[There's a pause as he considers, then he carefully places his hand over the other mage's. It seems right to do, and he certainly is not going to blame him for physically defending himself.]

I'm not asking you to defend your actions. The words are enough.

[There's a pause, then a contemplative frown.]

No, I don't think anyone should ask you to not defend yourself when you've been struck three times by others who are supposedly your fellow Inquisition members. If you were an elf, Beleth would be finding methods of worming her way to guilt the advisers, I expect. [But he's human, and Beleth isn't going to give two shits about it, really.]

No one should feel they have to look over their shoulder here constantly.

[It's what he wants for himself. How could he want otherwise for Anders?]