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Dear Mia,
Yes, this really is me writing to you, no I’m not under any kind of duress and yes, I am alive and well. If I’m to be serious for a moment, I really am sorry that I haven’t replied to your last letter. It is genuinely a comfort to hear from you and I do mean to write. I honestly don’t know where the time goes.
Do keep letting me know how you all fare. I especially enjoy reading about my nieces and nephews and their antics. Is Patrick well? Father? Branson and Rosie? I confess I found your news about the latter of some concern. I was under the impression that I was the only silent sibling in the family. I will do as you ask and see if I can use some of my contacts to try to locate her and make sure all is well.
Now to the reason for my letter. Mia, I feel a certain level of responsibility to warn you that you may want to sit down. I contemplated launching straight into my news with none of this preamble, the thought of the look on your face filling me with so much younger-sibling glee that I may have laughed to myself like a madman for a moment. But I’ve grown, so consider yourself forewarned: I met someone, fell hopelessly in love, and yesterday I married her.
I can’t believe I ever thought you wouldn’t notice but yes, I think it’s fair to say that Kirstin is more than just a good friend. I confess I do not entirely know why I was not more forthcoming about our relationship, and now that I have finally put quill to parchment, I find I don’t know where to begin. Kira has become such a part of me that describing her feels almost as though you’ve asked me to describe the sky. So how about this as a compromise: I’ve enclosed a self-portrait she drew for me. As you’ll see, she’s a talented artist and I can tell you that the drawing is a fair likeness even if she doesn’t quite agree with me.
We met a few years ago now, just after the disaster at Haven. She’s from Starkhaven and ended up in Redcliffe after her Circle burned down. I don’t know how much you might have heard about what happened with the Tevinter Magisters there, but she arrived at Skyhold more than a little worse for wear. I don’t entirely remember seeing her for the first time but I remember writing her name down on my map of the castle. I’ve long since lost that map, but I kept that little scrap of paper.
She’s brilliant, Mia, an actual genius I think. Some of the things I’ve seen her do would make your jaw hit the floor. She initially trained as a healer but she turned her mind towards engineering and blacksmithing a few years ago and carved out an entirely new field of study for herself that’s somewhere between enchanting and forging. I don’t really know how to describe it (mainly because I do not completely understand it) but I do know that her inventions have saved my skin, and hundreds of my soldiers, countless times.
I can feel your eyebrows rising from here. You’re not imagining things; Kirstin’s a mage. You asked me, a few letters ago, about why I left the Templars and whether my resignation meant something more. I think that’s a conversation best had in person but Kirkwall caused something of a radical shift in perspective. Or perhaps it just woke me up from a very bad dream. Either way, I have been feeling more and more like myself ever since I walked out of that place for the last time.
We’ve been good for each other, sister. I’ve never met anyone who I’ve trusted immediately and completely like I did her, and I believe that goes both ways, much to her initial chagrin I think. We were instant friends, although if I am to be completely honest, I think I was done for and head over heels in love with her the moment she smiled at me. You’ll see what I mean when you meet her. And you will meet her, I promise. I don’t know when we will be able to visit, but I will do my best to bring her to the farm when things quiet down a little, Maker willing.
I really do apologise for not writing and telling you sooner (I can feel you glaring at me from here). But I’m hopeful that the knowledge that you have a new sister and that we are both extremely happy, might make you a little less angry with me.
I can hear my wife(!!) upstairs so I’m going to have to stop here for now. I imagine you’ll have some more questions for me. Hopefully you won’t have to wait quite as long to get answers and I meant it when I said we would come to visit just as soon as we can.
Give my love to everyone and please be safe ,
Cullen
CULLEN STANTON RUTHERFORD YOU ABSOLUTE ARSE.
You made me drop my favourite cup and I got tea all over the brand new rug in the kitchen. Get your arse over here to the farm as soon as you can and bring your wife(!!!!). And a new cup; you owe me.
I want this recorded for posterity but I KNEW it. I swear I punched the air in triumph after pointing at Bran and shouting ‘I told you so’. And you know there’s nothing I love more than rubbing it in our brother’s face at any opportunity so thank you.
I have so many questions but right at this moment I can’t think of any so this will have to do for now.
I love you,
Mia
PS: Kirstin (Kira?) is
stunning
. Are you certain she’s the mage because I don’t know how you managed it other than magic of some kind.