gorysortofstory | Hush Little Baby.... [for vowedtostay]

Hush Little Baby.... [for vowedtostay]

This time he spends the time with Betrys more often than not. He delegates to his commanders, he will not lose another child. She may blame herself for Cai's death but Cullen takes as much responsibility for it, if not more so. So he tries to help her as much as possible. Josephine and Leliana pick up slack for them as well. They manage and the reward was more than worth it.

After hours of labor she had delivered a beautiful baby girl. Mia. Like his sister. Currently Cullen is sitting in the chair, rocking her to sleep as he sings softly. He never imagined having a family of his own because of his life as a templar but now that he has one? He can't imagine have anything else.

"Come, little bird: fly faster, fly home. Your wind-beaten wing-beats have carried you far.Is your soul so weary? so lonely as mine? No moonlight outshines your bright home-guiding star...."

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Betrys is exhausted, drained physically and emotionally alike. After nine months of waiting and hoping (and dozens of candles lit in the little garden chapel), and nearly three years of trying, they have a healthy child. She seems healthy enough, anyway, already breathing stronger than poor Cai ever did. The healer thinks they've reason to rejoice; she left Betrys with the promise that, if she promised not to think of her work with the Inquisition, she might formally announce Mia's birth from the steps of the main hall.

True to her word, Betrys has left her paperwork alone. But she's done little more than doze in the few hours since Mia's birth, too concerned by every snuffling breath and rustle of fabric. When she blinks sleepily awake to the sight of her husband crooning a song to their daughter, it's a blessed surprise.

She listens to his song, a sleepy smile warming her expression. When it seems to end, she asks, "Is that Fereldan? I don't know it."

Cullen is tired as well, though certainly not the way she is. He has a million of things to do but honestly? He doesn't give a damn. Not right now. Nothing matters but them and the little miracle he's rocking in his arms right now.

He had tried to keep quiet, to not sing too loudly and wake his wife up but he smiles at her question all the same. He nods. "It is. My mother used to sing it to me as a child."

It stings a little to think his parents will never get to meet their grandchild but he supposes at least little Cai is up there with them and Andraste. It's some comfort, if not much.

If nothing else, Cai has plenty of family to watch over him. Grandparents, an aunt, an uncle, and all their ancestors before them, all at the Maker's side. That thought has been some comfort in her darker hours.

"It's lovely." Cullen's singing voice has always been a treat to listen to, but it takes on even warmer tones now that he's singing to their daughter. Betrys smiles at him, patting the space next to her. "Come here and teach me the words."

It's a gentle command, one he's certainly welcome to refuse--but somehow she suspects he won't want to.

It is not much comfort, but it's some, and they had needed all they could get after losing Cai. Faith has always been a comfort to Cullen, even in his darkest hours. He has wavered, certainly, questioned the Maker at time, but never truly turned his back on him. And now it feels like that was the right choice, like it was leading him to all he has now.

"Of course." He rises to his feet making his way over to sit next to her on the bed as he begins to teach her the words. The idea of teaching a song to her for their daughter is vastly appealing to him.

"I'm afraid you'll have the better voice for it," Betrys says fondly. She can stay mostly on key, but there's no real beauty to her singing voice--not like Cullen's. When he sits down on the bed next to her, Mia still sleeping in his arms, Betrys scoots over a little to snuggle in next to him. Everything below her waist complains at it, but it's worth a bit of pain to curl up with her husband and daughter and practice a lullaby.

Once she thinks she has the words, she sings them softly back down to Mia, who hardly twitches at all the sound and movement, just continues to sleep comfortably, each breath coming without difficulty. "She's so beautiful."

"Well, I can't have you be better than me at everything, can I?" He asks teasingly. He's sung since he was a young boy, faithfully going to services at the Chantry. He's always a little timid about singing, but here in the privacy of his room, with his wife and his daughter? He feels no shyness in the act at all.

"She is," He agrees in a soft tone. "It's hard to imagine we made that, isn't it?"

"Mm, there are a few things you'll always be best at." She kisses his cheek fondly. "Singing's only one of them."

He's far better at managing troops, for instance, and it's not like that hasn't been a relevant part of her life for the last few years. But that's neither here nor there when their daughter is there before them. "She looks so small when you hold her."

Still bigger than Cai was, but compared to the way Mia looks snuggled up with Betrys--or how she felt on the way out--she's impossibly little.

"If you say so."

There were still plenty of things she was better at -- like handling politics and parties, for one thing. But none of that matters at the moment. "I never imagined she would be so small," He admits a little sheepishly.

Bigger than Cai was but still -- in his arms he can feel how frail Mia is, how precious.

"And I certainly do." Poor Cullen will never enjoy parties, she suspects, but at least she can keep him by her side more often now that they're married. Their bond might not keep Orlesian hands away from his bottom, but a swat from a closed fan makes more of any impression.

"She's going to grow so fast," she says quietly, more hope than certainty after what happened last time. They have to believe it, though; there's no choice but to trust the Maker will be kinder to them with this child. "Soon she'll be riding everywhere on your shoulders."

"That's what I've always heard. That they grow quicker than you can imagine." He likes the idea though, of watching his little girl grow up. He thinks this time -- that'll happen. The Maker wouldn't put them through that pain a second time, would he? She's already so much bigger than little Cai was -- that has to count for something doesn't it?

"I'll have to find a way to take her with me to meet all my troops." He imagines a little girl perched on his shoulders, shouting at soldiers to keep their shields up.

He likes that image.

"So have I." He's more likely to know than she, having seen it--if only as a child. She's quiet a moment, considering the idea of how Mia might begin to meet the people of Skyhold.

"I'd like to go downstairs in a day or two." So far, she's been resting in bed, hasn't even left their bedchamber since her labor began. Soon, it'll be time to start taking on a bit of work again, if only to keep her mind active. "I could bring Mia with--we could invite everyone to meet her."

It might be a bit pompous to sit at her throne and receive visitors, her daughter in a cradle at her side. But it would give anyone who wished to speak with the Inquisitor the chance--and would be a way to assure the Inquisition that they wouldn't need to brace themselves for another funeral.

"I remember a little when my younger siblings were born -- they got bigger quite quickly. It was astonishing."

He listens to her idea and smiles. "I think that's an excellent idea. I know our friends must be eager to meet her."

Some more than others, of course.

Even their friends who don't much care for children will be pleased to see Mia safe and healthy, she's certain of that. And she can't help but want to see Varric meet the baby--and Cassandra, and Josephine. They were such comfort after Cai's death, and she's certain they'll share their joy.

"Perhaps we should invite Cassandra to see the baby first," she says slowly, considering. "I never told her what we planned to call the baby. I was worried things wouldn't--it might be nice to tell her privately."

To keep from blindsiding her in front of the entire Inquisition when they announce Mia Cassandra Rutherford's first public appearance.

"I'd like that. And I'm sure she'd appreciate it as well."

Cassnadra is a private woman in many ways, she wouldn't want to be blindsided like that -- nor would Cullen want to do that to his friend. Her friendship had been a gift after the loss of Cai, he just wanted to honor that the best he could.

It's the least they could do.

"I'll talk to her and see if she'd like to stop by tomorrow, would that be okay?"

"That would be perfect." A day to talk with Cassandra in private, perhaps also Josephine (and Dorian? and, and, and), and to rest a little bit longer. And then a day of returning as the Inquisitor and inviting her people to speak with her.

It's a fine plan, one she's already looking forward to.

"You'll have to be here, too. I want you to see her reaction." Betrys smiles up at Cullen, a bit of amusement in her eyes. "I can't imagine she's expecting anything of the sort."

"I think I can manage that. Leliana and Josephine have done well delegating my work to other soldiers." He'll need to go back to it eventually, but for now? There's no place he would rather be than by her side.

"Besides, I want to see her reaction too." Cassandra is often such a stoic woman -- it was fun to think they might truly catch her off guard -- in a good way, of course.

"Good." It's selfish, but she's been so happy to have him with her so much over these months. One day, hopefully one day soon, they'll be able to leave the Inquisition in capable hands and have a quiet, happy life together with their daughter. A country-spanning organization is a needy child in itself, one Betrys is growing ready to hand off to another parent.

"She'll be so surprised, Maker." So stoic and so humble. She'd never expect anything of the sort. "I can't wait."

Cullen is more than ready to hand off the Inquisition as well. He loves what they've done, he's proud of their work, but they have a new chapter now, and a daughter he loves more than anything that's come before her. That has to be the center of his universe now.

"Should I go see if I can get her?"

No time like the present and all that.

"I'd like that." She'd gladly go with, but the healers have been quite clear: she needs to rest and regain her strength. Betrys reaches over for the Mia, carefully lifting the sleeping baby from his arms. "Thank you, Cullen, darling."

He's been so helpful through all of this, even through late-night cravings and morning sickness.

"Anything for my two favorite ladies," He replies with a smile, pressing a kiss against Betrys' forehead before getting up and leaving the room to go find Cassandra.

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Hush Little Baby.... [for vowedtostay]

i was so tired it slipped my mind yesterday! BUT NOW

No worries, tired happens!!!

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