Chapter Text
Since becoming the Herald of Andraste, Rei has consistently had her personal space invaded, and someone has gone as far as to grab at her ass on more than one occasion. She was about to lose her temper with two particularly drunk soldiers, when Cullen happened upon them. "What are you doing to those men?" He asked, glaring at her.
"They were grabbing my ass, am I not allowed to defend myself?" She retorted.
"No." He replied, "men, go sleep it off." The two saluted and headed off to their tents. Rei watched them go, then turned and glared at Cullen.
"So why am I not allowed to protect myself?" She asked, two seconds from freezing him to the path.
"You are the Herald of Andraste, people want to be around you, and you must inspire them." Cullen said, "so deal with the invasion of space."
"So because I have this fucking thing on my hand, I am not allowed to have one moment of peace, and people are allowed to treat me like an object that they can play grab hands with?" Rei felt her soul start to fill with fire. "Spoken like a Templar."
"I am not a Templar anymore." Cullen said, gritting his teeth.
"The fuck you aren't." Rei replied, glaring. "You just said that my body is not my own, that I can not even so much as pray in peace. Just like the ones from Ostwick. Do me a favor, when we are not in a meeting, leave me the fuck alone." Rei turned and walked out the gates to Haven. Cullen ran to catch up to her.
"Where in the Void do you think your going?" He demanded.
"To Blackwall, if that's okay with you, Knight-Captain." Rei sneered, and Cullen grabbed at her wrist.
"I am not a Templar anymore!" He exclaimed. Rei sent ice to her wrist until it was too cold for him to handle.
"You are the worst kind of man there is. The kind of man that would find excuses for other men to assault mage women. When I am in Haven, I will be by Bull or Blackwall when I am not in a meeting. I know that at least they respect me as a person." Rei said, before she walked away.
"You're an asshole, Curly." Varric said, frowning at him. Cullen glared at him and walked off. As he laid on his cot in his tent, Cullen thought back to what had taken place. He ran the fight through his mind over and over again, and realized that Varric was right. He was a grade A asshole to the Herald.