Zevran had been counting the knots in the smooth wooden table for a while now, although he couldn't quite say how many there were. He leaned back, raised his glass of white wine to his lips, took a sip, and then shifted his gaze to the ceiling, where he began counting the candles on the chandelier.

Beside him, Morrighan and the others sat quietly drinking after dinner. Zevran found himself trying to join in their conversation more and more, even managing a smile here and there. But deep down, he knew his mind was working hard to push away the tormenting thoughts of the lost girl. He was aware this was only temporary.

"Oh, Zevran! There you are!" came a sudden, high-pitched voice, almost a shriek.

A short, somewhat plump woman with a doll-like face stood beside the table. Her dark, curly hair framed her face and perfectly complemented her reddish freckles, giving her an innocent appearance. Her attire wasn't overly rich but tasteful, and her green skirt swayed as she sat down next to Zevran, the slit revealing a glimpse of her pale thigh.

He greeted her with a smile. "Well, well...!" He didn't say her name because, truth be told, he couldn't quite remember it. Two names were bouncing around in his head, but he wasn't certain of either.

Alistair shot them a disapproving look, though he also gave the new arrival a once-over.

"I'm so glad to see you! I didn't expect to find you here tonight!" Her eyes sparkled as she slid closer to Zevran and wrapped her arms around his neck in a joyful embrace.

Zevran chuckled, thinking to himself that this little lady's presence was quite convenient—it would help distract him from his darker thoughts.

The curly-haired beauty remained close, gazing at Zevran with shining eyes, gently stroking his face as she whispered to him in a soft, intimate tone. "You know I've been waiting for you, hm?"

Zevran simply responded with a smile. The woman sighed happily as she gazed at his face, then snuggled up against him. Zevran put his arm around her shoulders.

Leliana glanced at them with curiosity, and Alistair's disapproval remained etched on his face. Zevran, noticing their glances, grinned boldly and waved them off.

"Don't mind us, let's keep the conversation going! I can still pay attention!" he laughed.

Morrighan sighed and continued speaking, while Zevran listened with a smile. He occasionally glanced down at the playful woman beaming up at him, and proudly stroked her shoulder. The curly-haired lady seemed to be enjoying herself immensely in his embrace. She didn't say much after that, content with Zevran's possessive arm around her.

After about a quarter of an hour, however, she began fidgeting, casting glances toward the main room.

"Zevran," she whispered softly.

"Yes, darling?"

"I need to step away for a little while. I see a guest has arrived—someone I've had a meeting scheduled with for some time. A miserable fellow, really, and I'm not at all in the mood for him. But you... well, I'm always in the mood for you," she confessed with a coy, blushing smile.

Zevran rewarded her with an affectionate caress on her freckled cheek.

"I'll spend a little time with him, but then I'll send him on his way. You should come and find me afterward, that would be the safest bet. I'll arrange the room."

Zevran smiled and nodded silently.

"But make sure you come...!"

"I'll be there," he assured her, still not entirely sure of her name, as he let her slip out of his arms and turned his attention back to Morrighan and the others.

He immediately regretted it, as the conversation had returned to the topic of finding the prophet. Zevran preferred to glance back at the departing woman, sending a few mischievous looks her way, just to avoid participating in the discussion.

Then he leaned back again, his face settling into an expression of nothingness as he sighed and resumed listening to the conversation. Eventually, he stood up. "I'm going to get some more wine. Anyone else?"

"I'll have some," Leliana raised her hand, her gaze following him as he walked away. She then turned back to Alistair and made a concerned comment. "I think we need to keep an eye on Zevran. Or rather, not on him, but for him."

Alistair's expression held a different concern. "Oh, please..." was all he muttered at first, not taking his protective eyes off Leliana. "There's nothing going on with him, he's just tired. Besides... um... why are you so worried about him?"

Leliana looked at him sharply. "Because something's clearly bothering him. I don't want it to affect his performance in battle. We're a team, and if one of us is off, it affects all of us." There was a hint of confusion mixed with hurt in her voice.

"Hm! Didn't seem like something was bothering him a moment ago. He just picked up that curly-haired girl, didn't you see?"

"Yes, I saw," Leliana's tone wasn't as reproachful as Alistair might have expected. "But I think she picked him up, not the other way around."

"Well, clearly something happened before now."

"Maybe."

"You're very forgiving with him," the knight remarked sourly.

"Oh, Alistair, we all know what happens the moment we step into a tavern. Oghren drinks himself into the ground, Zevran gets attached to a few girls, and Morrighan starts bossing everyone around," Leliana said, spreading her hands.

Alistair smirked smugly. "See, it's just you and me who are normal!" But since Leliana didn't laugh with him, his grin slowly faded, and he cleared his throat, awkwardly shifting back to the original topic.

"Well... you're right, but... Look at Oghren," Alistair gestured toward the dwarf, who was currently downing a tankard at an impressive speed, his eyes visibly unfocused. "Clearly, Oghren is 'bothered' by something, as you put it. But Zevran's only been acting strange lately."

"Oghren is different," Leliana waved dismissively. "I hate to say it, but I can't even imagine him completely sober anymore. Besides, for some strange reason, alcohol doesn't seem to consume him. When it matters, he's present—yesterday's battle is proof enough, isn't it?"

Alistair blinked defensively. "Well... I guess..."

Leliana studied the knight for a moment, looking puzzled, and Alistair, unable to find any words, broke eye contact in his discomfort. Leliana sighed, then stood up. "Alright, I'm going to order something myself." She left the table, and Alistair, unwilling to admit defeat, hurried after her.

"Leli, wait...!" He was suddenly anxious that she might start a conversation with Zevran at the bar, but even he wasn't sure what kind of deflection he could come up with. "Uhm... aaa..."

Leliana stopped abruptly, blinking up at the knight trailing her. "Yes?"

"I-I just thought I'd help you bring back the drinks."

Without a word, Leliana turned and stepped ahead. Alistair followed quickly, scanning the area to ensure Zevran wasn't in sight, then leaned on the bar, hands on the counter, leaning toward Leliana.

"So, you and Zevran... uh..."

"Yes?"

"Well, you're good friends, right?"

Leliana shrugged. "I suppose."

"Aha. And... and... and..."

She grew tired of his stammering. "What is it you want to know, Alistair?"

"No, no, it's nothing, really. Don't take it the wrong way, I was just curious, you know, it's good to know, like..."

"Alistair, please, just spit it out."

"So, there's nothing, I mean, nothing between you two... I mean, nothing more?"

Leliana laughed, turning away from Alistair, which didn't comfort him at all. He turned to follow her.

"Of course not! But Alistair, are you jealous?"

"No! I just..."

Leliana smiled at him, waiting for him to continue. Alistair, however, couldn't tell if her smile was encouraging or mocking him.

"It's good if there's nothing between you. But... there never was, right?"

The smile faded from Leliana's face, and Alistair, somewhere deep down, already knew he had blown any chance of finding out if that smile had been one of encouragement or derision.

Leliana's voice carried more tension. "What kind of question is that, Alistair?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Just... it's like you and Zevran have always had something... a bit friendly... maybe not entirely friendly..."

"What?"

"Well, something... I don't know what. But I can assure you, these are just cautious questions, purely for..."

"Why?"

"Because, you know, uh, Zevran isn't exactly trustworthy. I mean, maybe in battle, but when it comes to women... definitely not! And I just want to protect you from him, yes, that's all, don't get me wrong, it's just a kind of protection, just a nice, chivalrous gesture from me, so that... so that you don't—"

"So that I don't what?"

"So that you don't fall into his trap!"

"Oh...!"

"Yes, so you don't fall into his trap, like that curly-haired lady, and before her, that singing, dancing artist, Dina, you know, and..."

Alistair didn't notice that Leliana's questions had become too short, too quick, and were asked in a tense tone. She was staring at the towering knight with a piercing gaze.

"I don't know what you really mean by protection, Alistair. But I think you're a bit too late." With that, she turned and was about to leave him.

His eyes widened in sudden realisation, and he gaped in panic before rushing after Leliana.

"Wait! Wait, please, don't go!"

But as nothing changed, Alistair grabbed Leliana's arm. She angrily wrenched her hand free from his grasp and stood face to face with him.

"Alistair! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Leliana, you're misunderstanding, I just...! What do you mean, I'm too late?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you really mean this? Did you really think you could take advantage of one of our comrades' difficulties, and the fact that I care about him, and use this situation for your own gain, speculating about things that don't concern you? And when I ask you to speak openly, you just stammer? Honestly, Alistair, did you really mean it?"

"No, no, I was really just worried about you!"

"Uh-huh, I see. Tell me, what are you so curious about with Zevran and me? Do you want to know if we've ever slept together?"

Alistair gaped silently at her blunt words, staring fearfully at the offended woman, who didn't stop there.

"Please, answer me now!"

"Um... I... Leliana, I'm just worried about you! You're important to me, don't you understand? But before I make a move, I need to know who I'm stepping towards!"

Leliana shook her head in frustration. "Oh, I see. So if the answer is yes, you wouldn't want me anymore, but if it's no, you'll still consider me?"

"Leliana, I don't even know how to respond to that!"

"You haven't known how to respond for a while now, I can see that. But you don't need to say anything!"

Alistair lowered his head in defeat, sighing. "I see, I've ruined everything already. At least just tell me the answer, and I'll leave."

Leliana hummed angrily. "If that's what it takes for you to leave me alone, I'll tell you. The truth lies somewhere between yes and no. No, we didn't make love, but once, a long time ago, there was some physical contact between us. I hope that answer satisfies you, and I don't have to go into details!"

The knight stared at the ground.

"Now that you know what you wanted, I hope you can finally decide whether you're going to make a move towards me. Don't worry, I'll make my own decision too."

With that, Leliana stormed out of the inn for good, taking long strides, while Alistair stood there in the middle, crestfallen, knowing full well that he had buried his chances with her.