"He showed loyalty to me." She replied, simply. Or he had, until he ran, she supposed. But he had gone with her into places that no person would willingly walk into. You can't just forget that someone went with you into a den of broodmothers and didn't turn right back around. And he knew secrets about the Wardens, secrets she knew he had kept, because she was pretty sure if it ever slipped out, she'd probably be put to death.

Maybe that was an exaggeration. But she didn't want to risk it.

Besides, taking burdens on that weren't hers to take seemed to be her modus operandi.

She looked down at her drink, stirring it with her straw as he spoke. She couldn't explain to Cullen why she trusted Anders--couldn't, didn't want to. Cullen had a right to be upset. More than Tabris had the right to lecture him. So she just nods. "Fair enough. I'm still going to do it--But Cullen. I'm going for the cornucopia, when we start the arena. I need a weapon if I want to get anything accomplished." She takes a moment, because what she was about to say wasn't...easy. To talk about, to think about.

"It's dangerous. If I don't make it, and Alistair does. Forget everything I just said, okay? Just grab him. Keep him with you. He's going to need it. He had a hard enough time watching me die on TV. If it happens right in front of him..." She glanced aside. "I don't need to tell you. So. Please, watch out for him, if I don't make it, alright?" She didn't say anything about whether or not she would go, if Alistair died. If she could handle it.

She was pretty sure if she saw Alistair die, she would follow shortly, even if she left a mountain of corpses behind her.