"I don't have any plans on that," Ashley assured Varric just before Merry got up. She winced a little at both men, making another note to make up for it later. Poor Merry was getting dragged into the middle of a lot that he probably didn't want to be involved in.
Once he was gone, she eyed Varric, trying to decide how much she wanted to say without running the risk of scaring him off. She was glad her mother had found someone who could make her happy, but she wanted Varric to know she wouldn't stand for someone else breaking Helen's heart.
"My mom's a strong person when she needs to be," she started carefully, twirling the stirring stick through her coffee. "She's done her best with what she's been given. I don't want to see anything happen again."
If he didn't understand the quiet warning to her words, she'd make it far less quiet.