Strong
Eve was frustrated, so much so that she almost burst into tears and thought about simply giving up on the task she had at hand. With a sigh, she sat down on the bed that she shared with her husband, who was currently out of his room/office at Skyhold. She tucked her black hair back behind her right ear.
At least I have that right now, she thought, He doesn't need to see me when I'm like this. She knew he still "saw" her like how she is, but she didn't want him to see her get as upset as she was about it. She was strong willed, not some weak Orleasian noblewoman whose only idea of protection had to do with how well she played the game. She was a Trevelyan, for Andraste's sake, she was taught how to fight with and without her weapons from an early age.
Andraste's flaming knickers, I am strong, I will not cry over the fact that I have a hard time pulling my boots on by myself, let alone tie them like I could a couple of months ago.
Three months ago, Eve had lost her hand, thanks to Solas, and had had her life extended with the loss of the Anchor. She still felt phantom pains from the no-longer-there Anchor. Unfortunately, said loss of the hand had made little actions that she had before taken as easy and common everyday things very difficult. As she sat on the bed, she stared down at her right boot, the one that she had been able to get on (the leather was tight and hard to pull up with her one remaining hand). Yesterday, Josephine had left to talk with King Alistair (one of the few supporters of their cause, he was, after all, married to Elissa Cousland, her cousin and had known her for a decade now) about trade alliances and was now unable to help her in dressing in the morning. So, she reached down towards the laces once more, stopped once she touched them, and just stared.
As Eve stared, two large, scarred and calloused hands came into her vision and moved her hand off of her boot-laces and out of the way. She started, having not heard Cullen come back in or even climb up the ladder to their room. She refused to look up at him as he started tying the laces for her on the right boot, and then proceed to help her with her left one, making quick work of the tasks, which she had been unsuccessful at for the past uncounted attempts.
When finished, Cullen placed his hands on her knees, prompting Eve to look up at him (he was still taller than her, even while he was kneeling on the ground) and making eye contact with him. Looking into her green eyes, he reached up with his right hand to cup her left cheek and gave her his reassuring grin, the one that he gave her that told her that he loved her, even from across a crowded room filled with delegates.
And with that reassuring look, Eve let the flood gates loose, and cried over the loss of her hand for the first time.