*Was going to post a chapter with both POVs but it's taking too long so here you go. The next one will be up this week, so no long wait, if you happen to be waiting.

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Sleep should have come easy for Arthur that night; he had the woman he wanted, his bloodline secured, and secrets to the Institute laying right next to him. With a drunk and sated body, he should have passed right out.

But guilt was easing it's way into his afterthoughts, making him regret how he acted. He pretended to sleep but he heard her sobs, felt the way her body trembled. Arthur knew she was hurting in more ways than one because of how rash he had behaved. He was conflicted, letting personal fantasies cloud his vision.

Vivian was a traitor that deserved death but for his own selfish needs, she was going to live as the 'Elder's wife'. He kept telling himself it was already too good for her, that he was already too merciful. Let her be in pain and suffer for her betrayal. Her past accomplishments meant nothing if she did it to keep his enemies protected.

Arthur was already planning on how to keep her on lockdown and how to keep her behaving all while having to tell himself she deserved every damn cruelty he wanted to lay out.

But no matter what ran through his mind, Maxson couldn't relax until he felt Vivian stop shaking and crying. It messed with him to know he caused that kind of distress as much as he wanted to be the one to bring Hell to her life on Earth. It was an unsettling combination that left him chanting 'no mercy' to himself as he fell asleep.

Arthur woke up before dawn like he did every morning, only this time, he was on his side curled around a sleeping Vivian, a morning erection pressed tight against the curve of her ass. He found the sensation pleasant for a moment, her smaller frame fitting comfortably against his even with her arms bound.

She was finally fucking his.

It had been too long since he had gone to bed with, let alone woken up with, a woman next to him. And now he had the pleasure of knowing that the body beside him was for his indulgences alone. Maxson started running his hand along Vivian's exposed side, taking a sort of territorial pride with every bruise and bite mark he saw marring her creamy skin.

Just thinking about it made him hotter, made him want to feel her again.

She was still out, making it easy to pull Vivian tight against his muscled form and move his hand down the front of her pelvis. Maxson grazed his fingers across her clit and into her folds still finding her slick from his seed from that precious night. He teased with her more, pleased with the soft, involuntary sighs she made and the way she arched her body into his.

But Arthur was impatient, grabbing her hip and guiding himself back to her entrance, wasting only seconds before he push his full length inside.

Vivian cried out as she awoke to the feeling, disoriented and instinctively moving with the man behind her. She tried to move her arms, their restrictions only further fogging her mind.

But Maxson didn't wait for her to gather herself, fingers digging into her side as he started grinding and thrusting, her breathy moans only getting him more aroused. "Aren't you a good girl today, you fucking slut." He taunted in her ear, voice deep and full of contempt.

He could practically feel the way Vivian's body tensed, her sudden, panicked realization amusing a dark side of the Elder. Before she could try and struggle, Arthur bit down on the curve of her neck, savoring the broken cry of pain.

"Don't fight me, whore. You were loving this just a second ago." Maxson whispered cruelly, driving into her harder. He let go of her hip to rub her clit, a sob-like cry tearing free from his captive. He could feel the way her muscles clamped down around his dick and he knew that he was getting her to scream again.

Vivian was whimpering and moaning unintelligible words, pulling against the cuffs but otherwise submitting to the Elder's assault. What could she really do at this point to fight him? She was barely even coherent enough to bite back responses as he humiliated her verbally and physically.

Maxson could hear how she was panting, felt how she was writhing. "That's it, You better come for me, Vivian."

To her, his voice sounded like pure sin, enough to bring her to the edge of another surrender. "No," she moaned as her toes curled and she arched into the Elder's body

His fingers seemed to know exactly where they needed to be to keep her from exploding. "You know what to do, pet." He rasped, getting close himself, but the Elder found it tantalizing to tease her.

Vivian wanted to curse and scream at Maxson but her body had given in, riding his hand as he fucked her, her whimpers quiet as she breathed his name.

"Louder!" he barked, slamming his hips into hers.

"Arthur! God, please- just- ah!" she cried out, body flushing with euphoria as Maxson came with her.

"Oh, fuck," he groaned while burying his face into her white hair. He stilled for a moment, relishing the way Vivian felt around him. "Good girl," he purred, kissing and nipping at her throat.

Vivian simply laid there limp, silently tearing herself apart. She came even more shamelessly this time, she let him win yet again.

Maxson slowly pulled away from his captive with a sigh and a dark look in his eyes. He didn't seem to look at her as he moved over to the metal shelving across from his bed. He pulled out a fresh uniform and went across his room to the small, curtained off bathroom in the front corner. He took ten minutes at most to quickly rinse off and get his uniform on When he turned back around to get his coat, more shame hit him hard. She hadn't moved an inch since he got up, the way she was left lying reminded him of a broken doll.

Maxson locked his jaw as he pulled the jacket on, speaking as if nothing had happened. "You will be on lockdown. As far as anyone is concerned, you're injured from a mission. Residential access only and if I see you around power armor or weapons, I will retaliate." He paused to see if Vivian held any reaction but she still didn't move. "You disobey me or try to start anything, you'll be outed to the entire ship as the traitor you are and I promise you that you won't make it very far."

Nothing. It barely even looked like Vivian was breathing. He scowled and stepped over to his bed. Grasping her arm, Maxson unlocked the cuffs, noticing the way she flinched when he touched her. She didn't even move when he let her go, and the lack of life in her disturbed him.

He knew she was a proud warrior, that was part of why he had been taken by her. To see her like that, to know he cause it didn't bode well with the man he thought he was.

But he was past that. He had to be. No other choice.

Arthur turned without another word and left, suddenly needing to get away from Vivian. He let the door swing behind him with a slam, thankful he got up so early. It usually meant there was less people to deal with and he had enough of his mind without mundane chitchat.

Deciding he wasn't hungry, Maxson made himself coffee while everything that could go wrong with keeping the Paladin ran through his mind. Vivian was one hell of a soldier and he didn't want to lose that asset, along with not wanting her far from him now in general.

All it took was once and felt addicted to her, but damn it all, he couldn't get attached to a woman he knew hated him. She was a flight risk that could put a knife in his back or end up dead and he couldn't have anything other than what he had planned. Vivian just needed to stay put long enough for his heir to be born. That was all that mattered now.

Arthur finished his drink and left the mug behind, heading up to his command deck to await Captain Kells for the first wave of orders to be put out.

When the older man walked in a little later, their routine went on as usual with a few status reports of the ship and missions that were completed yesterday. If the Captain had heard him last night, he didn't show it but tried to make his morning meeting more abrupt. Before Kells turned to leave however, Maxson stopped him.

"I also need every guard aware of Paladin Vaduva's current status. She's being kept to the ship until her injuries fully heal and she's not what one would call compliant about it. She's restricted to the residential areas, absolutely no power armor or weapons. I don't need us losing one of our best solider here in the Commonwealth due to her misplaced pride."

"Of course, Elder. Similar to how we have Brandis under watch?"

Maxson nodded with a slow smirk. "Exactly. Only Paladin Vaduva seems more disorderly and mischievous about this than Paladin Brandis ever was, so make sure she isn't sneaking around. Understood?"

"Of course, Sir."

"I have given her access to my bathroom while she heals but still report to me if she comes and goes. Just in case."

"Very well, Sir. I'll make sure Vivian's watched well enough, she wont be sneaking off to kill herself any time soon."

As he watched Kells leave, Arthur felt smug. There was no way Vivian could escape the ship without either a vertibird or a power armor suit and she was never getting her hands on either one.

But if he knew his soldier, she wasn't going to just stop when she realized she was being watched. Vaduva was probably the most resourceful person he had ever met, aide from the Vault Dweller he met a child that saved Lyons' ass more than they should have. With an amused scoff, he briefly wondered if he was so drawn to Vivian because she reminded him the vaultie that he had first admired when he was a kid.

But now, the next move was hers to make and was eager to see what she was going to do. He just hoped she had enough sense to not force his hand any more than she already has.