Retribution
~Highever~
He had come here for peace, closure. He knew his time was approaching and he wanted to apologize for his only regret, the one memory keeping him awake every night since it happened. Tears filled his eyes as he walked through the neat rows of stone markers towards the place he knew she would be. Kneeling before the marble monument, he allowed himself to cry openly for the first time.
"I cannot say how sorry I am, my beautiful Warden. Although, I don't suppose I have the right to call you mine after what I did, all those years ago. I just want you to know, I have hated myself all this time for what I did to you. I am so sorry Naïl, last of the Couslands, Grey Warden and merciful woman. You spared my life, and I repaid you by betraying you the first chance I got. I can only say how I've missed your azure gaze, the longing looks I pretended not to notice, your beautiful laugh, and your affection. I did not know then what I know now. I love you, and though I deserve a slow and painful death, I have lived long and may very well go in my sleep. I want you to know that I never had another in my bed after you, I couldn't. It may be defilement, but I will stay here with you until I go." He said, slowly. His tears continuing to drip off his face, he closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, white strands falling back into place.
"You knife-eared bastard! How dare you come here asking for forgiveness from her! She loved you, trusted you! And what did you do? In everything but the exact action, you killed her! I held her in my arms as the life faded from her eyes and the tears fell down her cheeks!" an all too familiar voice screamed at him through the rain that had started falling. The aged King of Ferelden moving to the place behind the former assassin.
"I know, trust me, I know. I saw the look of hurt on her face as the blade struck her heart, as she watched me walk away. I only come here to give her my life, slay me here, Alistair. Give her retribution. I would die anyway, soon. So be the voice of justice, kill me for killing her." He begged, and as Alistair saw the grief in Zevran's eyes, he was shocked. The elf was tormented by what he'd done, all this time. "Living with that guilt has been more retribution than a painful and drawn out death, I won't make you leave her again. Zev, rest easy. The plot next to hers is yours, it was in her will." Alistair said, leaving the broken-hearted man to his end, walking away slowly. Left in a state of shock, Zevran sat there for hours before resting his head on the stone before him and falling into an uneasy sleep before his body slumped, his heart slowed and finally stopped.
After a time, Alistair came back to check on him, finding the cold body rested against the headstone, a small smile on his face, but what the King found most interesting was that the rain had stopped and there were flowers with white petals and red centers, *What had Leliana called them? Andraste's Grace, yes.* Those were growing around the two plots.
He sent for someone to bury the elf and perform his last rites, and commissioned a headstone to be made.
It was done in a week's time, two crossed daggers carved from onyx with an epitaph that read:
"Zevran Aranai, man beyond most men."
A/N: So sad! I was theorizing to myself as to what would happen should the Grey Warden die if/when Zevran betrays him/her, and of course Alistair would care!
Such a noble fellow!
Anyway…Reviews are love, so love me?