[Dragon Age] Letters To Henry

12 - Annabelle

Lady Pentaghast takes the first step onto the staircase leading up onto the first-floor landing, placing her hand again on the highly polished bannister. She had felt better after spending the afternoon resting in her room, she had taken the opportunity to try and regain some of her strength and soothe her sore body in a relaxing bath, hide away for a few hours and try and decide what her next plan of action was. The Seeker knew that Henry's funeral would be in a couple of days so she didn't have long until they would be needing to leave to return to Skyhold, she knew that meant she only had a couple of days to try and destroy the evil magic that hung at her lover's throat. She had decided that no matter what she refused to leave without him, she would rather watch him change in front of her than not be with him at all. Maybe she needed to show him she loved him and wouldn't let whatever it was that consumed him, come between them.

The Trevelyan's had opened their home to her and The Commander and as the evening set in they had both been called for dinner, which they gladly accepted both of them feeling hungry after a long few days travelling. The Seeker had been disappointed to see that the Inquisitor failed to join them in the dining room, his parents making excuses for him and saying that he was too exhausted to be out of his room. Cassandra wondered if rage still held him and he was destroying everything his hands touched in his room. Lady Pentaghast wasn't as disappointed to see that Lady Annabelle Trevelyan also hadn't been present at dinner, this meant she was free to feel more relaxed and at ease with his parents who also seemed more relaxed without her there. The Seeker looks at the Commander when he climbs to stairs, following her to retire to their bedrooms for the night.

"Is she really that bad?" He asks receiving a snort from the Seeker. "She has just lost her husband, Cassandra." He adds placing a hand on her back guiding her up the staircase in front of him. Cassandra looks over her shoulder at him frowning. Yes, she was really that bad.

"I understand that. I know she must be hurting, but you should have seen the way she was looking at me," Lady Pentaghast whispers, trying to stop anyone else hearing her talking about Annabelle. "She looked at me like I was a piece of dirt." Cassandra adds hearing him chuckle behind her, he takes two steps to catch up with her.

"Maybe you just interpreted it wrong, if anyone should know you can't judge first impressions it's you, Seeker." Cullen replies making her snort once more.

"She called him her Ashton." Cassandra hisses trying to stop herself from sounding like a jealous wife that has a beautiful young woman sniffing around her husband. "Her Ashton." She says again with a sigh. "He's my Ashton." Cassandra huffs quietly annoyed that Cullen isn't taking her concerns seriously. "I think something is going on with her, I don't trust her with him." Lady Pentaghast says as the pair reach the top of the staircase, they both step onto the landing that leads to their rooms.

"I'm glad you are home." Lady Pentaghast hears Lady Annabelle coo and a low chuckle that she recognises as the Inquisitor. Cassandra feels Commander Cullen take hold of her arm stopping her in her tracks when they come face to face with the scene playing out in the doorway further down the hallway. "I missed you." Annabelle adds when The Seeker sees her place her hands on the Inquisitor's shoulders, moving her hands to his neck.

Cassandra looks into her lovers face seeing that he hasn't noticed they have company as he stands leaning against his door, Lady Pentaghast feels her anger flare when she watches her slide her hands over his bare chest. Slimy little snake, putting her hands on him, she fumes. No vial at his neck, he was himself.

"I am too." Comes Lord Trevelyan's reply as he places his hands over Annabelle's. The Seeker feels Cullen move at her side as if he is about to interrupt them if anything just to save Cassandra from seeing someone else touching him and not trusting this isn't going to go further.