"The oldest and strongest emotion is fear."
She takes some time toconsider what he just said. At first, for a few moments, she thinks she agreeswith him, but she doesn’t give in just yet – something is off with his logic.He reeks of smoke and something she doesn’t know (doesn’t want to either), andit’s making it hard for her to actually concentrate, because both smells are soawfully foreign to her that they intrude whenever she tries to escape theirinfluence. It takes a little while, and a lot of concentration (the indomitable focus that Solas had praisedher for in the past) to actually be able to block it out.
And then she realizes what’snot making sense to her, and she shakes her head, quickly, and so abruptly thatit sends her honey curls flying about like the wings of scared birds in flight.“No. That’s not true, no… It’s theoldest, but not the most powerful.” Now that she’s thought better of it, it’sobvious. She remembers all too well – Crysanthe’s smiles in sparring matcheswith the child that was almost half her age, Lanaya’s bed time stories,Deshanna’s careful scolding, Hawke’s mischievous games, Irikah’s sister-likeaffection, and Fenris, Fenris, Fenris,so ferocious in his protectiveness over her.
Love was the most powerful emotion. But she didn’tsay anything like that. Instead, she pointed out, glumly. “If it were that powerful, it wouldn’t vanish quite so quickly, don’tyou think?”