The bush of Crystal Grace which concealed the secret pond was cut down as Alistair emerged from the brush. Wearing his tunic and trousers he was ready for bed. His sword belt was slung over his shoulder as if he had grabbed it in a rush.

"Elissa!" Alistair announced

"Alistair! What are you doing here?" Elissa gasped and spun Zevran around to use him as a shield to block the prince's line of sight.

"Oh my, have I come between something?" Zevran asked.

"Are you joking? This guy?" Alistair asked, mouth agape.

"Excuse me? I didn't realize I needed your permission to go take a bath. Am I breaking some sort of grey warden rule that I'm not allowed to sleep with anyone outside the cult now?" Elissa huffed and glanced at Zevran with sorrowful eyes. Silently mouthing an apology as she covered her breasts and sunk below the surface of the water. Her confidence completely sapped from her which made the assassin angry.

"It seems clear to me the lady has made her choice in this matter. No hard feelings, to be fair you are a handsome man and to be chosen over you is quite a compliment. I am not sure I would have done the same given the choice." Zevran jested, though he was looking at Alistair who was staring at Elissa. The reaction of the prince's face worried the elf, but by the time Zevran turned to Elissa. She was walking out of the water towards her coat. Alistair looked away, covering his eyes with his hand to give her some privacy. Elissa reacted by throwing her coat at him. Which Alistair scrambled to catch.

"You're not gonna look! You came here to spy on me so why are you acting so innocent now?" Elissa shouted.

"What! Put your clothes on!" Alistair held the jacket up to shield himself. Elissa just marched up to him and took it back and started dancing around him naked. "Oooo what, like you're protecting me? Last I checked, I've been the one negotiating with our allies, but here you are doubting my judgement?." Elissa shouted again as she tossed her coat to the ground.

Zevran merely watched in amusement, but his attention darted away when he heard the ruffle of leaves above him. He scanned the trees, wondering what would be making a ruckus this late into the night. As he yawned, and his eyesight blurred he swore he spotted a teal smirk in the shadows.

"I'm not doubting your judgement, I'm just worried about you." Alistair tried to explain but Elissa pushed him towards the water.

"Take off your clothes." She ordered. Zevran's attention was still on the tree line. His heart racing in his chest as he wondered if he saw Fritigern still following them.

"What! No!" Alistair stumbled away from the water.

"You spied on me, now I get to see you because you don't have a clear understanding of consent yet. So strip soldier or this time I'll poison you with the concentrated stuff." Elissa commanded. "Besides, Zevran would love to see as well, maybe he can teach you how to clean yourself properly so a woman would want to touch you." Elissa struck a pose that was like an Andrastian statue on the chantry plateau. Her hair had set into beautiful ringlets draped over her like a cloak. Alistair caught staring as she smacked his chin to make him bite his tongue and look her in the eye.

"Well, I can't say no to that," Zevran said nervously, which Alistair caught on to.

"Put a show on for me, your majesty." Elissa teased.

"Fine." Alistair huffed and ripped off his tunic. "I'll do it, but not because you told me to, but I do want a bath." Alistair huffed.

"Oh shut up, Prince Charming." Elissa flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked back into the water and dove in once again.

"Perhaps we should get out," Zevran said softly once she surfaced. Alistair had finally shrugged off his pants and had not yet turned round to face them.

"What? Oh, come on he needs to live a little Zev. Besides I thought you preferred his company over mine. You insinuated it earlier." Elissa changed direction and swam away from him into the deeper water.

"Darling, That's not what I meant." Zevran's attention was completely thrown onto the warden commander as she unknowingly swam into dangerous water. The moonlight sparkling down on her as she floated effortlessly on the surface.

"She's not even looking." Alistair groaned quietly as the assassin turned round to face him. As the Templar marched into the water he went up to Zevran who patiently waited, not very much scared of him out of the armor.

"Are you happy now? I am in trouble too." Zevran quirked a brow. "You have a strange way to show your affections."

"You don't know anything about her," Alistair said bluntly.

"Oh? Neither do you, I think." Zevran commented.

"I think I know she has a weak spot if you kiss her neck," Alistair said in a hushed voice. Zevran's eyes narrowed at the sarcastic prince before he noticed Elissa was nearly out of sight.

"I knew that." Zevran winked and dived into the water to catch up with the lady before she got too far off. Alistair swam after them, but not as much of an experienced swimmer and they were.

"Can you keep up?" Zevran asked.

"Shut up." Alistair huffed.

"If you don't know how to swim you should stay where it is shallow my friend," Zevran warned.

"I can swim just fine," Alistair said as he doggy paddled his way out. Suddenly the Prince freaked out and thrashed in the water. "Something touched me!" He shrieked as Elissa appeared out of the water next to him.

"Your form is terrible!" Elissa said as she sprayed both of them with her fluffy hair.

"Elissa! Where did you come from!" Alistair panted as Elissa swam up close to him.

"You need to tread your feet, you'll get tired quickly doing that." Elissa went from threatening to gentle very quickly. Zevran floated nearby watching as she helped the warrior figure out how to thread water silently. Alistair couldn't even look at her with how red his face was, her arms around him as she gracefully kept him afloat by merely holding his hand.

"There you go, let's go back to the shallow part before someone drowns." Elissa chuckled as Zevran swallowed the lump in his throat.

"That is best, I can feel my toes wrinkling," Zevran said and waited for them to swim back before checking the area once again. It was still, and no signs of movement in the quiet. Before they got suspicious. Zevran swam after them back to shore.

"Are you happy now?" Alistair asked as he stood up in the shallow water.

"No, you spied on me without my permission, and seeing your manhood doesn't make it better dumbass," Elissa said bluntly as she rang out her hair.

"Elissa, that is not what I was trying to do." Alistair sighed.

"Perhaps you should not have come out spying on us then," Zevran added.

"I came to spy on you," Alistair said aggressively.

"Oh my," Zevran smirked.

"Not like that!" Alistair yelled.

Elissa was giggling again and had a mischievous look on her face. Her coy little smile captured both of their gazes as they waited for her to speak.

"I feel like I'm coming between something now." Elissa finally jested as she grabbed her coat and covered herself.

"Excuse me?" Alistair asked.

"You want to know why I like Zevran," Elissa said.

"Oh, I would like to know," Zevran responded.

"Why!" Alistair demanded at the same time.

"He is comfortable with his sexuality, and I don't feel like he is judging me," Elissa said simply and walked up to Alistair. "You're too…. Closed-minded," she added and finally looked Alistair up and down with predatory eyes.

"What does that even mean?" Alistair huffed.

"Oh, I know what you mean," Zevran smirked.

"What!" Alistair turned to Zevran as Elissa walked away.

"I don't kiss and tell my friend, unlike you," Zevran said and followed after Elissa.

"Oh? What did he say Zev." Elissa asked as Zevran tied his skirt up.

"Oh, he said your weak spot is on your neck." Zevran ousted.

"He did now? Hm…" Elissa huffed as they left Alistair behind as he shuffled to get his clothes quickly to follow/

"I apologize, for what I said. I was trying to lighten the mood." Zevran began to explain before Elissa grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"I get it, you grew up around sex. I don't know what that's like, but I know what I want. I don't want a guy who is going to make me compete. Do you understand?" She asked as Alistair caught up.

"I don't think I do," Zevran replied. Elissa's face went blank, and she let go of him immediately.

"Well, at least I know where I stand with you," Elissa said as her tone took a somber tone. She walked ahead as Zevran closed his eyes and realized what she was trying to say.

"Shit… Elissa wait I…. what?" Zevran turned around, and Elissa was gone. Alistair licking his teeth as he merely stood there with a knowing expression. "Where did she go?" He asked.

"She's gone, won't see her till morning perhaps. Look what you did." Alistair said and shoved him.

"What! Me? What about you? Things were fine until you interrupted." Zevran defended himself and didn't react.

"Elissa wants a man who is going to love her. Not some slut looking to get his dick wet." Alistair shouted.

"She approached me, and I will not explain myself to you." Zevran defended and stepped back, but Alistair followed.

"You could never love her as I do." Alistair became threatening once again, his damp shirt stuck tight against his beefy chest muscles as he flexed in anger. Zevran tried not to look at his nipples which were perked under the flimsy fabric, but he did.

"I don't know how to love, but neither do you. Perhaps I understand this world enough to know a relationship would hurt her more should I die before our victory." Zevran stated.

"We are all at risk to die. It doesn't mean you should give her false hope." Alistair replied as he calmed a bit, something about the nervous tone Zevran spoke regained his composure. "What are you afraid of?" Alistair asked. Zevran froze, as they were caught in a staring contest as the stretch of silence between them grew. The elf's heart beating rapidly in his chest, before the bellow of a werewolf sounded in the distance.

Zevran scanned the forest, cautiously before he turned back to Alistair whose attention was on the trees.

"We are not alone out here, and I am not your enemy, my friend. Who knows, if you let go of these traditions your mind had you locked up in. You would see we are the same." Zevran's sultry smile found Alistair. The Templar stared back at him with a calm understanding. Yet nothing about him seemed pleasant at this moment.

"I get it, we just frocklick around like a mage going for a quickie in the library. As fast as you can whenever you can." Alistair stated.

"It seems the mages of Ferelden know a little something about us Antivan's then." Zevran commented back. As they reached the campground perimeter where Sten approached them.

"Where is the warden Commander?" Sten said monotonously, cutting their conversation short.

"Disappeared. Because of him." Alistair stated.

"Excuse you, it is your fault," Zevran said.

"You are both idiots, leave the man alone the warden has enough to deal with." Sten huffed and marched through them. Walking into the camp to sit on watch next to the Mabari who was digging nervously on a dirt mound.

"Man? You mean woman." Alistair asserted as he turned to the qunari. Zevran disappeared before Alistair could turn back again. The assassin stalking back into Elissa's tent to wait for her there as he tried to calm down from the encounter. Not long later, she appeared. While Zevran had nearly nodded off, he jerked up awake to greet her.

"What are you doing?" Elissa asked as she sat down.

"Not talking, just resting," Zevran said and grabbed the lapels of her jacket and pulled them open. "You are so tired." He added while Elissa shrugged the jacket off.

"I want that message," Elissa ordered.

"As you wish." Zevran smiled gently as she shifted to lay face down into the bedrolls. Zevran shifted to straddle her ass to massage her shoulders. "Close your eyes and relax my decadence," Zevran whispered and kissed her neck.

"Could you not compare me to food? Please." Elissa asked.

"Ah… of course," Zevran said simply. "What should I call you?" Zevran asked.

"If I have to tell you, it's not a real pet name, but I like water and beaches," Elissa replied.

"Ah, a treasure of the sea. Something rare and beautiful." Zevran asked as he kissed her neck softly. His finger kneaded her stuff back muscles which were seized from swordplay.

"Something precious. One of a kind." Elissa responded as she tilted her head to let Zevran kiss her.

"A Pearl indeed," Zevran said and brushed her coily hair aside to kiss the other side of her neck. Elissa rolled over so Zevran could massage her breasts.

"Pearl. There are hundreds of those."

"Well well, someone is picky."

"No-No! I like it, but… I dunno there is a tavern in Denerim called the Pearl." Elissa sighed and rolled over to wrap her arms around his neck.

"You are very closed off, can you tell me why?" Zevran asked. Elissa paused and loosened her grip on him to shift away.

"I don't care to share." She said and rolled over so Zevran was lay behind her.

"Something terrible I guess?" Zevran snuggled up and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"A lot of terrible somethings, that started before the blight and some after… not all of them have quite caught up with me yet," Elissa said and held one of his hands to her heart.

"Anything small you can share? To get it off your mind. I have been told I am an excellent listener." Zevran said and nuzzled his nose into her neck gently.

"If you weren't a crow, I would," Elissa stated firmly. Zevran immediately stopped what he was doing and froze in place.

"Elissa." Zevran sighed.

"That's not my name," she replied and looked over her shoulder at him.