The main hall was buzzing as the guests took their seats at the banquet tables, slaves already on hand to fill their goblets and ensure their plates were never empty. Danarius himself sat upon a raised dais at the head of the hall, clad in his finest robes. He was looking forward to the night's entertainments very much, licking his lips at the thought of the main attraction, his beautiful elf - his life's work - being paraded in front of the noble families of Tevinter. He was quite sure they would all be eaten up with envy. Watching Fenris defile the pretty kitchen maid would just be an added bonus. He hummed softly to himself, smiling at the images being conjured in his mind.

The performers during the meal were all rather tame, he thought; acrobats, tumblers, dancers. His guests politely applauded, but he was bored, wanting only to see his slaves rutting like animals. He beckoned his handmaiden.

"Gardia, please fetch Fenris and the dark-haired young girl from the kitchens, there's a good girl." The maid nodded and departed to carry out the order.

Fenris appeared in the hall first, instantly dropping to one knee at the foot of the dais, his head bowed in supplication.

"Good, good. Stand, now," Danarius said smugly, looking around the hall to check he had everyone's attention. He rose from his seat and made his way over to Fenris, moving behind him and weaving his arms around the elf's waist.

"This, people, is what I've been keeping to myself these last months. I promise you have never seen his like before, and may never do so again. He is a true warrior, yet subservient and compliant. He is the perfect slave."

As Danarius spoke, his fingers unbuckled armour, dropping pieces to the floor.

"See how strong are his arms, how muscled his chest! The lines you see are pure lyrium, giving him the ability to physically phase into the Fade at will. He could rip your heart out, Madam," he pointed at a plump older mage who shrieked and fanned her face, "without even breaking a sweat. An exquisite specimen, do you agree?"

Many of the guests were nodding, clearly impressed. Danarius grinned as Fenris' breeches and smallclothes slid down his legs, pooling on the floor. The elf stood unclothed but unbowed, only a slight flush to his ears betraying his discomfort.

"Oui, il est magnifique," a woman called out, lustfully. Several other people chuckled.

"Ah, Mme. Lemoire. Perhaps you will get a chance to try him out later? First, though, we have a little display of his muscle for you all to enjoy." Danarius clapped his hands. "The girl!"

Gardia moved forward, dragging Bethany behind her in a tight grip. Danarius smirked at the terror on the girl's face, the deathly pallor of her skin, the tremors in her legs.

"Lovely, no? I cannot believe I allowed one so ripe as this to languish in my kitchens. Still, we will soon put this right." Danarius pulled out a tiny dagger from his wrist and used it to slit the ties holding Bethany's tunic together. The rough garment was all that had covered her, and she shivered as the fabric fell away and she stood naked before many pairs of hungry eyes.

"You will start with the elf as promised, but I believe I would like some personal service later," the magister leered, squeezing her bared breast. Bethany felt acid burn in her throat and swallowed hard to keep from being sick. She knew now there was no going back. She would rather die than suffer the monstrosity of Danarius invading her body.

"What a beauty. A fine pair, and all for your pleasure. Now, Fenris, my little wolf. Make it good. Make her scream." Danarius indicated the tall pallet laid out on the floor, slightly elevated and placed so that everyone would be able to see them.

Fenris took Bethany by the hand, squeezing lightly to reassure her. He led her over to the pallet and lifted her gently up on to the raised surface. She lay back, blushing with the shame of so many people seeing her completely exposed. Her legs were spread as Fenris lowered his head between her thighs, and she felt the cold air of the hall against the glistening heat of her sex. She tensed and bucked her hips as she felt his tongue slide along the length of her slit.

Remember last night, this is just like that, just the two of us... she repeated her thoughts like a mantra as she tried to lose herself in the feel of Fenris' mouth. She was vaguely aware of Danarius' voice providing a commentary on their actions, but couldn't make out the words. Tune him out... concentrate on your lover... Just you and him.

And Maker, she had to admit it felt good, what Fenris was doing to her. Her body was responding despite the horror of being watched. His fingers had joined his mouth, and he was touching what felt like every part of her simultaneously. She wriggled her hips and allowed a small moan to leave her throat as she felt his thumb press against her clitoris and his forefinger slipping inside her, exploring her wetness. She was becoming aroused, his touch beginning to set her nerve endings afire.

"Enough!" she heard the voice, was brought back into the moment as she realised Danarius was pulling Fenris away from her. "Girl, your turn. Pleasure him."

She looked up into Fenris' green eyes and took a deep breath as she slid down from the pallet and fell to her knees in front of him. Fenris shivered, his body ramrod-straight and his cock limp in front of her. She could see from his eyes that this was perhaps even more difficult and shameful for him than it was for her.

Bethany bit her lip and gulped back another breath of air as she moved her mouth towards him. This was new, and her mind was flailing in panic, wondering what she ought to do. Relying on instinct, she leaned forward and ran her tongue along the length of his soft cock, warm to the touch. She felt him tense and sigh.

Steeling herself, Bethany took him in her mouth, feeling the first stirrings of arousal in him. His cock began to swell, hardening as she ran her tongue along his length and pulled him between her lips. She closed her eyes, imagining they were alone, tasting the salty warmth of his skin and listening to the faint breathy sounds he was making. She felt his fingers in her hair, shaky yet strong. The lyrium lines carved into his shaft - how that must have hurt, she thought - were fizzing in her mouth and making her teeth ache with the power she was drawing from him. She dug her fingernails into her palms, tamping down her magic. Not yet. He must not suspect.

Fenris gazed down at the woman on her knees before him. He felt a sudden rush of emotion, something strange and unknown. His legs felt as wobbly as a newborn warhorse and his cock twitched madly as Bethany suckled him with her soft lips, her moist tongue. He let out an involuntary groan, his head tipped back... and then she was gone, his cock left cold and aching for release.

Snapping open his eyes, he saw Bethany struggling in the arms of the magister, who was pawing her gleefully as he lifted her back on to the pallet. Anger surged through him and he had to bow his head and take several deep breaths. Now was not the time for subordination. Bethany needed her full power.

"Look at what she does to him!" Danarius crowed, pulling Bethany's hand towards his own groin. Bethany attempted to suppress a shudder as the palm of her hand grazed over an unmistakeable bulge underneath the magister's robes. "Who can blame him? I bet we're all thinking the same thing, am I right?"

Danarius pushed Bethany roughly back on to the pallet, standing between her thighs and bending over her to whisper in her ear.

"Make this good, my pet, and we will have the whole room lining up just for you before the day is done."

The magister stepped back, his hands on Bethany's shaking thighs. He forced her legs apart and grinned as he slipped one finger within her folds, his eyes sweeping the room to make sure everyone was watching him. Bethany tensed and gasped.

"Come, my little wolf. This flower is ripe for the plucking," Danarius said, moving away from the pallet. Bethany let out a heavy breath, tendrils of relief pushing through the horror and fear. She saw Fenris' face loom over her, his expression carefully impassive although his eyes were burning into hers.

She willed her body to relax, her knees loosening and her leg muscles softening as she parted her thighs to allow Fenris to touch her. His clever fingers danced over her core, sliding along the length of her slit, dipping into her and circling her clitoris. She felt the lyrium in his hands against her skin, began to feel the prickle of energy building within her.

"Fenris," she whispered, almost involuntarily. Her back bowed as he pushed two fingers into her, curling them against her walls as he moved over her, bearing his weight on his other arm.

Her thighs gripped the elf's hips and she felt his cock brush against her skin. She remembered the way it had felt inside her the night before, the way he had felt as he'd moved within her. Oh, but how she wanted that feeling again, even here, even with so many eyes upon her. She knew she cared for nothing in the world so much as this man, wanted nothing but him, would risk everything for him.

Bethany raised her hips to meet his body, her arms pulling him close. She felt him tense as the tip of his shaft slid into her. He was gazing down at her with a pained expression, his mouth moving soundlessly. She knitted her brows, confused.

Shuddering, he plunged hard and deep into her with one sudden thrust, drawing a loud gasp from her lips as he collapsed across her chest. His mouth was hot against her ear as he hissed the words he was so desperate to say.

"I love you."

Bethany thought everything made sense at that moment, lying naked and filled by her lover on a hard wooden platform under the gaze of what felt like a thousand people. Love. Yes, that's what it was, and it was love that would give her the strength to be free from this nightmare, one way or the other. Now that she had it, she would not lose it without a fight.

"Love you," she mouthed to him as he raised himself up on his strong arms and began to move inside her. His olive eyes had a sheen of moisture which caught the light and shone, and she knew she had tears in her own eyes. They both knew this would either be a beginning or the end, and that nothing would ever be the same.

She could hear the buzz of voices, the dying of the applause which had spontaneously broken out as Fenris had sunk into her, and she tuned them out, focusing only on the man between her legs. She knew Danarius was standing near her feet, had seen him craning his scrawny neck to get the best view of their bodies joining, but blanked him from her mind. Nothing mattered but Fenris. Nothing existed for her except Fenris, his warm body against her skin, and the sensation of his cock sliding slowly in and out of her.

With a gasp she clenched her muscles and watched his reaction to the feeling. She was soft and tight and hot and wet, and his eyes rolled back in pleasure as her walls rippled around him. She felt the air around them begin to hum with energy.

He clearly felt it too and began to snap his hips into hers with a desperate urgency, her body rising to meet him, the rhythm hard and fast and unrestrained. Her hair sparkled with static as she lost herself within him, surges of electricity fizzing across her skin and her eyes gleaming with passion and ferocity.

Fenris knew he was nearing his peak and so was she; the moment was upon them. He moved his arm between their frantic bodies, pressing lightly against her nub as he angled his thrusts to push as deep as he could. He felt her tense, felt the power of her orgasm tear through her as she pulsed and shuddered around him, drawing him over the edge into his own roaring climax.

Everything went white. His release had been so forceful that for a moment he thought he had lost his senses, but the whiteness continued. He realised suddenly that he was on the floor, cold and naked and surrounded with a strange silver aura which made his skin itch and throb. He blinked slowly and raised his head.

The brightness of the room, he realised with a jolt, was because all the lamps in the room were burning with a supernatural intensity, blinding and confusing those guests who had not been near enough to the door for immediate escape.

And there she stood before them, proud and straight, her naked body glowing an icy blue with the energy which was pulsing in waves over her skin. She was surrounded by a bubble of magic, oily rainbows sliding in circular motions around the protective sphere. Her long black hair was streaming around her head, crackling and sparking. She was bathed in the radiance of extraordinary power, and she was utterly, terrifyingly beautiful.

As he watched her, a cloud of grey began to appear around her, weaving over her curves and forming into a whirling tornado. The phenomenon grew and darkened until she was completely submerged within it, a perfect storm within the bubble that encased her. She was singing a tune he had never heard before, in a language he did not know, and then she threw her arms into the air violently.

The tornado broke free of the bubble and began to spin wildly around the room, moving from one person to the next, enveloping them one by one despite frantic and panicked attempts to escape. Each time the whirlwind passed over someone it would become less grey and more blue, until it glowed with an unearthly azure light.

Some of the mages and magisters present had thrown spells at Bethany while this was happening – each one had bounced harmlessly from the bubble shield that she had conjured. Nothing they tried could even interrupt her spellcasting, let alone hurt her. Even Danarius was cursing as his famed fire magic extinguished on contact with the bubble. Fenris was open-mouthed in awe, never having thought Bethany could possess so much strength.

As the spells began to die away, Fenris realised that the tornado was sucking the mana from the people it touched, drawing all their magical ability away from them and leaving them helpless. And, he realised, he could hear Danarius screaming now as the cyclone spiralled around him, draining him dry. Fenris grinned.

The tornado eventually returned to Bethany, snaking around her body and sinking slowly into her skin. The vitality contained in the mana of every mage in the room now flooded through Bethany, increasing the intensity of her magic. The air was sizzling and cracking, and everything about her was bathed in a cold fire, her eyes as fluid as mercury.

Fenris shielded his eyes and ducked underneath the pallet as the light grew even brighter and the room grew hot with the surge of electricity. He felt sweat breaking out across his skin, and heard the popping of the lamps as they began to overheat and explode. People were screaming as molten glass showered the room, searing through clothes and skin alike.

He peered out, overwhelmed and afraid, and watched breathlessly as Bethany raised her arms and created a bright bolt of lightning which shot around the room, drawing more screams and a terrible smell of burning hair and flesh.

The only thing lighting the room now was Bethany, the only sound the hum of her magic and the occasional broken and agonised sob. Her hands were by her sides, and her eyes clearer as she turned to look at him.

"I saved him for you, Fenris," she said, smiling shyly and holding out a hand.

He scrambled to his feet, still speechless at the display of dominance that Bethany had asserted, the incredible power that she had exhibited. He wondered if he could ever truly feel the same about her after this, his shy, naïve young lover suddenly taking the form of the strongest magister he had ever seen. But it was still her, still his Bethany, in the way she bit her lip as she watched him walk over to her and the way her hand shook as he took it.

"You'll need to be quick," she said, "it's waning fast now, and I can't hold him for long."

Fenris turned to look at his master, captured in a crushing prison spell and writhing in pain before him. He had dreamed of this moment for so long.

"You will never hurt me again," he said, firing the words like spears of ice as he looked Danarius in the eye. He felt the lyrium in his skin spark and gleam, and the anger and hurt of the years spent in slavery swell and catch in his throat.

He nodded at Bethany. "Now." The magic dispersed and the magister fell to the floor, gasping and coughing.

He did not have time to catch his breath before Fenris seized him by the throat and lifted him into the air, legs kicking helplessly beneath his robes.

"You are no longer my master," Fenris spat, the blue of his lyrium bathing them both in an eerie glow in the darkness of the ruined banquet room. There was an audible crack as Fenris' hand passed through the magister's neck, severing his spinal cord and killing him instantly, the man's body dropping to the floor like a rag doll.

Fenris stood silent for long moments, staring down at the remains of the one he hated above all else, now just a pile of cloth and flesh. He was startled out of his reverie by a hand laid light on his arm and a soft voice in his ear.

"We need to get out of here, Fenris."

Fenris spun to face her, the mage who had freed them both, the woman he loved. He pressed a swift fierce kiss to her lips before hurrying over to the centre of the hall where his clothes had lain discarded. Bethany would have to find a dress from… he shuddered, knowing that they would have to find a corpse wearing clothes that would fit her.

Dressing quickly – he in his armour, she in a shimmering russet dress that was all she could find undamaged and roughly the right size – they left the hall through the nearest double doors, running for the gardens before any alarm could be raised.

"Where shall we go?" Fenris said, out of breath from running and from the exhilaration and terror of the evening's events.

"My family are from Ferelden. It's not a great suggestion, but it's all I can think of. We head south – if we can find them, my brothers will keep us safe." Bethany allowed herself to think of her family for the first time in months, allowed herself to hope that maybe – just maybe – she might see them again.

"I just hope they aren't the protective type who will make me sleep in the barn," Fenris said, smiling. "Come on – south it is."

Clasping hands, they kept running.

A/N: I hope this didn't seem *too* rushed, I am so busy these days I can barely find time to write and I wanted to get this one finished for a poster on the kink meme. I may revisit it one day and add more detail :)