Hanni looked at the small calendar on the wall in Tivan's bedroom, realizing with surprise she had been his property for nearly five months. She touched the necklace he had given her about a month ago gingerly; she never wanted to take it off, though her master had warned her not to wear it outside his building. Since she never really left it wasn't a problem. She left to collect a clean outfit for the day, having already bathed that morning with Tivan, but when she entered her nearly-abandoned room, she found to her confusion that all of her clothes were gone, save one somewhat plain white dress. She put it on without complaint, singing happily to herself.

Taneleer dressed himself especially well today, making sure his snowy hair was combed carefully and that his makeup was perfect. Hanni always said she loved how the black eyeliner accentuated his dark eyes, then she would kiss him along the strip that ran from his lip to his chin, finally landing on his mouth and... He shook his head with a smile, attaching a pure white fur cloak about his shoulders and clasping it with onyx. He examined himself in the mirror, posing with a flourish and grinning. He brushed a stray hair from his black vest and suddenly tears welled in his eyes.

I'm not sure I can do this.

The dress may have been plain, but Hanni felt beautiful in it. It hung to the middle of her calves, while the sleeves hovered at the length of her elbows and the neckline was just low enough not to obscure the black necklace from her master. She ran her fingers over it with a soft breath, closing her eyes and sifting through the past few months of bliss she had had with Taneleer. Smiling, Hanni left her room to find him, waiting in the main hall. After a few minutes, she started to get bored and reached for a brush to start polishing one of the glass cages.

"That won't be necessary," her master said.

Hanni looked at him with a smile, running over and leaping into his arms. He held her against him, breathing deeply into her hair with a scowl. He didn't want to release her, but knew that he had to eventually. She kissed him and he nearly cried out.

"What's wrong?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair. He looked especially nice today, but his depressed expression made her worry.

"Nothing," he said, putting on a smile and kissing her again, his lips lingering on hers for longer than usual before they broke apart. She returned the smile with concern.

"Walk with me," he commanded, and he led her from his collection with a hand.

They walked through a few less-populated alleys and byways before finally arriving at his private hangar, the same one at which she had arrived when he had first brought her here. She glanced up curiously at the small ship and noticed a couple small pieces of luggage being loaded into the back of it by some workers.

"Master?" she asked, not wanting to be too familiar with him in public.

"You cannot call me that," he said glumly.

Hanni scowled and turned to him in confusion, but suddenly felt a sharp, hot sensation at the base of her neck as Tivan pulled something back from her with a forked metal instrument. She howled in pain, but he placed a wet, numbing cloth on the wound and tossed something on the ground, crushing it beneath his highly polished boot. He concentrated on her neck, pursing his lips, but pulled away after a moment and set the cloth and tool aside with a frown. Hanni ran her fingers up to graze the wound, which had stopped bleeding immediately after Tivan had tended to it. She looked up to her master in alarm, but before she could say anything, he grabbed her and held her against him, then pulled her back and kissed her deeply, but tenderly.

"What's going on?" she asked, suddenly frightened.

"I cannot keep you here," he said, tears suddenly springing into his eyes and his voice cracking slightly.

"No," she said, the situation finally dawning on her as she glanced at her shattered tracker on the ground. She shook her head and clutched him tightly. "Please don't!"

"If I do not do this now, I'll end up keeping you here forever," he nearly whispered.

"That's fine!" she shouted, noticing with alarm the hangar workers were approaching them quickly. "I don't want to leave!"

Tivan held her close, letting out a soft moan and sighing. Hanni could feel the wetness of his tears against her cheek and she began to cry in slight panic.

"I don't want to leave, Taneleer!" she cried again, clutching his clothing and giving him a deep kiss that he returned with equal fervor. She heard the footsteps of his workers stop about 20 feet behind them and began to cry in earnest.

"Please," she wept, "Don't make me..."

"Hanni," he said softly, placing his hands upon her cheeks and looking her in the eyes, "You need to live for yourself. You can't throw your life away just to be the possession of a crazy old man. I cannot keep you here as my slave anymore." He smirked and gave a small, harsh laugh. "There are only so many beautiful birds I can keep caged."

"I don't care if you lock me up and keep me here forever," she sobbed, her shoulders shaking.

"I know," he whispered into her ear, wrapping his arms about her once more.

Hanni realized with desperation and horror that it was likely she wouldn't have a choice about whether or not she would be leaving him. She reached up and unclasped the priceless necklace he had given her, pulling back and holding it out to him.

"It seems wrong to keep this," she said quietly.

He retrieved a small, satin bag from his vest, placing the jewelry within and cinching it, handing it back to Hanni. She tried to refuse, but he insisted and forced it back into her hands, compressing her against his body again and burrowing his face into her neck and thick black hair.

"Please keep it," he begged. "As a reminder. And should you ever need money."

"I'd never...!" she gasped, but he straightened and placed a finger to her lips.

"Keep it hidden. I've made sure you dressed plainly, too, to avoid unwanted attention."

"Please," she whispered.

"This is for the best," he said.

"I won't go," she wept, but he snapped his fingers at his guards and they began advancing. She panicked and tried to squirm around him.

"Hanni," he said, catching her firmly. "Hanni."

She looked him in the eyes. He embraced her one last time and kissed her passionately before she was yanked back by his guards. She began kicking and screaming, but Taneleer shouted something after her and she stopped, staring at him as they began loading her in the ship.

"I love you," he called.

"I love you too," she cried back.

Then the door to the ship shut and sealed, the engine started, drowning out the sound of the Hanni's fists pounding on the door, and within moments it had risen and left Tivan to stand alone in his hangar. He watched as the ship grew smaller and smaller in the sky and eventually disappeared between the stars. Taneleer walked slowly back to his collection, staring at it with satisfaction as he smoked a cherry cigarette and began remembering his and Hanni's time together fondly.

I'll collect memories as I do things, he thought with a sad smirk. My curse is to be a living graveyard of perished memories and people. Still, he chuckled, at least this time I got to live it.