"Oops! Watch where you're scooting, little miss!" Orana danced nimbly to the side, narrowly avoiding Maureva.

Marian gave an amused grin to Orana as she carefully stepped around Maureva with the stack of clean linens intended for the kitchen. The baby was on the floor, crawling and exploring the sitting room. Occasionally, she was pulling herself up using the end tables to stand and survey her little kingdom.

"Look at you, my little Ladybird! Are you going to show Papa the progress you've made when he gets back from seeing Uncle Sebastian?"

"Mama!" The baby gave her a toothy grin.

Maureva got down on the floor and crawled over to the settee, pulling herself up and reaching for her mother. Marian laughed and picked her up, cuddling her close and tickling her.

"Who said you could grow so fast, hmm? Was it Uncle Varric? Maybe Uncle Carver? You shouldn't listen to them, Maura, they're trying to make your Mumma old before her time."

The baby giggled, "Ma!"

"I told you no such thing, young lady!"

Giggling again, Maureva squirmed and Marian set her down on the floor again. Tiny hands gripped the edge of the settee and she edged herself along, reaching for Fenris's favorite chair. Her little fingers just brushed the edge, but it was just too far out of her reach for her to grab onto and hold herself up. With a frustrated noise, she dropped down and crawled to the chair, then pulled herself up again.

Standing and stretching, Marian followed her around the room. Someone's small hands had a habit of pulling things they could reach off the end tables and putting them in their mouth. Even after clearing them off or moving things where they should be out of Maureva's reach, she still managed to get ahold of them somehow. Marian often found herself dashing across the room to keep her from sticking things in her mouth, so it seemed to be less stressful to just follow her around when she was exploring while standing.

From the hallway, there was a rumble of voices. Orana's high, sweet tones, and the low rumble of Fenris greeting her in return. A softer male voice spoke after, Sebastian. He was a frequent visitor to the holding, playing with Maureva as well as spoiling her with gifts and love.

The rumbling of the two mens' voices came closer, and Maureva quickly turned her head towards the sitting room door, raven curls bouncing with the movement. "Dada!"

"I hear a little Lady Hawke," Sebastian's call rang through the foyer.

"Baba!"

Marian laughed. It appeared Sebastian had gotten his own name from Maureva.

"Where's my little beauty? Is the best and bravest girl in all Starkhaven getting into trouble?" Fenris smiled, one of his rare, fully relaxed and happy smiles as he entered the room.

Maureva bounced on her toes while holding his chair, "Dada Dada Dada Dada!"

"There she is!"

Coming forward to kiss her husband, Marian murmured, "I missed you."

He gave her a little smirk, "It was only a few hours, Marian."

"It would have been longer, Hawke, but I insisted on getting out of the palace." Sebastian grimaced, "Our Revered Mother is getting rather huffy about me spending so much time in the company of an 'unholy Vint-raised elf' and his family."

"Baba!" Maureva called, waving at Sebastian.

He smiled and waved back at her, "Hello, little lady. I agree, she's just going to have to live with it, hmm?"

She smiled and bounced on her toes again.

Marian strummed her fingernails together unconsciously with nervousness. "Is it going to be a problem, Sebastian?"

"Definitely not. I'm the Prince, not her."

Fenris laid a hand on Marian's shoulder to get her attention, and with a wide-eyed look, he pointed at Maureva. She had taken a wobbly step away from the chair, and was holding her arms out to Fenris. Two more unsteady steps, and she sat down hard on the thick Rivaini carpet. Maureva blinked her eyes owlishly, then pushed herself up to crawl and grab onto Fenris's leg.

"Dada!"

"She walked," Marian breathed out, tears stinging her eyes. Her baby was growing so fast, much too fast.

Fenris picked up Maureva and swung her high into the air while she shrieked with delight. "Well done, my beauty! My brave, brave girl!"

Sebastian leaned in and chucked Maureva under the chin as she laughed and clapped. "She'll be ready to learn the bow in no time."

"I must protest, Sebastian, she will be learning to use a broadsword." Fenris gave his friend a mock-outraged look.

"I hate to disappoint both of you, but obviously she's going to be a halberd girl." Marian sniffed and took Maureva from Fenris to hug her. She was so, so proud of her baby girl, but it distressed her to think that she wouldn't stay this small and innocent forever. Soon she would be walking, then running, and someday, her little Hawke would spread her wings and fly.