[ She's surprised by the question, blinking at Alistair curiously. With most people, she might give them the exact same spiel she just laid out, rephrased. But Alistair has well earned hearing her honest opinion, if that's what he wants. So it isn't until she's had a minute to mull over how to put a lifetime of complicated feelings into words that she finally speaks. ]

I'm sure you're aware that life is not easy for the Dalish. It's hard, and you must be hard in turn, if you are to survive. My mother knows that. And she has spent my life worrying that I am too...faint-hearted. So she tries to toughen me up. She...doesn't coddle me.

[ She hesitates, chewing her lip thoughtfully. She doesn't want to lay out a lifetime of mommy issues at Alistair's feet, but she doesn't want to just rattle off rhetoric. ]

--That sounds harsh. I love my mother, and I know she loves me. If she didn't, she wouldn't bother trying to make sure I'm strong enough. She wouldn't place expectations on me. But--I don't measure up to what she expects. She has been clear about that. I don't know if that's my fault, or hers.

[ She shifts, fairly sure that she's done a poor job of explaining. She can all but hear her mother hissing in the back of her mind, but Beleth shoves her aside for now. Instead, she glances up at Alistair, shrugging. ]

I apologize if that's more than you wanted to know. It's--hard. To explain properly. She loves me. I know she does.