Recovery

Anders insisted on several days of bedrest for Marian. He had done everything he could in the moment to heal her, but her body would still need some time to recover after such intense physical trauma. She complained, but with the estate now full of people, she had no excuse. There was always someone available to bring her a book or spend time talking with her. Elizabeth would wander into the room to give her Mama kisses and babble at her, or play next to the bed, giving her a big, toothy grin. Anders did still attend to his clinic, but would return each night to check on Marian. Some nights she would be restless and unable to sleep, others she'd be overcome with the still recent loss of her Mother. He would always pet her hair and kiss her forehead before bidding her goodnight, staying in a guest room since their relationship was still not back to where it was.

Fenris spent his doing whatever he could to help around the estate. From tending to Liz to helping cleaning with Orana, he wanted to be nearby and he wanted to be useful to Marian. He made sure to spend time at her bedside talking to her as well, not wanting his new love to go insane from boredom. He was happy to be at her side, but the duel still taunted him in his dreams and waking hours alike. He had arranged it. She was hurt because of him. She did blood magic. Did she even know she had done it? If it was accidental then that meant she could slip again if the situation were dire enough. How many dire situations do you have to be in before you resolve to treat every situation as dire? How much would it take to break her?

***

A small form laying stiff on a table, the tears streaming down his cheeks the only sign of life. Paralyzed by blood magic, Danarius and his cohorts stood above him, talking calmly of their power, their goals, their great feats they would accomplish after tonight. Fenris stood by the door, stoic, standing tall with his arms behind his back; a soldier at rest. The boy could surely see him in his peripheral vision. A fellow elf, a fellow slave, standing by watching his murder. The boy would not know how every inch of him felt hollow and cold, how his every thought was screaming to intervene. At least this child's torment would be over soon. He was lucky. The torment of Danarius' ownership would end for him soon. But not Fenris. Fenris did not deserve the release of death. He would suffer a long life, and always envy the boy his freedom...

***

"Fenris?" Marian grabbed his hand and squeezed it, watching him with concern. He jolted back to reality, his markings faintly glowing with the surprise.

"What?" He asked sharply, then took a deep breath to steady himself. "Sorry. Yes? What is it?"

"You were lost in thought. You looked...pained. Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

"No, no... Truthfully, I had stopped listening once you started talking about knitting. I was... I was pondering some things."

"What were you thinking about to have you so...lost?" She asked softly, stroking his knuckles with her thumb.

"You used blood magic to kill the Arishok, Marian. What if you yearned for that level of power again? Or were repeatedly put in situations where you did it accidentally? I trust you but... I will not stand by and watch innocents die in the name of power. Never again..." He sighed softly, averting his gaze from her. She would surely hate him now, for accusing her of being corruptible.

"I didn't even realize that's what I had done. I was...confused, dizzy. I had accepted by defeat, my death, when you called out to me. Then my only thought was Liz. I called upon my magic, pulling as much as I could, and just did what felt right. I made no pacts, called upon no spirits. I just wanted to make the Arishok dead to protect Liz. To make it back home to her."

"Thank the Maker..." He sighed, then leaned forward in his chair until his head was resting in Marian's lap. She used her free hand to start gently stroking back his hair.

"Even after seeing me do that, unsure of what it meant, you said you loved me."

"Of course. I had... already loved you for some time, long before the duel. I was worried for what path you would choose to walk, but I still... Well, you know..." He huffed against her thighs, closing his eyes.

They were both quiet for a moment, then a sudden shiver of pleasure shot through Fenris, pulling a surprised groan from him. Marian had gently scratched her fingertip up the length of his ear. He sat up quickly, flushed. He tried to play it off, but Marian's face quickly shifted from surprise to something else. Something hungry.

"I had hoped they were sensitive. I didn't realize it'd be quite that effective though."

"You surprised me, that's all."

"Oh, so if I did it again, you'd be fine this time?"

Fenris remained silent, trying to keep a neutral expression as Marian carefully sat up and reached out, stroking his ear again. He suppressed any noises from escaping him, but still shivered slightly under her touch. She grinned. He had never seen something so beautiful be so intimidating at the same time. And yet, a fire was stoked in his belly. He wanted to make her moan, retaliate and make her have a taste of her own medicine.

"Are human ears sensitive?" He asked, his voice huskier than it had been minutes before.

"Depends on the human. I personally enjoy having mine bitten." Her eyes were darkened with lust as they roamed over his form.

"Marian, if we continue down this path... We may not be able to turn back. I don't want to hurt you."

"Then you'll just have to be gentle." She smiled and patted the space in the bed next to her. He quickly walked around the bed to sit on it next to her. "You put Liz to bed just before you came in, correct?" He nodded his head in affirmation, and she leaned in towards him, licking her lip. "Then we can take our time, be gentle and enjoy eachother."

He smiled and leaned in, kissing her tenderly. He wrapped his arms around her, deepening the kiss as she let her hands wander up to stroke both of his ears in tandem. He was now firmly erect under his leggings, and he wanted her to know it. He grabbed one of her hands and moved it down to his groin. She gasped as she palmed him, the noise swallowed up in their continued embrace. He broke the kiss with a smirk and grabbed her hair, pulling her head to the angle he needed to be able to bite the cartilage of her ear. She keened quietly and gave him a firm squeeze.This began a heated exploration of eachother, stripping off their shirts so they could kiss and bite at every inch of skin. Marian's neck was also quite sensitive, Fenris discovered. He also learned that feeling her nails scrape down his torso was a delicious sort of pain, and he wanted more.

"I...I want to make love with you, Marian."

"Softie..." She huffed out lightly; an almost laugh that carried her voice to him. "Let me get into a good position, okay?"

Fenris nodded fervently, allowing her to lay on her side.

"Now if you can get the rest of our clothes off for us, then straddle my lower leg and put the other on your shoulder. That should put the least amount of pressure on my middle."

He did as she requested, quickly both of their bottoms and smalls. She lifted her leg carefully, fully exposing her gleaming wet womanhood to him. He straddled her leg, easily notching the knee of the other onto his shoulder, holding her exposed and ready for him. He rubbed himself along the length of her, letting out a sigh of longing at the feeling of her wetness. She squirmed a little under him, obviously impatient with the teasing. He took a deep breath and lined himself up with her, then pushed in. The glide was smooth and delectable, and he had to bite his lip not to lose his composure right then and there.

After a moment of acclimation he started to move within her, slow and deep, savoring every inch of her, every noise she made, every pulsing twitch of her muscles squeezing him tighter. She reached a hand down and started lazily swirling a finger around her clitoris. Fenris had not been aware of it before, but now that he saw and felt her experiencing greater pleasure from it, he made a note to use that next time. (Next time...he was always happy to remember that she was permanent.) He started increasing his pace, and Marian did in turn, keeping in time with his movements. They slowly built up their speed and their pleasure together, until both were gasping with release. Fenris was buried deep within her, holding her leg tightly against his chest as he shot load after load after load into her womb. Once the orgasm started to fade he realized that perhaps he should not have risked impregnating her, but the thought of her heavy with his child, and a little pointy-eared child calling him Dada...he had to admit that the thought stirred something in his soul that he had never known he wanted. Then immediately the hope was pushed down by the fear that Danarius would claim the child too if he ever returned to recapture him.

"Lay next to me, I'd like to sleep." Marian sighed dreamily, and Fenris carefully removed himself from her and did as she asked, his mind still racing with the mix of hope and dread. Once she was soundly asleep he redressed, and left her room just in time for Anders to come up the stairs.

"Hello Fenris. How is she?" Anders asked politely, as if they were coworkers switching shifts.

"She uh, she just fell asleep." Fenris hated himself for hesitating on his words, because as soon as he spoke Anders' expression shifted to one of curiosity.

"Yet you sound guilty."

"She and I were...intimate." He answered lamely, and saw the slight drop in Anders expression.

"Oh. Well, I can't say I'm not jealous, but so long as she's happy, I can learn to be happy with it too. At least you're not ugly." He chuckled half-heartedly. "Were you at least safe about it?"

"She laid on her side so she wouldn't be in pain."

"Glad to know you thought about that, but I meant safe-sex."

"No. I had never... before tonight, my only experiences were forced upon me. I had not thought of anything but what we were feeling." He admitted quietly, looking down at his toes.

"Ah. Well, after having her intestines impaled I wouldn't be too worried about her getting pregnant, but I will keep an eye out just in case. You know, with her bloodline, she would likely have a mage child, even with you. Would you be able to deal with that, Fenris?" Anders asked seriously.

"I care for Liz, and she will almost certainly be a mage. I love Marian, enough so that I did not run when I saw her do blood magic. I would not abandon my child."

"Blood magic? When did she do blood magic?!" He asked, now panicked.

"To kill the Arishok. We talked about it and she said she didn't even know that's what she had done, she was just bleeding out and wanting to get home to Liz, and followed her instincts."

"I... Wow. Well then, I'm going to go in and make sure her wound wasn't reopened by your roughhousing."

"I have a question for you, actually, before you do."

"Yes?" Anders asked quizzically.

"I would protect Liz from harm, regardless of our lack of shared blood. Promise me you would do the same for my child, should there be one. I am still, by Tevinter law, a slave. Any children I sire would belong to Danarius..."

"I would never let slavers take a child." A couple blue cracks opened on Anders' cheek, "Regardless of our...situation, that child would be an innocent, and the baby of our dearest Marian. I would never let Danarius or any other take them."

"Thank you. That's all I needed to know. Goodnight Anders." Fenris began down to his room.

"Goodnight, Fenris."