The Silver Queen [AU]

[Jessica Alton]

"Are... do you need help rising or..?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

She shakes her head, sliding out of bed. "No, thank you."

[Jessica Alton]

Blushing, Jessi looks towards the door. "Great. I'll get on that bath. You, um, enjoy your breakfast. Let me know if you need anything or... if you want more." Can we pick up just one person that isn't far more attractive than me? Those legs of hers are... I mean.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Of course. Thank you, miss."

[Carver Amell]

A firm knock on Bela's door, gentle but unhesitant -- Carver. When Zevran lets him in, he shuts the door behind himself, staying back from the bed so he doesn't wake her. "How is she?" he asks, his voice low, his expression worried.

[Tethras Clan]

"Sleeping, for now. She is... " Zevran sighs, gently rubbing a strand of Isabela's hair between his fingers. "This cost her something. Something vital."

[Carver Amell]

"Dammit," he whispers, rubbing at his temples. "I should have tried harder to stop her."

[Tethras Clan]

"Trying would have simply pushed her into it faster," Zevran says with resignation. "But I cannot say I do not feel guilt for not trying as well."

[Carver Amell]

"How could she be so stupid?" he whispers, brushing the seeds of tears from his eyes. "Letting herself be caught like that. There was no need for this."

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran's eyes harden a little. "She did not let herself be caught. She took a risk, yes, she ignored danger, but that does not mean she deserved to be raped. Does not make what happened her fault. It still doesn't... Trusting people shouldn't be punished."

[Carver Amell]

"Well, that's the world. Trusting people gets you hurt. Trying to do right gets you fucked up worst of all. Being a hero gets you killed."

[Tethras Clan]

"Not having heros ends entire cities. Doing the wrong thing break your soul. Not having people leaves you alone and empty." Zevran shrugs a little. "I'd rather have pain and loss along with my joy and love, rather than safe nothingness."

[Carver Amell]

As he tends to, Carver latches onto the operative word in the sentence, shifting uncomfortably. "About what I said before... when I thought.."

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran frowns, trying to place what Carver is referring to. "Wh- oh." His expression softens, lightens even as a wariness grows in his eyes. "I see. Have you... was it truth? Or was it merely a comfort to a dying man?"

[Carver Amell]

"I... I wouldn't lie to you," he admits. "I've been... well I've been thinking a lot about it but... the thing is... I don't... when I thought we were dying, I thought all my objections didn't matter. But now we're going to live and they do, again. I don't know. Maybe things that don't matter if you're dying shouldn't be things that matter, but... there's all this stuff in my head and, I don't want to make a mistake. I don't want to fuck this up. Things are... things are comfortable now, with me and Bela together and you and Bela together and you and Bela and Helene together and... it's complicated, but it's comfortable. You and me wouldn't be comfortable. So... I don't know. What if we try and you and me is a bad idea and now I don't have Bela because she loves you more than me and...?"