"Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him"., cried the village's Chanter, everytime Cullen passed in front of him. A young boy he was, barely six, wishing that one day he would be able to join the rang of the quiet, stoic village's Templar who stoods vigilant at the other side of the entrance, guarding the Chantry. Sometime he came to them asking for training, and they would humour him. Taught him how to use a sword, how to protect with shields. He would join them one day, he would protect everyone. Including the mages. Yes, the mages too. Weren't the chantry sisters always taught him that every person is the work of the Maker Himself?
When he was seven, he discovered one morning that he had frozen his pillow while sleeping. It was frightening, to see Mia's face when she woke him up, and realized that he was sleeping on hard, frozen ice. His mother cried while pulling him into a hug, and his father quietly pat his shoulder, saying nothing, before going out to alert the Templar. None of his brothers and sister was able to said anything, except for giving him a hug. Goodbye was too much to be said. But Branson shoved into his hand a silver coin, the only thing he had in his pocket. "For luck!". He would need it, he was seven and he was a mage. He always dreamt being one of the protector, yet now he was going to be one who had to be locked away to protect the safety of the others.
Cullen was twelve when he was made apprentice of Enchanter Wynne. Through her, he learnt that there are truly meaning of the phrase he once heard so often during his childhood. "Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him". He could serve. He could use his magic to serve, too. The Maker has plans, he might not understand it yet or know what it is, but one day he would, probably. Or if He does not, then it is no use to weep over it. Jowan always said that he was stupid to listen to Wynne, but of course Jowan would say that. Surana just snort and go back reading her book.
Cullen was eighteen when he was Harrowed, the first among the three friends. He was brought at the middle of the night into the topmost level of the Tower, sent into the Fade and pit to fight Envy demon. Because of course, as a child who once wished with all his heart to be a Templar, being surrounded by so many of them but would never be either one of them, he was often filled with Envy. But he won against Envy that day.
A few month after his Harrowing, Surana faced hers. She survived, of course, and now Jowan was the last unharrowed one among the three friends. He came to them asking for help, a friend asking another friend's favour. He was going to be made Tranquil, and he wanted escape. He did not want to participate, but Surana took a look at him and went quietly with Jowan. He did not have the heart to tell First Enchanter Irving about their plans, but he lurks around the Phylactery chamber, wishing that his friends wasn't captured.
But of course, nothing happens as they should. Kngiht-Commander Gregoire and First Enchanter Irving knew what was happening, and his friends were captured. But when the Templar approached his friends, he found that he was standing between the armoured warriors and his two friends before he could think of anything. Really, who would leave their friends undefended at times like this? They told him to stand down, and step back, but he refuses. And before he could understand anything, Jowan turns into an abomination, and the confused aftermath caused Surana laying dead in his arms, the Blood Mage escaped, and he was sure they were going to executed him on place anyway, until he heard a man's voice cutting in sharply. "Knight-Commander Gregoire, First Enchanter Irving, if I may?"
Cullen was nineteen when he pushed the silver chalice to his lips, and drink the Darkspawn's blood. It burns him from the inside, but he survived it. Alistair gave him a pat at the shoulder and a pendant containing some of the blood that now he wears beside a holed silver coin dangling on a chain. "Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him". Now he understood what Wynne said. He would serve too, on his term.
Cullen was twenty when he stared at the Archdemon, high on the roof of Fort Drakon. Beside him, King Allistair. Either one of them has to give their life off to save Ferrelden. And Ferrelden needs its King.
Cullen was twenty when he died as a Hero. Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him. He had used his to serve, and never let his to rule over him, indeed.