This chapter contains perhaps something that many have been waiting for. Or at least what I've been waiting for. Loved writing this chapter. Hope you'll take the time to read and review…it's, as always, much appreciated.

[insert standard disclaimer here]

A Joining of a Happier Kind

As the sun beamed down on the Bannorn, the land absorbed the heat quickly, expelling it back into the air above. It was one of the warmest days of the year – surprising as it was within the first fortnight of Kingsway, and not within the middle of the warm season. No matter; the dwarven masons that had been sent from Vigil's Keep to aid the mages in building their homestead and clinic had completed their task. The clinic had been complete for a week; their homestead two weeks prior. Hawke had ventured to Denerim with Koehemar and Lafatria to purchase items they required for their home; linens, cookware and the like. While passing a merchant in the city who sold supplies for painting, Lafatria's eyes lit up. She noticed this and inquired about his excitement.

"Back in the Circle," the elf began, "I was one of few individuals given permission to paint. I would very much like to take that up again…to create works of art to display in your home."

She smiled at him. "Of course, my friend," she agreed. "And you must not forget that it is your home as much as mine. Both of you."

The elves smiled at her. They had never been part of a 'family' in the true sense of the word – at least not that they could remember. They were both snatched from whatever situation they were born into at very young ages. Neither could remember any details about their families. Or where they came from. Koehemar suspected he was from an alienage, though which he could not say. The tattoos on Lafatria's forehead had faded greatly, but he was likely of Dalish descent. The fact that a Dalish elf had been removed from his clan and taken to the Circle was a rarity, but not unheard of.

The three had been grateful for the pony and cart that the dwarves had allowed them to borrow for the trip to the city. It had been filled up to the brim with supplies, provisions and items to furnish their home. They had also purchased edible dried goods to maintain their food stock until their crops began to produce on a more regular basis. Satisfied with the haul of the day, they started the journey back to the homestead.

As twilight began to take hold of the day, they arrived home. Despite the fact that the home was finished, and the dwarves had built beds for each of the rooms, they were still quite comfortable with sleeping in their tents during the warm evenings. That would likely change with the purchases Hawke and the elves had made that day, but one last night outdoors would be acceptable – especially on a night such as the one they were experiencing.

When the cart pulled on to the property, she could see that a bonfire had been built far behind the homestead. She and the elves quickly moved the items into the home, brought the pony to the small shelter that had been hastily constructed for the animals that were onsite and made their way to the fire. Anders, Grymm and the dwarves were sitting around it, all of them drinking. No one was truly drunk, though a few dwarves were well on their way. A lazy smile appeared on Anders' face when he saw them return, and spread out the blanket he was resting on for his love to join him. The two elves poured themselves some ale and joined the group as well.

As Hawke nestled in to the spot next to Anders, he placed his hand at her back, running his fingers up and down her spine slowly. She shivered at his touch, sighing softly.

"Successful day?" he asked.

She nodded. "We were able to find almost everything we were looking for…and then some."

"Lafatria is going to take up painting again!" Koehemar said excitedly.

Anders looked over at the elves, and Lafatria began to blush a little.

"I used to paint…at the Circle," he said. "But I was never allowed to really see the outside world. So much of my work was based upon what I saw in the Fade. I'm a little unsure of my ability to paint the real world."

"True art is the interpretation," Anders argued. "It need not be a replication of what the artist sees…only their perception."

"Profound…" she mused.

"Do you visit the Fade anymore, Anders?" Lafatria asked.

"I have a connection with it, yes," he replied. "Though I no longer dream…in the traditional sense of the word."

The elf pondered the mage's words for a moment. "Still, that must be strange. To never dream again…"

Anders shrugged. "I care not. I'm finally able to rest again…when I'm asleep, my sleep is not interrupted by another 'life' in the Fade. After so many years of not even sleeping, I'll take that over dreaming any day. Besides…" he said, squeezing Hawke gently before continuing, "my waking life has started to become even better than that of my dreams lately."

Koehemar laughed as Lafatria made a retching sound, to which Anders couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"You're ever so romantic these days," Hawke spouted. "I like that much better than your angry days."

"So do I, love," he replied. He kissed her cheek – as if on cue, the dwarves promptly announced that they were heading to their tents for the night. Grymm grumbled something to himself and also headed to his tent. "Now if we can only get rid of these two, I can ravish you under the moonlight!"

"No chance!" Koehemar laughed. "I'll stay out here just to prevent that!"

The elves only joked, as they had grown fond of the Anders that was rarely visited by the spirit. And they adored Hawke, who was like an older sister to them. They would never stand in the way of any happiness she could obtain. They noticed that even though she had only been away from Anders for the day, her eyes would drift as if she were somewhere else when they were in conversation. She was a woman in love – and despite their long years together, it was as if it were new to them both. Both the elves suspected it was a long, hard road for them; that is, if the rumours of their time in Kirkwall were all true.

Anders squinted and stared at Koehemar. "You have no idea how long I can wait," he said slyly.

Hawke stretched her arms over her head and yawned. "Well, I can't wait. I'm exhausted! Perhaps we can postpone the under-moonlight-ravaging for another night?"

"Ha!" shouted Koehemar.

Anders pouted at her, while deftly throwing a piece of bread he had been breaking apart to counter the mocking elf. Just as nimble, Koehemar caught the bread and shoved it in his mouth.

"Well, I can see this is going to go nowhere fast," Anders said, pushing himself up off of the ground. He reached a hand down towards her. "Come love…let's get you to bed." She looked at him suspiciously. "To sleep!" She smiled and took his hand, allowing him to pull her up. As the elves remained at the fire, turning the pieces of wood over to allow it to smolder, Anders led her to their tent and ushered her inside. She was asleep as soon as her head landed on her bedroll, and he curled up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist; nuzzling his head into the curve of her neck. He considered the conversation that night about his connection to the Fade. He would gladly have given up everything to do with the Fade; so long as he was allowed to have moments like this, holding her in his arms.

The coming days allowed the mages to furnish the homestead so it would be fit for habitation. They prepared the clinic as well, planning for it to be open by the beginning of Harvestmere. As summer gave way to autumn, Anders attempted to prevent himself from focusing his thoughts on the injustice created from the disparity between rich and poor. He was more than careful to not dwell on the role of the monarchy – Maker knows that could have been the catalyst for another war wrought by the hands of Justice.

At first, people came from all across Ferelden to get a glance of the two apostates who had were rumoured to have been responsible for the uprising of the Circles against the templars and the Chantry. Soon after, they came to lay eyes on the Champion of Kirkwall and the man she stood beside. Eventually, legend faded into obscurity, and they came only seeking the Healer of the Bannorn.

Before the legends began to fade though, Anders made good on his promise to marry her. Through correspondence with Nathaniel, he had determined that there were several individuals that could help with a ceremony. An elder of a Dalish tribe, such as a Keeper could perform the rites – though the only Keeper they knew was Lanaya. She unfortunately was not willing to do so for those not within her tribe. Another individual who could perform the ceremony would be a head of state…a Bann or an Arl…even King Alistair. Hawke had laughed at Anders when he suggested she re-introduce herself to the king for that reason.

"Hullo there, King Alistair," she had said. "Remember me? The Champion of Kirkwall? I'd like to marry the renegade mage that blew up the Chantry there…care to perform the ceremony for us?"

"Point taken," Anders conceded.

It left only one option. Any commander of an army also had the same civil powers to perform the ceremony. Including the Commander of the Grey Wardens. Nathaniel himself would be able to assist them. Even he was not aware until he began his research at the request of his friend. When Anders read the correspondence from Nathaniel, he nearly ran back to Vigil's Keep himself to tell him that he couldn't think of a better person to do it. Instead, he penned a quick message to send back to the Keep with a messenger they employed at the clinic. He also had another message sent to Kirkwall to advise Varric and Aveline of the potential for the marriage – he knew Hawke would never forgive herself – or him – if either of the two hadn't at least been notified of the upcoming event.

Within the week, the two mages began planning for the ceremony, as the messenger returned with an agreement from Nathaniel to assist. They decided to hold the ceremony on First Day. It would allow their guests to make plans to travel across the Waking Sea. It also felt symbolic – they would begin their new life together in an official capacity on the first day of the new year. A message also arrived from a very excited Merrill on behalf of herself and Carver to confirm that not even a blight would prevent them from attending – though Hawke admitted that would be slightly irresponsible.

As the months passed, and the day approached, Merrill made more trips to the homestead to assist Hawke with their preparations. The clinic took up most of Anders' time, and some of the work to be done required a woman's touch anyway. She assisted Hawke in picking up a gown in Denerim, as well as planning the meal that would follow for the guests. Nathaniel had advised them that he would not take no for an answer regarding hosting the event at the Keep. The two reluctantly agreed; the festivities that were coming together seemed to be much bigger in scale than they had originally wanted.

"But who are we to fight against them if there are actually people who would like to celebrate this day with us?" Anders suggested.

"I suppose you're right," Hawke had agreed. "It's a little strange, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Having friends," she said. "Having people who support us and want to see us happy."

He smiled at her and nodded. "I couldn't have pictured it. I didn't picture it back when I had first told you I wanted to do this. I never imagined that this day would turn into what it is turning into."

"If only my mother were here to see it," she sighed. "And Bethany." He quickly took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I'm sure they will be present with us come First Day," he replied. "Your father as well. They would all be proud of you and what you've accomplished."

"What we've accomplished," she corrected him. "I believe my father would have fallen in love with you a bit himself. In a…fatherly sort of way, I mean."

He smiled at her. "He sounds like he was a wonderful man," he said. "Every time you speak of him, I sense that."

"He was," she said. "I'm so very glad that Carver will be there."

Anders was happy for it too. He had vague memories of his own family, and those memories were not particularly pleasant. He did remember his mother fondly, but her face was lost to him after so many years. The remnants of the Hawke family…of their traveling companions…they were his family now.

The closer they got to First Day, the faster the days passed. A week prior to the end of the year, the clinic was closed down and the homestead locked up. Everyone was ready to travel to Vigil's Keep for the official joining of Hawke and Anders in marriage. When they arrived several days later, some of their other guests for the event had already arrived, namely Varric, Aveline and Donnic.

Hawke had not seen Aveline for almost five years and when she laid eyes upon the woman, she collapsed to the floor. Aveline rushed to her side and the women embraced. Donnic greeted Anders warmly, despite how things were when they had last seen each other. When Hawke's joyous tears finally subsided, Aveline assisted her off of the ground and they embraced again.

"Aveline…I…" she began.

"I know, my friend," the woman replied. "I almost never expected to see you again. But then we received word from Anders that you were planning to be married. If you think I would have missed this day…"

"It is so wonderful to see you again," Hawke said breathlessly. "And Donnic as well. I am so happy."

She pulled back from Aveline and looked towards Donnic who was standing near Anders. She looked down as she saw movement near his knee. Tiny fingers appeared and slowly wrapped themselves around the man's leg. Hawke's mouth fell open as she looked back towards her friend.

"Aveline…?"

"Hawke…I'd like you to meet our daughter," Aveline said, crouching down and holding her arms out. "This is Hyacinthe." At the sound of her name, the tiny girl popped out from behind Donnic and ran towards her mother. She picked the girl up and held her close. She couldn't have been more than three years old. She had long reddish-brown hair pulled back into braids and her brown eyes did not lift from Hawke's face.

"Aveline…she's just…she's beautiful," she said, so outwardly happy to see a product of Aveline and Donnic's wonderful union.

"Say hello, my little flower," she said to the girl. Hyacinthe buried her tiny face into her mother's shoulder. Hawke softly stroked the girl's hair, the smile never leaving her face. She embraced Aveline and her daughter affectionately.

"I am overwhelmed," she said to her friend. "Thank you for coming. Thank you."

Varric stepped forward as Hawke let Aveline return her daughter to Donnic. He hugged her tightly. "I have a surprise for you," he whispered into her ear.

"I'm not sure how many more surprises I can take!" she exclaimed.

"This is a good one," he said and stepped back. He turned and looked across the hall, nodding at a figure unknown. As the figure came into the light, her mouth opened even wider than it had when she saw Hyacinthe. Walking towards her, clapping his hands giddily, was Sandal, with the hound she had left in his care walking at his side. She ran towards the dwarf and bent down to hug him tight.

"Sandal! I can hardly believe it!" she cried out.

"Hullo!" he said excitedly. He then looked towards the mabari at his side. "Doggie!"

"Hi there boy," she said to the hound, scratching his head. "I trust you've been taking good care of my friend here."

The dog barked in response and rolled over into Sandal's ankles, knocking the dwarf over. The two tussled on the ground, forgetting about Hawke's presence. She smiled, happy to see them both. Varric approached her and patted her arm.

"Told you it was a good surprise," he said.

She looked at him and her face changed slightly. "And…what of his father?"

"Bodahn is still living," Varric replied, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "He was unfortunately too ill though to make the journey from Orlais. He sends his regards to both you and Anders and wishes he could have been here."

"We certainly would have loved to have him here," she said. "But having Sandal here is wonderful." She looked back towards the others and caught Anders' eye. He smiled at her from across the room, and even wider when she pointed out Sandal. This was going to be a wonderful time for them…a reunion with so many from their past. She never wanted it to end.

Anders had to hand it to Merrill – she certainly knew how to liven up a place in the middle of the cold season. She had decorated the main hall of Vigil's Keep beautifully. There were small cotton-like flowers adorning the pillars and surrounding the main fire. She had also lined the few rows of seats for the guests with boughs of evergreen trees. He walked towards the front of the hall where Carver was standing with Nathaniel. The men looked particularly striking in their ceremonial Warden armour.

As Anders approached, Merrill rushed up to him, nearly tripping over her floor length, tawny velvet gown. He noticed the green leaves embroidered at its hems and around the sleeves. She looked at him and shook her head. She began fussing over the deep indigo tunic, pulling at it to straighten it out as it sat underneath the long black cloak he wore. She knelt down and also straightened the matching wool kilt. As she jumped to her feet, she stood back, looking half satisfied that she had made him look presentable – even though he had nervously spent two hours fixing his hair and ensuring that his cloak did not wrinkle. The elf hurried him off to the front of the room before rushing off to find Hawke, and he nervously shuffled past the guests who were already seated. Several of the Wardens that they had befriended in their time visiting the Keep were present, as were many of the dwarven builders that had assisted them with the homestead and clinic. Word had spread that they were to be married, and many of those who had been assisted by the mages at the clinic came to celebrate the day. The guest list had grown well beyond what Hawke and Anders had originally planned for, and he was slightly shocked at the turnout.

He approached Nathaniel who smiled upon seeing him.

"You certainly clean up well when you want to," he joked. "You sure you're ready for this?"

"Nate, you have no idea," he replied.

Carver clapped him on the back and he turned to face him. "I'm glad that it's you, Anders. You've proven us all wrong. And I've never been happier about being mistaken about a person." He leaned in and hugged the mage, careful not to overdo the embrace with the armour he was wearing.

The three men stood and waited for Merrill to return with Hawke. And when she entered the hall, Anders' face went pale. He gazed at her as she walked towards him; he could feel his stomach flip flop due to the nerves that had overtaken him the second he laid eyes on her. Despite her lack of familiarity of the fancy slippers that Merrill had helped her pick out, she glided gracefully across the floor; as if she were floating on air. The ice blue satin gown she wore reached to the ground, swishing softly as she walked. Elaborate embroidery covered the gown from her waist up, weaving small pearlescent beads throughout it. She wore a long snow white cloak, hooded and lined with the fur of white wolves. He had never seen her more beautiful and she never removed her eyes from his.

When she reached the front of the hall and stood in front of Nathaniel at his side, he reached up and gently pulled the hood back from atop her head. It revealed the same small cotton-like flowers that Merrill had decorated the hall with also woven into her crimson hair, which was pulled up in an intricate design that only the Dalish seemed to be able to create. His hands graced across her skin, lingering on her face. She stared into his eyes and neither wished to break the connection that had been made.

Moments later, Nathaniel cleared his throat quietly, and they both turned to face him. He felt for her hand and clasped it tightly in his own. She nervously glanced at him; he looked back at her, raised his eyebrows and winked. She smiled and they both turned back to Nathaniel.

"Greetings to you all, and welcome," Nathaniel began. "The Maker blesses us all and watches over us during this joyful celebration. Before me stand two mages. Not long ago, their very presence may have alarmed even some of those here today. Long has our deep seeded prejudice against magic prevented the celebration of such a union. But no longer. We should rejoice that such a love exists; a love that has overcome the hatred of centuries. A love that has given freedom and hope to so many." He motioned for them to turn to face those assembled in the hall, and they did so. He placed one hand on Anders' shoulder, and the other on Hawke's and continued. "A seed was planted many years ago. It was nourished and cared for, sprouted new life. It will continue to grow and mature, strong against the hardships of its life. When the time is right, it will blossom and move into the next stage of its life. This growth is similar to the love between this man and this woman before you. Their love has grown and endured much hardship, just as the seed has done. And with nourishment and care, it will become strong, just as the seed becomes a mighty tree." They both face the front again.

"You both stand before me, these onlookers, and all that is life. Both of you have come of your own free will?" Nathaniel asked, and they nodded in response. "Turn and face each other.'

He joined their hands together and their eyes locked once again. Pulling a long cloth from his side, he wrapped it around their clasped hands and asked them to speak their vow to the other.

"Anders," she began, "my blood is your blood, my heart is your heart. I come to you today and join you of my own free will. I join you as my mate, my lover, my friend and my equal. I give to you my life until our days are ended."

"My love," he repeated, "my blood is your blood, my heart is your heart. I come to you today and join you of my own free will. I join you as my mate, my lover, my friend and my equal. I give to you my life until our days are ended."

"With the binding of your hands, so too do I bind the bonds of your love with protective energies to watch over your union this day and forever. Do you both give your oath to keep your vows eternal?" Nathaniel prompted, tying the cloth around their wrists.

"We do," the two mages answered.

"Go now and be blessed in your union," he continued. "We welcome you into a new beginning in your life. A new journey lies before you; your separate paths now bound to one. May your journey bring you wisdom. May it strengthen your love for each other. May the energy of life guide you, strengthen you, shedding upon you peace and light, and the courage to journey through life and eternity as one."

He smiled at Anders as he untied the cloth and presented it to them. "You may seal your vows with a kiss."

Anders placed his hands at the sides of her face, pulling her close and kissing her deeply. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him as a tear fell down her face. As they broke the kiss and he pulled away, his thumb ran across her cheek, wiping the line of moisture away. He took her hand again in his and they continued to look into each other's eyes.

Nathaniel turned to those present for the ceremony. "Please, greet this couple and welcome them as husband and wife."

The crowd converged on the two mages; smiles and laughter spread through the group like wildfire. Words of congratulations were spoken to Hawke and Anders, but they barely registered in the ears of the two. The fluid motion surrounding them faded into the background as they remained lost in each other's eyes. They had done the impossible. And it was more beautiful than either of them could have ever imagined.

A/N: Ceremony borrowed and modified from the text of a traditional Druidic handfasting ceremony.