Chapter Text
Akta closed the door of their room at the Elfsong tavern and climbed onto the bed where Astarion was sitting. ‘I'm meeting Dal tomorrow at sundown. Do you want to come?’ she asked.
Astarion closed the book he was reading and looked at her. ‘I know we talked about it, but it feels strange now that it's actually happening,’ he said.
‘Yes, I understand. But we've got to keep moving. Shadowheart is heading to meet the Sharrans with the druids and Karlach, while Wyll, Gale, and Laezel are checking out the fortress to learn more about Gortash. I think we should get moving too. I've already contacted Dal, and she should be there tomorrow,’ Akta explained.
Astarion hesitated, looking uncertain.
‘If you're not sure about coming, you don't have to. I won't even mention you to her if you'd rather stay lost for a while longer, Love,’ Akta said, brushing a curl away from his forehead.
‘No, it’s not that. I…..we are going to eventually come across some of my siblings one of these days. So meeting Dal is fine. But…..I just cannot shake this feeling of guilt. I've enjoyed my freedom, but I cannot ignore that Cazador probably took out his anger on the others. Seeing Dal tomorrow is going to be tough, knowing what she probably went through because of me,’ Astarion confessed.
‘But it's not like you ran away, Astarion. You were taken against your will. You didn't have a choice. She will understand,’ Akta reassured him.
‘Will she? It’s true I was abducted. But I didn't exactly rush back either, did I?’ Astarion replied, his expression troubled.
Akta tried to read his face for a moment. ‘You really don't have to come if you're not ready Astarion. I can handle talking to her on my own tomorrow and then maybe we can meet her together another day,’ she suggested.
‘No, I... I think I might want to see how it goes,’ Astarion decided.
‘How about this? I'll meet her first, chat with her. You can stay nearby, invisible or something. I'll bring up you and gauge her reactions, and then you can show yourself. That way, we can see how she reacts at the mention of you and go from there,’ Akta proposed.
‘Sounds like a plan,’ Astarion agreed, turning around and resting his head in Akta's lap as she ran her fingers through his hair.
Akta picked up the book Astarion had been reading, glancing at the spine which read ‘The Wonders of the Fey World.’
‘How is the book?’ she asked with a smile.
‘Informative. I might become quite the expert on the feywild once I finish this one,’ Astarion replied, returning her smile.
‘Hmm. Maybe we should plan a trip there after all this is over,’ she suggested, her eyes shining with excitement.
‘Maybe,’ he said as he started twirling her curls around his fingers.
‘Darling, I've been thinking about something,’ Astarion said.
‘Hmm?’ Akta responded, putting the book down and turning her attention fully to him.
‘The other day, you mentioned you're not fond of me biting others. Does that include when I use my fangs in fights?’ he asked, wanting to clarify.
‘Ummm... well, no. I mean, yeah, I'd rather you didn't... bite anyone, at all. But, um, fights are okay. I guess... Or, whatever you want, really. It's not my place to say, you know? Nobody has the right to tell you what to do, not even me. I just... I don't like it when you... um, touch others. But that’s silly, right? I mean, I don't know why I said that. I'm just... I just wouldn't, but, you could if you wanted to, I guess...’ She rambled nervously, her words stumbling over each other in a jumbled mess.
Before she could continue, Astarion placed a hand behind her neck, pulling her down for a sudden, clumsy kiss, catching her by surprise. Akta gasped at the unexpected gesture, but then smiled softly, leaning into the kiss and melting into his mouth a little.
‘I just asked a simple question, Akta. You have every right to tell me what you're comfortable with. It's okay if you don't want me to bite anyone. I can handle myself without it,’ Astarion reassured her.
‘No, it's alright in fights. We have to use every advantage we've got,’ she smiled, slightly embarrassed.
‘Good,’ Astarion nodded, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
‘I also need to stop by Gral's tower. There's a treasure trove of valuable items just lying around there. His books, scrolls, and all those magical trinkets he hoards, they're practically calling my name. And after everything I've been through, I feel like I've earned them,’ Akta said.
‘Are there guards at the tower?’ Astarion inquired, his brow furrowing.
‘Just some magical wards to bypass, nothing I can't handle.’
Astarion nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. ‘And what's the plan for meeting Dal?’ he asked, his fingers idly playing with her curls.
‘We'll meet with her at Sharess Caress. Elminster's got a private room there we can borrow. Gale assured me it's heavily protected with arcane wards, so we'll be safe,’ she replied, a reassuring smile curving her lips.
‘So tower first thing in the morning, then Dal after sundown?’ Astarion confirmed.
‘Exactly. Sounds like a plan,’ she said.
Akta sat back, looking around the room. Like always, Astarion had already unpacked everything, putting it all neatly in its place. It was the first time they'd stayed in a proper room with all the urban comforts. The place was nice, with good wooden furniture and even a private bath. It felt fancy compared to their usual sleeping-on-the-ground setup. Her only contribution was draping a huge cloth over the mirror that sat atop the dresser.
Though Astarion's obsession with tidiness could sometimes be irritating, Akta couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if they had a real house, just the two of them. It made her smile.
Astarion sighed as he watched her smile, feeling a small one tug at his lips.
He rubbed his thumb over her smiling lips and raised an eyebrow in question. She nodded.
‘It's silly, really, nothing important,’ she replied.
‘I like silly and unimportant. So, what's on your mind, Love?’ he asked, rubbing his thumb on her cheek.
‘I was just thinking about how you'd fuss over everything when we finally have a real house,’ she said, still smiling.
‘Darling, I assure you, when we finally have our own place, I'm going to make it magical. Picture soft, flickering candles, the scent of incense wafting delicately. Every corner adorned with fresh flowers. Smooth satin upholstery and colorful rugs spread out in every room. And just imagine…..’
As Astarion shared his ideas for their future home, Akta marveled at the sparkle in his ruby red eyes. But before she could dream with him, worries about the dangers ahead clouded her mind. She knew that if they couldn't overcome those challenges, their dreams would stay just that—a beautiful dream. Her stomach churned with unease.
Lost in her thoughts, she stopped listening to him and leaned down, her fiery red hair cascading over them like a curtain. She interrupted his words mid-sentence with a kiss. Astarion's hand tangled in her hair as he kissed her back.
When they parted, Akta kissed him on the forehead and whispered ‘I cannot wait to live a life with you.'
He smiled.
They gazed at each other, smiling, lost in weaving dreams into the red of each other’s eyes.
Later that night, they lay in bed in the dark. Astarion held her close, his arm under her, her head resting on his chest, their legs intertwined.
‘Would you like to go on a date with me?’ she asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. ‘I've never been on one before.’
There was a moment of silence, and she worried she might have made him uncomfortable.
‘But we don't have to if you don't want to,’ she said softly, feeling a bit unsure. ‘I….I just thought, I've never really had the chance to walk around Baldur's Gate freely before. And you've never seen the city in the sunlight. Plus, we both could use some new clothes. I was thinking maybe we could go shopping tomorrow, before meeting Dal. But if you'd rather not...’
Before she could finish, Astarion moved over her and kissed her, silencing her words once again. It was the second time that day he had done so. And in that moment, he decided that going forward, kissing her would be the best way to quiet her nervous chatter or any future disagreements they might have. It seemed like a good way to end things.
‘I'd love to go on a date with you, Darling,’ he said with a warm smile. ‘And remember, you can always ask me for anything. I like it.’
‘Okay’ she said. ‘You know, I've never bought clothes for myself. I used to stare at those beautiful dresses in the shop windows and imagine the stories of the people who wore them,’ she sighed. ‘So, I thought, since we have some gold to spend and some freedom to exercise now, and since you keep complaining about me wearing your shirts, we could go shopping for clothes.’
‘Will you stop wearing my shirts then?’ he teased, raising an eyebrow.
‘Never,’ she said proudly, wrapping her arms around his neck. ‘I love wearing your clothes; they smell like you. And if we have more clothes, I'll just have more of your clothes to choose from,’ she added, lifting her head to place a kiss on his cheek.
‘Also, there's a stall near the Gazette office that sells candied fruits. Can we go there, please? I've always wanted to try them,’ she said with a smile.
‘Anything for you, Darling. Tomorrow afternoon, we'll do whatever you want,’ he promised, leaning down to kiss her.
‘Wait,’ she paused, holding his face a few inches from hers. ‘What about you? What do you want to do?’
‘I want to watch you in the sunlight.’
Getting things from Grals’ tower was a lot more work than they had anticipated. Even though she had lived there for many decades, they discovered rooms that she did not even know existed. Or knew and was made to forget. Hard to tell really.
There were magical artifacts, enchanted trinkets, jewelry and weapons, spellbooks of other wizards, vials and vials of potions and blood, gold, wine, and so many books. It took the both of them, along with Clove, Ginger and Jonathan, several hours to collect everything and put them neatly in individual bags of holdings.
All this time, Astarion could see that she was struggling. Sometimes, out of nowhere, she'd shiver, like a quick chill ran through her. Other times, she'd pause when entering a room, or stare off into the distance before snapping back to reality.
He didn't push her to talk about it. He could tell she just wanted to focus on the task at hand and leave. So, he simply stayed nearby, giving her space but also offering a reassuring touch now and then to remind her he was there if she needed him.
He wondered what it would be like to loot the Szarr palace.
Once they were done with the rest of the tower, they finally reached his office at the top.
It was a room Akta was very familiar with.
The first thing Astarion noticed were two pairs of manacles, attached to chains, hanging from a wall. They were placed at such heights they would be perfect to bind someone’s arms and legs. He also noticed a dirty rag near where the manacles were.
Akta noticed him looking at that. ‘They were meant to chain me up if I particularly resisted any……ummm…. experiments…. Or anything at all. Gral found physical bindings more effective on me than magical, for obvious reasons,’ she said quietly.
He nodded.
She went and stood near the window.
‘I was standing here when I first saw the nautiloid. I ran to the terrace after that and the rest is history,’ she mused as she stared outside. ‘I had just killed him the night before and was trying to process that. I was so numb, watching the sun rise, trying to figure out what to do next.’
Astarion stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, as he rested his chin on her shoulder. She leaned into him.
‘Remember I once told you I wanted to live here? I…..I don’t think I would ever be able to live here. Now when I think about it, what a stupid idea that was,’ she said.
She turned in his arms and put her head on his chest.
‘Let’s finish up here and leave, please? I don’t want to be here much longer,’ she said.
She strained her face, fighting back the tears with all her might. She knew once they started, they wouldn't stop. She tried to distract herself with thoughts of the elf wrapped around her, their upcoming date and the rest of the day, the meeting with Dal….. But the tears refused to be held back. The more she resisted, the weaker she felt, her knees buckling under the weight of her emotions. Tremors wracked her body as she struggled to contain it all.
He lifted her in his arms, placing her on a nearby chaise lounge as her trembling intensified. Sitting beside her, he enveloped her in his arms tightly. ‘Akta, it's okay to let go. Don't hold it in. I am here. I got you Love,’ he murmured, his hand soothingly rubbing her back.
She persisted, but eventually, the dam broke, and the tears cascaded down her cheeks, her cries and howls filling the empty tower. He held her close as she shook and sobbed, the weight of seventy years' worth of pain, humiliation, helplessness, and rage crashing down upon her.
When she could cry no more, she fell into silent sobs.
He gave her a bottle of water, but she didn't notice. So he touched her hair and kissed her neck to get her attention. She looked at him without any expression, then took a few sips from the bottle.
‘Better?’ he asked. She nodded.
‘Okay, let's finish up here and go. I'll check the desk and see what's in the drawers. Do you want to start with these shelves, Darling?’ he asked.
She nodded.
‘Can you stand?’ he asked.
She nodded again.
He helped her stand.
‘Are you okay, Akta?’
She shook her head, but still went to the nearest shelf. Astarion kissed the back of her head and went to the desk.
Akta went through the shelves and packed up anything she deemed of any use to her or any of her friends.
Astarion unlocked the drawers one by one, uncovering a bunch of letters and correspondence, which he started stuffing in the bag.
One letter caught his eye because it was in an unsealed or unbroken envelope. Astarion studied it. The name on it said Zailista Namen.
Maybe it was his elven intuition or his vampiric sense, but something told him to open it.
To her Eminence, the High Priestess,
It brings me immense joy to inform you that your granddaughter is ready. I trained her in all that I could, all that Your Eminence had asked of me. Akta has become a promising mage in her own rights. I believe she is ready to begin her clerical training.
Do let me know the time and place and I shall present her to you. As instructed, she remains blissfully ignorant of your existence and her purpose.
However, there was a matter I wished to inform you. She has not remained celibate. She had secretly taken a lover and
However, there was a matter I wished to inform you. She has not remained celibate as due to unfortunate circ*mstances, she was quite taken by one of my other students
However, regrettably, her memory was affected by the rigorous training for decades, and she might not remember this, but she took a lover when
The letter seemed to end there. Astarion clenched his fists in anger, realizing the arsehole was trying to cover the sexual abuse by cooking up a story. She was to remain celibate, and he had subjected her to rape for decades. He was trying to figure out lies that would work the best in his favor.
He looked at Akta who seemed to be lost in a journal that she was skimming through. She had enough for today, he decided. Or at least for now, it was just late morning. He put the envelope with the letter in his own pocket.
Also, they had a name now, he realized.
