"I can't do this."

"Yes, you can!"

"I don't even know this girl!"

Cullen started to pace in the hotel room. He could already feel himself sweating through his nice button up shirt, his palms were clammy, and he felt as if everything was crashing down around him.

How did he ever let Alistair talk him into this?!

Alistair, meanwhile, was sitting on one of the room's beds next to Varric, who looked amused by the whole situation. "Cullen, I already told you that I know this girl. Everything will be fine!"

Alistair was trying to reassure him, but Cullen didn't feel it in the least. "And why have I never met her if you and Eryn know her so well?!"

"Because you ducked out whenever we invited you both to things!"

Cullen flinched. He supposed he was the only one to blame for that one.

Now, one may be wondering how the poor man was in this state. Cullen was feeling sorrier for himself than usual one night and he made a bad decision involving alcohol. All his sisters talked about was this show called Married at First Sight and he stupidly filled out a profile.

What sobered him up was when he received an email three weeks later from the producers and the matchmakers on the show saying they wanted to interview him because they believed they could match him with someone. And they wanted him and this woman to be on the show.

He had panicked and told Alistair right away and Alistair looked at the name of the girl they matched him with. Alistair then told him this was the girl he and his wife had been trying to get Cullen to meet for almost a year now.

And then Cullen let Alistair, Alistair's wife, Eryn, and his sisters talk him into actually going through with this.

Now, Cullen found himself on the morning of his wedding day, panicking.

"Here," Alistair tossed him a new shirt, "you have a gift from her. You sent her something, right?"

"Of course I did!"

Cullen quickly pulled off the shirt he already managed to sweat through and shrugged on the new on. He gulped heavily as he stared down at the small gift bag. He had sent her some new books, which Alistair, Eryn, and the profile the matchmakers sent him said she would like.

The fact she was here in the same building was blowing his mind.

Was she as worried about this as he was? Was she scared? Nervous? Excited?

Cullen's stomach churned as he opened the small bag and removed the tissue paper from inside. His eyes widened and his breath hitched when he saw the hint of gold peek up at him. It was a small pendent in the shape of the Andrastian symbol. The small sun was a hint of familiarity and he gingerly picked it up and noticed it was on a chain. A small notecard fluttered down from the tissue paper and Cullen quickly picked it up.

'Cullen, here's to hoping Andraste will guide us. Can't wait to meet you!'

Meanwhile, Cullen didn't know what to think. She couldn't wait to meet him? He suddenly felt calmer for some reason. Maybe she was just as nervous, but she might be more optimistic about it.

"Aw, that was nice of her," Varric drawled, sprawling back onto his bed.

Cullen's panic suddenly came back with revenge. "Oh Maker, what if I ruin her life? What if I become one of those arsehole husbands on this show? What if she doesn't like me? What if-"

"Curly!"

It was Varric who interrupted him this time.

"You're incapable of being a life ruiner. I've met too many of those and you don't fit the profile. And do me a favor," Varric stood and crossed his arms, "Stop overthinking this. Treat this like any other romantic relationship you had. Stop thinking about the damn show for a moment and just think of this as a weird first date."

Alistair nodded in approval. "Believe me, Cullen, Eryn and I wouldn't have tried to so hard for so long if we didn't think you would like this girl. We think you two are perfect for each other. The people on the show just had more luck with making you go through with actually meeting her."

Cullen stared down at the necklace in his hands. With a deep breath, he slipped it over his head and tucked it under his shirt.

"Alright."

Tessa had imagined her wedding day many times.

She imagined a beach wedding or something spectacular. Other times her wedding day was on a perfect fall day with the beautiful colors of the trees everywhere. And sometimes she even imagined something crazy, like a themed wedding.

This…was never in her imagination.

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

She looked up at her Maid of Honor and one bridesmaid and tried to stay calm. What if he didn't like her? What if she wasn't what he imagined? What if her inexperience ruined everything?

"Hey, me neither, but here we are," Marian joked, pulling at the top of the strapless dress she was wearing.

Marian Hawke had been the easy, lighthearted, sarcastic reassurance Tessa had needed throughout all of this while Eryn was the steadfast, confident, tough-love support.

"Tessa, how many times have I told you that you guys would be perfect together?" Eryn asked around the bobby pins in her mouth. She pinned another lock of Tessa's hair back.

"I still don't understand how I have never met him before!"

"Because one of you guys would always duck out whenever Ali and I invited you guys to anything. It was infuriating beyond belief," Eryn huffed.

Tessa flinched. Her mother had told her she was married to her job once. Tessa had always ducked out because she was always on-call at the hospital. Being one of the few mage-Nurses there put her skills in high demand. She never made it to anything Eryn mentioned because she had to work.

"I expect you to not be on-call all the time once you're married. You guys need to spend time together," Eryn ordered, pinning the last bobby pin in Tessa's hair.

"No kidding. Nothing will work if you're seeing your patients more than him," Marian agreed.

Tessa looked down at the books in her lap. She stroked her fingers down the spines and she couldn't help but grin a little. She hoped he liked her gift. She decided to get him an Andrastian necklace because she knew he used to be a Templar. Alistair had told her he had strong faith as well.

That was another thing Tessa had never imagined on her wedding day.

Marrying a Templar…or an ex-Templar.

The Circles of Thedas were basically boarding schools for mages. Many saw them as privileged prisons. She left home when she was 11 and she stayed until she graduated at 17. She then went to Denerim University, where she met Eryn and Marian, and they have been best friends ever since.

Mages were allowed to study outside of the Circle and Tessa was able to get a nursing degree and she worked at the local hospital in the ER. Tessa never minded the Circle, but she did have a small issue with Templars once.

But, what did her future husband think of all of this?

Both Eryn and Alistair told her he knew she was a mage and he truly didn't have a problem with it.

She still worried, despite that.

"I'm still releasing the doves at the end of the ceremony right?"

Both Tessa and Eryn stared at Marian for a moment before bursting into laughter.

All three women made it out of the hotel room and Eryn and Marian held Tessa's hands as they walked closer and closer to the room the ceremony was being held in.

Tessa's father was already waiting for them and Alistair and Varric were standing near him.

"Varric! Looks like we're finally walking down the aisle!" Marian laughed, sweeping the dwarf up in her arms and planting a kiss on his head.

"Yeah, Broody is gonna kill me."

Tessa couldn't help but smile at the two as they continued their banter to the door of the room.

Cedric Trevelyan held out his arm for his daughter. "Ready?"

Tessa bit her lip and glanced toward Eryn, who gave her a big, encouraging smile before linking her arm with Alistair's and walking through the double doors after Marian and Varric.

"Not really," she mumbled, linking her arm with her father's. Some of the TV show crew members gave her the bouquet and she gulped as she stared down at it.

Cedric pecked the top of her head. "If anyone could make something like this work, it's you. I believe in you, pumpkin." Before they walked through the door, she heard him say, "You look beautiful, by the way."

The doors opened and Tessa finally dared to look up at her future husband. Even from the other side of the room, she could tell he was handsome. His mouth was open with awe and Tessa couldn't help but smile at him. She couldn't help but think his awestruck looked adorable. He glanced at Alistair before looking at her again.

She finally made it to the altar and her father gave her another encouraging smile before walking to his seat next to her mother.

Not knowing what to say, she glanced up at Cullen shyly. Her grip kept tightening around the bouquet and she tried to hide her shaking. How could she be scared and excited at the same time? "Hello," she said breathlessly. Maker, he was even more handsome up close.

His amber eyes widened and he cleared his throat. "Hello."

Oh Maker, even his voice was attractive.

Tessa felt as if a shock of electricity shot through her skin every time she and Cullen brushed against each other. Well, it seemed like attraction wasn't going to be a problem. He was tall and broad and he looked every bit the Templar he used to be. She recognized the stance instantly because of her grandfather and from her time at the Circle.

She could stare at the rugged, chiseled lines of his face and jaw for hours. Tessa would have been embarrassed, but she was beyond the point of caring. She found herself wondering if his blonde hair was as soft as it looked, or how his scar would feel if she pressed her lips against his. His eyes were what intrigued her the most. Tessa saw something she saw in many of the soldiers and Templars she helped treat at the hospital. Her inner healer wanted to reach out and soothe what was there.

There was also a strength she usually didn't see in the people she helped, and that was the part that intrigued her.

Before she knew it, they were exchanging rings and she was suddenly aware of every single damn TV camera in the room being zeroed in on them.

"You may kiss the bride," the Mother said.

Tessa felt like a hart in the headlights. Should she kiss him? What did he want to do? Oh Maker.

Cullen cleared his throat and softly asked, "May I kiss you?"

Well, that answered many questions. The fact he asked for permission said many good things right away.

Speechless, all she could do was smile and nod.

He reached up, rested his hands on either side of her neck and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

Tessa felt as if all of her nerves were tingling and she never wanted this kiss to end, which she knew was silly because of her situation.

But damn, the man was a good kisser.