Chapter Text
"My my, pet. You seem to be wasting away."
Tav keeps her eyes on the ground as the Vampire Lord enters her room, the temperature lowering noticeably around him.
"Look at you, starving yourself in this cell when you could have anything you want."
She feels his sharp eyes studying her, perhaps waiting to see if she's given up, yet it's accompanied by an air of amusement as well.
"Still on our hunger strike, are we?"
Astarion gestures dismissively to the plate of food sitting on the floor, seemingly untouched for hours.
It's been nearly a week since Tav fell into the vampire's grasp, and she has refused to eat until she is free once again.
"I'm beginning to grow tired of your disobedience, darling. Aren't you?"
Another moment of silence passes before the lord realizes he is still being ignored.
In the blink of an eye, he appears before his prisoner, grabbing her chin with enough force to leave a mark.
"You will speak when spoken to. Is that understood?"
Tav catches herself nodding urgently before clearing her throat, not wishing to worsen her impending punishment.
"Yes."
Her first and only word since capture comes out weaker than intended, likely due to her throat being dry from dehydration.
Despite her hesitant obedience, the word is met with a harsh slap across the face, which likely would have sent her to the floor had she not already been sitting.
"Hells, look what you made me do."
Astarion grabs Tav's chin again, tilting her head to assess the mark that has already begun to bloom against her cheek.
"It's your fault, really. You'd do well to address me properly next time."
Tav finally makes eye contact with her captor, unable to decide whether to be defiant or submissive.
The pale elf before her is indeed quite a sight, though this thought is the exact trouble that had gotten her into this situation in the first place.
She had met Astarion in a tavern—the Blushing Mermaid—and the moment she'd caught his attention, Tav knew that she was in for a wild night.
They had, of course, slept together, which had been the final nail in her coffin.
And after their night of passion, she'd found herself locked away in a room that she didn't recognize.
The very room she still resides in, which is quite comfortable for being a cell.
"You're so adorable when you don't know what to say."
The lord's voice snaps Tav out of her thoughts, sending a chill down her spine.
If she hadn't known any better, she might have thought his words were sincere.
"I have nothing to say to you."
"Really? If you want to be that difficult, I can just make you scream."
Astarion's grip tightens enough to make Tav wince, but it has yet to draw blood.
"Screaming from pain or… pleasure… is entirely up to you."
"I'd rather die than do as you please."
A cold laugh makes every hair on her body stand on end, and he shoves her in the direction of the door.
"Be careful what you wish for, little one. On your feet now."
Tav hesitates, knowing it will only anger Astarion further, but she can't bring herself to obey.
His hand tangles in her hair, and he yanks her to her feet, ignoring the yelp of pain that falls from her lips.
"I said now. You know better than to make me repeat myself, don't you?"
She manages to nod, which quickly turns to wincing when it only tugs her hair harder.
"That's a good girl. Let's take you to a nicer room, shall we?"
The praise makes Tav's stomach twist with unease, but there's a hint of desire that she tries to hide.
Of course, he can sense the shift in her scent, which she realizes only when he smirks in satisfaction.
"You enjoy being called that? Being praised like some common whore?"
Tav shakes her head while lowering her gaze as a deep red flush blooms across her cheeks and ears.
Shame radiates from her body so thick that Astarion can almost taste it, which only reminds him how starved he is for her blood.
"Did we forget our manners? I told you to speak."
"No, my Lord. I do not wish for your praise."
Somehow, Tav has managed to regain some of her confidence, now with an arrogance to her tone as she speaks louder than before.
It's a dangerous decision, but one she's willing to risk.
"Ah, there you are. I was beginning to worry that I'd broken you already."
"I am not easily broken. My Lord."
Despite following his command, every time she addresses him, it feels more like a mockery than obedience.
He hadn't expected this to be easy, but her attitude is pushing him to a limit she should wish to be far from overstepping.
"Silence. Give me your hand."
A flicker of fear briefly flashes behind Tav's confident exterior, but she holds out her hand as she's told.
Astarion takes her hand with an odd gentleness, intertwining his fingers with hers as he leads her closer to him.
"See? Not everything has to be difficult, my sweet."
He guides her out of the room she's been trapped in for days, walking slowly and ready to steady her as she adjusts to walking around again.
"Very good, we're almost there."
The room Tav is led into is larger than the previous one, and much more luxurious too.
It doesn't take her long to realize that she is now in Astarion's private quarters, meaning she's now in the heart of the palace that has become her new home.
"This is–"
"My room? Why, yes it is. Do you like it?"
He lets her look around the room curiously, maintaining his grip on her hand.
It's not firm or aggressive, only a silent reminder not to try any escape plans.
"It's…"
For a moment, Astarion believes Tav is going to give in, but he realizes he has no such luck when she finds her authority once again.
"It is undeserving of a monster like you!"
She squeezes her eyes shut as she braces herself for another slap, but nothing comes.
When her eyes reopen, the vampire before her appears to be maintaining his composure, though there's a slight tension that wasn't there before.
"A pity, really."
His voice is casual, and he even shrugs as he lets go of her hand and wanders over to a table displaying various types of expensive jewelry.
"I was planning on letting you stay here. If only you would learn to hold your tongue."
Tav holds her breath as she watches Astarion idly pick up and examine pieces of his collection, expecting him to snap at any moment.
The sound of her heart pounding fills her head as he picks up a small blade etched with gold and rubies, and she's certain he can hear it, even from across the room.
"Stunning, isn't it? Would have cost nearly a fortune had I not been gifted with a nimble touch."
"A dictator and a thief. I'm not surprised."
To her surprise, Astarion lets out a quiet laugh, still turning the blade in his hand as if he's considering what to do with it.
"I like to call it re-homing treasures. Collecting items that would be taken for granted."
"And what makes your ownership better than those vendors?"
His gaze finally returns to Tav, though still not putting down the blade.
The gems shimmer in the candlelight, almost mesmerizing if she were not keeping such a watchful eye on her captor.
"I put them on display, of course. They deserve to be admired, not passed around as if they meant nothing."
Tension grows in the pale elf's voice as his mind seems to drift to something darker than his vast array of luxuries.
"Astar– My Lord?"
Tav notices his jaw clench, and braces herself for an outburst that seems to be building deep from within him.
"Yes, pet?"
"Are you alright?"
The question snaps him out of his memories, instead deciding to focus on what's in front of him.
"I'm feeling quite hungry actually."
A chill returns to the room as Tav realizes the implications of his statement, her breath catching in her throat once again.
"Be a dear and lie down for me."
Her mind screams at her not to obey him, but it's as if her body has a mind of its own as she makes her way to the bed.
As she crawls onto it, she's pleasantly surprised by how soft the satin sheets are, getting so lost in the feeling that she doesn't sense Astarion sneaking up behind her.
"Imagine feeling these sheets against your skin every night. How deeply you would sleep in such a comfortable nest."
His hands rest on her hips, squeezing lightly when she shivers, and she can feel his cool breath against her ear.
"You will let me feed, won't you?"
Tav can only manage a nod at first before remembering his earlier rule.
"Yes, My Lord."
"Such a good girl… You did so well, remembering to use your words for me."
After helping her lie down, Astarion crawls over Tav and stares down at her neck hungrily, licking his lips as if she's a meal rather than another living being.
It does seem to be all the same to him, she thinks.
The lines must be blurred after feeding to survive for centuries.
"Sit still, it will only hurt for a moment."
When he leans down, he notices Tav put her hands on his chest to stop him.
A flare of anger returns before quickly being snuffed by the look of fear on her face.
"What is it?"
"Are you going to kill me?"
Astarion's reaction doesn't come immediately. In fact, he blinks in surprise.
He hadn't expected her to be so blunt, and certainly not while asking if these were going to be her final moments.
"Don't be absurd, darling. I'll only take as much as I need."
"And… how much is that?"
This time, Astarion frowns slightly as he brings one hand up to brush unruly strands of hair out of her face.
"I won't drain you dry. I swear on my life."
"You're dead. You don't have a life."
A genuine laugh leaves him at Tav's continued directness, finding it more refreshing than he would have thought.
"On my un-life then. Does that work for you?"
"Fine, but if you kill me, I will find a way to haunt you."
"Promises, promises. Now be a doll and let me feast."
Tav falls silent, but her anxiety fills the room as Astarion lowers his mouth to her throat.
He doesn't bite right away, instead taking his time to lap at the skin over her pulse.
The growl from tasting her salty skin makes Tav's heart race more, which only drives him to become more feral.
"Remember to breathe, sweetheart. The pain will fade soon."
She barely hears the vampire's reassurance as he sinks his fangs into her throat, tangling his fingers into her hair to keep her still.
A gasp leaves Tav involuntarily as her hands fly to rest on his back, and he doesn't seem to mind when her fingernails dig into his shirt, then even deeper into his pale skin.
The pain is almost too much to bear, and she tries to push him off of her, but Astarion holds her steady and sinks his canines deeper into her skin to pull more from her.
"Hells, you're intoxicating…"
He mumbles against her neck before pressing his lips against her neck again and pulling her blood into his mouth.
Eventually, Tav notices the pain fading into bliss, possibly even desire, as her grip begins to loosen on Astarion.
"I never knew you'd be this sweet–"
He doesn't notice when her hands fall to her sides on the bed, and certainly not as her eyes grow heavy.
"Astarion…"
The first time she's spoken his real name is in ecstasy, hardly even aware of her own actions, but it's just enough for him to finally force himself to stop.
"Did I take too much?"
Tav shakes her head weakly, only leading to partial relief before Astarion decides to continue fussing over her.
It's a side that he's never shown before, but it's not unwelcome in her delirious state.
"Talk to me. How do you feel?"
"Kind of… woozy. Can I rest now?"
Before receiving an answer, Tav's eyes already begin to close as sleep takes her.
Astarion fights the urge to kiss her forehead, reminding himself that she is not yet his consort, as he gets up and tucks her in properly.
"Yes, little one. I'll wake you when you're needed again."
He watches her for another minute as she falls into a deep sleep before quietly exiting the room and closing the door behind him.
Tav never hears the lock click as he secures her inside his quarters, not realizing that, despite the upgrade, she's only going to find herself in a different prison.
It'll be a long, grueling process of breaking her, but one that will be worth it once she starts to see that he's trying to give her a better life.
It will be a satisfying life of being at his side, where he will provide anything and everything she asks for…
Within reason, of course.
