It was mid-afternoon when Zevran and Eriana arrived at the gates of Highever Castle, and Eriana was more than ready to get off their horse. Even though they had been riding daily for several weeks and even with Zevran's arms protectively encircling her, Eriana was still obviously a nervous wreck sitting high on the animal.

"I never thought I'd say this," she said with a sigh, "but I kind of miss the days when we walked everywhere."

Zevran laughed as he steered the horse into the courtyard. "You know, my dear, you really should learn to ride one of these things on your own; not that I don't enjoy spending the entire day with you nestled between my legs, mind you. That part of this is actually quite nice." Eriana shook her head. "No, I mean it; it is slightly silly for the Hero of Ferelden to ride double because she is afraid of horses."

"I'm not afraid of horses…not exactly. They're just so…tall. Wouldn't it be easier to invest in a carriage or wagon, one that I can see out of, those enclosed ones make me sick."

"Ah, yes, the hay wagon. Because nothing screams here comes your savior, the fearsome warrior who stopped the Blight, saved the nation, and slew the archdemon like a wagon that can double as a merchant's stall. Come now, wouldn't it just be simpler to overcome this silly fear. After all, I have seen you scale ogres without a second's thought and they are far taller than this gentle creature." Eriana elbowed him, making him laugh even harder. "Now there's my fearsome warrior."

Zevran pulled on the reigns, bringing the horse to a stop as a trio of well-dressed men, flanked by a handful of knights and servants, entered the courtyard. "Ah, our hosts have come to greet us."

"The two younger men are the Cousland brothers. Teyrn Fergus is the dark-haired one; I met him earlier this year at Alistair's coronation. He was at Ostagar, and apparently his entire unit was destroyed while on a scouting mission in the wilds; a group of chasind found him and nursed him back to health. He showed up in Denerim just after the Blight ended. The other one is his younger brother Aedan. He was here when Howe's men attacked the castle; he's the only one who managed to survive. According to the rumors, he and few knights escaped and hid out with one of the lower Banns until…well until Howe was no longer a threat."

"Until you killed Howe?" Eriana nodded. "Well then, they must be big fans of yours."

Eriana shrugged, "You never know with nobles; they may feel as though I've stolen their opportunity for vengeance or something. But the Couslands have always been decent enough; well, if they're at all like their father was, they're decent enough. From what I've heard, Howe's men killed the their parents and Fergus's wife and five-year-old son, so it might not be wise to mention your previous acquaintance with Howe."

Zevran nodded and watched as the youngest Cousland crossed the courtyard toward. Fergus was deep in conversation with an older nobleman who had exited the castle with the brothers, so it was Aedan who greeted them. "Warden Commander," he said as he strolled up to the horse and extended a hand to help her down, his bright green eyes dancing with excitement. "It is a great honor to welcome the Hero of Ferelden to our home. Please allow me to help you down." Eriana thanked him, taking his hand and sliding off the horse. Once she was on her feet, Aedan gave her a quick bow. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Aedan Cousland, Teyrn Fergus's younger brother, and, if I might add, a far superior swordsman. I am so pleased that you were able to visit," he said, bringing her hand to his lips for a brief kiss.

Zevran slid off the horse and handed the reins to the stableman, never taking his eyes off the nobleman who was talking to his Warden. Eriana smiled and bowed to Aedan in return. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my Lord," she said, gently withdrawing her hand from his. "Your brother spoke highly of you when we met in Denerim. My name is Eriana Tabris, and this is Zevran Arainai."

The nobleman gave Zevran a quick glance before returning his full attention to Eriana. "Believe me, the pleasure is all mine. You'll have to forgive my brother; I'm afraid he's been ensnared by Arl Wulff. It seems that you've created a great deal of trouble for my dear brother."

"Me? What did I do?"

"Oh, you only married off the most eligible bachelor in nation, a rather smart move, if I may so, leaving my brother to be the highest ranking single nobleman in the nation. Every noble with a single daughter of marrying age has been hounding us for months, trying to win my brother's affection or allegiance. We keep telling them that he's simply not ready to move on yet, but they just keep pushing their daughters at him. It's all rather shameful really."

"And how about you, no pushy fathers pushing daughters your way?" Eriana asked.

"My way? Maker, no. I'm the second son, a nobody in the eyes of most nobles. There's nothing really for me to inherit, so they stand to gain nothing through a marriage with me. So for the time being, I'm free to do as I please," he said, a sly grin crossing his face.

Zevran, silently watching the exchange, was most amused. He had witnessed these kinds of encounters many times before, especially since the end of the Blight. The young nobleman was clearly enchanted by his Grey Warden, but then again, who wouldn't be. Most men who encountered Eriana were either completely smitten by her immediately or so intimidated by her that they were incapable of talking to her. Aedan was obviously the former. Zevran had long since stopped being annoyed by such attention; such was life when living with a national hero, especially one as alluring as his Eriana. He focused instead on studying the man flirting with his Warden.

The young noble was a handsome man; there was no doubting that. He had a strong and powerful build that clearly came from years of sword training, and his dirty blond hair was just long enough that he was continuously pushing it off his face. There was a sly, almost devious look about him that hinted at a wild side that he was trying to keep hidden, probably at his brother's bidding. Zevran was familiar with such noblemen. The younger sons of the nobility were often free from the restraints and pressures that were placed on the elders who were expected to rule. Younger nobles had a reputation of living an easy and indulgent life, free of the pressures of their stature. It seemed to him that Aedan was one such noble. "Well, our time here may be more interesting that I had anticipated," Zevran thought to himself, a smile crossing his face.

"Oh," exclaimed Aedan, jarring Zevran from his reverie. "You have a mabari!"

"Yes," said Eriana as she reached down to pet the dog at her feet. "This is Ramoth. I hope that this isn't a problem; I had assumed that my seneschal had informed you that he would be traveling with us."

"Oh, no, it's no problem at all. In fact," Aedan stopped and gave a sharp whistle. A huge brown and white mabari came sprinting into the courtyard from the stables, heading straight for them. Ramoth leapt to his feet and stood in front of Eriana, his ears pinned back and a low growl issuing from deep in his throat.

Eriana barked a quick command to him; with a frustrated wine, Ramoth laid down at her feet but never took his eyes off the other dog that was now looking at them curiously. "Please forgive my Ramoth, Aedan; he tends to be a bit over-protective. After all, most of the mabari that we have encountered were trying to kill me, so other dogs tend to put him a bit on edge."

"Well, Ripper here won't try anything, will you girl? No you won't, you're a good mabari aren't you. Oh, yes you are."

Eriana chuckled, "Ripper? Isn't that kind of, you know, a masculine name for a female dog?"

"Yeah, well, I was ten when she imprinted on me, and I was sorely disappointed that I had a girl dog. So, being the mature ten-year-old that I was, I decided that she should have a boy dog's name. Neither my farther nor Fergus could talk me out of it. So was Ramoth here a gift for your efforts during the Blight?"

"Oh, no, he's been with me since Ostagar," said Eriana. She quickly launched into her story about Ramoth tracking her down after the battle.

"We're in trouble now," a voice said from behind Zevran. Turning, he saw the Teyrn standing behind him, finally free from Wulff's snares. "You put two mabari owners together and that's all they can talk about."

Zevran laughed, "Yes, I don't know what's worse, hearing her talk about the dog or hearing her talk to the dog." Zevran raised his voice about an octave, "Oh yes, you are a brave boy, yes you are. Such a good, strong mabari."

"I don't talk like that," Eriana shouted before returning to her conversation.

Zevran looked at Fergus and mouthed whispered, "Yes she does."

Fergus laughed and patted Zevran on the shoulder, "I don't believe we were ever properly introduced the last time I was in the capital. I'm Fergus Cousland, and you must be Zevran. His Majesty spoke very highly of you. I believe you were present when I last met the commander, hiding in the shadows if I recall correctly."

Zevran smiled, "You are correct, your grace. I only attend such functions to keep watch over her, and it is far easier to do that away from the crowds."

The Teyrn smiled and nodded, "Very true. Well, I trust that your journey up here was pleasant, but I'm sure you find yourself in need of rest. Aedan, why don't you show our guests to their room; there will be time for talking later, right now, they need some time to relax after their journey. Commander, your seneschal sent some belongings ahead for you, and a package from the palace arrived yesterday for you. We placed both in your room."

Eriana shot Fergus a grateful smile. "Of course," said Aedan, "How foolish of me. My lady, please allow me to show you and Zeldan to your room."

Zevran was happy when Aedan finally left them alone; that was of course after he spent ten minutes explaining where he would be, telling Eriana how to find him, and offering to escort her to dinner. As Zevran closed the door, Eriana sank to the bed. "Maker's breath, I thought he'd never leave. He was worse than Oswyn Sighard was after we released him from Howe's prison."

Zevran chuckled and settled onto the bed beside Eriana, pulling her into his arms. "He's just a bit star-struck, and who can blame him," he said as he kissed the sensitive skin just beneath her ear. "I find it quite adorable myself, and judging by how he looks at you, who knows, perhaps we should invite him to join us."

Eriana pulled back and rolled her eyes, "Okay, Zev, that only happened one time, and I was really drunk. Besides, he's my liege lord's younger brother; I doubt Fergus would be pleased with such an arrangement."

"Ah true, how I forget that we are not in Antiva; you Fereldans are so uptight about such natural things." Eriana frowned at him for a second before running her hand down his stomach and under the band of his riding leathers. Zevran closed his eyes and sighed for a moment, savoring the feeling of her hand as it caressed and teased him.

"I suppose I'll have to be enough to satisfy you then, Zeldan" she purred with a giggle into his ear.

"Of course, I bow to the whims of my deadly Ferelden sex goddess," Zevran said as he pulled her down on top of him. "You will always be enough for me, mi amora."

Eriana's seneschal had sent them several articles of clothing so that they could dress up for dinner, a pleasant surprise since Eriana and Zevran had only travel wear and armor in their packs. Zevran was happy to hear that the King's gift had already arrived. He and Alistair had worked together on this particular surprise for Eriana, a new set of Warden Commander Armor, made specifically for her. It had a light violet shade to it and shimmered with a luminescent quality. The Grey Warden griffons were embossed on the shoulders and across the back, and the lyrium from the enchantments Master Wade added made the armor seem to hum with energy. Eriana's eyes lit up the moment she saw it.

"Is this dragon wing armor?" she asked as she picked up breastplate, running her fingers over the intricate designs inlaid in the supple material.

Zevran nodded, "And not just any dragon wing, archdemon dragon wing." Eriana's jaw fell, her eyes wide. "We thought the new Commander of the Grey should have armor worthy of the office, no? And that giant metal thing of Alistair's was simply impractical. Do you like it?" Eriana threw her arms around Zevran, peppering his cheeks and neck with kisses. He laughed, "I take it you are no longer angry about the horse, then?"

"Oh, Zev, of course not. It's just perfect; I'm almost afraid to wear it lest I damage it in some way. It's a shame I can't wear it to dinner," she said, looking up at him with a smile.

"Well, you will have ample opportunity to wear it once we arrive in Amaranthine, no? Besides, I think you should look the part of an arlessa tonight," he said as he steered her over to the vanity stool and began to run a bush through her long blonde hair. It had grown a good deal since the end of the Blight, reaching down just past her shoulder blades. "Come now," he said, placing a kiss on the back of her neck, "I believe our hosts will be waiting for us."

At dinner, Zevran found himself sitting across from his Warden watching Aedan Cousland as he sat beside Eriana, peppering her with questions and requests for stories about the Blight. He was fawning over her in a way that was almost embarrassing, but Eriana handled him with grace and dignity. "So how does one become a Grey Warden, exactly?" the young noble asked toward the end of the meal.

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't tell you that, my Lord," Eriana said with a smile. "We Wardens have our secrets, and I'm afraid that one is one of our most closely guarded ones. If I told you, I'd have to put you through the joining, and I'm pretty sure your brother would be very opposed to that."

"Right you are," Fergus said, pulling himself away from the conversation with Wulff for a moment. "I can't have my only brother running off to chase after legends when there's so much to do here, now can't I?"

Aedan looked disappointed. "Okay, so I can't join the Wardens, but I still want to see you in action. Why don't we go hunting tomorrow? I've heard that you have some skill with a bow; I'd like to see that in action."

Eriana smiled and agreed, saying that she would love to go hunting and said that she would meet him in the morning.

Aedan was thrilled about the prospect of spending time with the Grey Warden. He had heard the nobles and knights tell of her beauty, but they failed to do her any justice. There wasn't a noblewoman in Ferelden who could compare to her. He just hoped that the other elf that she traveled with, Zevran believed was his name, would be staying at the keep. He wanted some time alone with the fair elven woman, but much to his chagrin, the elves strolled together into the courtyard, bows in hand, her mabari at their feet. He managed to hide his disappointment as they made their way into the woods that surrounded Highever.

"I have an idea, Warden," he said once they were a good distance from the castle. "Why don't we make this a competition? I'm rather good with a crossbow myself; we could put a wager on who will bring down the most animals."

Eriana glanced at him then at Zevran, biting her lip as if she was uncomfortable. "Um, Aedan, you do realize you're hunting with elves, yes?"

Aedan nodded, "Of course, but I don't see what difference that would make."

Eriana sighed, "Well, elves have much better eyesight than humans do; you know this right?" The human noble nodded. "That means we will see the animal way before you, giving us an advantage. That, and Zevran here is an expert at moving with stealth. He could sneak up on a deer and tackle it before you would even see it."

"And," Zevran added, "Let's not forget your archery, my dear. I've seen you take down a darkspawn with a single shot."

"We're not trying to brag," Eriana said, taking out her bow, quickly nocking an arrow, and shooting it into the sky. "I just wanted to point out," she said taking a step back as a wild goose fell to the ground at her feet, an arrow lodged in its neck, "that if it is a competition you want, you would lose."

Aedan looked at the dead bird at her feed, awestruck for a moment, then started laughing. Shaking her hand he said, "Wow, that was bloody brilliant. Alright, alright, I concede, you are a far superior hunter, my Lady." He was about to say something else when he noticed that she had suddenly gone rigid. Zevran pushed him out of the way and stood before her.

"Darkspawn?" She nodded, eyes closed like she was concentrating on something. Panic began to grow in the pit of Aedan's stomach. "How many?"

The Grey Warden opened her eyes. "Ten, no shrieks or emissaries. Did I see a clearing just back there?" Aedan nodded. "Good, let's head that way so we can engage them in the open." Eriana looked at Aedan, "We'll be fine, I promise. Just listen to me and do as I say, okay." Aedan nodded and headed toward the clearing.

As soon as the nobleman's back was turned Zevran looked at Eriana again and mouthed, "How many for real?"

"Seventeen," was her silent answer.

Aedan stood in the back of the clearing, his crossbow drawn and ready, watching as the two elves prepared for battle.

"What do you have Zev?"

"Crow poison and soldier's bane, both a bit potent for this but they'll do," he said as he coated both sets of blades with a green ointment. Eriana grabbed her blades and ran out to the middle of the field, her marari running at her feet. He looked for Zevran, but the Antivan was nowhere to be seen. "Just focus your bolts on the middle of the group," Zevran said, appearing suddenly beside him. "I will be working on those at the edges, so be careful not to hit me. Stay back, and avoid their blood if at all possible. It burns if it gets on your skin. Ripper," he said, looking down at the mabari, "stay close to him, and don't attack the wolf; he's on our side." The dog barked in agreement, and Zevran disappeared again.

Eriana was standing there alone, flanked by her dog and a massive wolf that had suddenly appeared beside her. He didn't have time to ponder the wolf's presence because just then, a deep growl sounded in the clearing and a large group of darkspawn appeared at the edge of the woods, headed directly for the Warden. He had heard tales of how horrifying the darkspawn were, but seeing them in person was a completely terrifying experience. Bile rose in his stomach as the horrendous creature charged across the open space toward Eriana, but their presence didn't seem to faze her a bit. Calmly and coolly, she leveled shot after shot, dropping darkspawn after darkspawn as they advanced on her. Zevran worked in and out of the shadows, cutting down the monsters, while the two animals attacked the beasts head-on, mauling and ripping as they went. It was a battle the likes of which he had never seen. He had wanted to see the Warden in action, and it was amazing, a thing of beauty. As they got closer to her, she dropped her bow and began a deadly dance of daggers and swords.

Suddenly, a couple of darkspawn broke away from the pack and headed toward him. Ripper growled and took off toward them, carrying one to the ground as she ripped at its throat. Aedan pulled out his sword and shield as the first one got close to him. The hurlock raised its sword to attack, and Aedan froze, horrified. Just then, the monster stopped short, its leg pinned to the ground by an arrow as it struggled to get loose. "Kill it, Aedan," Zevran shouted. "Ramoth," Eriana screamed, "To Aedan, now." Aedan shook his head and thrust his sword into the monster. Before it had fallen completely to the ground, another one was on him, and Aedan braced himself as the monster barreled into his shield, throwing him to the ground, knocking the sword from his hand. A well-placed arrow sent that beast toppling beside him as Aedan scrambled to his feet, groping for his sword. By the time he found it, Ramoth was there, tackling the genlock that was approaching quickly. Scrambling to his feet, he took the head off the creature and began surveying the battle again. Zevran was taking down the archers that had perched on the edge of the woods while Eriana was fighting against three darkspawn at once. "Go Ramoth, help her." The dog didn't need to be told twice. He took off across the field toward his mistress.

Aedan watched in horror as a hurlock blade came dangerously close to the exposed skin of Eriana's neck, but she managed to doge it at the last possible second, deftly rolling out of the way. But she wasn't invincible; she was bleeding heavily from a large gash on her left arm and her strength was clearly starting to fade on her. Ramoth made it to her just in time to take out the last of them. Almost immediately, Zevran was beside her tending to her wounds and talking loudly and quickly in Antivan. Aedan rushed to the two elves.

Eriana looked up at him, "Are you alright, my Lord?"

Aedan nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine, not a scratch on me, thanks to you." He tried to ignore the glare that Zevran was giving him as he cleaned the wound on Erian'a arm. "I'm so sorry about that; I froze; I was completely useless."

Eriana shook her head reassuringly, "Hey, that was the first time you've ever fought darkspawn. They can be terrifying the first time. Everyone panics when they first encounter them." Zevran muttered something else in Antivan as he started wrapping a health poultice around her arm. "One of the knights who went through the joining with me nearly wet himself when we were first attacked, and he was a seasoned warrior. Don't be so hard on yourself, okay." Aedan took a deep breath and nodded. "Now, take the dogs to the creek and wash some of that blood off of them, okay?"

As soon as the young nobleman was gone, Zevran lit into her again in Antivan; he was too angry to bother translating into Ferelden. "Do you realize that you nearly died because you were playing nursemaid to that man? You were so fixated on him that you didn't even notice the danger that you yourself were in."

"What was I supposed to do Zevran, let him die? He's my Teyrn's brother; I couldn't just let him die like that, and you know it. Besides, I was just doing my job. We've done this a thousand times before, Zev; this time was no different than the others."

Zevran took her head in his hands, "Do you not know how important you are to me, Eriana? I can't bear the thought of losing you, not like this, not because someone else was careless. Yes, you are a Warden, and yes, your job is to save innocents from darkspawn, but…"

Eriana put a soft hand on his arm, "Zevran, I'm okay. I didn't die; it wasn't even that close. Zev, we've been much closer than that before. Don't blame him, okay; it was his first time. And I tend to remember your first time, too, Mr. Assassin. I think you threw up when it was over."

"Yes, but I didn't freeze on you. If I remember correctly, I saved you from being beheaded during my first encounter with darkspawn," he said as he kissed her arm and sighed. "Well, let's go get our young nobleman before he gets himself into more trouble."

Dinner that night was more of the same, Aedan fixating on Eriana like a hungry mabari fixates on a steak. He excitedly recounted their encounter with the darkspawn, ignoring his brother's occasional looks of horror.

"Darkspawn in Highever? Is this something that we need to be wary of Warden?" Fergus asked when Aedan paused to take a breath.

"No, I don't think so, your Grace. I believe these were just remnants from the Blight. There was nothing guiding them or influencing them, not that I could sense anyway. I think they were just drawn to me. I don't sense anything out of the ordinary in the immediate area, but I would alert your patrols. Have them be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Zevran can tell them what to look for."

Fergus nodded, relieved, as Aedan began talking quickly and excitedly again. Zevran noticed, however, that something seemed off with Eriana. She wasn't eating with the same exuberance with which she usually approached her meals. In fact, it was almost as if she wasn't eating at all, just pushing food around her plate, taking an occasional bite here and there.

After diner, everyone retired to the common room, and Zevran busied himself by sharpening and polishing his and Eriana's weapons. "Zevran," Fergus said, seeing the weapons lying on the table in front of him, "We have a smithy in the armory who can do that for you. Why don't you send them down with a servant and you can retrieve them in the morning?"

Zevran smiled, "Thank you for the offering, my Lord, but I'm afraid I must decline."

"One of Zevran's great pleasures in life is tending to our weapons; I'm convinced of that," Eriana said with a grin. "He never lets anyone besides me even touch his daggers, and he always checks mine after every fight. It's kind of obsessive really."

"My dear, for a rogue, the dagger or sword is an extension of one's own arm. By allowing another to tend to it, you place your life in their hands; we have discussed this before, yes? Your blades are all that stand between you and your enemy for there is no shield for you to hide behind."

Eriana sighed and put down the book she had been trying to read. "I'm not feeling so well, Zev; I think I'm going to turn in early."

Zevran looked up at her with concern; so he wasn't imagining things at dinner. "Is everything alright, amora?"

Eriana nodded unconvincingly, "I'm just tired, probably from fighting and traveling. That and I feel a bit sick to my stomach. It's nothing major; I'm sure, just a touch of a stomach bug. I should be fine with a bit of rest." Zevran moved to join her. "No, no, you stay and finish that." She gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you when you come to bed." She moved toward the door, only to meet Aedan as he came in.

"Oh, you're leaving so early," he said. Eriana explained that she wasn't feeling well. "Well, then allow me, my dear Warden, to escort you to your room." Eriana tried to resist, but Aedan wouldn't take no for an answer, so she conceded. "Right this way, My Warden."

Zevran's eyes narrowed as he listened to the young noble. My Warden indeed. He wasn't sure why this should bother him when the flirting and fawning over her did not. He looked over at Ramoth who was sprawled out in front of the fire and whispered a command to him. The dog hopped up and plodded out of the room, following his mistress.

"May I ask you a question?" Fergus said, putting aside his papers and turning toward Zevran. "This will probably sound a bit forward, and if you don't want to answer, I totally understand. I was just curious as to what exactly your relationship is with the Warden. I only ask because she will be ruling over one of my arlings, and it is good for me to have an understanding of such matters."

Zevran smiled, "Of course, my Lord."

"Fergus, just call me Fergus."

Zevran nodded, "Okay then, Fergus, I suppose the best way to classify our relationship is to say that we are, in human terms, betrothed. We had planned to make things official once we were settled in Amaranthine."

"Engaged then? Interesting. I had assumed as much; I was only confused because I noticed that she didn't wear a ring."

"Well, giving rings as an engagement gift are more of a human custom. In the Alienages, however, marriages are approached quite differently. Most marriages there are arranged by the elder and the parents, so a dowry, not a ring is exchanged. When matches are made for love, the two elves involved will often exchange sentimental objects, as many do not have the means to purchase a new gift. The earring that she wears was one such gift from me."

Fergus nodded, "I see. So why did you decide to wait then? It seems that you two are practically married now; why wait to make it official."

"Well, to us marriage is not the same as it is to humans. As I said, most elven marriages are arranged, so they often lack the sentimentality that many human marriages do. She was raised to view marriage as a requirement, a right of passage so to say. In her eyes, what we have is more than a marriage because it is something that she chose for herself." Zevran went on to explain what happened to with her first marriage and the disaster that followed.

"Let me then, apologize for my brother's behavior. I will talk to him and let him know he needs to back off."

Zevran laughed, "Ah, it is fine. I have become quiet used to the attention she receives; she is, after all, quite charming, no? Believe me, your brother, handsome though he is, is not a threat to me. I would have been run out of Ferelden long ago if I lashed out at every man who had eyes for her."

Fergus laughed, "Well, I appreciate your understanding. I have one more question, if I may be so bold. You travel with her, fight along side her, even train the Wardens for her; why haven't you joined the order yourself?"

"I do not fight the darkspawn because I feel some higher calling to do so. I fight them because she fights them. I travel with the Wardens because she does. Don't get me wrong, the Wardens serve a grand and noble purpose, but I, my friend, am not so noble. My one reason for fighting with them is because it keeps me by her side, nothing more."

Fergus nodded, "Fair enough. It is good to know that there is someone in her life who will focus on her exclusively. She spreads herself too thin sometimes from what I hear, and it is good to know that you will be there to safeguard her. Thank you for your honesty, my friend."

"Not at all; now if you will excuse me, I believe that there is a Warden in need of my attentions. I should go and check on her." Zevran bade the Teyrn good night and made his way to their room. Eriana was sleeping peacefully, but he noticed that she had been sick earlier. After fetching a servant to empty the chamber pot, Zevran felt her neck and forehead. She was a bit flushed, but there was no sign of fever. Sighing to himself, he crawled into bed, tucking her sleeping body against his as if his mere presence would ward off any sickness that may be threatening her.

Okay, so this one was really long; I know. The chapter I've been dreading since starting this story is coming up. Thanks to everyone who added faves and alerts: Gaybounce, Cressid, Special K. Eva, thanks so much for your support. Let me know what you all think!