Alistair exhales, a touch shaky. Lets his eyes fall closed.

Once he's sure his voice will remain steady: "Do you remember what I said when all this started? That I'd already begun to think that wherever I went, after the war's end, you'd be there, too?"

Unconsciously, he's pressed himself closer to Cullen's side.

"I can wait for that. I'm not staying out of obligation. I'm not trapped. I stay because I want to stay with you."