Hey! I got Dawn of the Seeker about a month and a half ago, and immediately got hooked on it! I am a bit disappointed that Galyan is not in Inquisition (though I understand why), and there aren't nearly enough stories on here about them, so I decided to fix that! Anyway, please enjoy! Also, if any of you have not seen Dawn of the Seeker, I highly recommend it; it is an amazing movie!

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It all started one evening when many people were gathered in Skyhold's courtyard for a meteor shower that was going to be starting any minute. Snow Trevelyan, the Inquisitor, was in the courtyard with her lover, Cullen. They were all sitting around and waiting before someone called out that it was starting, and they looked up to see the bright lights shooting across the navy-blue sky. "Wow!" Snow gasped in amazement, and Cullen chuckled as he pulled her onto his lap and against her, placing his chin on her shoulder as he watched. During the shower, Snow looked around and smiled at seeing all the happy couples, which included Luna Hawke and her boyfriend, Fenris, and King Alistair with his wife, Queen Azariah, and even Dorian and Iron Bull. Snow then noticed that she wasn't the only one looking at all the couples there, Cassandra was too. However, Cassandra didn't look happy at all, she looked really depressed, and Snow frowned, wishing she could make her friend feel better.

The meteor shower lasted about 30-45 minutes, and when it was over, people started to leave, and Cullen asked, "Are you going back to your room? Because I was thinking I'd join you."

Snow smiled, "You can go up there now, if you want, I'll be there soon." She started walking towards the tavern where she had seen Cassandra go.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"I'm going to go talk to Cassandra. Just go, I told you I'll be there soon." She answered before walking the rest of the way to the tavern and going in to see Cassandra sitting at the bar with a mug in her hand. Snow walked over and sat on the stool next to her, "Hi."

"Hi." Cassandra greeted back.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

Snow just gave her a look that said she didn't believe her. "Don't give me that. We're friends now, aren't we? And friends tell each other when something is wrong."

Cassandra let out a deep sigh and told her, "It's just… seeing that almost everyone here has someone…"

"It makes you sad?"

"Jealous, actually… but I shouldn't be. It's foolish to wish for things that one cannot have."

"That's not foolish, Cassandra, and who says you can't have that? I'm sure that you'll find the one for you someday."

"The sad thing is… I already have." She gazed off in the distance with a forlorn look on her face.

"Really?"

Nodding, she replied, "Years ago… back when I was just starting out as a true Seeker."

"What's his name?"

"Galyan… his name was Galyan."

Snow motioned to the bartender for a drink and was handed a shot of whiskey. "You should look him up." She then down the shot.

"That would be a waste of time."

"Why? Did you two part on bad terms or something?"

"No, nothing like that… he died… at the conclave."

"Oh…" Snow sighed sadly. "I see… did you love him?"

"If anyone else was asking me these questions, I'd throttle them, but… yes, I loved him. He was infuriating, but also charming, sweet, and handsome. I miss him dearly…"

"What was he doing at the conclave?"

"He was there for the same reason every other mage was, to make peace."

Snow almost spit out her second shot of whiskey and looked at Cassandra, stunned, "He was a mage?!"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm surprised that you of all people would actually fall in love with a mage."

"I am not heartless…"

"I didn't mean it like that." Snow said, but then just sighed and stopped talking about it, "Never mind. I just wish there was something I could do to make you feel better."

"Not unless you can go back in time and stop him from ever being at the conclave…" Cassandra drank the rest of what was in her mug and stood up. "I'm going to go to bed. Good night."

"Good night." Snow watched Cassandra before downing one last shot and leaving herself. She decided not to go straight back to her quarters, even though she knew that Cullen was waiting for her, and instead went to go see Leliana. When she got to her office above the library, she was talking to Azariah and Alistair.

"You should meet Nathaniel sometime." Azariah said to Leliana. "I think you'd like him." She then noticed Snow walk in. "Hello Inquisitor."

"Hi Your Majesty." Snow greeted back.

"Inquisitor, you don't need to call me "Your Majesty", just Azariah will do." She said with a kind smile.

"And you don't need to call me "Inquisitor", just Snow will do." She repeated back to her playfully.

Azariah laughed, "Touché!"

Snow laughed, too, then turned her attention to Leliana and said, "Leliana, I need a favor."

"You don't beat around the bush." Leliana chuckled. "What is it?"

"I need you to track down someone for me."

"You'll… have to be a bit more specific than that. Who is this person, and why is it so important that they be tracked down?"

"All I really know about him is that his name is Galyan, and he and Cassandra were lovers."

"Oh! Him! I met him briefly before the meeting at the conclave, and…" She paused, then added, "He was there when the explosion happened, so…"

"He's dead, I know."

"Um…" Alistair spoke up. "Maybe this is none of my business, but why are you trying to have Leliana search for someone who you know is dead?"

Snow sighed as she slumped into a chair. "I don't know. I just… I feel so badly for Cassandra."

"I know Cassandra, and the last thing she'd want is your pity, Snow." Leliana said, taking a sip of her tea.

"I know, but she has it anyway. She's my friend and it makes me upset that I can't help her. She's been through so much pain in her life, and it hardly seems fair that she's alone. She deserves to be happy just as much as anyone else here."

"I understand that, Snow. She's my friend, too, but there are some things you just can't change."

Snow sighed, and things were quiet for a moment before she remembered what Cassandra had said, "Not unless you can go back in time and stop him from ever being at the conclave…" "That's it!" Snow cried as she stood up, and Leliana nearly fell out of her seat from being startled at Snow's sudden outburst.

"What?!" Leliana asked, "What's it?!"

"I know what I have to do!" Snow then ran out and down the stairs, but when she got to the main hall, she ran into Cullen. "Oh, hi Cullen. I thought you were in my room."

"I was, but you were taking so long that I decided to come see what was keeping you."

"Right, sorry. I was just talking to Leliana, and now, I'm going down to the cells."

"Can't that wait until morning?"

"Well, I suppose so, but…" She looked at him and smiled, "You know what? It can." She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him passionately on the lips, and he smiled, placing his hands on her hips and kissing her back. Afterwards, he took her hand and led her back to her room, both looking forward to what was to come.

Meanwhile, up in her room above the forge, Cassandra was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She just couldn't stop thinking about all the happy couples she'd seen during the meteor shower, no matter how much she wanted to stop thinking about it. She looked down at the simple silver band with a square cut emerald on her finger and sighed sadly.

A few years ago, Cassandra went to the Circle of Magi at the White Spire to see Galyan. Since they both had important responsibilities to attend to, and Cassandra's often had her travelling around, they rarely got to see one another. As she walked into the tower, not wearing her usual armor so everyone would know she wasn't there on business, all the templars and mages recognized her, so simply let her do what she wished. She headed up the stairs, into the enchanter's quarters, and it didn't take her long to spot Galyan, who was sitting at his desk and writing. "Galyan?" She spoke up as she walked over.

He turned around and smiled brightly, standing up from his seat and pulling her into his arms. "Cassandra! I've missed you!"

"I've missed you, too!" She hugged him back.

He pulled back and took her hands into his as he looked into her warm, brown eyes. "I'm glad you're here, I have something I want to show you!" He said, barely containing his excitement.

"Oh? What is it?"

"Come with me." He led her out of the room and back downstairs, then stopped in front of the basement. "Alright." He moved behind her and covered her eyes, whispering, "No peeking."

"Why? What are you going to show me?"

"It's a surprise."

Cassandra heard him open the door in front of them and carefully lead her further in before closing the door as she kept her eyes closed. "Can I open them now?"

"No, no, not yet. Wait here." He walked to the center of the room and lit a lantern with his magic and rearranged something on the table. "Alright, now you can open them."

Cassandra slowly opened her eyes, and once they adjusted, she gasped in awe. The only light in the room was the lit lantern on the table, and that light was shining through the cluster of crystals in front of it, projecting a rainbow-colored image on the wall. The image was of a heart, inside of which, it said, "My heart belongs to you."

Seeing the awed look on Cassandra's face, Galyan spoke up, saying. "I've been working on this for over a month now." He looked rather nervous. "Is it too much?"

Tears slowly formed in Cassandra's eyes and she smiled. "No… it's perfect." She walked over to him and kissed him on the lips passionately, and he smiled as he kissed her back.

Galyan pulled away from the kiss and stroked her cheek softly. "You're perfect." He chuckled and said, "That's pretty corny, isn't it?"

"A little, but it's still sweet."

Galyan smiled at her lovingly and kissed her again before pulling away and said, "I have one more thing I wanted to show you." He walked back to the table and grabbed a small box before walking back to Cassandra and opening it for her, and inside was a beautiful emerald ring.

Cassandra's expression changed to one of shock. "Galyan… you're not…?"

"Huh?" He asked, confused, and then understood her reaction, which made him chuckle. "Don't worry, this isn't an engagement ring, not that I'd mind getting engaged to you." He teased, and she just shook her head with a smile on her face. "I've just been thinking a lot lately about how we hardly ever see each other, and since we don't, you should have something to remind yourself of me."

Cassandra smiled and placed her hand against his cheek. "I don't need anything like that. I could never forget you."

"I know, but what I mean is, I want you to feel that I am always with you, even if I'm not physically."

"So, you're giving me a ring?"

"This isn't just any ring." He explained, "My mother gave me this before I came to the circle and she told me that if I ever met the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, that I would give this to them. So, I am now giving this to you as a symbol of my love and devotion." He nervously added, "If you'll have it."

Cassandra smiled at him sweetly, "Yes, I'll have it." She answered, and he smiled, taking the ring and slipping it on her finger before giving her another kiss, happily.

Cassandra felt a tear fall down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away as she sniffed. "There's no point in crying over the past." She told herself.

The next morning, Snow woke up on her bed and simply laid there for a moment as her brain slowly woke up, too, and she then remembered what had happened last night, and her idea. She quickly flung the covers off her and got up, getting dressed in front of her dresser as Cullen woke up, too, and looked at her, his bare chest visible as his lower body was covered by the blanket. "Where are you going so early?"

"Nowhere, just, uh… going to get some breakfast."

"Uh-huh…" Cullen said, clearly not believing her. "What are you really up to, Snow? You've been acting dodgy since last night."

"I am not up to anything." She tried to insist, but he just raised an eyebrow at her, still not believing it. "You are so paranoid." She finished getting dressed and headed downstairs, and down to the cells. She told the guard she wanted to talk to Alexius alone, and once she left, Snow went over to his cell and saw him already awake, simply leaning back against the concrete wall.

"What do you want, Inquisitor?" He asked, simply, not even looking at her.

"I need you to do something for me."

"I'm already doing things for Fiona and the other mages, isn't that enough?"

"No. The only reason I didn't execute you is because Dorian wanted me to show you mercy, and you may think otherwise, but letting Fiona decide your fate was merciful."

"Fine! Then do you want?" He growled.

"I need you to send me back in time, like how you sent me into the future in Redcliffe."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

He stood up and walked to the door of his cell, gripping the bars of it. "Because I don't have the amulet I used before, remember? Last I knew, it was in Dorian's possession."

"So, if I get that amulet for you, will you do it?"

"That all depends… why do you want to go back in time?"

"It's for Cassandra, so I can bring someone back who will make her happy."

"Why can't you bring this someone here now?"

"Because he's dead. I need to go back so I can stop him from dying."

Alexius was quiet as he thought the whole thing through before he finally nodded, "Alright. Get the amulet from Dorian and I'll do it."

"Glad we could come to an agreement." Snow said and turned on her heels to leave, but jumped back a bit at seeing the person in the doorway.

"Not up to anything, huh?" Cullen said.

Snow just sighed and came clean, "Fine, you got me. I need to go back in time and save Galyan, so he and Cassandra can be together again." She walked passed him and up the stairs as he followed her.

"And just how are you planning on stopping him from getting killed?"

"One step at a time. First, I need to get that amulet from Dorian." Snow walked across the main hall and into the library tower, and found Dorian where he normally was, sitting on the chair and reading. "Dorian…"

He looked up at her and smiled. "Hi Snow, need something?"

"I need that amulet you took from Alexius in Redcliffe."

Dorian opened up the box on the table next to him and took out the amulet, showing it to her, "This?"

"Yes, give it to me." She said as she tried to reach for it, but her held it further out of her grasp.

"Why?" He asked skeptically.

"It doesn't matter, just-"

"I'll tell you why." Cullen cut her off. "Because she wants to give it back to Alexius, so he can use it to send her into the past!"

"What?" Dorian asked, then hid the amulet behind his back. "Oh no! You can't do that! Just going into the future could've had dramatic consequences! I cannot allow you to travel through time again!"

"Dorian…" She growled. "Give me that amulet!"

"No!"

"I wasn't asking your permission!" She whacked him over the head, and when he lifted his hands up to rub his head, she grabbed the amulet and smirked. "Thanks!" She then headed back downstairs.

"Hey!" Dorian cried and followed her with Cullen following him. He stepped in front of her, "Snow, please! Don't go crazy on us now! This is insane and reckless! You worked so hard to stop Corypheus from destroying the world, but now, you're willing to risk destroying it yourself?! Why?!"

"Because Cassandra deserves to be happy!" She went around Dorian and kept walking.

"Look, Snow, I know you care about your friends, but you can't go ripping the timeline to shreds to try and make them happy! There are some things in life you just can't change!"

"You know, I used to believe that, Dorian, but if there is one thing all of my adventures have taught me, it's that anything can change!" The three of them walked into the courtyard, and Dorian just kept saying how the whole thing was crazy and how insane she was being, and Snow got fed up, so she grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dragged him over the training dummies where Cassandra was. She then forced him to look at her, and he saw her simply sitting there in a stool with her head bowed and looking ready to cry as she gazed at her ring.

Dorian frowned and sighed before suddenly getting a determined look on his face and turned, starting to head towards the door that led down to the cells. "So… let's go get this Galyan, then."

"Whoa, whoa! Wait a minute… now you're coming?"

"Travelling through time, changing history, emerging victorious…" Dorian chuckled. "It'll be just like old times."

Snow smiled, and Cullen spoke up. "Then… I'll come, too, if you really have your heart set on this, Snow. I don't want you going into danger without me anymore."

"Danger? Where are we going?!" Luna asked as she suddenly appeared out of nowhere with Fenris, Azariah, and Alistair, nearly giving Cullen a heart attack.

"That's still creepy how you just appear out of nowhere, Luna!" Cullen said.

"I'm good!" She replied with a smirk. "So, where are we going?"

"The three of us are going on a time jump to the past. You four are staying here!" Dorian said, sharply.

"Fuck that!" Luna complained. "There's absolutely no way I'm going to miss an adventure like this!"

"Yes, you are! Stay!" He ordered, pointing down at the ground firmly.

"I'm not a dog, and I'm not going to listen to you." Luna turned her attention to Snow. "Come on, you have to let me go! You know I can handle danger!"

"Well…"

"It's not the danger I'm concerned with," Dorian said. "I know you can handle yourself. I'm concerned that the more people who come along, the more chance there is of something going wrong and completely destroying the timeline!"

"Aw, come on! What's the worst that could happen?"

Dorian gave her a look that said, "Really?", "Do you want the answer to that? I mean, do you really want the honest answer?"

"…No."

"Exactly. So, stay!" He ordered again before heading towards the door that led to the cells with Cullen and Snow behind him. The three of them got down to the cells and walked over to Alexius's. "We have the amulet, Alexius." Dorian said, "So, send us into the past like you promised."

"We?" He asked. "You two are going now, too?"

"Yes, I figured Snow needed an expert in this area, and Cullen is going to be her bodyguard, I guess."

"Hm… very well." He took the amulet from Snow, and he used his magic to power up the stone that then opened a swirling portal that sucked the three of them in. Right before it closed, however, Luna ran over and jumped in, too, being followed by Fenris, then Azariah and Alistair. It then closed, and Alexius was left wondering why the four others decided to jump in, too.

Roughly a year earlier, a portal opened above a snowbank and the seven of them fell out, right into the snow before the portal closed behind them. Dorian was the first to get up and looked pissed, "What in the Maker's name are you four doing here?!"

"I told you…" Luna said. "There's no way I am missing this adventure!"

"I was trying to stop her." Fenris said. "I got a little too close to the portal, though, and got sucked in as well."

Dorian looked at Alistair and Azariah. "And your guy's excuse?"

"When Fenris started getting sucked in, I tried to grab him, but the suction was too strong." Azariah answered.

"And I tried grabbing Azariah." Alistair added.

"So, basically, it was just a chain of people trying to grab the person in front of them." Luna joked.

"Then, this is your doing." Dorian growled at her. "If you hadn't run in, Fenris never would've tried to grab you, Azariah wouldn't have tried to grab him, and Alistair wouldn't have tried to grab her!" He pointed to each person as he said their names.

Luna sat there, completely unfazed. "Yeah? And?"

Dorian gritted his teeth and looked about ready to strangle Luna, but then just growled and turned his back to her.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now, so we'll just have to deal with it." Snow said.

Luna nodded, then asked, "Where are we, anyway?"

"We're in Haven." Azariah answered after getting off the snowbank, looking at the town on the other side of the frozen lake.

"How'd you know?" Cullen asked.

"I've been here before."

"Oh, right! Leliana told me!" Snow said. "You guys came here during the blight."

"Yep. Back then, it was filled with dragon-worshiping cultists. Hopefully, it isn't now." Alistair joked.

Snow chuckled. "Well, it seems that now what we have to do is find out exactly when we are and how long we have until the conclave." Everyone agreed to that plan, so they then started making their way towards Haven.

"Wait a minute!" Dorian suddenly cried, stopping dead in his tracks, as they walked across the frozen lake, and they all looked at him. "I just realized something… how are we going to get back to our own time?"

"Um…" Snow mumbled, realizing she hadn't even asked herself that question.

"Um?! I thought you thought this through!"

"I was just thinking we'd take things one step at a time! Besides, you once told me it's okay not to think everything through!"

"Maybe not everything, but this is kind of important!"

"Relax." Azariah said, "We'll figure that out later. Right now, let's just stick to Snow's plan and take it one step at a time."

"Fine." Dorian reluctantly agreed. "Ah! One more thing…"

"Yes?" Snow asked.

"It is absolutely critical that we stay away people and avoid talking to anyone." Snow looked ready to say something, but he quickly added, cutting her off, "Besides Galyan. Especially try to stay away from your past selves."

"Past selves?" Cullen asked.

"Yes, the you that is in this time. I don't know exactly what would happen if you did run into yourself, but let's not test it to find out, okay?"

"Good idea!" Snow agreed, and when they made it to the outskirts of Haven, they began looking around, with caution. When they heard footsteps coming towards them in the snow, they all quickly ducked for cover.

"How long until the mage and templar leaders get here?" Divine Justinia asked Cassandra as they walked.

"The latest reports say that they should be here in a week, Most Holy." Cassandra answered.

"A week…" Snow whispered to Cullen who was hiding next to her. "That should be more than enough time, right?" He nodded.

"Good," Justinia said. "With luck, we will find a way to end this foolish war." Cassandra gave a slight nod in agreement before Justinia started walking away, but she then stopped and turned back around. "Oh, I almost forgot. That young man, Galyan, arrived earlier; he was looking for you."

"He's here already?"

Justinia nodded, "I told him where you were staying, I hope that is alright."

"Of course. Thank you, Most Holy." Cassandra bowed her head respectively and headed towards the gate into Haven.

Snow chuckled, hardly believing their luck. "Well, this should be easy. Come on." She whispered and they all followed Cassandra, doing their best to not be noticed by her or anyone else. Cassandra entered one of the houses in town, the back of which was adjacent to the walls surrounding the town, so they went around back and peeked in through the couple of windows.

"Galyan!" Cassandra said happily, a smile lighting up her face, and he turned around, smiling himself when he saw her.

"Cassandra!" He ran over and pulled her into his arms for a loving embrace, which she returned wholeheartedly. "I've missed you so much!"

"That's Galyan?" Luna asked in a whisper, sounding a bit surprised. "I do have an elf-fetish, but I think for him, I would make an exception." Fenris cleared his throat angrily, reminding her that he was there, but she just shrugged and said, "Just saying."

Azariah chuckled quietly and shook her head amused before looking back into the window.

"I've missed you, too!" Cassandra said and pulled away enough to look him in the eyes, but still have her arms around his neck. "I didn't expect to see you here so soon, though."

"Well, I figured that I'd surprise you. I know you can't get enough of my charming self!"

"Galyan, you are an idiot." She said, and they both laughed. "I forgive you, though, because you're my idiot."

"And proud of it!" Galyan said happily. He then took her hand into his gently and kissed it, right above the ring on her finger. "I'm really glad you accepted this. After all, this is – and always will be – symbol of my love for you."

"So, she got that ring from him?" Dorian asked.

"It appears so. I've seen her wearing it before, but never asked her where she got it." Snow answered. "The fact that she still wears it is enough to prove that she still loves him, which is good, considering we came to bring him back with us!"

"Wait, what? Bring him back with us?" Dorian asked. "I thought we were just going to stop him from being at the conclave."

"No, because what if something happens to him between then and the present? He could still be dead when we get back to our time. So, the only way to fully insure that he lives is to bring him back to our time with us."

"And just how are we going to do that?" Dorian asked, "Especially since we don't even know how we're getting back yet?" Snow and Cullen both gave him a look, and he sighed. "Right. One step at a time."

"Cassandra…" Galyan practically sighed her name happily and placed his forehead against hers. "You truly are beautiful, you know that?"

"No, I do not know that."

"Yes, you do. You're perfect, and I am truly the luckiest man in all of Thedas to have you."

"Galyan, you don't have to-" She was cut off when he kissed her on the lips passionately.

"I'll prove it to you." He suddenly picked her up in his arms bridal-style in one quick motion and laid her on the bed, then got on himself.

He began kissing her neck and trailing his hands down her body, and she sighed, saying, "I don't see how making love to me is supposed to prove that I'm perfect." Despite saying that, she made absolutely no attempt to stop him and simply laid there.

He lifted himself up a bit and looked at her lovingly, green eyes meeting brown, "I don't make love to just anyone, you know. I accept nothing less than perfection." Cassandra blushed and looked at the wall, and he chuckled, kissing her neck gently. "I love you, Cassandra, no matter what you think of yourself."

"I love you, too, Galyan." She whispered and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss him. Galyan smiled into the kiss and completely laid down on top of her, but also made sure to not crush her.

"Are they really going to…?" Cullen trailed off on his question, but they all knew what he was going to ask. They all watched as Galyan worked on getting Cassandra's breastplate off and she was unbuttoning his green and tan shirt.

"It seems they are." Fenris said, plainly.

"Then we should leave. We shouldn't be watching this." He stood up and was followed by everyone else, except one… "Luna, let's go." He whispered, but with authority in his voice.

"No. It's just getting interesting!" Luna said with a smirk, her eyes lit up in excitement.

Cullen growled and grabbed Luna by the shoulders, "Come on!" He then dragged her away.

Inside the room, Cassandra looked at the window on the opposite wall and asked, "Did you hear something?"

"No, why? What do you think you heard?"

"It sounded like someone right outside the window." Cassandra looked back at him and smiled, "It's not important." She flipped them over on the bed and straddled his hips.

Galyan smirked and joked, "Still prefer the top, do you?" He then laughed, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. Don't punch me."

Cassandra just shook her head but had a smile on her face. "Just kiss me, you fool!" Galyan smiled and did just that while placing his hands on her hips.

Back outside, Cullen wasn't watching where he was going and accidently ran right into someone. "Oh, sorry."

"Commander? How did you get here so fast?" The scout asked. "I just saw you in the training area."

"Uh… well, I…" He muttered.

"Never mind. I'll just go check in with Seeker Pentaghast before I forget."

"What? No, you can't go in there." Snow said, standing in front of the door.

"Huh? Who are you?"

'Right. No one here knows who I am yet.' She thought. "I'm… Mary."

"Okay, Mary…" The scout looked at her questionably. "Why can't I go in there? The commander gave me orders to check in with Seeker Pentaghast, right, Commander?"

"Yes, I did…" Cullen said, remembering when he had done so. "But I've already checked with her, so you don't have to anymore."

"But just a moment ago, you told me-"

Cullen cut her off, "And now I'm telling you that you don't have to anymore, so you can go about your normal business."

The scout scratched the back of her head, beyond confused, "But… alright, then." She then turned on her heal and walked away before the others came out from behind their hiding places, and Cullen realized he was still holding onto the back of Luna's shirt, so let her go.

"Mary? Really?" Dorian asked Snow.

She shrugged, "It's my sister's name."

About ten minutes later, they were all sitting around in a spot out of sight, and once Luna thought no one was looking, she stood up and started walking off, but Azariah spoke up, alerting everyone else that she was trying to leave, "Where are you going?"

"You are not going back there just so you can watch them." Cullen growled at her.

Luna plopped back down, pouting. "Why did you fall in love with him of all people, Snow? He's such a fucking tight ass!" Azariah laughed, and Luna looked at her, "What?"

"I'm sorry. It's just… hearing you say that Cullen is a tight ass is funny, considering Fenris is worse than him."

"No, he's not."

"I have to agree with Cullen." Dorian said, trying to simply change the subject a bit. "If Cassandra sees you, it would be very bad, and not just because she would kick your ass for spying…"

"I'm good at staying unseen, remember?"

"Luna, can't you behave? Just this once?" Snow pleaded.

"Where's the fun in that? After all, if you're going to live life, why not live it to the fullest?"

"Please, Luna, just stop."

Luna sighed, "Fine, fine, I'll… behave."

A bit later, back with Galyan and Cassandra, they were lying on the bed and simply enjoying the closeness when he looked down at her and smiled, "I love you, Cassandra."

"I love you, too." Cassandra kissed him on the lips again before placing her head on his chest and let out a contended sigh as he wrapped his arms around her and held her there. They were both silent before she suddenly let out a chuckle, and he looked down at her.

"What? What's so funny?" He asked.

"This." She answered, and he looked confused, so she elaborated, "Who would've guessed that we'd become this close when we first met?"

"Oh!" He said in understanding and chuckled himself. "I know. I mean, you tried to kill me when we first met."

"I thought you were a blood mage."

"And yet, you kept swinging your sword around at me even after I told you I was a circle mage, and even said that you'd cut me down if I was of no use to you." He replied, amused as he thought about those times.

"Alright, I get it… I was a bitch."

"I didn't mean it like that." He insisted, worried that he had hurt her feelings, but when she smiled, he knew she was just teasing him, and he kissed her forehead softly. "What I mean is, we really have come a long way since then."

That evening, after sundown, Snow was still with everyone else when she saw Cassandra and Galyan walk by, and she motioned for them to follow her, which they did. They followed far enough away from Cassandra and Galyan, so they wouldn't know they were being followed. As they walked, the two of them had their fingers intertwined while holding hands and were content to just walk in silence, simply enjoying the other's company. Suddenly, Cassandra's stomach growled loudly, and Galyan laughed, "Hungry?"

Cassandra looked somewhat sheepish. "I haven't eaten anything since this morning."

"Well, that's no good. We should go get something to eat, then. Besides… after that amazing session, I'm in need of some fuel myself." He winked.

"You fool!" She wasn't able to hide her blush, and he laughed.

"It was that good?" Luna whispered to herself, then glared at Cullen. "Thanks a lot for not letting me watch!"

"It wouldn't have been right!"

"Would you two please stop!" Azariah growled. "Luna, stop acting like a spoiled brat and behave, and Cullen, stop trying to control everyone! There! It's over! If I hear another word out of either of you about it, I swear to the Maker, you will both regret it!"

"Whoa! Way to take charge." Dorian said.

"I am still Queen here, past or no." Azariah replied. "And as queen, it's my responsibility to take charge. Now… are we still following Cassandra and Galyan or not?"

Snow nodded. "Yes, we are. Let's go."

They followed after Snow, and Dorian nudged Alistair in the arm, saying, "That's one heck of a woman you got there."

"Tell me about it!" Alistair laughed, looking at his wife happily.

They followed Cassandra and Galyan to the tavern and took seats at a table far enough away from them so they wouldn't look suspicious, but also close enough to hear their conversation.

"So, do you have any plans for after the conclave?" Galyan asked.

"What I do afterwards all depends on how the whole thing goes, really. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering… well, more like hoping that… you would come with me afterwards."

"Go with you? Where?"

"I'm not sure where exactly, but it doesn't matter. We could run away together, maybe settle down and start a family. It doesn't matter to me where we go or what we do, so long as we're together."

Cassandra smiled, albeit sadly. One of the reasons she fell in love with him was because he was because he was romantic*. "Galyan… it sounds wonderful…"

"But?"

She looked at him regrettably. "But I don't think it's ever going to happen. Even though the circles have dissolved and I've left the Seekers, we still have responsibilities, and we-"

"That's all you ever think about, isn't it?!" Galyan snapped, surprising Cassandra, as well as everyone else. "Responsibility this, and responsibility that! Do you ever stop to think about what you want, and not just what you have to do?!"

"Of course I do, but as a seeker, I learned that duty always comes first. You cannot put your personal wants ahead of what needs to be done."

"Then what about me? Have you ever thought about what I might want? I mean, dammit Cassandra, we've been together for more than ten years, and yet, you still put everything else ahead of our relationship!"

"That's not true!" She argued.

"Isn't it?! Tell me honestly, when was the last time you asked yourself "where is our relationship headed?"! You expect me to just be fine with us only seeing each other every once in a while, but I'm not! I'm a man, Cassandra, and I do have needs!" He said, and before she could say anything back, he added, "And I'm not talking about sex! I'm talking about just being able to spend time with you: talking to you, sleeping beside you at night, being able to wake up with you in my arms! That's what I want!"

"Galyan…" She was almost speechless as tears came to her eyes, seeing how much being away from her was hurting him. Once she got herself calmed down a bit, she said, "I understand why you feel this way, and to be honest, I feel the exact same way. I hate being away from you. I just always consoled myself by saying that I was doing what I had to, not just for me, but for you as well. You're right, though… we can't go on like this anymore…"

From the other table, Snow looked really tense and worried, biting her lip. "Please don't break up with him…" She muttered underneath her breath. She wasn't just worried about it because it would mean that the whole trip was wasted, but also because she wanted them together.

Cassandra smiled at him lovingly, taking his hands into hers. "After the conclave is over and things are resolved, I am leaving with you. I don't care what Divine Justinia will say, I don't care what anyone will say. I am not going to let you leave without me."

Galyan's face broke out in a large smile. "Cassandra…" His eyes shined with happiness. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that!" He leaned over the table and kissed her passionately, and she returned the gesture, not even caring if everyone was staring at them.

Snow watched and sighed, holding her hands over her heart with a dreamy look on her face. "It just completely melts your heart seeing such love, doesn't it?"

"It does." Azariah agreed.

"Which is exactly why this needs to work!" Snow said, now even more determined.

After Cassandra and Galyan ate, they left the tavern, once again walking hand-in-hand, and headed outside of the town and sat down on the docks of the frozen lake. "It's beautiful out here tonight." Cassandra said as she laid her head on Galyan's shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"It is." He agreed.

There was silence until Cassandra spoke up again. "I'm glad the mages and templars agreed to come to the conclave. I was worried that this foolish war was going to claim your life." Tears formed in Cassandra's eyes at the thought of losing him, showing her weakness, as she so rarely did, but with him, she had learned to lower the walls she had built up.

"Hey, don't talk like that." He cupped her chin in his hand and looked into her eyes deeply. "Nothing is going to happen to me, and nothing is going to happen to you, either. We have been through the bad and the good together, and nothing will ever separate us again."

"You sound so sure."

"I'm not, but it's all I know. If we believe in each other and our love, we can overcome anything. We have proven it before and we can do it again."

Cassandra smiled and kissed his cheek, then hugged his arm and laid her head back on his shoulder. "You make me believe, Galyan. Thank you."

Galyan kissed her forehead and looked up at the stars, lying his head on top of hers. After a few minutes of sitting there in silence, and after a cold breath of wind swept by them, Galyan spoke up. "It's getting cold." He looked down when she didn't say anything and realized that she was asleep. He smiled warmly and carefully picked her up so he wouldn't wake her and brought her back into the village. He then brought her inside the house she was staying at and carefully laid her down on the bed. "Good night, Cassandra." He whispered and kissed her cheek before standing up and leaving to let her sleep. Once he was outside, Snow realized it was finally their chance to talk to him, so went over with everyone else.

"Hello." Snow greeted.

"Oh, hello." He greeted back.

"My name is Snow, and these are my friends: Dorian, Cullen, Azariah, Luna, Alistair, and Fenris."

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Regalyan D'Marcell." He bowed slightly as he said his name.

"Regalyan? I thought your name was just Galyan."

"That's what everyone calls me, yes, but my full first name is Regalyan." He then paused and asked, "Wait a minute… how do you know what everyone calls me?" He looked at her suspiciously.

"Well…" Snow took a deep breath and explained, "This is going to sound completely crazy, but we're from the future… about a year into the future, actually, and your life is in danger."

Galyan just stared at her before bursting into laughter. "That's funny! Now, tell me about the one with the unicorns and rainbows!"

"I'm serious!" Snow said, urgently. "The conclave is going to be a disaster!"

"It's true." Dorian agreed. "An ancient Tevinter magister is going to cause a huge explosion during the conclave, and Snow here is going to be the only survivor; everyone else there, including you, is going to die."

Galyan looked at them seriously with his arms folded over his chest. "If you all really are from the future and you know that this is going to happen, why not stop it from happening at all, instead of just warning me?"

"Because… as awful as it is, that event needs to happen!" Dorian said. "We cannot change the past dramatically, we are endangering the entire timeline just telling you about it! I know how this all must sound like a lunatic's doomsday nonsense, but it's the complete truth."

"Alright… assuming I am starting to believe you, tell me something… what happens to Cassandra? Does she survive?"

"Yes, she's alive." Snow assured him. "In fact, the whole reason I came here is because back in our time, Cassandra was missing you terribly. So, I came to bring you back with us. After all, isn't that what you want, too? To be with Cassandra?"

"More than anything, but… why would you want us together?"

"Because being with you again would make her happy, and she's my best friend. I'd do anything for my friends."

"Believe it. Snow has come this far for her."

"Then… maybe you'll be willing to go a little further?"

"Uh oh… I don't like the sound of that." Dorian mumbled.

"Don't worry, it's nothing dangerous. It's just… if what you're saying about the conclave is true, then there's one other person that needs to be saved…" He said, worriedly.

"No! No one else!" Dorian demanded. "Look… Galyan, we're already putting the whole world in danger by simply being here. It's even more dangerous for us to be talking to you and bringing you back with us. If we even tell anyone else about all this, something terrible is bound to happen."

"Please, just hear me out… see, there's this girl named Avexis, she's going to be at the conclave, too, and I can't let her die. I mean, she's my daughter."

"You have a daughter?" Snow asked, surprised.

"Sort of. I mean, she's not mine and Cassandra's by blood, but we've always sort of seen her like a daughter, and she's always seen us like her parents, so we just became an illegitimate family. So, you can see why I don't want her to die, too." He looked at Snow, pleadingly, "You said you'd do anything for your friends, and this isn't just for me. I know Cassandra wouldn't want anything to happen to Avexis either."

Snow looked at Dorian and gave him the same pleading look that Galyan was giving her, but he just said, "No!"

"But Dorian…"

"Excuse us." Dorian said to Galyan and walked a few feet away with Snow. "Snow, we can't! I didn't even want to come here to save him, remember?"

"Yet you did."

"Yes… against my better judgement, I did, but saving him is as far as I will go."

"Snow… Dorian, please…" Galyan pleaded. "Besides Cassandra, Avexis is the only family I have left. I can't just let her die! If it was your daughter, what would you do?"

"I have nothing against you or her, Galyan. This is just the way things have to be is all. I'm sorry."

Galyan sighed, sadly, "I understand…"

After talking to them and agreeing to go back to the future with them, he went back into the house and saw that Cassandra was still fast asleep, lying on her stomach with her head on her arms. He walked to the side of the bed and sat down slowly, running his fingers through her short, smooth jet-black hair. 'What am I going to tell her…? "Cassandra, I know a way to prevent my death, but Avexis is still going to die?" I can't tell her that! I know she loves Avexis as much as I do.'

One afternoon a few years ago, Galyan was on the bottom floor of the circle tower waiting for Cassandra when someone came up behind him and threw their arms over his shoulders. "Hi papa!"

Galyan chuckled and placed his hand on her arm. "Hi Avexis!"

"What are you doing? Waiting for mama?"

"Yes, she should be here soon."

Then, as if on cue, Cassandra walked through the massive doors of the tower and immediately spotted them. "Galyan, Avexis," She smiled and walked over to them. "It's so good to see you two!"

"It's good to see you, too, mama!" Avexis said, and Cassandra chuckled.

Later, the three of them were in the courtyard as they talked about what had been going on recently with all of them. Just then, one of the apprentices walked by and spotted Cassandra, and he gasped, asking, "You…You're the Hero of Orlais, aren't you?"

"Uh…"

"That's her!" Avexis said, proudly. "My mama, the Hero of Orlais, and Right Hand of the Divine herself!" Cassandra just smiled and shook her head. She didn't like talking about being the "Hero of Orlais" but seeing Avexis talking about her so proudly made her smile.

"Your… mama?" The boy asked. "How can she be your mother?"

"She and Galyan adopted me… sort of."

"Oh. So, she's not your real mother."

"Just because she's not my birth mother doesn't mean she's not my real mother." Avexis argued. "I love her and Galyan as if they were my real parents."

"And we love you, Avexis." Cassandra said with a kind smile, and Avexis hugged her.

Galyan got a determined look in his eyes as he thought, 'No, I am not going to save my own skin if it means Avexis is going to die! We'll either both live, or both die!' He looked down at Cassandra and kissed her forehead. "Wish me luck, my love." He whispered to her before grabbing a few things and leaving, but not without leaving a note.

The next morning, our little adventuring group (it's easier than saying all their names) were alerted of a small commotion going on at the stables, and they made their way there to see what it was.

"Cassandra, calm down." Leliana said, placing her hand on her shoulder. "What is going on?"

"Galyan is gone, that is what's going on! He left a note saying that he was going to save Avexis or die trying."

"That's it?"

"Yes, that's it! He doesn't say where he's going or even what kind of danger Avexis is in! I just don't understand… why would he just run off like this, especially after making such a big deal about us not seeing each other enough?"

"I don't know… there must be an explanation."

"Well, I'm going after him to find out what that is." Cassandra said and began saddling up her horse.

"But you just said you don't know where he went!"

"True, but that doesn't mean I won't still try to find him and Avexis."

"But Cassandra, we need you here! You can't just leave!"

"I'm sorry, but you're not going to stop me." Cassandra let out a sigh and added, "My mentor, Byron, once told me that I needed to look at the world through the eyes of my heart, and not just the ones in my head. This is what my heart is telling me I have to do."

Leliana was silent for a moment before nodding, "Alright. Go, then. I will cover for you as long as I possibly can."

Cassandra smiled, placing her hand on Leliana's shoulder appreciatively, "Thank you." She then got on her horse and rode away.

"Galyan left to go save Avexis?" Snow asked, then glared at Dorian. "Thanks a lot!"

"How in Andraste's name is this my fault?!" Dorian said, angrily.

"You were the one who told Galyan that we couldn't afford to save both of them! So now, he's determined to save her on his own, which could get them both killed!"

"Hey, this was all your idea in the first place!" Dorian pointed an accusing finger at her. "None of this would even be happening if you had just listened to me!"

"Knock it off, both of you." Cullen said. "Look, all I know is… Cassandra just took off after Galyan and Avexis, and if something happens to her, we could all be in real trouble!"

"How do you mean?" Snow asked.

"Cassandra is the one who actually starts the Inquisition, remember? No Inquisition…"

"Would mean no world…" Snow finished, realizing what he was getting at.

"Oh, fuck me!" Dorian cried in frustration, rubbing his temple. "We better chase after her, then, and make sure she doesn't kill herself!"

A couple hours later, Cassandra finally caught up with Galyan on the road that was surrounded by thick forest on either side, and was being unknowingly followed by everyone else. "Galyan!" She called as she got off her horse and ran over to him. "You had me worried. Why did you just run off?"

"I need to find Avexis, and I didn't want to put you in danger, which is why I left without you. I was going to go back as soon as I found her."

"I know, but now, you don't have to. I'm coming with you."

"No. I don't want to put you in any danger."

"What danger? How do you even know Avexis is in danger?" She asked, but when he didn't say anything, she insisted, "Tell me!"

"I don't want to involve you in this."

"Those are the exact words Byron said to me after taking Avexis from her guards."

Galyan let out a deep sigh. "…Alright, but just please promise me that you'll be careful and not do anything crazy."

"I promise," She went back over to her horse and took the reins, leading it forward and began walking beside Galyan. "But I notice you didn't answer my question. How do you know Avexis is in danger?"

"I can't say, but I can tell you that she's not in danger yet."

"Galyan… you're not making any sense."

"I know, but you're just going to have to trust me."

"I trust you."

"Good." They continued walking until Galyan suddenly thought of something and chuckled. "This, uh… kind of brings back old times, though, doesn't it? You and me travelling together, chasing after Avexis who is in danger."

Cassandra laughed and nodded. "Yes, but this time, she's not being held captive by blood mages who want to twist her powers to control dragons and kill the Divine."

"True." He agreed, and they both laughed.

"Blood mages?" Snow whispered, confused.

"Twisting her powers to control dragons?" Dorian asked, just as confused.

"When we have time, I would love to hear that story!" Luna said.

"That's probably what was going on with that dragon battle at the Grand Cathedral when I was there…" Azariah mumbled to herself, and Luna heard her since she was standing right next to her.

"Huh? You were at the Grand Cathedral when there was a dragon battle?"

"Yeah. My father took my brother and I there for the ten-year gathering. It was quite the awe-inspiring battle, and honestly, one of the reasons I worked so hard at being the best warrior I could."

"So, you were there? What happened?"

"I just know what I saw, but I don't know all the details of the story leading up to it, or what happened after. I can tell you all later what I saw, but right now, don't we have more pressing matters?"

"Oh, yes! You're right! We can talk about it later!" Snow said, and they began following Cassandra once again.

Another few hours went by, and they had lost track of Cassandra and Galyan, so were merely walking down a mountain trail and trying to find their bearings. Suddenly, a loud roar pierced through the air and a mountain lion came jumping down from a rock along the side of the road to right in front of them, growling and looking ready to pounce.

"Whoa!" Dorian cried. "Um… does anyone know how to calm an angry cougar?"

Before anyone knew it, a blonde-haired elf girl wearing a set of light, elven-crafted armor and carrying a mage staff, was there and slowly approached the angry cougar. Strangely, it seemed to calm down in her presence and even stopped behaving aggressively all together, relaxing and standing up straight. After a moment or so, it simply turned and headed back into the forest on the side of the trail it came from.

"Wow! That was amazing! What did you do?" Snow asked, astonished.

"I have always been able to control wild animals, or any animal, really. It's a talent I was born with." The elf answered, and she tilted her head to the side a bit as her blue eyes held curiosity. "If I may, what brings a group like yours way out here?"

"We're looking for our friends." Snow answered. "We lost track of them."

"Oh? Why did your friends come out this way?"

"Before we answer that, what are you doing out here, especially all by yourself?" Fenris asked.

"I'm not all by myself." She whistled, and a big Harris Hawk came down and landed on her arm as she held it out for him.

"Alright, so what are you and your pet bird doing out here?" Fenris corrected.

"His name is Phoenix, and he's not my pet, he is my eyes and ears from the air." She said as her hawk walked up her arm and onto her shoulder as she leaned forward on her staff. "But, to answer your question, I am on my way to Haven to meet up with my mama and papa before the conclave."

"Who are your mama and papa?" Luna asked.

"Their names are Galyan and Cassandra, and I-"

"Wait a minute!" Snow cried, cutting her off. "Wait a minute! You're Avexis?!"

She looked shocked. "You know me?"

"Cassandra and Galyan are who we are looking for, and they came out here to look for you!"

"They left Haven and came all the way out here to look for me? I have to go find them, then!" She started to run down the trail, but stopped when Snow called her name.

"Avexis, wait! Let us come with you!" She nodded and agreed, and they all continued down the trail, looking for Cassandra and Galyan.

Avexis had Phoenix fly into the air and had him watching the path ahead of them. During their walk, they explained everything to Avexis, from them coming there from the future and making sure to stress that Cassandra could not see them. However, they didn't mention anything about the conclave or the destruction of it, since Dorian was still adamant about not involving her.

As they neared Redcliffe, Phoenix came back down and screeched at them while flapping his wings back and forth, alerting them that he had found Cassandra and Galyan. He then took off again, and Avexis ran after him, while they all followed her, but were slower so they wouldn't be noticed as they entered town. Phoenix led Avexis to the Gull and Lantern by landing on the perch of the sign hanging outside the door. She headed straight inside and immediately saw them sitting at one of the tables. "Mama! Papa!" She cried, happily, and rushed over to them.

"Avexis!" Galyan greeted back with a smile as he stood up and hugged her. "I was going to send you a message. How did you know we were here?"

"Phoenix showed me the way," She answered, not mentioning anything about Snow or the others, since Cassandra was right there. "And I'm glad he did. I was on my way to Haven, but I wouldn't have seen you two there." She looked at Cassandra and gave her a hug. "I've missed you both so much."

Cassandra smiled and hugged her back. "We've missed you, too."

About an hour later, Cassandra and Avexis were both asleep on one of the beds upstairs while Galyan just watched them and smiled. 'I am truly a blessed man! I have the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with and our amazing daughter! Truly, what more could a man need?' He thought, happily. Suddenly, he heard someone whisper his name, and he looked at the door to see Snow peaking in, then motion for him to come out. He glanced back at Cassandra and Avexis quickly before standing up and walking out of the room. "Oh, it's you guys."

"Surprised?" Dorian asked. "You didn't honestly think we'd just let you go and get yourself killed, did you? Oh, and you can thank us for letting your daughter know that you and Cassandra left Haven to find her."

"Thank you for that. I was going to go back, though."

"Going to?" Snow asked. "You mean, you're not anymore?"

"I have Cassandra, and I have Avexis, so why should I?"

"Because Cassandra has to be in Haven during the conclave!" Cullen stressed. "She starts a new Inquisition that puts the pieces of the world back together and prevents total destruction. So, you can see how important she is to future events."

"Also, we came here to bring you back with us, not just warn you about the conclave." Snow added.

"Then, you're bringing Avexis back, too." Galyan said, stubbornly.

"We can't!" Dorian growled. "I've already explained this to you!"

"I know you did, but I am not going unless she does, too."

Dorian let out a deep sigh, and knowing he'd never win this battle, and that Snow would never accept not bringing Galyan back, he gave in. "Fine, dammit! If you want Avexis to come back with you that much, then go ahead!"

"Thank you!" Galyan said, sighing with relief. "You have no idea how much this means, not just to me, but to Cassandra as well."

"I have a condition for allowing this, however…"

"Name it."

"This is very important, and you absolutely have to do it!"

"Okay…" Galyan said, now a bit nervous about what this condition would be.

"Cassandra needs to think that you both die at the conclave, so when that day comes, you two have to act like you're heading there."

"Why does she need to think that we died?"

"Because if you tell her that you will see her again in the future, it could affect what she does during that time, and that itself could change history. I could go into great detail about what might happen if you tell her that you will survive, if you like."

"No, thanks." Galyan said, holding his hands up to stop him from doing so. "I get the gist of it. You are letting me take Avexis back now, so I won't push you any further; I'll do it."

"Good." Dorian said, simply.

––

*Remember, Cassandra is a closet hopeless romantic, lol!

Heyho! What's up, everyone? I've been meaning to re-write this story for a while, and I'm finally getting around to it! It may take a while because stupid me deleted the saved word documents on my flash drive, so I have to re-write the whole thing from scratch, and I've obviously made some changes and improvements!

Next chapter coming soon!