SHACKLE BOUND

Summary: Hawke accidentally travels to the past into the dangerous world of Tevinter, where she is captured by the abusive and ruthless magister Danarius. He torments her, taking away her voice, her smile, and her laugh. Thanks to a certain elven slave, however, there is one thing he did not take from her. Hope. AU Fenris x F!Hawke. Rated for abuse.

Rated: M

Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Fenris x Hawke

Wow, it's been over a year. I've probably lost y'all by now. Oh well, at least my writer's block has finally worn off!

Enjoy!


"Steady now, kitten."

A locking of eyes. A reluctant sigh. Then a sharp intake of breath.

Hawke's eyes squeezed shut as the first wave of pain hit her in that familiar, spiking feeling. She bit her lip as the magic ate away at her flesh, attempting to conjure up a protective shield around herself. A faint yellow orb surrounded her, absorbing the life-draining blood magic that Danarius had cast on her. She held her hands up in front of her, shielding her face as she centralized all of her magic to her palms. Raw power coursed through her veins at the speed of a hawk as exhaustion build up in her muscles.

Slowly, the pressure of Danarius' magic began to crack down on Hawke's shield, and she gasped as she felt the palms of his sorcery begin to drain her life energy. Hawke held on for as long as she could, and even managed to reinforce her shield. Only a moment more went by until Hawke finally broke under pressure. She opened her mouth as she released her shield, sending shards of magic flying every which way. Danarius let down his spell, watching as Hawke bent over, gasping violently. She heard faint footsteps as the magister walked up to her and stroked her shoulders with his cat-like fingertips.

"Hmm... Kitten, I quite like these results. You've surprised me!" chuckled Danarius as he ruffled Hawke's hair. She peered up at him weakly, her mouth agape as she gulped for air.

"Four minutes. Four minutes it took for me to break you down this time. I'm impressed," remarked Danarius with a smirk," it took Hadriana only two and a half minutes at most in the first session we practiced resisting blood magic. You've got quite a lot of fight in you."

That was when Hawke fell to the ground. She shook visibly, trying to regain her strength. Four hours of continuous, stressful magic takes its toll on the body. Especially when you have no lyrium. She felt her veins tingle, thirsting for that familiar, cool blue liquid.

"Oh, the things you shall do. You can become a powerful little magister yourself, you understand. You have the strength for it. It's all a matter of harnessing it correctly and maintaining discipline. That is where your problem lies, Kitten."

Hawke hung her head, not out of disappointment, but out of fatigue. She was hardly listening to his words, but moreso trying to keep awake with all of the energy that she had been drained of in these past few hours of strenuous sparring.

'I need lyrium if I'm going to stay awake for much longer...' she thought to herself apprehensively. Mages need processed lyrium in a drained state like this.

"Oh come now, don't be so sad, little one," Danarius said, kneeling to meet her level. He cupped her face in one hand in mock-affection as his steely eyes dug into hers. Hawke felt too exhausted to even push him away.

"You, are my apprentice. I am going to make you great. You shall not be great because you will be powerful," Danarius whispered before leaning to her ear," but because you will be mine."

With that, Danarius pulled away, smirking at her open jaw. Hawke's eyes lowered, too weak to fight against him. He was so menacing, so frightening to Hawke, that she was always on the verge of just submitting herself to him every time this happened, these 'lessons' that they had. And these lessons were rarely composed of just academic lessons, but also lessons of a crueler nature.

"Ah yes, you must be thirsty! That was a long few hours of work, and you deserve to be rewarded. A kitten that catches her mice should always be given a treat for the day," chirped the magister. He smiled at her before kissing the top of her head. Danarius retracted his form, standing up over Hawke as he walked over to a small cabinet located below the large drawing tablet on the wall in front of Hawke. He bent down, retrieving a small lyrium bottle tray, along with several appetizing bottles of lyrium. Hawke's eyes shone with longing as she almost lurched instinctively towards him, vying for the bottles. He saw her discomfort and his smile grew. Kneeling down before her, Danarius placed the tray on the floor.

"Drink up, my love!"

Hawke grabbed for the lyrium bottle, watching the swirls of blue reverberate inside the glass case. She peered into the depths of the liquid.

Magic in its purest, most naked form. Lyrium.

Hawke chugged it all.

She gasped for air after she had finished downing the entire bottle of lyrium in one go. She caught her breath, looking up at Danarius as her heartbeat steadied. He grinned at her, watching her as she reached for a second bottle, not yet feeling sated after the first.

"Do you ever wonder why I took you in?" he asked as he continued watching her. No response. That's fine with him.

"It wasn't simply because you're such a fun little thing. You see, I have kind intentions behind my actions."

Hawke rolled her eyes at him mockingly as he chuckled knowingly at her reaction.

"Do you happen to know what happens to little Tevinter ladies out on the dangerous streets of Minrathous; especially vulnerable, mute little mages such as yourself?"

Hawke yanked the seal off the lyrium bottle, still ignoring Danarius. In a starving agony, she downed the lyrium bottle in three huge gulps.

"Depending on the sect of Minrathous, most ladies like yourself out on the streets are often at the disposal of the many different slave gangs we have around here. A 'rape per half-day', as many of them would say. Hadriana was one of them, did you know that?"

Hawke finished downing the second bottle as she sat back, relaxed. She closed her eyes, feeling the hunger die down in her blood. Still, there was that pit of uneasiness in the back of her mind...

"But we can't have that happen to you. We cannot have a band of inbred dogs forcing themselves on the pretty Miss Hawke, now, can we?"

Hawke's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as her face shot up towards him, her hands gripping the fabric-covered floor in a crushing hold.

'How the hell does he know that?' thought Hawke frantically.

How? Where did he learn her name?

...Why?

Danarius smiled at her shocked reaction. As if reading her thoughts, he placed a finger on her lips, shushing her.

"Don't fret, love. No one shall touch you. No but I, because you shall be my lady. You shall be Lady Hawke."

Hawke ignored his words, refusing to meet eye contact with him. She reached into the tray to grab another lyrium bottle to distract herself from him, already feeling dizzy from the last two that she drank.

"Sip, never gulp, kitten," he chided," a lady never gulps."

Right then, Hawke's legs gave out and she crashed to the floor, the burst of lyrium racing through her veins at breakneck speeds. She felt dizzy as her sight became fuzzy, nausea building at the back of her throat as she lunged forward. She felt a freezing sensation as the high blood lyrium content in her veins began to take its toll. Danarius watched her struggle until she collapsed, unmoving, onto the carpet.

"And a lady also keeps her mouth shut," smiled Danarius as his figure descended upon hers, "after all, I wouldn't want anyone to ruin this comely little face of yours."

"Except me."


Leto exhaled as he finished buying the supplies that Danarius had sent him to get. The streets were bustling with slaves and masters so quickly that it was hard to tell one apart from the other. The stench of garbage and filthy animals rang in the air with its acrid smell. Leto was quite accustomed to the stench, only holding his breath occasionally as he made his way through the crowds carrying the baskets of food he had just purchased. Mingling his way through the crowds, he decided to plop down onto the side of the street to eat the extra loaf of bread he had bought for himself. He couldn't take it anymore. He had to eat something. Danarius was sending him on another one of his infamous 'hunger strikes', to test his willpower, and he could no longer stand it. Even he had breaking points. With that, Leto discreetly took out one of the smaller bread loaves, looked both ways to make sure Danarius didn't happen to appear nearby, and took a bite, relishing in the wave of relief that washed over him with food in his mouth. As he feasted, he watched the scene before him.

The elven slave often scoffed at this place. This was the less 'glamorous' side of Minrathous, away from the public eye. Away from the manicured gardens. Away from the glistening, polished arcane towers that the city was so well known for. Away from normal life. Here, in this place, normal life meant stepping in shit at least once a day and getting spit on by magisters at least twice.

He then took an especially big bite out of his bread, savoring in the rush of instinctive satisfaction it brought. He closed his eyes, reveling in the taste. It's easy to forget, after having not eaten for several days, what a luxury a simple thing like eating could be.

As he finished his bread and stood up off the road, out of the corner of his vision he saw a peculiar figure stalking towards him. That was when a flash of wild red hair and two orbs of green caused him to drop his bread. Their eyes locked.

Forest green met forest green.

No... it couldn't be...

"Varania?" he could scarcely believe it! It was his sister! The young elven woman of about sixteen marched towards him.

"Shhh!"

She shook an index finger in front of her lips, signaling him to be silent. Leto frowned as she grabbed his arm and pulled him into a nearby secluded alleyway. Well, secluded in relative terms. There was an elderly elven slave smoking miserably from a pipe and a young girl feeding on bread crumbs with her puppy. Both strangers turned to the intruders as Varania turned around to face her brother.

"I'm not supposed to be here right now. Master Venerian thinks I'm sleeping right now. It was the only chance I had to get away," his sister explained, whispering. Leto cringed at the sound of her master's name. He was a disgusting lecherous son of a...

"I came to find you. We need to talk," she commanded, her voice carrying an element of danger to it. Leto frowned at her. He hadn't seen her in weeks, and this is how she greets him? What could possibly be the matter?

"Who is that girl?" was the first thing she asked. Leto stared at her blankly, inhaling sharply as he realized who she was referring to.

"Which girl? There are many girls I know of," Leto said with a hint of sarcasm. This was typical between them - smart talk. Varania rolled her eyes.

"Stop playing dumb with me, brother. That woman, Danarius' new apprentice. Who the hell is she?" Varania pressed, her nostrils flaring. The young elven male paused for a few moments at this point, deciding to choose his words wisely.

"She's a street rat, I believe. Ended up in the wrong mansion. Doesn't seem to be able to speak. Danarius took her in for his own personal amusement, from what I understand. She's not truly his apprentice - that would be preposterous," explained Leto calmly. He eyed his sister warily.

"How do you know of her? Why such concern, sister?" he asked softly, lifting a hand to place on her shoulder. Varania waved it away huffingly.

"I've seen you with her. Outside. In the market. I've seen the way you looked at her," his sister accused angrily. Leto stared at her long and hard, wondering what she was talking about. Then, like a wave, it hit him.

He remembered that one time. It was the only time that Danarius had left Leto's side to look at some new maps of Arlathan Forest, and one of the few times he and Hawke were able to enjoy a moment of peace out in public together.

"See? You do remember. I saw that. I first saw you and I was going to run up to you and hug you, and then I saw you standing with... her! Leto, she's his apprentice! How do you know this isn't just all part of the test?" Varania ranted, teeth chattering anxiously. Leto saw that this was obviously putting a lot of stress on her.

'It is clear why. I am the key to her freedom. She will stop at nothing to achieve that freedom, even if the slightest obstacle is in her way,' thought Leto in his observation. His eyebrows knit together in a pensive frown.

Varania has always been an ambitious girl. Enslaved elven mages always are.

Varania's eyes welled up with tears.

"I won't lose my brother, my big brother, to some half-witted harlot.

"I don't believe that she is what you say she is," Leto offered sincerely. Varania glared at him sharply.

"I don't care," she spat at him," I don't want her to get in the way. You promised, Leto..."

Ah, but he did.

"You promised. You promised to give us a better life. You promised to set us free," Varania pressed, droplets racing down her pale cheeks.

Varania turned away from him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Mother..." Leto's head shot up at the mention of his mother. Varania sighed.

"All she can talk about is you. She used to spend her nights saying your name in her sleep, telling you not to go. Only recently has she come to terms with you doing what you're doing. Don't throw all your work away because of some whore, brother. You've made your decision, to free mother and I from slavery. I have a feeling she's going to ruin you, I just know it! She's going to trick you or do something to you. She can't be trusted, Leto. Please..." she begged, taking his hand in hers," please just be careful."

Leto was stunned.

What could he say to her?

Before he even had time to react, Varania wordlessly left the alleyway, without so much as a second glance at him. Leto hung his head, eyeing the forgotten food supplies baskets just a few feet away from him. He'd better grab those before someone decided to get smart with him and try to take them.

As be began to make his way home through the winding pathways that led to the magister estates, all he could think about was Hawke. Again. It was astonishing how she never left his mind nowadays. He was always second-guessing her, always surprised by her, always eluded by her mystery. Yet, it was hard not to trust her. It was hard not to trust someone who'd risked punishment time after time after time for him.

But one thing remained...

She's a mage.

Mages are known for their ambition. They are known for their cunning and manipulative ways. Leto grew up surrounded by their trickery. Even his own sister, a mage, is wiley and willing to use her own brother to gain her freedom. He wasn't stupid - he knew she was selfish. But she was his sister. He would do anything for her, mage or not, because she is his kin.

Hawke isn't Varania, though.

She wouldn't do that.

...Would she?


A loud creak shook her from her slumber. Hawke's eyes cracked open as she sat up against the stone wall groggily, still feeling the ache she had been gifted with many hours ago. Clutching her liver, Hawke rubbed her eye to clear the sleep from her vision. She needn't see who had come in. She already knew, and felt herself plunge into a wave of relief. She turned around, a shiny smile sitting on her face as she greeted her friendly intruder.

"Hello Hawke."

Hawke beamed at him happily, and he nodded towards her amicably. He bit his lip, wondering if he should tell her about Varania. He couldn't help, however, noticing that something was different about her.

Her necklace.

Six gemstones, all sapphire-blue in color and encased in a silver, swirling frame. It glittered brilliantly, even in the darkness of the cellar, and Leto couldn't help but stare at the way it hugged her neck softly, as though it belonged there all along.

"Hawke... what is... that?" Leto asked anxiously. Hawke hung her head to look at her necklace. She groaned inwardly. Danarius had... collared her a mere hour before, after he'd named her his 'lady'. He told her that alongside being his apprentice, she was also to be something of a consort to him. The only enjoyment she managed to receive from this whole ordeal was the look of pure, raw jealous on Hadriana when she heard the news. Maker help her so that she doesn't murder Hawke in her sleep tonight.

Leto took a closer look at what was around her neck. It was hard to see in this darkness, but he had caught a gleaming of some sort...

Wait.

He backed away.

No.

He knew exactly what it was.

That was what frightened him.

He had seen this before. He and Danarius had recovered it on one of their expeditions to the Anderfels long ago. They had found it in a lost cave while on their long journey. It was wrapped around the neck of a female bust, presumably the bust of an obscure deity. It appeared to have no cultural background, and the bust itself was relatively unremarkable. The only point of interest was the small piece of paper that had been attached to the necklace: "For a true lady..."

It apparently has unknown magical properties of some sort... but they never found out which...

Leto's blood boiled. So now she was his 'lady', was she?

"And what might you look so content about?" he snarled at her. Hawke's eyebrows rose.

"When did he give this to you?" he inquired pressingly. Inwardly he rolled his eyes at himself. Why does he never learn?

"What an idiotic question, he must have given it to you today, hasn't he..." Leto argued against himself frustratedly. He didn't know why this bothered him so much. Maybe because it just seemed to prove what Varania had been saying this whole time. Perhaps this confirmed his worst fears. Hawke was not to be trusted.

"So you're not going to hide it anymore, are you, Lady Hawke? You've been with Danarius this whole time, now, haven't you?"

Hawke glared at him dangerously. How dare he accuse her of being so wretched? Did everything she work for go to nothing?! It's a wonder she even puts up with him!

She shook her head vehemently at him.

"Then if you aren't here to manipulate me, why are you still here? There is NOTHING for you here!" exclaimed Leto loudly. The young mage flinched from his booming voice.

"You do not understand!" he said as he paced angrily towards her. His hands carried tremors as he tried to keep a straight face. Hawke gathered her knees to herself, looking away from him.

"You're being taken as a slave, Hawke! For absolutely little reason!"

"Where are you even from, Hawke? How did you get into this wretched place? How did you become a so-called 'apprentice' to Danarius?"

Hawke stared blankly at him, words dead on her lips.

"Most importantly, why don't you leave? I'm just another slave, amongst millions. Millions of whom are more worthy than I am to work for Magister Danarius. I don't even deserve to kiss the ground he walks on," he said, turning away from her, taking a break to think of more questions that she couldn't possibly answer. He didn't know whether he was just furious or if he enjoyed taking out his anger on her. Leto sighed. He watched as Hawke got up off the floor, wobbling slightly as her weakened limbs shook with ill-use and exhaustion. She walked over to him, gazing up at him gently.

"Leave, and make things better for yourself. You needn't feel pity for me – I have chosen my fate of my own accord," said Leto solemnly as he hung his head, shadowing the eyes that hid behind his jet-black hair.

"No..." she mouthed to him. This was the best she could do. Leto's eyes shone as he looked at her lips moving. What he wouldn't give just to hear her voice... to hear what she sounded like. To hear her tell him stories of where she was from. To hear her tell him how she felt... about everything...

"So… then why don't you leave, Hawke? Why do you insist on staying here, at my side?"

Silence. No surprise there. Leto scoffed, resuming his pacing around the cell in a huffing manner. He finally sat down on the ground in front of Hawke in a meditative manner, exhaling deeply. Why was he so angry? Why did this bother him so much? He racked his brain for an answer in frustration, but found none. Leto growled loudly in exasperation as Hawke watched him through half-lidded eyes. She was so tired. So tired of this. Tired of thinking and asking herself why. Even if she knew why, there's no way she could tell him.

Why was she here? What was it that kept her here? Besides the fact that she has absolutely no knowledge of how to get back home, what prevented her from simply leaving the mansion? It's easy enough, and she's done it before, didn't she?

'But not without him...'

Then, she understood.

Hawke gazed at him pensively, with an expression he couldn't fathom. Then, she made her way over to him, gliding across the cellar in her white dress before kneeling in front of him.

Watching him, watching her.

She knew why she was doing this.

He would do the same for her, if it was she who was enslaved and it was he who travelled back in time. He would. That is why she must do the same for him.

...She didn't want to look at him. And so, Hawke closed her eyes.

Gone were his furious and pleading eyes. Gone was his menacing figure. Gone were the feelings of speechlessness that she felt whenever she looked at him, at who he used to be. She needed to answer him, but how? How do you tell someone's former self that you are trying to save them from their past fate?

Leto watched her as she struggled with herself. He watched her close her eyes to him and stay still for a few moments, before she opened them once more, looking up at him with a look that he has never seen from her before. Her eyes were soft and warm, her face muscles relaxed as a small, sad smile played on her lips. She reached out, softly touching his shoulders. Leto panicked as he tried to shrink away from her touch. He let out a small gasp as Hawke relented, placing one hand gently against his chest while one held his upper arm. She leaned forward, her blue eyes coming closer and closer to him, like two pools of water he was jumping into.

'Please, stop running from me,' Hawke begged him, her eyes pleading with him. She wanted him. She wanted all of him. All of his angry, tortured, malnourished self. He was Fenris. He was her friend.

Hawke's eyes lowered as she looked up at Fenris. Her Fenris.

No. He was so much more than her friend. He meant so much more than the word 'friend' could possibly mean.

"Hawke… don't," warned Leto weakly, his voice trembling. Yet he didn't back away. Hawke's eyes flickered, words piled ton after ton on the tip of her tongue. Yet she couldn't say them. So many things she needed to tell him, so many things he had to know, so many things to ask him. What did he feel towards her? What was it that always bothered him? Who was this younger Fenris? Her face closed in on his, until their faces were mere inches centimeters apart.

Hawke's lips were parted as she surveyed Leto's. Rough and undiscovered, just as he was. She wanted to know who he was.

Besides, she really needed to shut him up for a second.

Slowly, she broke the distance between them, enveloping his lips into hers. Liquid excitement and fear rushed through Leto's veins as he stiffened momentarily, paralyzed by this poison. Hawke firmly held Leto's wrists as she sunk into the kiss, closing her eyes softly as the elf relaxed, not realizing that he'd been holding his breath. The mage lifted her hand to caress his cheek lovingly as Leto finally begins to respond. He nips at her lips shyly, and his inexperience is clear. Hawke didn't care. For a few moments, their conflict was cleared up. For a few goddamn moments they have peace.

"Hawke..." he murmured plaintively between kisses. Leto hesitantly placed his palm on the side of her waist as Hawke's hand brushed up alongside his neck to entangle itself in his raven locks. He would make these delightful little gasping noises in between each kiss. She wanted to hear more of it. Hawke brushed her lips against his, biting his bottom lip every once in a while.

He couldn't describe how she made him feel. He despised her. He absolutely despised her. But he was intrigued beyond words by her. Both for reasons he couldn't explain. Perhaps it was in the way she ground her body against his with that long-repressed desire that had pent up in both their bodies. Perhaps it was in the heat of her eyes. Perhaps it was just her. Lady Hawke. One of the most frustrating and wonderful women he has ever known.

That was when he drew her into his lap - a brave move, coming from him. Hawke didn't mind. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she intertwined her hands with his. Leto broke away from the kiss for exactly three seconds - one, to reach out behind her neck. Two, to unclasp that damn necklace. Three, to throw it away. Danarius' necklace clattered onto the stone floor, as forgotten as the anger they held towards each other only moments before.

There were two things that Hawke was beginning to have an addiction for. Lyrium, and Fenris.


"Danarius! Master Danarius, ser!" a familiar voice caused Danarius to perk up from his reading. He retracted from his sofa, hearing Horus' normally silky voice changed into one of anxiety and breathlessness. His dishevelled form appeared in his bedroom, with his black hair out of its ponytail and his robes wrinkly.

"Ser... I'm so sorry for intruding. I had to use the Eluvian to teleport to your home."

"What on earth is the matter, lad?" asked the elder magister, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"There's been another murder," Horus said, out of breath. Danarius raised a brow at this. He almost laughed.

"Don't have too many of those around here, now, do we lad?" he answered sarcastically. Horus shook his head, which made Danarius' eyebrows press together apprehensively.

"It's not... that, master Danarius. It's the murders, from before. The ones I told you about, just a week ago. Another Tevinter magister has been killed. I came to warn you, you have to get out of here before it's too late!"

Here Danarius frowned.

"The murder... this time, it was right outside your doorstep, Danarius."

Faintly, in the distance, the two magisters heard a knocking on the entrance of the mansion, and Hadriana's hurried footsteps as she made her way to open it.

Danarius turned around just as his apprentice was opening the entrance.

There was no time to react.

Hadriana screamed as she opened the door.


I apologize greatly for the long wait, but I am happy to say that my writer's block has ended, as has schooling. Therefore, you can expect a lot more updates from me in the coming months, especially for this story. 'Shackle Bound' is still nowhere near to being done (I am planning to write a total of twenty-three chapters for this story), but I'm extremely fond of writing it and of the feedback that you guys are giving me. Thank you for reading and I hope you review!