Joyful Solavellan

******

They stepped through the veil and as it closed behind them, all colors have faded. Solas collapsed and she tried to hold him up but the weight of his pain and suffering leaving his body was too heavy for anyone to hold.

She lowered herself slowly, gently as to not stir his pained body too much. He laid on his back, bloodied, wet face facing hers. Tears wouldn’t stop pouring from his eyes, he couldn’t say anything as the sobs took over. He wanted to say so much, apologize for 10 years of pain, apologize for the world he created through his failings… but through the exhaustion couldn’t even make a sound.

Somehow she knew. She cradled his head as she lowered her face slowly to face him closer and gently kissed his forehead. Tears began welling in her eyes, too, when she truly saw his suffering, understood more deeply the pain he went through and the weight that was lifted off his shoulders… the regrets that he had to live with, that she helped him abandon.

“Now is not the time to talk, Vhenan.” She said softly. “Now is the time to rest. Your body and mind have been through too much, but I am here and I will help you heal them both.“ She whispered, as she covered his face in gentle kisses. He still couldn’t talk, he still couldn’t move, his tears kept flowing, and his sobs kept blocking his ability to speak.

He turned to his side, groaning, and grasped her thighs surprisingly strongly as he placed his head on her lap. And sobbed more. In disbelief that he was seen by someone so wholly, that he was loved by someone so purely, that he was forgiven, that the light of his life never gave up on him despite him giving up on himself.

He was loved. He was loved for being… Solas. Not a god, not the Dread Wolf, not a legend. Just Solas.

She didn’t say more, she began humming a gentle melody as she stroke his head until he relaxed and fell asleep.

****

When Solas woke up, he wasn’t sure how much time has passed. It seemed like he slept for months. His mind never felt such peace. His body no longer felt any pain. He didn’t want to open his eyes in fear that what he experienced was just a dream, just his own creation to ease everything he’s been through. To survive this loneliness. So he laid there, peaceful yet still unable to find the strength to open his eyes so the happiness of his Lavellan joining him would last a bit longer.

And then he heard her, humming the same melody he heard before he fell asleep. His heart started, his stomach was awoken by a thousand fluttering butterflies because it was real. She was here, she was truly here. He opened his eyes and saw her… but not in the dark, grey, destroyed prison of his own making.

She wore a silky, flowing dress that accentuated her body so beautifully. Her hair was down with flowers speckled throughout. She was… beautiful. More beautiful than ever. Was she the source of this incredible light that filled this place? Where were they? He never saw a place this magnificent, not even through all of his journeys in the fade, through dreams, or even in his life as the Dread Wolf.

A forest of trees surrounded them, light shining through the canopy. Plants were growing everywhere, butterflies flying from flower to flower, birds chirping all around. And the love of his life, in the middle of it all, the Creator of his Peace. Was it the beauty of the place or she herself who made it such an incredible sight?

Still unable to talk, yet this time no longer from the pain but from awe, he began tearing up again. He never felt this happiness before, he never felt this light before, save for when he was still a spirit. He never felt like he deserved such peace and yet here he was, given it all by this mortal woman.

She turned around and smiled so deeply she lit up the entire area even more and quickly walked up to him.

“Vhenan, how long have you been awake for? I haven’t noticed!” She sat by his side and he felt warmth fill his body. He raised his hand to put a strand of hair behind her ear and with his thumb caressed her cheek down to her chin.

“Not long my dear, I’m….This place… where are we?” Solas moved closer and the reality of not having any pain in his body truly sunk in. He did heal, completely. How long has it been?

“In the prison of your own making, silly” she giggled and kissed him gently. She looked deeply into his eyes and took in his view in before she explained.

“When you fell asleep, this entire place began changing. I noticed that there was a small patch of color underneath us. In all this bleakness it stood out to me immediately.” She closed her eyes and paused with a smile on her face as he interrupted her train of thought by stroking her arm, with such admiration felt in his touch that it sent shivers through her whole body. She pushed through and with a soft smile she continued.

“I focused on that color and began imagining this place to be where I’d like us to spend the rest of our days together. It slowly began to grow. I’m not sure if the magic was mine or yours, but whatever it was, this place began changing.” She stopper for a moment, admiring the view as if she also saw it for the first time herself. He didn’t stop caressing her, she felt his admiring gaze even without looking at him.

“Slowly, more places began forming, this is our garden. You haven’t moved from this place but I was able to manifest a bed underneath you. For a while I was worried you wouldn’t wake up but then your bruises began healing and I knew, you just needed time.” She smiled, pushing back the fear that she felt by remembering the moment.

“I also imagined a small cottage for us to live in and it also manifested. A bit of a walk from here but when you have energy we can go there.” She looked back at him and her face was happiness manifested. His eyes spoke more than a thousand words, yearning, admiration, awe…. Love… pure love. Yet she still wanted to continue, almost as if to tease him with what she was able to do in this place.

“There’s also a beautiful….”

He stopped her with the most passionate kiss they ever shared, pulled her to him, and touched her body so fiercely, so shamelessly, so selfishly. In a quick moment she was underneath him. His Vhenan. He didn’t even want to do anything other than to kiss her, and kiss her, and kiss her for eternity. Even if that’s as far as their passion would go, in that moment that was more than he ever dreamed of.

He stopped and allowed himself to take her face in, admire every wrinkle, every imperfection, every piece of her beautiful face… he was overwhelmed by the her being so close, she was his, and she loved him… all he could say was what he said all those years ago…

“You changed… everything.”

Her face, once again turned into pure happiness manifested… And this time, it was her turn to kiss him selfishly, passionately, unabashedly… for eternity.

***

They said this love blazed so strongly it was felt across the veil. The world began healing. Blight retreating slowly until one day, it was gone, hidden away, not strong enough to push through this love. Spirits empowered, demons calmed.

Plants grew where there was nothing but blight before. Birds rejoiced with their songs as if wanting to spread the cheer, that the Creator of his Peace and the God of Wisdom were here to stay. Ready to make things right again.