Chapter Text
It was over. Orsino had snapped and died, Meredith had snapped and died and now Kirkwall would finally be safe for a time albeit a bit crumbled but they would rebuild. That being said, the family and friends of Elia and Evangeline Hawke had to flee Kirkwall before the Divine’s forces arrived and they were all killed for one reason or another. It had been by far the most trying event the elder twins had ever gone through and while Elia found the comfort she needed in the arms of the two women she loved, Evangeline was spending some time in solitude, reflecting.
She had killed Anders by her own hand. She’d just been so angry, not only had he pushed the mages and Templars into a war neither needed and killed hundreds of innocent people but he had nearly killed Elia too. Elia had been in the Chantry giving confession, for what reason Evangeline did not know, and it had only been by the luck of the Maker that Elia had been far enough away from the Chantry that she didn’t die but the explosion had caused her to lose the ability to hear in her left ear. The twins were going to have to work around that next time they fought.
Just the thought of Elia nearly getting killed got Evangeline’s blood boiling add to that this war could kill Bethany too and Eve was shaking with her attempts to control her rage. It took a moment for that rage to subside again and Evangeline’s mood to hit rock bottom again as she stared at the dagger in her hand. The same dagger she had driven into Anders back not even 24 hours prior. Maker she didn’t even have the guts to watch the light fade from his eyes.
“You did the right thing.” The Starkhaven accent was a dead give away as Eve sighed but didn’t turn to face him.
“I know.” The sound was barely above a whisper and yet it was strong enough to convey her conviction. She wasn’t lying to Sebastian but more importantly she wasn’t lying to herself.
“Then why do you look like you’ve committed the greatest sin in Thedas?” Sebastian asked in attempt to make a joke and still find out what’s wrong.
“Anders was my friend.” Eve whispered and Sebastian visibly bristled.
“Even after what he did?!” His voice was nearly a shout but he contained himself, as much grief as he held over the death of Elthina he had to keep in mind it has been just as hard and trying for the Hawke girls, if not more so.
“THAT was not Anders!!” Evangeline finally whipped around to face the prince and he saw the trails of tears on her cheeks. “I don’t know what that was but it wasn’t Anders. He died years ago. That thing was not my friend, but Anders was.” Her voice became softer as she spoke, not being able to retain anything above a whisper in her reflective state. “I don’t support what he did, in fact I vehemently condemn it but I can’t help thinking if I’d noticed sooner I could have talked him out of it. Maker if I’d just paid more attention to his behaviour!” The tears were coming again and Sebastian opened his mouth to try and comfort her but her was cut off by a tiny whisper. One that almost wasn’t there. “I failed him. I failed the Chantry and the people of Kirkwall, they were expecting me to keep them safe and I failed.” Her voice sounded so broken that Sebastian thought it would take literal glue to put her back together but if his heart wasn’t breaking for her then it did when next she spoke, “I couldn’t even protect my own friends how the hell could I ever hope to protect a city?” Eve paused and Sebastian dared not say a word in case it shattered the fragile girl in front of him “I just-” she paused again and the wind nearly blew away the last two words, “failed everyone.”
“You failed no one.” Before Sebastian knew what he was doing, he’d pulled her into a comforting embrace and he offered a silent prayer that the Maker would protect the child in his arms and that Fenris doesn’t kill him for doing so. “If anyone has failed here it was Anders. He was a fool to shut you out and even more a fool to not listen to your council. But you, you have failed no one.” Sebastian heard her sniff as she clung to him for dear life and nod.
“Thank you.” Again there was a moment of silence as the two stood in the comforting embrace but unfortunately Eve had to break it. “Sebastian?”
“Yes?”
“You should let go now. Fenris is glaring at you.”