Merrill marvelled at the sight of the gulls as they passed to and fro in front of the cabin's window. They seemed to be taking turns diving rather eagerly at the surface of the water. Though out of sight, she imagined their mottled beaks snapping up the more buoyant hunks of Hawke's discarded breakfast he so quickly retched up while they were still docked. Her own stomach churned a bit, not of the drinking and celebration from the night before, but rather from nerves.

"Bethany, I should know whats appropriate attire for a proper ceremony. I've undergone it myself - twice."

"Yes, yes Aveline, but you're not entirely-"

"Not entirely, what?", the Guard-Captain's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing."

"Out with it, girl."

Bethany paused and carefully chose her next utterance, "Dainty."

Merrill was trapped between the two women, her own peeps of protest often went ignored, leaving her as little more than a dress up doll for the argumentative duo.

"I - I can, am dainty", Aveline asserted, punctuating the statement with a determined fist.

The Mage stood her ground unflinching, "Right."

"Ugh, and your Grey Wardens are just such a fashionable bunch?"

"We - they're not all criminals and hooligans. They count Kings and Nobles from all across the face of Thedas amongst their ranks. The armor plating isn't so much a style choice as it is a necessity."

The door to the Captain's Cabin swung open violently, both Bethany and Aveline jumped back and each respectively wielded a hair brush and clothing hanger before them. The intruder stopped dead in his tracks.

"Uhh, did I come at the wrong time?"

The women relaxed and Merrill's little face lit up, "Varric!"

"Daisy!"

She quickly stood up and carefully shuffled over to hug her dwarven saviour.

"Gently now, that dress didn't come cheap. Its the same gown worn by the Queen of Antiva for her second cousin's best friend's wedding."

Merrill released her friend reluctantly, "I'm so sorry, Varric."

"Don't be, its your day Daisy. I just want you to be happy and to look stunning for you-know-who."

"I know, Who?", the little Dalish mage asked in bewilderment.

Varric chuckled to himself and looked to the other women, "Ahh, our little girl is growing up so fast."

"He means Hawke, Merrill", Aveline assured her while Bethany guided her back before the Vanity.

"Ah, yes. Hawke. Why is it we always refer to him by his family name? Does that ever confuse you Bethany, when we'd call out 'Hawke'? You're a Hawke, too. It used to confuse me when people in Lowtown would yell out 'Elf' and I'd turn around and wave 'Hello'. Then they'd scrunch their face up at me like I smelled of spoilt cabbage before yelling again."

"No, I think it comes from my Brother's time in the Army. Last name instead of first as a sign of respect, I think. Anyway, I look more like a Bethany than some kind of bird, to be honest", Bethany replied while tugging down the neckline of Merrill's gown.

Aveline's reflection frowned at the girl's disregarding of her advice, "So Varric what brings you barging in here unannounced?"

"Oh well, I thought since its the Big Day and all, I'd bring out some of the more choice things we picked up in the Deep Roads I just couldn't bare to part with."

The handsome dwarf produced a red, velvet pouch and dropped it into the red-headed woman's calloused hand.

"Hmm, I thought you fenced all the 'good stuff', as you put it, years ago?"

"Yeah, I did but this - this is the 'great stuff'. The kind of baubles not even an unrepentant surface dwarf like me could let go."

Aveline discarded the hanger, and poured out the contents into her other hand, "Varric this could- this is-"

"I know, I know 'this is enough to be able to double the guard at Kirkwall'. But where is the fun in that?"

"No, I was going to say 'this is enough to let you legally buy every tavern in the city'."

The dwarf cast his eyes down and didn't say a word.

"Varric... Varric? Are you okay?"

"I'm just - I promised myself I wouldn't cry, today. I'm just so proud of you."

"Oh shut up", she chuckled.

"Ooh", Bethany spotted a particularly nice necklace, "that piece right there would go so spectacularly with her eyes."

The smile dropped from Aveline's face, "No, that necklace requires inordinate amount of cleavage, and we agreed we're not having that, right Merrill?"

Merrill turned about on the Vanity's bench, "I feel..."

"No, no, there was no such agreement", Bethany retorted. "She is not a child who needs to be suffocated with layers to protect her from wandering eyes."

"Look, Girl. This is a wedding ceremony not a broth-"

"My dear Warden and Guard-Captain, please. This is not the Chantry, its the Siren's Call II. Isabela's ship to be precise. I'm pretty sure the Maker or Creators or Stone or whatever happens to be out there doesn't care however - The Bride - wants to dress."

The pair slowly turned their heads casting dual whithering looks at the sole male in the room.

"Uhh, enjoy the jewelry Merrill. I'll be checking on the Groom now", he spoke from the side of his mouth while backing out of the room quickly.

Merrill feebly reached out to him, her deep green eyes silently pleading 'Take me with you'.