He grinned despite the situation. "Worried about your reputation?"
"Worried about giving Hector more ammunition." She headed for the back stairs. "Come on. Before we freeze."
Dante gathered the remaining papers and followed her up narrow stairs.
"More coffee?" she offered, moving to the kitchen.
"Always."
She worked while he spread evidence on her coffee table, organizing it for tomorrow's meeting with Varric. The wind howled outside, shaking windows and making the building groan. Snow piled against the glass, blocking out what little dawn light remained.
Maeve returned with two mugs, settling on the opposite end of the couch. Safe distance. Controlled space between them.
"Could be stuck here a while," Dante said.
"Could be." She sipped her coffee, staring at the evidence spread before them. "At least we got this done. Varric will have everything he needs to shut Hector down."
"He will." Dante picked up one of the forged documents, studying Hector's fake signature. "Your uncle's thorough. I'll give him that."
"He's always been thorough about the wrong things." Her jaw tightened. "Spent more energy maintaining pride hierarchy than actually helping anyone. That's why Callum and I left. We couldn't stomach another decade of watching him punish people for wanting better."
"I should've left with you."
She glanced at him, surprise flickering across her face. "You've said that before."
"Doesn't make it less true." He set the document down. "I made the wrong call. Convinced myself staying was honorable when really it was just easier than walking away."
"Why?" Her voice came quiet. "Why stay when you knew the pride was broken?"
"Pride." He smiled without humor. "Literally and figuratively. I was second in command. Had responsibilities. Thought loyalty meant finishing what we'd started instead of abandoning ship when things got hard."
"You thought we abandoned ship."
"For about five minutes." He turned to face her fully. "Then I watched the pride tear itself apart anyway. Watched Hector take the worst elements and form his own traditional stronghold. Watched everything Callum had tried to build crumble despite my best efforts."
"And then?"
"And then I realized I'd wasted years trying to fix people who didn't want fixing." He held her gaze. “I'd chosen an ideaof loyalty over the actual people who mattered. Over you and Callum. Over any chance at something real."
Maeve's hands tightened on her mug. "So you decided to become worthy? That's what you meant about earning the right to claim someone?"
"I decided to become someone who wouldn't make that mistake again." He leaned back, shoulder against the couch. "Someone who understood that real strength isn't about holding failing structures together. It's about knowing when to walk away and build something better."
"Took you long enough to figure that out."
"Yeah." He studied her profile. The sharp line of her jaw. The way firelight caught in her short black hair. "But once I did, I couldn't unknow it. Couldn't pretend the pride mattered more than my own integrity. So I left."
"Where'd you go?"
"Nowhere important." He sipped his coffee. "Worked security contracts. Lived light. Kept moving so I wouldn't have time to think about what I'd lost."
"Me." She said it like a fact, not a question.
"You." He let the admission sit between them, honest and raw. "Every day for ten years. Wondering if you'd found happiness. If you'd found someone better. If you still hated me for staying behind."
"I didn't hate you." Her voice came softer than he expected. "I was angry. Hurt. But I never hated you."
"What did you feel?"
