Epilogue

"I should have known you would find me."

Vaelia lowered her hand from her mouth, so many emotions in her at that moment. She had never once stopped loving him, worrying for him; even though she knew he had lied about it all, even though Leliana said he had betrayed them – she couldn't bring herself to stop loving him. But in this moment, her heart felt like a darkness had finally taken hold – more terrifying than the Breach. Liar. Murderer. "Yes." She heard her own voice, it sounded like a whisper on the breeze.

He was watching her, just as always did back then. Vaelia did not look away, she could feel the power he held now, it was strong and wild. "I should explain." There – a hint of the voice she had known, soft and spoken without hesitation.

"No." Her own voice again, and she found herself lifting her head up as she took a step forward – her cloak flowing around her ankles. She stopped when there was little distance between them, reaching out and touching his cheek softly – one…last…time. As she watched his eyes, the flow of power there she realised she could never feel him again – he was cut off to her because that man was a lie, a phantom. This was what pride had wrought.

He could see the shift in her, a coldness enclosing her eyes as her fingers left his skin and she turned away. The girl who had always asked questions, always known he was hiding a part of himself away and trusted him still – waiting for the truth; and she was turning away. He grabbed her quickly, like he done long ago, bring their lips together that stirred a fire within him. His hand in her hair and the other around her waist – but she didn't respond. "I owe you that much."

She stepped out of his grasp, and turned away once more, words stinging him more than a knife ever could. "I do not know you." Her head was facing the exit, she was fighting back angry tears behind her cold demeanor. She started walking towards the door as she heard his footsteps.

"Yes you do." He whispered, like a snake.

"Be gone demon, do not tempt me with your lies." She stated, spinning to face him as he came up to her – hurt in his eyes was real enough. "I grow impatient with your notions of what I know."

"Be angry, Vaelia, but do not degrade me – it is beneath you." He said, his voice stern and she sighed ever so lightly.

"What am I to say?" She asked, looking at the ceiling of the temple. "I fell in love with a phantom." She said quietly, closing her eyes as a soft fleeting smile graced her features. He ached for that full smile, the look of blonde hair scattered across the pillow as he put his arms around her, and bright eyes turning to say good morning as they awakened from sleep. "You can not love a ghost." She whispered, shaking her head.

"Vaelia." He spoke softly and she turned to his and raised her marked hand, it started to glow. She too, had grown stronger. A fierceness lay within her he admired, but now it was fueled by a coldness the Inquisitor had never had – not willingly.

"Don't." She raised her hand higher, feeling the power draw though her even stronger. "No words sweet talker." She whispered, and he could feel the warmth of her touch no his skin still, the smell of the forest and herbs she used. "I am the Inquisitor, slayer of dragons and conqueror of the Fade. Gods tremble before me, and fall before my sword."

He raised his chin, meeting her eyes that were frozen, sending a chill to his spine as he saw a tear leak out, traveling down her cheek. "Ma vhenan." He said, taking a step closer.

"Do not tempt me Solas." She hissed, her words choked. " I mean - Fen'Harel - " She could no longer fight back the tears that were threatening to fell. "I watched the gate everyday, just in case." She whispered, "I could feel you for the longest time – and then – just like a void." She closed her eyes, shaking the emotions away as he approached. "I needed you." She let the words escape, shivering as he approached.

He engulfed her in his arms, pressing her head into her chest – crushing her with his might as they sunk to the floor. "I know." He whispered, kissing the top of her head as he closed his eyes, hearing the choked sob as she struggled to fight against him. "I have missed you too, Ma vhenan, and I'm sorry."

/

"Haven?" Her heard was swirling as she walked in that familiar place, he could see the troubled look in her eyes – pain and guilt. Regardless, she was something to be marvelled at – she had come here so easily and her force was something to be reckoned with. "Why here?"

"Haven is familiar. It will always be important to you." He replied, stopping and waiting for her to join him. She seemed to be taking in everything, those large eyes not leaving anything overturned – including himself, she locked her gaze with his and he had to turn away.

"We talked about it already" She replied, matching his stride.

Solas turned his head slightly, catching a glance at her face as he directed her to the cell in which she had been kept in so long ago. They walked in silence, her hand sometimes brushed his own as she was absented looking at the place around her.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, he touched her shoulder and she turned to face him. Removing his hand from her warmth, he could still feel the warmth, clasping his hands behind his back. "I sat beside you while you slept, studying the anchor."

Vaelia narrowed her eyes as she stepped forward, touching the bars lightly as she felt her own memories and the pain she had felt when the mark had been unstable. How many times had she come so close to death…"I am glad someone was watching over me." Her voice as soft as a feather.

"You were a mystery…" He replied, words slipping out before he thought them through. "You still are." She turned her head so watch him, and Solas continued with the facts. "I ran every test there I could image, searched the fade yet found nothing." He walked over to her, looking in the cell with the memories he held, the mark had held such an interest to him – the elf who lay there with her pale skin and fight for life. "Cassandra suspected duplicity, she threatened to have me expected as an apostate if I did not produce results."

"Cassandra is like that with everyone." Vaelia replied, a slight smile on her face as she recalled her first interaction with the Seeker.

Solas laughed, always saying the truth as she saw it. "Yes" He touched her arm again as an indication to follow him, and she did after a moment. As they walked back outside, he began speaking once more.

"You were never going to walk up, how could you, a mortal sent physically through the Fade?." He shook his head, looking up. "I was frustrated, frightened, the spirits I might have consulted had been driven away by the Breach." He paused and he could feel her stop behind him. "Although I wished to help, I had no faith in Cassandra – or she in me. I was ready to flee."

"If you'd run Cassandra would have been certain of your guilt. She would have hunted you down." Vaelia stated calmly, secretly very grateful for him not leaving.

"You are likely right." He whispered, walking forward as he continued. "I told myself, one more attempt to seal the rifts. I tried and failed." He raised his hand to the sky, shaking his head as he brought it back down. "No ordinary magic would affect them. I watched the rifts expand and grow, resigned myself to flee and then - " He remembered the first time he had seen her, taking her hand and forcing the mark to work – and she could manipulate the mark far better than he could ever have guessed.

He turned around, watching her face as she was remembering it all with much less enjoyment. "It seems you hold the key to our salvation." She smiled, shaking her head with a sigh as he continued. "You had sealed it with a gesture….. And right then I felt the whole world change."

She turned her head slowly to look back at him, watching is face as emotions she had never seen fell on his features. "Felt the whole world change?" She asked softly, was it even possible he felt the same?

"A figure of speech." He said smoothly, and he say the hurt that flashed in her eyes.

She smiled and shook her head at his own remark, retorting with her own. "I am aware of the metaphor. I am more interested in 'felt'." She stepped closer, watching him with that intense gaze that he felt deep within his soul.

"You change….everything." He whispered.

"Sweet talker." She replied softly, touching his arm lightly – and it burned on his skin like she did in his heart. The was a moment's pause, and she did nothing and he looked away and started to move – when she did something unexpected. She took a hold of his cheek so softly, turning his face to hers and she touched her lips to his, a feeling like nothing before swept over him.

She stepped back and he watched her, shaking his head as he grabbed her arm – smiling as he ran his fingers through her hair, his other hand griping her waist tightly as he kissed her – she gasped in surprise, but she closed her eyes and moaned involuntarily into the kiss. He had never before felt the same type of passion he could feel here; it took all his might to pull himself back after several minutes of breathless kisses. And even then he could not leave it there, kissing her one last time, and it made her smile – her eyes lighting up and it mad his knees weak in the most dreadful way.

"We shouldn't, it isn't even right, not even here." He panted, and she caught her breath before he responded.

"What do you mean, not even here?"

He smiled, touching her face softly. "Where do you think we are?"

She backed up, looking around as if in a panic. "This isn't even real."

He chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's a matter of debate. It is best to discuss when you wake up."

He awoke in his desk chair, a smile on his face as he touched his lips – her touch lingered there, as it did on any place her fingers had found. It was sweet and careless of him, two emotions entering into his mind at one time, and yet it was right – her body against his in a heat of passion. He heard footsteps and he stood, seeing a flushed face and a sweet smile enter his chamber lit up his heart.