Zevran

Zevran decided that the best part about being mortally wounded and surviving was the bath given by the maids in Arl Eamon's Denerim home. Two of the younger elven women had partnered up to help him into a claw foot marble bathtub filled with hot soapy water. As soon as his skin touched the water, a most delightful ripple of warmth flowed through him. Lanni, a shapely dark-haired elf, chattered away as she washed his hair with a blend of rosemary and tea tree oils. The soap was made his scalp tingle and reminded him of the windy days they spent on the roads, the scent of grass and flowers sweeping across the landscape. Rose, a more demure and older human woman, bustled about the bathing room cleaning and mending his clothing. The three of them passed the time with pleasant conversation and some regaling from Zevran about the adventures that brought them to Denerim. He was in the middle of telling them how they found the Urn of Sacred Ashes when Rose had pulled a singled jeweled earring from one of his pockets. Zevran felt his stomach drop into his feet. He tried reaching out from the tub but couldn't manage to do more than slosh the water around.

"This is beautiful." Rose turned the earring in the light, red and gold glinting from the gems. "But the setting here has come loose. I'll fetch my tools and tighten that up for you."

"You are a jeweler?" Zevran asked.

"I tinker a little," she smiled. "My husband, Maker, keep him, taught me some of the trade." Her smiled faded as she stared past the earring.

Lanni put a hand on her shoulder. "It will be a year tomorrow, won't it."

Rose nodded and wiped a tear from her cheeks. She patted Lanni's hand. "Twenty-three years together and still it wasn't enough. When you find love, dear, run to it. Run to it with your arms open. Even when it ends, it is everything."

The three were quiet for some time after. Lanni had gotten Zevran a clean robe and helped him out of the bath. He was able to stand under his own strength now and tied his robe unassisted. With a smile, he accepted his tailored clothes from Rose and said, "There is a saying where I am from. 'Though their life may be over, your love is immortal.'"

Rose's eyes clouded over with tears, but she smiled. He felt her put something in his hand. Opening it, he said the jeweled earring, settings repaired, links tightened, and gems polished. Zevran turned it over in his hand, letting the jewels catch the light. "This is excellent work."

Zevran flinched when the sound of Alyssa's voice boomed in the hallway outside. It was muffled, but he was sure she was yelling at Eamon. He shook his head and chuckled deeply, feeling the sound resonate pleasantly in his chest. When her voice faded, he turned to thank the maids for their service and found them both with knowing smiles. "Please, don't get the wrong idea," he held up his hands. "She spared my life and then freed me from the Crows. I owe her a debt and nothing more."

Lanni tilted her head to the side, "And that's why you carry a betrothal ring with you?"

"That—" Zevran snorted, "that is not what that is!"

"Well, your ears aren't pierced."

Glaring at her, Zevran stuck the pointy end of the earring straight through his right earlobe. He kept his face still as the jab sparked down his neck and made his jaw shiver. With a curt nod, he said, "Thank you both for your service, but I must go now. Please take care of yourselves."

Before he was out of earshot, he heard Lanni ask Rose, "Was it something I said?"

Zevran

Arguing was spilling out from the Arl's study and into the hallway when Zevran approached. Instead of getting involved, he leaned against the doorjamb and listened. "Eamon, we have been through this enough times already," Alyssa said, "Alistair has no interest in being king."

"And I have every interest in staying Queen," Anora chimed in. "Yes, my father has made some serious errors in judgment—"

Alistair yelled over her, "Like being a murdering—"

"Alistair!" Alyssa had to push him back to make him stand down.

He pushed back, unrelenting and screaming at Anora, "My brothers and sisters, Alyssa! That man murdered them all! He murdered Calin, he murdered Duncan, and he almost murdered you! If her ass is on the throne, he will be pardoned, and I won't be responsible for my actions." Alistair shook as he spoke.

Arl Eamon jumped at the opportunity. "Then you must take the throne, Alistair. If you indeed wish to avenge your fallen allies and your brother, you must be king."

Alyssa shook her head. "Right for the throat. Eamon, I'm …well, not shocked but disappointed."

"And I suppose you have a better idea?" Eamon asked.

Zevran felt the warmth of a person crossing from behind him when Leliana appeared at his side. She said, "They've been at it for almost an hour now, going back and forth over the same thing."

He shook his head. "Ridiculous. I thought this was settled already."

"Some men don't take 'no' for an answer," Leliana said. She squinted at him, "Is your ear bleeding?"

"What? No," he fidgeted with the earring to get it loose from his earlobe.

Leliana reached for his ear only to have her hands batted away. "Yes, you are, it's all red. When did you start wearing jewelry?" She waited until he turned away and again tried touching his ear. He swatted at her arm.

Zevran spoke over the arguing. "Arl Eamon, you're wasting your breath. So long as Alistair is in love, he will never take the throne." Ignoring Eamon's alarmed expression, Zevran nodded to Anora, "My Queen, you seem capable enough. Keep your throne, but know this." He pinned her with his golden-eyed glare and spoke softly, "I will not forget how you abandoned the Grey Wardens to Fort Drakon. Endanger their lives again, and your entire army cannot save you from me." He backed out of the room and headed to his chambers. Heat raced up and down the back of his neck, and his fists were clenched tight. Before his hand was on the doorknob, he heard Alyssa calling to him.

"Zevran, wait."

He popped open the door and, with his free hand, caught her by the waist sweeping her inside. He pressed her up against the door, kissing her deeply and running his hands down her sides. She gasped when he traced his lips down her neck. "Zev, wait."

He pulled back, "Si, amor?" Watching the different shades of red and pink playing on her face was most enjoyable, as was the giddy smile she was trying to control.

"I…wait." She squinted. "Is your ear bleeding?"

"Maker's breath!" These women would be the death of him. He scowled, "No."

"Uh, ok." Alyssa shook her head and changed the subject. "Did you mean what you said about Anora staying queen?"

Zevran nodded, "Of course. It makes sense, doesn't it?" He took a step back. "She is capable, the people know her, and she doesn't seem to support what her father did."

"You don't think she would turn on us? Again, I mean." Alyssa touched his earlobe and healed the puncture. Zevran yanked his head away. "What? It looked infected."

He took both of her hands in his. "You and the Arl have been shouting about this for hours. Trust yourself. Trust Alistair. Both of you had made your choices long before coming here, and as I see it, nothing has changed."

Alyssa nodded. "I wish I had your confidence in me." She tucked a loose lock of his hair behind his ear.

He pulled her closer. "I…I have something for you, cara."

"More internal bleeding?" She nuzzled his neck.

"No," he chuckled, "no, not just yet." Reaching into his pocket, he fumbled around for the earring, doing his best to wipe off the blood from earlier. "It seems an appropriate moment to give you this."

She accepted it. "My god. Zevran, this is beautiful!" It was a ring of solid gold with tiny star-shaped diamonds and teardrop rubies hanging from delicate rose gold links. "Where did you get this? Are you sure you want to give it away?"

Tremors filled his chest, and his stomach tightened. "Yes, quite sure. As for where it came from, I acquired it on my very first job for the Crows. A Rivani merchant prince, who was wearing a single jeweled earring when I killed him." He smirked as he remembered, "In fact, that was about all he was wearing. I thought it was beautiful and took it to mark the occasion. I've kept it since." His hands felt sweaty. "I'd like you to have it."

"I wish my ears were pierced. Well, at least one of them anyway."

It was getting harder to breathe. Zevran started pacing the room, doing his best to avoid looking at her. "Taliesen is dead, and as far as the Crows will be concerned, I died with him. That means I'm free, at least for now." Now his back was to her. "Feel free to sell it or wear it, whatever you like. It's really the least I could give you in return." He started wringing his hands.

Just before the vibrations in his chest overtook him, Zevran felt Alyssa slip her arms around him. "It's perfect. You're perfect."

The tremors turned into his heart crashing against his ribs so hard it knocked the air out of his lungs. He turned in Alyssa's arms. "Look, it's is just a reward for all that you've done. Nothing more."

She said wryly, "You always give jewelry to girls that help you escape assassination syndicates?"

"It's meant a lot to me but so have…," he grasped her arms and moved her away from his body, "so has what you've done." She was still so close. Honeysuckle and pine sap, now mixed with wood smoke from the fire. It was better than any Orlesian perfume.

"Well," Alyssa tugged at his belt, "we have a little time to ourselves. I could do more."

"Cara, wait," Zevran stopped her hands. His knees felt weak, but not in a fun way, and his lips were going numb.

She looked up at him, "Are you ok? Did you not want to?"

"No..I mean..no.. no offense, I simply….no." He crossed the room to put some distance between them.

"Ah, not before the wedding night?" She laughed and sat on his bed, knocking her heels together. "Fair enough. Did you have a date in mind? I hear the Anderfels are beautiful this time of year."

He growled," I told you before, it's not a token of affection."

"Of course not."

That was it. Zevran narrowed his eyes. "You are a very frustrating woman to deal with, you know that? We pick up every other bit of treasure we come across, but not this." Zevran grabbed her wrist and yanked the earring out of her hand. "You don't want the earring, you don't get the earring. Very simple." He didn't bother turning around when she called out to him. Gripped tight, the earring dug into his hand, making new holes in the flesh of his palm as he stormed down the hall.

Zevran

Fifteen doors and two flights of stairs later, Zevran found himself on the catwalk surrounding the keep and facing outward to the city. The view was spectacular. His mood didn't match. Zevran leaned his elbows on the cold stone walls, turning the earring over and over in his hands. Below him were happy couples walking arm in arm, mothers ushering their children through the square, and old friends chatting near the Chantry. A leaded feeling sank in his stomach.

Harden your heart. Sentiment will kill you. If it doesn't, we will kill you.

The Crow training echoed in his mind as if he had just learned it yesterday. He remembered the sex workers at the brothel where he was raised and how they would tell you anything you wanted to hear for a price. Even then, the workers there cared somewhat about their patrons. And the only risk of a knife in your back was from the madam if you mistreated her charges. On one occasion, he had gone back to the brothel to visit the only family he had ever really known, and the madam had offered him a job. Even if he wanted to, leaving the Crows was not an option. Maybe if he was better at hiding as a child, he would have missed the slavers that raided the place that fateful day.

Zevran ran his hands over his face and through his hair, resting his forehead on the stone wall. That was the problem, wasn't it? He struggled so damn hard to close himself off, and he was terrible at it. Rinna picked the lock on his heart with a smile, and it was all downhill from there. What followed was a spectacular disaster. Again he swore he would never let anyone else in. Enter the Warden Mage and how dare she be so…so…

Scraping of thick nails against stone padded up to Zevran and warm doggy breath was felt against his leg. Zevran reached down and scratched Ashfur behind the ears. "How is it you always know when it's too much and exactly where to find me? It can't be the treats in my pocket since you ate them all yesterday."

Ashfur sat back on his rump and pawed at Zevran's arm. He opened his hand to show the Mabari the earring. Big brown doggy eyes looked up. Ashfur chuffed, one followed by another, and lolled out his tongue.

Zevran cocked his head, "You're laughing at me, aren't you!"

Ashfur nodded.

"Why?"

The dog stopped panting and looked back at Zevran deadpan.

Zevran looked away. "I did not run."

"Wuf."

"Well, you weren't there, were you!"

"Grrrrrrr. WUF WUF!" Ashfur snorted.

His chest felt like it was caving in. "I can't. Not after all I've done. Not after I…" He looked down at the earring, "…not after I took it back. What would I even say?" A lump formed in his throat, and his hands shook again.

Ashfur whined and followed up with, "Roooowooo, Arf."

Zevran hung his head. "I can't. Not this time."

Ashfur growled louder this time and started barking. Startled, Zevran backed away, unsure of what had come over the dog. Ashfur leaped at Zevran, snapping his jaws and snarling. "What is wrong with you, fool dog!?" At that, the Mabari nipped at his heels, driving him toward the door leading back inside. He rammed into the elf, sending him ass over teakettle halfway down the stairs and chased him down the hall.

Zevran ran at full tilt with Ashfur hot on his heels, barking and growling. When Zevran would go for one of the many doors, Ashfur would dart in front and drive him back down the hallway. Back on the first floor of the keep, Zevran saw his bedroom door and dove into it, slamming it shut with his foot. Sweat was running off his body in rivers, and the stab wound in his side was on fire with pain. He panted, "Maldito perro!" Fighting to get his breath, he let his head sink to the floor and willed the room to stop spinning. Something caught his eye. There was a piece of paper that fluttered off the nightstand and landed just out of reach. He rolled over and unfolded it.

'Zevran,

I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean to hurt you or make you feel threatened. I know it's hard for both of us to open up and be vulnerable, even with each other, and I shouldn't have teased like that. I took it too far. I wanted to say this in person, but I couldn't find you. I don't know If I'll be able to talk to you before the Landsmeet, but maybe I can apologize properly afterward.

~ Alyssa'

He closed his fist around the note and muttered, "The dog is right... Braska!"