The Enchanter and The Lion

Chapter 50 - Epilogue (2 years later)

Maeve guided Kizi behind Cullen's horse as the trail narrowed. Mata, the Mabari hound he had rescued, emerged from the woods to run ahead. 

It was only a few months since the new Divine had called an Exalted Council to address concerns from Orlesian and Ferelden leaders about the growing might of the Inquisition. While there they had uncovered and foiled a Qunari plot to conquer southern Thedas. In order to appease the other leaders, she had deemed the Inquisition's goals complete and disbanded it. They had closed the Breach, found and defeated the ones responsible for it, and restored peace. It didn't help that she knew it was a temporary peace. 

Live well, while time remains, Solas had said to her. The stump where her left arm ended just below her elbow itched at the memory. Despite the Breach being closed the magic in the anchor was still an unstable force wreaking havoc on her body and it had slowly started growing again. Solas had used his magic to remove the anchor and save her life, but to do so meant removing the limb it had been attached to. 

She still couldn't understand why Solas would help them defeat Corypheus and then claim to want to do the very thing he had been trying to do - bring down the Veil between this world and the Fade and destroy everything. Although, at least the new world Solas sought to create was the one of ancient Arlathan, the world of the elves from thousands of years ago, and not a demon ridden hell scape. 

The trail widened again, and Cullen dropped back beside her. "We're almost there," he said, smiling at her and bringing her out of her reminiscence. 

She smiled at her husband. Despite having been married close to a year, she still got butterflies in her stomach every time she thought of him as such. They had kept the ceremony private, with Dorian and Rylen as their only witnesses, although both of their families had known. It had happened in the fall, as they had wanted, but in Skyhold's garden rather than by the ocean. 

The months since then had been so busy between finishing the cleanup of rifts and demons and then the Council, that they were only now getting to travel to South Reach to visit his family. With Solas' warning and the disbanding of the Inquisition, they felt it was finally time that they focus on themselves and personal wants. 

Leliana was keeping them informed, however, of her progress in finding new talent to hunt the elven mage, and Maeve stood ready to assist them in convincing her old friend that there was another way to help the elven people that didn't include destroying the world as they all knew it.

They approached a clearing where a comfortable two-story home was built. In the distance, she could see druffalo and rams grazing. Mata barked excitedly at them as they dismounted and a hired hand came and took the horses to the stable. 

A group of people emerged from the house to greet them. She hung back, letting Cullen greet his siblings first. A woman that looked to be about his age and shared his eye color with more of a reddish tint to her blonde hair could only be Mia. Her husband, Mason, stood behind her with a hand on her shoulder. A little boy of about five clung to her skirt and a little girl that was around two was in her arms, but got handed off to her husband after he and Cullen shook hands so that she could hug her brother properly.  A younger gentleman, the spitting image of Cullen, was no doubt Branson. His arm was around a petite dark-haired woman who cradled an infant in her arms, until it was his turn to hug his brother. The last in line was Rosalie, a young lady in her mid-twenties, who shared her sister's hair color, but had darker eyes than the rest of her siblings. 

He turned his smiling face to her and pulled her forward, "I'd like you all to meet my wife, Maeve."

They all took turns hugging her warmly and then at Mia's insistence moved inside for dinner.  The conversation flowed around her as Cullen caught up with his siblings. Afterwards, she helped Mia clean up, while he and Mason took the children outside to play with Mata. She watched them through the window and her hand absently drifted to her lower abdomen. She had missed her monthly courses twice, so she was fairly certain, but hadn't found a way to tell him, yet. She hadn't thought it would happen so quickly after they had decided that she would stop casting the spell during their love making.

"How far along?" Mia asked, with a knowing glance. Maeve told her. "And I take it Cullen doesn't know, yet, since there's no way my brother would be letting you ride a horse if he knew you were with child."

She laughed, "No, he doesn't. Partly because I haven't figured out how to say it, and partly because I'm afraid I'll find out I had more freedom back in Ostwick's Circle."

Mia returned her laugh, "Cullen always was protective. Even as a child, it was him defending us, making sure the rest of us were safe. It's interesting that he found a woman who didn't need saving."

Maeve watched him showing little Edmund how to properly skip rocks on the stream that ran along the edge of the forest by the house. "Actually, I think we saved each other."

His sister smiled and reached out to squeeze her hand, "I've never seen him so happy, Maeve. The letters he sent while he was in Kirkwall and shortly after...I was so worried we were losing him," she blinked back tears.

After sharing a hug and collecting themselves, they joined their husbands outside. 

Mata ran up to her and leaned into her leg so that she would scratch behind her ears. Cullen joined her, wrapping his arms around her waist and looking back at his sister and her family. 

"I warned you my family was very loud."

She smiled and turned slightly in his arms to be able to see his face. "I hope you don't mind if it gets a bit louder," she said, guiding one of his hands down to her lower abdomen. She watched his eyes widen as he understood what she was telling him, and then a smile spread across his face. 

"This soon? Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be." 

He held her in his arms with a look of wonder in his eyes before saying, "Maker's breath, you shouldn't be riding a horse!"

She silenced him by pressing her lips to his mouth before he could continue.

Yes, Solas, she thought, we will live well.