Doomtryst | Astarion x Durge

Chapter 3: A Little Help

Chapter 3: A Little Help

Fourthday had come and Seraphina had woken up extra early in the morning before sunrise, preparing for her day in the kitchen, where she spent most of her time ''marinating'' her future victims. Some of which she would poison herself in their sleep, some who would die of old age, some of which she tenderly fed until they died from overconsumption. And others would come to the temple in need of medicine, she would give them not real herbal remedies but placebos so that they would think they were being cured. And when they died, she would replace their bodies occasionally or dig them out in the temple's nearby graveyard with the help of her assailants. Nobody cared for these people, no one bothered to even ask what had happened to them, yet she was careful not to get too greedy. She killed at a considerable rate, nothing that would set off a suspicious alarm.

She wore a simple outfit, similar to the ones the priestesses wore at the temple, her hair was pulled back in a dark tight bun and the pin of Ilmater had been secured on the collar of her shirt. She now stood in the kitchen rather by herself, wondering if the boy would indeed show. Her hands held a knife steadily, peeling back the skins of potatoes so that they would be roasted and mashed into a hearty Balduran breakfast mash. Hyper-focused, she liked to pretend she was rather carving up a roasted infant child for a meal instead of...vegetables. ''Mistress? Someone is calling for you...'' Priestess Ignari interrupted Seraphina's thoughts, startled by the woman, she accidentally cut into her finger, a small drop of blood oozed onto the cutting board. She stared at it, the scent of her own blood drove her mad, she immediately sucked on her finger, turning around, casually.

''Hmm?''

She licked the blood off, grabbing a cloth to stop the bleeding.

''Oh my dear I have startled you? Here...''

The priestess took out an ointment, but knowing the ingredient contained Ilmater's blessed holy water, she shook her head.

''Priestess...no...please...we are low on supply for that, let it be used for the sick instead...''

Seraphina said softly, as if she genuinely cared.

''You are too humble...but I came to see you a young man is waiting for you, he said his name was...''

''Astarion!''

Her eyes lit up, squeezing the tip of her finger tightly, excited to meet him so she could toy with him.

''Yes...so you do know him, I'll let him in then.''

''No it's fine...I can greet him...he's going to volunteer at the Temple today...''

Seraphina dropped the bloodied cloth onto the ground in a hurry as she walked away from the kitchen, she fixed her hair quickly in the mirror, adjusting the hems of her skirt. The priestess saw a small whittle of smoke rising from the bloodied cloth which Seraphina had dropped. She thought it was rather unusual, but stomped on it, thinking it must have caught on fire from the sparks of the open cooking pit which was aflame.

''Strange...''

She uttered rather softly, before taking over the cutting of potatoes.

''Astarion! You came!''

Seraphina smiled warmly at the elven man; he was dressed more plainly today, in a simple brown vest and white sleeved shirt, rolled up to his elbows. He made a little bow, his delicate curly white hair brushing against the sides of his lovely rosy cheek.

''Lady Seraphina...of course I came. I...have something for the...ahem...children...of the temple...''

He said, his blue eyes gleaming with a certain embarrassment almost, as if the kindness he was about to do was too much for him.