"I won't go."

"What do you mean, you won't go? You're being summoned to Waterdeep to marry Gale Dekarios! He's one of the best wizards in Faerun!"

"I said I won't go," the pretty half-elf sitting across from the portly man narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, "I already told you I'm not marrying anyone I don't know."

The man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger in exasperation, "Tav, you're the second youngest daughter and your sister…"

"Half-sister," She corrected, crossing one leg over the other as her face flitted between annoyance and anger. Tav had been reminded she was a mistake her entire life, why should she bother to deny it?

"I've tried to be as kind as I could be these past 21 years…" Camden rubbed a sheepish hand over his thinning hair, "And you can't say you've been the easiest child to deal with…"

Tav scoffed, standing up from the luxurious chair she had been sitting in. "I'm not a child anymore," She quipped, turning on her heel to march out of the room.

"Tavelyn, where are you going?!"

"Away from you!" She shouted over her shoulder, grabbing her quarterstaff that had been propped up against the door as she walked out of her father's office, slamming the door behind her. She marched down the hallway, lanterns swinging above her head as her footsteps turned into stomping. She could hear her nursemaid now, trailing her and threatening to box her pointy ears in until they were boxy. 'At least I may get treated with respect if my ears get beaten down to be round.' She would often think to herself as she had gazed into a mirror, touching the pointed tips of her ears, bright blue-green eyes gazing back at her. She held too much elf in her, her father had said. Tav was almost positive that it meant that she looked too much like her mother; his mistake.

Tav stopped for a moment, listening to see if anyone was coming before slipping into the library. Tomes of ancient lore lay stacked in haphazard piles, a small group of opened books sitting on a well-worn oak desk. Before she had been summoned to her father's office, she had been devouring the contents of a spellbook. She sat down and with a snap of her fingers, the lantern next to her blazed to life.

Tav tried to focus on her again, but found herself too angry to continue. She slammed her hands against the books, frustration frothing from her lips, "Fuck. Fucking hells. I hate him." She threw her head back and cupped her face in her hands, slowly dragging them down her cheeks, "Why me? Why couldn't I have been born into a wood elf clan?"

Her mother had died in childbirth. Her father's wife had named her. After that, Tav hardly saw the lady of the house unless it was for her to scream at Tavelyn when she broke a priceless family heirloom. "It's not even your family! It's mine!" She used to yell, "You were a mistake! Your whore mother…"

It was these times when Camden would come bursting through the door, trying to control the situation. It often ended with a fire exploding from Tav's fingertips and half the room being lit on fire. It was after she had burned down the west wing of the house that Camden's wife kept her distance. Not even her own siblings would acknowledge her. That was fine for Tav. She had always found comfort in reading and practicing her magic, something that her so-called family had no connection with. Tav liked to believe that her mother was a noble from an elven society who had been captured and sold into indentured servitude; that she kept her magic suppressed in order to not be culled. Tav liked that a whole lot better than the truth.

The door burst open, making Tav jump. She whirled around to see a tall young man leaning against the door frame, smirking at her, "I just heard that you actually got a marriage proposal." Her elder half-brother, Elias's voice oozed with satisfaction, "Finally, you'll be out of here. I'll never have to look at you again."

"What are you wearing, Elias?" Tav said, trying to keep her composure. She didn't even look at him, instead shifting her eyes towards the books, which ones she wanted to keep from burning up.

"What do you mean?"

Finally, Tav glanced at him, the fire of rage building up in her belly, "Because by the time you reach for your crossbow, you'll already be a pile of ash on the floor, depending on the type of clothing you're wearing, of course."

His eyes widened, "Y-You don't mean it."

Tav gave him a wicked smile, "I dunno, it's been one hells of a day. I was going to go do some target practice in the courtyard, but it seems like the dummy came to me instead." She snapped her fingers, this time a bright blue dagger of ice appearing in her hand, "Try me."

Elias practically flew from the room, probably on his way to tell Camden about his long-standing conspiracy theory that Tav was actually a tiefling in disguise. This had one of the tamer interactions she had had with Elias. Normally, he was threatening to pin her ears to walls with his sword. It was nice to not be afraid to turn the tables now that the lady of the house left Tav alone. It didn't matter how many of her children came running, she wouldn't lay a hand on the half-elf unless she actually injured one of her children. So far, Tav's threats had been just that: threats and nothing more. However, with the proposal of marriage on the horizon, she was rethinking those thoughts over in her head. Make them suffer as she had suffered. That train of thinking made her head swim with endless possibilities.

She left the library, keeping to the servant's pathways to stay out of the fingers of her half siblings who had already heard that she was to be married off…again.

It wasn't the first time she had been sent off. When she had turned 18, she went to live with a lord's own bastard son so they could go and have their bastard children. Tav had singed his arm off the moment that he had tried to take her without her consent. Her husband returned her to Baldur's Gate quickly after, annulling the marriage. That was the only man she had ever romantically known and even then, it was fleeting. He had only ever kissed her and that was once. A tight peck on the lips when their marriage ceremony had finished. Tav's impression of marriage was short, fleeting, and full of resentment. Men were brutal, savage, and cruel, trying to take whatever they wanted and giving nothing back. Tav had sworn on her journey back to Baldur's Gate that she would never be under the thumb of one again.

She could hear people talking outside the window in the hallway she stood in. It was one of her father's mercenaries discussing an upcoming transfer of goods and the payment that Corman was willing to give to a soul brave enough to accompany her. Tav felt insulted by the amount he was offering. Only beggars and thieves would take 200 gold for her safe arrival to Waterdeep. Even then, they'd probably murder her halfway between Baldur's Gate and Water Deep, take the money, and run. At least once she was dead, she would never have to worry about a man trying to claim her as his own.

Shaking her head, she continued down the hallway, thinking about her palsy price tag. Maybe she could make a run for it, go to Water Deep and find a mentor…

Someone grabbed onto the back of her shirt and she whirled around to see Corman glaring daggers at her, "You know I hate it when you leave like that."

She swatted his hand away, "You know, I hate it when you try to sell me off like a pig." She readjusted her tunic and returned the glower, "Why in the name of Tamora is this such a big deal to you?!"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Because you're powerful," He finally admitted, "And the wizard took notice. He sent a letter asking for your hand directly. Think about it, Tav. Your children could be some of the most powerful mages to walk through Faerun!"

"And have more little bastards running around to end up in the same fate as me? No, thank you." She laughed dryly and sighed, "He really asked for me?"

Her father pulled a letter out of her pocket and unfolded it, "Here. This is what he sent me. You can have it, if you wish. I did send him a letter back asking if he knew what he was getting himself into, but he was persistent. Already sent 25,000 gold pieces as your dowry."

"25,000 gold pieces?! Yet I'm worth a measly 200 gold for my safe arrival!" She snapped, narrowing her eyes. Her father let out a sheepish chuckle.

"I was…hoping you wouldn't find out." He sighed, "I will give you 5,000 gold of your own as your marriage gift ONLY if you stay married to him."

"It sounds like he's worth far more than 5,000 gold pieces, Father."

"Fine. 5,000 for the first year, 10 in the second. Each year after that, I will add on another 5,000 gold to the previous year until my death. Then you renounce all titles and ties to my family and go whichever way you please."

Tav thought about it for a moment. If she could stomach being married to this man for three years, she would have a small fortune. Easy enough to run away into the night when one had 50,000 gold pieces stashed away somewhere. She knew her father just wanted her to go away, but now, there was a tangible promise. Tav could save as much as she could and stow away in the dead of night.

"And 3,000 for whomever escorts me," Tav said. "I don't want my companion to slit my throat as soon as we step foot outside Baldur's Gate."

"A promised 3,000 upon the safe arrival of my daughter. I'll write up a writ of intent and send my men to the taverns. See if we can't find an escort worth their weight in salt. Someone who's daring and brave and…"

With one hand, the hooded figure easily vaulted over a box of goods, leaving his pursuers in the dust. He knew there were more after him, but he didn't have the luxury to look around to see where the next one would dash from. Baldur's Gate was just big enough where he could get lost in, but not so big that others would lose him. In the nighttime hours, he was chased by his master's thralls while in the daytime, his human minions tracked him. The figure was so tired of running. He wanted a moment to breathe and a moment to drink. He was so, so thirsty.

"There he is! Get him!" A voice called down an alley and the figure began to run again, nearly tripping over his cloak as he leapt over another tower of crates and kept running. His path finally took him to a large tavern that was nearly overflowing with people so he stepped inside. The air was thick with the smell of woodsmoke and ale, the overlapping conversations bouncing off the high-vaulted ceilings lined with hewn tree logs.

He glanced over his shoulder to see if they had followed him in here, but to his tentative surprise, he saw no one. He sidled up closer to the fireplace and once he knew that he wasn't standing directly in the sunlight, he removed the mask he wore over his nose and mouth, taking a breath. "Fucking hell." He muttered to himself as he glanced up, noticing a group of men discussing a package delivery.

"3,000 gold pieces for Waterdeep?! Camden's insane! The roads all up and down the Sword Coast right now are crawling with all sorts of horrible monsters and bandits…I would need 10,000 up front at least."

The figure's attention had been captured. He slid his mask back on his face and turned to where the men had been talking. "Excuse me," His voice, while muffled, was still commanding, "I couldn't help eavesdropping, but I heard that you need a package delivered to Waterdeep?"

The man, a tall and burly human, crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed, "Not the kind of package you're thinking of."

"Well, when you say a package you have to deliver up to Waterdeep and I hear 3,000 gold pieces, I'm assuming it's either a very small package or a very insignificant one."

The man chuckled, "You were right about one thing. Go up to Howard Manor. Camden will give you more details."

With a nod, he turned on his heel and glanced around the tavern, making sure his assailants weren't hot on his heels. Taking a deep breath, he stepped over the threshold, the heat of the sun eating away at the black cloak he wore. As he walked, throwing glances behind his shoulder, he watched as the houses transformed from hovels to nice, double story homes that slowly became larger and more opulent. Finally, a large sign hanging in the front of one house made him stop. The Howard Manor, standing next to its neighbors, was a large building with an obvious courtyard at the back of the home. It stood at nearly three stories, the grand roof sloping slightly downwards. The hill the house sat on looked down into the harbor, the ships dotting the water like children's toys bobbing in a bathtub.

"What a view," The stranger said to himself as he knocked on the door. A tall woman with an expression of distaste written all over her face appeared on the other side, glaring at the stranger.

"What do you want?" She snapped. He held up his hands in defense.

"I heard that there was a package needing delivery up to Waterdeep?" He asked as the woman's expression morphed into that of wicked glee.

"Oh, you're here for THAT package. Come in, come in." The woman stepped aside, allowing the stranger to enter the home. He stepped inside the darkened house and was ushered down a hallway until he was standing in front of a door. It opened for him and he saw a portly man standing before him, watching him carefully.

"Father, this man is here to deliver your package." The woman said with an air of smugness in her voice. She flitted back down the hallway towards the foyer where they had come from, leaving the stranger in the company of the large man. The man nodded and turned, waving a hand for the stranger to follow him. He did as much, sitting down in the chair across from the man now sitting behind a desk. He interlaced his fingers and sighed.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat this," He said grimly, "My daughter has been summoned to Waterdeep to wed a wizard that resides there. She needs safe passage."

"Seems like a light coin purse to be dragging a helpless princess all the way to Waterdeep." The stranger said, arching an eyebrow. The man shook his head.

"She's not helpless. Not by a long shot. If anything, she'll try and shake you the moment that you leave Baldur's Gate, if not before."

"Seems like you should be paying more if she's a flight risk," The stranger responded, "Six thousand and you'll never see my face again."

Camden scowled. "4500 and I will not go a copper over!"

The stranger weighed the proposal in his mind. 4500 would be more than enough to start over away from this hellish city. He nodded.

"I'll take your princess to Waterdeep. Do we have transport?"

"I'll give you horses. They're not the swiftest beasts, but they'll get you there."

The stranger nodded, "Leaving sooner rather than later would be ideal."

A grin crossed the man's face and he reached over, clapping the stranger on the shoulder, "A man after my own heart! Can you leave this evening? I need to let her know that she'll be leaving." His grin turned into a wince, "She won't be happy about this."

"This evening then. I'll stay close, if you don't mind." The stranger stood, "Aren't you going to ask about me? You're sending your child with a stranger on one of the most dangerous roads in Faerun. Seems foolish."

The man sighed, "I love Tavelyn, I really do. She's always been a thorn in my side, though. I've tried to keep her hidden, but she has a knack of making herself known. She needs to go make herself known…somewhere that isn't Baldur's Gate. I'm up for a seat on the Council and…"

The stranger held up a hand, "She must be quite the hideous creature if you've tried to keep her locked up."

A cloud of resentment passed over his face, "No. On the contrary, she's beautiful. Too much like her mother for my taste. I don't want to look at my shame in the face anymore."

The stranger furrowed his brow, but remained silent. The man took a deep breath and when he looked back up at the stranger, he could see tears in the older man's eyes. "Take good care of her and she'll take care of you." With that, he handed the man a piece of paper with something written on it, "Give this to the wizard Gale. He'll give you the money upon her safe arrival."

Wordlessly, the stranger took it, "I'll be waiting for her departure." He said, turning on his heel and walking from the office. In the hallway, he could see out into the open courtyard, a tall figure hurling fireballs at a flame-retardant dummy. He could hear her swearing angrily as she threw fireballs, cursing her family, Baldur's Gate, and Faerun as a whole.

"Stupid marriage. Stupid father. Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She snapped, finally using the butt end of her quarterstaff to take the mannequin's head off. The stranger was impressed. He watched her for a moment longer before she finally turned to him. Their eyes met from across the courtyard and instantly, the stranger knew why her father wanted her gone. Pointed ears adorned a pretty sun kissed face, freckles spanning across one cheek to the other. Her thick brown hair had been tied back in three intricate braids and her bright blue-green eyes glared back at him, "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing at all," The stranger replied, "Just admiring your form."

The elf scoffed and shouldered her staff, "I would guess that you're the man who was hired to take me to my prison?"

"That depends. Are you Tavelyn?"

The young woman's nose wrinkled in disgust, "Call me Tav." She replied, sticking out her hand, "I guess if we are to be traveling together, we should get to know one another."

The stranger took her hand in his own, feeling the callouses on her skin even through the thick gloves he was wearing, "Astarion."

She arched an eyebrow, "Astarion as in named after the council member from 200 years ago?"

Astarion tried to hide his surprise, "Er, yes. You could say that."

Tav nodded as if this had given her all the answers she would need, "Very well," She replied, turning back to her practicing. Every ice knife she threw hit her target with accuracy that Astarion had only seen in archers. She was, to put it gently, more than able to take care of herself. He was surprised her father even asked for someone to escort her.

'Probably because she would run away,' Astarion thought to himself, smirking behind his mask. "Have you always been a sorcerer?"

The elf threw him a glare over her shoulder, "Nah. I just picked up a staff one day and started making acid arrows." She said sarcastically, "I've only been doing this for half an hour."

"Then you're doing a good job if you picked up a staff 30 minutes ago." Astarion said with the same sarcasm in his voice. The elf looked taken aback, as if she hadn't been expecting him to meet her on her own level. She seemed to soften for a moment, but then as soon as it had crossed her body, she was ice cold again as she attached her staff to a sling on her back. Tav sighed and looked at Astarion.

"I don't want to do this," She admitted sheepishly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "I don't want to get married to some stupid wizard in Waterdeep."

"Yes, I heard." Astarion replied, glancing at the crossbows neatly lined up on a bench next to Tav. "Your father…"

"I hate calling him that," Tav said, an edge of resentment in her voice, "He's a horrible man."

"He seems to care about you enough to send an escort with you," Said Astarion, picking up a crossbow before admiring it, "May I?"

Tav silently shrugged and the man put three crossbow bolts into the heart of a dummy sitting almost 18 meters away, the bolts shattering as their brethren joined their first in a cacophony of splintering wood and metal. He glanced back to see Tav who looked surprised, "Wow, that's impressive."

"I know, princess. You don't have to tell me."

"I'm not a princess," She responded as they began to walk back to the house.

"I know," He responded, falling into stride with her, "It seems like a fitting pet name for someone who is traveling with an armed escort."

She shot him another look, "I hate it."

"I don't care." Astarion said, not skipping a beat as she stepped over the threshold of the manor.

"I'm starting to dislike you more and more, too." She grumbled.

"Again, I don't care. I'm supposed to get you to so I can get my money. You're nothing but a delivery to me." He turned on his heel and walked away, not bothering to turn around to see if his words had stung Tav deep.