Chapter 9
Solas hates having conflicting feelings. He always likes to always be sure of himself and to be in control, which is why he is feeling very irritating right now—because he cannot stop the urge to send a certain person flying out of this building.
Of course, he is always happy whenever he sees Evelyn's beautiful smile, but he cannot help but hate the fact her smile is pointing at the Keeper of clan Aridhel, Itha.
Solas has never had this particular trouble before. During the days they still in the Inquisition, he has never once feeling jealous whenever Evelyn was having fun with someone else—whether it was Dorian, the Iron Bull, Black Wall or even Cullen, not once had he felt anything other than gratitude for the men who cared for his bondmate.
And now, he is silently fuming as he watches from afar who Evelyn is laughing at another joke from the young hahren.
It is unbecoming, childish and idiotic—not to mention unfair—but ever since Solas realized that he is neither Evelyn's first friend nor her first mentor, he has already carried a certain dislike for Itha even before actually meeting the young man. It is unreasonable, Solas knows—he understands that he should be happy that there was someone who cares about Evelyn before him, he should focus on the fact that Evelyn just gets another person she could actually call a friend here instead of just followers and—
Evelyn takes Itha's hands into hers and already, Solas is calling to her.
"Vhenan."
She turns around, dislocating Itha's hands from her in the process. Evelyn smiles brightly as she quickly runs to Solas. "My Wolf, welcome back!"
Easily, she comes into his arms and lets him wrap them around her. Yes, this is right—her being in his arms, allowing only him to touch her.
Solas presses a kiss to the top of Evelyn's head, shooting a scowl at Itha in the process. The young man gulps visibly—good, at least he is aware of his position.
Evelyn, still oblivious, nuzzling into Solas's neck before saying, "Itha was telling about a hidden ruin in the far northern Orlais with a small Eluvian there. Maybe we can try to reactivate it and use that to make a new route to transport rescued slaves? He even discovered some rare specimens of plants there. I can go there myself! Itha said he can lead the way!"
Solas simply smiles—luck is on his side, he was actually going to draft some missions in around that region. Cupping Evelyn's cheek, he suggests, "Then how about we go there together? There are several other places I know which have hidden resources. I've been sending agents to collect them but perhaps, we can actually supervise the activities there ourselves for once? I can show you some old products the artisans of Elvhenan used to make."
His bondmate's eyes immediately brightened at that. "That would be absolutely wonderful!" she exclaims, turning her head to look at Itha. "Isn't it great, Itha!? Solas can show us how to use all the things you've found there!"
Itha smile (nervously), the corners of his mouth work hard to keep pointing up as he says, "Y-yes, it's wonderful."
And so, that little problem is settled and Solas quickly urges Evelyn to return back to their chambers with him, citing that it is already late enough and he wants to spend the rest of the night with her.
His bondmate, of course, finds it to be an excellent reason to finally say goodbye to Itha…
… But not before giving the young Keeper a kiss on the cheek and a promise to see him again tomorrow when they have another debrief with all the Hahren.
As they walk away, Solas makes sure to turn his head back and throws another glare at Itha. He believes the young man is smart enough to avoid Evelyn's excessive affection the next time they meet but it doesn't hurt to give a warning.
xxXxx
After dinner, they spend their time on the long couch, waiting for their bath to fill and heat up on its own. Solas, for once, decides to try out another one of Varric's books (a story about a pair of father and daughter traveling through time) while Evelyn continues on her little project, softly singing Shalelan's song all the while. She has recently learned the art of embroidery magic into fabrics and has tasked herself with the job of mending and improving his wardrobe during her free times as a way of practicing. Evelyn can only do basic enchantments right now; things such as increasing durability, warming and cooling magic but nevertheless, it brings Solas a tender joy to see her enjoying herself like this.
Between trying to get into Varric's curious style of writing (not mentioning his strange character interpretation based on the Inquisition's members), Solas takes little moment to observe his bondmate—her face is so focused as she weaves tiny traces of magic into each pull of her needle, her breathing is slow and even, and the way she gently handling his garment speak greatly of how much she cares for him. It's so warm and peaceful, to be here with the one he loves, enjoying their little domestic moment despite everything they had to experience.
He cannot help but think about the day when they can finally add more members into this family when the world has become a safer place for his people and mages—he can easily visualize how Evelyn would sit there near the fireplace just like now, her hands would be working on tiny little shirt, her stomach rounded and full of a new life they would make together. Instead of lounging opposite to her, he would be on his knees, head pressing against her stomach to feel the movements and the little spark of magic their child would have.
That want in him burns hotly to the point of almost painful, but he cannot help but trying to imagine that scenario more often these days when everything is going so well with their progress. Even though he knows things may go wrong at any moment, even though he cannot predict when would that future can finally be realized…
Evelyn's little chuckle yanks Solas from his thought. Sitting straight up, he asks playfully, "Something amusing, vhenan?"
"Varan told me today that Itha actually tried to experiment with his cooking but accidentally created exploding bread instead." She laughs. "And they still use some of the remaining pieces as whetstones and carving knives since they are so hard! Can you believe it?! I know Itha isn't that good with his food but to think he could go that far—" She snorts, unable to finish her sentence.
He watches until Evelyn finishes her laughing. When she finally does, a tender smile appears on her face that once again giving him two conflicting emotions.
"Itha hasn't changed, and he still wants to be my friend. It still feels so much like a dream." Evelyn says quietly. "My very first friend is here still here with me. He accepts me and even you! I have thought so many times before of all the 'what ifs' I could have with Itha, to think that I could have the best outcome…"
"Evelyn…" Solas is unsure of what to say but before he can find his words, the magic flowing from the bathroom stops, signaling their bath is ready.
"Finally!" Evelyn exclaims. Quickly get out of her solemn mood, she gets up and pulls his arm. "Come, come, we need to get out of these clothes."
It doesn't take long for Solas to find himself soaking up to his waist in the steaming water, enjoying the smell of refreshing herbs as Evelyn washes and massages his back while they sit on the shallow part of the large bath. All the fatigue of the day finally leaves him, but as expected, he can't really completely relax as he recalls what Evelyn has said just moments before.
She has mentioned that she did imagine what kind of possibilities that could happen between her and Itha; and of course, being as old and as imaginative as he is, Solas is unable to stop himself from assuming that at some points in the past, his bondmate has thought about having something with the young Hahren that would be beyond mere friendship.
His mind is running through all the possibility that could have happened had Evelyn didn't run away from clan Adrihel that day if Itha had accepted her right away instead of waiting until the next day to do so.
Perhaps she would never have come to the Temple of the Sacred Ashes and he and Evelyn would never meet? Or they would do so only until after he has completely pulled the Fade back and clan Adrihel comes to plead their alliance to his. Perhaps that by that point, she would have already married to someone; or even if she doesn't, Solas would most likely not having the courage to pursue her with so many elves around them…
Or maybe even if she could stay with that Dalish clan, Evelyn's wish to study and taking down the Veil would prevent her from truly enjoying her life with them. Maybe she would eventually leave after a while to chase her own goal and in the end, still ending up meeting Solas through her accident with his Orb.
Then Solas thinks about what could happen if Evelyn had stayed longer with Itha. Would she fall in love with the Keeper after he accepted her just like Solas did back then? Would she find it easier to live a quiet life with a normal man and have children any time she wants instead of having to wait until the right time as she does now with Solas? Would she be happy with Itha who, while cannot teach her everything she wants to learn, cares about her and can make her laugh just like Solas?
Solas can give his bondmate a lot of things, but he knows he will never be able to give her complete peace. As long as they are together, she will have to bear—will ask to bear— the burden that he is carrying and with his old age, he knows his job for the People will never be quite finished one way or another.
Finally, the image of Evelyn holding Itha's hands crashes into his mind. Solas knows that Evelyn loves him—only him—but sometimes, he cannot help but feel that their link as soulmate has robbed her of things that she could have had as a woman. Had she born without his name, she would be raised as a normal noble daughter, strict and constraint, but there would still be things that she could enjoy; namely friends and lovers. But because she was born to be his, she had never had a chance to experience and discover herself intimately with others.
Solas has greatly enjoyed teaching his soulmate everything about sex and, from the beginning, things were (almost) always perfect between the two of them. But there are pleasures for a person to learn everything on their own with different people, one could even say that failures in sex are simply another kind of fun and learning opportunity that a person should have in their lifetime.
But Evelyn has never known any of those. She knows about casual sex and the sexual-but-non-romantic bonds between friends, but he doubts that she can truly understand or knows what those actually be like to live with that kind of freedom. But now, she has a good friend that will follow her, someone she could rely on other than him to share her burden…
A hand touches his face, making Solas realize that Evelyn has moved to kneel in front of him. Her face shows an obvious concern.
"Are you all right, my Wolf?" She asks.
Solas looks at his bondmate—he could see all the marks he has left on her. The thoughts of someone else doing the same thing to Evelyn create a hot and heavy pressure in his chest that threatening to become a full-blown fury, but he holds it down and reminds himself that Evelyn deserves better than a selfish bondmate who only thinks of his own gain. If she can be happy but just staying a little bit with someone else, then there are no reasons for him to hold her back.
Then again, perhaps the reason he can do what he is about to do is that he knows that Evelyn will always return to him in the end… And if he can be even more honest, he has great confidence that no man could please her as much as he does.
No. Focus. This is not the time to flatter his own ego. He needs to speak up right now before his jealousy and possessiveness overtaking his mind.
"Vhenan," he says, taking hold of her hand on his cheek. "You like Itha, don't you?"
"Yes," she answers cheerfully. "He means a lot to me. I'm really glad he's finally here!"
"Then, if you like, you can initial physical intimacy with him. I do not mind." He lies at the last part, channeling his talent to make his words as natural as possible.
"What?" Evelyn's face immediately turns blank.
Solas sighs, here comes the hard part. "I mean what I said, vhenan. If you like Itha that much, it is all right for you to enjoy sex with him. Just because we are bondmate me does not mean you have to limit yourself only to me. It is okay for you to broaden your experience."
Now her face pales significantly. With a very small voice, she slowly asks, "Did I do something wrong? Are my skills inadequate anywhere?"
"No! I didn't mean that!" He exclaims in panic, realizing that his wording has caused Evelyn to assume that he finds her lacking. Holding both of her shoulders, Solas explains quickly. "You have given me unimaginable satisfactions, vhenan. I simply want to give you an option, a chance to enjoy yourself. I…"
He slows down, taking a breath to control himself. He needs to make his point clear or Evelyn won't understand him—he knows this from experience and has no intentions of repeating his mistake like before. Solas begins, "I know you dislike hearing this but there is no denying that being born as my soulmate has taken away a lot from you. You have never had a chance to simply enjoying pleasure for the sake of it or to exploring yourself and your preferences. Sex doesn't have to be connected with romance, it can be simply for fun. Itha is a good man and you care for him a lot; so if you are attracted enough to him, I believe you can also have fun with him in that way too."
Evelyn thinks a little bit before she looks at him again, this time more shyly. "If I… sleep with him, won't you get jealous?"
Solas exhales and replies honestly. "I will. But I can bear with it if you can be happy. You have always been so understanding and patient with me, vhenan. So many times, you hear stories and rumors about my 'conquests'—sometimes even from my own mouth—and yet never once you become angry at them or me. For all the happiness and comforts you have given me, the least I could do is to not get in your way when you need to enjoy yourself."
A short silence passes between them until Evelyn lets out a long sigh. Then, she pulls him down for a long, loving kiss. Solas leans into her embrace, wondering if this is her way of thanking before she actually accepts his offer.
He is half-confirmed when she leans back, a guilty look on her face. But her next words throw him off.
"I shouldn't have teased you so much like that. Then again, I should have after the first time seeing you scared Itha off his wits. But it was so much fun!"
"What?" This time, it is his turn to have blank look on his face.
Evelyn chuckles, face seems like she is being torn being guilt and amusement. "I really like to see you get all jealous and possessive over me. And Itha's reactions to you are simply too fun to pass up. The way he squirms under your gaze was absolutely hilarious."
Things click into place in Solas's head as he narrows his eyes at her. "Really, vhenan? You know the whole time and yet didn't find it necessary to stop me?"
Evelyn just presses a knuckle to her lips and look at him innocently. Or at least she is trying to. Her shoulders tremble and her cheeks slightly puffed up—she is clearly trying hard to not burst out laughing.
Solas grits his teeth, pinching slightly between his brows. How could he forget that Evelyn has a very well-hidden mischievous side? He could even say that his bondmate is a little sadistic when she feels like it (and if she could get away with it), what else could you call someone who likes to mess around with Cassandra, play pranks with Sera, and had actually turned a Grand Duchess into a jester? The fact that she once owned a book devoted purely for pranking magic should have alarmed him long ago.
Still, they need to finish their current matter, even if it did originate from a prank.
"Even so, vhenan," he starts, "my offer still stands. If you want to sleep with Itha or anyone else that you like, I won't stop you. You deserve to have a chance to enjoy yourself without me holding you back."
"But I don't want anyone but you, my silly Wolf." Evelyn presses her body against him, arms stroking his back as she whispers into his ear. "It is so generous and kind of you, but there is no one else that can touch me but you. I don't need them. Not before. Not now. And not at any points in the future."
"Vhenan," Solas chides, "At least you should give it some thoughts."
"But I did. I have thought a couple of times before what it would be like to have my eyes on someone else besides you. To be honest, even when I know for sure that you will let me have my way, the notion is still very unappealing to me." She states calmly, eyes clear and focus, letting him know that she is very serious. "I've tried imagined what it would feel like to be touch by another man, but I felt nothing, and sometimes even disgusted by that thought. During my years in the Inquisition, I've met so many men who are passionate in their quest for knowledge, but just like before, none could attract my gaze as you did."
Taking his hand, she presses a kiss to each of his knuckles. "Only you could make me feel alive. Only you could make me feel happy. And only you that I want to give my entire being to. I have no interest in finding someone else who could do that. Beside…"
She taps the tip of his nose. "Trust me when I say that I only see Itha as a friend, a brother even, but not someone I physically attracted to. So please stop scaring him."
He rolls his eyes. "You only say that after I have spent a month threatening him at almost any chances I got."
"Sorry, my bad." She giggles but a guilty expression appears on her face right after that. "All of these just prove that I am not kind or understanding as you said."
"What do you mean by that?"
Evelyn does not answer, she just gives him an unreadable smile as she pulls him up. "Come now, I think we should get out."
Once they have got out of the water, Solas casts a small wave of heat to dry both of them. Evelyn doesn't say anything the whole time, she just guides him back to their main bedroom.
When they arrive at the end of the bed, Evelyn gently takes his hand and presses it against her cheek. "You are always so kind to me. Even when you are feeling threatened and jealous, you still put my need first. And yet, I cannot do the same to you."
"What are you talking about, vhenan? You have always done the same for me. You pushed yourself out of your comfort zone for me. You have even tried to change yourself just to please me."
"But not enough to the extent that you could do." She reaches for his lips. Stroking from there to the middle of his sternum with a finger, Evelyn murmurs, "Think about it, my Wolf. Why did I choose to change myself instead of just offer you a chance to find a mistress on the side? Why did I seduce you in our office back then right after those females tried to offer themselves to you? Why did I enjoy you wanting to keep me all for yourself so much?"
Solas doesn't have a chance to reply because Evelyn immediately shoves him backward. He lands on the bed and quickly finds her above him.
He freezes when he the gaze of a predator on her face. Even the way she is crawling along his body reminds him of the way an animal moving toward its prey.
Solas tries to get up but Evelyn's hand once against pushes against his chest, forcing him to lie down as she looms over him.
She grabs his hand and holds it against the valley between her breasts. He could feel her heart thumping wildly underneath her scar. When Evelyn opens her mouth to speak, her voice is rough, as if she is trying to control something. "Before we belonged to each other, I truly didn't mind that much whenever you mentioned your old bedmates and conquests. But after that night when we first laid together in Skyhold, this is what I've been sealed away within myself."
Evelyn opens their link, and a torrent of flame and ice engulfs Solas's mind.
It hurts. It burns. It's too bitter. It's painful. It's too lonely. It claws at everything in its path and it hates itself. It wants everything and yet sees itself as unworthy.
Stop.
Jealousy, sadness, depression, anger, guilt, curiosity, denial, yearning, greed, loneliness, hatred, insecurity.
Stop!
It feels as if darkness is pulling his senses away, a ringing sound seizes his ears, his whole body can't move and there is as if a mountain of ice covering him. Before his vision blurs away too much, Solas realizes that Evelyn is observing him without a single emotion on her face. She is completely as still as a statue above him, all most as if her own emotion has swallowed her own soul.
He tries to call out for her but couldn't, the sheer intensity of everything he is feeling rapidly consumes him.
His vision turns completely dark.
Abruptly, just as it has come, the assault stops.
And then he can breathe again. The heavy pressure has disappeared, leaving behind a numbing sensation. Solas blinks as his vision returns and it's only then that he realizes that Evelyn has slumped forward above him. Her arms are shaking as they work to hold her up. Her breaths are heavy and she is shaking lightly.
"Vhenan, are you all right!?" Solas exclaims. He quickly sits up to check his beloved, but she just grips his shoulders and squeezes gently in reassurance.
"It's okay. I just… I didn't realize that sharing my emotion to you could make me lose my own control over it. It took me by surprise, that's all," she murmurs, voice rasped and ashamed. "I'm so sorry."
Realizing that she is avoiding his gaze, Solas cups her cheek to guide her face back to him. "For what?" He asks.
"For making you feel all of that…" She replies softly, "For being such a selfish lover. For not being able to reciprocate what you have done for me."
"Vhenan…" Solas tucks Evelyn closer into his arms. Resting his chin on her head, he whispers, "I should have been the one who said sorry. I should have paid more attention to you. I was so insensitive to your feeling. All of those negative emotions, it must have been hard for you."
She moves to face him again. "It only feels so intense because our link amplified it. And Solas, it wasn't your fault. How could you know anything if I just stayed silent the whole time?"
"True, but I could have asked." He murmurs, pressing his forehead against hers. "Once again, we fell into our usual trap. We did not talk enough."
Evelyn just nods before going back to his embrace. They stay like that for a while more, letting the heat from each other's skin seeps into their own body.
Eventually, his bondmate asks, "Could you show me how you feel when you see me with another man?"
He opens the gate. The waves of his own jealousy, while not as strong as Evelyn's, shake both of them to their very core that Evelyn has to cling tightly to him.
It is extremely uncomfortable to release such a negative emotion and then receiving Evelyn's reaction to it but he does not have to endure it for long because Evelyn soon letting out a different emotion to sooth both of them.
Love.
It comes so sweet and gentle, and yet gradually, the harsh and bitterness in his soul just simply get swept away. Solas responds in kind, trying to send her all the devotion he could muster and how much he wants to make her happy.
Somehow, the two contradicting emotions merge together, and something sparks inside him.
It burns. Yet it is not the kind that would hurt. It is something different. Something that makes Solas wants more.
He tightens his arms around his bondmate, sensing the way she shivers in against him. The heat inside them is merely a small ember right now but he knows it can grow bigger with the right push.
Solas does not have time to do what he thinks because Evelyn suddenly drags him down to capture his lips.
Her kiss is rough, full of desire and the hunger in it stumbles him. Solas tries to reciprocate but he quickly finds himself on his back again. Evelyn continues to ravage his mouth, leaving him breathless while his urge to take control dismissing rapidly.
Solas attempts to grab Evelyn but his lover immediately holds his arms down. She leaves his mouth just far enough to hoarse out in elvhen, "Don't move."
That feral, predatory look once again shows up on her face.
Evelyn gets off him to reach for the drawer next to their bed. When he sees her pull out two familiar strands of silk, he sucks in a deep breath. Usually, Evelyn is the one who gets to wear those around her wrists; though once in a while they do switching places too, but Solas has a feeling that this time will be a completely different experience.
(Ao3)
(Ao3)
(Ao3)
The couple nuzzles against each other and when they part enough to see each other's face, they laugh. A small and gentle laugh that gleam with contentment and satisfaction.
"Ar lath ma, vhenan." Sighs Solas, the back of his knuckles tracing the curve of her flushed cheek.
"I love you, too." Evelyn's eyes twinkle with her reply. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired but refreshed. I have—ah, I have never allowed myself to do that before. A little bondage play, perhaps, and a little pretending play here and there; but never to fully submit myself and beg like that. I have never allowed myself to be weak, I could only be the one who led… but with you, I have discovered a new side of me." He chuckles at the last part.
"Glad to know that." Evelyn huffs proudly.
"About my offer…" Solas starts but halts himself when Evelyn gives him a frown. Instead, he says, "Not counting that one, is there you wish for right now? Anything that I can do for you, vhenan?"
She then thinks for a bit before asking, "If you actually want to make me happy, there is something I want."
"Anything you wish for, emma lath." He smiles, eager at the chance to please her once more.
"Turn into your wolf form! It's been a month since I last cuddled with you that way! And not in the Fade, I want you to shapeshift right now, while we are still awake." Evelyn exclaims gleefully, rubbing her hands together.
Solas blinks, and then concludes that he should not be surprised by Evelyn's simple wish. He should have expected it, to be honest. Ever since he received Mythal's power, Solas has regained his shapeshifting ability in the physical plane. Not that he could not do so during his time in the Inquisition but the form he could gain back then was just that of an ordinary wolf, no extra eyes a shadow power and giant statute so he has never felt the need to actually use it. Evelyn has been absolutely delighted by the revelation when he first mentioned it to her shortly after she returned to his side. For several months, at least once a week, he would shift and sleep with her as a wolf for a whole night. Lately, they had been so busy that they forgot this particular activity.
"Ma nuvenin, vhenan" Smiling, he nods. Magic envelops Solas in a cloak of shadow. Within a second, a giant wolf, four times the size of a normal one, is sitting on the bed in place of the elf.
Evelyn lets out a squeal of delight as she jumps at him, pressing herself against his chest. "You are so cute! So soft! I missed this so much!"
"I am not cute." He sniffs. "And do I not often using this appearance in the Fade whenever we need to contact the agents? You always spend the whole time kneading your claws into my back in that cat form of yours and then purring about how soft I am."
"Those times were different, we were at work. This is just for the two of us." Replies Evelyn, nuzzling her face into his black fur.
His eyes soften at her words. Only his bondmate can see anything other than danger and malice in the Six-eyed Wolf. Even if he still somewhat disagrees with her calling him adorable, there is a little bit of joy in Solas to know that his most important person could see something positive in him.
"It is time to rest, vhenan." He uses his nose to nudge at Evelyn before giving her a long lick that makes her laugh. After a little bit of rearranging, he is now taking over the whole top half of the bed, curling around a content Evelyn. Naked skin pressed against black fur. Her singing comes out softly, almost inaudible. Her fingers cake through his fur as Solas's six eyes slowly grow heavier each minute.
Suddenly, Evelyn says, "I will apology to Itha tomorrow…"
A moment of silence passes between them before Solas tilts his head to press closer against Evelyn. "I will do it together with you."
xxXxx
Itha stares blankly at Solas and Evelyn. As her promise, she had explained everything and apologized first. At the very least, she did look ashamed when she confessed her "little prank".
Seeing Evelyn's anxiety at Itha's reaction, Solas decides to do his part.
"Please accept my apologies, Keeper Itha." The Dread Wolf begins. "Even if Evelyn did have her fault, everything started because I could not control my emotion. It was unfair and unbecoming of me to have treated you so when you have done nothing wrong." Solas bows slightly, but that is enough to startle Itha.
"No, it is not a problem, my Lord!" The younger man holds up his hands in a defensive manner. "I just… I am just surprised. I've never thought Evelyn could be that mischievous. She was always so mild-mannered back when she stayed with my clan. But…"
Itha folds his arms and growls at Evelyn, who looks like she is shrinking in size. "Evelyn, of all the pranks you could think of, why did you have to choose the one that involved lord Fen'Harel in that way? For an entire month, I was seriously thought I would suddenly disappear one day!"
Evelyn's friend then proceeds to give her a lengthy lecture about the proper timing of jokes and manners and what can be considered a prank and what not. Usually, Solas does not like to see Evelyn in such a position but this time, he cannot really fault Itha. Especially when the young man is doing so not out of malice or anger, but more as an older brother wanting to guide his misbehaved little sister.
Eventually, Itha's lecture comes to an end with him saying, "And do not try pranks that make people think they're going to die for a whole long period like that."
"I'm sorry…" Evelyn mumbles, but Itha surprises both her and Solas when he steps forward to hug her after exhaling.
"Silly girl, I'm mad but not that mad so stop apologizing. I won't get too mad at you when you prank me again in the future, but please do take what I said in mind. And… I'm glad." Itha pulls back a little, his hands still on her shoulders. "You have finally opened yourself to me, let me see another side of you. I've never realized how much you have to repress yourself like that. Thank you and sorry for not understood you better back then."
Solas watches as tears gather at the corners of Evelyn's eyes. She embraces her friend with a big smile and the scene turns Solas's jealousy of the Keeper into gratitude.
"Keeper Itha," Solas speaks up, "Thank you for being so understanding to Evelyn. And once again, I want to apologize for my unreasonable reaction toward you."
Itha just laughs and wave it off. "It's okay, my Lord. I am no stranger to being the center of humor for everyone so I'm not that angry. As long as Evelyn doesn't try it again and choose something less severe, I'll be fine."
Evelyn winces slightly at the last part but Itha just smiles. He continues, "And please, Lord Fen'Harel, please call me Itha."
Solas's mouth curls up at the offer, "Then please call me Solas. It is my name, after all."
"Ahahaha, that's a little bit much since I'm just a Keeper and you are my leader and…" Itha scratches his head in embarrassment, which prompts Evelyn to chime in.
"Just call him 'Solas', at least in private if that's too much. I'm sure my Wolf is already tired of me being the only one here call him by his real name." She explains, her hand instinctively reaches for Solas's.
"'Solas', it is then?" Itha offers.
"That will do." Solas laughs lightly, his fingers squeeze Evelyn's small hand, feeling her warmth seeping into him. "That will do, Itha."
