He did not regret his choice to follow the Chevaliers that had helped him, a young whelp in the Grand Melee. He was honored. So honored in fact that he couldn't contain his girlish enthusiasm when he had asked him if he wanted to be one.
He remembered his mentor fondly in this moment, proud of his mentor. Proud that he followed such a gallant man into battle. The one and only time he saw his mentor falter was when his mentor was in the presence of Celene. The Empress, she had told him, tears in her eyes to go to the Inquisition, Gaspard de Chalons would not be so kind to him, the blasted Usurper. He could tell that his mentor had a fondness for the woman he had not shown to any other.
"Why can't you just tell her?" Rainier had asked once.
"Soon, you will find your own heart torn in two, between duty and love." He latched on his helmet with the blue and silver feathers of his lady, "Then you can come to me and ask me that."
And now he knew. Looking at this... Beautiful Rogue. The Inquisitor. Evelyn Trevelyan.
"She is quite captivating." His mentor laughed, spotting him staring at the leather-layed beauty.
Thom's spine stiffened, but he kept sharpening his blade. If not to protect himself, then to protect her.
"Rainier."
"Yes, Maître?"
"You don't need to call me that." His mentor chuckled, "Now we are just men, yes? Eyeing a beauty from afar?"
He took a breath, "Sometimes I think you enjoy tormenting me, ser."
"Bah! Perish the thought!" He chortled, "I'd do no such thing to a man who won't at least say hello when she's looking at you." He whistled slightly.
"Merde!" Rainier exclaimed, jumping to his feet. The Orlesian bastard was rubbing off on him.
"This is a lovely day, is it not, Inquisitor?" He smiled, bowing as he did so.
Maker help him... Her smile was beautiful.
"It's always a lovely day when I'm greeted with such high flattery." She giggled.
"The pleasure is ours, Lady Inquisitor." Rainier took her hand, and laid a small kiss on it.
"So you say." She challenged her green eyes staring into his. He failed to find his voice.
Thankfully he needn't need to find it. As she was called to the war room by her advisers.
"I believe that was a challenge, Rainier."
"Cul." Thom said, his heart pounding in his chest as his mentor mocked him with his hearty laughter.
"Now, now. No need to be so harsh on this old man."
"Oh no, you can't fool me." He went to sharpening his blade again.
"Dawnstone or veridium?"
"Silverite with Dawnstone. Veridium would muddle her eye color, too much green." Before he could even blink, "Sometimes you're a son of a bitch."
"Admit it Rainier..." His mentor cooed, "Just admit it, the little rogue stole your heart while you weren't looking."
Rainier had been organizing his thoughts for days now. His heart was disquiet and his hands shook with worry. Evelyn- the Inquisitor had been out for days. He had faith in her friends to keep her safe, yes. But none of her three companions she took were him. The mage was... Almost too much for Rainier to handle, the Tevinter Mage. But he and the Inquisitor shared a close bond, one that Rainier was ashamed to say made jealousy flare inside. The Seeker's shield was study enough, yes, and her skill was matched by his own. The Seeker was an impressive warrior. Varric was nice enough. For a dwarf anyways. Rainier hadn't come across many dwarves, but Varric was nice enough.
But... When he saw the Seeker come in with an alarmed expression everyone seemed to jump.
"Maker's breath..." The Commander muttered, "Get the Inquisitor to the infirmary, now!" Everyone leaped into action.
Rainier felt his throat close up as he saw her being brought in by a small wagon, there was so much blood. So much blood. It was hours of agonized waiting. He found himself sharpening his sword, polishing his armor, bloody wood carving just to keep his hands busy, but his mind couldn't stay on task.
Hours turned into days.
He rushed every morning to the infirmary, only to be told that her condition hadn't changed.
"Seeker," His tone pleaded, "How did this happen?"
"I've asked myself that too." Cassandra sighed sadly, looking at the infirmary with downcast eyes, "We were ambushed. I don't know where they came from, but I didn't act fast enough." a heavy sigh, "I just keep telling myself there's something I could've done, something I should've been paying attention to, but we were laughing and... Evelyn, she..." Cassandra closed her eyes for a moment and composed herself. "She told us to run as she felt the knife go into her side. The potions we gave her were merely prolonging her until we got here... I'm sorry, Rainier. I... She spoke of you fondly." She sadly smiled, "But I swore to a friend, no- a sister, that I would not say what."
"Seeker." Mother Giselle called to Cassandra, then bowed slightly to Rainier, "She's finally stable. We got the fever down."
Cassandra felt a relief come off her chest.
"Thankfully we were able to administer a anti-venom to counter the effects of the fever and delirium."
"Anti-venom? So... What, assassins?"
Mother Giselle nodded, "We have to consider the possibility."
"Leliana will get to the bottom of it. Go report to her, Mother Giselle. We'll watch after Lady Evelyn." Rainier said with confidence, and nearly stormed his way into the infirmary and planted himself next to the cot, going to one knee and taking one of her cold, clammy pale hands.
He kneeled there for a moment, silently praying.
He heard a small intake of breath after a moment longer than eternity.
Her thick eyelashes fluttered open, her green eyes trying hard to focus on the man holding her hand.
"My lady..." Rainier let a breath out, "I... I knew you'd come around." He smiled, tears of joy tugging at his eyes.
"Raini... Rainier?"
"Tis me, my lady." He affirmed.
"This is no dream?" She asked weakly, her eyes slowly focusing on him.
"It is no dream." He smiled.
She let a weak smile grace her face, her eyes finally looking at him. "What... What's this?" her soft voice penetrated the silence as her hand had found his cheek, and with an elegant finger she had wiped tear away from his eyes.
"It... It's no longer grief." He admitted, which was rewarded with a wispy laugh, just a shadow of the silver bells of the laughter he heard not days before.
"You needn't grieve for me." She weakly smiled her eyes closing, "I am no one special." She fell asleep, gentle breaths nearly lulling him to sleep before he pulled himself up and kissed her forehead.
"You are to me, my lady."
More days passed, and his heart was calmed more and more everyday he went into the infirmary and saw she was better. She focused on him instantly at first, her mind the first to come out of the haze.
Next came her voice... Her laugh, stronger, the confidence returning. Her bright smile... His heart nearly burst.
Then her fingers gained strength as they traced his palm, her fingers dancing on his as she caressed every callous, every scar... Soon her thin fingers found their way up his arm and could reach no further.
"Rainier..." She said on the fourth day, her hand tightening on his. She was allowed to sit up today.
"Yes my lady?"
Her eyes looked in his earnest and for all of their dancing banter... There was a line that they danced on. That fine line... Her green eyes were begging him to cross that line. He smiled for a moment, he was tempted. Andraste's tits he was tempted. But he felt that now was not the time... Nor place.
He took her hand instead, laid a kiss on the back of it, then applied a smaller kiss to her knuckles, and then the tips of her fingers... And last but not least the middle of her palm. As if it was a promise. His stormy blue eyes never leaving her emerald green eyes.
There was a serenity in her smile. He kissed her forehead as he always did when he left her to rest.
"Come back tomorrow?" She asked with a smile.
"Always."
Without another word, he left the infirmary.
The friends who were crowded around the door and windows backed up when he exited and gave him a guilty smile and then looked inside to see Evelyn lay back down and go back to sleep, smile on her face.
"What do you think he does to get her to smile like that?" Sera asked, Dorian just smiled knowingly.
Dorian made his way to the Chevalier's tent, once Evelyn was asleep. He cleared his throat, "May I speak to Thom Rainier?"
"Dorian." Rainier nodded to him, "What brings you by?"
"Our Inquisitor actually." The mage stroked his mustache, "I'm actually here to tell you that I'm happy to see her happy. My best friend deserves that much I should think." Then the mage's eyes flashed dangerously, "Hurt her, Chevalier, and I won't hesitate to kill you." The Tevinter mage smiled, "good enough?"
"If I hurt you, I hope you'd do nothing less." He agreed with an understanding nod.
"Wonderful." Dorian gleefully grinned, "She's... The best sort of woman I've ever known."
"I can't but agree with you." and with that the conversation was done.
He visited her again the next morning and he had helped her stand and walk to the door and back before putting her back into bed. He adorned her hand with kisses again, except adding one on her wrist before kissing her forehead.
It was the next day that she had convinced him to walk the battlements with her. To get some air, as it were. He held her hand every step of the way.
"Rainier." She smiled as they got to the top.
"My lady?"
"Thank you." She stood on her tip toes for a moment before placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"Anything for you." He smiled, not really caring if he looked stupid and foolish. But when he put her to bed, this time he gently tucked a stray brown hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek.
"I'll hold you to that."
This continued, he would walk her up to the battlements, stare at the sunrise, or sunsets, and affection would be given. It wasn't until that her time in the infirmary was over that it changed.
'Meet me on the battlements' the note had said. He folded the note and put it in his pocket.
At this point the rogue knew his footsteps well enough to tell when he was coming up the steps.
"My lady." He bowed.
"Rainier." She offered a small curtsy.
He easily closed the distance between them with his large strides. He found that his hands nearly had a mind of their own as they touched her soft hair, held her closer to him.
"I..." Words failed him. But at that moment when he looked into her eyes, it didn't matter.
His lips found hers easily enough. His arms protectively went around her waist, as if she couldn't be close enough. His mind nearly exploded in sensations as he felt everything at once. In that moment he noticed everything about her and what she did. That little in-take of breath that told him to press further, the way her hands gently gripped the hair at the back of his neck. The Electrifying shock of their kiss, the roughness of her lips, the taste of elfroot and embrium tea... It drove him nearly insane.
He broke apart, inches away, "My lady..." He huffed.
"Shut up and kiss me again." She pulled him gently by the front of his shirt.
He was happy to oblige.