still thinking about this.
i think the reason this ending compels me is because i have been. Desperatly trying to come up with some time of post game fanon for these two where 1) the power dynamics in their relationship have changed and 2) its still connected to the plot. and like, even though the most of what they'd be doing after all that is basically figuring out how things will work out, that gives me more food for thoughts then like. "fenris and elizabeth ride off into the sunset I Guess" even tho both endings are similar-ish (as in its more focused on the relationship then on some other conflict).
because the other thing too is that like, in my canon worldstate, because leliana becomes the new divine, it means that circles are no longer a thing, the big power imbalance between the two is essentially gone. obviously, the roles of "templar" and "apostate/mage" are not things that are suddenly going to vanish from their lives, but it does mean that meredith can no longer use the apostate thing againt elizabeth, and elizabeth no longer needs to hold back out of fear of meredith's backlash. its why like post canon is when their whole relationship is at its most honest point because there is no more reason for lying.
like its a whole thing in my mind where i do envision the whole argument of elizabeth telling meredith how much she hates her for everything she did to her, and having destroy her life and kirkwall and so many other people's lives. and that being followed by the big question of why did elizabeth chose to free meredith. and the answer she gives out at first is simply that what she saw the inquisition doing was too cruel and even if its someone like meredith going through it, its not something elizabeth would stand by. but the deeper reason is that well. everyone in elizabeth's family is now dead because this is post hlta. and i do think that, even if she keeps in contact with the rest of the kirkwall gang, its that feeling of nothing will ever be like it was again. even if they all come back together to kirkwall, it wont be the same. she cant get any of the things she lost back. so all thats left to her is maybe to keep meredith bc elizabeth cannot stand to be alone.
from meredith's end, it is that final reckoning of everything she did in terms of like. the world she grew up in is in, many ways, essentially almost gone. no circles, theres no way now she'll be accepted back into the chantry, and she's probably not going to be welcome into kirkwall anytime soon. any power she had is gone and it is gone due in a good part due to her own making. and she's no longer the woman that she was, both in the position she is in and also physically bc im assuming getting rid of the red lyrium caused a big toll. going from a two handed warrior to someone who for a long time has to rely on elizabeth to do things is not helping her fucking pride. also potentially crisis of faith in terms of being experimented on by an organization affiliated with the chantry and also the fact that. when you're meredith, and do All That You Did on the basis of this very strong faith that you have that this is righteous and that you're following in andraste's footsteps only for the result to be This. it surely would cause you to question everything.
anyways dont mind me ill be thinking about this bc it might solve sooooo many issues
