“You are not going and that’s final.”
“You can not keep me here!” Mellisa fought the urge to stamp her feet, “You don’t have the right!”
Cullen didn’t look up from the paperwork that was piled on his desk, but Mellisa could hear he was extremely irritated, “I can and will keep you here. You are not leaving.”
Rubbing his eyes, he leaned back in his chair and went on in his most reasonable voice, “Mellisa, love, you are five months pregnant. If you think I’m going to let you jump on a horse to go gallivanting after Maker-knows-what, then you’re seriously mistaken.”
He waved a hand at his wife, dismissing her without so much as a second glance, “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have a lot of work to do.”
Mellisa stared at him, her mouth agape. He was ignoring her? They almost never argued, but when they did Cullen made sure that they talked their differences through. He had never ignored her before.
Well, she wasn’t about to let him get away with it now.
“Cullen!” She shoved the pile of papers from his desk with a grand sweep, they fluttered in the air for a moment before scattering on the ground. That certainly got his attention.
He stood up, eyes blazing, “Have you completely lost your mind?” he snarled, “You can’t get your way so you start throwing things around? Could you be any more irrational?”
“Me? You are the one who is ignoring me and my wishes! I need to get out, Cullen!” She paced his office, pressing her fingertips to her temples, “I’m going mad with seeing the same people, day in, day out. The same gardens, the same jokes, the same everything. Do you have any idea how horrible it feels to watch my friends go out on missions while I have to stay here like some… some…” What was the word again? “Damsel in distress.” She spat the sentence, her face contorted in disgust.
“And you,” now she spun around, facing Cullen once more and pointing an accusing finger, “You are apparently content in keeping me cooped up in here.”
“I am only trying to keep you and our child safe.” The words were clipped. A little voice somewhere in the back of Mellisa’s head was trying to warn her that Cullen’s patience was growing thin, but Mellisa ignored it.
“You don’t need to keep me- us safe. I’m perfectly capable of doing that myself!” she cried out, “Keeping me safe is not the same as keeping me locked in a cage like a pretty songbird!”
“You are exaggerating. Why don’t you go to your chambers and rest a bit? I’m sure the hormones-“
“Don’t you dare blame this on my hormones!” Now she was shouting at him, hands balled into fists at her sides. “That’s not fair, and you know it!”
“You know what?” She suddenly said, turning on her heel and marching towards the door, “I don’t need your permission to go. I’ll just saddle up my horse and-“
“No, you won’t.” Tired, Cullen rubbed his neck. He knelt down and started gathering the papers Mellisa had thrown on the floor.
“I told the horsemaster that you aren’t allowed on a horse under any circumstances.”
Mellisa stared down at her husband. This was insane. She was a prisoner in her own home.
“You did what?” She hissed.
“You heard me.”
Despite her earlier effort, she stamped her foot on the ground, “That’s completely out of line! I am not a child, Cullen!”
“Then stop acting like one!” Cullen’s patience had come to an end, raising his voice to match hers. “Your irresponsible behaviour will get you killed. And don’t tell me I have to remind you that you. are. with. child?”. The words were spoken with exaggerated care and venom.
“Fine! I’ll do what you say, Commander,” She knew he hated it when she addressed him as such. “I’ll just take up knitting as well, shall I? Commander?”
“Mellisa…”
“No, no. It’s fine. I’ll leave you to your work, Commander,” she performed a perfect salute, “I hope you choke on it.”
And with that she stormed out, noting with satisfaction that something shattered on the stone floor after she slammed the door shut. She hoped it was something valuable, that’d teach him.
That insufferable, disgusting, egotistical man! Keeping her locked up, claiming it was for her own good. Her own good. Andraste’s tits, she was an adult! She knew perfectly well what was good for her, she didn’t need him babysitting her!
People who saw her coming on the battlements, quickly got out of her way. The expression on her face spoke of murder and they were not willing to face the brunt of the first wave.
How dare he. Didn’t he understand she needed the space? The freedom? She ran down the stairs and paced past the practice dummies where Cassandra usually trained. But she wasn’t there today, because Cassandra did get to go along with missions. Unlike someone.
Pigheaded. That’s what he was. She kicked open the door to the holding cells, which were currently empty. Walking on she came to the part of Skyhold that she liked best. It wasn’t the gardens, or the battlements. A fine spray of water and a gust of wind greeted her when she opened the door at the end of the room.
No, the part of Skyhold that she liked best was the waterfall here. It gave a sense of freedom in a place that was, ironically, designed to keep prisoners.
She sat down on the crumbling floor, legs dangling over the edge.
Angrily, she wiped at a tear that was running down her cheek. Stupid, stupid Templar.
“I can’t believe he actually intends to keep me here,” she muttered to nobody in particular, “To keep me safe. What does he think will happen?” A small kick from the baby made her smile briefly.
She put her hand on the hot skin of her babybump, fingertips brushing a long smooth scar that she didn’t have before coming Skyhold. That scar. How did she get it? She racked her brain, trying to remember.
Ah, yes. That Venatori in Emprise Du Lion.
If Solas hadn’t been there…
Her fingers stroked her belly protectively, cherishing the little kicks whenever she could feel them.
Another scar. Smaller, round, to the left of her belly button. An arrow from some Carta thug. That one wouldn’t have been so bad if it hadn’t been poisoned like it was. Good thing Iron Bull knew his poisons well. Even so, she was sick in bed for days.
Damn you. She frowned and glared down, “I know. I know.” she grumbled to herself, “He was right. I was wrong.”
“That’s good to hear,” came Cullen’s voice from behind her.
Mellisa closed her eyes when she heard him and shook her head, “Don’t get used to it,” she answered.
His footsteps came closer, “I thought I would find you here,” he said, “I remember you mentioning it once.”
She nodded and opened her eyes, “It calms me down. Helps me get my head on straight.” From the corner of her eye she glanced at him, “Keeps my temper in check.”
“Yes, I can imagine you needing some help with that,” came his dry response, as he sat down next to her. They sat together in silence for a while, two pairs of legs dangling next to each other.
She put her head on his shoulder and sighed, “I deserved that,” she finally said. When he chuckled, his shoulders moved.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, nuzzling his neck, “Do you hate me? For acting like a shrew?”
Cullen reached up and stroked her hair, “I wish I could hate you,” he sighed, “It would make it so much easier to stay angry with you.”
Shocked, Mellisa sat straight up, “You what?”
“Maker, no. I didn’t mean it like that! That came out wrong. No. What I mean is that I love you. I love you with all my heart, so much that it hurts. And the thought of you getting hurt kills me.” He grabbed her hands within his own, “And I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”
Gently he pressed a kiss on the back of her hand, “Even if it means being a little overprotective from time to time.”
Mellisa smirked, “I’m not making that job easy, am I?”
“No. You’re not.” Cullen said decidedly.
She leaned back against his warm body, trying to put her thoughts in words, “But Cullen, I can’t stay inside forever. I’ve still got four months to go before the baby is even here.” Another thought came to her, “And what will you do when the child is here? Keep me here until it’s grown up? Maker’s Breath, I’ll be an old biddy by the time you let me go.”
His laughter rang through the room, “No, even as an old biddy I won’t let you go. Maker forbid you fall and break your hip.”
“Cullen-“
“I know,” he kissed the top of her head, “I know,” he murmured in her hair, “so I propose a compromise.”
“A compromise?”
“We travel the country together. We go where you want, when you want it.”
Mellisa looked up at him in surprise, unable to disguise her glee, “Cullen, I-“
“Hear me out,” he stopped her, “We go together. I want to be with you when you go out, at all times. No missions. No weapons, no fighting,” he squeezed her hand, “No dragonhunting with the Iron Bull.”
He smiled when she laughed out loud.
“So, do we have a deal?” he asked.
“Yes. We do,” she sighed happily, making herself comfortable in his arms.
“Did I apologize yet?” she asked after a while.
“Yes. But I think I could stand more apologies.”
Mellisa chuckled, kissed his neck, “I’m sorry,” she murmured in his ear.
“Hmm. Well, my lady Inquisitor. What do you say we go to a place slightly more… comfortable?” He whispered back, his hands slowly making their way underneath her clothes.
“Whatever would we do that for?” Mellisa asked innocently, grinning from ear to ear.
With ease, Cullen sprang to his feet. A lopsided smirk played on his lips as he scooped Mellisa up in his arms and carried her away, “What for? Well, my lady, so you can apologize to me some more. And I may be mistaken, but I think I owe you a few apologies as well.”
