I Have Many Kings

Day 19 - Mask

Solona

She reclines against the wall beside the alcove, a vision in an ethereal, blue dress.

Perhaps he simply imagines it, but he feels she is becoming more relaxed as the week progresses. Letting her hair fall loose instead of binding it up, omitting other embellishments such as jewellery. She has traded in her stiff and conservative gowns for these softer versions. This one the most daring so far - sitting off the shoulder, the neckline cut so low as to reveal a hint of cleavage.

A taut yearning ripples across his abdomen at the sight of her. She is peering at the far entry and at last she turns her gaze toward him. The broad, brilliant smile that lights her face when she spies him, makes his chest swell with affection.

Under Her Mask, Chapter 4, by @kittynomsdeplume

~2640 words - Rated General - Solona Amell/Cullen Rutherford

Solona Amell wasn’t the Hero of Ferelden, but she survived and joined the mages gathered in Redcliffe during Dragon Age Inquisition.

“I’m tired.”

Solona looked down at the eight years old she was holding by the hand and smiled weakly. “I know honey. It shouldn’t be too far away now. Do you want me to carry you for a while?”

Lena nodded slowly as she rubbed her eyes. She seemed ready to fall asleep. They had to leave Redcliffe at first light to escape detection by the Venatori. Solona was so worried that she stayed up all night, imagining all the ways this could become a disaster. Till now, her worst fears hadn’t happened, but they still weren’t out of danger. As such, she reluctantly held her staff out to Renan so she could carry the little girl.

Renan was a very good mage for a twelve-year-old, but he was still an apprentice. If they were attacked, she was the only one who could defend them. If they were templars… may the Maker help them.

Read on AO3  |  Part 1  |  Part 2  |  Part 3  |  Part 4 

The cup of wine was heavy in Cullen’s hands.  His fingers felt weak and useless.

He stared at Solona.  Dark, coiled curls fanned out around her head, and in the soft light of candles between them her skin, a rich russet brown, was luminous.  He had never been this close to her.

And this close, he could see her eyes were troubled.  That her fingers shook as his did.

He had seen that look in her eyes before her Harrowing, as she walked toward the glowing font of lyrium and began the ritual.  Solona had been ready, even if she had not known what was to come.  He could feel it emanating from—her strength, her will.  But in her eyes there had been fear and doubt.  Fear she tried to swallow and hide, doubt whose whispers she tried to ignore.

Or perhaps he had only seen what he wanted to see.  What he himself felt.  Perhaps that crass Templar had been right about that, at least—that this infatuation of his was more than could be tolerated.

Look where it had led him, after all.

“Your note,” he said. “I had to know.”

She nodded, and said nothing.  But her eyes softened a little, and the grip around her cup loosened.

Cullen drank from his own cup.  He had never had wine before in his life. In half-hearted imaginings, he thought a dark red wine like this might be sweet.  In truth, it was bitter, and sour.  It bit at his tongue, and ached in his jaw.

But his mouth was dry, so he drank more.  It seemed to loosen his tongue.

Summary: Sometimes, two people who would be perfect together are driven apart by tragic circumstances. Sometimes, they never see each other again. Sometimes, they meet again in the most unlikely of places. Fandom: Dragon Age Inquisition

Pairing: Evelyn Amell and Cullen Rutherford

Word Count: 8.4 k

Warnings: PTSD, major character death, substance abuse.

A/N: I’m honestly surprised I actually wrote this, since my tastes tend to lean towards LGBT couples and characters. But the idea of Amell finding Cullen again during Inquisition just really spoke to me and inspired me to write this. I hope you all enjoy.

Read on AO3  |  Part 1  |  Part 2  |  Part 3  |  Part 5 

The bell clanged into the empty passage, tinny and hollow.

It was a formality.  No one missed dinner.

The mages, the Tranquils, and all the Templars but the guards at the gates were eating in the hall.  Though the fare was modest at the best of times, meals were a reprieve.  The Templars were occupied, and the rest of the mages, as well—distracted from politics and petty squabbles.

To always eat alone, though… to pass so many crowded tables in search of an empty corner… Solona would not miss that hall.

The bell rang a second time.  She walked into the silent library.

The heavy bundle on her shoulder knocked against her back.  She crept into a dark corner, and waited.  Candles dotted the room with soft, golden light.  Towering bookshelves lined the walls, the ladders leaned against them spindly and worn.  In the light of day, Solona would crane her neck to peer the books so far out of reach, at the very top.  At night, the highest shelves faded into darkness.

So many books there had never been time to read.  Now there never would be.

Soft footsteps shuffled through the arched doorway.  From the shadows, against the stone wall, she watched him enter.  Cullen walked into a halo of dim candlelight, and looked around the room.  He was looking for her, she realized.  He wore no armor or Templar sashes, only a simple brown tunic and pants, and a worried look.

His worry matched her own.  She saw in his face all her doubts reflected.

Prompt: How about you trust me for once? Fandom: Dragon Age Origins, Mage Origin Characters: Evette Amell, Cullen Rating: G Connected to: Cold Hands, Warm Heart

Evette followed Cullen down the dark stairs, clutching a dark blanket around her. “Cullen, where are we going?” she asked again, her voice a fearful whisper. “If we’re caught—”

“You’re with a Templar,” Cullen said, almost cheerful. “They can’t do anything to you.”

“Says you. You’ve never been confined to an empty classroom for a week because you had the misfortune to hear the wrong question.”

Read on AO3  |  Part 1  |  Part 2  |  Part 4

In weather like this, Lake Calenhad churned and thrashed against the shores of the island.  At a few windowed alcoves in the Hold, Cullen could just hear the waves and wind outside.  Most rooms, though, the walls were thick, the windows bricked over, protected from the world. 

This hall was like that, quiet and bright with candlelight, ignorant of the weather.  But in the chapel this morning, he had seen the rain against the stained glass, and in the atrium the wet fog passed overhead. 

It was easy to imagine, even here, he could feel the lake swell and surge, as it had when he arrived here, tossing their skiff, and his insides. 

He shuffled his feet and shook his hands, sore in their heavy gauntlets.  Another Templar stood at guard with him, some yards away, still as death, looking straight ahead. 

Cullen could never manage it, that dead-eyed stare at nothing.  He imagined, or hoped, it would come with time. 

After only eight months in the Hold, everything was still new to him.  He was half-fascinated, half-afraid, his eyes on everything and everyone. 

Mages filed through the hall, apprentices delivering scrolls on errands, enchanters carrying armfuls of vials to laboratories.  He could not help but look at them going about their business.  He had not yet grown weary of watching what they did—intently, with purpose and interest. 

It was his duty to watch them, but most Templars, he observed, did not look closely.  They were silent and jaded.  All they watched for was a wrong move, something out of place. 

They did not see the small triumphs and tragedies among the mages, friendships and enmities, that were not so well-hidden from view. 

Fandom: Dragon Age Rating: Mature Pairing: Cullen Rutherford x Arya Amell Chapter: 1/?? Summary:  Eliza Hawke arrives unexpectedly at Skyhold, promising to pledge herself as an agent of the Inquisition under one condition: They will attempt to reverse the Rite of Tranquillity on her cousin, Arya Amell.

Read on AO3 here

Notes: I’ve had this series in my head for a very long time and I am extremely excited to finally start sharing it. Updates will probably be quite sporadic, but I am determined to see this through. Hope you enjoy!

Prologue

In the long hours of the night When hope has abandoned me, I will see the stars and know Your Light Remains.  - Chant of Light, Canticle of Trials

Arya Amell’s pounding footsteps seemed to echo as she ran across the barren landscape of the fade. Her long, dark hair flew wildly around her, sticking to her face where the tears poured down her cheeks.

The Fade shifted suddenly as her sanctuary came into view. It was just as she had left it last, a bizarre blend of library and garden which could have only existed within the Fade.

Arya drank in the sight, her eyes following the rows upon rows of tall bookshelves which outlined the chamber. A spiral staircase stood opposite her, leading up to a balcony which granted access to the second story of books, as well as an array of plush armchairs. Instead of a ceiling, the room opened up to the swirling colours of the Fade sky above. The centre of the chamber was dominated by a large willow tree, with low twisting branches. A grassy meadow full of wild flowers coated the floor like a carpet, surrounding a large pond on the far side of the room. Books floated haphazardly throughout the room between bookshelves, waiting to be plucked out of the air and read.

She and Eliza had constructed this sanctuary together as children; it was their safe haven, away from the prison of the circle and the fears and uncertainties of a life constantly on the run. Here, they had fantasised about one day meeting, but that could never happen now.

Arya came to an abrupt halt at the thought, fear and despair clawing at her chest. This would be the last time she would see her sanctuary, and it appeared to be empty. If Eliza wasn’t here, Arya would never see her cousin again.

“Eliza?” She choked back a sob, “Eliza, w-where are you?”

Fandom: Dragon Age, pre-blight setting Rating: Teen Pairing: Cullen Rutherford x Arya Amell  Summary:  Pacing the Circle Tower in the dead of night, Cullen did not expect to stumble across a flustered Arya Amell attempting to practice her chess skills. Notes: So I actually managed to write a new chapter for this, as well as making a few edits to Chapter One (although nothing major). Huzzah!I think I have a few more short chapters in me for this, but we shall see.Hope you enjoy :)

AO3 and previous chapter: Here

Arya waited for the last of her fellow apprentices to blow out their candles and begin snoring softly, before silently dressing and and creeping out of her dormitory. Her entire body felt tight with apprehension as she tiptoed her way through the corridors and down the stairs, making her way back towards the library. The previous night, she had she had been worried about getting caught out of bed out of hours as she followed the familiar route; now an entirely different fear gripped at her chest.

She had skirted around the topic of meeting with Cullen again, terrified of scaring him off and ruining what was quite possibly the best evening of her life. Cullen had seemed reluctant to discuss anything further meetings himself, casting her hopes into further doubt.

Before she knew it, Arya reached the heavy wooden doors to the library. She took a deep breath, before tentatively reaching out to turn the door knob.

Suddenly, she pulled her hand back in panic. Instead, she leaned forward and rested her head against the door with a small thud. Closing her eyes, she attempted to clear her racing thoughts, and shake away the doubt gnawing at her chest.

Get it together Amell, what’s the worst that could happen?

Straightening herself, she reached up to comb her fingers through her unruly hair trying to tame it, to no avail. One more deep breath, and Arya slowly pushed the door open, slipping through and tentatively making her way through the bookshelves towards the light of the fireplace.

Characters: Rayne Amell, Cullen Rutherford Pairing: Cullen x Rayne, Commander Cullen x Warden Amell Rating: Angst, SFW # of Words: 1223

A partner piece to Nightmares

Likes and Reblogs are love!

She inhaled deeply, breathing in the night air that smelled of the sea.

It had been ten years since she last set eyes on the City of Amaranthine. Ten, very long, years…

Rayne took in the view of the city before her. A dark silhouette surrounded in a golden halo from the torches lit a night. It still amazed her that the citizens of the Arling managed to rebuild Amaranthine the way they had. It was a wonderful sight.

Her eyes came earthward, alighting on the monument that honored her and those killed all those years ago.

To The Fallen Souls of Amaranthine You Shall Never Be Forgotten To The Warden Commander That Protected Us All Whose Courage Will Always Be Remembered And Whose Strength Gave Us Ours

Rayne suppressed the snort that wanted to escape. ‘Protected us all’, what kind of protection is it when you burn everything and people you knew? At least it is more tasteful than the one Teagan and Eamon had erected in Redcliffe.

“You don’t have to do this,” he says. “Stay with you?” He shakes his head. “I understand, if you don’t want to stay. You can leave now, if you want. We don’t have to pretend this happened.” “I want this.” His palm is warm on her cheek, eyes filled with wonder, and something else. Something she wants more of. “I don’t think I can be gentle,” he says. She leans in, her lips to his ear. Her breath caresses his neck as he closes his eyes, and she whispers, “Maybe I don’t want gentle.” This is her invitation. She can have him however he wants.

A short story I wrote about Cullen coming to terms with Lana having to take the Calling. After Miracle it became moot so I never published it anywhere. Trust me, I warned you.

Starts after the Keep Reading click. @voidtakeyou @zimafreak @elfleed