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The gardens are a beautiful scene as the sun sets, the green foliage kissed by oranges and purples, and night flowers open their petals to glow and gleam in the fading light. Somewhere, a fool is playing something soft upon soulful strings and the melody drifts like a delicate perfume in the air. The temperature is pleasant but cooling, calling for shawls or jackets, or the embrace of another. And among this romantic atmosphere walks his daughter, alone and unsupervised, with a suitor close to her side.
It is the makings of a disaster.
They both agreed to this arrangement, but Solas is having a more difficult time coming to terms with it than Keela. He simply does not understand how she can be so nonchalant about the whole matter. Fenera is only fifteen, barely grown by elven standards and certainly a child by elvhen ones. How can she possibly be ready for such things? He cannot help but be anxious, worried, a little suspicious, which is why he is walking along the margins and spying when he said he would not do so.
Fenera’s laughter flows through the trees. He watches her stop to point at something and grab hold of the other girl’s hand, and when she doesn’t let go a wave of nausea washes over Solas. He turns away for a moment to compose himself and rests his back against the wall.
“You are impossible.” It is said in a whisper leaking through clenched teeth and he thinks about not opening his eyes at all to see the danger that awaits now.
Keela stands close by, arms crossed and face cross with displeasure. “Vhenan-”
“Don’t vhenan me. We promised her. If we expect her to keep her word then we must as well. It is not like we are letting her run naked through the red district of Minrathous, Solas. It is a walk through the gardens, our gardens no less.”
“Considering I know what has occurred in them before-”
She covers his mouth, stifling her own laughter. “Hush.”
Solas pulls her hand away and holds it inside his. “I am merely concerned she is not old enough to understand such responsibility.”
“Says the man who taught her complex offensive spells a few weeks ago. She is old enough to make her own decisions, and her own mistakes, and I highly doubt compromising her virtue will be one of them tonight.”
“That is not…” He sighs, unsure how to express his misgivings.
“Do you trust our daughter?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then leave her be, because we both know your behavior has little to do with her.” Warm fingers brush against his cheek as she smiles with understanding and patience that has grown throughout the years as their children have. “She could not stay your da fen forever.”
Keela is right, as she always is. It is not Fenera he doubts is ready for such things. He is the one not ready to let go. When he blinks, he can picture her with wide eyes and chubby fingers reaching out for the world, wobbling through it has he sits across the room with open arms, holding his hand as they discover it together. Time has new meaning in their new world, but it passes all the same, and he finds himself still ill prepared for it.
“How are you managing this with such ease?”
“I am not, not really, but at least one of us must keep it together.” He laughs at that and some of the tension bleeds away. “Come, we-”
A moan sounds behind them and then, “oh yes, just like that.”
There is a half second as they stare at each other, eyes widening with disbelief, before he wraps the Fade around him and flashes through the wall and into the gardens ready to burn it all down. Yet it is Solas who has been caught in the act and he feels the tips of her ears redden for a different reason at the sight of what awaits. Fenera stands not far away glaring at him with her hands on her hips, head shaking, while her date stares a hole into the ground like she would like to be buried in it.
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist spying. You should see your face.” Their daughter laughs and he is reminded of another prankster. Sera would be proud, delighted to know it was all at his expense, and like in those days he cannot find the fault to be truly upset now either. Especially when it is deserved.
“Fenera!” Keela chastises even as her voice curls with amusement.
“What? You promised!”
“We did.” Fingers grip around his arm and tug. “And we were just leaving.”
Fenera catches his gaze. Although there is a devious mischief to her, there is something else in her expression that quells his worries. It reminds him of days spent fishing smooth pebbles from a stream, of delighted squeals as his magic amazed, of scraped knees healed by kisses alone, and he finally begins to understand that even if things change, some things will always be the same.
She laughs as she grabs hold of a hand again. “Let’s go, Pel, and continue our night of debauchery and sin.”
There’s a groan and a mumbled apology before Fenera drags the other elf back into the lush landscape. Solas watches them until their figures disappear between the blooming flowers and ancient trees and, with a smile, lets her go.