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“What is this?” Neith ran her fingers over the green velvet ribbons of the package that had been so recently placed in her hands.
“Open it.” Cullen crossed the small library, leaning against the shelving, a smile playing on his lips.
Neith pulled at the ribbon, allowing the fabric wrapping to fall away at her feet. Her eyes growing wide as she looked over a leather bound book barely bigger than her own hand.
Her fingertips slid over the embossed leather cover, tracing the intricate design as the warm smell of the leather greeted her. Turning the book over in her hands, she noticed a familiar face looking back at her from the spine, a Mabari Hound.
Opening the cover, she smiled at the gold lettering and read the title aloud, “Fairy Tales and Folklore of Ferelden.”
Cullen moved in beside her, “You seem to enjoy the Orlesian fairy tales you were reading before you last left, and I noticed we had nothing about Ferelden… I thought you might like this.”
Neith drew the book to her chest, turning toward him with a wide grin, her free hand coming to rest on his forearm. “I really like it. This is wonderful!”
Cullen smiled down at the elf in front of him, his own hand moving over her arm, matching her own gesture. “I’m glad.”
Neith felt heat flood her cheeks at their closeness in the quiet library. Her eyes drew down his face, her gaze landing on the jagged scar trailing upward from smooth lips.
She felt her breath draw shallow as she wondered what they might feel like against hers, deciding in an instant they would be warm and firm. She imagined his warm breath ghosting over her lips before he drew her in, pressing the kiss deeper as his strong arms encircled her, lifting her feet from the floor.
Her eyes grew wide at the whimsical thought, a small gasp escaping her lips as she returned her eyes to Cullen’s, noticing the intensity at which he was staring back at her.
For a long moment, neither could not speak as they stared at one another until voices in the hall brought both Commander and Herald back to their present location.
Clearing his throat, Cullen moved back a pace from her. “I… should let you rest, we have much to do tomorrow.”
Groaning, Neith ran a hand through her hair, working to control her rapidly beating heart “Don’t remind me. I just got home and already you plan to send me away.”
“You know what they say?” Cullen moved toward the door of the old cell, his crooked smile provoking a laugh from Neith.
Neith followed Cullen, stopping short as she moved past, her eyes meeting his once again “I really... thank you, Cullen. I will treasure this.”
Cullen found himself unable to do no more than nod as she passed through the gate into the hall.