"Am I as horrifying as you imagined?" He asked as Tav took a sharp breath. The pictures in the old books didn't do him justice. He had a strong jawline with warm laughter lines that lined the corners of his lips. His brows were knit in apprehension as he watched her carefully. He was one of the most handsome people that she had ever seen.

Tav cleared her throat, trying to think of something witty to say, "Truth be told, I've seen far worse."

He chuckled and resheathed his daggers, "Well, I guess we can call this a truce?" Astarion extended his hand and with a small nod, Tav took it. Her hand was so warm in his. He could feel the blood moving beneath the surface of her skin, pulsing with the beat of her heart. Astarion didn't realize just how hungry he was. "On that note, since you've discovered my little…ah, affliction, I must depart for an hour or so."

"Wait!" Tav's hand tightened around his. He turned to see a flash of concern cross her face, "Are you alright to travel in the daytime with you being, um, a vampire and all?"

"Yes, Princess. I can assure you that I will be fine. I appreciate the worry though, you're sweet."

Astarion swore he saw a rush of blood ascend to Tav's cheeks, "Alright. Well, before you so rudely tackled me," she pointed towards the rocky outcropping, "There's a cave over there. It's small, you can almost miss it, but if you push past the scrub brush, you should be able to see it. I have a cache of supplies down there, so whenever you're done with…" Tav gestured vaguely to her neck, "That, you can find me down there."

She let go of his hand and turned on her heel, strolling back to the rocks. Astarion took one last glance over his shoulder just in time to see Tav glance over hers. Her eyes widened and she quickly rushed back towards her horse. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pleasure from making her squirm.

Tav slithered her way into the cave. She lit the end of her staff to illuminate the cave, using magical light to make sure that all her supplies were still there. Inside, the space was large enough for several people to sit inside comfortably.

Sitting down, her mind swam with nothing but Astarion. She thought about the way his brow furrowed when he took off his mask and the way he had stared her down so intently, his hands gripping her wrists tightly…

A sharp heat made Tav's nether regions ache longingly. The thought of his fangs sliding down her throat as he gripped her thighs made her slam her legs together.

'He's being nice to you,' she thought to herself, 'He sees you as a means to an end.'

'But holy hells, is he handsome,' another voice piped up in the back of her head.

Because Tav's childhood was a lonely one, she had often found herself wandering the halls of her father's libraries, where apparently someone in their family had an affinity for romance novels. There were many afternoons spent in her bedroom with her nose in a book and a hand down her pants. While she enjoyed a good, thick tome, Tav had her guilty pleasures.

"This is like one of those damned novels," she found herself saying out loud, "Fuck. What am I going to do?"

'This isn't some stupid romance novel, this is real life!' The logical voice in her head said again, 'You're not going off on some stupid whirlwind adventure, you're going to be getting married!'

"Yeah, but why can't it be a romance novel?" She said wistfully to thin air, "What's the harm? Who's going to stop me?"

'You don't even know him, Tav!'

"Well, it's not like he knows me."

'He's a vampire!'

"A really beautiful vampire," Tav was terrible at arguing with herself. Sighing, she leaned back and closed her eyes, "I can't trust him, that much is certain. But if I can hold him at an arm's distance…"

'You're stupid, Tav. Once you get your head around something, you'll never let it go.'

"We'll only be together for 45 days! After this, I'll probably never see him again. Besides," she took a deep breath and felt a flutter in her stomach, "I'm sure that Gale would rather have an experienced wife."

'Well, not only are you stupid, you're disgusting.'

Damn that little logical voice in her head. Damn it to Avernus and back. Shaking her head, she glanced towards the cave's entrance, half expecting to hear the squeals of some unfortunate forest animal that had fallen prey to the vampire. However, the night wind only held the sound of crickets. Tav leaned her back up against the cool stone wall of the cave and dug around one of the crates that she had left. She gnawed on a piece of jerky as she thought about her predicament, chewing methodically, her mind reeling.

Finally, as she finished swallowing, she decided then and there if Astarion tried to advance on her, she would accept with open arms. Tav wanted to observe him from a distance first. She wanted to see what made him tick.

Tav kept an eye out on the cave entrance until she felt someone shaking her. Groaning softly, she looked up to see Astarion shaking her awake, "Good morning, sleepy head." He said with a wry smile, "It's another beautiful morning for traveling."

Tav tried to blink the grogginess from her eyes, "Did I fall asleep?"

"Yes. You make a terrible guard," he replied matter-of-factly, "Remind me never to ask you to stand watch."

Tav rubbed her face and looked around the cave. Her eyes found the sunlight streaming in through the cave's mouth, "Wait, how long were you gone?"

"I came in right before the sun came up," he said cheerfully, "Now come on, we haven't got all day."

"Okay, I'm up," Tav stood, wincing as her bones protested, "There was a perfectly good bedroll ten feet away. You should have woken me up so I could have slept in it."

"Darling, if you wanted me to share a bedroll with you, all you had to do was ask."

Tav could feel the blush all the way to the tips of her ears. She shoved some supplies into her bag and felt Astarion's gaze on her back, "My, my. We DO get flustered easily, don't we? Pretty thing like you, I'm surprised you don't have men throwing themselves at your feet." He glanced over at Tav who seemed to have frozen, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, fine. Completely fine." She said tightly, turning back to shoving supplies into her bag, "Nothing wrong, I promise."

She stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Come on, we should probably…"

Tav felt a hand wrap around her waist, a cool breath on her neck, "We could stay here for a bit." The words were whispered, deep and breathy in his throat, "Fuck like the monsters we are on that nice little bedroll of yours for a fortnight?"

She couldn't breathe. She could barely focus on anything but the sound of his voice, the honeyed promises dragged out of the pages of her favorite romance novels. Then, as soon as his hand was there, it was gone.

"Or we could just keep moving," Astarion's voice held a coy tone in it as he stepped away from her, "Like I said, we don't have all day." He pulled his mask up again, drawing the hood of his cloak low over his face. Stepping forward, he ascended the rocky lip and vanished from sight.

Tav suppressed a frustrated noise rising in her chest. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her hair back into a bun and followed him. She winced, trying to adjust sudden sunlight. She could see Astarion leading his own horse towards her own and with one last glance at her cave, Tav mounted her horse and the two began the trek to Waterdeep.

"So, are you going to tell me about these people chasing you?" Tav called to Astarion as they found the main road once more.

"The less you know about them, the better." He responded as they fell into step beside one another, "Tell me about yourself."

Tav took a deep breath, "What would you like to know?"

"I didn't think half-elves were looked down upon in Baldur's Gate. Why does your family treat you with such disdain? I saw the way your father looked at you."

A look of disgust crossed Tav's face, "Because I'm a mistake, that's why. My mother was a servant in the Howard house. Camden took a liking to her and they started an affair. When my mother fell pregnant, he begged her to send me away, but then she died. He didn't know what to do with me. Then my abilities began to appear and I became a pariah in my own home, an outcast where I was supposed to feel safe. Father only saw me as a pawn in his own game." She turned her attention to her companion, "Did he mention I was married once?"

Astarion's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "No, I think he forgot to mention that little detail."

"It was to form a trade alliance with another lord," she said bitterly, "He had me married off to the lord's bastard son. He tried to assault me and I burned his arm off."

"Goodness, you're just full of surprises, aren't you? I'll do my best to keep my hands off you from here on out…unless you beg for it, of course."

He smirked when he heard the sharp intake of breath from his words, "Did you and your husband ever…consummate your marriage?"

"I never had that chance to, no. I wasn't much taken with my husband after he was left with only one arm." A wicked little glint came to her eye as she said this.

"Have you had any lovers in your short life?"

"I don't see how that's any concern of yours!" Tav squeaked. It was all the confirmation that Astarion needed.

"And a virgin at that! Does your new husband know that you've never…"

Tav licked her lips, suddenly very aware of how dry they were, "I don't think that this will come up in conversation whatsoever during our first few interactions!"

Astarion guided his horse so that their legs ever so slightly brushed, "You'd be surprised."

Tav steered her own horse away and he laughed, "No wonder you get so nervous! How old are you?"

"How old are you?!"

"Two hundred years, give or take a couple of months."

She scoffed. "I'll be 22 next spring."

"22 and you've never taken someone to your bed! There was never a servant that caught your eye? No whirlwind romance?"

"All the romance I ever needed I had in books!" She finally spat out, "I read romance novels!"

He bit back a giggle, "You read romance books? You mean those monthly smut magazines the writing guild in Baldur's Gate put out every month?"

"I never had an eye for the real thing, okay? Call it naivety, call it ignorance or what will you, but the idea of love was always so much cleaner in books."

"Is that why you took such a fancy to me?" His tone was mocking her, "Do I remind you of some powerful antihero in one of your smut books?"

"I do not fancy you!"

"You really do think I was born yesterday! Goodness me, darling, I've seen paler tomatoes than you when I touched you!"

Tav took a deep breath, her heart racing in her chest. Was she that obvious?! Closing her eyes, she tried to slow her breathing, focusing on anything except their conversation.

"Can we talk about something else? Please?"

"Absolutely we can. How much do you know about this new husband of yours?"

Tav groaned in annoyance, "Something else?"

Something else never came. An arrow became lodged into a tree above Tav's head and the horse she was riding began to panic. Tav clenched her thighs around her saddle, trying to get him under control.

"What in the hells?!" She cried as four men stepped out from behind a tree. They were humans, dried blood flaked across their faces mixed in with layers of dirt. These men had been out here for a while. Two carried shortswords while the others held crossbows and all held expressions akin to the cat who ate the canary. Astarion knew what they meant to do the moment he saw them.

"Well, well, well." One of the men drawled, shifting his crossbow from one hand to the other, "What do we have here?"

"Travelers," Tav replied icily, "Just looking to make our way to Waterdeep. Now, if you could move aside…"

One of the men scoffed, "Such a bitter mouth on such a pretty young woman. Come here, girl."

Astarion watched as Tav raised her hand, a fireball forming in her fingers, "I don't think I will, thank you. Now, like I said; move aside or I'll move you aside."

"I don't like your tone of voice, girly." One of the men, quick as a snake, had his hand around Tav's booted foot and dragged from her horse's back. Tav found herself looking up at the sky, partially hidden by trees as the man tried to drag her away from Astarion. He didn't get far as she reached up and a blast of ice-cold frost escaped her grip, sending the man backwards. Instantly, his entire right arm was encased in ice.

"Kill them!" Another man shouted as Tav scrambled to her feet. Astarion was instantly beside her, his daggers out and ready for a battle. One of the men came at her with a short sword and with a cry, she had her fingers around his face, ice circling up his skin. Tav watched as the man's fight turned into fear as he struggled to get away. She could feel the cold penetrating his skull, frost encircling his brain as he tried in vain to fight against her. Keeping her eyes directly glued to the man's, she could see the moment when his life faded into a snowstorm.

When she dropped his body, the man landed with a heavy thud. Tav didn't have any time to reflect on what she had just done. She glanced over to see Astarion fighting two at the same time…but something was wrong. In the fight, she could see him flitting between sunbeams, the rays of light touching the exposed part of his skin. He didn't turn to ash like Tav thought he would, he just kept on fighting. He was like a demon, weaving and dodging under the other's sword. However, as the two marksmen began to retreat, giving themselves more cover to shoot, did Tav react.

She yanked her staff from its sheath, feeling the power rippling through her body as the enchanted yew wood attuned to her very being. Raising it to the sky, she yelled out an incantation, clouds forming above them, blotting out the sun. Instantly, five bolts of blue lightning erupted from the sky, hitting all three of the men. But it was too late.

A sharp pain blossomed from Tav's side and she glanced down to see an arrow protruding from the side of her abdomen. While she thought they had been targeting her companion, they had actually been aiming their bows at her. Fortunately, the second one hadn't had the chance to let an arrow fly. All three fell to the ground in piles of ash as silence descended on them once more.

Astarion turned just in time to watch as Tav fell to the ground, her breathing shallow, with an arrow sticking out of her. "Are you alright?" He asked as he knelt down next to her, trying to assess what to do?"

"Yeah, I think so," Tav mumbled, wincing as she tried to pull her legs up underneath her. She cried out when she tried to move as Astarion tried to move her, "We can't stay out here like this."

"No, I agree," Astarion concluded, "Well, we didn't make it too far, did we?"

"I guess we didn't," Tav tried to laugh, but it was cut short as pain wracked her body, "I think I can get up, but I don't think I can make it back to Baldur's Gate. Let's get somewhere safe and I think I can fix myself up. Can you help me stand?"

Wordlessly, Astarion slid his arm around her upper waist and easily helped her stand. The pain seemed to be dulling now, her body beginning to react to the trauma. "Let's get off the trail and then you can tell me what you need." Astarion helped her along until they were about 200 yards off the trail, underneath a small rocky outcropping that acted like a natural shelter. Others had camped here before, judging by the remains of campfires that dotted the ground. The horses that had been startled by the fight seemed to be making their way back to them.

"Go to my horse. In the bag, you'll find a healing potion." She pointed towards her jet black mount and Astarion went to get it. When he had retrieved it, he returned, handing it to Tav, "Thanks."

"What are you going to do about that?" Astarion asked, pointing to the bolt, "It's not like you can just leave it in there."

She chuckled bitterly, "I need you to break it. Slide the shaft out and then I can take the potion."

Astarion flicked his eyes back to her wound. While the arrow embedded in her body staved off most of the blood flow, the moment that she removed it, the heady scent would overwhelm him. He wasn't sure if he could withstand it. "I…I don't know if I can." He admitted. "I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself. It's been almost 20 years since I fed on a human."

Tav took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "If the health potion does what it's supposed to do, it should heal all my wounds, including my loss of blood. If you can't control yourself, at least wait until I know I won't die when you feed on me." She opened her eyes again, "That's me giving you permission to drink my blood if you really have to. Preferably, holding off until you sink your teeth into a small animal would be ideal, but I need to do this if you want your money."

Taking a deep breath, Astarion nodded. He would do the best he could, but there was no promise that he wouldn't turn into a feral animal. He looked at Tav who seemed to understand what no words would ever do justice.

He wrapped one hand around the back of the arrow to steady it, making Tav cry out in pain. With a quick movement, the shaft of the arrow became free of the head. Astarion flung it away and then turned back to the task. The wound had already began to bleed again, making his head spin. He gripped the back of the arrow and pulled it from her body.

The noise Tav made couldn't even be considered human. The scream echoed through the treetops, silencing flora and fauna alike. Astarion dropped the arrow and watched as the blood poured from the wound on the side of her body. He could feel himself practically salivating. As if by sheer force, his hand was wrapped around her throat and he was pinning her down. Her scent was dangerous; thick, hot blood mixed with the smell of magic and lavender. He couldn't get enough.

"ASTARION!" A sharp voice cut through the heady perfume. He snapped back for a moment to see Tav underneath him, her face pale and her expression pleading, "Please!"

For a split second, he snapped to his senses, releasing her throat and crawling back to allow Tav to drink the potion. She winced as it filled her with a slow heat, muscles knitting back together as tendons formed and vessels reconnected. Finally, after a moment, Tav glanced back at Astarion. The same bloodlust still flickered in his eyes, but it was softer now. She watched as his chest heaved and his gaze darted everywhere but her.

"Astarion…I…"

"Don't look at me!" He snapped, turning away from her, "I'm a monster who can barely control himself. You'd be dead right now if you hadn't stopped me."

He felt pressure against his forearm and realized that Tav was reaching out to him, pressing her hand against his armor, "It's okay. You didn't hurt me."

"I could have, easily." He said coldly, trying to remove her arm, "You wouldn't have deserved that."

He glanced back at Tav. He expected her to have a look of disgust on her face, recoiling from him in horror. To Astarion's surprise, her face was kind and sympathetic. His heart softened a little. "You didn't though. Thank you." She squeezed his arm and let it go.

Astarion stood abruptly, his heart still beating rapidly, "I really should go though. I have to hunt and…"

Tav closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "If you drink my blood, will I turn into a vampire?"

"No, not unless you take some of my blood."

She opened her eyes and looked back at the vampire, "Then let's try and avoid that if we can."

Astarion made a face, "Are you saying that you'll allow me to…"

Tav pursed her lips and finally nodded, "Yes. You can drink some of my blood if you want. You saved me, let me return the favor."

"You're putting so much faith in me, Tav. Has anyone ever even been that close to you?"

It was the first time he had said her name, the single syllable sending ripples of desire through her body. She shook her head, "No, but I'll let you be the first." She stood on shaky legs and nearly went back to the ground, catching herself in the nick of time. She turned her back to him and with a deep breath, hooked the bottom of her tunic shirt in her hands. In one swift movement, she removed it, letting it drop to the ground. Glancing back at Astarion, she watched as he stood up, his eyes never leaving her body. "Come on, I'm not the one doing the biting. Hurry it up already."

Astarion took a moment to admire her. Gods, she was beautiful. Her youth still clung to her supple skin, her curve of her spine disappearing into her high waisted pants. Slowly, he moved towards Tav, reaching out to touch her. She gasped softly, goosebumps appearing where his fingers flitted across her flesh. "You can change your mind." He whispered in her ear as he reached the dip of her neck.

"I don't want to," She murmured as he gently pushed her head away from her shoulder. He pressed himself into her body, so warm against his own. She fit in the crook of him perfectly. Her scent overwhelmed Astarion as he lowered his mouth to her neck and pierced her skin. Instantly, a wave of euphoria crashed over him, the magic in her blood whispering to him like a symphony. He gripped Tav now, his fingers digging into her as he clung to her.

Tav felt like she might explode. The ice-cold pain of his teeth had been replaced by delicious numbness as his tongue lolled over her throat. The ache she felt in her lower belly early couldn't hold a candle to the pure lust that made her bones practically vibrate. The intimacy of the act made Tav's heart race, making her blood move faster. Astarion let out a breathy moan in her ear and she almost dropped like a stone. However, the same lightheaded feeling began to overwhelm her again, making her realize that he had taken too much blood.

"Ah…Astarion?" Her voice was too weak, too quiet to pierce his bloodlust now. The corners of her vision began to look fuzzy, "S-stop…please…"

There was no stopping him, his fingers gripping her body so tightly that he would inevitably leave bruises. With a sigh, Tav closed her eyes and allowed a warm feeling to wash over her. She found her legs getting heavy and her brain becoming sleepy. "A-Ahhh…"

She collapsed in his arms, her breathing shallow. The vampire pulled back only for a moment to realize what he had done, "Ah, shit." He muttered. Tav was still alive, but her neck was awash in crimson reaching up to her chin, "Hello? Are you still there?"

Tav's eyes fluttered open and she looked at him with weak distaste, "I said you could drink from me, not kill me."

"Sorry, I got carried away," Astarion helped her sit against the rock wall as she shivered, "You need to eat something. I'll start a fire."

He took off his cloak and wrapped it around Tav's shoulders, "When you were fighting before, I saw you stand in the sunlight."

"No, you must have been mistaken. I never…"

She flicked her eyes up to meet his, "I saw you, Astarion. I know enough of the old stories to get me by. You shouldn't be able to walk in the daylight, even with all the layers you're wearing." She shook her head, "Is this the reason that there are people chasing you?"

He took a sharp breath and turned his attention towards the gathering storm clouds in the distance, "Yes, that's the reason they're chasing me. My master, Cazador…well, you see, he was performing a ritual to become the Vampire Ascendant. Each of his spawn were given a gift that he would eventually inherit once he sacrificed us, both body and soul. He gave me the gift to walk in the sun without fear. After I received it, I escaped his clutches and that's when I met you."

"You were made to be sacrificed?" Tav questioned as he busied himself with the fire, "You're better off without him."

"Yes, I agree." Astarion concurred as he snapped his fingers, a flame flickering in the palm of his hand. He placed it against the large bundle of sticks that had been left behind by the last occupant of the shelter, "That's why I'm here and not being offered up to some insane ritual."

Tav fell silent for a moment, "I think I understand that feeling."

He scoffed, "How could you? You grew up in a family of wealth and privilege! You could have whatever you wanted with the snap of your fingers while I was left with the scraps of my master!"

"Because I know how it feels to be designed for something else!" Tav snapped back, "All my life, everyone wanted me gone and out of their hair. I was to be passed around from one cage to another without any glimmer of freedom. Even now, I don't have that! I'm being escorted to Waterdeep by a vampire being paid MONEY to take me there! At least you had the ability to run!"

"So did you!" He was raising his voice now, passion running through him, "You could have escaped at any time! You had your wings, nobody ever clipped them like they did me!"

"You don't know that!" Tav yelled back, trying to stand. She gasped as the lightheadedness overtook her again. Instantly, Astarion was at her side, helping her sit once more, "You…"

"Shut up," Astarion put one hand over her mouth, "You're weak. If you try and stand up, you'll just pass out again."

Glaring at him as he took his hand away, she scoffed, "And who's fault is that?"

"You're impossible, Princess. You know that, right?"

The fire crackled warmly as the rain began to fall, "I've only been told that my entire life."

"Give it an hour or so. I'll go get you something from your pack." He stood up and brought her some dried berries and more jerky as she ate in silence. The later afternoon brought more rain and as Tav dozed, she swore she could hear a man's sharp voice piercing her mind, demanding that Astarion return to him.