Diana woke up, she heard birds singing outside her window. She felt hot breathing on her neck and realized it was Zevran's.
She wondered how she ended up here. She looked around her, she was back in the estate, that's for sure. Last thing she remembered was...was Vaughan and the guards and Zevran touching her face. It was very blurry. She involuntarily started trembling. Zevran must have awoken by this.
"Good morning, my fair Warden." He said giving a faint smile.
She turned facing him. He still looked sleepy.
"I was afraid you were gonna sleep all your beauty away!"
She chuckled and touched his tattoo markings on his face.
"You saved me." She whispered, looking in his eyes.
"Well, we couldn't leave our fearless leader to rot in a cell, can we? Besides, Wynne and Morrigan saved you, not me."
He sat up on the edge of the bed.
"I should tell our delightful Wynne that you are up," he said, going to the door.
"Don't leave..." She said weakly trying to stand.
Zevran rushed to her side, putting her back in bed. He grinned at her face.
"Tsk, tsk my Warden. This is why Wynne needs to be informed of your situation. You think you can be up and running about after you've been unconscious for so long? You will rip up the wounds she hasn't healed yet, the only ones remaining is the injuries on your thighs, but that's enough for you to remain in bed. You have such beautiful thighs, my dear. I would be heartbroken if they get further damaged." He grinned his wicked smile at her.
She grabbed his hands, making him trip over her. Her body was hurting, but she didn't care. She had only seen Zevran in her mind when she was captured, she wanted to just feel and smell him, his scent of leather, to see if this was real. She kissed him. Zevran responded for a matter of seconds and pulled away.
"Now, now. Not that I mind being kissed by such a ravishing beauty such as yourself. But I do prefer my victim to remain alive while pleasuring them. You have to wait until you are fully healed, pet." He smiled at her and left.
Diana tried to sit up straight. It didn't take long until Wynne came with Sten and Leliana in her room.
"Diana" Leliana hugged her so tight it hurt the Warden.
"Leli..."She almost choked, she let go.
"Oh, by the Maker, I'm sorry!" She gasped
"Don't worry, I missed you to, Leli." She smiled at her.
"It is good to see you kadan." Sten bowed in front of her, he had a basket in his hand.
"And you, Sten." She kept looking at the basket.
"Yes. This is for you." Sten noticed her look and placed the basket next to her bed. It was filled with all kinds of cookies.
"Aw, Sten, thank you" She said.
He nodded and left.
"It is good to se you awake, child. You had us all quite frightened." Wynne smiled, caressing her hair.
"And for once your hair is actually nice, usually it looks like a bird nest" She smirked.
"Oh very funny. Do you always torment your patients?"
"Only my favorites!"
Diana laughed and said sarcastically:
"I feel so blessed."
"How long was I out?" Diana asked
"For four days"
"four?!"
"Yes, do not worry. We all have taken good care of you." Leliana said.
"Yes, I bet," Diana said, holding Leliana's hand.
Leliana giggled.
"Yes, Zevran refused to leave your side after we brought you back. Well, after he was allowed to enter."
"Zevran? He seemed to be eager to get out of my sight when I woke up!" She frowned.
After a few minutes talking about what happened during her comatose state, which wasn't much, Wynne asked:
"How are you holding up? You do not need to put up a facade for us, child. We are your friends."
"Im fine...really. It is over and I do not wish to talk about it. Not yet."
Diana said turning away. She had tried her best to keep her memories shut. She didn't want to think about what the guards said or did while they were fucking her.
They heard a knock on the door, it was the queen, Riordan and the arl.
"Sister, I'm glad that you are awake!" Riordan said, bowing down.
Sister, he sounded almost like Fergus.
Oh dear brother are you still alive? Diana got distracted for a second.
"Yes, you gave us all quite a scare." Eamon smiled.
The queen approached, unsure at what she wanted to say.
"Get out!" She said through gritted teeth, looking at the queen.
Anora has apparently not been used getting ordered around, she seemed shocked.
Diana felt anger boiling up, and raised her voice. "Are you deaf, Anora? You have nothing to say to me. Get out!"
Anora hurried outside.
"Wynne, how much longer do I need to remain here?" She said, sighing to the mage.
"Child, you just woken up, and you already want to get moving?"
"Well, the Blight isn't going to wait for me to get pass this."
"Always the dutiful one," Leliana said, shaking her head.
"that's what a leader does! It is my heavy burden" Diana laughed.
"You are not getting out of that bed, today, young lady. You still need to rest at least one more day." Wynne quirked her lips.
Diana pouted.
"Fine. Where's the rest?" She asked
"Anora had a lead that Loghain had been selling the elves in Alienage into slavery. Alistair, Oghren, Morrigan and your trusted dog left this morning to look into it. It can prove quite useful in the Landsmeet."
"Yes, Anora is not going to take the throne!" Diana said biting her lip.
"Alistair is going to be a great king, oh that reminds me, when is the Landsmeet?"
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?! We need to know whose side people might be on. I have a feeling we're going to be greatly outnumbered, if the slavery in the alienage is true, that gives us at least something for the nobles to ponder about."
"Leliana you think that you can go today and look in the tavern for possible information?"
"Of course, my friend." Hugging her again, and she was gone.
Wynne looked at Diana with her warm motherly eyes.
"You're very strong, you know that?"
Diana ducked, Wynne was not going to let this go, was she?
To her surprise, Wynne just kissed her on her forehead.
"I will go and see if I can find something to eat, ooh, maybe grab a bottle of wine, while I am at it!"
She winked at Diana and closed the door.
She didn't want be alone. It let her mind wander of to places she did not want to go.
Diana looked at the window, it was not placed that high up, she can probably get out.
She decided to give it a try. Wynne would turn Diana into a ant and put her in a jar if she found out what she's about to do.
She got out of the bed and immediately fell down. Her wounds on the legs had not healed, and they were shaking from the shock of her standing up. She cursed herself, and tried to get up once again.
Hm, I can't really go out in this,
she thought, looking at her dress.
She felt hot liquid running down her thighs.
Shit, she ripped open the cuts.
A knock on the door caused her to trip over again, out of surprise.
Riordan entered the room. He had an amused look on his face.
"Going somewhere?" and she got up with Riordan's help.
When he had put her back in the bad, he took some bandages and a healing poltuice.
He grinned at her expression
"it is always good to be prepared."
He went out of the room, came back seconds later with a bucket full with water and a towel. He sat down next to Diana.
"May I?" He asked, his eyes rested on her bloody legs.
Diana nodded, and shivered at his touch. His hands were big and rough, like the men in the prison. His touch was however unlike theirs, gentle and smooth.
He pulled up her nightgown and dipped the towel in the bucket. He started to take away the blood with the towel, put some salve on the wounds.
She twitched
"Damn, that really burns!"
"Think before you act next time you decide to go out on a grand adventure while being delicate state, hm?" Riordan said, bandaging her thighs.
"I just didn't want to be alone." She looked down.
He had sympathetic eyes.
"I can understand that. Well I can remain here, until your friends return."
"Tell me the stories about the good old days?" She sniggered.
"If that would be your wish," he said.
"There, it's done. How you will explain this to your healer, I do not know."
"It wouldn't be the first time I've acted against her advice" she gave a wicked grin.
"Why am I not surprised," he said, shaking his head.
Diana's belly wanted to participate in their conversation, it gave away a loud noise, sound much like a snore.
Diana's cheeks flamed red instantly and Riordan laughed.
"I will go and see if they have food in the kitchen, when I come back we can talk," he grinned, patted her on the knee before going.
--
Her face, her smile and laughs haunted him wherever he went. He saw her everywhere. In his dreams and thoughts. She had made his day a living hell since that night in camp.
He was infatuated with her since she had spared his life, but then it was only desire he craved or that's what he thought. Why was this woman so much different from all the others he had? He had her, why keep being persistently close to her for other reasons?
He was an assassin, for fuck's sake. A cold killer with no heart nor mercy. Love is illusion, this is what he had learned. Death is his art, making it happen was his privilege.
Rinna, he laughed at himself for thinking of her. She touched his black hole for a heart. When she died, he swore to himself never allowing any women getting close, except psychically of course. Here he is, doing the same thing over again and feeling even more confused with Diana then he had with Rinna.
He cursed himself for being a fool!
Wynne and Leliana had been smiling at him, and saying that he loves her. Did he love her? Zevran sighed.
He had see women being beaten and being treated like shit, but this was the first time it had affected him. He thought his chest was gonna burst when he saw her in Fort Drakon.
He blamed himself for not protecting her. He failed his oath he promised to her that day when she decided not to kill him. Thinking about it, what they did, only made it worse.
Zevran realized that love, real love isn't brains. It is blood screaming inside his body, betraying everything that was once him, the cocky, arrogant Zevran.
What will happen after the Blight, assuming that they don't all die, of course. He couldn't see a future with them together in it. Marriage, kids, living on a cosy farm, he never wanted that life, it would be far to boring. He shivered at the very thought. He wondered if she thought about it. He did have a feeling Diana was not gonna settle down when the Blight is over.
These are worries for the future, he says to himself.
He looked at his gloves. They were filthy, not as pretty as when she gave them to him. No one had ever given him a gift, she had listen to his tales, and remembered them. He smiled to himself.
He took out a small package he had been carrying around since his first target. He unwrapped it and took out the small jeweled golden earring.
You might as well face it Zevran. You can whine and moan how much you want about this. You're love's bitch, his mind concluded for him. For once he agreed.
*^*
Zevran was walking back to estate, he had been at the docks, in the market district he saw Leliana. He sniggers to himself and jumps her from behind.
She shouts, "Zev!" and hits him on the shoulder.
"You know, my dear Leliana. For being one of the best bards in Orlais, you lack an certain talent for hearing danger."
He winked at her. She looked as she was about to kill him.
"What have you've been doing here?" He asked.
"Just been looking for information. I was surprised when I noticed that the Grey Wardens still have a lot of respect and support amongst the nobility. That our precious Diana was a Cousland and many knew her since her childhood helped as well I guess. I would give the Landsmeet a fifty fifty depending what news Alistair brings"
"He have been gone since this morning, yes?"
"Yes, he will probably be back tomorrow or during the night."
"Why are you here, Zevran?" She suddenly asks, giving him a innocent smile.
"I was out for a walk!"
"Why? Should you not be with Diana, when she now finally is awake?"
"I needed some time for myself. To think, I can do that, no?" he frowned at the annoying bard.
"Of course, I just thought..."
"you think to much, my dear." He sniggered.
They walked silently up to the estate. Zevran was thinking about how to do this. He was sure he wanted to give it to her, and he clutched his hand, grasping the earring. He hoped she would understand the symbol of the gift, so they didn't have to talk about it.
They both walked in Diana's room, and found her in in the company of the other warden.
"Zev..."Diana smiled widely, tried to go up, Riordan stopped her.
"Did you not learn your lesson?" He chuckled
Zevran noticed two wine bottles, one was empty and the other was halfway through. She was drunk, thats for sure.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Diana. When you sobered." Leliana giggled.
"I should retire aswell. I will see you tomorrow, at the Landsmeet, sister." Riordan bowed and went out the room.
Zevran waited until they were out of the room.
"Zev, zev, zevizeeev" Diana hymmed.
Zevran closed in and took away the wine.
"Did Wynne approve of this?" He asked surprised
"She doesn't know. Hi..hi, I've been bad!" she said, crawling on the bed.
"Why did you leave earlier. Don't you liiiiiiike me Zev?" She said closing up on him.
"Or is it that I have had sex now with alot of...of men since you? You can't take it?" He felt an backstabbing pain in his stomach, and was surprised that no blood was running through.
"you don't neeeed to feel less of a man...you..you were the best!"
She sounded like she was o the verge of crying. Zevran could not say a thing, he had no idea what to do.
"Diana..." He tried to.
"sssshh, Zev" She said trying to place her finger on his lips.
When he tried to hold her.
She shrieked "Don't touch me!"
And tears were running down her face.
He did not give up, she started hitting his chest and more tears came. He hugged her, and she cried openly in his arms.
"I have to...I have to be strong." She said.
She started reciting what Zevran believed was the Grey Warden vow.
"In war, victory. In peace, vigilance. In death, sacrifice."
Zevran held her strong in his arms.
"Diana..."He tried to shut her up.
She looked at him with empty eyes.
"you don't have to be strong with me. Look at me!"
Here goes nothing. he let his facade drop, and spoke from his heart, this will probably be the only time he can do such a thing.
He looked down at his hands, which he clenched and unclenched nervously. Surely his face was red. Talking about emotions had never been his fortune, since he never had a reason to. Here he is being more nervous telling his feelings to a girl then having to fight darkspawn. Still unsure how to explain this, he placed his forehead leaning against hers.
"In my time, I have done a lot of mistakes. Not that I could choose doing them differently, being owned by the Crows and such. I do know this," Zevran took a deep breath. She had stopped crying. "I know what you are, you're a magnificent creature, what you do, how you try after everything you've been through. You managed getting armies, in places, people haven't dared to go. I've seen your strength. You have shown kindness to those that were in need of it, one of them being me. You have done difficult decisions and stood by it to see them through. Not many could have. You were the first to treat me like a person. I've never said this to anyone my fair Warden, but I am now sure of one thing. I love you."
When he got no response, he looked at her and noticed she had already fallen asleep. Zevran sighed and tucked her in, he was lying next to her, looking at her face, smelling her skin, roses. He held her close to him. She got him to realize he is so much more then just an assassin, even if she hadn't heard him. It felt good, to say it, the words he thought he would never utter in his entire life, she had made him complete.
"I am yours." He whispered in her ear.