Ellana had never set foot in Tevinter and doing so now was an infinitely strange experience. Her friends walked alongside her as they made their way through the forest. It was an indirect route but passing across the plains would have made them too visible, especially given their numbers. Immediately behind Ellana's coterie near one hundred elves followed. In front, Solas, flanked by a few others, led them. So far their discussions had kept his attention away from Ellana which had been a relief. She was having a hard enough time dealing with her friends.

"I can't believe he let you come; you're pregnant for fucks sake," Lis was saying.

"You didn't seem so against it back at the ruins," Ellana added with obvious irritation. "What was with that nod? Are you and him suddenly friends or something?"

Lis stopped in her tracks. "Certainly not! He is a monumental twat but that doesn't mean we don't share a mutual purpose."

"And what purpose is that exactly? Bothering me?"

A wry smile formed across Lis's mouth. "To keep you from getting yourself killed."

Ellana rolled her eyes and they resumed their march.

"So what do you do then? Meet up and discuss ways to look after poor defenceless me?" Ellana questioned.

"Of course we don't. Five minutes in and I'd probably end up strangling him."

Ellana laughed. "That would not be the wisest decision. I seriously doubt you would come off well in that scenario."

"I don't know… He'd probably just let me, he's pretty whipped after all," Lis added with scepticism.

"Whipped? By me?" Ellana let out a doubting laugh. "If that were true then we would still be together!"

Ahead of them Solas turned at the sound of her laughter. He smiled at her briefly before turning back. Lis was saying something at her side but Ellana was too fixated on the back of his head to hear. His followers had started to branch away, likely attending to whatever orders he had given them. Lis nudged her but a request from ahead interrupted.

"Ellana!" Solas called out, not stopping his stride.

Ellana's friends looked on her with bemusement but she ignored them, quickening her pace to fall in alongside him. He met her with a warm smile but she could see the worry hidden behind his eyes.

"Yes?" she asked with a hint of annoyance.

He stared at her for much too long.

"What would you ask of me oh great and powerful leader?" she prompted mockingly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Very funny. My intent was to prepare you. If it were my choice you would not be here but…"

"I make my own damn choices," she interrupted angrily. "I don't need you to prepare me, thank you very much. I've seen war and the terrible things that come with it."

"But you have not seen the Imperium…"

"Then who exactly were the Venatori? I seem to recall they mentioned the Imperium all the damn time and we certainly saw far too much of them," she scoffed sarcastically.

"You misunderstand me, vhe... Ellana," he replied. Ellana did nothing to hide her amusement at his slip-up. "I speak of those that may have harmed our people. You have seen war, true, and I do not doubt that you have seen atrocities but imagine what those may become when the defender is considered beneath you; little more than animals. Such views breed brutality, horrors you cannot even begin to imagine."

Ellana bowed her head.

"I hope above all else that we will not be too late but if we are, it will be brutal," he finished.

She looked up at him to study his features. He kept focused on the path ahead, avoiding her gaze. He appeared so calm but the glint of fear still danced beneath the façade. She certainly shared his worry but in spite of everything she also felt oddly composed. She could hear her friends murmuring in the background but she could only guess what was being said. He finally turned to look at her, clearly expecting a reply.

"I'm a big girl, Solas, I can handle myself," she replied, looking away from him. "What point are you trying to make here? And don't say you want to protect me because you are just terrible at that."

"But yet who do you come to when you are in need of reassurance?" he remarked with an annoyed sigh. "Your ability to delude yourself is truly remarkable and equally frustrating."

"Fuck you too! If you want frustrating try living with an untrustworthy, smug, liar like you!" Ellana exclaimed.

He didn't rise to her anger, keeping his tone infinitely measured. "If that is what you truly think then why do I seem to be the only one you confide in? Why am I the one you seek out when you need it most?"

Ellana stumbled over both her feet and her words. He took her arm and kept her going. He wanted to help her towards resolution but they didn't have the time to stop.

"Because you make me feel safe," she eventually murmured. It was a hard thing for her to admit but deep down she knew it had been staring her in the face this whole time. "When I feel at my weakest you're the only person who can bring me back; the only one I trust enough not to judge me…"

"And there is that word again – trust."

"I didn't mean… You still lied to me!" Ellana interrupted.

"And yet you still come to me to feel safe, to feel strong; does that sound like someone you do not trust? When we promised to be honest with one another did you truly think that meant we would never keep anything hidden? What person…no, what relationship can ever maintain that? You knew perfectly well that I would do anything to keep you safe just like I know you would do the same. It is so unbearably simple, so glaringly obvious…"

Ellana stammered uselessly as she gazed at him but he turned away. With a frustrated sound he released her arm. Ellana followed his attention to the sight of two elves approaching.

"Solas, I…"

He shook his head as he left her behind. Her first instinct was to call him back but she stopped herself, knowing he had much greater concerns than her.

"What have you found?" he asked as he met the two.

Ellana couldn't hear what was being said but the moment she saw Solas's expression she knew it was bad. He spoke roughly to the two and sent them to join the others. As he returned he gestured to someone behind.

"Solas?" she said with worry.

He took her arm again to prompt her in to moving. He wouldn't look at her. She stopped walking and touched her free hand to his. He finally met her gaze.

"I fear we are too late," he answered at last.

The elven encampment was said to be situated within a cave network to the north but they never made it that far. They never even made it out of the forest. Ellana walked through the trees with soldiers at her back and Solas by her side until a permeating scent made her pause. Still with a firm grip on her arm Solas willed her in to movement again. Ellana looked questioningly at him but the look of utter disgust written on his face halted her enquiries. As they powered on the smell only worsened; similar to smoke but far more repugnant it made her grimace. The air became thick with it and crackling could soon be heard a short distance ahead of them. Passing through a crop of thick evergreens they came upon a more open area. One large tree sat in the centre and to the side smoke rose from an indistinguishable pile. Something white and red hung from one of the tree branches, swaying placidly in the breeze. Solas let out an excruciating sound, his grip on her arm falling instantly. His eyes were wide and nothing glinted within.

"Solas?" Ellana asked uselessly.

He left her side without an answer, walking towards the tree as though utterly lost. Focusing more clearly on what lay before her Ellana finally understood why. White and red, hanging from the tree was an elven woman; naked, battered and bloody. Ellana mirrored his actions, moving closer as despair overwhelmed her. Pale skin, black hair, and a disdainful smile flashed before her eyes; it was Liahra. Pained gasps sounded from around them as their people came upon the sight but neither was in any state to notice. Ellana turned her focus to the pile, unable to look at Liahra's utterly vacant body any longer. Distinguishing what it may have been amongst the burning embers was difficult but she had a terrible suspicion. She gaped in utter horror as her eyes rested on a scorched but still fully formed hand.

"No…" she despaired as she fell to her knees in front of her burning people.

With face still wet from inconsolable tears Ellana rose to her feet. Fury now overrode all else. For the entire time she had cried Solas had not moved. He stood expressionless, staring at Liahra's swinging corpse. She approached his side as one of the elves came forward from the despondent crowd.

"My Lord, our scouts have managed to capture two Tevinter soldiers," he stated with obvious apprehension.

Solas gave no indication that he had even heard him.

Ellana touched his shoulder. "Solas?"

He didn't react, still staring blankly. Seeing him so lost only increased her fury. She turned to the elf.

"Bring them forward," she ordered and with a gesture those behind did as she bid. "I presume you are one of those in charge?" The elf nodded. "Good…"

She trailed off as two humans were led forward. Restrained on either side by elves the men swore vilely. She took one final look at Solas who remained oblivious.

"Tell me where I can find those responsible for this depravity," she demanded evenly as the Imperials were brought before her.

The clearly more confident of the two piped up first, "If you think we would tell a rat like you…!"

Ellana lacked even a shred of patience. She lunged out with a gloved hand, fingers pressing in to his throat. He spluttered beneath her but she kept crushing, too consumed by rage to show any mercy. Blood seeped forth and pooled around her buried fingers. Not releasing the pressure she ripped free and blood spattered in an arch of red. As he slumped to the ground Ellana rounded on the survivor.

"Unless you want to meet a similar fate," she started, releasing what remained of the dead man's throat from her hand to land with a wet thud in front of her new victim. "Tell me where I can find those responsible."

"They are camped two miles north of here! They expected more of you might come!" the man cried desperately.

"Thank you. You have been a great help," Ellana replied as she came down to his level.

She placed a hand at the back of his neck and pulled him to her. Too shocked and afraid he didn't notice her unsheathing her blade.

"Thank you," she repeated weakly.

She plunged her dagger beneath the base of his skull, killing him instantly. Ellana released him and he slumped to the ground alongside his comrade. The elf came to her side as she rose to her feet.

"Have the troops surround the camp. We attack on my signal," she ordered.

She made her way back to Solas's side.

"Solas!" she shouted, unable to approach with any softness in her fury ridden state.

He remained unresponsive. Ellana let out an angry noise as she left to follow the troops. If he couldn't lead them then she would.

Ellana watched the encampment from her vantage point atop a slight hill. Solas had warned her it would be brutal but he had been wrong. She had seen brutality but this was something else, this was monstrous. Even in his absence she felt no nerves as she watched the unsuspecting soldiers. Her troops outnumbered those below so it was going to be a massacre but that is exactly what she craved. The image of Liahra's swinging corpse still plagued her mind, the thought of her telling wounds almost breaking her. She willed herself to believe that Liahra had died quickly, long before the atrocities could be committed. The alternative was just too terrible to bear.

"That's the last of the troops in position," a voice informed from beside her.

She was more than ready. Lis had tried to reason with her, convince her not to be a part of the battle. At first Ellana couldn't understand why she would even suggest such a thing; so consumed by anger the life growing in her belly was forgotten. Even with Lis's insistence she could barely acknowledge it.

"Send out the signal," Ellana ordered.

She didn't wait, charging out beyond the trees as the whistle sounded behind her. Arrows rained from the safety of the tree line, hitting the unprepared Imperials as a herald of what was to come. The troops joined her quickly but Ellana still made it first in to the fray. The initial shock and fear on the faces of their enemies was immensely satisfying. In a blind rage she ripped and tore at anyone who saw fit to engage her. She acted on instinct, dodging and striking with just as much skill as she normally displayed but there was no thought behind it. She barely noticed her friends keeping close watch on her as they too struck down droves. Lost in her fury she was beyond any form of true comprehension. Nothing mattered so long as she was spilling their blood.

But yet, a small, elusive part of her remained present and it was that part that heard the alarm call. She barely registered it at first but slowly the present part of her mind shouted louder than her fury. Only a handful of the Tevinter soldiers remained so it mattered little when she halted. As her friends circled around she turned towards the unwelcome ringing and saw the culprit. She closed the distance between them easily, mostly having to dodge past her own people rather than enemies. Still ringing the bell the man was oblivious to her and she struck him down with ease. With her last kill crashing down behind her she gazed in to the valley beyond and saw a shadow moving, the shadow of more soldiers. At no point had she ever considered that this could have been a trap. She thought back to a phrase Solas sometimes spouted but never seemed to actually live by – "Anger is the most blinding of all emotions."

As the soldiers advanced further she could see them as more than a mere shadow. Their numbers were not overwhelming but there would be loss. She looked around at her own people, a few still fighting, and she feared for them. As more of her already exhausted people observed the advancing troops she could sense their dread rising. The air around her seemed to grow heavy, swelling inexorably forward from the trees. She glanced back. Calm washed over her and fear evaporated as she saw Solas stride free from the trees. With him here it no longer mattered how many they faced; they were all already dead.

Expression still impassive Solas acknowledged no one as he passed; only stopping when he reached a point between the elves and their aggressors. The soldiers were close now, painfully near charging distance. Solas outstretched a hand towards them and from his palm an orb of brilliant blue light burst in to existence. As his eyes glowed tendrils snaked free of the orb to dance at the feet of the unsuspecting Imperial's. The sight could have been almost beautiful if not for its terrible intent. With each tendril the orb freed it became ever smaller. Seemingly satisfied its work was done Solas raised it up and crushed it beneath his closing fist.

Ellana couldn't react quickly enough. Blinding light dazed her as a monumental explosion tore their aggressors apart. She cowered in the wake, hot air whipping past her with such force that it almost knocked her off her feet. Still struggling to see anything she rubbed her eyes and judging from the moans around her everyone else had been caught just as off-guard. Between the spots of white light that still marred her vision she could see Solas, the only one who had remained still. He stood watching blankly as the smoke cleared. Ellana stumbled forward, desperate to reach him but in her state she couldn't. Eventually Solas turned back as though nothing had happened. Ellana's vision had recovered enough to see him clearly as he strode past her and back in to the forest. He barely even looked at her but she still glimpsed his agonisingly vacant eyes. The pain mounting in her chest made it difficult to breathe. She grabbed the nearest person.

"Ensure every last one of them is dead," she ordered coldly before running in to the forest after him.

Ellana found Solas exactly where she had left him. He no longer stood vacant; in fact he was only just visible, crouched down in a large hole in the ground. Ellana presumed he must have made it himself but it seemed foolish to ask about something so trivial. To her relief Liahra no longer hung from the tree; she lay wrapped in what appeared to be Solas's cloak. Even though she had held no love for the woman it heartened Ellana to see her dignity finally being preserved. No one, not even an enemy, deserved the degradation she had suffered. Ellana approached with suitable caution.

"Solas?" she tried weakly but he ignored her. She came slowly closer. "Solas, this was not your fault."

He stopped instantly. His back was to her so she couldn't see his expression. Ellana fidgeted, desperately trying to think of something else to say but before she could he climbed out of the hole and came to rest painfully close to her.

"When Areina died I said the same thing to you. Did you believe it?" he asked with absolutely no feeling.

Ellana looked up at him and he stared through her. Behind his eyes there was nothing, not even anger. A lump rose in her throat and she couldn't speak.

"No, you blamed yourself and I will do the same," he continued. An inexorable tear rolled down Ellana's cheek as he turned away. "I would prefer to be alone so you should leave."

"No, I won't leave you," she replied, her voice cracking with emotion.

Suddenly he rounded on her and the vacancy was gone. All that was left was unbridled rage. The air snapped around him as he came within inches of her.

"Go!" he yelled and she ran away in to the trees.

Ellana didn't make it far. She came to a stop before she reached the others fully expecting to break down. In all their time together she had never been afraid of Solas but right then she had been. Even so she did not blame him. In actuality the only person she was angry at was herself. He may have frightened her but that was no doubt his intention; he would never do anything to harm her and she knew it. She couldn't believe she had just walked away when he clearly needed her. She knew that, in her position, he would have stayed.

She headed back the way she had come still cursing herself. He would be angry, she had no doubt about that, but she was more than willing to take it. When she reached the tree once again the scene was much as she had left it. Liahra still lay beneath the tree, the hole remained open and the bodies still piled but he was entirely absent. Ellana looked around, listening intently for any sound that might tell her where he had gone but to no avail. Some of her brethren broke through the trees and came to an abrupt stop at the sight of her.

"Where is Fen'Harel?" she asked, the desperation in her tone evident.

They all looked upon her with bemusement.

One of them finally piped up, "My Lord said he had to return; requested we finish what he started…"

"Return? Home?" Ellana interrupted, her worry increasing exponentially.

"I believe so…"

Without thinking Ellana broke in to a run, a terrible feeling rising from within.

Ellana stumbled through Dhaveira's Eluvian at speed. She couldn't explain it but somehow she had known instantly where she needed to go. The first thing that hit her was the dragon's pained shrieks. She ran through in to the valley as fast as her legs would carry her. Before her Dhaveira thrashed and screamed at the doorway. The area around her was blackened in places. Passing the spire Ellana saw it lay in ruin. She didn't stop, not even to avoid the dragon's tirade. Seeing an opening she slid through and rushed on beyond the doorway. Fear consumed her but not for herself. The absolute darkness of the tunnel forced her pace to slow; the glow from the barrier now ominously absent. The only light that remained were two glowing eyes. From what little she could see he was on his knees, an arm barely supporting his own weight. Throwing herself down beside him she observed his exhaustion.

"Solas? Solas, please tell me you're alright?!" she begged desperately.

At the sight of her the glow evaporated from his eyes and his expression crumpled.

"No… Ellana, you must leave…"

His own pained screams cut him off. His eyes glowed and he clawed frenziedly at his head.

"Solas! What is happening?!" she shouted, pulling him to her.

The screams stopped and the glow evaporated once again.

"I…I saw you," he uttered before his consciousness left him entirely.

Ellana supported him to the ground. She still couldn't fathom what was happening and panic set in. She touched a hand to his chest and to her relief felt his heart beat beneath it. Out of the corner of her eye a flash of black made her turn from him. In spite of the absolute darkness a shadow, human-like in form moved against the wall.

"Stop! Please!" Ellana cried. "Leave him alone!"

Screams forced their way in to her mind. At first they were indistinguishable but she came to recognise them; first Solas's then her mother's then her friend's and finally her own. They roared louder and louder until it all went black.

Ellana stirred at the sound of something chiming. It sounded so distant, so beyond her but still she found it oddly comforting. She shifted in the bed still occupying that pleasant place between sleeping and awake where worries are forgotten. A slight breeze passed across her skin and she shivered lightly. Instinctively she grabbed for the bedcovers but found none.

"My child, you are awake!" a surprised voice exclaimed.

Ellana's eyelids fluttered open. The room around her came slowly in to focus: Solas's room. Opposite the bed Mirwen sat in one of the chairs gazing hopefully at her. Ellana propped herself up on one arm but as she did she pressed against something warm beside her. Glancing down she finally noticed Solas fast asleep beside her. His eyes were obviously closed but between his eyelids she was certain she could see a glow emanating. Watching his chest rise and fall she remembered all that had brought them to this point.

"What happened? We collapsed and I… How did we end up here?" she asked Mirwen. She touched a hand to Solas's cheek hopefully but deep down she already knew he wouldn't wake.

"You led us to him," Mirwen replied.

Ellana's brow furrowed. "That's not possible; I was unconscious."

"I presumed as much but even so you emerged from the forest, told me he needed help and where to find him. As soon as I left to get help you apparently collapsed again." Mirwen let out a wry smile. "I have never had to convince a dragon before but I must say it was certainly an experience."

"That's not… I don't remember," Ellana conceded. She looked down at Solas resting her palm above his heart. "Is he… Is he going to survive this?"

"The people of his time slumbered to heal themselves. I believe he will wake when he is ready," Mirwen replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

Ellana looked away despondently. Mirwen came over and took her hand.

"You will not lose him, not today."

Ellana met her gaze but the sadness did not leave her eyes.

"Stay with him for as long as you need to. I will remain outside if you need anything," Mirwen continued.

"Thank you," Ellana replied weakly.

As soon as the door clicked shut Ellana turned back to Solas.

"Please come back," she whispered before planting a light kiss on his lips.

She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Above even the shouting voices of her own mind she heard his heartbeat. As calm washed over her the pulse was all that remained.

"Please don't leave me."

By the time Solas awoke it was the dead of night. It had been a struggle to even make it that far. The Fade had seemed so unfamiliar, like a labyrinth he could not escape. He had felt trapped and utterly powerless. It wasn't until he heard Ellana's voice from the beyond that he even understood who he was. After that the walls of the labyrinth easily tumbled down.

As he awoke his head pounded. He tried to rise but a weight on his chest kept him down. Glancing down he recognised the hair immediately. Breathing rhythmically Ellana slept with her head rested against him. He reached out a hand to touch her but stopped short.

"Ellana?" he prompted quietly but she didn't stir.

Carefully he lifted her head free of his chest and slipped out from underneath her. Even with the movement her breathing remained regular. He crouched at the bed side.

"Ellana?" he tried one last time.

A small snore was all the answer he received. He smiled as he gazed down on her sleeping form, too precious to wake. Cherishing the warmth of her skin, he ran a finger down her cheek before leaving quietly through the bedroom door.

Ellana held her breath as she passed through the Eluvian and on to the beach. When she had initially awoken to find the bed empty she had understandably panicked. Mirwen had directed her here as well as informing her that Solas had appeared as well as could be expected. It was an undeniable relief knowing that he had managed to recover. As Ellana made her way through the cliffs she heard the sound of Dhaveira's contented rumbling. The sun had not yet started its ascent so light was scarce but she could still make out the dragon's monumental ivory form lain in the valley. Hand extended and stroking her massive head, Solas sat beside her on a ruined pillar. He didn't look up as Ellana advanced, the sound of the dragons tail swishing with satisfaction against the ground drowning out her footsteps. Dhaveira, however, did hear her. She raised her head with tendrils outstretched and let out a happy trill. Solas followed her attention and rose to his feet, grinning widely.

"You took your time…" he started but the force with which Ellana embraced him cut him short.

"I thought I lost you!" she cried, her face buried in his chest.

Solas wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes at the much needed feeling of her beneath him. Ellana pulled away.

"Why didn't you wake me up?!" she questioned as she punched him angrily in the shoulder.

He ducked away with a laugh. "I did try!" He dropped the amusement and touched a hand to the side of her neck apologetically. "You were just so peaceful."

Ellana gazed in to his warm eyes and relished the pulse of emotion it brought to her. She wanted to ask him so many questions but feared it would ruin this precious moment.

"Whatever it was is gone," Solas said. Her eyes widened, impressed he had anticipated her thoughts so accurately. "I did not intend to release it; at least not before…" He shook his head as though trying to shake the dark thoughts out his mind. "When we came upon…what we saw…I could not see Liahra," his voice broke at her name, "all I saw was you…hanging there, defiled, and utterly gone. I knew it was not truly you but yet it was all I could see, all I could think about…"

"So you released a monster."

He let out a frustrated sigh. "It is not that simple! I could not remove the image of you from my mind; in that moment losing you felt inevitable. I was desperate, beyond anything I have ever felt before. I felt there was no choice." His face fell, too ashamed to look her in the eye. "I did not know what was real anymore but I had to believe it could help me."

Ellana grasped his chin and forced his eyes to her.

"What was it?" she asked firmly.

He looked away again. "I genuinely do not know." Ellana wore a decidedly sceptical expression. He broke away from her and started pacing. "It claimed to be a spirit of wisdom, bound outside the Fade for the knowledge it held but I doubted that even before it attacked me. It knew what I wanted; it knew about all I mean to restore; it knew everything. It told me there was a way to bring you and our child in to the new world and if I released it, it would share that knowledge with me. At no point before did I think it was anything beyond a ploy but in my desperation I dared to hope, more than willing to accept the consequences." He came to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "It was entirely foolish of me, entirely selfish and I am sorry."

Ellana looked up in to his frantic eyes and let out a long sigh. She reached up around his neck.

"You're certain it's gone?" she asked.

His brow furrowed tightly. "Wholly certain. Are you not going to…?"

His words trailed off as her lips pressed against his. Once the kiss ended she took his hand in hers.

"I trust you," she murmured as she intently examined his hand. "It took almost losing you to make me admit it but I do trust you, in spite of everything. Complete honesty with one another was never a possible goal; we were always going to fail. You will lie to me just like I have with you but I know you would never do it with the intention of hurting me. You do it because you love me and I would do the same. You make me feel safe because I know that my safety will always be your first thought." She touched her palm to his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath. "I want to see what you become; I want to face the world together; I want to watch you be a father; I want you."

"You never lost me, vhenan." he replied before kissing her deeply. "But I need to know… When it comes to protecting you," he gazed down at her stomach, "and our child there is nothing I will not do. In this I can make no promises. If it comes down to a choice between lying to you and saving you, I will save you every time."

Ellana broke their eye contact and looked down in thought. "I think a part of me always understood…because I would make the exact same choice. I love you and I would gladly die in your place. It is selfish and I wouldn't want to leave you but I don't think I could live knowing I hadn't tried."

"So now you know, vhenan," he replied, savouring the final word.

He reached in to kiss her once more but with a palm pressed to his collarbone she held him back. Concern flashed across his expression.

"But this…this is over?" she asked, pointing towards the ruins. "I need you to promise me that much. I…I know you want to protect me but…please not like this."

"It is done, vhenan." His face fell. "I was a fool, an utter fool…"

She ran the back of her hand lightly down the curve of his jaw. "My fool."

He raised her chin and she readily met his lips in a long, slow kiss. So close she could read everything written in his expression. He looked impatient, overly excited. It was unlike him but it was an adorable sight nonetheless.

"Before we proceed do you have any further stipulations you would care to add?" he asked, barely managing to contain himself.

Ellana looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Stipulations? About our relationship?!" She laughed. "Must you make everything so formal?"

"I am nothing if not thorough," he replied with equal amusement.

She thought for a moment. "We should try and take things slow." His look turned decidedly sceptical. "I mean it this time! We have never really done the whole courtship thing…well, I suppose we did in the Inquisition but after that it's always been so intense. Some time might do us good. At least until our little one comes along. "

His sceptical look turned warm. "A logical stipulation; one I will see that you honour. Although your idea of slow is considerably different from what I am used to; in my time courtship could span across decades…"

"Decades?! Fuck that!"

"Indeed. Either way it matters little…" Without warning he lifted her off the ground in one swift movement.

"What the…! What do you think you are doing?!" Ellana cried as he cradled her in his arms.

"We can take things slow tomorrow but tonight… Tonight I intend to do to you what you have been fantasising about for the past week."

Ellana reddened uncontrollably. To her annoyance the smug smile was back.

"Put me down!" she cried.

"You are opposed to the idea?" he questioned, eyebrow raised. "Considering your actions yesterday I find that hard to believe."

"You'd be surprised…" she couldn't help teasing.

He started lowering her back to the ground.

"Very well," he stated, smug smile still firmly in place. "If you would rather spend the night fantasising instead of experiencing…"

"No!" Ellana yelled much too desperately for her liking.

He straightened up, chuckling lightly but she wasn't about to let him win. She caressed her fingers down the sensitive skin of his neck and satisfyingly felt him swallow hard. Ensuring their eyes met she bit her lip suggestively.

"Just what I thought," he gulped. With her still in his arms he strode off in the direction of the Eluvian. "Although I must add, once you have had your fill we are going to talk like we used to and explore the Fade. It seems only fair I should get some proper enjoyment out of this deal."

Ellana laughed. "Because you certainly won't enjoy the first part, not someone of your superior intellect!" she teased sarcastically.

"Certainly not," he added, his positively giddy expression giving him away.

A/N - This whole topic of honesty and trust was really difficult for me. I had not expected it would be when I started but it really was! It's one of these things that everyone spouts - "Honesty is the most important part of any relationship" "You must have trust" and so on. But it is so much more complicated than that isn't it? Being honest in general is something people aspire to but yet you can be 'too honest'. When I was younger I definitely fell in to that category and actually lost friendships over it. It seems (to me at least) that honesty is some sort of weird sliding scale, bad at both ends and thus trust is equally as difficult to define. Trust, in my mind, is not the belief that someone will never lie to you because they will, in fact they should. The truth can hurt and regularly gives little benefit to either party so is not always the 'right' path (such as in the case of so called 'white lies'). In my messed up world view trust within a relationship seems more like the knowledge that the person will act in your best interests as much as they can. Obviously they will get it wrong sometimes as no person can know exactly what another wants or needs but you still trust that that is their primary objective. Does that make any sense at all? I know some people won't agree but at least you maybe get where I was coming from with all of this. It's a massively subjective topic so really everyone defines it for themselves...kind of makes this whole rant pointless. MOVING ON!