Modern Detective!AU
It was quiet now. The only noise in the apartment was the whistle of the tea kettle. Cullen had fallen asleep, and the papers he had were crinkled underneath him. He began to research the Ostwick circle, and it seemed to have a similar story to all the circles. Some outright rebelled. Others faced the Templar’s sword at the fear of rebellion. It was chaos all the same. He found out very little, but it nagged at him. There was something here. He just hadn’t realized it yet.
There were two Trevelyan’s housed in the Ostwick Circle. There was a mage, Catelyn, and a young Templar initiate. It seemed Catelyn’s phylactery had been destroyed, but the details were scarce. “Are you looking for your brother?” Cullen asked, but no one answered in the empty apartment. He felt foolish. He had fallen asleep sometime after that, and now the whistle of the kettle grew violent.
He turned the stove off, and slumped against the countertop. His head throbbed. Sleeping had been a nightmare in itself. His body ached for it, but he pressed on, caffeine in hand. The tea was warm in a disposable mug as he fetched the files. Cullen ignored the disgruntled man in the mirror, and pressed on to the station.
He hadn’t expected anyone to be there in the middle of the night. He hoped, though. The light was on in Leliana’s office. She was always here, as if she managed to sleep less than him.
“We have to be careful, the Divine may be in danger,” Leliana whispered in her office. The shade was over the door. She did not want to be interrupted.
“Has she really assigned us such simple duties? The mages can’t be trusted,” Cassandra responded, her words a hushed whisper.
Leliana paused for a moment, and walked towards the door. Cullen feared for a moment she’d open it, and discover him. “Her grace thinks there are other very important duties that must be dealt with,” Leliana laughed. “She is very stubborn.”
“I heard it has been moved to Denerim-.”
Cullen could not eavesdrop any longer. He knocked on the door without thought. “I have discovered something.”
“Detective Cullen,” Cassandra looked surprised.
Leliana kept her composure, “Well, tell us what you’ve found.”
He stumbled for a moment. “I believe our apostate is chasing her Templar brother,” Cullen shoved the folder on the table.
“That does make sense, but why the tears in the Veil?” Leliana asked.
“I believe she’s trying to close them-,” Cullen started.
Cassandra groaned, “You can’t know that! She is an apostate, who can make rifts in the veil!”
“She fixes them!” Cullen defended.
Leliana stepped between them. “Enough. All mages are apostates now, but the Divine is addressing that.” Cassandra back down.
The silence was tense between them. Cullen wanted to slink back to his office, but Leliana had a look in her eye.
“I should send some of my people,” Leliana declared to the room, as if the other two had left.
“To the Conclave? I would be willing to attend,” Cullen offered. The women gave him a strange look.
“No, the Divine does not want us in attendance,” Cassandra explained.
“I used to be a Templar, I could stand watch without alerting anyone,” Cullen offered.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like a moment to myself,” Leliana dismissed them. The door to her office closed, and locked, behind them.
Cassandra gave him a stern look. She was tense. The whole idea made her uncomfortable. “I am not allowed to attend,” She began, “But I will not stop you.”
Cullen was shocked. “You approve of the plan then?”
“No. I think the Templars will know that you don’t belong. I also believe that the mages are planning something, the Divine is not safe,” Cassandra managed. She looked past him. Her mind was stuck on something.
“You’re giving me your blessing?”
“Hardly, but I know you mean well,” Cassandra laughed.
The rebel mages were to meet with the Templars, with the chantry overlooking to keep peace. The Conclave was supposed to fix things, to right the wrong that threatened to engulf Thedas. The Divine was to attend to keep the peace. It happened so quickly after the disaster in Val Royaleux, but time was of the essence.
The suit felt tight against his skin. It was simple, and pressed, but he felt underdressed. The lights outside of the Conclave shined over the building. The Conclave was in Denerim, but it was nothing but an Orlaisan ball. Cullen hoped no one would die today. The game at these events often went over his head.
There would be discussions, but everything was handled delicately. Each fraternity was separated, and the Templars stood opposite the mages. Most made their way into the main chamber, where the sound of shouting filled the room. All that were left in the hall were those deemed unimportant enough to attend the discussion. Cullen preferred to stay outside, and monitor movement. Some passing mages gave his curious looks, and the Templars glared at him. He felt like one of Leliana’s spies. They were amongst the staff, or dressed in disguises.
Cassandra had wished him luck, but the idea seemed more foolish by the second. Cullen had arrived behind a group of Templars, and no one questioned his appearance.
“Cullen?” Someone called, and he fled from the wall into the crowd in the center of the room. The music picked up. Everyone danced around him. He was carried farther into the floor. He must have look foolish.
“You’re not much of a dancer, Detective,” A masked woman curtsied. She wore the circle’s robes, like many of the guests. She was one of the few here who wore a mask, but it was far simpler than the others.
“It is not my specialty.”
Her body was against his now. She was warm, and her hair smelled of lilac and honey. “Perhaps you’ve never had the right teacher,” She purred, and offered a hand.
He felt uneasy as he rested his hand on her shoulder. His disguise wasn’t obvious, but she saw right through him. Perhaps he wasn’t the detective he believed he was. The music was upbeat, and his feet fell behind his partners.
“You’re Ferelden, yes? They always step on their partner’s feet,” She teased.
“And where exactly do you hail from?”
She laughed again, “Detective, I thought you were all business.” She led him from the crowd with every step. “We are in danger tonight.”
“Are you certain?” Cullen could not let harm come to the Divine.
“Don’t you remember me? I thought I left a lasting impression,” She mumbled, and continued, “I’ve been running from the Ostwick Templars longer than I care to admit, but they’ve been changed. They no longer serve the maker, they are monsters.”
“Catelyn?” Cullen had not noticed a change in the Templars, but he had not worked closely with them. There had been few reports of either mage or Templar that weren’t laced with hysteria.
She kept the rhythm of the dance, and hid their serious discussion behind festivities. “He’ll strike here tonight, I’ve seen his henchmen in Denerim. No one is safe,” Her words were somber.
“I can’t let the Divine come to harm, tell me what I need to do,” Cullen demanded. The music ended. The sound of shouting from the main hall was all that was heard over the polite discussion. “It’s my duty.”
“I didn’t know you were a man who took direction,” Catelyn smiled. The hall shook now. “But it’s too late.” The ceiling seemed to crumble as a dark call filled the main chamber. The room broke into chaos.
“You can fix this!” Cullen shouted as she made her way into the crowd. They ran for the main doors, but the green light spilled into the main hall. There were men by the door, Templars. Their skin was discolored, and they were suffused with the sound of lyrium. It was different though, not like Cullen remembered. It did not sing like it was stuck in a vial, but like the blight itself had corrupted it. They were monsters.
Catelyn ran towards the center of the room. Cullen attempted to follow, but the green light seemed to expand in the room. It was too bright. And then, in an instant, there was nothing.
He thought he had died. There was a strange relief to it. He came back to his sense, though. The room had a sterile smell, and as he fought to move his side had pangs of pain that were too intense to ignore. It felt he had dropped off Fort Drakon. He struggled to sit up, but his right hand was stuck. It was handcuffed to the side of the bed. He searched the room for danger, but found nothing but confusion.
“You’re awake,” Cassandra was at his side now.
“Where am I? Has something happened,” Cullen pulled at the cuff again. His memory was fuzzy, “Is she alright?”
Cassandra was silent. “The Divine…is dead.”
Cullen was speechless. It gave him no relief, but a pang of guilt as he had not even thought of her.
“You were one of the one survivors. We are unsure of what happened at the Conclave.”
“Well I did not kill her!” Cullen suppressed his annoyance. “There were Templars, and a huge fade rift, I just remember running towards the Divine. They were corrupted, Cassandra, the Templars were wrong,” He was unsure of how to explain it.
“The Templars were responsible for this?” Cassandra frowned as she spoke, “No I don’t believe that, I can’t. The Templars serve the Chantry, there must have been more to it.”
“They were monstrous,” It haunted him. He could feel the song, and heard the lyrium sing. He might have been like them. If he had not left the order, would he have become one of them? The thought sent chills.
The room had a tense silence as Cassandra contemplated. She looked distressed. “Did the mages threaten the Divine, the Templars, anyone? I need to know exactly what they discussed.”
A red, hot embarrassment embraced him. “I was not in the main chamber.” He had been dancing. He had been hiding from his old life. He did not wish to tell her that.
“Why not? Where you not permitted?”
Cullen sighed, and confessed, “I never attempted to enter.”
Cassandra’s glare was like the Maker’s own gaze starring down on him. “What actually were you doing then?”
“I was watching, keeping surveillance, but then I was approached, and warned of the disaster,” Cullen would keep the dance to himself. Cassandra was already upset.
“Someone confessed to you?”
“Yes, the mage we have been investigating, Catelyn Trevelyan,” Cullen thought he’d drown in his shame.
Cassandra’s glare narrowed. “You’re obsession with that woman has gotten the Divine killed. I believe you would protect the Divine at any cost, but it seems you can be distracted by any woman willing to give you attention,” She scoffed.
“It was not like that! I know she has something to do with this. Cassandra, believe me, I am close to an answer!”
She turned to leave, “You’ll be happy to know your apostate survived, though she has not awoken yet.” She did not wait for his response.
The relief washed over his shame. It was a curious feeling, he had no idea why it came so strong. He wasn’t one to sit with it, though. He demanded to be released from his restraints. The nurses fetched the healer when he attempted to get dressed. The only thing he had left was his blood stained suit, but he wasn’t going to wander Denerim in a hospital gown.
“Sir, you can’t leave yet, you haven’t been discharged,” The healer explained.
Cullen didn’t care. His ribs ached like they would never be healed, but he dressed anyway. “I have commitments I must attend to.”
“Mr. Rutherford, you have fix cracked ribs, which happened to damage your right lung. If you leave, you may drown in your own blood!”
“I’ll drink a poultice,” Cullen spat, and moved past the doctor. His body ached as he hurried down the hallway.
“A potion won’t fix a concussion!” The healer ran after him.
“Tell me where you have the others who survived, I need to speak with them,” Cullen demanded. He had a nasty glare when he needed. The younger initiates in Kirkwall claimed he looked like a wild malbari when he was mad. It was just a jab at his Ferelden heritage, but now he looked mad.
The healer frowned, and averted his eyes, “There is only one other woman.”
The words were heavy. They were almost too much to bear. “One? There were hundreds!” There were a few dozen in the room with him, a hundred in the main hall. He had averted his eyes, and hid himself. Now they were all dead.
Her room was down the hall. The healer agreed to bring him after a few minutes of impolite glares. She was sleeping, and safe. Cullen was full of joy. Survivor’s guilt had killed him before, and he could not do it again. Her breathe was still, and calm. She had never looked so peaceful. Cullen’s jaw still ached where her staff had knocked him down.
“I’m glad you are alive,” Cullen muttered. He sat in the chair next to her bed, but had no idea why he didn’t head home. She stirred in her sleep.
The phone in his pocket erupted. The screen displayed a number he had never seen before. Catelyn awoke from her slumber.
“Cullen?” She asked as she awoke.
He fled the room as he answered the phone. “Detective Rutherford speaking.”
“Stuff it Curly, the Seeker got Hawke in lock up because of some chantry bullshit,” Varric Tethras demanded.
At least she was done blaming him. “Why would Cassandra arrest Hawke? Does she know something?”
Varric paused, and made muttered under his breath. “Isn’t it your job to arrest the guilty and protect the innocent, Hawke is innocent!”
“We both know that’s not completely true,” Cullen sighed.
He stared back into the room before he headed into the station. He did not want to deal with the cleanup, but chaos would consume Thedas if they did not solve this mystery soon. They would not rest until the Divine’s murder was solved. Cullen took a deep breath as he headed back to the station.