Wynne had told Zevran in no uncertain terms that Elspeth was to be left strictly alone after her grueling session of healing magic. No one, the old mage had said sternly, was to so much as enter the Warden's room for fear of disturbing her rest.

So, of course, he waited until Wynne was well out of sight before slipping silently through the door. The dried blood that had caked Elspeth's face and neck and matted her hair had been washed away, and her bruises had faded almost completely away, but she remained terribly pale and still and small-looking in the large bed.

Zevran alternated between sitting in the chair next to the bed and pacing the room, catlike and soundless, constantly watching the Warden's face for any sign of movement. He was seated when she finally stirred, shifting restlessly against the pillow, her tongue darting out briefly to moisten her pale lips before she spoke, "Zev?"

He was out of the chair and by her side in an instant. "I am here, my Grey Warden."

Her eyes fluttered open, and a smile lit her face at the sight of him. "Hi," she murmured.

He reached out and brushed a stray wisp of hair back from her forehead, needing to touch her, to reassure himself, "How do you feel?"

She sat up slowly, cautiously testing her recently-broken arm, then nodded approvingly, "Better," she yawned, leaning back on her elbows. "Tired. But better. Wynne knows what she's doing."

"She said you were not to be disturbed until you had had time to rest," he remarked, and Elspeth smiled.

"I'm glad you didn't listen," she said. "It was nice not waking up alone," she paused, her cheeks suddenly flushing. "Um… not that I don't usually wake up alone. I just mean I like having you… you know… here… when I… wake up… I'm not making this any better, am I?"

He sat down on the edge of the bed, grinning. "Oh, I don't know. I think you're doing marvelously," he hesitated, growing suddenly serious. "If… I may ask: Loghain's men… what did they do to you in that place?"

She looked confused. "You brought me back here, Zev. You saw what they did."

"I saw the marks, yes," he said slowly. "I was wondering more about the circumstances that caused them. I thought you went peacefully."

"You mean how did the fight start," she sat fully upright again, drawing her knees up to her chest and avoiding his eyes, and Zevran feared the worst. His Warden (not his, he reminded himself sharply) was a confident leader and an unparalleled warrior, but in some ways she was still so painfully innocent. If Loghain's soldiers had taken that innocence from her by force… "You'll think I was being silly," she said, in a small voice.

"I promise, I will not," he reassured her.

She slowly rubbed one thumb over the earring that she still wore around a finger on the other hand. "They… tried to take this," she said at last.

He frowned, confused, "The earring I gave you?"

"Yes," she scowled defensively. "It's important to me. You… are important to me," she added so softly he could barely hear the words even sitting right beside her. "I… wanted to thank you, Zev. I don't think I would have gotten out of that place if it weren't for you."

He smiled, relieved that the most traumatic part of her imprisonment had been so small a matter, and inordinately pleased that she should be so protective of the trinket. "It seemed to me that you had matters well in hand when we arrived," he replied.

"That's not what I mean," she said seriously. "When I killed Arl Howe, when I finally got the revenge I had been seeking so long… I don't know; it felt as though there was nothing left in the world for me to care about. When I surrendered to the Teyrn's soldiers, I almost thought it would be better if they just killed me. At least then I would get to be with my family again."

Zevran did not interrupt. He understood all too well the emptiness she described.

"Then," she went on hesitantly, "I thought about you," she smiled wryly. "Not the Blight, not my duty to Ferelden, not even Alistair or any of our other companions. I thought about you and I started caring again, and I wanted to live, to escape, to see you again, to… to thank you."

He struggled desperately to find an answer. Her characteristic frankness had set his mind and emotions into such turmoil he could barely string two words together. Somehow he managed what he hoped was a charming smile. "I assure you, there is no need," he replied in a voice far more steady than his thoughts.

"No, I mean…" she hesitated, blushing as her fingers fidgeted nervously at the earring, "I want to thank you… properly."

Then, with no further warning, she leaned over and kissed him full on the mouth.

Zevran froze. Her lips were as warm and soft as he had always imagined them, and tasted faintly of honey under the elfroot and lyrium of Wynne's healing potions. As she leaned toward him, a strand of her dark hair brushed delicately across his cheek, and his entire body was screaming at him to take her in his arms, to claim what she so freely offered, to make her…

Mine.

He jerked away from her and stumbled backwards away from the bed. He wanted to run back to her and flee from her; her sweet, eager kiss had been too much and not nearly enough; he needed time to think, space to breathe, and he was suddenly terrified that if ever he held her as he longed to he would never be able to let go, "No, I…" he paused, still struggling to catch his breath, "no. I mean no offense, I simply…" he simply had no idea what he was going to say next, "no."

"I- I'm sorry," Elspeth stammered quickly. "I just… I thought…" she sighed, her shoulders slumping, her gaze dropping embarrassedly to her hands. "Maker. I don't know what I was thinking. Can we just… pretend I never said anything?"

This wasn't fair to her. Zevran sighed, "Trust me, under normal circumstances I would not hesitate. It's just…" he still had no idea how to finish that sentence. "I do not wish to talk about it," he said at last.

She frowned, concerned, "Zev? What is it? What's wrong?"

He shook his head sharply, "Enough! I said… I am not interested. Can you not understand that? There are other things for you to focus on besides me, I am certain. Do… do those," and with that, he whirled and all but ran from the room.