The gentle sound of waves lapping against the shore instilled Anders with a sense of peace. The Wounded Coast had always been dangerous, what with the ever present threat of roving bandits, slavers, and the occasional feral Mabari. But this small cove had served as his shelter on more than one occasion. He would often visit the isolated area to be alone with his thoughts. Once or twice he had hidden fellow mages in its protective seclusion as they attempted to flee the city. But more often than not he had come here with her.

Anders could close his eyes and feel the breeze through his hair and vividly smell the brackish water but was unable to truly lose himself, to truly forget. The silhouette of the black city stood resolutely in the distance, nearly hidden behind Kirkwall's rising structures, but it was present none the less serving as a bitter reminder that he would never again sit on this shore with Marian.

Though Anders and Kylee had been safely settled at Vigil's Keep for months the death of his love still haunted him. He found himself tormented by her final moments while in the Fade and had only recently, with Justice's help, found a way to bypass the nightmares that plagued him. This place of peace served as a beacon of relief in his darkest dreams. However he had still not managed to conjure a memory of her here despite all the time they'd spent lying on the sands.

"There is a reason for that Love." Anders froze at the sound of her voice, afraid to open his eyes. Because if he opened them and she was not there it would certainly break him. He would be completely mad. Perhaps a desire demon had worked its way into his dream. It would not be the first time. "I am not a demon Anders. Wouldn't Justice have sensed if I were?"

Slowly the broken man opened his now tear filled eyes to gaze at his lost love. She smiled radiantly, blue eyes just as bright as he remembered. Though she stood within arm's length Anders could not bring his body to move. He sat frozen by disbelief as he whispered her name brokenly. Her radiant smile turned sad and she knelt next to him in the sand. Only when he felt her touch on his shoulder did the spell vanish and he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as tears finally cascaded down his face. He kissed her greedily, as if the single embrace could compensate for months without.

"Marian. I'm so sorry. If I would have only…"

"Hush Love." She pulled back from him just enough to gaze into his eyes. "There was nothing you could have done." As he began to object Marian put a firm but gentle hand against his lips. "Enough. Would you waste these precious minutes blaming yourself?"

"No." He pulled her against him again. Maker, how he missed the feeling of her in his arms. So many nights he longed for simply this: to hold her.

"I know," she whispered against him sadly. "That is part of the reason I've come." She pulled away from him though he refused to relinquish his hold on her completely. "You need to let me go Anders."

"I cannot. Maker help me Marian I-"

"You must. You cannot continue this way. It will destroy you." The woman sadly wiped the tears from Anders face. "I would not see you lose yourself…" Familiar words from a lifetime ago echoed through his mind as he tightened his grip on her.

"Please Love. I do not have the strength."

"Yes you do! You've simply been wandering in the dark for too long. Go back to your life Anders. If not for me or for yourself, then for Kylee."

He smiled sadly. "She misses you."

Sadness crept into his beloved's face as she battled her own tears. "I know. I visit her dreams often. They are colored by uncertainty but they are also filled with joy. You have given her that happiness Anders. She loves you. You need to be strong for her."

"I know that you are right. I just..." Slowly Anders brought his forehead to rest against hers as they had done so many times. "When will I see you again?"

"I'm so sorry Love. This is the only time I will come to you." The mage's face fell as his wife sighed miserably, finally letting her tears fall. "I will not keep you bound to the fade with dreams of a life that can never be."

A heavy sadness settled between them as the two lovers' lips met softly. Dense fog began rise from the ground and swept in from the sea. Anders could no longer see the woman in his arms and felt frantic as her warmth began to fade.

"I love you!" he called desperately.

"As I love you."

Anders woke alone, tears still staining his cheeks. He took a shuddering breath in an attempt to quell the trembling in his limbs and his racing heart. But for the first time in months the mage's heart knew peace. Anders could think on Marian Hawke without the heavy feeling of bitter agony that had plagued his soul.

The end! Or, rather, the end of this instillation. The story continues with "Family Ties." Thanks for reading!