A/N: This chapter was supposed to have smut but the plot was too heavy to add that part in. Next chapter then!

Revision date: 15/06/2018

Chapter 12: Learning

With the Inquisitor finally be able to leave her room, Skyhold itself returned to its previous state before she was taken, with energy and a sense of purpose.

Well-wishes and congratulations were sent from all corners of Thedas either through ravens or emissaries. Letters asking for favors and alliance once again filled up the bags of the messengers. Soldiers training with each other with visible efforts and goals instead of just going through the motions. The food tasted better. People talked more, laughed more.

In short, one could say that the fortress once against had a soul resided within it.

Of course, when people could once more be themselves again and have hope for the future, some other usual activities also returned.

Namely, gossiping.

And their newest scandal to whisper about in Skyhold was that the Inquisitor had an elven lover who recently has moved into her chamber. At the "encouragement" of lady Leliana, no less!

"I've heard that he almost killed himself trying to protect her Worships against the cultists," whispered a kitchen servant to her friends.

"It was true, I was there. I saw it with my own eyes. The Inquisitor used the last of her strength the save him, giving him a chance to that down that blood mage. Then he held her in his arms like she was the most precious thing in the world and refused to leave her side our entire trip back here!" A man recounted the events to his fellow soldiers.

"So that's why her healing times at night were longer than the ones during the days! How bold!"

"An elven apostate and the Herald of Andraste who was meant for an elven god. Isn't it almost the same story as Andraste with the Maker and her mortal husband?"

"The Herald and an elf? That's just not right."

"Who cares? As long as they're happy."

"Lady Evelyn was crying for him and you should see the way they held each other. It was absolutely romantic!"

"I saw him in the chapel, swearing to Andraste and the Maker to forever forgo his elven gods and devote his life only to the Herald."

"What with female heroes and elves? First, it was the hero of Ferelden, then the champion of Kirkwall, and now the Herald of Andraste. Next, you'll tell me Empress Celene is in love with one too? And then there's that rumor about Andraste and Shartan!"

"Her Soulmark turned from 'Fen'Harel' to 'Solas'. The wrong name was a test from the Maker!"

Having been away from the spotlight for a few thousand years has made Solas forget what it felt like to be the center of rumors, but he remembered it now.

He absolutely hated it, especially now that he didn't have the power to stop people from pointing their fingers straight at his face or modifying the words into what he wanted. Ironic, really, when many of his accomplishments were made possible because of his extensive uses of rumor and gossip networks.

Case in point, he was now walking through a corridor to bring the last of his things to his new living space but it was more like he was going through a parade. People were whispering and pointing at him like he was some kind of circus freak.

Not to mention, with him being in his current positions - as both a member of the Inquisition and, technically, a follower of Fen'Harel - he has become a target to talk about not just for the normal people of Skyhold but also his own agents. After all, not even the followers of the Dread Wolf could resist gossiping. At least they were less divided in their opinions and rumors; either looking at him as someone who had committed a great crime for daring to touch their leader's bride or as a man who had taken on the greatest burden in the world.

Most of them kept a wide berth from him but just this morning, one of the newer agents had approached him.

She was an elf, who was one of the Red Scales' victims saved by Evelyn. "Just because lady Evelyn trusted you to do this job doesn't mean you can take advantage of it. Don't touch her if you can help it!" She had growled with a suspicious glare.

While he was a little annoyed to be threatened by such a child, Solas couldn't help but appreciated the fact that the young woman cared enough about his bondmate to give out warning.

Most of the modern elves usually were very scornful of him. The Dalish typically saw him as a city elf and thus distrusted him out of fear that he was trying to convert him to the "human masters". The city elves, meanwhile, avoided him due to his magic and educated demeanor. Not to mention, he usually tried not to get too close to them unless it was necessary since they constantly reminded him too much of what the People had lost.

In the end, Solas was always alone, one way or another… But, that thought was no longer true now, wasn't it? 'He Who Walks Alone' wasn't alone anymore. He had Evelyn now with her promise to always stay by his side.

For her sake, these unwanted looks and rumors were nothing but some annoyances along the road. In the future, his bondmate would have to endure far worse when she had to live in an elves-dominated land. And when that time came, Solas would have to deal with far more serious troubles than just gossiping.

Really, this wasn't even the first time he faced these kinds of things and yet now they were getting to him more than he previously has thought. He really has been away from his old environment for far too long. It was time to practice his old skills and get on with it.

With that thought in mind, Solas continued on his way, ignoring the unwanted attention he left in his wake. Yes, there were far more important things to worry about. He still had a list of tasks to be given to his newly-recruited agents, and maybe he needed to revisit and rework on the Veil-modifying rituals soon, too.

Walking into the main hall of the castle to reach his rotunda, Solas realized the place was in the middle of a redecoration process so there were only a few people here and most of the furniture had been moved away.

The hall has always been quite utilitarian in its presentation. Evelyn had filled it with weapons and simple tables and chairs, trying to focus the golds on other parts of their Inquisition such as food, military, trading, defense, and even to ensure a stable wage for all members.

"People need full stomachs, warm blankets and a safe place to sleep first before they care about ornaments," was what she had said back then.

Now, he could see the old banners were being replaced with newer, more expensive ones. And the empty spaces were filled up with Chantry decorations. As he went near the throne, he could hear Josephine talking with some artisans about putting Andraste's statues on both corners.

Then, he heard Evelyn's voice behind him and when he turned back, he saw that she was walking with a cleric- no, a grand cleric, to be corrected. His bondmate's face cold and impassive as she listening to the other woman's rant. The only thing indicated that Evelyn wasn't completely healed yet was that she was walking slower than usual with a slight gait.

"I must say, Inquisitor, I cannot imagine that you would wait this long to bring the Chantry closer to the people. I thought the Herald of Andraste would understand better than anyone what it feels like to be deprived of the Light of the Maker?" The Grand Cleric chided with a voice one would use with a child.

"I do know that very well, your Grace, but please understand for us. Previously, we really didn't have much chances or coins to spare for such things. With so many battles to fight and limited resources, as their leader, I had to concentrate on keeping my people alive," replied Evelyn with a frown, her eyes turning down to the floor with 'sadness'. "You just don't know how much it hurt me when I had to turn Skyhold's garden into an herb field to treat the wounded soldiers instead of a place to praise the Maker's glory."

Looking at her face, if he didn't have the ability to feel her emotions, he would have actually believed that she was really a devoted follower grieving for her chance of displaying her faith. But since he could do it, and also still remembered how eager she had been when she chose to build the herb garden, he knew very well she was playing with the grand cleric like a toy.

The woman clearly was taken back by the suddenly emotional words of Evelyn, stuttered. "Even so, surely you could spare some resources to ensure that Chantry's activities could happen?"

"Oh, but I did, Your Grace! Every week, there was at least a day where mother Gisselle organized for everyone to gather in the chapel to sing the Chant. I was there and I have seen how pious and devoted their hearts were even without ornate candles or beautiful murals. Ahh, it reminds me of that night after Haven when everyone sang the hymn together to ease our hearts after all those horrible deaths and destructions." Evelyn said with her hands over heart, a small smile on her lips, and a voice full of wonders.

The older woman was silent, clearly unsure of how to resume her lecture without making her the antagonist so Evelyn took the chance to make the final push.

"I'm sure Your Grace would know better than anyone that faith and devotion to the Maker is something that can remain and grow without the need for physical objects to pray to, wouldn't you? After all, what is the point of being surrounded by Andraste's images if one's soul doesn't truly look to the Maker?"

Solas smirked inward at that, seeing so clearly how ironic that statement of Evelyn was. But then a sense of sadness flashed through him and he frowned, realizing she wasn't really happy about using religions and lies to benefit herself, even if she wasn't actually a believer.

Looking back at his lover, Solas saw that the conversation had come to an end since the Grand cleric seemed to have accepted her defeat and be convinced by Evelyn as the woman let out a sigh and nodded.

"Very well, I understand now. Do forgive me for being so focused on the material aspect in worshiping the Maker that I had forgotten to consider your less-than-optimal circumstance."

"Of course, Your Grace. I do understand very well how important it is to spread the Chant of Light after all."

When the grand cleric turned around to leave, her eyes landed upon Solas and she huffed in distaste. "An elf of all people. Well, at least it isn't blasphemous but really, I thought you could do better than that?"

A flare of anger throbbed inside him, making Solas mentally winced as he stole a glance at Evelyn who was watching the grand cleric leaving. His bondmate's face was passive as usual but inside, what she was transferring to him felt like a small burn. Hot, scratchy, and bitter.

He reached out to touch her wrist with two of his fingers. They both knew not to display too much affection in public for various reasons so this was what he could do at the moment to reassure her that he was all right and she had no need to be angry for him.

Soon, her anger calmed down but not fully disappeared. It was still there, burning silently like an ember of a fire but for now, that was enough.

"I see that you have decided to provide some new upgrades for the hall?" he asked casually, hands still held his box of artifacts as he stood next to her.

"A near-death experience caused the Inquisitor to seek out the Maker for comfort. A generous donation to the Chantry plus some display of devotion should keep them off our backs for a while," she said dryly, suddenly switched to Elvish. Probably from wanting to communicate right away without sounding too blasphemous to the normal ears. "That makes me wonder, you think we should allow the Chantry to operate in the new homeland once we established it?"

"I'm afraid so, vhenan. We cannot make the same mistakes the elves of the Dales had made. Isolation and refusing door for the Chantry would invite the rest of Thedas against us. Better to allow them some token chapels to pray than to draw their resentment."

"Agreed. Giving people some hope and comfort in aspects that we can't is also a good thing. And you'd rather having elves praying to the Maker than to the Evanuris, wouldn't you?"

"You know me well, my love." He smiled without humor.

"It's settled then. However, we'd need to do something about who could be mothers and grand cleric." She waved her hand in annoyance before opening the door leading to their chambers.

xxXxx

"This is the last of your things then?" She switched back to Common after making sure that no one else was in their room.

"Yes, nothing else is in my old room now." He smiled, pulling her over to wrap one arm around the small of her back. His other hand cupped her cheek. "I believe we shall have a lot more to talk about from now on. There are so many things I want to show you."

"I look forward to it." Her lips curled up sweetly, a small joy dancing in her eyes. Then, it seemed like she suddenly remembered something because she squirmed out of his hold to run to her desk.

Pulling out a package the size of a book, she opened it to reveal a rather thick stash of notes.

Hesitantly, she walked over to him and handed it out. She looked somewhat embarrassed, if he had to say, so he didn't ask her and instead, chose to read what in his hands right away.

He skimped through the pages and what he found surprised him. They were notes, diagrams, formulas, theories and even some result of experiments concerning the Veils and how to manipulate it in small isolated sections from both sides.

All had been written by Evelyn in Elvhen as he could recognize her penmanship. but the thing that baffled him the most was how old these texts were. Only a selection of these had dates on them, which started shortly after Evelyn joined the Inquisition, but most of the pages didn't.

However, Solas could see some of those papers had the grammar mistakes she used to make back when he has just become her mentor and many more, which implied that they were written long before the Breach.

Some others were in extremely clumsy Elvish mixed with Common words, indicated that the writer probably was a beginner of the language and didn't have an advanced vocabulary yet. The hand-writing also looked very childish, and there were even cute doodles on the corners! And the oldest pages didn't have any words in them, just simple pictures instead, probably because she hadn't known Elvish back then yet but wanted to avoid writing in Commons to not be discovered by others.

Spirits, just how young was she when she first started these?

And then there were some pages that were in full Common. The positions of the texts and diagrams on these pages were identical to some of the previous papers but the meanings were completely different. These ones just talked about regular Veil activities and spells instead. It was as if the writer wanted to throw off whoever was reading these documents by relying on the fact that no one these days could read Elvish to actually verify it.

And knowing Evelyn, that was most certainly what she was aiming for when she created these faked copies.

"You created all of these?" he asked in astonishment and Evelyn blushed.

"Yes. I'm sorry they must have a lot of mistakes but I wanted to show you some of my theories and methods of what we can do with the Veil."

He hummed and resumed skimping through the documents. Evelyn certainly has made good use of the Inquisition's resources. Some of these pages contained samples and notes gathering though several requisition projects which were then cooperated into her own tests, helping developed and corrected them. Unfortunately, it seemed that her Circle upbringing had hindered her ability to exploit the full potential of these materials.

But not him, his knowledge accumulated through thousands of years could do this. And once he taught her enough, she could do the same, what they simply needed were times and opportunities for some hands-on demonstrations.

"So, you proposed that we create three different barriers from both sides of the Veil, one to prevent spirits and demons to come into this world too suddenly, and the other to control the amount of magic pouring into the real world?" he inquired.

"Yes, if we could introduce magic at a reasonable rate, we can reduce the number of catastrophes while making sure the physical world adapting to the changes. The barrier in the Fade will make sure that no demons or spirits will die or be pulled through an opening when we create it," she explained passionately before slowing down. "And the final one…"

"To quarantine the Black City so the Blight inside it will not be pouring out," he finished for her. "And to slow down the souls of the Evanuris from returning to their physical bodies deep in the Deep Roads?"

"Yes, but…"

"But?"

"I'm unsure about the rituals to make this barrier, it'd require someone who could do it from the other side, which means dreamers or a lot of blood magic."

"There are other ways, vhenan." Solas smiled. "Not all ancient elves were dreamers or wanted to use blood magic so they have used many other solutions to manipulate the Fade. The Crossroad and the Vir Dirthara were just one of the results of those efforts."

"The current elves and mages aren't the same as your ancient elves, though."

"It is not a problem. With enough research, modifications and adapting to the current standards, I am sure I could teach our force to create their own rituals." He drifted away to think for a bit before resuming. "My seal around the Black City is not perfect, that was why the Red Scales could almost open it for Dirthamen by using your blood."

Evelyn could surely sense his anger as she closed the distance between them to hold his hand. "Solas?"

"The efforts will be enormous, but the third wall of the Black City will certainly require a new construction method to prevent penetrations from both sides." He took some parchments and coal before sitting down on the couch. "Come, let me show you some examples. Your formulas could use these changes."

The way her face and heart brightened at his invitation simply made him forgot all the troubles of the days and together, they spent the entire evening with each other. They talked about various subjects ranging from serious matters to silly topic and even Cassandra's romance novels.

Then they shared food and paperwork and when it was time, they took turns to prepare for bed.

As Evelyn was cleaning herself up in the bathroom, Solas, who had donned with only his sleeping trouser, all fresh and ready to settle in for the night, take a long look at his new bed.

Two pillows placing side by side, soft bedding and blanket that had been warmed up by his magic. This was the start of his life as a bonded man now, wasn't it? He didn't expect sex right tonight - he wouldn't touch her until she was well enough—but this new life, the Solas of the old days had never thought this was possible.

He chuckled, hand fiddled with his pendant that was placed on top of the drawer next to the bed. There was a lot about his current life that his younger self would find impossible to believe. In his youth, just the thought of settling down with someone irritated him—

A flash of blue cloth.

Fingers twiddling with the tips of the tall grasses.

Sweet laughter under the sunlight.

He wanted to be with her.

It didn't matter if they would not have long with each other. He could fix that.

It didn't matter that she had belonged to someone else's before him. He didn't care.

It didn't matter that he would lose his reputation or his standing among his kind. They were nothing compared to her.

All he wanted was to share his life with her.

The images rushed through Solas's head but they came as quickly as they went away, leaving an empty space in his mind.

What was he thinking about again? He tried to remember but something urged him to forget it and he did. It probably wasn't that important enough for him to remember anyway.

The door of the bathroom creaked, breaking him out of his musing to look at his bondmate. She has let her hair down, changed into a nightgown now and was standing there with her hands clasped behind her back. She didn't exactly look straight at him, instead, her eyes were darting around the room in between ill-covered attempts to glance at their bed.

She was nervous, and yet felt very eager, almost giddy so he took the initiative. "Come to bed now, Evelyn. You will catch a cold standing there," he said, opening the blanket to wait for her.

At his push, she instantly walked straight to the bed and tucked herself in without a single word. Knowing what she wanted, he quickly followed and pulled the blanket over them with one hand while the other reached out for her.

Once she had laid snuggly in his arms, with a flick of his finger, all candle extinguished, leaving them in the comfortable darkness.

He heard her giggle, muffed by her face pressed tightly to his chest. Her arms around him tightened and he couldn't help but do the same, letting her happiness and warmth spread through his soul.

"What are you thinking?" he asked with good humor, but what she said next completely turned his mood around.

"This is the first time someone holds me to sleep, I've never known it'd feel this good. It's amazing!"

She said it with such a childlike wonder that at that very moment, despite knowing what her past had been like, he finally saw the last piece of her. And this revelation arrived with such a force that he felt like his heart has been crushed.

A child who had never been released from her prison, still being locked away from the world even after all these years.

As eventful as his past had been, he had received love and affection even as a child. First from Shalelan, then his other caretakers in Mythal's sanctuary and then from Mythal herself. Kisses, hugs, someone to hold you as you sleep or to tell you bedtime stories, friends to play with, mentors to guide and make you into an adult.

But Evelyn never had any of that. No warm, no friends, no mentors as those who had taught her only done it as a duty instead of love. She only had books to learn about how to be a person - books that contained knowledge and bloody histories that could contort the mind of adults who read them, let alone a child's.

It was only an inevitable end that she had become someone who was so full of kindness and love for the world and yet also so willing to break it. And in between all that, she was being torn between her craves for approvals by being what people expected of her and her need for distance to protect herself.

She was like this because the world has made her this way. Because she was born to be bound to him. He has made her this way, indirectly or not.

He crushed her small body to him, secretly glad that she couldn't sense his emotions like he did her. If she could feel him now, she would think that he only felt sorry for her and not love, but he didn't.

"My Wolf? What's wrong?" She lifted her head to look at him, and in the dark, he could see the way her eyes filled with care and concerns for him.

"Nothing," he lied. "It was just it is also the first in a long while for me to have hold someone in bed too. I have forgotten what it feels like."

She smiled and nuzzled her head against his throat before giving it a kiss. A sweet gesture to express her love that made him tightened his jaw.

He loved her still. In fact, he loved her more than ever, knowing that even after everything, she still found it in herself to accept him, the cause of all misfortunes in her life.

He loved her, so even if he didn't truly believe in the Maker or any of the greater forces in this world, he prayed that he could give her the happiness she deserved.

xxXxx

Solas spent the next several days convinced Evelyn to reduce her workload and save more times for herself. It wasn't an easy job but in the end, she did relent and used her spare time to be with him or their companions instead of seeking out more paperwork.

When she wasn't with him, he could still monitor her process through their connection, and what he found pleased him. She was happy, there were several emotions going through her at each different time – joy, sadness, understanding, anger, and more – and she was more than ready to share them with him as at the end of each day, she would tell him what she has discovered during her off-times.

She had tried to learn to carve from Blackwall to make toys for the few children in Skyhold with mixed results. The little ones thought her dogs were rats, and the rabbits were nugs.

She had read Varric's newest update with Cassandra and found it extremely puzzling with all the strange metaphors and characters suddenly dying all over the places. To be honest, Solas had also tried to read some of those books and he had to agree with her.

She had attempted to play chess with Cullen but ended up spending most of the time convincing him to write for his family instead.

The Iron Bull had shared with her his special bottle, but after Solas feeling his guts and throat being burned along with hers—and how was that even possible? They weren't supposed to connect physically!—he had strongly requested Evelyn to stop drinking strange things from Bull without testing them out first. She agreed.

Cole and Evelyn had shared a lunch in Val Royeaux and had some normal downtime. But Solas couldn't understand how on earth did they manage to go to the capital and then come back to Skyhold within a day? When asked, Evelyn wasn't sure how it happened either!

Vivienne had decided to update Evelyn's wardrobe with more fashionable outfits to prepare for her stay in the Winter Palace, and for once, Solas didn't disagree with her, those were some very lovely 'updates'. The First Enchanter, of course, still threw passive-aggressive comments at him whenever they encountered each other but they still all about him being an apostate and practicing different magic, never about his relationship with Evelyn. At one point, the woman even shut out some humans who were laughing at him and Solas decided that Vivienne certainly had earned some of his respect.

Dorian, in contrast with Bull, had managed to teach Evelyn the finer details about wine by persuading her to finally open her collection of Thedas's bottles – but why did she collect those if she didn't intend to drink them anyway? – and the result wasn't that bad. Solas certainly didn't complain when Evelyn stumbled back into their room to share a bottle with him. She would need to build up her tolerance to not passing out after half a bottle like that but he found her very adorable when she was drunk.

The only part Solas didn't like about Evelyn's new experience was her bonding attempt with Sera involved pranking everyone in the fortress. But he didn't have the heart to stop her when she first came back to him, eyes brightened and heart jumping with excitement and joy like a child. And after she promised to not prank him and would also stop Sera from targeting him, Solas decided that he would look the other way the next time those two decided it was their play time again.

All in all, it was a joy for him to see his love finally had a chance to enjoy herself but it didn't stop him to dread for the day all of these had to come to an end. Evelyn most certainly knew this too, because after each time she told him her stories of the day, even if she was smiling, there was always a great sorrow inside her.

No matter how many deaths she could prevent in the future with her methods, no matter how much sufferings she could reduce and how many long-term benefits she could bring to this world, in the end, she would still be a traitor to her friends and the destroyer of the world that they knew.

There simply was no guarantee that some, or any of them, would ever forgive her. This world just didn't work like the fairy tales children were taught from their childhood and Solas knew that Evelyn had learned this very well ever since she was a child.

But it just didn't make it any easier for his love to accept and endure it. Not at all.

xxXxx

Today was the day for Belraj, Helena and their friends to return to their village and Evelyn had personally seen them out of Skyhold.

Through Belraj, Solas had learned about the unique village and the ancient elf could see why his bondmate has been so taken with its people, Helena in particular.

But if he had to be honest, Solas had developed a certain dislike for the young woman as she was the reason Evelyn had been hurt so badly. It was petty and somewhat unfair for someone in his position to do such a thing, but just as the human female who could sacrifice someone to save her love, Solas too had his own bias when it came to Evelyn.

On the other hand, Solas had high hope for Belraj. He had volunteered to be an agent for Fen'Harel the moment Solas 'introduced' himself as a recruiter, and from what Evelyn had told him during their short escape attempt combined Solas's personal observation, the young elf could go very far.

Belraj was pragmatic, clever and skilled with his bow. But more than that, he was committed to the idea of building a place where both the former glory of Elvhenan and the unification of both humans and elves could co-exist together and that would be a much need thing for their force.

And as Belraj had intended to convince more of people from his village to join the cause, Solas started to prepare for the idea of creating a special group of agents to spread and enforce his new vision. After all, it would be better for him to plan the seed now instead of later when his force had grown too large for him to had total control.

Evelyn would definitely agree with his decision too.

Speaking of which, tonight, she has asked him to have dinner with her in their room again so after he finished his work for the day instead of turning to the tavern with her as usual.

Upon closing the door, Solas could hear her singing voice. Interesting, usually she didn't sing very much, only in the Fade when she felt very comfortable, and she's never sung in full words either, simply humming with no particular words or lyrics.

But now, even if her voice wasn't that loud but with his hearing, he could hear it quite clear enough to make out the words, and-

"…Let me become the moon that holds you close.

Let me become the stars that shine your path…"

This song… it couldn't be…?

Quickly, he ran up the stairs, trying to hear more closely but when he arrived at the top, what awaited him was a scene straight out of one of his fantasies that he simply forgot what he wanted to do.

The empty space in the middle of the room has been replaced with a table and two chairs. On top of it was a complete meal with a small roast, a plate with some kind of cooked vegetables, and some fruits. The whole room smelled of something delicious and Solas felt his stomach growled.

He looked at the end of the room where Evelyn was. She has stopped singing and now was in the middle of stirring something into the small pot in the fireplace, her back turned to him but upon hearing him, she swung around to look.

She was wearing a simple blue dress, with a white apron covering its front, and her hair has been tied into a simple tail at the back of her neck. She looked neither like the Inquisitor of the day or from the girl playing with flowers in the Fade. She looked like—he swallowed—a woman waiting for her bondmate to return from work.

It was such a domestic scene that one could find anywhere and yet it made his chest tighten, a sense of yearning and regret clawed at his soul, knowing that this would be the closest thing they could ever have for a normal life without magic, scheming and politics.

"Solas, welcome back!" Evelyn smiled brightly, putting down her ladle to run toward him and without any hesitance, he let his arms snaked around her as she did him.

"I'm back, vhenan," he whispered into her ear, feeling her face pressed into his shoulder.

"Are you hungry? I've made some supper for us." She pulled back a little to speak.

Evelyn has always been a good cook, in Solas's opinion. Even if all the previous times she had the chances to do it were all very simple meals for traveling, he remembered them being quite enjoyable, especially her soups so now, upon hearing what she's just said, he couldn't help but laugh.

"I am famished, actually."

Just as he expected, the dinner was absolutely delicious. A roasted hare with garlic and herbs, braised vegetable with mixed nuts, and a stew of potatoes, onions, and bread. Everything was just simple ingredients cooked with rustic recipes and yet to Solas, they were better than any delicacies he had had during his years in Arlathan.

They reminded him of home. Of the life before Mythal and the Evanuris.

They reminded him of… Shalelan. Of the days he spent playing with other children before running back to their cottage, where she was waiting for him with a bow of hot food which he promptly devoured.

Solas touched his wolf-jaw pendant.

He remembered the days they traveled through Thedas, his small hand clasped tightly in hers. He remembered the cold nights where he clung to her, demanding she sang him to sleep.

It was strange, really, that these days he thought about her more often than he had done back when he was still leading the slave rebellion.

Perhaps it's because I'm happy now.

He thought absentmindedly as he talked to Evelyn, taking pleasure in seeing her smiles, her various expressions as she described the events of the days to him.

Eventually, he finally finished his meal, but when he reached for the fruits, Evelyn stopped him.

"Wait a bit, I want you to try this first." This time Evelyn feel a bit nervous and unsure, yet there was still a strong eagerness in her.

She walked away to return with a lidded plate and when the cover was lifted away, Solas saw the plate was filled with little cakes decorated in colorful frostings.

"You made this?" he asked in astonishment.

"Yes, this… was the first time I do this so I'm not sure if they taste good to you or not. I-I mean I did try them out first but I could be biased!"

Deciding that action spoke louder than words, Solas simply took a cake and bit into it. The soft sweetness enveloped his tongue and he laughed. "It is delicious, vhenan."

Sure, there were some parts with burns on it, the texture could be fluffier, and the frosting was pipped quite clumsy, but he was telling the truth, the cake was delicious and he loved it.

Before he knew it, he has finished the whole thing.

His enthusiasm has certainly made Evelyn more confident in herself, making her laughed happily before sitting down to share the rest of the dessert with him.

It'd be wonderful if they could do this more often, and Solas was sure his bondmate shared the same sentimental with him.

He was gazing at Evelyn who was peeling an apple for him when he heard her humming again. And then the lyrics came out.

"Oh, beloved of my heart,

Close your eyes and listen to this voice.

Oh, the sun that shines my days,

Please close your eyes and hear me out—"

The memory—a pair of warm hands stroking his head as he was lulled to sleep by this melody—came to him like the strong waves of the ocean, pushing away all other thoughts and controls. Solas let out a small gasp but that was enough to stop his bondmate's song.

"What's wrong, Solas?"

"How did you know this song?"

"Helena taught it to me. She said that it was written by the mother of their first ancestor and Keeper, an elf named Datishan."

"Datishan…?"

Nostalgia filled his heart with the name he's never thought he would ever hear again. Visions of the past, of his youthful day where he enjoyed friendship blurred before his eyes. A young elven man with bright hair and an equally bright laugh.

"My Wolf? Are you okay?" Evelyn's voice snapped him out of his reminiscence to see that she had left her seat to stand before him. Her hands gently held his face, eyes filled with worry.

"Do not worry, I was just feeling a little nostalgic about the past. I've never thought I would be able to hear this song again." He pulled her into his lap.

"Really? You knew this song?"

"It was often sung to me during an important period of my childhood, I cannot remember who revealed its origin to me years later, but Shalelan always sang it to me whenever I was distressed."

"Shalelan?"

"My rescuer and very first caretaker." He tried to construct her in his head but no matter how much he tried, times had already erased her face from his mind, leaving behind a blank face.

"Really? What was she like?"

"I cannot remember her appearance, or where she came from, it has been too long. There was a lot of things about her that I have forgotten, or simply don't know, but… I remember her to be kind, warm, and soft, and always fought so bravely against the odds. And she was the one who taught me to read and write—well, at least the basic of it, since we didn't have much time which each other—and told me I am a dreamer."

"What happened to her?"

"She… sacrificed her life for me. Enemies caught up with us right before we reached our destination. She told me to run and the next thing I knew, a large explosion happened." Solas told his story with a faraway look in his eyes, losing himself in the memory. "When I ran back to her, the only thing left was a burning field. There were no survivors, even the corpses had been burned to ashes. She was always very throughout with her work, after all."

"Oh, Solas, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Evelyn's sadness and guilt coiled around him, leaving behind a bittersweet taste.

"Don't be. Even if it's painful, it's good for me to remember her. And I'm sure she'll be glad to know that her last wish has come true."

"What did she wish for?"

"She told me to be free, to choose my own path, and be happy. I've made a lot of mistakes in my youth to finally know why she said so. And now, I have you."

To emphasize his point, he placed his lips upon his bondmate's forehead before moving them to her mouth, capturing it.

"I have you now…" he whispered against her lips.

And then, they just stayed together like that until the two decided that it was time to finish their meal.

They cleaned up their table and leave the plates outside the door for the maids to take away later. Afterward, Solas and Evelyn spent the hour or so with each other, just simply talking and joking as a couple would with no concern for their works. That could wait until tomorrow.

Eventually, it was time for them to prepare for bed.

Solas came in first but when it was Evelyn's turn to use the bathroom, Solas noticed after a while that he didn't hear the usual sounds of water splashing she would make during her bath time—and she almost always took a bath before bed, unlike him, as he preferred to do so before meals.

Was the bath not prepared for her yet? Not, when he came in before, he did see it was filled with clean water.

Turning inward to check on their link, he realized she was feeling… nervous? She didn't have this emotion just before this so this new change worried him.

Getting onto his feet, Solas walked to the bathroom and knocked.

"Evelyn, my love, are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine, I was just…" She drifted off and there were a few silent moments before she opened the door.

His eyes widened as they fell upon her. She was wrapped only in a short white towel, revealing her milky white thighs and shoulders. Her hands clutched tightly at where the edge of the cloth was tucked above her chest.

With her cheeks pinked visible again her pale skin, Evelyn looked shyly at him, teeth biting her lower lip for a while before her mouth opened slightly

"Do you… want to share the bath with me?" she asked softly.