
Cullen looked up at Avery and gazed at her silently for a few moments. "I will write to my family and have them make the journey here as soon as possible," he said at last. "We will marry as soon as they arrive. I want to give our child my name without any further delay."
"I'm sure it won't take long before your family figures out the reason behind our rushed nuptials," Avery replied with a soft chuckle.
"I don't care," Cullen replied earnestly as a lone tear rolled down his cheek. "I am proud of my future wife, and I am proud of our future baby." He shifted up so he could kiss Avery tenderly. "I never once thought I would be fortunate enough to have the two of you, and yet...here you both are. You are both such precious gifts...the most precious gifts I could ever dream of."
Avery smiled and gently wiped Cullen's tear away. "Can you imagine our little one growing up within these walls? I can already hear the laughter and scampering of little feet running through these halls…"
Cullen smiled widely. "I can, and it is music to my ears." He kissed Avery again. "This day marks a new beginning for us, emma lath…it is the start of our new life together, and I couldn't be happier."
"Neither could I, my lion," Avery murmured before kissing Cullen tenderly. "When should we tell our friends?" she asked once the kiss broke.
"Tomorrow," Cullen said without a second thought as he cradled Avery against him. "For now, I simply want to be alone with my new family."
Avery smiled blissfully as she nestled into the warmth and protection of Cullen's strong body. "As you wish."
Tucked under the blankets, a content smile played over Avery's lips as she slept and lay nestled within the safety of Cullen's warm embrace. The slow, steady sound of her lover's breathing was as soothing as any lullaby to Avery's ears, but nothing could compare to the sound of Cullen's heartbeat as her head rested upon his bare chest. Her lion always slept shirtless, and Avery loved it. She loved being in direct contact with Cullen's warm skin without any barriers getting in the way of his masculine scent or the steady beating of his heart as he held her close.
Her dream was warm and safe...
She was in a field. The warm, summer breeze blew through the tall grass and wafted the scent of the wildflowers into her nose as her loose, scarlet tresses billowed in the gentle wind. The sun was warm on her skin, and the twittering of the birds in the trees only served to add to the tranquil beauty of her surroundings. She could see Cullen standing off in the distance, and even though he was far away, Avery knew he was smiling as he waved for her to join him.
The sky began to darken as Avery ran to him. Then, there was a bright flash of green light, and Avery was suddenly back in the Fade--her path blocked by the massive spider demon. She felt a scream rising up in her throat, but the sound of voices behind her caused her to turn around instead. Her eyes widened when she saw none other than herself standing with Hawke and Stroud.
Dread settled in Avery's stomach like a stone.
"No," she cried as she watched Hawke and herself race off for the Fade portal as Stroud charged the demon. She watched him die--watched him get torn apart as she remained powerless to help him. "NO!" Avery sat bolt upright in bed with a scream. "No!"
"Avery."
The Inquisitor whipped her head around when she felt a gentle hand upon her shoulder, and when she saw Cullen's worried face gazing upon her, she could not stop herself from falling into him as tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh, Cullen…" she whispered.
Cullen wrapped his arms around his beloved and cradled her protectively against him while slowly rocking her back and forth. He lightly kissed Avery's temple as she buried her face into the crook of his neck, and he nuzzled her ear while softly murmuring into it. "It was only a dream, emma lath." He gently rubbed Avery's back. "It can't hurt you…it's not real."
"Maybe not now…but it was when it originally happened," Avery sobbed out softly.
"What do you mean?" Cullen prompted gently. "Avery, my dearest love, please talk to me. Let me help you."
Avery raised a hand to her face and wiped away her tears. "There's nothing you can do," she replied softly. "It happened…because of me. It happened, and I must deal with the guilt of it for the rest of my life."
Cullen was silent in thought for several moments. "This about what happened at Adamant, isn't it?" he asked at last. He did not bother questioning why Avery was still troubled by the event that had happened months before. He knew better than most that some things simply stayed with you and forced you to carry them for the rest of your days.
Avery shrank into Cullen. "Of all the decisions I've had to make since what happened at the Conclave, that was by far the most difficult," she said mournfully. "I knowingly left a man to die...served him up to that beast like a sacrificial lamb. I sent him to his death."
"You had no other choice," Cullen soothed.
"Didn't I?" Avery asked. "There's always another choice. There had to have been something I could've…" Her voice drifted off as the harsh reality of the hopeless situation settled over her. "It's not fair…" she whispered.
Cullen's arms tightened around Avery. "War never is," he replied somberly. "Would you like me to put the kettle in the hearth for tea?" he asked. "Or would you perhaps like something stronger?"
"Tea, please," Avery replied after a few moments of silence.
Cullen nodded and brushed a tender kiss to Avery's cheek before gently pulling away and slipping from the large, canopy bed. He padded over to the hearth in his bare feet and bed trousers and began making the preparations. Happening to glance over his shoulder as he placed the kettle on the hook within the hearth, he saw Avery slip out of bed and wrap herself in his heavy cloak--burying her face within the dark lion's mane as she slowly sat upon the edge of the bed. Avery would often wrap herself in his cloak whenever she was feeling particularly vulnerable. It was a coping mechanism, and Cullen never questioned it. It was simply something that his beloved needed, and he was not about to deny her that small act.
It would be a short while before the water would be ready, so Cullen padded back to the bed and sat beside Avery. "If I may ask…why did you choose to leave Stroud behind?" he asked curiously.
Avery was silent fore several moments. "Separate factors that when combined…simply prevented me from being able to sentence Hawke to die," she replied softly.
"What do you mean?" Cullen asked curiously.
Avery gave a small sigh. "After talking to Apollo during our initial meeting…I saw myself in him," she answered softly. "An apostate that was literally thrown into the midst of chaos. An apostate that people look to as a champion and depend upon to lead them through the darkness of forces that are beyond their control. I could see the weight of it all borne upon his shoulders, and I suppose letting him live was my way of subconsciously assuring that someone like me gets some measure of a happy ending," she added softly. "Because if someone like me can have a chance in this world, then perhaps I won't be that far behind." A light blush colored her freckled cheeks. "It's silly, I know…"
The smallest of smiles tugged at the corners of Cullen's mouth. "No it isn't," he replied softly. "You said there were other factors? What else is there?"
"Something Varric said to Cassandra during their confrontation…after she found out that Varric in fact knew where Hawke was this entire time," Avery replied. "Varric said 'You people have done enough to him'…I…I just couldn't ask Apollo to sacrifice himself after everything he had been through…"
"I see," Cullen answered simply. "I…I can understand that. Apostate though Hawke was…or rather, is, he is a good man. He always was…always going out of his way to help those who could not help themselves. He even helped me and my then fellow Templars on more than one occasion when it would have been so much easier for him if he had simply walked away and not troubled himself." He sighed softly. "I never had any quarrel with him…even though I knew he was an apostate, I never once even toyed with the idea of locking him up because I knew of all the good he did. I knew he was too valuable an asset to lock up…that too many people would suffer if he was not free to do what he did best which was help people." He gave Avery a small smile. "Anything else?"
Avery nervously bit her bottom lip. "Promise not to get angry?"
Cullen raised an eyebrow. "An odd request…but I will do as you ask," he answered.
Avery sighed softly. "Anders…"
Cullen's jaw clenched and his shoulders tensed with the effort it took not to clench his hands into fists. "What about him?" he asked in a strained voice.
"The way Apollo spoke of him…" Avery began cautiously. "He loves him…the two of them were and are very much in love. But more than that…Anders needs him. I know that he is far from helpless, but...he needs Apollo…because without him, he would be alone in a world in which members of both warring factions want him dead, and I couldn't bring myself to leave him alone in that situation. The world is in a state of complete and utter chaos--"
"That he had a hand in starting," Cullen said a little more sharply than he intended.
Avery looked to her lover. "You promised," she reprimanded gently.
Cullen slowly exhaled. "Forgive me," he murmured tersely.
Avery reached out and gently rested a hand atop Cullen's knee, and her heart fluttered within her rib cage when her beloved placed his larger hand over hers in a silent sign that he was not angry at her. "I know this is a rather sore subject for you, my lion…you were after all there when Anders did what he did, but…it's no longer about that anymore." She hung her head. "Anders may have once been a revolutionary…troubled, complicated and driven to right the wrongs that were being committed against his fellow mages, but now he is simply a man trying to survive as best he can with the man he loves in a world gone completely mad. I…I simply couldn't let him face it all alone. I wanted to give him and Apollo a chance…after everything the two of them have been through, I thought they deserved at least that much," She cautiously raised her gaze to Cullen. "Do you think any less of me?" she asked softly.
Cullen gave a small shake of his head. "Never." A small sigh escaped him as he removed his hand from Avery's in favor of draping an arm around her shoulders instead and drawing her close. "While you and I have differing opinions on that man…I cannot deny that his actions were not completely without provocation." He sighed heavily. "While not all Templars abused their charges…there were enough that did. It sickened me then just as the memory of that reality sickens me now." His jaw clenched. "The Order lost its way long ago…lost sight of its original duty which was to protect mages. It desperately needed to change in order to eliminate the corruption that had taken hold within the ranks, but that does not mean that I agree with Anders' method of bringing that change about."
The kettle began whistling, and Cullen reluctantly drew away from his lover to deal with it.
Avery sighed and stood--still wrapped within Cullen's cloak. "Yet, in spite of my reasoning...I still feel guilt for my decision," she said while slowly making her way towards the hearth.
"Losing people is never easy, emma lath," Cullen replied gently as he poured the hot water into two cups. "And losing them in times of war is especially difficult because every death seems so senseless..." He sighed. "Andraste knows there are deaths that weigh upon me since this war began...deaths of people I could not keep safe, deaths of scouts that were sent into hostile territories..." He sighed again. "But, unfortunately, it is a necessary evil." Turning, he saw that Avery had settled herself on the floor, so he moved and sat beside her before handing one of the cups to her.
"How do you keep going?" Avery asked softly as she gazed into the steaming contents of her cup while holding it in both hands. "How do you keep going even though you know more lives will be lost?"
Cullen smiled sadly while gently tucking Avery's hair behind her closest ear. "You tell yourself over and over that those lives will not have been lost in vain," he answered softly. "It becomes a mantra, and you then strive to ensure that mantra a realized truth because in doing so, those lost lives will be avenged." Leaning in, he lightly kissed Avery's temple before resting his head against hers. "Many lives have been lost since this began, emma lath...and unfortunately, many more lives will be added to the list. It is a sad inevitability that weighs upon the shoulders of any person in a position of authority."
Avery softly cleared her throat. "Then...you don't think I'm a bad person?" she asked cautiously.
Cullen moved his head away so he could turn Avery's face towards his. "Are you quite mad?" he asked incredulously. "Avery, ma sa'lath, since meeting you after the Conclave, I have come to know you very intimately...and not simply in the physical sense. My darling, there isn't a mean streak in your entire body. Even when you pass judgment upon those brought before you, you always leave execution as a last resort, and if that wasn't an indication as to your character, then use this moment as an example. If you truly were a bad person, you wouldn't be torturing yourself over what happened to Stroud. If you were a bad person, you wouldn't care."
Avery smiled tentatively. "How is it that you always know what to say when I feel doubt?"
Cullen smiled. "The same way you know what to say whenever I feel my lyrium withdrawals eating at me, ma sa'lath...love." He kissed Avery's Valisleen before resting his forehead against hers. "We were made for each other, emma lath...we are each other's missing pieces. We were meant to love each other...that means we know each other better than anyone else. How else are we to be able to support one another when our steps falter...and the pick the other up when we fall?"
A lone, blissful tear rolled down Avery's cheek, and she placed her cup on the floor so she could nestle into her lover. "Cullen, my lion...ma emma lath," she murmured.
Cullen put his own cup on the floor so he could wrap his arms around Avery. He then tenderly kissed away her tear before lightly kissing her lips. "Ma emma lath," he murmured in reply. "There is no me without you, Avery. Nothing but the will of the Maker could rip me from your side...and even then, I would fight to defy Him."
"Trust you for that, my mighty lion," Avery murmured with a smile while resting her head against Cullen's shoulder. "Thank you," she added softly.
"For what?" Cullen asked.
"For loving me," Avery replied while lightly nuzzling Cullen's neck.
Cullen smiled and shivered happily as he nuzzled into Avery's scarlet hair and tightened his arms around her. "It would have been impossible not to, emma lath," he murmured. "Loving you comes as easily to me as breathing, emma vhenan, and the day I stop will be the day that life leaves my body."
It had been a night that Avery would always remember.
It had been a night of untold pleasure as she and Cullen explored each other's bodies with their hands...and mouths--seeking out those secret, pleasure-giving places. She and Cullen had made love until their trembling bodies could do little else but nestle into each other as they surrendered to the pull of sleep. Completely spent and wrapped within the warmth of Cullen's strong, protective embrace as their combined scents clung to the both of them like a second skin, Avery had slept more deeply and peacefully than she ever had in her entire life.
But now it was morning.
It was morning, and in spite of the fact that she wished to stave off the early morning chill by remaining in Cullen's arms, Avery could no longer ignore her hunger pangs. Cullen was still asleep, but that did not mean Avery could not sneak down to the kitchen and return with some food for the both of them. They could enjoy a quiet breakfast together before they would both be forced to focus on more “important” matters.
It was with that in mind that Avery carefully eased herself out of Cullen's embrace and climbed out of bed. She had been about to begin the search for her discarded clothing as the early morning light shone into the room through the hole in the ceiling, but she held off in favor of simply gazing at Cullen as he slept—ignoring the icy coldness of the stone floor against her bare feet. Avery smiled at the sight of her beloved looking so very peaceful--his face completely free of stress and worry lines. He looked years younger. Then of course, there was the fact that Cullen's strong, perfectly sculpted body was still in its fully naked glory…
Avery's growling stomach reminded her of her task, and she dutifully began gathering up her scattered clothes and dressing. Once she had donned her fitted trousers and tunic, her hands combed through her hair before effortlessly binding her hair up in its myriad of twists and braids with practiced skill before she sat on the edge of the bed and began donning her boots--vaguely noticing that Cullen had shifted onto his back.
It was then that her lover's breathing became uneven and he began to thrash.
"No..." Cullen rasped out. "Leave me...! Leave me!" He started awake when he felt a slender, familiar hand touch his chest, and blinked his eyes before they focused upon Avery's sweet face. His racing heart slowed before resuming its steady beat as the sight of his beloved chased away his terror.
"Bad dream?" Avery asked sympathetically.
"They always are," Cullen answered simply. "And without lyrium, they're worse." That was only partially true in that particular instance. When he and Avery had fallen asleep in a tangle of limbs the night before, Cullen's dreams had been completely free of the terrors that normally plagued him. It had only been when he had felt Avery leave his side that the nightmarish images returned. But Cullen was not about to admit that aloud. As Inquisitor, Avery already had enough to deal with. "I didn't mean to worry you," Cullen said softly as he propped himself up on his elbow while reaching out to cup his beloved's cheek--feeling a deep sense of pride at the sight of the evident glow to her skin.
Avery smiled lovingly and leaned into Cullen's hand while reaching out with her own to cup Cullen's cheek in return. "You can let me worry a little..."
Cullen smiled and chuckled softly--his eyes warm and filled with adoration. "Alright." He sighed softly and touched his forehead against Avery's and closed his eyes. "You are...I have never felt anything like this."
"I love you," Avery murmured with a smile as she gazed at Cullen with half-lidded eyes. "You know that, right?"
Cullen opened his eyes. "I love you too," he answered fervently before meeting Avery halfway for a slow, tender kiss.
Avery waited until Cullen gave her a small nod in signal that he was alright before shifting off the bed and standing. She caught a glimpse of Cullen smiling and settling back onto the bed with a sigh as she turned and started for the ladder. "I'll be back with some breakfast for us," she said over her shoulder. "I want to savor this time alone together as much as possible before we have to worry about Corypheus again..."
Cullen's smile remained in place as his eyes drifted halfway closed while he watched the sun slowly rise. "Alright, emma lath."
Avery stopped halfway to the ladder. "Cullen?"
"Yes?"
Avery looked shyly over her shoulder--suddenly very nervous. "I...I want you to stay with me...to live with me...in my chambers. From now on."
Cullen turned his head towards Avery and rose up onto his elbow once more. "You want us to live together?" he asked with a slightly bemused expression.
Avery nodded and slowly turned to face Cullen fully. "I...well..." She nervously shifted her feet and averted her eyes. "The weather is turning colder, and who knows when that hole in your roof will finally get around to being fixed? I can't have you getting sick...you mean too much to the Inquisition. We would be lost without you...and my chambers has a hearth as well as more than enough room for the both of us." She shyly bit her bottom lip. "And my bed is more than big enough for the two of us...but it's more than that."
"Oh?" Cullen asked softly--all the while resisting the urge to smile and chuckle at just how adorably awkward Avery was in that moment.
"Yes," Avery replied with a nod as she took a step closer and finally turned her gaze towards her beloved--her entire face filled with sincerity. "I loved falling asleep in your arms...very, very much...just as I loved greeting the dawn with you by my side." She took another step closer. "And I want to be able to be there for you to chase your nightmares away," she added softly.
"Yes," Cullen answered simply.
Avery blinked. "Yes?"
Smiling as he sat up, Cullen turned and swung his legs over the edge of the bed so his feet touched the cold, stone floor. "Yes, emma lath," he repeated with a smile. "I will live with you in your chambers."
Avery smiled and closed the distance between Cullen and herself. "Technically then, that would make it our chambers," she replied. "And our bed," she added with a purr as she tenderly cupped her lover's face in her palms.
Cullen's smile grew a fraction of an inch. "Yes it would, wouldn't it?" he mused before turning his head enough to press a kiss to each of Avery's palms. "I will have my personal belongings sent over today…if that's alright?"
Avery's smile grew, and she all but vibrated with excitement. "Of course it's alright, and tonight…barring any emergency that takes me away from Skyhold, we can find places for all of your books and things…together."
Cullen wrapped his arms around Avery and gently pulled her close before simply nestling into her with a contented sigh. "Together…now and forever."
She had gone into Cullen's office with the intention of distracting her overworked beloved for a moment or two, but when she had entered, it was to find him in the midst of a meeting with various scouts and shoulders. Avery did not mind. She had been content to remain by the door, and simply watch Cullen in his element--unable to help the proud smile that spread over her lips.
Then Cullen glanced up and caught her gaze, and Avery felt her heart race when he gave her that special smile that he reserved for her alone. She had been happy to simply speak to him once he had dismissed everyone. She knew her beloved had a habit of keeping everything locked up within him, so Avery always encouraged him to speak...to let go...
And then Cullen came out and said that he never wanted to leave her...
"When all this is over, I won't want to move on…not from you."
The words still echoed in Avery's mind like a haunting melody. Yet, in spite of all they had been through together...all the tender touches, fervent kisses, and deep conversations...Cullen still doubted that Avery wanted to have a life with him. He had still had doubts as to just how much she loved him.
But that was no longer the case.
Even though a bottle falling and shattering upon hitting the floor interrupted the elaborate speech she had planned as a follow-up to her original response, evidently, Cullen had heard all he needed to when Avery had answered him with a simple "do you need to ask?". He had shoved everything else off his desk with a smile before locking his gaze upon Avery's and urging her to lie down upon his desk as he climbed up, crawled over her, and settled himself atop her body only to claim her lips in a deep, searching kiss while he pressed his hips into hers.
Which put Avery in her current--not to mention delightful--position. Her legs had automatically spread for Cullen the moment he had settled on top of her, and she eagerly welcomed his kiss as her hands slid up into his golden hair. Her heart raced in excitement at the feel of Cullen's weight pressing her down into the desk and holding her captive, and wetness began pooling between her legs as she felt Cullen harden through his trousers.
"Cullen...my lion..." Avery moaned softly as her beloved once the kiss broke--gasping in delight when he began leaving a trail of kisses down her throat.
"Avery...ma sa'lath..." Cullen groaned as Avery's nails lightly scraped against his scalp and sent shivers down his spine. He unconsciously rocked his hips against Avery and shuddered in delight. "Emma lath, I want you," he whispered huskily. "I need you...but if you need more time…if you are not ready, I will understand. Please, Avery...please just tell me what to do. I will do whatever you ask of me."
Avery swore she felt all her insides melt when the stark passion in Cullen's eyes coupled with the pure earnestness of his voice. Even in his state of arousal, Cullen thought only of her, and it only served to deepen her love for him.Smiling, as a lone, blissful tear rolled down her cheek, Avery slid her hands down from Cullen's hair so she could lovingly cup his face. "Make love to me, Cullen," she murmured earnestly before leaning up and kissing the scar on his lip. "This is the moment we were waiting for…let us not squander it."
Smiling lovingly in answer, Cullen's eyes were warm as he leaned down and tenderly kissed away the tear that glistened upon Avery's cheek. His eyes fluttered closed and a pleasure groan escaped him when Avery nibbled his ear. "Maker's breath…" He leaned into his lover's ministrations and bit his bottom lip as Avery's elegant fingers began teasing his other ear. He never knew they were so sensitive! "Oh, Maker…!" he whispered breathlessly as he began rocking his hips against Avery.
Avery moaned softly and shivered in delight as her own hips began moving in time with Cullen's as she continued her delicious torture. Her mouth slowly released her lover's ear from its grasp in favor of lightly nibbling her way over his jaw.
"Avery...Avery...?" Cullen's voice was husky with arousal as he tried to stay afloat amidst the sea of building pleasure that threatened to pull him under. It was no easy feat...especially when Avery began nibbling his Adams apple with those little teeth of hers. He arched his back before rapidly blinking his eyes and breaking through his aroused haze. "Avery?!" he asked a little more forcefully than he would have liked while pointedly stopping the rocking of his hips.
"What?" Avery asked between pants as she gazed up at Cullen with flushed cheeks--shuddering in delight as her eyes met Cullen's which had become a deep, molten gold.
"Do you...do you really think that...our first time should be...here on the desk?" he managed to pant out as his heart raced wildly in his chest. "Shouldn't we...shouldn't we perhaps go up...to my...to my bed?"
Avery raised an eyebrow even as a soft, wanton whimper escaped her in response to the very hard evidence of Cullen's arousal pressing against her. "Can you...even make it up the ladder?" she asked cheekily.
Cullen seriously thought about it for a moment before setting his jaw in determination. "If it means keeping anyone who might walk in on us from seeing you in your naked glory, then I will manage it," he replied resolutely.
Despite her teasing smile, Avery could not help the warmth that spread through her from her heart. "Is my lion possessive of what belongs to him?"
Cullen growled low in his throat while rocking his hips deliberately against Avery, and a smile of pure, male pride played over his lips at the sound of her pleasured gasp that was followed by a plaintive whimper of longing. "Only because I have waited for you my entire life, ma sa'lath," he growled before kissing Avery hungrily. "And I don't plan on sharing you with anyone…ever," he murmured against his beloved's soft lips once the kiss broke.
Avery's heart raced with excitement. "Then take me upstairs, my lion," she whispered fervently.
Cullen climbed off and helped Avery to her feet only to lift her and throw her carefully over his shoulder. He smirked at her surprised squeak and made his way over to the ladder only to climb it. It was awkward with his compensating for Avery…as well as for his somewhat hampered gait, but Cullen managed to get the both of them up the ladder and into his quarters. Once he placed Avery down on her feet, his hands lifted up to her hair and began seeking out the strategically placed pins that kept her hair up and away from her face. "You have such lovely hair…" he murmured as Avery's scarlet tresses began falling freely around her face. "There's a wild beauty to it…and it's so soft…just like silk."
"I'm glad it pleases you," Avery replied while smiling up at Cullen as her hands began pushing his cloak from his broad shoulders
"Everything about you pleases me, emma lath," Cullen replied earnestly as he lowered his arms and allowed his heavy cloak to fall to the stone floor. He then busied himself with slowly unbuttoning the many, metal fastenings of Avery's short, fitted tunic--his molten eyes drinking in the sight of his beloved's creamy flesh as it gradually became visible to him. Without the fear of someone barging in on them, Cullen was free to take his time and savor every moment in its entirety. "Beautiful…" he whispered in awe as Avery's tunic fell to the floor to leave the top half of her petite body exposed in its naked glory.
Pulling his gloves from his hands, Cullen's hands rested briefly upon Avery's hips before reverently sliding up her narrow waist to gently cup her round breasts. He watched his lover's face carefully, and when his thumbs tentatively brushed against her nipples, his heart raced with excitement when he was rewarded with a soft, pleasured gasp as Avery's eyes fluttered closed--her nipples hardening into small peaks under his attention.
Even with her eyes closed, Avery's hands were busy--removing Cullen's gauntlets and pauldrons before moving down to his belt as the bits of armor clattered to the floor. Her actions were stayed however when Cullen suddenly lowered his head and slowly lavished attention upon her left nipple with his tongue. "Creators…!" she gasped as her back arched and her head fell back. As Cullen gently sucked her nipple into the warmth of his mouth and began to suckle, Avery could do little else but cradle his head to her and pray that her legs did not give out on her. "Cullen…my lion…" she whimpered breathlessly--not fighting as Cullen released her nipple at last in favor of raising her into his arms and carrying her over to the bed.
Cullen knelt before Avery once he had placed her upon the foot of the bed and then proceeded to remove her boots. Once they were off, he leaned in and captured Avery's lips in a deep kiss as his hands moved to the waist of her snug trousers and began unfastening them. In spite of his own aching need, he was determined to take his time, but he could not help smiling into the kiss as Avery eagerly raised her hips to help him before her own hands found their way back to his wide, thick belt and worked to unfasten it.
Avery managed to unfasten Cullen's belt at last, and when it dropped to the floor, her hands moved to the burgundy tunic her lover wore over his breastplate. However, her entire body stiffened before shuddering hard as Cullen, who had broken the kiss, leaned in and slowly ran his tongue over the shell of her pointed ear--a pleasured cry escaping her. "No…no fair distracting…me…" she whined breathlessly once she was able to find her voice.
Cullen chuckled softly into Avery's ear as he shrugged out of his now open tunic. "But it's so much fun," he replied with a playful growl before sitting back on his heels and helping his beloved unfasten his breastplate. He chuckled again when Avery's slim fingers eagerly reached for the long-sleeved shirt he wore under the armor and began pulling it up. "Anxious are we?" he teased while dutifully raising his arms over his head.
"It's not fair that I'm the only one sitting here in my all-together while you remain frustratingly clothed," Avery replied with a pout which turned into a triumphant smile when she finally removed the offending piece of clothing that kept her from seeing Cullen's upper body…in all its sculpted glory. "Creators…how is it possible for one person to have so much muscle?" she asked softly in awe.
Cullen grinned and slowly rose to his feet. "Templar armor isn't exactly light, emma lath. Neither were the shields and swords we carried." He unfastened his shin guards before removing his boots. "And you can't blame me for wanting to gaze upon your naked form for as long as possible." He slowly swept his gaze over his lover's fully-nude body--taking in every inch of her petite form with evident appreciation. "Maker's breath, you are more exquisite than I ever imagined…" he murmured in awe. When his hands moved to unfasten his trousers, they were batted away by Avery's.
"My turn," Avery reprimanded gently. "You got to open me like a gift. It's my turn to return the favor."
Cullen grinned. "You think of me as a gift, do you?" He began shifting his hips to and fro to help Avery slide his trousers down.
"I do," Avery replied with greatest sincerity. "I view you as a gift, as well as every moment I spend with you." Her eyes widened a bit as Cullen's length sprang free as his trousers and smallclothes were lowered. "Oh, my…"
"It's what you do to me, ma vhenan'ara," Cullen growled before groaning and biting his bottom lip with a shudder as Avery tentatively stroked his throbbing length.
"Like steel wrapped in silk..." Avery mused in a whisper before Cullen pulled her to her feet and claimed her lips in a hungry kiss. When her lover lifted her into his arms, she wrapped her legs around his waist without a second thought, and was only vaguely aware of the fact that Cullen had climbed onto the bed.
Cullen walked on his knees until he was sure he and Avery would be fully on the bed, then he carefully eased his beloved down onto her back and moaned into the kiss. The head of his aching length brushed against Avery's molten entrance, and an uncharacteristic whimper escaped him before Cullen broke the kiss. Resting his forehead against Avery's, Cullen looked into her eyes. "Are you ready, emma lath?" he asked huskily.
Avery lifted her hips to meet Cullen. "Very ready...and very eager, my lion," she whispered with a smile.
Smiling and giving a small nod, Cullen rested his forehead against Avery's and slowly thrust his hips forward so he could gently push into his beloved. He groaned softly in pleasure as he became encased within Avery inch by inch. "Emma lath...ma sa'lath..." He kissed her deeply, and once he had penetrated Avery completely, he stilled his movements and fought against the instinct to thrust in favor of allowing his beloved the chance to adjust to having him within her.
Once the initial discomfort had passed, Avery was free to revel in the beauty of being so completely connected to Cullen. She moaned into the kiss and shivered before she experimentally squeezed her lover within her. Avery was instantly rewarded with a deep, wordless groan before Cullen broke the kiss and simply buried his face in the crook of her neck.
"Maker's mercy..." Cullen whispered before raising his head and giving an experimental thrust--carefully watching Avery's face for any sign that he was hurting her. He was rewarded with a pleasured gasp as Avery arched her back and lightly dug her nails into his shoulders. Then, Avery met his gaze and smiled at him, and that was all the encouragement Cullen needed. His thrusts became deeper and more confident as he left a trail of light, nipping kisses down Avery’s throat.
She whimpered…he groaned. She dragged her nails down his back…he nibbled her racing pulse. She laced her fingers through his…he lightly rubbed his nose against hers. Hands explored, fingers teased...caressed, and mouths paid homage until it all culminated into a moment of euphoric bliss that neither Cullen nor Avery had ever before experienced--the two of them clinging to each other as their voices merged and formed a unique and beautiful harmony.
Only when he had emptied himself completely into Avery's waiting womb did Cullen slowly ease his thrusts into a lazy rock of his hips before finally stopping. He reverently kissed the Vallaslin on Avery's forehead before tenderly kissing her nose and then finally her lips. "Ma'arlath, Avery...Ma'arlath..." he whispered against her lips before resting his forehead against hers.
"I love you too," Avery whispered back with a smile as her hands moved to frame Cullen's face--her thumb lovingly caressing the scar on his lip before she leaned up and kissed it. She allowed Cullen to shift the both of them onto their sides even though it forced him to slip out of her, but the warmth of his body made of for the sudden feeling of being bereft.
"I thought I would've been nervous when you and I...when this finally happened," Cullen mused with a smile as he held Avery close--his legs tangling with hers. "But...I didn't. I felt...right. I felt completely at peace, as though I were coming home." His smile grew. "Because I was. You, Avery of Clan Lavellan...ma sa'lath, you are my home."
"And you, Cullen Stanton Rutherford, are mine," Avery replied with a blissful smile. "I thought my clan was home, and for my entire life it was. It was my entire world...until I met you, and then you became my entire world." She slid her arms around Cullen's neck and touched her forehead to his. "It doesn't matter where life leads us after Corypheus is defeated…whether the Inquisition must still exist, or whether everyone goes their separate ways. So long as we walk that path side by side, I know that everything will be alright."
"Even if that path keeps you from rejoining your clan, emma lath?" Cullen asked softly.
"I can't go back to them," Avery answered softly. "I can't go back to that life…not after everything I've seen and learned." She lightly kissed Cullen's nose. "Not after falling in love with you." She smiled. "If the Inquisition disbands, then I will follow you wherever you lead."
Cullen smiled. "You, my beloved, are so very precious to me," he murmured before kissing Avery tenderly. "And I will never stop proving that to you every, single day I am alive in this world. He nuzzled his lover's ear and softly purring into it.
Avery smiled and giggled softly in spite of the shiver coursing through her from the attention Cullen was paying to her ears. "What was that about?"
"You keep calling me, your lion...I think it's fitting that I play the part," Cullen said with a playful grin.
Avery giggled again. "Lions don't purr...they roar...just like you did during your release," she whispered while teasingly kissing the corner of Cullen's mouth before tenderly kissing the scar upon his lip.
Cullen's grin grew. "Lions also purr when they're pleased or satisfied...and you have succeeded in doing both of those to me, ma sa'lath," he murmured huskily before giving Avery's pointed ear a light nip.
Avery's eyes fluttered closed, and she shivered as a soft, pleasured gasp escaped her. “You didn’t exactly fall down on the job, yourself,” she replied with a lazy grin as she opened her emerald eyes half-way.
Cullen grinned and rolled so he was on his back with Avery lying atop him. “This pleases me,” he replied with an underlying growl as he slowly trailed his fingers down his lover’s spine.
Shivering, Avery sat up and straddled Cullen before gazing down at him with a coy smile. “I do believe that I can please you even more,” she purred. “Think the world can hold on long enough for you and me to have another go?”
Grinning up at Avery, Cullen slowly slid his hands up her thighs before letting them come to rest upon her hips—his heart racing at the sight of his beloved with her flushed skin and disheveled hair. “Oh…I think it can manage well enough for a night. At least it better,” he growled. “Because I don’t plan on letting you leave this bed until morning.”
