"This chest is for the memories,
Of gold and silver tears,
I'll give you more to own than all of this,
And I'll give you more than years.
For you were once a child of innocence,
And I see you just the same,
Your burdens couldn't win or lose a thing,
Oh I'll tell you once again.
…..But you're always on the run.
Her hands were small in his, but calloused and long-fingered. Her palms were slim, sometimes he felt like he was holding the paw of a rather large and dainty cat. Her eyes were almond shaped, acid green, and full of clever thoughts. Every movement she made was graceful, and the swell of her hips under her armor often made his mouth go dry.
She had her own special way of showing him she cared. When they were fighting, she'd often cut down any darkspawn running in his direction. She'd shove tiny totems in his hand that she knew he'd like. Sometimes, as she passed him, she'd run her fingers over the back of his neck, sending shivers down his body and raising goosebumps on his arms.
She did not laugh when he admitted his innocence. She didn't even look amused. She told him he was a gentleman, and what was wrong with that? That's when he fell in love with her. It wasn't because of her beauty, though that made it much easier. It was because of how unafraid of life she was. She stood up to everything with a snarl on her lips, ready to defend everyone in her group, even Zevran the assassin. She accepted everybody for who they were.
Though humans had destroyed her life and made her miserable, she did not hold that against him. She realized not all humans are the same. She touched something within him, a tightly closed core that had been shut for a very long time. Now it bloomed, filling him with a light that was hard to explain. It was a feeling that made him smile, that made him confident enough to whisper words of love to her as he held her.
Alistair could feel it as he watched the clouds roll across the sky. He could feel it in the warmth of the air, in the orange rays of dawn lighting up the hills, in the dew settling softly on his face. He could feel her love, pure and unbridled.
And only for him.