War Affairs

Title: Lyrium Outlaws -- War Affairs

Game: Dragon Age Inquisition

Characters: Nyia-Rae Trevelyan; Cullen

I’ll kiss a Deepstalker on the lips before I allow her to accompany me on another mission.

Nyia-Rae Trevelyan charged back into her private chamber just off her war room fuming. She wanted to rip apart everything in her sight after her verbal sparring match with Vivienne. The Inquisitor refused be belittled by an Orlesian spellbind who believed looking pretty was more important than protection on the battlefield.  She could use her poison words on another Orlesian the next time Empress Celene sent some low errand runner to discuss the nature of things and that was all. She was tired of all the insinuations that Vivienne made that Cullen was her Champion.  Nyia hated everything about Orlais.  She would not have any tradition or titles from Orlais here.  Nyia refused to take her along on any new mission.  If a mage was necessary to accompany her in her party, one of the others would do.  The next time the Elven apostate had done a fine job as a healer making it clear that she was replaceable.    

Vivienne said nothing after their arguing ended.  She only smiled adding she planned to go and attend to needs of anyone requiring her skills. All of the sudden, it dawned on Nyia that leaving her behind at the stronghold had been a gift.  It was what Vivienne desired all along. Well played.  With her tired eyes shut, Nyia breathed deeply calming herself. The cold whispery echo of the chamber was familiar to her. She needed the silence that the room gave to collect her thoughts. Instead of pleasant memories, nightmares filled her thoughts. She shook off the memories that were her past.  She was not that terrified, insignificant girl anymore.

The most uncomfortable place in the chamber was next to the window, but was the place where she spent all her time when she was here. The Sun blasted through making it difficult to work there except on the stormiest of days or late in the evening. She still had not asked the steward to move her desk because she loved to sit on her desk at look out at the view from the window. 

As nice as the view of the healing lands was, Nyia wanted to go soak in a warm bath scented.  Afterwards, have a private meal of roast boar, fresh vegetables and a bottle of West Hill brandy, but the demands on her time never ended.  There were new trade agreements that required her approval.  The Agent reports started to pile up which was a good thing because it meant they were being successful on their missions. There were several reports that her political enemies were building opposition against her rule. That needed to be acted on immediately.  Her growing army has not lost any territory and pressed ahead to bring more land under the control of her inquisition. She glanced over the map with much pride.  Nyia stood there quiet aware that she was making a difference and winning. 

Then she heard someone clear his throat.

“You must stop that.” Nyia said. She didn’t need to turn around to know who was watching her. She hated when he did that, staring at her. Studying her. She wondered how long he stood there scrutinizing her.  She still had no idea what he actually thought of her.  To Nyia, he was still a Templar, the mighty righteous hand of the Chantry She wanted that military might for her inquisition. If they Templar wanted to survive, they would become the war hammer of the Inquisition.   It seemed the Maker saw fit to send several his chosen to aid in her cause.

“Is that why you rushed in here to retrieve your dagger to cut her tongue out?” Cullen probed while ignoring her previous statement.

She turned to face him. Cullen had that look as he made his way with slow deliberate steps across the chamber.  He continued, “Is that some new school of magic?  Stab the letter written by your foe with your dagger, then what happens?”  Was that his poor attempt at telling a joke? She did not know because his expression did not change.

“Vivienne is of no use to me without her tongue.” She tossed back to him.

“She said,” he paused for a moment, “Well, I shouldn’t put it to you as she said it.  What she meant to say is that you are unable to hear the reasonable side of an argument.  Also, that you prefer threats to a healthy debate.”

“Don’t defend your lover to me.” Nyia spat the words out regretting it the moment the last one left her lips. Why had she said anything at all?

“Lover?  Vivienne?”  Cullen hand went to his forehead. “Glorious Maker, is that what you two were arguing about?”

Nyia felt the slap of his words come across her face. Were the rumors true?  He didn’t deny it. She felt her face go slack as she wondered why his words bother her at all.  Of course, they weren’t arguing over him.  She didn’t have feelings for Cullen.  He was just another tool. Arrogant bastard.

“So, if you weren’t discussing what may or may not be going on between Vivienne and me," Cullen questioned suspiciously.  "what that fight was about?”

Nyia made up something that was essentially true. “Vivienne said The Empress thinks I’m beneath her.  How dare she?  We are within our right to start up the Inquisition again.”

“She isn’t challenging the right for the inquisition to be formed. She just has her doubts that you are the one who should lead it.”

No one outside of her small circle of advisors and companion that she was able to repair the veil and deal with the multitude of problems in Thedas. “She thinks she knows who I am. She has no idea of what I can do. Then Celene sends assassins.”

“You can’t prove The Empress had anything to do with that.”  He said.

“I don’t need proof.  They came from Orlais.  I’ll deal with her directly.”

“Directly, you mean to start a war.” Cullen raised his voice.

“End that civil war.”

Cullen repeated himself, “We don’t have proof it was Orlais.”

“I don’t have time to play the game to learn if it was Celene or Gespard.”

“I’m not going to allow that to transpire.”

“You will do what I command, Cullen.”

“I’m not afraid of you." Only after he spoke had she realized Cullen had closed the distance between them grabbing her in a manner that lifted her slightly off the floor. “You are the only one trying to save this world from itself.  You will do this right. You can’t lay waste to all of Orlais.  I was there in Kirkwall.”   Cullen’s eyes went cold.  For that moment she knew he was back in the middle of it all.  “The Free Marshes still haven’t recovered fully. Are you so willing to destroy the faith and hope that people have started to believe in?”

As he let her go, Nyia rolled back on her heels until her feet were down firm on the floor again. “What I know is that you are not as cold-hearted as you pretend to be.” Cullen slowed his words until he was back in the present with her.  “You care about the lives you are in charge of.  You aren’t playing the hero here.  Act like one. You will pick a side. Neither has the strength or system of spies in place to take out the other in spite of what Leliana says.”

“Are you positioning yourself in order to run the Inquisition’s spy network too?” Nyia barked out without any anger in her tone teasing him.

He laughed an uncomfortable laugh, “You keep me busy enough as your military advisor.”

“I have concerns.  I don’t truly know where Leliana’s loyalty lies.  Who’s to say she isn’t a double agent?”

“I have it on good authority from someone I can still call a friend that she is loyal. They traveled together for over a year.”

“And went on to slay the Archdemon and end the Blight.  You know Varric tells the tale much better than you.”

“I’ve never been the type people invite to the tavern to share a pint of ale.” There was a sadness to his voice that affected Nyia. Obviously, he misunderstood that she was only teasing him.  Cullen pointed at the dagger jutting up from her desk. “What did you plan to do with that?”

She protectively wrapped her hand around the grip. “It’s drafty in here.  It keeps the letter from blowing off my desk.”

“I will need your response to this letter soon in order to make preparations. The tactics that one may use to demand satisfaction will be quite different from the other. Your army must be ready.”

Cullen’s hand wrapped around her gloved one before she released her grip on her blade then something happened.  She wasn’t sure what it was, but he had to feel the energy that passed between them.  She met his eyes and he had that same expression again as before when he watched her from the doorway.

With one swift yank they removed the dagger from the table.

“I’ll have your squire put this with the rest of your armaments.”  Cullen said leaving without looking back at her.

Nyia found herself looking at him as he exited.  She managed to get out, “I will give you my decision in a couple of days” before he was gone. It didn’t matter how much she put him off.  He was reliable and would do his job.  Part of her wanted to run after him to make sure things were okay between them, but it wasn’t necessary because that wasn’t the nature of their relationship. It wasn’t like that between them.  

She turned back to the window unable to focus on the scenic view outside. Or come to the conclusion of the slight advantage that one Orlesian had over the other. The only thought on her mind what she meant when she thought it wasn’t like that between them.  Was it Cullen and herself that she thought of or Vivienne and Cullen?