I’m walking past the atelier, full of sparkling white pillars and complete with a bubbling fountain in the center of the room. It’s raised, and there are steps around it. I glance at the fountain as I walk by, but I nearly jump as I see that someone is standing there. It’s Solas, head in his hands. He looks really…upset. Very different from his usual cheery persona. I don’t want to bother him if he wants to be alone, but I also don’t want to leave him like that. Without any further thought, I start walking over to him.
“Solas? Are you okay?” I ask quietly. He jumps in surprise, looking up at me. His eyes are red.
“Dawn. I didn’t realize you’d be here.” He says as I quietly sit down next to him.
“Do you need any help with anything?” I ask.
“Don’t you get it? I don’t need help. I just want it all to stop.” He sounds so genuinely hurt that anything I was going to say dies in my mouth.
“Solas…” I begin, but I don’t know what to say. What could I possibly have to offer that could help him?
“I’m just so tired. I’m so tired of all of it. I don’t even want to try anymore, I just want to give up. What’s even the point of all this?”
I feel like I should comfort him, but it also feels wrong since I don’t know him very well. I place my hand on his shoulder in what I hope is a comforting gesture. He’s silent for a while, and so am I.
“I’m probably just being too dramatic.” He sighs.
“Respectfully, I don’t think you are.” I cut in.
“‘Respectfully?’” He looks at me quizzically.
“I didn’t want to offend a member of the royal family by offering my unsolicited advice. But you’re not being dramatic. This is, objectively, a really terrible situation, and you’re brave for continuously involving yourself in it even when you could have run away by now. A lot of bad things keep happening, so it’s understandable that by now you want a break. And I’m sorry, but I’m really out of my depth here, so unfortunately I don’t think I’m the best person to help. So I’m sorry.” The words pour out of me like the damn fountain behind us.
