After only a day on the Waking Sea Marian decided that she really did hate boats. As the ship rocked back and forth her stomach mimicked the motion, causing her endless amounts of discomfort and humiliation. Her only relief came from the bucket in her arms and Anders who rarely left her side.

The man sitting across from her had transformed since their departure from Kirkwall. No longer was he the subdued quiet figure that had haunted the Amell estate for the last several years. Light had returned to his eyes, reminding her more and more of the brash apostate she had recruited in Darktown a lifetime ago. She smiled when she thought about the teasing flirtatious man she feared she had lost.

When he noticed her studying him Anders smiled slowly and raised a questioning eyebrow. "What?"

"Do Grey Wardens get married?"

The question surprised the mage as he considered. "Yes," he answered slowly, "though not very often."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why not very often?"

"Well, shortened lifespan I suppose. The taint ensures you don't live more than thirty years past your joining."

Marian closed her eyes to ward off the sorrow that clenched her heart. Given everything they had been through she had willfully forgotten that her love was living on restricted time. The thought that, at best, she would only have him for another twenty years before he walked into a darkspawn nest to die made her feel as if she would be ill again.

"Marian?" When she opened her eyes it was to Anders leaning over her, his own gaze dark with worry. "Are you all right Love?"

"Marry me," she whispered.

Anders felt his spine stiffen. "What?"

"Marry me."

He smiled and placed a hand on her brow. "You don't have a fever. Where is this coming from?"

Taking his hand in hers Marian smiled back at him. "Anders I love you. And I would rather spend twenty years as your wife than a lifetime with anyone else. Marry me."

Anders lowered his forehead to meet hers and for a moment all that could be heard was the creaking of wooden beams and waves crashing against the hull of the ship. "Yes," he whispered, clutching her shoulders gently. "I can imagine no worse a fate than a future without you in it."

Happiness flooded through her as she pulled Anders into her arms. However that happiness was short lived as blue cracks began appearing down his arms and his embrace became viselike. She pushed him away and was unsurprised to see Justice glaring back at her.

"I will not allow this!" he bellowed as he rose to his feet. "You are a liability, a weakness he cannot afford."

"Justice," she nodded her head in acknowledgment. Marian rose to her feet as best she could given the weakness in her legs. "So, I am a weakness?"

"Yes. You distract him from our cause. He would sacrifice himself for you. You are a detriment."

"Is that what Anders thinks? What does he want?" Silence confirmed what Marian already knew. She moved toward the spirit and gently put a hand on her love's face. "Justice. You were Anders' friend once. He sacrificed a part of himself to help you. He will be forever hunted because of what happened in Kirkwall, because of the sacrifice he made for the mages."

"There is still more to be done. There is still injustice."

"There will always be injustice. But this good man has sacrificed enough." Tears slowly began tracking down Marian's face as she cupped Anders' face in her hands. "You are his friend Justice. Please. Let him live the remainder of his life with some measure of happiness."

Something akin to sadness crossed the spirit's face and after a moment he withdrew. Anders sagged forward, panic making his eyes wide. "Maker, Marian, what happened? Are you all right?" Marian nodded through her tears and smiled. He pulled her close and muttered in her hair, "Justice is quiet. Did he hurt you?"

"No Love, he didn't hurt me. I simply reminded him of what is fair."