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Vhenan'ara	By : Arcanis_Born Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 6576 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from this.

Chapter List
- 59
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- 61
Dragon Age: Origins is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine, however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.
Chapter rated 18 + Mature (M) for adult content.
Please do tell me what you think so far of the story! I would love to know your opinions!
Thank you all so much for your continued readership! It means so much!
Translations:
Da'len: Elvhen. "Little child, or little one."
Dareth shiral: Elvhen. "Stay safe/safe journey."
Syl'ashal tu vhen na'lath: Elven. "The male crow whose heart you love."
Mi bella: Antivan. "My beauty." Endearment Zevran uses for Riel.
Emma lath: Elvhen. "My love."
Mi amor: Antivan. "My love."
Ar lath ma: Elvhen. "I love you."
Ar lath ma'en: Elvhen. "I love you too."
Sa'lath ma: Elvhen. "My one love."
Mi diosa bella: Antivan. "My beautiful goddess."
Oh dulce belleza: Antivan. "Oh sweet beauty."
Fen'Harel: The Elven god of tricks and fear. Commonly referred to as the "Dread Wolf".

Calm skies. A vast sea of endless clear blue, dotted mildly with the fluffy white mounds of clouds. It was an omen of warm of weather, good hunting, and a promise of lazy afternoons by the water. Yet why did she feel so anxious then?
The young woman carefully made her way through the thick forest that she knew better than her own skin. Each step placed with forethought, sure to make no noise or to disturb the quiet beasts that roamed the forest alongside her. While no other walked beside her, the woman knew that she was not alone. For along with the various fauna and fowl that decorated the landscape before her were also the whispers of those who called this realm home.
Demons. Spirits. Shades. Wisps. Wraiths. Those that were neither alive nor dead. The ones that commanded the energies of goodness. The ones that fed on the darkness of evil. They all existed in this place, set apart from the waking world of mortals. This was their domain, and she was the interloper. The intruder. The one that did not belong.
And they knew it.
Yet curiously for once they did not seek her out as they always did. Alone she had wandered for what seemed like ages. Walking carefully to not disturb that which she knew was already aware of her presence. After all - she was a mage. A beacon to those existed here. A curiosity to some, and a means to power for others. However none of the local inhabitants of this mysterious place even wandered close to where she treaded. Something that was both a relief and a cause for worry.
"They fear you…"
The young woman twirled around, her hands automatically pulling forth her daggers as her body fell into an attack stance.
There sitting calmly on its haunches was a singular black wolf. The fur that covered it's large body was the color of moonless night, with eyes as clear and blue as the day sky. The young woman readied herself, yet the wolf made no moves to attack. Instead it continued to stare at her with eyes that held a wisdom and intelligence far beyond that of a typical wolf.
"I know who you are…" the woman stated, her eyes narrowing.
"Do you now? How can you know me, when you do not even know yourself?" the wolf replied, it's mouth not moving as it spoke.
"You are a trickster! A fiend!" she hissed out.
"Perhaps…" The wolf's mouth opened into an almost grin as it continued to stare at the woman. "I have been called worse. And not always without merit. However, today I come bearing no tricks or fiendish endeavours. At least, not for you."
"What is it you want then?"
"I was curious."
"I doubt that… I have nothing for you, fiend," the woman scoffed, her silver eyes carefully gauging the distance between the two of them. If she were to roll forwards, she might be able to land a good slice to the beast's flank before it could react.
"Now, that wouldn't be polite. After all, we are merely conversing here, are we not?" the wolf again smiled. "And yes, I was curious. Curious as to who could still the spirits in this place. To cause all most the most ardent and powerful of the aggressive spirits to flitter away to other places other than here. And even cause the aggressive of those who wander here to step back and rethink their positions."
"I have been here for ages, and I have seen no spirits. Other than you," the woman replied with a sneer.
"Precisely. You carry a mark, da'len. One I know well." The wolf's smile disappeared as its eyes narrowed on her. "Who is she to you? And why do you hold her favor?"
"I don't know who you're talking about!"
"Perhaps you do. Perhaps you do not. However, the evidence is clear. Your steps are not without impact, especially not here, in this place. The mark you wield is more a beacon to those here than your magic. However, instead of drawing forth those who roam here, it screams out a warning to them instead."
"A warning?"
"Or a challenge…"
The woman felt a chill go down her spine as she eyed the wolf carefully. "A challenge? To who?"
Again the wolf smiled, his blue eyes dancing with mischief. "To any who would dare risk the wrath of a god…" The wolf almost seemed to laugh, it's body trembling slightly. "Although I cannot say that I would not understand their desire. Some temptations seem especially crafted to test even the most resolute of us."
"You make no sense, Trickster!" the woman hissed.
"Do I not?" the wolf replied, tilting its head slightly. "Perhaps it is the one you hold that has garnered her interest. After all, such power rarely goes without notice." The wolf's smile returned as it looked on her. "Tell me da'len, how do you plan to fight the evil that comes?"
"As I always do. With every bit that I am. And I will win," the woman replied, lifting her head in prideful confidence.
"Will you? Some would call that arrogance. Others pride. Dangerous emotions to wield in this place." The wolf paused as it stared at her for moment.
"It is not pride! I will win because there is no other choice. To fight. To defend. To save those that I care for, and those who depend on me. I will do so because not because I can. But because I must."
"I wonder, how can you be so certain? To face what is it come is no mere walk in the forest. Dangers the likes of which you have never seen wait in the shadows, seeking their chance to break free and wreak havoc on the world of mortals. Enemies that would not hesitate to slay all those that you care for, and rip free the innocence that now grows within you to use for its own benefit."
"What innocence?" the woman asked, her former confidence slipping into a look of shock and confusion.
"No matter. My curiosity is quenched. I see now why she has favored you." The wolf sighed, it's eyes softening as it looked upon her. "So alike, yet so very different. I almost envy him."
"Him?"
"Syl'ashal tu vhen na'lath." The wolf sighed wistfully. "Dareth shiral, da'len. And may fortune be kinder to you than it ever was to either of them." The wolf then turned and trotted away into the forest, disappearing between the thick mass of trees.
"Wait!" the woman called out, yet it was too late. The wolf was gone, once again leaving her alone.
The young woman looked around, trying to peer through the near endless forest that surrounded her. Without a word she sheathed her blades as she felt her eyes begin to tear. Absently her hand drifted down to her abdomen and gently caressed the area there.
"Could it be?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Zevran rung out the cloth and returned it to Riel's forehead, gently wiping at her brow. Wynne and Varela had left mere moments ago, offering again their assurances that both Riel and tiny babe that she carried were in good health. Still Zevran worried, however. As he was yet again relegated to merely sitting back and waiting until his love would awaken from the latest unfair blow dealt to her, it would only be when she opened her eyes and smiled at him would he truly believe that she was well again.
Demons, werewolves, Darkspawn… All this he could fight and would do so gladly. Something physical for him to stick his blades into. Or to poison with some various combination of herbs or tonics. These he would gladly do to protect her and keep her safe. However, it was moments such as these that were the most horrible for him. The ones where he could do nothing but sit back and wait, hoping and praying to the gods that his Riel would awaken and come back to him.
Right now there was nothing for him to kill. Nothing to defend her against. The only thing he could do was sit idly by, and that perhaps was the worst of all. The near endless wait, where uncertainty and hope flared in random intervals, driving him to insanity. Where even the slightest hitch of her breath brought forth a new wave of fears, and only the continued beating of her heart provided any meager amount of comfort to his desperate soul.
Zevran set the cloth he had been using aside and took Riel's hand into his. She had been unconscious for nearly a full day now, yet both healers had told him that physically she was fine. The only thing that she required now was rest, and that was something that Zevran fully intended to give her.
Even if he had to kill the annoying ex-Templar who seemed intent on pestering both he and Riel since they had regrouped within the ruins. Despite nearly losing his head to Riel during her battle through the curse that she suffered, the fool still seemed to beg for death with how he haunted Zevran's steps all the way back to the Dalish camp. Even with Leliana there to help distract and call the man to heel, Zevran knew that if his hands were not busy carrying Riel he would have plunged his dagger into the man's heart before even reaching the camp.
When it came to his Riel, Zevran held little patience for others who would impede or cause her harm. Companion or not. Which is why he was glad that since being given use of the araval they were now in, Zevran had not seen or even heard the male Grey Warden's voice. In fact, the only ones to visit were the healers Wynne and Varela, Leliana, the new Keeper Lanaya, and even Morrigan. None of which wore on Zevran's nerves quite like the ex-Templar did.
"Zev… ran?" Riel's small voice whispered, snapping Zevran's attention to her.
Bending over, Zevran brought his face with her own. "I am here, mi bella…" Lightly he cupped her cheek, his breath stuck in his lungs as he watched her eyes flicker open briefly.
"Where… am I?" she groaned, her brow furrowing.
"With the Dalish. You are safe." Gently Zevran ran his thumb over the creases in her forehead, smoothing out the creases. "There is nothing to worry about, mi amor. Everything is well."
Riel opened her eyes and looked up at him. Immediately she heard his quick intake of breath, and a seed of worry planted in her chest. "Are you alright?" she asked, her hand coming up to rest on his cheek.
Zevran smiled, taking her hand in his and placing a kiss to her palm. "I am wonderful, mi bella. For I have you." Tears formed in Zevran's eyes, one spilling forth and running down his cheek. "Forgive me of my weakness. I am only pleased to be able to look into your beautiful silver eyes once more."
Riel pulled Zevran down to her, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. Zevran went willingly, burying his face in her neck as a way to hide his tears that flowed traitorously from his eyes. Riel's hands found their way under his tunic, memory guiding them to the swirls of his tattoos. Lightly her nails followed the dark lines, knowing each curl and line of ink as intimately as if they were her own.
"I was so afraid that I would lose you…" Zevran mumbled after a short while.
"What can I say? I'm hard to get rid of," she replied with a soft giggle. A soft quiet bloomed around them, each soaking up the presence of the other. Finally Riel whispered softly, her voice pulling on Zevran's heart. "I need to feel you, emma lath," Riel moaned, pulling at Zevran's tunic.
Quickly Zevran sat up and removed his tunic then once more laid down next to her. His bare chest met her own bare skin, and absently Zevran was thankful that the mages previously insisted on removing her clothing and armor. Despite his earlier reservations, it had aided the women in healing and inspecting Riel to make sure that she was unharmed and doing well. And now it acted as a nice boon, granting him the ability to feel her warm flesh next to his own.
"Will things ever be easy, Zevran?" Riel whispered after a moment. Her voice was thick with sadness and weary tiredness.
"One day, mi bella. When the hardest decision you will have to make is what to have for your evening meal, or what dress to wear while you go shopping."
Riel smiled slightly. "I have never been one for dresses. Even among my clan, I preferred the leather armor of the hunters."
"Then I will be sure to buy you many varieties of colorful and beautiful pieces of leather armor for you to choose from," Zevran replied with a wink.
"You spoil me…" she giggled, running her finger down his cheek.
"Not yet. But I will. Once this business is over with, I promise that I will take you far away from here. To Orlais, or Rivain. Somewhere where you may be at ease and finally rest. With a grand house, servants, and guards to keep you safe."
Riel laughed softly. "That sounds lovely. Although I do wonder how we are going to pay for all of that."
"Oh I am sure I will be able to find a way. Afterall, not every lord is well liked amongst his people. Many would pay well to be free of such a man, and if not, then I will simply take his home as payment."
"By the Creators, Zevran!" Riel exclaimed softly, her shocked tone belying the amused look on her face. "You can't be serious!"
"Of course I am," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Gently he caressed her face as he looked down lovingly into her eyes. "You are my priority, mi bella. My very reason for living. And I will provide for you, as a man should. Circumstances have forbidden me from simply whisking you away now, however that doesn't stop the desire in me to see you safely in a house of your own. To have a life of your own, free from the troubles of demons or Darkspawn. And so when this pesky Archdemon lies dead at your feet and all the joyous celebrations are done, I will see to it that you are cared for. My honor and worth as a man demands no less of me."
"Ar lath ma, Zevran," she whispered with misting eyes.
"Ar lath ma'en, sa'lath ma," Zevran purred back to her. He then took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. With care he placed a kiss onto each of her fingertips, his eyes trained unblinkingly on hers. "Ma vhenan'ara," he whispered to her then, placing her hand over his heart.
Riel's heart swelled as she watched him. With her free hand she pulled Zevran down to her, kissing him deeply. Zevran groaned in response, returning her kiss as his hands went to her body. Masterfully he plundered her mouth as his hand drifted from her shoulders down to her sides, then over across to her breasts. Gently he cupped the mounds he found, rubbing his thumb over her pink nipple.
Riel moaned as her body unfolded before him, welcoming him closer. This is what she needed right now. After so much uncertainty and fear over her powers, only then to suffer under the threat of losing herself to a horrific curse. She needed to feel something real. Something safe and normal and good. He was her anchor, pulling her back from the dark abyss of her mind that threatened to consume her. His touch was as hot as any fire, burning away her doubts and her fears. His kisses were soft promises of love and protection, reminding her that she wasn't alone. And when he covered her body with his own like he was now, she had never felt more safe and secure.
"I love the way to feel on top of me," she murmured when he left her lips to kiss along her jaw.
"Mmm, what a coincidence. For how I love the way you feel under me. Or on top of me. Or beside me… In front of me.,. Truly any which way that I may have you. Shall I demonstrate?" he replied with a soft chuckle into her ear.
Riel giggled as her hands wandered over his back. "And how would you have me now?"
Zevran pushed himself up slightly so he could look into her eyes. "By my side… forever," he replied solemnly. Slowly he ran the backs of his fingers down her body, between the valley of her breasts and further past her ribs. However when he reached her stomach his hand stopped and his smile disappeared, replaced by a frown. "Riel… I…" he began, yet the words became lodged in his throat.
"What's wrong?"
For a moment he held her gaze, searching her liquid silver eyes for an answer to the question that plagued his mind. He had agreed to wait until Riel was for sure feeling better to tell her what the Lady of the Forest had revealed to them. And while it was true she seemed well enough to welcome him into her bed, was she truly healed though? Moreover, how would she react to the news that he held?
However, beyond even his own questions was another that refused to leave him be all these long hours since leaving the ruins. A question posed to him to by the former Keeper, that he neither knew the answer to, nor was he even sure that wanted to know the answer to. A question that he knew sooner or later Riel herself would ask, and at the moment, Zevran didn't know what he would say in response if she did ask.
Is it yours?
Three simple words, yet they carried the weight of so much in them. An entire future seemed poised in balance over the outcome of such a simple and small question. However in truth, was it so simple? Was the meaning so small?
Children resulting from a mixing of the races were rare, but not impossible. Although when it did happen, the child resulting from such a union always favored the human side of their lineage. A half elven child would appear human to all who looked upon it, even other elves. There would be no denying who the man who fathered Riel's child was the moment she gave birth to it. If it bore the classic elven ears and other elven features, the child she bore would undoubtedly be his.
If it didn't, however…
"All is well, mi bella…" Zevran replied with a smile.
Riel raised an eyebrow at Zevran's lie. For months now they have travelled and spent time close together. As such, she knew when the smiles he offered to her were ones of happiness, or playful teasing, or of lustful longing. And because of the trials she had endured these long months, Riel had also grown accustomed to the looks he would give her when he smiled through pain, or through sadness. The smile he would give to her when she asked for him to pretend that things were alright when they obviously were not.
And it was one of those that he gave to her now. A smile hiding a pain deep inside, that he couldn't or didn't wish to speak of. "Zevran…" she gently prodded, her fingers coming up to run lightly along his lips. "Speak to me."
Zevran kissed at her fingers and smiled broader, the sadness that he hid shifting deeper inside of him as he pushed the foul thoughts away. Instead he made his mind focus instead on the woman in front of him, and that no matter what may come in the future, for right now, she was his. The past was gone and unable to be changed. However right now, he had a beautiful woman laying naked in his arms. One who loved him and who he loved deeply in return.
"Oh but my sweet and precious mi diosa bella, why speak when there are many other much more pleasurable things that I could be doing with my tongue?" he replied with a sly wink.
Riel was going to push further, however all thoughts evaporated from her mind the moment his mouth closed over her breast. With skillful flicks of his tongue, Zevran teased her nipple as he suckled her. With his hand moving to her opposite breast, Riel lost herself to the sensations he gave to her. With her hands knotting in his hair she pulled him tighter against her, a deep moan escaping her lips.
Still however a flicker of her previous concern refused to leave her mind. Winding itself around her mind, it choked out the pleasure she felt until finally with a surge with determination Riel pulled Zevran's free from her breast. With heavy breaths she looked up at his smiling face, torn between letting him continue and finding out what secrets he was keeping from her.
"Zevran…" she gasped through deep intakes of breaths. "Speak to me…"
Zevran's grin widened, a look of naughty mischief in his eyes. "Oh you wish for me to talk to dirty to you, do you mi bella? Shall I tell you of how much I desired you every time I witnessed you bend over in the new armor that Leliana bought for you? Or how I imagined taking you as we bathed beneath a waterfall? Or would you like something more intimate? Hmm?" he purred, running his fingers lightly over her now erect nipple. "Do you wish to know how I wish to taste you, letting my tongue swirl and glide over your beautiful breasts? Or lay kisses along your skin, moving lower down your body until I reach the sweet core between you legs…?" Zevran ran his fingers down her ribs as he spoke, gliding over stomach and further down until he reached the juncture at her thighs. "Do you wish to know how delicious I find you? How your heat feels as I give you pleasure?" Mimicking his words, Zevran plunged two of his fingers inside of her, causing Riel's back to arch. "Mmm… yes, how wonderful you feel. And how beautiful you are as I pleasure you… So wild... So free… And when you call out my name as you release… There is no sweeter sound in all of the world…"
"Zevran!" Riel exclaimed, feeling such a release building within her as he spoke. However, even writing under his touch, the nagging part of her mind refused to let go of the image of the sad smile he gave to moments ago. "Zevran, please…" she begged breathlessly.
Zevran brought his face up close to hers, staring down into her eyes as his fingers continued to work her insides. "Forget about our worries, mi bella. There will be time enough for them later, along with the world that waits for us just outside of these walls. However now, it is just you and I. Place your faith in my love and devotion to you. And know that without question, I will stand by you." Zevran then leaned his head down and once again took her breast into his mouth.
The sensation of his mouth on her tipped Riel over the edge, crashing a powerful climax through her body. "Zevran!" she called out, her hands fisting his hair.
Zevran rode out her orgasm, ringing every last drop of pleasure out of her before he pulled himself free from her and quickly removed the rest of his clothing. He then slid himself up her body, positioning himself between her legs yet making sure to keep his weight off of her. Claiming her mouth, Zevran kissed her passionately as his aching member strained seeking out her core.
Suddenly Riel's hands were upon him, stroking and caressing his shaft as she guided him closer to her. "Take me, Zevran…" she whispered against his lips. Obeying not just her request, but his own need, Zevran slid himself inside of her. With a single push he filled her, a deep groan of satisfaction escaping his lips as they joined together.
"Oh dulce belleza…" Zevran moaned.
Riel's legs locked around his waist, her hips helping to guide each of his thrusts. Together they rocked back and forth, retreating and moving forward in unison as they made love. Clasping her hand in his, Zevran positioned himself so he could watch her as he moved inside of her. How he enjoyed watching the looks of pleasure on her face. The way her breath caught and her eyes rolled back with each thrust of his hips.
Zevran knew then that no matter who the father of the child that she carried was, he would raise it as his own. No matter what, the child was his, just as it was hers. Human or elf, the child was a part of the woman that he loved. As such, he would love and cherish it just as much as he loved and cherished her.
All thoughts left him then as he felt his own release near the edge, tipping over and sending him into the sweet bliss of orgasm. And right there with him was his Riel, her nails digging into his back as her legs tightened around his waist. With his name on her lips, she came a split moment after him, driving his own pleasure higher.
Exhausted and spent, Zevran rolled to Riel's side and gathered her up into his arms. Pulling her tightly against him, Zevran showered her shoulder and neck with soft kisses, his mind awash with words of devotion far too numerous to say.
After a few moments of blissful silence, Riel sighed and squeezed one of his arms that was wrapped around her. "Zevran…?"
"Mmhmm…" he murmured, still lost in the bliss of their love making.
"I think…." Riel paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "I think I'm with child..."
Zevran's eyes opened wide as he sat up so he could look at her better. "You… what?" he uttered in shock. "H-how… How do you know?" As far as he knew, Riel was either in too much pain or unconscious when the Lady of the Forest told them about Riel.
Riel smiled shyly, her eyes moving to his shoulder as her mind returned to her dream. "A… wolf told me…"
"A wolf? Like the spirit in the ruins?"
"No… It was in the Fade. I was dreaming, and then suddenly he was there. It was strange. Normally I don't remember my dreams, but this one still seems so clear…" A blush came to Riel's face as she mentally went over the dream once more. "Oh forget it. It's probably just a stupid dream! For all I know, it was Fen'Harel playing his tricks on me!"
"Riel… Your dream…" Zevran paused, looking down at Riel. "It's true. Wynne and the Dalish healer confirmed it. You carry a child within you…"
Now it was Riel's eyes that went wide with surprise. "Really? Are you sure?"
Zevran nodded his head. "It is true. They do not know how far along you are, but there is a life within you."
A bright smile spread across Riel's face a moment before her arms wrapped around Zevran and pulled him down into a tight embrace. "Oh Zevran!" she exclaimed in joyful happiness. A thought then came to her, and she slightly pushed Zevran back. "Is that what you didn't tell me?"
Again Zevran nodded his head, feeling shame begin to twist in his stomach as he remembered the doubts that troubled him. Doubts that he had built over long hours of watching over her while she rested, and to his shame grew to the point where they threatened his precious time with his Riel. Regret over his previous thoughts were like a dagger in his lungs, making it hard to breathe.
"Back when I was recruited by Duncan, he told me one night that it was extremely unlikely that a Grey Warden could have children. Yet he did hear tales of it occasionally happening. It was just another story that he told at night while we travelled to Ostagar, but I remember clearly thinking that night that Grey Warden or no, I would never want something to happen to me." Riel paused as she remembered her past. "After spending so many years with those men, I thought that it wasn't possible to happen to me anyway. Something I was grateful for. But now that I am with you…"
Riel watched Zevran's expression as she spoke, seeing his eyes flicker through various emotions. Joy, love, amazement, but also regret, shame and sadness. Worry latching hold in her chest, Riel felt tears prick at her eyes.
"Wait… You're sad, aren't you? That was the look you gave me earlier. Not just that you knew, but didn't tell me…" Riel pushed herself up on her elbows as she stared at him, her mind racing. "You regret this, don't you? You regret that I have a child within me…"
Zevran hurriedly cupped Riel cheek, her head shaking back and forth. "No! No, that is not it at all! Please, do not think such a thing!" he pleaded as he reached for her. Yet Riel pulled away, her hands going to the fur blanket at her side and pulling it over herself.
"I see it in your eyes! You regret it! Why? Am I not good enough? Or is it because I am tainted? That is it, isn't it? Afraid I will birth some sort of Darkspawn monster?" Riel's face suddenly blanched as her own words registered in her mind. "Oh dear Creators… That is possible, isn't it? Or the werewolf curse! What if that changed the child inside of me?! By the gods, I am cursed!" Riel screamed out, tears falling down from her eyes as she cried.
"Riel! Riel listen to me!" Zevran called out her, reaching for her arms to still her. Finally he managed to wrap his arms around her and pull her against him. "You are not cursed. The child will be fine. Wynne and the Dalish healer both said that the the child you carry is well and and healthy."
Riel shook her head, fear still grasping at her mind and chest. "I am cursed, Zevran. Beyond the Taint. Beyond the werewolf curse. I was cursed the moment I was born. And now I have passed it along to the innocence inside of me…"
"Mi bella, listen to me…" Zevran gently lifted her face up to meet his. "You are not cursed. And neither is the child that you carry. You are beautiful and fierce, and beyond amazing. You are a treasure the likes of which this world has never before seen. And I will spend the rest of my life showing you that." Zevran gently tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear before continuing to stare into her eyes. "My only regret is that I did not tell you straight away. Wynne thought it best to wait until you were healed fully to tell you the wonderful - and yes, it is wonderful - news. However, know that I have never regretted being with you, or what will come of us being together as we have been."
"There is more to it than that, Zevran. I know you. What is it that you are not telling me?"
Zevran sighed heavily as he tried to pick the best words to express his shameful doubts. "I… I was asked a question. One I do not know the answer to. One I still do not know the answer to. However, it was my doubts over the question that I felt shame over, not you. My regret is that I let those doubts cloud my mind, instead of taking joy in the miracle that the gods have gifted you with. Know that never once have I ever regretted or found shame in what we have."
"What was the question?"
Zevran paused again as he looked into her pleading eyes. "I was asked… If I knew if the child was mine…" he softly uttered, shame deepening his voice.
Riel rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Of course the child would be yours! I may not know much of this sort of thing, but I haven't been-" Riel stopped as she remembered her encounter with her old master a few weeks ago. Instantly her blood chilled and all the color drained from her face. "Oh… no…." she breathed as panic and dread filled her.
"It doesn't matter, Riel. The child you carry is a part of you. Anything else does not matter," Zevran hurried stated after he watched her pale as realization dawned on her.
"It could be… It could be... " she repeated in panic fueled dread. "It could be hu-"
"It will be your child, Riel. Do not doubt that!" Zevran interrupted her, making his point clear to her.
Riel looked up at him with fresh tears in her eyes. "Oh dear gods, Zevran… I am so sorry…" she cried wistfully.
"No. Never apologize to me. Not for this. Never for what happened. These things are not your fault. And what comes of this is not your fault either." Zevran could see her mentally fighting his words, her objections going unvoiced yet still swirling inside of her mind. "I love you, Riel. More than you can ever imagine. And as such, I will love this child as if it were my own, no matter what. For it is you. The very best parts of you. Whether I am it's true father or not, I will raise it and care for it as if it were my blood. I will not leave you to this. Remember, you are never alone. I am here, and I will stay here by your side. For as long as you wish it."
Riel collapsed into Zevran's arms and sobbed heavily. Tears spilling forth not just for her fears, but her joys as well. Fears over what is to come, and just what exactly she carried within her stomach. And her joys at the love Zevran had for her, and she for him. Over his declarations of support and love for the life that she carried.
For a long while she sobbed until every last tear fell from her eyes and her body finally calmed. Still Zevran held on to her, his hand gently rubbing her back and smoothing her hair while he hummed a soft tune to her.
"Yes," she whispered after a while, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.
"Hmm? I don't understand."
"The answer to the question asked to you," she replied, her voice a bit stronger. "It is yours."
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Vhenan'ara