May The Dread Wolf Take You

Chapter Twenty Nine: Vulnerable

The wedding had been put off. A month had ticked away in a flash. Plans were scattered. Resources were thin. Troops were in disarray. People were busy. The whole idea was slowly losing its ground. Solas and Maeve were anxious to say the least. Everyday that went by that they knew would prolong their engagement was agonizing. They wanted to be married before the battle with Corypheus, before they possibly lost everything, including their lives. But it would have to wait.

Every other day it seemed a new conflict popped up. A new rift that was terrorizing a village. A small group of bandits that thought it fun to take advantage of the weak state of society. Another Dragon that wanted to make its nest too close to civilization. An uprising that needed squashing. Something always seemed to get in the way. They decided they would not allow their relationship to interfere with the Inquisition. It would be a rash and irresponsible thing to do. Solas couldn't let her do it and Maeve just wanted things to be better so they could be happy.

It's not that they weren't happy, they just wanted more than anything to be able to say the other was theirs, claimed for eachother in the eyes of the gods. They'd been sharing the Inquisitor's chambers and the space was beginning to feel homey. Solas had brought some of his things with him when he agreed to stay with her. His clothes were put in the bureau beside hers. His books were stacked on a new book case in the corner. A few Elvhen paintings were framed and hung on the walls.

She loved it, the way he brought brilliance and culture with him everywhere he went. The room finally had some personality. He'd asked her at first if he was changing too much. She laughed and kissed him happily, telling him it was his space too and that the room needed change. She didn't mind in the slightest.

Things were good for them. Everyone knew and would tease at times. Varric and Sera being the most common and invasive pryers of all. They were always so nosey and Sera couldn't help but be forward, never keeping her comments to herself. They simply brushed them off. They didn't care what they thought. The remarks were minimally annoying, sometimes even amusing. Solas would steal her away from her duties from time to time. He'd take her out to the garden for lunch, or for a stroll through the valley. He tried at least once a week to take her away from Skyhold, just the two of them, but on official business.

He took her back to Crestwood one time. He couldn't bear the thought that he had tainted the place for her. They spent some time closing rifts, searching for artifacts, even helping out a spirit or two on the way. But he'd also wanted to fix the bad memories that the place near the waterfall held for her. She was anxious when they were there. He couldn't blame her. He'd done something awful in that place that he could never take back. Though it could never be redone, he could create new memories for her there. And so he did.

They discussed the Fade and the Veil as they sat by the water. He reassured her playfully that he was up to nothing sinister. All he wished was to make her happy. He wanted to make it a happy place rather than a sad one. They bathed in the waterfall. Stripped themselves of their clothing and dove into the water. They stood behind the steady curtain of the falls as their lips touched and locked together fiercely.

She should've felt cold, being so exposed and damp but he held her close and warmed her with his every sensual and delicate touch alike. He took her on the shore slowly and passionately. Thrown into the heated intensity of the moment as their acclamation built, they were completely alone and vulnerable. That's what made their moments so precious. When they were together, they were so open to vulnerability and it made them want and love eachother even more, the rawness of their infatuation.

They were close to the end of the war with Corypheus but they wanted to be prepared. The Inquisition's troops were widespread and the Mages weren't quite ready. Solas spent a lot of time with them. Maeve loved to just watch him teach them. He had more patience than most people gave him credit for and it alloted him a certain elegance in his stance. The wedding would have to wait until there was time and resources. Then there just wasn't enough of either. They were incredibly busy. They'd just barely made time in Maeve's busy schedule to study.