Chapter Text
What did one gift a woman who had the world in her hands? Ever since she had done so much for his nameday, Cullen had thought about it–excessively. Adamant had thrown a wrench into things; they had been marching across Orlais when the day had come, and the battle had followed soon after. It was well into Drakonis when they returned to Skyhold, which meant he was months behind, but he had become relatively talented at managing logistics during his tenure as knight-captain, so of course he had a plan.
Hopefully she would like it.
Waking her up had become one of his favorite things to do. Mornings were notoriously hard on him due to the withdrawal, but when she was with him she reminded him to stay ahead of the side effects that plagued him the most, like dehydration and nausea. She spent time at night rubbing salves into his aching hands and joints and brewed teas during the day; little bottles of elfroot for pain were left on his desk, and she coaxed him out into the garden to play chess or take a walk among the battlements. And every morning he woke up, he watched her sleep beside him in the golden light of dawn and thanked the Maker for her.
When the brush of his fingers on her cheeks roused her, the perfect smile curled her lips and she pulled him down for a kiss. Some mornings the kiss led to more, others she just held him; it didn’t matter what kind of morning it was, another one with her was all he needed. The morning of the day he had everything in order to celebrate her, he made love to her languidly and took his time to worship her like she deserved.
It wasn’t until she climbed out of the bath hours later and found him still in her room that she realized something was going on. She froze in the doorway, the stained glass of her balcony windows painting her body in shades of red, blue, and green. For a moment he thought about taking her back to bed - she had always mentioned wanting to spend days in bed with him - but he already had plans in motion.
“Is everything all right?” She asked slowly, hip against the doorframe and arms crossed over her stomach; she was in no hurry to dress, probably because she could see exactly how much he liked looking at her.
“I thought we could go for a ride,” he offered.
“I’d love to,” she agreed, “if you’ll tell me what’s really going on.”
“We missed your nameday,” he explained. “I’m hoping to make it up to you.”
“I thought my gift was getting to live through the Fade,” she mused, “but I’ll never say no to time with you.”
“I’ll prepare the horses.” He crossed the room to her, and she stretched out to kiss him before he left her to dress.
In the time they had been away from Skyhold, the roads to and from the fortress had been better constructed. Their horses were able to gallop safely, and she laughed as she let her horse run to her heart’s content. The joy on her face as the wind whipped through her hair was contagious and he almost changed his mind on their destination so she could keep going. He had to whistle to her to get her to turn back when he led them off the road at a marker.
With spring’s arrival, more of the mountains were turning green and flowering, but plenty of patches stayed snow-capped and rocky. Their path was steep, and they had to leave the horses partway. As they climbed they passed a layer of clouds that left mist clinging to their skin. When they came to the summit, it was worth it.
“Maker’s breath,” she exclaimed, her voice filled with awe. “Is this another of Blackwall’s?”
“It is,” he confirmed.
Ferelden spread out before them, and the sky was clear and blue with little coverage, allowing them to see much of the countryside and its hues of greens. What clouds did pass by left shadows across the land. Spring brought patches of wildflowers, adding splashes of color along with fields of crops and streams. They could almost see all the way to Lake Calenhad, and he pointed to the south where a road cut away from the King’s Highway–the path to Honnleath. A herd of rams grazed not far down the mountain, and a caravan - likely of goods from Orzammar - meandered down the highway.
“Is this our new nameday tradition–reminding ourselves of the beauty of the world around us?” She questioned, wrapping an arm around his waist and laying her head against his shoulder. “If so, I think I’ll enjoy it.”
The idea of creating lasting traditions with her made his chest tighten, and for a moment he could only squeeze her closer. “That sounds perfect.”
“Maybe we can source a list of places to see from our friends,” she suggested. “Blackwall seems a good place to start. Do you think…”
She trailed off, because when she looked up at him he had tugged a cord from around his neck, and in his palm was a ring. “Cullen–” she began, but he held up a hand to stop her.
“Just let me say this,” he requested. “I know we haven’t spoken about the future much, so I wanted to make my intentions plain. When I left the Order I took my sword; it was one of the only things I had left from that time. Like my philter box, I wanted to repurpose it into a new sword. It seemed only fitting that part of that renewal be dedicated to the woman who helped me break the leash that threatened to choke me.”
“You broke your own chain, Cullen,” she insisted, her attention fully on him instead of the breathtaking view.
“You gave me the strength.” He unwound the ring from the cord. “In the future, I’ll give you the proposal you deserve, but for now, a promise–to spend my life being the man you deserve.”
“You’ve always been that man. You’ll always be that man.” She reached up to lay her hand on his cheek. “But if you need to hear the words, I’ll say it plain: I accept.”
With his free hand, he reached out to slide his arm around her waist and draw her close. She molded herself to him for a kiss, and when his fingers slid into her hair she sighed against his lips. The morning sun warmed what the frigid mountain winds cooled, and their bodies did the rest. Gently she pulled back and used her fingers on his cheek to tilt his head so she could press kisses into his jaw and neck, and between each she told him exactly what she wanted him to do to her.