Astarion x M!Reader

Nine

Smirking, Cazador looked down at the lifeless body at your feet. He seemed to be waiting for something, whether it was a reaction from you or the body shattering into a thousand pieces at any moment was unclear to you.

Your eyebrows furrowed, you stared at him from the bottom of the steps as if he was the biggest joke of a king you had ever seen.

Again you had to correct yourself. You had once known a king who had been so fond of a young man that he had let him steal from him.

And now this man was an immortal vampire who sat on a false throne and acted as if he was superior to everyone he met. And that was probably true in most cases. But only in most cases. The exceptions proved the rule. And you were the exception.

Inhaling the air sharply, your fingers curled and the poor woman's body began to stir under the influence of the shadows.

You could have revived her, but that would have taken a lot of strength and she still wouldn't have been the one who had died. Instead, she would have been turned into a zombie that was no good for much more than gardening. And you already had too many gardeners who could barely get a straight word across their lips.

Darkness carried the body away. You didn't know where to go and didn't want to know. The shadows listened to your every command, but they still had something like a mind of their own. They would take care of your orders, in their own way.

A sigh rolled off your lips.

"Now my feet are wet.", you forced a crooked smile of politeness onto your face.

Cazador couldn't have cared less. He had always been a rather... lacking host. In the end the only reasons why anyone would enter his palace was to either fuck or die. In that order specifically.

With his legs crossed and his cheek rested against his fist he tilted his head and looked down on you, judged you.

Annoyed, you swallowed a growl and let him be. A smart man wouldn't fight him, or any vampire, in their own territory. And you were vain enough to believe that you were, in fact, a smart man.

So you sucked in a sharp breath and pretended like he had all right to look down on you the way he did. It did pull a punch on your pride though.

How dare him!

"Caz.", you started.

"Cazador.", he did a gesture, his voice vibrating like music, so smooth yet so ugly to listen to. "This is my home. Shouldn't you meet me with respect?"

Your eye twitched and a long breath escaped your nose. For a brief moment you closed your eyes, took a deep breath and smacked your lips.

"Cazador.", you made sure to pronounce that hideous name of his in all the wrong ways. "I might be at your palace but remember... what you owe me."

One of his eyebrows rose. He smiled. Perhaps he tried to play the long game and send you away as many times as it needed to make you forget.

But you had come here with the intention to only ever do this once. And you had your mind dead set on it.

"Ah, yes.", he eyed his nails to pretend he was bored. "That... boy of yours. I remember how he tasted."

You rolled your eyes. Again.

"I'm sure he was delicious.", you smiled in such a passive aggressive way that it could have been considered a threat. "And the three before him as well. See, Caz...ador you are in my debt."

"I don't owe you anything."

"No, not physically. However, I think we both can agree that honour-wise you've insulted me greatly."

A hum made his throat vibrate and you fantasised about how it would feel to make it snap between your fingers.

Would he put up a fight?

What an insulting thought. Of course he would. He was Cazador. As well as you knew him he'd make a mockery out of it till the very end and then would spiral down into cold fear when he realised he was about to meet his eternal end.

Yes, that thought satisfied you so much that it soothed your mood almost immediately. A smile brightened your face and you felt like listening to him bargaining.

"Honour.", his red eyes wandered up your body and came to a rest right on your (E/C) ones. "Do we two even know what that is?"

Something in the back of your head flinched. All the hairs on your body stood up straight.

You knew what he was implying. And it didn't please you.

"It's far too late to mourn our actions, my old friend.", your voice was tired but you meant what you said. "We made a choice that day, due to different motivations yet we did the very same thing. As far as I'm concerned were the only two lords of our kind far and wide. It would be advised to keep the peace or consequences could be... fatal."

Your eyes darkened and now he knew what you implied. And he was even less pleased.

"Are you threatening me?", he asked, halfway standing up from his throne.

What a joke he was, you thought. Sitting there like a nobleman while having the temper of a tavern brute. He truly tried to live far beyond his means.

He tried to be someone he couldn't be so desperately. It almost made you feel sorry for him. Almost.

"I don't think I'm asking for too much.", you said to calm the nerves.

Or rather his nerves. You felt as calm as the sea at night.

"I merely killed four mortals.", he argued.

"Four mortals I desired. I've never taken your prey yet you disrespected me. Four times. Right in my face. My apologies for being upset, but I know for a fact, my dear Cazador, that if you'd be in my shoes all hells would freeze.", a hint of red shone through your (E/C) as you met his gaze with a kind of hardness you had forgotten long ago. "All I'm asking for is an apology in the form of a tribute."