“She seems to be spending a lot of time with the Warden.”
Cullen looks up from the board, following Varric’s eyes. He sees Ciara and Alistair walking together through the garden. They are speaking quietly. Cullen notices that she stands close to him, smiling gently from time to time, encouraging the man to speak. When her hand touches his arm, Cullen clenches his jaw and looks away quickly.
“I suppose they have much to discuss.”
Varric leans back, obviously not concerned with the game. “What could they possibly have to talk about? The creepy ass song in his head? Or the creepy ass demons that his brothers are dying for? Seems like she could find better conversation elsewhere.”
Cullen moves his piece. “I assume they are discussing plans for Adamant.”
Varric takes his turn, looking up at him smoothly. “You are the Commander of her forces. Shouldn’t she be talking to you about that?”
Cullen focuses on the board. “The plans are made. As soon as the trebuchets are complete, we march. We have nothing else to discuss.”
Varric whistles. “So if everything is ready to go, why does she walk with him every morning? What can they possibly…”
“I do not wish to discuss what the Inquisitor does on her own time.”
Varric smiles. “Of course not. It’s so much easier to drag me out here with you every morning so you can glare at them over my shoulder.”
Cullen makes the final move. The game is done. “This one is mine. If you’ll excuse me.”
“Come on Curly! Do you think we’re all oblivious here? For months we had to put up with you two bickering about your nonsense mage and templar politics. Then we all suffered through you two blushing like fools whenever you were in the same room together. Which was a major improvement, by the way. And now you two barely speak…and you look at that Alistair kid like you want to chew his arm off. What gives?”
Cullen stands. “I don’t want to discuss it.”
“So you just give up? You two are like some fairytale couple…the golden lion and his ice princess, and you let that weird ass Warden come between you two?”
Cullen rubs the back of his neck. “He didn’t come between us.”
“Then what did?”
Cullen shrugs. “Reality.”