Luastra made it back to the ballroom and immediately searched it. Astarion had promised to stay in the public eye to stay safe. She tried to smile and remain poised as she looked for him, but her heart pounded the longer it took. Surely, he hadn't left the room or gone outside.
With relief, she found Astarion with a wine glass in his hand standing next to a man near the wall. Luastra exhaled, not realizing that she had been holding her breath, and she walked up to the two men. As she got closer, she saw Astarion's rigid stance as he stood unblinking at the man who had an air of elegance about him. His black hair was combed back neatly as it cascaded down his golden jacket.
Luastra slowly approached, hoping to catch Astarion's eye before interrupting their conversation, even if it seemed a little one sided. The stranger more talked at Astarion rather than with him. However, Astarion's attention didn't waver, so she cleared her throat before standing next to him.
"Sorry for interrupting," Luastra informed with a sugary smile and a curtsey. The stranger stopped mid sentence before returning his own grin. "My name is Luastra, I'm Astarion's partner for the evening."
"Ah, yes, the illustrious Luastra," the stranger answered, lifting his hands to gesture towards her. "Astarion has told me so much about you, my dear. I am Lord Szarr, but you, madam, can call me Cazador. I am Astarion's godfather."
"It is a genuine pleasure, Cazador," Luastra replied as Cazador reached for her hand, kissing her knuckles. Her heart skipped a beat as a sense of impending danger enveloped her. She stilled her heart and evened her breathing as she kept her smile plastered on.
"I've heard that you and my godson have gotten rather close as of late. He was just telling me all about it," Cazador replied as Astarion stiffly nodded, taking a sip of his wine. Luastra clenched her jaw as she forced her pleasant demeanor. "It's not very often that a drow noble gets involved with someone on the surface. He's a very lucky man."
"And I'm a very lucky woman. He makes me very happy," Luastra chuckled, turning up the charm. Luastra tried to search her memory of any mention of Astarion's godfather, but she couldn't remember anything. He had mentioned that his father was pushing for a marriage alliance, but that was the last she had heard about his family.
"I'm glad to hear it. I wouldn't know what I would do if I heard that he was mistreating you," Cazador chuckled before he exhaled. "But I believe that I've taken up enough of your time. Please, enjoy your evening, and I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."
"Of course. Have a good night," Luastra replied before she curtsied. Cazador gave a slight bow at the hips before he disappeared into the crowd.
As soon as the lord was out of sight, Luastra felt Astarion wrap his arm around her waist and lead her out of the ballroom, practically throwing his cup at the nearest table. She gave a small noise of disapproval as she tried to keep up with the vampire. She glanced up at his face, and she frowned. Astarion's eyes were wide, and his face was paler than usual. If she didn't know better, she would have guessed that he was terrified.
He quickly retrieved their coats and recalled their carriage, letting them leave the Gortash estate in less than five minutes from leaving the ballroom. Astarion practically threw Luastra into the cab before he locked the door behind him. He breathed heavily as the carriage moved, taking them back towards their home. Luastra waited across from Astarion, smoothing her skirts, waiting for him to explain himself. When he didn't, she huffed.
"I-" she began.
"Not here," he pleaded, glancing at her. His focus was outside, making sure they weren't being followed. Luastra bit her lip in frustration, wondering what had happened with that Szarr person.
Eventually, they made it back to their home and Astarion spirited her away inside, hardly caring who saw them. Luastra tried to protest, but it fell on deaf ears. Once they were both inside, he went to every door and window to check every lock before checking every closet and crawlspace. Luastra stood in the entryway with her arms crossed, waiting for Astarion to finish his search before she demanded answers.
Once the house was clear, Astarion went into the living room and collapsed in the armchair. Luastra walked in and stood in front of him. He stared straightforward into her skirts, barely noticing that she had walked into the room.
"Astarion," she whispered, catching his attention. He jumped at her voice before relaxing. "What the hells is going on?"
"I'm just a little on edge, darling," he tried to reassure. Luastra shook her head, dropping to her knees in front of him. She grabbed his hands, forcing him to look at her.
"I've never seen you fucking scared, Star. We got out of there like an imp out of the hells, and I didn't even tell you about my meeting with Gortash. Who was that Cazador guy?" she pleaded. Astarion closed his eyes at the mention of Cazador as if the name pained him. "What the fuck happened? Do I need to go kill him?"
"Oh, darling, if only you could," he chuckled humorlessly as his eyes watered.
"Then talk to me. Tell me what's going on," she demanded, her patience growing thin.
Astarion stared at her, realizing that he needed to lay out his plans early. Cazador had pushed his hand, although maybe it was for the best. Luastra already asked if she needed to kill him, after all. He squeezed her hands before he nodded.
"Vampires have a hierarchy. There are true vampires and there are vampire spawn. I'm a vampire spawn, and Cazador is my sire. He acts as my godfather in public, like you saw tonight, but he's my vampiric master," Astarion began as Luastra listened intently. "When someone becomes a vampire spawn, they are a slave to their sire's whims. They are powerless to resist and have to do as they are told. Cazador controls me, body and soul."
"And you are afraid of him," she whispered as Astarion scoffed.
"Of course I'm afraid of him," he sneered before turning his head away. "You wouldn't believe the things I've had to endure from that man. The things I've had to do for that man. He's told me to inflict torture on myself more times than I can count."
"What did he tell you today?" she asked. Astarion stared at her, wondering what he wanted to tell her. Cazador asked for an update, and Astarion told him partial truths. Luastra was a part of the Bhaal cult, and she knew where the Necromancy of Thay was. Once they were married, then he would have the book. Cazador was thrilled to hear it, encouraging Astarion to have a short engagement with a grand wedding. An excellent reward for such a prize.
"He was just checking up on me, making sure that I was still under his thumb," Astarion sighed, shaking his head. "Which is why I was hoping to find the Necromancy of Thay. I thought we were going to have more time."
"More time?" Luastra asked.
"I thought the book was going to have a way to separate a spawn from their master, but that's going to take too long I think," he whispered, hanging his head. "I'm scared that Cazador is going to want you as a spawn as well."
"What? Why me?"
"In order to live away from his mansion, I have to give him updates on my life. I told him that I was courting you, which he encouraged. I think he's hoping to find more spawn," Astarion lied as Luastra swallowed. "I can't allow that to happen."
"What are we going to do then?"
"He won't do anything until after the wedding, but he's expecting a short engagement. So, we just need to plan accordingly."
"If we can figure out how to kill him, then we don't have to worry about him anymore," Luastra insisted, leaning against his legs. "He isn't invincible, we can find a way. I'm sure of it. We can find a way to get you out of this."
"Killing a true vampire is going to take a lot of planning. He can turn into mist, call wolves to his side, and can crush skulls in his fist. We can't go into this unprepared."
"I have the whole Bhaal cult at my back, I'm sure that we can borrow at least a few of them for this," Luastra reassured with a smile. Astarion nodded before he stilled.
"Do they often listen to Bhaalspawn?" he asked. Luastra also froze before meeting his eyes.
"Under the right circumstances," she admitted, realizing that she messed up. Astarion watched her as she took a deep breath. "Well, you trusted me with Cazador's reveal, I suppose I can go a step further."
"Meaning?"
"I'm more than just a Bhaalspawn," Luastra informed as a lump formed in her throat. She kept holding Astarion's hands, hoping that he would let her hold them while she got this off her chest. He had been patient with her so far. Maybe he would be patient with her last big reveal. "I'm Bhaal's Chosen. It's why Gortash is so interested in working with me on this project."
"Oh."
Astarion stared at Luastra as the final pieces fell into place. The last curtain lifted, and everything made sense. Why Gortash was so interested in Luastra's partnership. Why her urge was so unique and intense. Why she was so worried about his reactions. She was her Father's Chosen, meaning that she was the head of the Bhaal Cult. And she was kneeling in front of him, comforting him about Cazador and practically begging for his acceptance and approval.
"Do you really think you can get the cult to kill Cazador?" he whispered as Luastra laughed under her breath.
"I just told you that I'm the Lord of Murder's Chosen, and you want to question their loyalty?" she asked, clearly amused. Astarion chuckled with her, realizing how absurd that sounded. "They would follow me willingly into the jaws of death. Always."
"That would give us an edge," Astarion admitted with a nod. Luastra sighed.
"Are you really okay with me being Bhaal's Chosen?"
"Nothing's changed. You're still Luastra, the woman who has decided that a vampire spawn makes for a good soon-to-be fiancé. You're just as insane as I am, darling."
"We really are two peas in a pod, aren't we?" she teased. "I guess you really are stuck with me now. That was the last of my big and bad secrets."
"Oh, what will I do now? How will you surprise me?"
"I'm sure I'll find a way, but I promise you, we'll find a way to take out Cazador. That evil man deserves death."
"Are you going to wrap him up with a nice little bow like all your other kills?"
"Maybe. Maybe I'll get some new inspiration from that museum that you're supposed to take me to. I might find new unholy ways to kill," she shrugged. Astarion pulled her hands, dragging her onto his lap.
"I'm excited to see where your creativity takes you," he smiled. She chuckled as she blushed, unused to this position.
"Do you still want that tome?" she wondered, stalling a little. Astarion hummed, wrapping his arms around her waist, bringing her closer.
"Keep it around for now. Who knows what other things we can unlock?" he smiled as she shook her head.
"No one's been able to get past the first few pages. It's unreadable, but you're welcome to read as much as you want."
"What makes it unreadable?"
"It's said to be protected by spirits," Luastra warned teasingly, wiggling her fingers in his face. They both laughed as she leaned into him. "They are very protective of the book, though. Whatever is in it is probably super dangerous, so it must be super valuable."
"Sounds like some research is needed," he hummed, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"That's your favorite pastime."
"Hardly. It's a necessary part in my line of work. There are much more interesting hobbies I'd rather by doing."
"Such as? I don't see you do anything other than read."
"Reading is a normal hobby," Astarion insisted with a smile.
"It's your only hobby. You come home from work, then you read until I have dinner, then we chat, and then we retire for the evening. Rinse and repeat each day," Luastra reminded, miming with her hands.
"Am I getting too repetitive for you, darling?"
"Not at all. I like the routine. I'm just saying that research is definitely in your wheelhouse."
"Alright, it sounds like I need to switch it up. Maybe I'll take up tailoring again."
"Again?"
"How do you think I met Lysa?" Astarion smiled up at her. "She does make lovely dresses, I must say. You looked gorgeous tonight."
"Oh, well, thanks. It was fun to get dressed up a little in something I got to choose for myself," Luastra replied, admiring her dress. "Too bad it had to be Gortash's party."
"How did that meeting go, by the way?"
Luastra paused, recollecting the events of that meeting. She frowned, remembering that it was a bigger deal than she was hoping for, and she wasn't entirely sure how much she should tell him. Ideally, she would tell him everything, but it could also endanger Astarion's life if he knew too much. She sighed.
"Well, it's not just Gortash's plan now," Luastra began, piquing his interest. "He's working for Bane, the God of Tyranny, and he brought in Myrkul's Chosen in as well. His name is Ketheric, and he's some old general. Nearly killed him when I walked in the door. We're going after a crown in Mephistar, and it's important to the Dead Three."
"I'm going to be honest, darling. This sounds a little above my pay grade," Astarion chuckled uneasily. He had heard tales of the Dead Three working together, and it never went well. Generally, there were heroes that stopped it and saved the day, but there was always collateral damage. Not to mention that Luastra was on the evil side of those fairy tales now, and that didn't sit well with him either.
"I will tell you what I can when you want. I know it's a lot to take in," Luastra admitted, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm not thrilled to be caught in the middle of this either."
"Please forgive me if this is blasphemous or heresy, but couldn't you relinquish your title as Chosen? Is that an option?" Astarion wondered. Luastra shook her head slowly as she slumped.
"The next Bhaalspawn in line to be Chosen has no self-control when it comes to killing. If she were to ascend to Chosen, there will be much more blood in the streets."
"Does she have the urge?"
"She doesn't need it," Luastra answered gravely as she stared at the wall. Astarion frowned, wishing there was something he could do to help. "Which makes her dangerous, especially if she were to become Chosen. I can find the balance where she would gladly bathe the world in blood. I have to play along otherwise who know how many people will die?"
"Alright, so we have kill Cazador and work with the Dead Three on the agenda. As well as figuring out a wedding in the middle of all of that," Astarion exhaled as she smiled.
"You did say you would take care of the wedding planning," Luastra reminded.
"That I did. I say we bill Cazador for the wedding and then slice his throat when we show up for the payment," he suggested, nuzzling his nose into her neck. She squirmed and laughed.
"Music to my ears. A free wedding sounds fantastic to me," she answered between giggles.
"Good, and how do you feel about inviting Gortash and Ketheric? I would love to show them how one throws a real party and to rub it in the lord's nose a little bit," Astarion added as Luastra grimaced.
"If you want, I guess. I'd rather they not be there, but if it brings you joy," she answered.
"Honestly, having them both far away from us would make me the happiest so you wouldn't have to do this Dead Three plan of yours," he groaned before leaning back to look up at her. "But seeing as I don't have much say in that, I'll make sure they aren't on the guest list."
"Maybe the crown won't be there, and then Gortash will have to come up with a new plan. That might prolong the whole deal," she offered with a shrug.
"Then let's hope that that devil isn't a hoarder," he sighed. Luastra agreed before she yawned. "It has been a long day."
"It has been. Maybe it's time for bed," she groaned, slumping forward slightly.
"If I could make one more request," Astarion muttered, catching her attention. "Since Cazador has access to this house, it would put me more at ease if you were closer tonight."
"Closer?"
"If you would indulge me, I would have you sleep in my room with me," he asked before he held his hands up. "Do not feel pressured to say yes, I understand this is coming a little out of nowhere, and I don't expect any-"
"I don't mind," Luastra smiled, cutting him off. "I won't interrupt your trancing, though, right? I generally sleep instead, since the urge takes a toll and after everything today, it just makes it easier for me."
"I promise, you won't disturb me," he answered, grabbing her hand to squeeze it reassuringly. "And it would give me some peace of mind while I'm trancing to know that you're beside me instead of across the hall."
"Alright, then I'll change and then knock on your door," Luastra informed. Before she got off his lap, she kissed his cheek and headed upstairs. Astarion grinned up at her, watching her leave, glad that his plan, though improvised, had worked.
