Dragon Age: The Silences Song

Chapter 1:

"It's supposed to be your wedding day, Cullen. Shouldn't you be excited?" Josephine gently asked, her eyes tracking the tailors as they fumbled with the suit that no longer seemed to fit. She stood with the poise of a diplomat, yet the tension in her shoulders betrayed her concern.

Cullen let out a long, weary sigh and looked up at her, his expression filled with frustration. "Excitement, Josephine? This is hardly something to celebrate." His tone was sharp, but not without a trace of vulnerability. "I was already against you marrying me off like some pawn, but at least I could have handled an Orlesian noble. I can't play the game, but they fawned over me at the ball, if nothing else."

He paused, his eyes hardening. "What I can't handle is being tied to Starkhaven royalty. You know what Sebastian did to Kirkwall"

"I thought there was no love between you and Kirkwall."

"I still don't condone the butchering of innocents over petty beliefs," Cullen spat.

"The Inquisition needs all the resources it can get. Prince Sebastian has promised to aid us in the search for Solas, even after we refused to help him invade Kirkwall. Besides, you'd still be carrying out your duties as commander. The only difference is that now his cousin will carry your name instead of the Vael name."

"Elizabeth Vael rolls off the tongue better than Elizabeth Rutherford," Cullen muttered, clicking his tongue in mild frustration.

Josephine's eyes softened, and she averted her gaze, unable to meet Cullen's. In a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "I know you loved her."

"I seem to have a habit of falling in love with the wrong women," Cullen muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps it's better to surrender to a loveless marriage. Maker knows, at least I'll be aiding Thedas that way."

"Do you want to talk about her?" Josephine asked softly.

"She loved him. She still loves him, even after he betrayed her. What else is there to say?"

"I'm not talking about the Inquisitor. I mean the mage from the Circle during the Blight," Josephine gently urged.

"The Hero of Ferelden," Cullen said with a gentle smile, his gaze drifting downward. "She wasn't a hero when I met her—just another mage awaiting the Harrowing. She handled it so well. I could have never imagined she would turn out to be so brave." He paused, shuddering at the memory. "The last time I saw her... I was just a boy. I never even had the chance to apologize before she..."

He looked back up at Josephine, his expression shifting to one of exasperation. "And now I'm going to be stuck with some airheaded noble."

"It won't be that hard," Josephine laughed lightly. "I've dealt with so many like her in my life. Just let her indulge in her plays and balls, and she'll leave you alone."

"Have you met her?" Cullen asked. The tailors had finished their work and quickly made way. He moved toward the coffee table and sat down in the nearby chair, scoffing at the tea laid out for them.

"No," Josephine replied, sitting down opposite him. She grabbed a scone and took a bite, then made a face and set it back down. "It's all very secretive. She was a bastard of one of the late king's brothers; nobody really knew about her until the Prince returned to Starkhaven and heard a rumor. He went to find her, and they apparently grew close after that. Nobody knows who her mother was or where they hid her. A lot of people haven't even seen her face. It's going to be a big event, this wedding. Rumor has it she was the one who convinced the Prince to agree to it; she really sympathized with the Inquisition's cause."

"I don't like it," Cullen said, tapping his fingers restlessly on the table.

"Neither did the Inquisitor," Josephine replied. "But with Harding and Varric out looking for Solas, Leliana as the Divine, and Cassandra repairing the Seekers, our resources are limited. After Corypheus was defeated, the people have no reason to support the Inquisition anymore; there are too many battles to fight on their own. Why would anyone believe that some ancient Dalish god is threatening to destroy Thedas when it's already falling apart?"

"The Blight seemed so much simpler," Cullen sighed.

"If only dealing with Solas were as easy as killing an archdemon. Do you think the Inquisitor would be able to kill it?"

Cullen let out a hearty laugh. "The Inquisitor would kick its ass. Blackwall survived his joining; we might even force him to face the blighted thing."

Josephine smiled, nostalgia washing over her face. "We really met some interesting people during that time."

Cullen returned her smile. "Nobody is as interesting as Varric."

"You clearly haven't walked in on Iron Bull after a night out drinking," Josephine laughed. "I felt like stabbing out my eyes!"

"Oh, I have walked in on Bull plenty of times," Cullen said, joining her in laughter. "I really thought the Qunari I met down in Kirkwall were all like that—stiff, reciting the Qun whenever they talked—until Bull came along and got me drunk. Now I never want to see another Qunari again, especially after the way my head pained afterward!"

"Bull was a diplomatic nightmare; mixing him with Dorian almost made my hair fall out!" Her expression turned serious. "Do you think we will survive this?"

Cullen's expression grew grave, "The dawn will come."

"The dawn will come," she repeated. "And you have a wedding to attend." She stood up and made her way toward the door. "Who knows? You might even like her."

"Love is weakness, Josephine," Cullen said, not looking up at her. Instead, he stared at the half-eaten scone she had left behind. "And with the Dreadwolf lurking around, we can't afford any weakness."