#laji fanfiction

[princess-leaorgana]

Summary: After the takedown of The Absolute, Zelphie finds her city in need of more help and her home destroyed. She won't stop helping, but who can help her?

Rolan x Tav (Zelphie; ~30y.o AFAB, Sorcerer, Tiefling, not really described physically on purpose <3)

M/F

Author's Note: I fucking love tielfings. Along with this being a budding romance/smut/fluff/word vomit fanfiction, it's also my case study in DnD 5e tieflings, how they act, what sets them apart from humans and devils and elves. That being said, I have a few artistic liberties in here as well where I couldn't find a straight answer, if you'll amuse me.

Warnings - Spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3, alcohol consumption, mild hints of abuse, and OH DEAR is that my smut I left out? Oh, that's a lot of smut. I'm so embarrassed.

Chapter One Two Three

While dinner was being prepared, Rolan helped Zelphie with her room. She had done a lot of shopping for furnishings. New curtains for the balcony window, new blankets and pillows for her bed. She had gone clothes shopping as well and she pushed him away from snooping through her new dresses, stockings and tunics. They would share dinner with each other and Lajy on the balcony. Zelphie made a fun decision to place down the old furnishings of her room on the balcony to create a nice sitting space while they ate. It was cozy, very intimate. Sitting down on plush pillows and a thick blanket on a balcony of a wizard’s tower, drinking wine, eating and watching the sunset next to Rolan seemed divine to Zelphie. As they ate, they did what felt right for a budding couple, asking each other questions. They now knew each other’s favorite flower, color, wine and sweet treat.

‘So…if you can remember, as you told me you were young when you were left on your own, is Zelphie your real name?’ He asked her and she swirled her wine glass a little.

‘No, the matron of the orphanage named me. I was named after her parrot,’ she said and Rolan shook his head.

‘That is not true,’ he sighed, almost annoyed at her story.

‘I swear it is! At least that’s what she told me. She told me she named me after the parrot because I never learned how to shut up and be peaceful,’ she said and Rolan snorted.

‘Alright, that I believe,’ he said and she nudged him.

‘How about you?’

‘I’ve always been Rolan,’ he answered her and cleared his throat. It was incredibly common in tiefling culture for tieflings to change their names. Many didn’t even have last names. Tieflings did not have a great societal sense of a family unit. Their children ran wild and some parents who did try to raise their children were ripped from their children, just like Zelphie and Rolan’s had been. The state of the orphans she had met at the Emerald Grove was normal, unfortunately. At least this was true for the tieflings of the Sword Coast.

‘What was your mother’s name?’ She asked and Rolan smiled.

‘Dayryn,’ he answered softly and leaned against the tower’s wall. ‘She was the most wonderful person in the world. Just imagine, if you will, the person who is the reason for Lia’s bravery and passion and Cal’s loyalty and kindness,’ he began and Zelphie just smiled. What a wonderful thing to say. ‘And, to her credit, most of my brilliance,’ he added with a smirk and Zelphie laughed, but shook her head.

‘She might have fueled the flames, but she did not spark them, Rolan,’ she said and he looked down at her. ‘Trust me, with the rows I’ve had with wizards and warlocks all my life, you have something more special than books can teach and devils can promise,’ she said, and she had been hiding a little secret from him. Rolan was a powerful mage, there was no mistaking that. When she first met him, he was incredibly boisterous about his talents, which was very funny to hear as he had gone on and on in front of Mystra’s previous chosen, Gale. But when she heard of Rolan’s power in the Shadowfell Lands and saw it for herself about a month ago, she knew Rolan was special. He was very hard working and well read, she wouldn’t take that from him. But he was born with a talent.

‘I’m sure there was a compliment in there,’ he said and she nodded.

‘Yes, I mean, I don’t know if you were born this way Rolan, but your magic is….different. I didn’t go to Blackstaff or perfect my craft as an apprentice. I don’t know what the spells I yield are called. Sorcerers just…do. Like blinking or breathing. Because of that our magic that a wizard may learn is always a little unique. Very strong but also unique. Does that make sense?’ She asked and Rolan simply nodded. ‘I didn’t notice it at first…but when you cast a magic missile, it has the potential to stun. That’s not something a wizard is taught. You can cast mage armor on a person wearing armor. That is not something that is taught. Gale made that remark to me a while back, about you. He noticed it right away. Were you…did you always have a connection to the Weave, when you were very young?’ She asked and Rolan frowned and nodded slowly. ‘Then…maybe…you are just a very very well read sorcerer.’ Rolan was frozen and a little tense. Zelphie had only meant for her words to be complimentary, but it seemed to not have that effect. ‘Rolan?’

‘I’m not a sorcerer,’ he said and seemed to relax a little and sipped his wine. ‘I worked very, very hard for what I have-‘

‘Of course! Oh! Rolan, I don’t mean to say all of that to insult your education. Oh, no, no I’m so sorry. Obviously everything you have accomplished in your life is incredible. I mean, wizards usually get so far up the chain because they are privileged. Gale grew up a spoiled only child in Waterdeep. Lorroakan had his family name to raise him to the top, you, you did all of this yourself.’ She rambled quickly and Rolan sighed. ‘And bully for me, I think sorcerers are impressive people.’ She said and tilted her head. Rolan’s eyes widened and he shook his head.

‘Well, of course…I just-‘ Zelphie giggled and shook her head. 

‘Hush you,’ she said and leaned up for a kiss. He was very happy to oblige her. Happy to kiss her and very happy to not be in trouble for insulting her. She was just as happy. She still couldn’t believe herself. Kissing him, enjoying his company as they lounged on her new beautiful balcony. She sighed happily against his lips and she felt his arm slowly coil around her waist, pulling her closer to him. ‘Stubborn wizard,’ she muttered against his lips and he growled a little laugh. Another almost fight, and she dissolved it with grace, as she always did. This wasn’t very normal for him but he was very happy about it. He was stubborn, he knew he was stubborn. He was proud of being stubborn. His stubbornness got him where he was right now. With a little help, of course. Help from the woman who was kissing him on a balcony as the sunset on the sea in front of them.

His arm pulled her tighter, the ease in which he was able to move her made her feel good. She liked that neediness and strength. He pulled her so close she felt it only natural to get as close to him as she could. With care and patience, she crawled into Rolan’s lap. She was timid in case he would object, but no protests came from him. Just a tighter grip on her waist. Her dress lifted to her thighs and Rolan touched her thigh and laughed. She barely pulled away from him, just enough to speak.

‘What’s so funny?’ She whispered and he nipped at her bottom lip.

‘Fucking stockings,’ he muttered a pinched the soft fabric that created a barrier between her thigh and his hand. Her heart melted, hearing his voice so low and soft. Almost demanding. She could have passed out.

‘They are a nuisance, aren’t they?’ She asked and lowered her face, her lips finding the delicate skin of his neck. He shivered and sighed at her touch. ‘Good thing they don’t go all the way up,’ she muttered. Rolan was frozen for a second, and then moved his hand up her thigh slowly, until his fingertips could feel her delicate skin. She shivered and lifted her head to look at him.

‘I would…like to be a gentleman,’ he whispered, his hand moving a little more and his thumb rubbing soft circles on her inner thigh. She gasped at his new touch, that look on his face, she was lust drunk, completely different from the drunk she was earlier.

‘I’ll give you permission if that will help,’ she whispered back and his hand inched closer.

‘Whatever my lady requests,’ he whispered back, daring her, daring her to ask him.

‘Touch me Rolan,’ she said and he leaned back down to kiss her. As he did, she felt his thumb gently stroke her bare slit and she moaned happily against him.

‘Oh, maybe you aren’t my lady. Stockings but…no underwear? Tut tut, my dear,’ he said playfully and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

‘I promise I’ll behave next time, Master Rolan,’ she muttered and his fingers parted her lips. She moaned once more and rolled her hips into his hand.

‘Oooh, now, don’t be so greedy, I’ll give you what you need,’ he muttered into her ear and she whined, only grinding her hips harder. ‘Oh, my little hero is so desperate, isn’t she?’ He chuckled. ‘Up with you, love,’ he said and his hand moved from her groin to her hip, patting her backside a little. With a little whine, Zelphie stood up and was followed quickly by Rolan. A little too naturally, Rolan took her hand and walked her back inside. ‘Now, you be good for me and sit on the bed,’ he told her and she eagerly obeyed. For some reason, she didn’t picture him to be so commanding in the bedroom, but his confidence scaled his whole personality. Very fortunate for her, she did like it. She’d never been led before, it felt very nice. She sat on the bed, her tail beating the mattress with excitement. Rolan watched it for a moment and walked over to her. ‘My happy little sorceress, are you happy?’ He asked, getting close enough that Zelphie spread her legs easily. He tipped her chin gently and she nodded.

‘Happy is a very poor word, but yes, I am happy,’ she said and he chuckled.

‘What’s a better word?’ He asked her and she looked up at the ceiling.

‘Hmmmm….delighted, excited, enraptured, curious, a little nervous,’ she said with a giggle and Rolan’s smile just kept growing. He was terribly handsome. ‘Incredibly aroused,’ she said, running her hand down his robes. They were made of a very heavy velvet. He was a showman. Down his chest and torso her hands went before they landed to his middle, where she felt his erection.

‘You feel what you do to me?’ He asked her and she nodded, rubbing the area and he sighed out. ‘Oh, very good,’ he told her and slowly guided her face to look to the side. She easily moved her head, feeling his eyes on her, baring into her. His fingers left her chin and his nails pulled the fabric of her collar and he sighed, not gaining the access he wanted. ‘This needs to go,’ he told her and she stopped rubbing him. She placed her hands in the delicate buttons on her shoulder, but he took over. She looked back up at him, watching him fuss easily over her collar.

‘You’re so beautiful,’ she said softly, she was so lightheaded from lust and love she barely registered that her mouth opened. His yellow eyes moved from her shoulder to her face and he stopped moving for a moment, then returned back to his work.

‘You’re drunk again,’ he said and she shook her head.

‘Drunk, maybe, but not like I was earlier. This has nothing to do with alcohol. You are the potion that has my brain in a chokehold,’ she told him and reached up to his face, cupping his cheek. He was just in control. He had lost it. He had gotten her collar loose and he looked back at her. ‘Everything you do just…sets my heart on fire, Rolan,’ she told him and he searched her face. ‘You are devastatingly beautiful.’

‘Do you really think that?’ He asked her softly and she nodded.

‘Yes, I think that because you are. Your strong jaw, those beautiful eyes, I love your nose,’ she said and his brows furrowed and she giggled. ‘I do, it’s so sharp and I love the little bump,’ she said and his nose wrinkled. She laughed again and shook her head. ‘Yes, that nose,’ she confirmed and he laughed.

‘I’m sorry, but getting accolades from you is…hard to believe,’ he told her and she tilted her head. She let go of his face and slipped the rest of her dress off, sitting almost completely naked in front of him. He swallowed hard when he looked at her properly. There she was. He would have loved to control himself and be a gentleman, but his eyes traveled down her neck to her collarbone, she had freckles on her shoulders. Her breasts were beautiful and he felt his hands reaching out to touch them. Her chest heaved with a heavy breath and he glanced back at her face to make sure this was alright. She was just looking back at him. He had been in control, but now he seemed timid.

‘I’m all yours, it’s alright,’ she told him softly and she saw him swallow hard. He took in a deep breath and breathed out.

‘Lie back on the mattress,’ he requested, his voice cracking a little. She smiled and scooted up on the bed and began to remove her long stockings. ‘Mmmmm, leave those on, please,’ he told her and she giggled. As she climbed up on the bed, her tail curled to an S-shape and Rolan quickly began to undress. She sat down and watched him closely. She chewed on her lip as his robes fell around him. She ogled him a little less subtly than he had just done to her. Her grip on her own lip hardened as she took in his body. He really was beautiful. He had such a strong, lean frame. The ridges on his chest were beautiful and symmetrical. He caught her and smiled, confident that look on her face wasn’t faked. ‘I told you to lie down,’ he told her and she giggled and obeyed, lying on her back. Quickly, Rolan climbed into the bed, crawling over her. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly. She wrapped her arms around his neck. His teeth nipped at her bottom lip and she sighed happily. Her tail curled around his leg and he chuckled. ‘Greedy, greedy little thing,’ he whispered and his lips moved to her jaw, trailing kissing down to her neck. He leaned up a little and moved her face to the side once more and let out a very satisfied breath.

‘What are you looking at?’ She asked and he leaned down to kiss her neck.

‘Your lovely neck,’ he whispered and his hand traveled down the side of her body, giving her skin bumps and a shiver. She gasped at the light touch of his nails on her skin. Damn anyone who assumed a wizard wasn’t good with their hands. With ease and allowed access from Zelphie, Rolan’s hand returned to her middle as his kisses met her breasts. ‘Mmmmm…so ready for me already, my dear, very good girl,’ he said, feeling her warmth and wetness. She gasped in delight, his fingers teasing her, his lips on her nipple.

‘Oh!’ She squealed and gasped, which only egged Rolan on.

‘Shhhh…they’ll hear you down in the city,’ he whispered playfully.

‘Let them,’ she moaned. Her hips twitched as his fingers found her sensitive little nub.

‘Oh, lucky me, you’ll have to indulge me. I’m a bit pent up…so I’ll need some time to play. I want you to unravel, I want you delirious, begging,’ he told her, sitting up. ‘And when you have completely lost your senses, I’ll take what I’ve worked for and fuck you through this bed,’ he said, kneeling in between her legs, his thumb still rubbing her clit in a steady motion. She leaned up on her elbows and he leaned down, kissing her thighs, biting their sensitive skin. She gasped and yelped a little at the feeling of his teeth breaking her skin. He made eye contact with her and she let out another loud moan. He removed his teeth from her skin and kissed her gently in the same spot. His kisses again traveled until she felt him in her middle. His tongue ran up to his thumb and she sighed.

‘Oh…oh Rolan…t-that-‘ she couldn’t finish. His thumb rubbed her clit and his tongue entered her, attempting to lick her clean. Her head hung back in ecstasy. He hummed happily against her and she continued to moan. He felt wonderful, loving, needy, demanding. Warmth ran through her body and she relaxed, lying back on the bed, her left hand finding the top of his head and grabbed at his hair. ‘That feels so good, you’re so good,’ she moaned and he grinned, but continued eating her out, not changing anything about his movements. If they were working there was no reason to change. He wanted to feel her melt on him. Her moans and cries and shakes were killing him. He was doing everything he could not to sit up and fuck her properly. But he knew, he knew he would spend himself quickly. It had been a long time for him. Their first time must be perfect. Or at least memorable. He felt powerful watching his lovely sorceress unwind. And gods she tasted delicious.

He got what he wanted, very quickly. Her ragged breaths slowly became a little louder and more deep and he felt her hips roll up. Her hands left his hair and she held his horns. 

‘That’s my girl, that’s my little love, cum for me,’ he said and her grip on his horns tightened and her thighs tightened around his head.

‘Oh! Oh fuck! Yes!’ She cried and Rolan felt her muscles contracting. He lapped up as much of her as he could handle and sat up. She let her grip on him go and he laughed proudly, wiping his face. He watched her writhe for a moment longer and she looked up at him. Her body was perfect for him. The spines down her collarbone to her breasts were delicate. He leaned over and kissed her mouth and she moaned, kissing him back.

‘Gorgeous,’ he whispered and without moving his face from hers, he lifted her hips back up and she gasped when she felt his erection right up against her. ‘Are you alright?’ He asked her and she nodded. ‘Speak, my love,’ he whispered and she swallowed hard. What had he done to her?

‘I’m alright, Rolan, I need you,’ she said and rubbed herself against him. ‘Please,’ she whispered and Rolan pushed inside of her slowly, making her whimper. He groaned loudly and stopped moving.

‘Gods you feel wonderful,’ he groaned and slowly began to thrust in and out of her. Each thrust was slow but still made Zelphie call out a little sound with each one. He felt wonderful. He leaned his forehead to hers, bending her a little, and her moans got louder. ‘Is it alright?’ He asked and she opened her red eyes to look into his yellow ones. ‘Am I alright?’ He asked her and she nodded, completely unable to speak. Just little cries and moans, so she leaned up to kiss him, her hands on his face. He had one hand holding himself up, on the bed beside her, the other hand had a very firm grip on her hip. She felt his nails clawing a little anytime he moved back in her. The sensation was nice, possession and neediness. She trusted Rolan not to really hurt her. It made her feel good to be needed so desperately by him. She felt beautiful, more than she felt if he were to simply call her that.

‘Oh gods,’ she cried when he made a simple change in pace. Her hands moved to his hair, tangling her fingers in his once neat locks. His thrusting became eager, and she gave back as she could, arching her back for him. ‘I love you,’ she muttered and his lips caught hers. She heard him whimper, feeling the vibrations of his lips against hers.

‘I-I can’t-‘ he stammered and she felt his whole body on her. His face was in her neck, shuddering and with two hard thrusts he shook and sighed out, trying to catch his breath. She still held him close. ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,’ he whispered and she caught his lips again. Her kiss was tender.

‘Don’t apologize, that was magnificent, you are wonderful,’ she whispered to him and he kissed her once more.

‘You are…you are perfection, the way you feel, those sounds you sing so sweetly, I couldn’t help it,’ he continued and she laughed.

‘There is no higher compliment,’ she told him, her fingers stroking his hair back, which had completely fallen from its neat little knot. He sighed and rolled off of her, she gave out a little wince when she felt him leave her completely. He didn’t look as happy as she felt. ‘Rolan….are you alright?’ She asked and rolled onto her side. She placed a hand on his chest and he sighed, taking her hand.

‘I thought I had more in me…but…well, when you said you loved me I just…’ he sighed and closed his eyes. She laughed and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

‘Please, Rolan, I mean it, I feel wonderful. And you are all to blame, please tell me you feel the same,’ she said and he opened his eyes to look at her.

‘Zelphie, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt like that. I’m just afraid you think me….’ He didn’t finish and she smirked.

‘Well, if you’re going to be stubborn about it,’ she said and he grunted, which made her laugh. ‘You make it up to me in the morning, hm?’ She asked him and littered the side of his face with kisses. ‘But until then, enjoy the afterglow, because I’m going to,’ she told him and he rolled over to face her.

‘I consider myself incredibly lucky,’ he told her. ‘Being here with you, you know…the party all those months ago, the light show? It was to impress you,’ he said and she laughed. He sighed heavily. ‘I mean it,’ he told her and she shook her head, still laughing.

‘I believe you, I’m laughing because I was enamored with you at that party. And neither of us were brave enough to admit it,’ she said and he finally smiled.

‘It was probably for the best, romance back then was probably not the best of plans,’ he said and placed his hand on her cheek.

‘I won’t regret anything, I’m very happy right now,’ she told him and she felt his tail curling around her leg. ‘Stay with me tonight,’ she whispered and he grinned.

‘Of course but uhm…if we could migrate…I uhm…I’d like to be in my own room, if that is alright. I would have brought us there in the first place had I assumed we would…’ he said and she smiled.

‘Whatever would make you comfortable. I’m very adaptable,’ she told him and he nodded.

‘Come then, let us not get too comfortable here,’ he said and grunted as he sat up. She sat up with him and when she climbed off the bed and walked to her wardrobe, finding a nightdress and a robe to wear for the quick journey across the hallway. Once she removed her stockings, she pulled her nightdress over her head. She felt the fabric fall from her head to around her body. It felt wonderful. Her skin was so sensitive. Before she could pull on her robe, Rolan walked up behind her. She hummed happily as she felt his hands on her hips. ‘Now you are devastating…’ he whispered and kissed her neck. She shivered at his touch and the feel of his lips and breath on her neck. She leaned back in him, his hands ran up her sides, grabbing at her breasts, just to feel them.

‘You better not start anything you cannot finish,’ she told him playfully. He chuckled against her skin, meaning only to play, to touch, he was too tempted by her. He nipped at her skin and little and she giggled. ‘You have a biting fixation, don’t you?’ She asked and he laughed. She could still feel the small sting of his little love bite on her thigh.

‘I suppose I do, or maybe it’s just that I’ve had a taste of my favorite treat,’ he purred into her neck and she continued to giggle. The rush of joy, lust and the feeling of his lips were driving her mad. His hands were terribly needy, but gentle. His thumbs stroked her nipples through her gown. She sighed softly. ‘Mmmmm, maybe I will be able to pay you back sooner than morning,’ he muttered and gave her neck one last little bite and walked away from her. She almost fell over. Instead, as he dressed himself, she pulled on her night robe and called for the little kitten.

‘Come now Lajy,’ she said and made a little sound from her lips to coax the kitten from the balcony. He came running and Zelphie shut the balcony door, a little embarrassed that it had been left open. ‘Lucky me, it seems I’m getting everything I want today,’ she hummed happily and Rolan laughed as he lazily redid the buttons of his robes. It wouldn’t be staying on much longer.

‘Tell me then that you wish for at least one more glass of wine, a hot bath and then a deep deep slumber?’ He asked her and she grinned.

‘You read my mind, I’m terribly lucky,’ she said and he held out his hand for her. She smiled and picked her little kitten up and took Rolan’s hand. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. ‘Even luckier now,’ she said and he gave her quite the proud smirk. He radiated joy and pride and that made her even happier. The couple left Zelphie’s room and made it to Rolan’s. She hadn’t been to the master bedroom before, why would she have? It was incredibly clear that Rolan had fully renovated this room. Not a glimmer of Lorroakan was left. The room was warm, a fireplace roaring a blue flame. It was bright but had no heat. The rest of the room was dark, but incredibly illuminated. Along with the blue flame, the ceiling had an illusion cast on it, a brightly lit night sky. Zelphie placed the kitten on the floor, but did not take her eyes off of the effect.

‘It’s not too jarring, is it?’ Rolan asked and she smiled at him and shook her head.

‘It’s beautiful,’ she said softly and he smiled.

‘I hope you can sleep through it, I…I need it, to sleep,’ he said and Zelphie tilted her head.

‘Afraid of the dark?’ She asked and he nodded.

‘Yes,’ he said, very simply. ‘Well, uneasy to sleep in the dark, it was never dark where I lived,’ he said and Zelphie’s mouth opened a little, remembering exactly where Rolan was from. Elturel. Elturel, a capital city that had descended to Avernus, suspended over the River Styx, had been a daylight city. She knew very little about it, but the city was under the constant glow of a light source referred to as The Companion.

‘That must have been so strange…never seeing night,’ she said and he shrugged.

‘It was all we knew until The Descent,’ he told her and she nodded. ‘So, I sleep with a little light on,’ he said and she looked back up and smiled.

‘Was The Companion this bright, or brighter?’ She asked and he grinned, happy for her curiosity.

‘Bright as the sun, but none of the heat. It would be as bright as a spring day while it was snowing,’ he said and she laughed a little. That was joyful. She didn’t think she could deal with that much light, but it was better than the reverse. ‘But, after The Descent, we’ve had to make due with evolving our sleeping schedules. Once on the Sword Coast, after all tieflings were expelled from Elturel, I used to sleep during the day, although that proved to be very dangerous. Everyone else we traveled with seemed to be able to cope with the night sky, but…I never really could. So, this is my compromise. I hope it does not disturb you,’ he said and she looked back at him.

‘I don’t see how it could. It’s so beautiful, you amaze me with how talented you are,’ she said and his cheeks burnt up. ‘The other day you were in such awe of my concentration on a little mage hand, but you’ve had this just going on and on? Don’t you ever be impressed with me again,’ she said and he laughed.

‘Well, that is…very nice to hear,’ he said and got himself undressed.

Rolan ran the couple a bath, which Zelphie was very excited about. As lovely as their recent activity had been, she hated going to bed less than clean. The past tenday had proven to her that she still felt that way, even after her less luxurious adventures. Rolan had a large bedroom, it had an adjoining washroom, a wine rack, a desk and seating area, Zelphie could have lived in just this one room her whole life and have been happy. He also had a balcony that faced the west, looking to the mountains and sea. She looked down at fuzzy little Eliminster and wondered what he thought of the giant room. He was snoozing on a lounge chair. Zelphie poured two glasses of wine and met him in the washroom.

‘Now this is terribly luxurious, wine in a bath,’ she said, handing Rolan both glasses so that she could undress and set into the water. Boiling hot, exactly as she liked it. As she sat in the large tub, Rolan handed her her glass and he got in carefully, able to balance his own glass, sitting across from her.

‘It is the very first thing I did after calling Cal and Lia to the tower,’ he said, smiling. ‘That might have been the strangest day of my life, back at home, my family home, I was desperate to work under a man like Lorroakan. I would never have dreamed this is the situation I would find myself in. I had a lot of work to do, but that night, I needed to just…soak it all in, so to speak,’ he explained and she nodded.

‘For what it’s worth Rolan, I’m still coming to terms with the events that happened this year. When everything was over, I thought it was so strange that I would be going home, living a normal life, and going back to work. It’s what I wanted, but it felt almost wrong,’ she explained to him and took a sip of wine. He laughed lightly and was clearly in thought from what she said. 

‘Back to work? What on Toril did you used to do for work?’ He asked her and she frowned.

‘I worked with a jeweler in the upper city,’ she said and took another quick sip of wine. ‘I was…I helped set stones in gold and silver and bronze,’ she explained and Rolan frowned. Zelphie didn’t really want to discuss her past work. She was a setter for a jeweler in the upper city, and she did set precious gems, but that was not all she did for her employer’s clients. Rolan took a moment, but asked against his better judgment.

‘What has you so upset about that?’ He asked. She took a deep sigh into her wine.

‘I don’t think you want to know, Rolan. I don’t…I don’t have good stories about my past employment. Either I lie to you, or you will be upset and I don’t wish to lie to you or sour the mood,’ she told him and his frown only deepened.

‘Did your last employer treat you like my last employer?’ He asked her softly and she shrugged.

‘She never touched me…but…I was a bit of a…’ she huffed and looked at him. ‘Until the refugees from Elturel came to Baldur’s Gate, tieflings were very rare in the city and some patriars found me…exotic,’ she began and Rolan’s face turned to a scowl, full of disgust. She glanced at him and looked away. She didn’t like that look on him. She swore she felt the water get hotter. ‘I shouldn’t have told you,’ she said softly and Rolan looked up and away from her.

‘Where was this?’ He asked, a cracking in his voice.

‘Like I said, it was in the Upper City, so it’s probably rubble. I think this tower is the only thing standing,’ she explained quickly. ‘Rolan, please, I shouldn’t have said anything,’ she told him and leaned forward. She placed her goblet on the side of the bath and climbed into his lap. ‘Please, don’t be upset,’ she told him softly, but he was terribly tense. She wrapped one arm around his neck and placed her free hand on his face. ‘Please,’ she begged and he looked up at her.

‘Tell me who she is,’ he asked her as calmly as he could. Zelphie chewed on her bottom lip. She was very angry with herself for upsetting him. He didn’t need to know about her past. Not that. It didn’t matter, that was well over. No one could touch her again, she was safe. ‘I’ll drop it if you tell me,’ he told her and she frowned but sighed, relenting.

‘It was in The Wide, called Love’s Secret. It was owned by a woman named Mayleen Starheart. Although, I would place a bet that was not her real name,’ she said and Rolan sighed and nodded. He sipped his wine and placed his goblet down. He would keep his promise to her for now. His arms wrapped around her and she leaned down to kiss him. She felt him relax and she leaned back up. ‘You know, I never pictured your hair would be this long,’ she said and her finger twisted around a lock behind his neck. He smiled at her.

‘If I want to keep it long, I must keep it neat,’ he told her and she nodded.

‘Could I wash it for you?’ Rolan’s eyes widened at her question and he nodded. She climbed off of his lap and he reached behind him for his soap. She took it as he dunked his head back, soaking his hair. ‘Make yourself comfortable,’ she said, sitting up high and he turned himself around, laying back, his back against her chest.

‘Is that alright?’ He asked her and she hummed. He felt like a weighted blanket on her.

‘Wonderful,’ she told him and began to rub the soap into his scalp just at his hairline, along the crowns of his horns. ‘You Lia and Cal all have fully black horns,’ she mused and he hummed. ‘I’m terribly jealous.’

‘Your horns are beautiful,’ he told her quickly and she laughed. ‘I meant it, they are very large, but they are so…graceful. They only enhance your beauty, my darling,’ he told her and she smiled, continuing her work in his hair.

‘Thank you, Master Rolan,’ she said with a smirk. He laughed, she felt the vibrations of his body against her chest.

‘We are naked, newly coupled, your fingers are in my hair which all on its own is stirring something in me, and you keep calling me Master Rolan,’ he said happily. ‘You need to stop that,’ he told her and she smiled proudly.

‘I told you earlier, I’m all yours, I think that’s a very fitting title for me to call you,’ she said and Rolan quickly submerged into the water again. After a moment under the water, Zelphie was laughing loudly. Now he was being silly. He re-emerged and quickly ran his hands through his hair to get the water out, and he got right out of the bath. ‘Uh-oh,’ she said, still laughing a bit as Rolan turned around, grabbing a towel to dry himself off.

‘Uh-oh is correct, and you’ll be in much more trouble if you don’t get that heavenly body out of that bath and into my bed,’ he told her and Zelphie almost froze. She did as she was told and got out of the bath. She grabbed herself a towel and dried herself off, glad her hair hadn’t gotten wet. Rolan gave her about ten seconds and took her hand. ‘Come come,’ he said and she smiled up at him. She might have just created a monster. He led her to his large bed, a large white blanket with dark purple satin sheets underneath. It was incredibly plush. ‘Lie back,’ he told her gently and once her head reached the pillow, he climbed on top of her. ‘You look very, very good in my bed,’ he told her and that possessive tail of hers wrapped around his leg again. He leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Her hips rolled up into him, coaxing his erection and he sighed happily. He then laughed. He laughed hard and she looked at him with wide eyes.

‘What?’ She asked, a smile growing on her face. Oh, he was incredibly silly. She loved it, she loved seeing him so happy, and she loved even more to be the center of his joy. He shook his head and kissed the side of her mouth. 

‘I feel spoiled,’ he told her and lifted his head to look at her again. ‘You, you of all people in this world are in my bed. And you want me, I’m just having a hard time processing it all,’ he said and she grinned up at him.

‘I hate to boost your ego even further, but you need to know how much I am thinking the same. I really didn’t think you would ever want me, like this,’ she said and placed her hands on his face. ‘Can I show you how much I want you?’ She asked and let her tail loosen from his leg. He nodded slowly. ‘Lie on your back,’ she whispered and he did just that. Zelphie smiled and climbed over him, but stayed by his legs. She knelt between his legs and bent over, running her tongue against his erection and he sighed out with a shake in his voice.

‘Aahhh…’ he whimpered and Zelphie smiled, keeping close attention to the head of his cock, lapping at it like a cat to water. ‘Oh…you.I’m supposed to be..p-paying you back,’ he whimpered and she giggled.

‘You are,’ she whispered. He hissed and she felt him twitch. That was the truth. She wanted to pamper him. She had been earlier, washing his hair, but he needed attention elsewhere and she would give it to him. It turned her on, watching her partner be satisfied with just her mouth. She rocked her hips happily and once he was slick with her spit, she took as much as she could of him in her mouth. Rolan moaned and she felt his tail rise up between her legs, asking for them to part. She parted her knees and his tail rubbed up against her and she moaned against him.

‘Oh what a pretty thing you are…’ he muttered and she began to bob her head up and down. As she did, she naturally rubbed herself against his tail, which he kept pressing against her harder and harder. He was only encouraging her. She felt his tail move against her and she grinned.

‘Looking for something?’ She asked him playfully and went right back to her work. He made eye contact with her for a moment and she watched him. She had never seen him like that, completely enraptured, nervous, a little confused. He sighed out happily and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

‘I want to fuck you, so you’re going to need to cum for me,’ he told her softly and she wiggled her hips.

‘It makes you feel good when I cum, doesn’t it?’ She asked, using her hand to work his cock as she spoke to him. He nodded and swallowed hard. ‘You make me feel so good, Rolan,’ she said and put his cock back in her mouth. His sounds and whimpers as she sucked him, his cock growing harder in her mouth was sending her on edge. She couldn’t help it. She felt the warmth rise up inside of her and she arched her back, slowing down. Rolan opened his eyes to watch her. His tail rubbed her harder and a little faster to make up for her frozen form.

‘Yes, yes, oh you beautiful thing, yes, cum for me, cum like I asked, be a good girl,’ he whispered a spasm shot through her body as she writhed, riding her orgasm out on his tail. ‘That’s my girl, yes, enjoy yourself on me, use me,’ he coaxed her through her orgasm, leaving her legs shaking. She crawled up and kissed him hard, rolling her hips in his. He placed one hand on her backside and the other positioned himself so she could feel him at her entrance which was begging. ‘Do you want it?’ He asked her through kisses and she moaned. ‘Say it,’ he commanded her lightly and she nodded.

‘I want it, I want you,’ she muttered and he lifted his hips and she groaned as he entered her. He held her hips still so she would stay exactly where she was. In and out, so slow, so careful. With every movement of his hips she cried out. Her body ached. He watched her carefully and she sat upright. She then leaned back, her hands on his thighs behind her and bounced. He cursed under his breath and moved his right hand to her middle. His thumb rubbed her clit and she called out, feeling that rush of warmth again. She felt like she had no control over herself, pure instinct had taken over. She bounced and rocked her hips on him like a mad woman, crying out his name.

‘You’re so beautiful,’ Rolan muttered. She moaned again, looking down at her.

‘Oh Rolan,’ she moaned and he leaned up on his elbow, still rubbing her clit.

‘Mmmm…take what you want, take what you want, I want to feel you cum with me inside you, be selfish,’ he whispered and that was it. She lost the ability to breath and her hips curled around, as her second orgasm rang through her. Rolan gasped and moaned and she felt him shiver under her, twitching and then his hips pressing into her more. That was magical.

‘I love you,’ she whispered and bent down to kiss him. A shiver ran up her spine and she giggled. Rolan pulled her down to lay on top of him, his arms wrapped around her.

‘I love you too,’ he whispered and kissed his lady. She giggled, a feel of pure joy and release washing over her, delusional joy. She felt happy, she felt silly, she felt stupid, she felt playful and warm. The couple stayed like that, not getting enough of the other, just kissing and grabbing in the afterglow. Their tails intertwined and fought over dominance. Zelphie kissed down his face, giggling happily and he laughed at her. ‘Oh don’t tell me you have energy left,’ he said and looked down at her with heavily lidded eyes. Her eyes were bright.

‘Is it annoying?’ She asked him, wiggling a little. He shook his head, still smiling and closed his eyes.

‘Not in the least, I just hope you know this old man is physically spent,’ he said and sighed out.

‘What old man?’ She asked and he just laughed. She crawled off of him happily and sat next to his head, and her fingers combed through his wet hair happily. He had a very low and quiet purr, but it was there and it made her happy. He scooted to his side and pulled on her arm.

‘Come down here and lay with me, I want to hold you,’ he begged and she did as he asked. Though first, Rolan kicked down the covers to situate themselves on the sheets. Once under them, Rolan pulled Zelphie in closed, their noses nuzzling and her horns clinked against his. ‘Comfortable?’ He asked her softly and she nodded, her tail and legs wrapping around his. If she could find a way to get closer to him she would. ‘Good,’ he said and leaned his face up to kiss her forehead. ‘I meant what I said, Zelphie, I do love you. That wasn’t wine or lust talking. Your courage, your kindness, your patience, your warmth, your beauty…I…I’d have to be a damned fool not to consider myself the luckiest person in Faerun by having you in my arms, in my bed. And I will take advantage of that, I will cherish you, I will make sure I am worthy of your love in return,’ he spoke and Zelphie’s mind buzzed. She didn’t know what to say. All of the accolades coming from him meant everything to her. So that’s what she would tell him.

‘That…that means quite a lot coming from you, Rolan. Thank you, and know that I will also cherish you, and boost that goddamned confidence of yours, because everything you say you see in me I see in you,’ she said and he looked down. ‘I see a trustworthy, devoted, brave, hard-working, intelligent and beautiful man when I look at you. I’d give anything to have you know that about yourself,’ she continued and he frowned a little. ‘You don’t need to fight for me. Just…promise me you’ll continue being this man that I love, hm?’ She asked and he smiled again and nodded.

‘I promise,’ he told her and she kissed him tenderly. ‘Goodnight, Zelphie,’ he whispered and closed his eyes.

‘Sweet dreams, Rolan.’

[librocubicularistficrecs]

baby fats

Author: hazelnooot

Pairing(s): Lai Guanlin/Park Jihoon

Side pairing(s): -

Fandom: Wanna One, Produce 101 (TV)

Rating: General

Word Count: 723

Summary:

Jihoon thinks he need to do diet. Guanlin doesn't really like the idea.

AO3 LINK

- Admin Rai

[princess-leaorgana]

What Tieflings Do Chptr 5

Summary: After the takedown of The Absolute, Zelphie finds her city in need of more help and her home destroyed. She won't stop helping, but who can help her?

Rolan x Tav (Zelphie; ~30y.o AFAB, Sorcerer, Tiefling, not really described physically on purpose <3)

M/F

Author's Note: I fucking love tielfings. Along with this being a budding romance/smut/fluff/word vomit fanfiction, it's also my case study in DnD 5e tieflings, how they act, what sets them apart from humans and devils and elves. That being said, I have a few artistic liberties in here as well where I couldn't find a straight answer, if you'll amuse me.

Warnings - Spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3, smut and way too much domestic fluff. WAY TOO MUCH. Have your dentist on fucking speed dial, I can't reign her in boys. Genuinely, if you don't like self-serving fluff, you're going to hate this and me. Love you, you little biscottis.

Chapter One Two Three Four

Rolan was not a sound sleeper. He tossed and turned in his sleep and Zelphie wasn’t much better. She stole his pillow sometime in the middle of the night. Rolan was very early to rise, Zelphie wasn’t so much. It wasn’t nice for her to wake up alone that morning and she groaned and stretched. She sat up with a yawn, looking around.

‘Rolan?’ She called, hoping that he was maybe just in the washroom, but she heard nothing. She frowned and looked at her bedside table. Her frown disappeared instantly. A glass and pitcher of water, a little note and a black water lily had been placed there. She grinned to herself and picked up the pretty flower, her favorite, just as she had told him last night. This was a lovely way to wake up. She reached for the note and laid back on her pillow.

My sleeping darling,

Waking up next to you in the morning, the dawn’s warm glow on your rosy skin, it made it very hard to pull myself from bed. With every fiber of my being, I did, for I have a lot to do today, and the sooner it is all done, the sooner I can return to our privacy. I will be having my normal breakfast with Lia and Cal and I will inform them of our new found adoration for each other. I don’t believe I can face them without telling them the full truth, you’ll have to forgive me, but we never keep things from each other. When you wake, please take your time, bathe, drink your tea, play with little Lajy, have your breakfast, move whatever items you’d like of yours into this room. 

I’ll consider all of what I own to be yours. If it would bring you joy, you may have it. 

I will be attending the shop when you are ready, but please, come as you would like. If you would like. I would like you to.

-R

Zelphie had never received a cute little letter from a partner before. Not like this one. She bit her lip and looked around the room. Lajy had made his way up on the bed and was snoozing by her feet. She reached over and picked the kitten up. He lazily snuggled on her chest and neck and Zelphie drank a glass of water. After the drinking and physical activities last night, she would do very well to hydrate.

Once she was a little more awake, she got ready for the morning, having to, unfortunately, go across the hall to grab some clothing for the day. She would help down in the shop, dressing nicely for customers. And maybe for Rolan. A purple wrap dress and black slippers it was. Plus one little accessory. She wore her hair in a bun and placed the black lily on the side of it. She preened a little more, and her and Lajy walked down to the kitchen for breakfast. No elementals were to be found, but someone was. Cal. He was cooking. Zelphie went bright red, knowing it was very likely Cal knew about last night by now. She cleared her throat and Cal turned around. His eyes widened when he saw Zelphie.

‘Well well well,’ he said and leaned on the counter he was working at, crossing his arms. ‘Couldn’t just be set with a room in a wizard’s tower, had to give its master a ride for his money, hm?’ He asked playfully, but Zelphie would have rather been executed. Cal laughed at her and shook his head. ‘I mean FINALLY Zelphie. The two of you, ever since Last Light Inn, Lia and I have been making bets on when you two would finally get over your stubbornness and you know…’ he said and bobbed his head. Zelphie frowned, this was just as torturous as she thought it would be.

‘How does everyone know?’ She asked and he laughed. He pointed at her middle.

‘Your tail, his tail. Both of you go full primitive when you see each other, it’s-‘ he stopped when he looked at the ground. ‘Is that a cat?’ He asked and Zelphie looked down at Lajy. He was sniffing around the kitchen.

‘Yes, Lajy, I found him yesterday,’ she said and Cal laughed.

‘Anything else? Had a romp with my brother, adopt a cat and name it love, wedding bells next? Or am I going to be an uncle?’ He teased and Zelphie scoffed.

‘Please don’t,’ she whined a little and walked over to pour herself some coffee.

‘Come on, give me a little something, do you know how many people Rolan used to bring back home to meet us?’ He asked and Zelphie glanced at him. She would very much like to know the answer to that question. ‘Not exactly many. I think three,’ he said and Zelphie went back to her coffee. ‘So, I never got to experience teasing him over it like all brothers usually do, I’ll stop, I promise. Well. Teasing you,’ he said and went back to cooking. He was baking a pie of some sort.

‘Don’t tease him too much, though…oh I do like him grumpy,’ she said and sipped her coffee.

‘I knew you were my favorite,’ Cal said and laughed.

‘But if you are nice to your brother…I’ll have Astarion over for tea later tonight. If you…would like that,’ she said and Cal froze and glanced at her.

‘You…you would?’ He asked and she giggled, nodding.

‘I think he likes you,’ she said and opened the ice box and found a few cubes of beef for Lajy to eat. She fixed him a bowl of water and beef and set it on the floor. The kitten ran right over and began to devour the meat. ‘I’m going to the shop, how angry is Lia at me?’ She asked and Cal wrinkled his nose.

‘You will receive a lecture, but she’s not angry. Just, protective,’ he warned her and Zelphie nodded.

‘Thank you for the warning,’ she said and walked out of the kitchen with her coffee to use the portal to Sorcerer’s Sundries. She’d like to get the fight with Lia over and done with. Cal always softened blows, he would never warn her that Lia was actually angry at her. He was a pacifist and never saw the bad side of anything or anyone.

The store was busy, it was morning and that was the busiest it ever was. Rolan was leaning his hand against the large counter in the middle of the shop, talking with a woman who was dressed very finely. Zelphie walked over to the pair, but her arm was caught instead and she was pulled away.

‘No no, you are coming with me.’ Lia had seen her before anyone else did. Zelphie obeyed and followed Lia to the back of the shop, knowing a scolding was on its way.

‘Lia, please, I haven’t even finished my coffee,’ Zelphie told her, begging for her to have some mercy. Lia held up a quick hand.

‘First and foremost, between a powerful wizard and a world saving sorcerer, one of the two of you could be decent enough to know a spell that will silence your bedrooms from the rest of the tower,’ she said and Zelphie almost passed out.

‘You could hear us?’ She asked and Lia nodded. Zelphie placed her hand over her face, now refusing to look at Lia.

‘Secondly, promise me you won’t hurt him,’ she continued and Zelphie froze. After a second she lowered her hand. Lia was staring at her. ‘If you hurt him, Zelphie, I promise you I will hurt you back,’ she said and Zelphie nodded.

‘You don’t need to threaten me, I would never hurt him. I love him,’ she said and glanced back over at the counter. Rolan was still talking with that woman. ‘I know a lot of people have hurt him and taken advantage of him, I know it’s your job to protect him, but I’m not a threat, Lia, I promise you that,’ she said and looked back at her friend. Lia’s face softened a bit and she nodded.

‘Well, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I’m happy,’ she said and Zelphie smiled a little. ‘I know this sounds silly after what I just said, but…I know you’ll be good to him, you’ll be patient with him. He needs someone like you,’ she said and Zelphie’s smile only grew.

‘Thank you, Lia, that means a lot,’ she said and Lia walked closer and hugged her.

‘Just don’t be too gross in front of Cal and me, or the customers,’ she said and Zelphie laughed.

‘How gross is too gross?’ She asked and Lia laughed, nudging her.

‘Come on, you didn’t meet Satah yesterday, come and meet Rolan’s new apprentice,’ she said and nodded at the counter. Zelphie followed Lia to the counter, her heart beating a little harder than normal. Rolan was still talking but caught Lia and Zelphie in his eyeline and grinned up at them.

‘Ah! And here is the rest of my family, Satah. You met Cal and Lia yesterday, this is Zelphie,’ Rolan said and Zelphie nervously smiled at the woman. Beautiful elf with hazelnut skin and long braids. Satah turned and smiled, holding out her hand to greet Zelphie.

‘Goodness! What a big family you have, it’s wonderful to meet another one of Rolan’s sisters,’ she said and Lia snorted a laugh. Zelphie froze a little, though why the hells Rolan introduced her as family was beyond her.

‘Oh, I’m sorry, no, Zelphie isn’t my sister, she’s my wife,’ he said, though that was absolutely not correct and Zelphie could only hear a faint ringing. Twelve hours ago, they hadn’t even kissed. Now they are married. What was happening to her? Was she awake?

‘Oh! Oh, I’m sorry, of course! Master Rolan told me about you yesterday, I didn’t know you were married, ha! Oh that’s so sweet, well, it’s lovely to meet you all the same,’ she said and Zelphie nodded.

‘Lovely to meet you as well, Satah. Rolan is very particular when it comes to everything in his life, so naturally, you must be incredibly talented to make it through him,’ Zelphie managed and let go of the woman’s hand.

‘Satah, let me show you the basement really quickly, I’m sure Rolan’s been talking your ear off and you should get a tour first,’ Lia said, taking Satah’s arm to give Rolan and Zelphie some privacy after that insane moment. Satah and Lia left and Zelphie looked up at Rolan who was just smiling at her.

‘Your wife?’ She asked and Rolan frowned a little.

‘Yes, uhm….I-uhm…I didn’t know what else to call you,’ he fumbled and cleared his throat. ‘I’ll clear it up, I promise. I’m sorry,’ he said and Zelphie’s heart melted a little.

‘Don’t apologize, just warn me before we get married,’ she told him and he stifled a little chuckle. ‘I’d like to dress better,’ she added and he laughed.

‘You look very nice this morning,’ he said politely and she grinned.

‘You’ve seen me in better,’ she told him, a little flirt and he went bright red.

‘Hush hush, not in front of the customers,’ he told her with a grin.

‘Why not? Aren’t married couples supposed to flirt a little?’ She teased him and he hushed her again, getting a little visibly annoyed, sending her into a giggle fit. ‘Alright, alright, get back to work, Master Rolan,’ she said and turned away from him to find someone to help on the floor. Luckily for both of them the store was very busy. Cal showed up to help as best he could. He had done a great job of memorizing how the store was stocked. He would ask a million questions a day, but once either Zelphie or Rolan or even Satah specified what the customer wanted, he knew exactly where to go looking.

‘So, Lia told me you are the reason for the ending of the apocalypse.’ Zelphie was showing Satah around as the place slowed down a little. Zelphie figured she would get to know the woman a little more. She did seem very nice and very knowledgeable.

‘Me and a lot of other people,’ Zelphie corrected her and Satah laughed.

‘She also warned me you were humble to a fault. I think she’s right,’ she said and Zelphie smirked. ‘Still, not even your powerful husband was by your side, he was here, wasn’t he manning the towers? I would have been terrified  if I didn’t have my wife by my side during that,’ she said and there were about four things Zelphie wanted to ask there, but she settled on one.

‘You’re married?’ She asked and Satah nodded.

‘Yes, with two little ones as well, Gemma always says, one for her, one for me. Both boys,’ she said and Zelphie grinned.

‘That’s lovely,’ she said and Satah nodded.

‘Most lovely that I still have all of them,’ she said and placed a hand on Zelphie’s shoulder, a very kind touch. ‘Thank you for saving them,’ she said and Zelphie’s eyes widened. No matter how many people thanked her as she went through her day, it still shocked her and made her freeze.

‘I’m really happy you still have them,’ she said and nodded. ‘Not a lot of people can say the same, I’m afraid,’ she said and Satah nodded, letting her hand down.

‘I know I’m very lucky, thank you all the same,’ she said and Zelphie nodded.

‘It’s…I’m happy that I could have helped them,’ she settled on. A moment passed between her and Satah and she sighed. ‘I’m sorry if this is strange, but Rolan introduced me as his wife, I’m…I’m not his wife,’ she said and Satah’s green eyes widened.

‘Oh?’ She asked and Zelphie laughed a little.

‘I don’t…know why he said that. We uhm, we just started to see each other romantically, even though we have known each other for a while, and he just…likes his own privacy. I think referring to me as his lover or something like that would have made him feel strange. Though, I would beg that calling me his spouse has made things much more strange,’ she explained and Satah laughed a little.

‘I’m sorry if that was awkward for you this morning, then,’ she said and Zelphie grinned.

‘The entire last six months have been awkward for me, that wasn’t really anything.’ The day continued, everyone took turns showing Satah around and just before dinner, she left and the shop closed for the evening.

‘Zelphie, you got a package today,’ Cal called as he was tidying the front counter.

‘Oh?’ Zelphie looked up as her mage hand put some books away on a high shelf. She walked over and saw a large package. She inspected it and smiled. ‘Oh! Well, what on earth did he send me?’ She wondered out loud. The package came from Waterdeep, and she only knew one person from there. She opened the letter and grinned.

Dearest Zelphie,

It has only been a few days, but it feels like all that we have lived through together was a lifetime ago, now that I’m back home. I have heard from a little birdie who will remain nameless that you have moved to Ramazith’s Tower and I am delighted to hear that news. Take advantage of your luxury. A wizard’s tower is homey and comforting, but it is a place of academic achievement and you will only get better by reading and watching Rolan as your teacher as he helps you really hone in on your magical talents. Please warn him not to teach you anything involving electricity, I would be remiss if I didn’t warn him what you’re capable of. My tunic still has that singe from our last lesson.

Please have Rolan accept these back, I feel awfully guilty that I still have them, as I meant to give them back before I left North. They are one of a kinds and I will admit they are hard to hand back over, but that knowledge should be shared, and I have already used them. I know Rolan will put them to better use and more responsible a man than never was.

Please keep in touch, Zelphie. I was very very glad for that short, bleak moment in my life, to call you a friend.

-Gale Dekarios

Zelphie smiled through the note and placed it on the counter. She opened the package and laughed. Three books, all glowing with a purple protection spell on them. 

‘Rolan!’ She called happily and Rolan came over from the back counter. ‘Rolan! Gale sent these, they were in the shop before, oh my goodness, I can’t believe he sent them back,’ she said and handed him one. Once she touched one, the spell disappeared. Rolan raised an eyebrow, reading the binding.

‘The Annals of Karsus?’ He asked and looked at her. ‘This was here?’ He asked and Zelphie nodded.

‘Yes, keep that locked away, further than where it was originally,’ she warned him. Cal looked into the box and pulled out a second book and hissed and dropped it. The book had bitten him.

‘What in the hells?’ He asked and Zelphie giggled, picking up the book and handing it to Rolan, the spell also fading as she did.

‘Don’t touch the magic books, Cal,’ she told him and pulled out the last one. This one had not come from the shop, but it might as well have stayed with the second book, The Necromancy of Thay. Rolan frowned when he was handed that particular book, as would anyone that had to look at that ugly thing.

‘Well, he has my thanks, if I were an intelligent person, I might have these burned, but I’ll keep these safe,’ he said and Zelphie grinned at him. She handed him the letter to read, very happy that the two might now connect.

‘That book looks evil,’ Lia said, looking at the necromancy book.

‘It is,’ Zelphie warned her and looked up at Rolan. ‘Profane knowledge, but knowledge, nonetheless,’ she said and Rolan nodded.

‘I’ll put it under the cannons,’ he said and Zelphie smirked.

The four finished cleaning up the shop and went home. After a bit of an awkward dinner, Lia stole the family’s new kitten and Cal followed her. Lia had told Cal about Rolan’s earlier slip up, calling Zelphie his wife and he would not allow that subject to go. Sibling teasing would never be something anyone could age out of, apparently. As they left, Rolan looked at Zelphie and sighed.

‘So,’ he began and played with his wine goblet a little. ‘Uhm,’ he continued and Zelphie giggled a little at him.

‘Yes?’ She asked him and he clicked his tongue.

‘I’m sorry, I don’t know exactly how to navigate this. Behaving and being civil all day for show after a night of…not behaving,’ he said and Zelphie grinned.

‘You think all of that was behaving?’ She asked and he frowned, making her laugh. ‘I’m sorry, but if Cal can tease you, I’m entitled to a little. I did tell Satah the truth, just so you know. I couldn’t help it, she started to tell me about her family and I felt as though I should tell her that we aren’t there ourselves, it felt natural to tell her,’ she explained and he nodded.

‘I am very sorry, I genuinely thought that was the most intelligent route. But it’s no matter, I don’t think I’ll be keeping her, to be honest,’ he said and Zelphie frowned.

‘Why not?’

‘She lied, she’s not a wizard, she’s a cleric of Mystra,’ he explained and sipped his wine.

‘Well, maybe she can’t be your apprentice, but wouldn’t you want to keep her around? A cleric of Mystra would be a good asset,’ she told him and he shook his head.

‘Ramazith’s Tower will no longer hold siege to people who lie for their own benefit. You are right, if she had told me about herself honestly the first time, I would have still hired her, but she lied. She lied to get what she wanted, and I don’t believe I can tolerate anyone else lying to me,’ he went on and Zelphie frowned.

‘Give her a second chance?’ She asked and Rolan sighed.

‘I will think about it,’ he answered and Zelphie nodded, knowing that was the best she could get.

‘Though, I’m glad. I can still be your apprentice, if you’ll still have me,’ she said and a smile grew on Rolan’s face.

‘If I’ll still have you? Oh, the understatement of the century, my dear,’ he said and she grinned at him.

The couple left for Rolan’s study. It was a strange room, dummies for targets, ritual circles on the floor, a static feeling of the Weave all around the room. There weren’t so many books here, making it seem very out of place for the tower. This was where Rolan studied spells and would teach Zelphie when he had the patience. Zelphie was not exactly a good student. Days of teaching her basic illusionary tricks had proven that to him. She was too nervous to perform properly and would be distracted by those nerves. But he would do it, he would make a wizard out of his little sorcerer.

‘Alright, feet about shoulders’ length apart,’ he said and watched her. ‘Toes straight out,’ he said and walked around her as she fixed her posture. She watched him and he kept checking her. ‘Don’t look at me,’ he told her and she looked forward. It was hard to follow his direction of ‘pretend he wasn’t here’ and also take direction from him. He walked closer to her and plucked the lily from her bun, handing it to her. ‘Look at it, memorize it,’ he told her and she held the flower delicately in her hand. A black lily, her favorite flower. That would make this easier. She memorized the deep color, the little spots, the pollinator, the stem, all of it. Even how it weighed in her hand. ‘Do you have it?’ He asked softly and she nodded. Rolan snapped his hands and the lily fizzled in a static purple cloud and she gasped. The lily she had been wearing all day hadn’t been real. It was Rolan’s magic, how powerful was he? ‘Close your eyes, find harmony, and repeat the somatic component when you are focused,’ he said softly.

Zelphie took in a deep breath, picturing the flower in her mind. The black, spotted petals, the green stem, the orange pollinators. She found peace in the moment, remembering waking up to see the flower, hoping that joy and memory would serve her well. She muttered the incantation and she felt something tickle her fingers. She opened her eyes and Rolan shouted a happy cry.

‘Zelphie!’ He shouted and grabbed her shoulders happily. ‘Look at that! Ha!’ He cheered happily. ‘She can be taught! With the help of a professional of course,’ he said, he was so happy, but Zelphie frowned when she saw what she had created. Six black leaves. Was it an improvement? Yes. But she had hoped with his excitement for perfection. Or at least a flower.

‘Rolan, this isn’t anything,’ she said and the leaves fizzled away. Rolan shook his head.

‘No! You are brilliant!’ He took her face in his hands and kissed her squarely.  That shocked her, this behavior wasn’t very like him, but he was happy. ‘This is much better than you zapping me,’ he said. Yes, he was very happy indeed. She smiled at him and nodded. ‘I’m so proud of you,’ he continued and her smile grew instantly. Her tail thumped happily against the floor.

‘You are?’ She asked, feeling like she was melting in his hands.

‘Of course I am! That is a terrific improvement, you made organic material, my darling you are brilliant,’ he said and kissed her forehead. She laughed happily, very happy for his joy, it was contagious. He was proud of her, oh there was nothing better for her. The joy in his eyes, the yellow glow buried by his happy smiling cheeks.

‘Can we try again?’ She asked and he nodded happily.

The couple worked very hard for the next few hours until Zelphie was getting delusional. No lily was summoned that evening, but she did at one point summon a sunflower. It faded quickly, and Zelphie was a little upset that she couldn’t play with it, but she was very happy. Rolan was beside himself with joy and rang for tea.

‘You, oh you, you will get quite the treat, oh what shall we do to celebrate your victory?’ He asked her and sat on a little chaise and she followed, sitting down close to him. Her tail curled up behind him.

‘Oh, I can think of something,’ she told him softly and he chuckled, leaning close to her.

‘Mmm, that will be my reward for my wonderful teaching, you deserve your own treat,’ he purred and she got a shiver up her spine. ‘Something sweet for you, hm? What would my darling like?’ He asked, brushing a stray hair from her face. She laughed at him, he was being very sweet.

‘What? Like a cake?’ She asked and he shrugged.

‘If that is what you would like,’ he said and leaned over, pouring them some tea. Zelphie thought about it for a moment, feeling a little silly. Like a child being treated after a chore well done.

‘Could I ask for something even more childish than that?’ She asked and he laughed, handing her her cup.

‘You can ask for whatever you’d like,’ he told her and leaned back on the chaise, ready for her request.

‘Tonight…before we sleep…oh, well, uhm,’ she laughed and shook her head. ‘Could we sleep together again tonight?’ She asked and he smirked.

‘Is that what you want? That’s not a treat my darling, that’s a given,’ he told her. She smiled and shook her head.

‘No, I was just hoping you would be open to it, sharing your bed again, I don’t want to be clingy,’ she told him and he laughed. He pulled at her tail that was coiled around him. ‘Sorry,’ she said with a smile and he shook his head.

‘You aren’t going to apologize for that, oh Zelphie, no. No, darling, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea of how I’m feeling. I’m very happy, I want you to be with me as much as possible. Honestly, I can’t get enough of you,’ he told her and grinned. She felt sillier than she had just a moment ago. ‘I wrote you that note this morning, and I meant it. My bed is no longer mine, it’s ours. If you want to have your privacy, you still have your room, I’m not taking that from you, but if you want to sleep beside me tonight and tomorrow and the next day and the next, I’m very happy with that,’ he told her and she sipped her tea, her heart spinning.

‘I’m not used to all of this,’ she said and he smirked. ‘I just…’ she sighed and shrugged. ‘Never been loved so much,’ she said and he shook his head.

‘I don’t believe that, that can’t be right,’ he said and she shook her head.

‘No one has ever treated me like you treat me, Rolan. Nothing like this, and I’m afraid it’ll be over soon,’ she said and his face softened a little.

‘Why would it be over?’ He asked and she shrugged.

‘When you get tired of me,’ she said and he scowled.

‘Zelphie, if you are going to think like that, you’re going to be miserable. You think that I don’t fear that as well?’ He asked and she frowned and sipped her tea again, a little nervous about this conversation. ‘Life may happen, but I’m not just having fun with you here. I care about you very very much. If I ever give you cause to doubt that, tell me, for I’m misrepresenting myself,’ he told her and she nodded. ‘And until you tell me to stop, I’m going to show you just how much you mean to me every single day,’ he said and she opened her mouth to protest, but he held up his hand. ‘We will start with you telling me how you would like to be rewarded for your hard work tonight,’ he continued and sipped his tea. She just looked at him for a moment, happy. That was it, happy, content, safe.

‘I was hoping before we sleep you could..maybe read to me,’ she suggested and his eyebrows shot up. ‘I uhm, saw the book on your nightstand and I felt bad that you didn’t have time to read last night. And Rolan…I really love your voice,’ she said and he went deep red at that compliment. ‘It’s so soft and low…I don’t know, I just think it would be a nice way to fall asleep,’ she said and he nodded.

‘Then you will have it,’ he told her simply and sipped his tea.

‘And what would you like for your efforts?’ She asked and he chuckled.

‘You know exactly what I’d like,’ he said softly and Zelphie giggled.

‘That’s not fair, I was going to give you that anyway,’ she told him and he grinned.

‘That’s all that I desire,’ he told her simply. Their tea was finished very quickly after that.

The couple walked to Rolan’s bedroom and outside the door, scratching to get in was Lajy. Zelphie scooped him up and gave the little kitten kisses and rubs. Rolan led her inside and Zelphie placed Lajy on the sofa. The kitten hopped down to run around the room and explore. Rolan walked around to change and Lajy took to chasing Rolan’s tail. That made Rolan laugh, which Zelphie was very happy for.

‘I should have done what you suggested and brought my clothes in here,’ she said and Rolan looked up at her and he undressed.

‘Only do what you are comfortable with,’ he told her, reassuring her that his suggestion was permission, not a request.

‘I think it will be easier, maybe not all of my clothing, but at least a few nightgowns,’ she said and sat in the bed. Rolan smiled and thumbed through his wardrobe and picked up a white shirt. He walked over to her and placed it on the bed next to her.

‘Maybe not as flattering, but maybe this will do for tonight,’ he told her. She ran her fingers over the shirt and smiled. Wearing his shirt to bed was certainly a nice thought. As she looked at the shirt, Rolan looked at her. He reached out and played with a loose lock of hair that had fallen from her bun earlier. ‘I liked the lily in your hair today, it was very pretty,’ he told her and she smiled at him.

‘Thank you for making it for me…that…was incredibly thoughtful,’ she said and bit her bottom lip. He smiled, a little pride on his lips. ‘One thing to go and have one fetched, it’s another thing entirely that you made it for me,’ she continued and he nodded and laughed.

‘Don’t expect all your gifts to be manufactured by magic. Or some of them will surely disappear,’ he told her, running his fingers from her hair down her face.

‘All of my gifts?’ She asked him and he grinned. ‘Oh, no no, no gifts. I’ve been given enough,’ she told him and he laughed.

‘That request is denied,’ he told her. She wrinkled her nose at him. Along with everything else, Zelphie was not easy to accept gifts. Rolan should be used to that by now. ‘Request,’ he repeated and lowered his face to hers. ‘Denied.’ He kissed her sweetly, stroking her chin with his thumb. She kissed him back happily, thumping from her tail on the bed could be heard. She placed a hand on the leather belt that kept his robes fashioned to him. She untied the strings and once the belt hit the floor, Rolan quickly shuffled the thick fabric off on his shoulders. He stood in a wrap shirt and trousers and Zelphie leaned back in the bed to get a little look at him. The disconnect of the kiss made Rolan stand up straight and place his hands on his hips. ‘What?’ He asked as she continued to stare at him.

‘Turn around,’ she said and twirled her finger in the air. He raised an eyebrow but after a beat he sighed and did as she asked. She took one more moment to look at his back. He had such a strong figure, not the usual when looking at the body of a wizard. His broad shoulders sloped delicately to his strong waist. She pulled on the strings of his trousers, just above his tail. His tail wrapped around her calf and she grinned. She loved when he did that, whether he meant to or it was instinct. She liked being wanted, being claimed by him. He pulled down his pants, Zelphie gave his taught little backside a pinch. He yelped and turned around and she laughed. ‘I’m sorry, you’ve got a very cute bum,’ she told him and he shook his head.

‘That’s the second word you’ve used on me that I don’t like,’ he said with a playful smile. ‘Silly? Cute? Me? No, no absolutely not,’ he told her and she laughed. He unwrapped his shirt and she got off the bed, undressing herself.

‘Go sit on the bed,’ she told him, untying her dress. He did as he was told, stark naked and just watched her. She glanced at him when she heard his tail thump on the bed just as hers did earlier. That made her heartbeat hard. Once she was down to nothing, she walked over to him and knelt down. ‘Now, a treat for my very hardworking and patient professor,’ she said, holding his cock gently in her hand. He moaned lightly and she kissed his inner thighs, stroking him very gently as his erection grew. After the initial shock, his hands found her hair, untying her bun to let her hair down. He ran his fingers through it. She kissed and licked the ridges of his thighs, they were terribly tight. She would give him a massage later. 

‘My beauty, nothing compares to you,’ he whispered as he whimpered a little. She licked up his length and he sighed out a very happy purr, stroking her hair. ‘This…this is worth everything I’ve ever gone through,’ he continued and she looked up at him with big eyes and he smiled. ‘I love you, I treasure you,’ he spoke before she took him in her mouth. That was the sort of praise Zelphie wanted to hear. A compliment on her magic was nice, but hearing Rolan talk to her like that as she was doing everything she could to please him was just blissful. She wanted to make him selfishly happy. She wanted to be of use, she wanted to be a positive light for him. Never a burden, she didn’t want presents and accolades. She wanted to make him happy. He hissed a little and laughed, watching her. She slowly bobbed up and down, sucking in as she went up, twirling her tongue around the head of his cock. ‘The most wonderful person I have ever met, the most beautiful woman any have ever laid eyes on and she’s on her knees in front of me, lips on my…cock,’ he said, clearly not comfortable with that language. He shuddered another moan and leaned back in his elbow and watched her, his hand in her hair.

Zelphie moved a little quicker, adding her hand to the base and he free hand stroked and cupped his balls. If he was going to keep praising her like that, he should expect her to over perform. She wanted him to be selfish that night. Was she ready for sex, to be touched? Of course, but he deserved to just be taken care of, to be worshiped. She was very happy hearing his swear and moan and whine under her touch and tongue. She watched his face and his chest rise, and his eyes never left her face. Timidly, he grabbed one of her horns and applied a little pressure, asking for permission. She cooed in response, so she never stopped her task, but gave him permission to move her. He knew what he liked, she wanted him to show her.

‘How deep can you…?’ He asked, pushing her head down, her mouth taking more of him and stopped at her hand. She breathed through her nose as he kept her steady. ‘Move your hand, my love, just one deep one,’ he asked softly and she took in another deep breath, removed her hands and moved further down. She gagged lightly and stopped moving. He groaned in pleasure and pulled her up. ‘Oh very good, that’s my girl,’ he said and she went down again, just before that gag. ‘Oh fuck, fuck Zelphie, you’ll make quick work of me,’ he panted. That only encouraged her. She kept going, pushing the feeling in the back of her throat away by closing her eyes and focusing on her breathing. She wanted Rolan to lose control, to feel the bliss of an orgasm so quickly. Up and down, breathing through her nose, listening to his cries, she placed her free hand on his chest, bracing herself. ‘Darling, I’m-I’m going…’ he warned her and she added her hand back, determined to make this moment perfect for him. He cried out again and she could taste him. She swallowed his salty and sour cum quickly and lapped up the rest like a cat. ‘Oh…gods dammit Zelphie,’ he said and laid back on the bed, panting. She giggled and kissed his pulsing cock happily, very proud of herself. He leaned up after a little breathing break and looked at her. Her tail was curled up, mischievous and proud, as was her face. She had on a wicked little smile and he shook his head. What was he thinking? He looked dazed. ‘You know exactly how to unravel me,’ he said and she giggled again.

‘Are you happy?’ She asked and he laughed loudly.

‘To quote you from last night, that is a terrible word for how I am feeling, but yes, I am happy,’ he told her and reached down his hand to stroke her face. ‘Off your knees, my love, come up with me,’ he told her and she got up, her knees cracking a little. He pulled her into his lap and grinned up at her. He placed a hand on her back, the other on her backside. ‘Surely, that kind of behavior deserves a little something,’ he told her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. With a strength she didn’t understand, he scooted up further on the bed, taking her with him. He laid back and she wiggled in his lap. ‘Uh uh, no, that is sensitive, you’ve sucked the life out of me,’ he told her and she howled with a laugh. ‘But I still have other parts of me you can find use in,’ he whispered, rubbing her thighs. His thumb ran over a little bite marked on her thigh that he had left on her last night, his little brand. He glanced at it and then looked back up at her. ‘Scoot up,’ he ordered and patted her bottom. She moved up his torso and received another little pat. She moved once more and got another pat. She laughed.

‘Where am I going?’ She asked and he grinned at her, not responding, but just patted her backside again. She scooted up to his chest and she got another pat. ‘Rolan!’ She squeaked when she got one last pat. ‘I’m going to suffocate you,’ she told him with a laugh.

‘I’d like for you to try,’ he said and patted her backside a little more firmly. She stared down at him. ‘Come come, I want to taste you,’ he said, his voice and tone perfectly pleasant considering what he was suggesting. ‘Don’t make me beg,’ he said, swatting her backside. She squealed and then bit her lip, looking down at him.

‘Are you sure?’ She asked and he nodded.

‘I insist, come come, be greedy,’ he said and she wiggled a little, not sure if what he was suggesting was entirely safe for him. How would he breathe? She moved a little and he was able to hook his arms under her thighs and finally push her over his face. She hovered delicately and he took out a nice deep breath. Her body shivered from his hot breath and she felt his arm constricting, pulling her further down. Finally, down not even an inch and she felt his tongue. He wasn’t going slow and she moaned, feeling his greedy tongue already lapping at her clit.

‘Oh my gods, Rolan,’ she breathed and she felt him laughing against her. Her back arched as she got used to this position. Rolan’s very skilled tongue made quick work of her. It was enough for her to be in this position, sitting just above his face. She looked down, his face pressed between her thighs, she watched him, his strong brow bone furrowed in concentration, his eyes closed. He was devastating to watch. She cursed and rocked her hips against him and his arms pulled her down. His tongue was pressed hard against her and she almost doubled over. Damn him, damn him for being so selfless. She leaned over, not able to keep herself upright. ‘Oh! Oh!’ She cried and moaned. She sat back up, knowing full well he would not be able to breathe with her on him like that. His hands moved from her thighs to her backside, helping her grind against him. 

His nails dug into the skin of her backside and she whimpered. She placed a hand over her mouth to keep quiet. His tongue made quick work on her clit, she felt herself dripped and could hear him lapping her juices. He moaned against her and her hips twitched. He laughed against her and she twitched again. He was making quick work of her. She looked down at him and his yellow eyes flashed up at her, a hungry stare. That was it.

‘I’m cumming, I’m going to cum,’ she whimpered and his tongue moved from her clit to her opening quickly, allowing her to properly ride out her orgasm. ‘Oh fuck,’ she whispered and she heard Rolan laugh, muffled of course. Her hips bucked as the pulsating orgasm rang from her spine to her hips and thighs.

She got right off of him and he sat up in his elbows, wiping his face with the back of his hand. He was a mess. His face was deep red, covered in her juices, his hair was undone, but he looked incredibly happy.

‘Are you alright? Did I squish you?’ She asked and he laughed again.

‘I’m on cloud nine,’ he said and sat up, kissing her deeply. She could taste herself on his lips. ‘You are wonderful, so beautiful the way you sing for me,’ he said and kissed her again, leaning her back in the bed. He pressed his nose to hers, she laid back on their pillows. ‘I love you,’ he whispered and she made eye contact with him through loving and lustful eyes.

‘I love you more,’ she whispered back and leaned up to kiss him again. The couple laid with each other, just kissing, touching. Zelphie had hoped he might get hard one last time, but just kisses and touches for now. She would survive. He calmed down a little and rolled over, sighing out and Zelphie scooted close to him, kissing his shoulder. He leaned over and grabbed his book and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

‘Are you sure you’d like to hear me read this?’ He asked and she laughed, nodding. His hand found her hair and he began to lightly pet it. Her damned horns got in the way of a proper cuddle, but she curled up against him as best she could. In a low, soft register, Rolan began to read from his book, a chapter on the anatomy of a displacer beast. She wasn’t the biggest fan of an anatomy lesson, but with Rolan’s fingers stroking her hair and his beautifully deep voice and slow breathing, Zelphie was put to peace very quickly. She rubbed tiny circles on his chest and Rolan stopped reading once he felt her stop and grow heavy. He looked down at her and placed his book on the side table mindlessly. He repositioned himself to be on his side, as he liked to. He almost lost an eye when Zelphie rolled over to her other side. He wrapped an arm around her hips and even though light helped him sleep, he fell asleep quickly with his face buried in her hair.

[princess-leaorgana]

Summary: After the takedown of The Absolute, Zelphie finds her city in need of more help and her home destroyed. She won't stop helping, but who can help her?

Rolan x Tav (Zelphie; ~30y.o AFAB, Sorcerer, Tiefling, not really described physically on purpose <3)

M/F

Author's Note: I fucking love tielfings. Along with this being a budding romance/smut/fluff/word vomit fanfiction, it's also my case study in DnD 5e tieflings, how they act, what sets them apart from humans and devils and elves. That being said, I have a few artistic liberties in here as well where I couldn't find a straight answer, if you'll amuse me.

Warnings - Spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3, no smut in this chapter, just angst and fluff. I was inspired by a bit of Rolan fanart for this chapter, Rolan's lil outfit created by the phenomenal Blue Sky Artist La Bordelière

Chapter One Two Three Four Five

Four months in the tower and the four tieflings were flourishing. So was little Lajy, who wasn’t very little anymore. Lajy had made himself very useful in the tower, trapping mice and other vermin from all of its large floors. Lajy really did take to Zelphie, who spoiled the little gray kitty rotten with treats and attention. Business at Sorcerer’s Sundries had picked up considerably, now that the Upper and Lower Cities had been almost fully resurrected. There were still buildings that would more than likely never see life again, like Zelphie’s old home, but something else would be built. The people of Baldur’s Gate were evolving people.

The store was mostly run by Rolan’s unperson. As the master of Ramazith’s Tower, he found himself meeting with people from the city quite a lot. Deals he could help with and Zelphie was usually by his side. She would volunteer to work, to help in any way that she could. How could she not? Those that asked for help were the Council of Three, mainly. Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard, Counselor Florrick and the newest appointed member, Duke Wyll Ravengard. Zelphie was always very happy to see him, though she did notice the change of Wyll’s demeanor, from legendary hero to politician. He had become a little more…Duke-like in his speech, which Rolan found easy to navigate. One such meeting was less a request for funding from Rolan or protection from Zelphie and was just a formal invitation to a ceremonial ball held at the Ducal Palace, High Hall. The ball was in celebration of the end of the end of the world, and Zelphie was timidly excited about the prospect.

‘Please note that this invitation is to guests of honor, this isn’t some place you will have a job to do, Zelphie.’ Wyll stood in the Tower’s formal meeting room, a room where Rolan had defeated the last master of the tower. The room had been completely redone to fit Rolan’s more honest and logical style. Reds were changed to blues and purples, magical artifacts were out for the public to see. This room was open by appointment of course. It was the only one in the tower that was. Everything else, Rolan, Lia, Cal, and Zelphie considered their home. Wyll was dressed as regally as he always was, tailored suit dresses with medals detailing his rank, his hair had grown very long and was kept back in twists, silver clasps kept them together and his horns were decorated with similar metals.

Zelphie stood next to Rolan, who was also dressed very finely. He wore green robes with a silver collar piece and a black leather belt. He always dressed his best when meeting with any guest in the tower. He was reading the invitation and had a smile on his lips as he listened to Wyll.

‘I’m glad you said that, she won’t hear it from me,’ he said and glanced at Zelphie who smirked. Zelphie was attempting to match Rolan, wearing robes of yellow and green with a gold collar and belt. He handed the invitation to Zelphie and smiled at Wyll. ‘I’m honored to be invited, is there anything we can do before the event to help?’ Wyll grinned and shook his head.

‘No, you have already been a very generous friend, Rolan. All we ask is that you all attend and enjoy yourselves,’ he said and Zelphie spoke.

‘You will also be enjoying yourself, I do hope, your grace?’ She asked and winked. Your grace would be the correct way to address the duke, but it always felt silly to. Wyll smiled warmly at her.

‘If my father allows it, then you can count on me to have one hand with a goblet full of wine, while the other leads our guests in a dance,’ he said and Zelphie smiled.

‘I’ll keep him busy then,’ Zelphie said and Wyll chuckled.

‘I must be off, but thank you for seeing me, and I’ll be very excited to see you and your family ten day next,’ Wyll said with a bow to Rolan, Rolan and Zelphie matched his movement. His family. Yes, Rolan’s family did still include his unmarried wife, Zelphie. She had stopped correcting him months ago. Everywhere they went, she was the mistress of Ramazith’s Tower. She had gotten used to it, and accepted it. Tieflings did recognize the institution of marriage, but a tiefling wedding was something someone like Rolan liked to avoid. They were boisterous and violent affairs. Zelphie was also not a fan of being the center of attention, and that usually came with one’s wedding ceremony. No ceremony, but Zelphie had Rolan’s commitment. That was what mattered to her. Wyll excused himself and left and Rolan turned to Zelphie.

‘I suppose this means you and I have a date with our tailor,’ he said and she smirked. Ah, here it was, another gift.

‘Mmmmm…for you?’ She asked and he bared a grin at her.

‘For us, as are all things, my darling,’ he told her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. ‘Mmm, and a jeweler, we cannot have some duke out dress the mistress of Ramazith’s Tower, absolutely not,’ he told and walked over to a small desk in the room. She sighed and followed him.

‘Rolan, I don’t need-‘ he held up his hand. This was always their fight. Rolan kept true to his word, he spoiled Zelphie. Every few days, without fail, she woke up to some sort of present. They were generally small items, more flowers, little treats, and on two occasions very flattering underclothes. Though Rolan debated, those had been more for him than anything else.

‘No one needs anything that you and I have, we are very lucky. But what is all this,’ he waved his hand as he wrote something down on parchment. ‘If not things we don’t need?’ He asked and folded up the parchment and casually chucked it, the parchment went off to fly to whatever destination Rolan desired. ‘Zelphie, I have more than what I need, more than what I want, let me share all of that with you,’ he told her and tipped her chin so she would meet his eye. She was very happy to be spoiled, but she did fear he might begin to think she loved him for his position and money. She would still be with him if the only thing he had was a bedroll in the dirt to share. And she didn’t want to be spoiled. As quickly as he received his position, he could have it taken away. She looked into his eyes for a moment more and sighed. ‘And I think gold and rubies would look very fine webbed into your horns,’ he said and her eyes widened.

‘Rolan,’ she whined and he just smiled.

‘Fine, sapphires then,’ he said and winked, letting go of her chin. ‘And a new dress, because if you think for a moment I won’t also be fitted into something new for such an event you are wrong. Besides,’ he spoke quickly and she opened her mouth again. ‘It will be good for the economy,’ he said and she wrinkled her nose.

‘Oh Rolan,’ she said and he chuckled. ‘Surely then Lia and Cal will also be fitted with new regal costumes?’ She asked and he nodded. ‘I’ll go tell them, I’m sure Cal will be VERY happy to know one of the other members on the guest list,’ she said and began to walk and Rolan cleared his throat.

‘You are really still encouraging that?’ He asked and she nodded.

‘He deserves joy, Rolan, just as you and I do,’ she said and continued to walk.

‘Zelphie,’ Rolan called and cursed under his breath when she slipped from sight.

Much to Rolan’s annoyance, the little crush and mild flirting between Cal and Astarion had continued. Rolan still forbade Astarion’s entrance to the tower so Cal was gone a lot at night and was always very tired during the day. Zelphie told Rolan he was being very immature, Cal was an adult and could make his own choices and from what she could see, Cal was very happy, and so was Astarion. He even wrote to Zelphie about how grateful he was for introducing him properly to the tiefling; she thought it was very sweet. Rolan would try to fight over this daily, but Zelphie would ignore him, saying exactly what she just had, that Cal deserved happiness. One day he would give in.

‘I would do anything to change this into a pair of trousers.’ The night of the ball, Lia and Zelphie were getting ready together in Lia’s room. Lia had been excited for the night, but not for what she was going to wear.

‘You can’t wear trousers for one night, I think you’ll live. Besides, Vanminar did a wonderful job making this dress economical.’ Zelphie said, helping Lia into the dress and tying the strings to the dress in the back. Vanminar was a tailor in the Upper City, he was a horrible snob and never had anything nice to say, but had been outfitting the little family for months and always did a splendid job.

‘I just feel naked,’ she muttered and Zelphie nodded.

‘You can wear something underneath,’ Zelphie told her. Lia’s gown was a deep red, her favorite color, with bronze accents. For her comfort, it was a lighter dress than what Zelphie had, made of chiffon. Commissioned by Rolan, Zelphie wore a royal purple gown, charmeuse and velvet with golden accents, along with a cape to cover her shoulders as the dress did not have that on its own. ‘I have a tight pair of stockings I’ve grown out of,’ she said and Lia sighed.

‘Thank you. Don’t tell you-know-who,’ she said and Zelphie laughed.

‘For what it’s worth, Lia, you look fantastic,’ she said and smiled and Lia smiled back at her.

‘But I won’t upstage my brother’s wife,’ she said and Zelphie snorted.

‘If he gets to call me his wife, you can call me your sister,’ Zelphie said and Lia stared at her for a moment. Lia smiled a little, a genuine one. That made Zelphie happy. To call Lia and Cal her siblings would be an honor. She loved them. She wanted their love back. She was jealous of their little family, but would never push her way in. Lia was just as happy. She hugged Zelphie tight and Zelphie grinned.

‘Alright, alright, enough of that, come on, it’s your turn for torture,’ Lia said and let go of a very happy Zelphie. Zelphie removed her night robe as Lia grabbed the heavy gown. She helped Zelphie step into it. She helped with Zelphie’s tail and Zelphie pulled up the fabric and groaned a little, getting it past her hips. ‘Are you going to even be able to dance in this?’ Lia scoffed.

‘Yes, I’m just getting too hippy, I need to do more at the shop, I don’t do anything anymore except for standing and smiling. I think I’m well past my pre-illith weight,’ she muttered. It was true. Going from living in poverty and eating maybe twice a day, to practically starving on the road and fighting for her life everyday, to eating a true full tiefling diet and just hanging about a tower all day proved to change Zelphie’s figure. All four of them had gained a little weight, but it seemed to Zelphie her body was in its own little competition.

‘You look fine, I think Vanminar shrunk it,’ Lia said and Zelphie sighed, sucking in as the unforgiving fabric was pulled up over her chest.

‘Oh this is going to be a very short night,’ Zelphie muttered, relaxing a little. ‘Between my cinched waist and your fear of free legs, we are going to be the worst party guests,’ she said and Lia laughed, helping Zelphie with her cape. Hair was brushed and braided and Zelphie delicately attached a beautiful set of horn rings Rolan had gifted her. No ruby or sapphires, but amethyst and gold. He insisted the purple gem went better with her skin tone. Purple just happened to be his favorite color. What a coincidence. She felt incredibly delicate, as if one wrong move and she and her lavish clothing and jewels would break. She helped Lia back comb her hair but kept her long straight locks down. A knock at Lia’s door came as they were almost finished.

‘Come in,’ Lia called and in came Cal who looked incredible. His broad shoulders fit into a yellow jacket, detailed with gold in his lapels and buttons. The jacket was long over a pair of black trousers and his hair was down and swept back.

‘Wow! Cal!’ Zelphie said, not being able to help it. ‘You look incredible,’ she said and Lia stood up.

‘Thank you,’ he said a little bashful and bobbed his head. ‘You really think I look alright?’ He asked and Zelphie giggled.

‘I do, you fill out a suit so nicely,’ she said and Lia snorted.

‘Yeah, like a great big bee,’ she said playfully and Cal glanced at her.

‘Awww…Lia dressed like a little doll,’ he said and held up his hand to pinch her cheek. She slapped his hand away and he laughed. ‘You look great Lia, really. You should wear stuff like that more often,’ he said and Lia huffed. He looked at Zelphie and grinned. ‘You look stunning, though,’ he said and Zelphie smiled.

‘Ah, thank you, maybe that compliment will be worth not being able to breathe all night,’ she joked. Rolan walked in as she was speaking and Zelphie was not too proud to say he took her breath away.  He wore a decadent shirt of lilac, a gray vest and a long purple belt. Like Zelphie, he had a cape and Zelphie could not help staring. He looked majestic and the tailoring of the suit was incredibly flattering, especially on his shoulders and chest. ‘Wow,’ she whispered and Lia honked a laugh. But Rolan was just staring right back at Zelphie. He was just as captivated. He had seen her in armor, covered in blood, in cute little tunics, in a dressing gown, completely naked, all of it. Seeing her dress so regally made his brain wipe clean of all sense.

‘You look…phenomenal,’ he said and walked over to Zelphie and took her hand, kissing it. Zelphie, on top of also being taken away by his attire also found it very hard to breathe while he looked at her as he was. His yellow eyes on her like a lion before the feast. Yes, this little party would be a short one.

‘Don’t slobber all of my sister, Rolan,’ Lia said and Zelphie was taken out of her trance and blinked quickly. ‘My sister’ Lia had said. She grinned at Zelphie.

‘Oh! Are we doing that now?’ Cal asked and Zelphie laughed and nodded.

‘Yes please,’ she said and looked up at Rolan, almost for permission. He still had his lips on her knuckles, but he was smiling.

‘Meet us downstairs,’ Rolan said, finally lowering Zelphie’s hand. Zelphie’s heartbeat a little, not sure what was about to happen, but whatever it was, it had better not entail her removing that dress. Or bending over. Cal and Lia took their cue quickly and left. As of late, Rolan had become very handsy with Zelphie. Everything was still private, as Rolan never allowed for anything more than a little handhold to go before the public. People who passed the two in the street might have assumed them acquaintances. Even in front of Cal and Lia, Rolan would give her a little peck and they might be caught holding hands, but that was it. Privately, especially lately, Rolan had not held back. Even during their little magic lessons, he always found a way to touch her or even get in a nibble. He would even just hold her, hold her close, anything. Any excuse to touch her, sexually or otherwise, he took. Zelphie had, like most people, assumed this ‘honeymoon’ affection would be over, but no, with Rolan it planted itself and was growing vibrantly. She wouldn’t complain for a second.

‘Am I in trouble?’ She asked and he shook his head.

‘No, but you are about to get very cross with me,’ he said and reached into the pocket of his vest for a small bag. She frowned.

‘That had better not be another gift,’ she said and he cleared his throat.

‘Get over it,’ he said and she huffed. ‘This one is different,’ he told her. ‘This isn’t a present, it’s…it’s a promise,’ he said and from the small bag he produced two golden rings, both with matching emeralds. One was smaller and thinner, the other was slightly larger and the band was thicker, but they were clearly a set. Zelphie was no idiot. ‘I was…going to…I’ve been uhm-‘ he cleared his throat and gave himself a little shake. Zelphie felt her palms sweat. What was he doing? She knew what he was doing. Two golden rings? Her stomach was in knots. ‘I know…zurghan,’ he cursed under his breath and looked at Zelphie. ‘I know what I want. I know what I need. My family is what I want. My family is what I need,’ he began and Zelphie nervously played with her fingernails. ‘Five months ago, that was Cal and Lia. Four months ago, you were added to that,’ he said and Zelphie swallowed hard. She kept eye contact with him. This was it. She knew this was it, he wasn’t ever shy about his feelings for her. Day one he introduced her as his wife to a stranger. His wife she was not, but she slipped into the pretend role very easily. ‘I mean it when I call you what I call you. At first, yes, it was a slip-up. Possibly. But after that, I couldn’t take it back. I know what I want now. I want you. I want everything there is to have with you by my side. With me by your side. For the rest of my life. I know I forced it on you before, but…now I’m asking you, officially,’ he told her and her breath shook and she swallowed hard, trying to concentrate on eye contact and standing up straight. ‘Would you be my wife? Sister to my siblings? Make my family whole?’ He asked and Zelphie opened her mouth and a hard sting rang through her face. She was burning hot. A wave of nausea hit her and her body felt clammy. She couldn’t seem to open her mouth, but she nodded furiously. Rolan looked equally unwell. He gasped out a happy little laugh and leaned down close to her.

‘On one condition,’ she said softly, her voice cracking. His jaw tensed a little and she took the larger ring with a shaking hand. ‘You’ll be my husband,’ she said softly, her voice still not strong as she asked a terrifying question. In hindsight, it was an easy question, but it still made her insides squirm. She hadn’t called him husband, not once this whole time of him playfully calling her his wife. For Rolan to hear that meant everything to him. Her face contorted when his face did, she cried and he held back tears. Stubborn. He nodded his head.

‘I promise to be your everything,’ he said with a very shaken voice and she leaned up to kiss him. He kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her right up against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed happily. Her stomach lurched again. Oh no. She let go of him quickly and ran into the washroom in Lia’s room and slammed the door. She was going to be sick. No, no no no not now! Not now! She’d been up against everything possible in the last year and this made her so nervous she was going to vomit? She very quickly emptied her stomach and shook on the floor. Rolan came in, no knocking like he normally would have. ‘Are you alright? Oh, I’m sorry,’ he told her and walked right to the cabinet and wet a towel for her to wash up. He knelt down next to her and she shook her head.

‘No, no, I’m sorry…this dress is so tight and then you…’ she said and took the towel from him, cleaning her face. He rubbed her back gently. ‘My stomach just got all jumbled,’ she said and looked up at his concerned face. ‘I’m okay, I’m sorry,’ she said again and he shook his head.

‘Don’t apologize, my dear, are you alright to still go? We can cancel, we can absolutely cancel, what do you mean your dress is too tight?’ He asked her and she laughed a little into the towel.

‘I’m fine, I’m fine, I promise. I want to go, especially after…that,’ she told him and took his hand. She was still holding his ring. She slowly placed it on his left forefinger. She gave the gem a little rub with her thumb and he leaned down to kiss her forehead. ‘I want to show off my husband to the city,’ she said and he lifted his head to look at her and he placed his hands on her cheeks.

‘Say it again,’ he told her and she blinked quickly. ‘Call me your husband, just one more time,’ he said and she grinned.

‘My husband, Rolan of Ramazith’s Tower, he’s my husband,’ she said and he laughed, kissing her cheek, wanting her lips but knew better than that. ‘He’s my everything,’ she continued and he sighed happily. He helped her off of the floor and took her hand.

‘With the grave fear that your stomach will churn again,’ he said and slowly placed the smaller emerald ring on her left pointer finger. She laughed as she watched the ring slip on her finger and fit perfectly. She held her stomach and laughed again and he looked down at her, making sure to be careful. He really hoped she wasn’t unwell.

‘I used to pray to the gods every day since I can remember for a family,’ she said and her nose stung once more. She looked up at him. ‘Please tell me which sent you so I can give thanks,’ she said and he laughed loudly down at her.

‘Not a god but the arch-devil Zariel I think can take most of the credit,’ he said and she laughed with him.

‘Long live the devil,’ she said and Rolan nuzzled her face. ‘Oh I don’t want to go now, I just want to be with you,’ she whined a little.

‘We can cancel,’ he told her softly and she shook her head.

‘We’ll be selfish after,’ she told him softly and she smiled. ‘This can count as our secret little wedding,’ she told him and he smiled. ‘And then we start our honeymoon,’ she continued and his hands found her hips.

‘Don’t flirt with me,’ he growled and she laughed, looking up at him.

‘I…I mean it though, I don’t want a real wedding, I just want…this,’ she told him and he looked down at her and nodded. He was in agreement with her. If she had wanted one, he would have given it to her, but he didn’t. He liked his calm privacy very very much. He knew she liked hers as well.

‘Your desire is my command,’ he said softly.

Finally after another little wash, Zelphie and Rolan made their way to the first floor of the tower where Lia and Cal were waiting. They, and only they, would get the news delivered. Lia hugged Rolan tight against most of his wishes and Cal gave Zelphie a big kiss on the cheek, which she loved very much. The four stepped through a portal that would lead them to the steps of High Hall. A wizard and his family needed to make an entrance, after all. They were announced to Dukes Ravengard and Florrick. Once the formalities were over, the tieflings could enjoy the great hall of the palace. Zelphie was immediately taken with the architecture of the room, Lia went to find something to drink, and Cal went off to find a very specific guest. Astarion was already present and Cal had no issue in finding him. Zelphie watched the two for just a moment and smiled to herself while Rolan talked about the histories of the stories in the stained glass window of the hall. He wasn’t oblivious to what was happening, just refused to give it attention. Astarion made quick eye contact with Zelphie and a flash of a fanged grin as Cal spoke. His red eyes and attention went right back to Cal.

‘I’m going to say hello,’ Zelphie told Rolan who sighed, but followed her. Good, he needed to get over it. Cal was mad for the vampire. The vampire, ironically, was very good for Cal. Astarion looked at Zelphie again and his smile grew once more. ‘Hello Astarion,’ she said and he bowed his head a little.

‘Good evening my darling,’ he said, sounding very cheerful. Cal looked down and smiled at Zelphie and then glanced up at Rolan. Well, he was at least there. ‘Cal was just telling me the good news, congratulations,’ he said and leaned down to kiss her cheek but stopped. She heard him sniff and then his ice lips kissed her hot cheek.

‘Thank you,’ she said and Astarion stood up straight and looked her up and down. She felt Rolan’s hand on her shoulder. Astarion looked up at Rolan, his face a little colder than it was before.

‘Congratulations, Rolan. I trust you will take care of her,’ he said.

‘With everything that I can give, yes,’ he said and Zelphie swallowed hard. This moment was a little intense. Cal, the hero, broke the tension.

‘I think Lia and I were replaced months ago with Zelphie, we couldn’t be happier,’ he said and Zelphie smiled up at him. Astarion looked at him and fixed a little hair behind Cal’s ear.

‘Replace? Oh I doubt that my love, a family like this only grows,’ he said and Zelphie’s smile grew. ‘And may it keep growing,’ he said and glanced down at Zelphie for a moment. Cal went bright red. 

The evening went on, a gallery of patriars from Baldur’s Gate came to eat and dance and gossip. Zelphie was quickly getting very tired, faster than she had expected. She had promised Lia a quick evening, but Lia had made a few friends and Zelphie’s energy was fading very quickly. As the stars began to shine above the city, Zelphie excused herself to the balcony for some air. Rolan left her side only to fetch her something to drink. She wasn’t alone for long. Without making himself known, Astarion stood beside her.

‘You seem incredibly happy,’ he said and she jumped, no longer used to him sneaking up on her. She gave his arm a little whack.

‘I am,’ she told him and he grinned down at her. ‘And though I haven’t seen you in a while, Cal has been very happy, so whether you are or not, thank you,’ she said and he laughed.

‘Mmm…I uhm, I don’t really love to gush about…feelings, but you make it easier for me to be honest. That silly feeling that makes my unbeating heart beat. I thought we had that for a while you know,’ he said and she nodded.

‘We have something different, better I think,’ she told him and he smiled very happily.

‘Of course, I’m only saying that, yes, I am happy. Cal is…a light in my life now that the sun is gone for good,’ he said and Zelphie’s smile only grew. ‘You need to come down to The Underdark, bring your guard dog with you,’ he said and she nudged him. He laughed and she sighed.

‘Husband, not guard dog. I’m his guard dog,’ she said and Astarion laughed loudly. ‘Please be nice to him and patient. He’ll come around, I promise,’ she said and Astarion smirked at her.

‘For you, I will. For Cal, I will. But yes, I’d much rather talk about the other thing. All of a sudden, you are married. Hmm, one might be suspicious,’ he said and Zelphie shot a look at him.

‘Suspicious of what?’ She asked him. Before Astarion could answer, Rolan had caught up to them, two wine goblets in his hand and he cleared his throat. Zelphie turned to look at him and smiled. She took a goblet from him and sipped a very sweet wine.

‘Nothing, nothing, I’m only teasing,’ Astarion said, a little less casually now that Rolan was present. The elf turned to Rolan and gave him a little glance over. ‘I know Vanminar’s handy work when I see it,’ he said cheerfully and looked down. ‘The boots though, delicious as they are, I can’t pinpoint them,’ he said and Rolan glanced down at his boots.

‘Ah, my uhm…my mother was a cobbler,’ he said and Astarion’s eyes grew quickly.

‘Oh yes, oh don’t tell me she fastened those,’ Astarion said and crossed his arms. Zelphie smiled at her friend and looked at Rolan, who seemed a little less daunting.

‘Yes, yes she did. I’ve had these for ages, I can’t seem to replace them,’ Rolan said, and Astarion nodded.

‘A beautiful classic,’ he whispered. ‘Anyway, I won’t keep you two, I’ll be back after another little mingle,’ he said and Zelphie mouthed a little ‘thank you’. Astarion exited and Rolan walked over to the bannister of the balcony.

‘Wyll is a little drunk and requested a light show,’ he said and Zelphie looked at him. He looked out to the sky. ‘I know you wanted to head back soon, but one more hour, darling, I promise,’ he told her and Zelphie nodded.

‘It’ll be worth a light show from you, and…maybe with the price of a dance,’ she said and Rolan looked back at her with a large grin.

‘I’ll try not to step on your toes,’ he said and she laughed. 

The music played loudly inside as Rolan guided Zelphie to the dance floor. Her hand in his, she loved when their rings clinked together. They danced with light grace, as they would half to, neither were fantastic dancers and their capes were terribly heavy and hard to control. Rolan didn’t take his eyes off of her once. 

‘You do look ravishing in purple,’ he mentioned, once the dance brought them close. She laughed and shook her head.

‘So do you, and we best have, since we are both drenched in it,’ she told him with a smirk. ‘You were very kind to Lia, not making her purple,’ she told him and he nodded.

‘She might not have come unless I yielded to that. But Cal was also insistent on his yellow, so who was I to stop her. I can’t believe she’s made it this long in a dress,’ he said and Zelphie laughed. He glanced around to see Lia chatting with Wyll and he leaned in closer.

‘First a vampire, now a devil is seducing my sibling,’ he said softly and Zelphie turned to look.

‘Oh! Well, that’s not exactly expected,’ she said and shrugged it off. That could easily be friendly chatter. ‘And thank you for being nice to Astarion earlier. Before you walked over, he was gushing about Cal, I promise you there’s nothing bad going on there,’ she said and Rolan sighed.

‘I know, but…you know Cal. Once he promises something, he follows through with it and takes up any burden he can to make others happy. I want him to be happy.’ Zelphie nodded and understood. ‘He’s not like me or Lia, if something is bothering him, he won’t say it, he’ll just sweep it under the rug.’

‘I know, but Astarion is the opposite. He’s like a house cat, any minor inconvenience and he’s on the floor whining. He’s more annoying than dangerous, but because of that, he’s fantastic at knowing when someone is upset. He’ll force Cal to advocate for himself, he’s very persuasive,’ she explained and Rolan sighed. ‘The four of us should spend some time together, invite him to the tower,’ she asked softly and Rolan shook his head.

‘I will promise to be kind and spend more time with him, but I can’t, I can’t. Just picturing him in the tower again, I think of walking in on you bleeding out,’ he said and she frowned.

‘Well, that’s my fault, I didn’t warn anyone about how bad that looked,’ she told him and he shook his head.

‘That doesn’t change anything,’ he told her. ‘Please understand that for now, I cannot,’ he said and she frowned, nodding. She hated it, but she knew if she was gentle enough about it, he would come around. ‘And if we could go the rest of the night not speaking about him, I’ll be very grateful,’ he said and she nodded again. Maybe it would take a lot longer to have him turn around.

‘Of course, I’m sorry,’ she said and glanced around the room and then back up at Rolan. He was frowning.

‘Don’t give me that look,’ he said and looked up. That only made Zelphie frown harder. ‘Like a kicked kitten, it’s killing me.’

‘I’m not doing it to kill you, I’m upset, I’m allowed to be upset,’ she said and he looked back down at her.

‘Be upset then, but you can’t expect me to pity you. You can’t change everything to fit into your perfect little world, Zelphie. Stop trying to guilt me into something that makes me uncomfortable,’ he told her in a sharp, hushed tone. It certainly wasn’t the worst thing he had ever said to her, but on the dance floor at a formal gala, she didn’t like being scolded.

‘I’m not trying to guilt you-’

‘Listen, I get it. I know how I can be, I’m fully aware of what I am, everyone tells me, including you, every single day. But pushing and pushing me isn’t going to get you what you want, Zelphie,’ he continued and she shut her mouth and looked down. He let out a dramatic sigh. ‘Zelphie, stop it,’ he said and their feet stopped moving to the music.

‘Why are you so angry with me?’ She asked him and looked up a little.

‘I am not,’ he spat, and her eyebrows knit together. ‘Why do you insist on telling me what I am?’ She stared at him for a moment and glanced around. One or two people had noticed the tension and she shook her head and looked down.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said and without knowing what else to do, she let go of his hand and walked away. She didn’t want to fight with him ever, nevermind in a room full of people. She also didn’t want to cry, either. She was feeling her face sting and she walked back out to the balcony, hoping to be alone for a moment while she processed that little argument. She was usually very good at controlling their bickering, but Rolan was angry with her, regardless of whatever he said. She heard him call her name but she kept walking. She was not going to keep fighting with him in the middle of a dance. She hated to ignore him, but she respected him and herself too much to do that. She got outside and counted to ten, trying not to cry. Why was she crying? It wasn’t that big of a deal. She felt guilty, and she hated to anger him, and she was tired. Why was she so sensitive?

‘Hey you,’ a voice called from behind her, poor Cal. She glanced at him as he placed his hand on her back. She sniffed and looked out at the sky. She knew tears were welling up in her eyes and she didn’t want Cal to see.

‘I want to go home,’ she said, her voice cracking a little. Cal nodded and rubbed her back gently.

‘Alone?’ He asked and she shrugged. She wanted Rolan to come with her. Or Cal or Lia, but Cal and Lia were having a good evening. They didn’t need to halt it completely because she was being so sensitive. Rolan made a promise to Wyll that she would like him to keep. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’ He asked and she shook her head.

‘No, I should just be alone,’ she said and sniffed. ‘It’s very stupid, please, you three stay, I will be fine, I’m just being stupid,’ she said and Cal nodded, taking her hand.

‘You and him both, then,’ he said and escorted her out of the palace so she could go home.

Once alone, she quickly undressed, dying to get out of that dress. She had sweat horribly in it and it took a lot of effort to remove it. Once she was out, she bathed quickly and cuddled up on the balcony with Lajy. She was very happy for a cuddle outside and Zelphie allowed herself to just cry. She had had a big day, proposal of marriage, been sick, and a public fight with her husband. She knew forcing a cry would calm her down, and being completely alone, a mile up in a tower, she could cry and howl all she wanted. Selfishly, she was dressed in Rolan’s clothing. She wanted to smell him and had picked out one of his long sleep shirts. She cried into the sleeve and into Lajy’s purring fluffy neck. She only stopped when she heard loud bangs coming from beyond the balcony. She sniffed and hiccuped and looked around the night sky. Above the Ducal Palace was a radiant light show, greens, yellows, purples, shining like a prism in the night sky, with a series of fireworks. She sniffed and watched the show, knowing it was Rolan. He was phenomenally talented. All that beauty after she left him high and dry at the gala. She felt guilty for being a horrible guest, but even more guilty for just leaving him. Leaving poor Cal to deal with him as well. If anyone could deal with Rolan, it would be Cal, but it didn’t make it right.

Once the show was over, Zelphie was feeling incredibly tired and walked back into her bedroom for her book, one given to her by Rolan on illusionary magic. Her homework. She sat on the floor of the balcony, Lajy in her lap, and began to read. As she began reading about the component of tuning to one’s imagination for prestidigitation, the bedroom door opened. She turned but he wasn’t visible from where she was sitting. She heard him sigh and she stood up, Lajy jumping off her to greet his master.

‘Hello,’ she heard Rolan speak to the cat and she heard a grunt. ‘How’s your mummy?’ He asked and Zelphie made herself visible to him. He looked right at her and opened his mouth, but took in her comfy little outfit, his, and sighed.

‘It was a very pretty show,’ she said softly and Rolan frowned, putting Lajy on the floor and walked over to her. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said and her dam burst once more and she cried, bringing her hands up to her face. Rolan tutted and walked closer to her, wrapping his arms around her. She was so happy about that. She let go of her face and wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘I’m really sorry,’ she told him, sobbing into his vest.

‘Shhh…this is too much, Zelphie, shhhh…’ he tried to soothe her, kissing the side of her head. He rocked her gently. ‘I was vicious, I am sorry, I just hate being told over and over to stop being angry, or stubborn, or grumpy, or whatever it is. All I do is feel like a villain,’ he told her and she nodded.

‘I’m sorry that I’ve done that,’ she told him, in between sobs. ‘You’re not the villain, you’re my hero,’ she whimpered and he laughed a little.

‘You are no damsel in distress,’ he said and looked down at her, pulling away a little. She looked up at him with blotchy skin from crying and he laughed hard. ‘Well, maybe you are,’ he said and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. She whined and buried her face back in his chest. She was still upset, but at least he was laughing, at least he was holding her. He held her close and ran his fingers through her wet hair, letting her calm down.

‘I’m sorry Rolan, I shouldn’t have walked away from you like that, but I didn’t want to cause a scene in front of everyone,’ she said and sniffed. ‘I don’t like dealing with conflict like that,’ she said and he nodded, pulling away a bit.

‘I shouldn’t have acted like a threatened viper, or sent my little brother to comfort you,’ he said and sighed. ‘And I’m sorry I didn’t come home with you.’ She shook her head.

‘No, it was good, I was able to just think…because that was really silly of me. I still don’t know why I’ve been so sensitive today,’ she said and he smirked, holding back something. She sniffed and frowned. ‘What’s the look supposed to mean?’

‘Hm? Nothing,’ he said and she huffed.

‘Rolan,’ she scolded him and he wrinkled his nose.

‘You’re incredibly sensitive,’ he told her and she huffed again. ‘Two days ago, you had to hold back tears because Lajy couldn’t figure out how to get down from the ice box,’ he told her and she bit her bottom lip.

‘Sorry,’ she said softly and he grinned.

‘No need for that, I like you just as you are. Who do you think I asked to marry me today, hm?’ He asked her and she smiled a little. ‘You had time for a bath,’ he said, stroking her hair again and she nodded.

‘Yes, and before you feel guilty again, it’s best if you hadn’t been here to watch me get out of that dress,’ she said and he laughed again.

‘Once more, you’re telling me how I feel and you couldn’t be more wrong,’ he told her with a cheeky smile. She shook her head and wiped her face.

‘I promise you, it was less than graceful,’ she told him and he nodded.

‘You were complaining all night about how tight it was, why didn’t you tell Vanminar?’ He asked and she shrugged.

‘It fit fine in the shop. I think I had a big breakfast,’ she said and he nodded. ‘It is a beautiful dress though, thank you,’ she told him and he smirked.

‘Beautiful because of who was in it,’ he said and took a step back from her and gave her a little look. ‘Right now, stunning,’ he said and she laughed, shaking her head.

‘Stop it, no flirting with me, my husband is a very jealous man,’ she said and his eyebrows shot right up.

‘Oh? Is he? He sounds obnoxious,’ he said and she grinned, biting her lip and shook her head.

‘Protective,’ she said and Rolan’s face softened. Lajy meowed up at them. Zelphie looked down at the cat and back up at Rolan. ‘Let me help you undress,’ she said and Rolan removed his cape and she unbuttoned his vest.

‘So, you did see the light show?’ He asked and she nodded.

‘It was beautiful! I’m sure the whole city saw it,’ she told him as he shuffled his vest off. Rolan walked over to his wardrobe for a pair of lounge pants and removed his shirt. Zelphie took his soiled clothing and put them away over a hamper.

‘I’m only glad you saw,’ he said softly and she smiled a little.

‘Liar,’ she said and he grinned. Of course Rolan, the showman he was, liked to think that most of the city saw his show. He was an incredible show off. Good for him, he was very talented.

‘I could have done better, the finale wasn’t exactly as I’d like it to be,’ he said and she shook her head, walking over to the bed and Lajy followed her.

‘Only you have that opinion,’ she told him as he changed out of his trousers. She leaned over to her side table and took her brush from inside the drawer. Rolan walked over to the bed and she patted the space in front of her. He raised an eyebrow, but was absolutely not going to object. He would never ask for it, but being pampered was a treat for him. Though, living with Zelphie, it had become a very regular occurrence. The moment he sat down, Zelphie inspected her canvas for the evening. Rolan’s hair was half up in its little twist knot and she quickly pulled it free.

‘Do you think it’s getting too long?’ He asked her as he got comfortable, sitting cross legged. Zelphie smiled at his question and ran her fingers through it. It barely went past the nape of his neck.

‘Not at all, is it bothersome?’ She asked and he shook his head.

‘No, I just…I didn’t know if you…liked it,’ he said softly and she gave a soft laugh.

‘My fingers are in it enough, you really think I don’t like it? No, the more the merrier, you wear it with grace and it’s always so neat,’ she told him and he sat up a little straighter. ‘But even if I didn’t, that’s none of your business, hm? Wear it how you’d like,’ she said and her fingers danced through his hair and down his neck. Lajy curled up in Rolan’s lap, ready for his due.

‘Still, I’d like to know if you like it. I know, I know, it’s my hair and all of that, but does my wife think it’s attractive?’ He asked her and her tummy did a little flip.

‘I love my husband’s hair,’ she said softly and traced her fingernails, her claws, down his neck and shoulders, inciting a shiver from him. His tail shook a little and hers curled around his, grounding him. ‘I love my husband’s shoulders, and his arms…’ she continued, once more, like most nights, memorizing his back. She traced along the sharp ridges of his back. Finally, she gently took the brush to his hair and gently began to groom out his locks. She heard his exhale, his shoulders relaxing at her touch and the feel of the brush. ‘So, are Cal and Lia back?’ She asked and he shook his head.

‘Cal won’t be back tonight and Lia wanted to stay,’ he said and she nodded.

‘Oh I’m happy she is having so much fun! She was really not looking forward to tonight,’ Zelphie spoke, not bringing up Cal. ‘The way she was snickering and skulking while we got ready,’ she said and tutted. ‘But maybe city life will suit her,’ she continued and Rolan nodded.

‘Just don’t tell her that. If you think I’m stubborn…’ Rolan said softly, just trying to relax under Zelphie’s pampering.

‘Oh I know! God forbid she likes something normal,’ she giggled and parted Rolan’s hair. He never needed it brushed really, but who didn’t deserve a hairbrush? ‘She was horrible at Vanminar’s, perhaps you could let her go there and have him design something she would like? Let her design it?’ She suggested and Rolan just moaned in agreement. No more talking from him, it seemed. Zelphie placed the brush down and used her nails to comb his hair and rub his scalp. She inspected his scalp and grinned. Right there, almost in the middle of his scalp, was a thick white hair. She had a new plan. There was never ever only one white hair. She would pick through to find more, but she would keep it to herself. They were so far away from his hairline, she doubted he would know about them.

‘Find something interesting?’ He asked as she was just picking now.

‘Lots of little bugs,’ she said playfully, but he flinched and she laughed. ‘I’m joking, I’m joking, sorry, just inspecting,’ she said and he sighed and leaned against her. She laid back on the bed and continued to pamper him like this. She struggled to lean over to grab oil from her table, but he went heavy. ‘Rolan,’ she giggled and he grunted. ‘Don’t you fall asleep on me,’ she warned him and he chuckled a little.

‘You’re a wonderful bed,’ he said as she rubbed oil in her hands. She began with the tips and he sighed out.

‘I’ll be a wonderful bed after you give me a kiss goodnight,’ she told him and he very carefully looked up at her. She smiled down at him. He was so beautiful, his freckles, his eyes, his nose. He sat up quickly and scooted away from her. ‘Hey! My work is not done here!’ She scolded him, but he ignored her and turned around, crawling over to her. ‘Rolan…’ she said softly, but she knew that look. His lidded eyes and a half smile. Four months of this and she still got shivers. His hair untidy, falling around his face and horns.

‘I was hoping,’ he began to speak, crawling over her. She tried to hide a giggle. ‘We could consummate our new union,’ he said and she grinned, blushing a little. ‘I hear it’s terrible luck if you let it drag on for too long,’ he said and she wrapped her arms around him.

‘Oh, well, you know best, my love,’ she said, just as playfully and he leaned down to kiss her. 

The couple laid in bed, tangled in each other's limbs, both spent, very happy and very tired. They had switched positions, Rolan was against the pillows and headboard, and Zelphie had her back to his chest. He was kissing a little bite mark he had left on her shoulder. She loved his love bites. Whenever she had a cut of any kind, she healed it quickly. Not Rolan’s bites, however, those she kept and let heal. He seemed very proud of them and he never bit her in an area she couldn’t easily cover up. She loved his bites, she loved anything he did to show her how much he needed her, when he held her close, if his tail wrapped around her. Anything, but the love bites were exceptional.

‘If I had any sense, I would have taken advantage of having the tower alone with you tonight,’ he said and kept kissing her. She traced the lines in his palm gently, happy as could be and her mind wandered at his words.

‘Oh? What would you have done, hm?’ She asked softly. She felt his tail coil around her leg. He chuckled and kissed behind her ear. She shivered, she was terribly sensitive right then.

‘I still have these…fleeting memories of what happened in the public chamber…what you and I did to him, what he used to do to me,’ he said and she turned her head a little. Lorroakan. They never talked about him. Lorroakan, the late master of Ramazith’s Tower, who was crushed to death by Rolan, Zelphie, their companions and an enraged aasimar. He was Rolan’s master for a short time, and used to beat Rolan day and night for his own ego. He was a fraud of a wizard, who was known for rising to the top with money and connections, not power or talent. Rolan had succeeded his fallen master, his abuser, and then it was like the man had never existed. Zelphie would never, ever bring him up, but the moment Rolan did feel like he would talk about it, he would have Zelphie’s comfort and support.

‘Do you think about him often?’ She asked softly. He sighed and nodded.

‘I try my best not to, but his face or voice will flash in my mind and then I just start…fixating on him. What he would do, why I should have fought back sooner, how stupid I was to not listen to either you or Gale when you told me the rumors about him. I was so blind..I,’ Zelphie turned a little and placed a hand on his cheek.

‘I wish I could take that away from you,’ she told him and he nuzzled his forehead to hers.

‘You took the reality away, my love. That was the worst part,’ he said and sighed out heavily. ‘Everything awful…everything awful that’s happened, you’ve taken it away from me,’ he said and she heard his voice crack. ‘If only I met you sooner,’ he continued and she closed her eyes, leaning against him.

‘I’m here now, and I’ll never leave you,’ she whispered back, and his grip on her tightened.

‘I know,’ he whispered back and leaned down to kiss her again.

[librocubicularistficrecs]

you taste so bitter (and sweet)

Author: jaeson

Pairing(s): Lai Guanlin/Park Jihoon

Side pairing(s): 

Fandom: Wanna One, Produce 101 (TV)

Rating: Not Rated

Word Count: 4k

Summary:

Three times Guanlin is stressed/frustrated and is comforted by one of the WANNA ONE members, leaving Jihoon jealous, and one time Jihoon gets to console the younger boy.

AO3 LINK

- Admin Rai

[librocubicularistficrecs]

A Servant To The Kingdom

Author: autumndark

Pairing(s): Lai Guanlin/Park Jihoon

Side Pairing(s): -

Fandom: Wanna One

Rating: General

Word count: 2k

Summary:

Prince Kuanlin appears cool, calm and collected at all times and is adored by his people.

However, what the citizens of the Lai Kingdom do not know is exactly how warm and sweet their prince can be when he is alone with his personal servant Jihoon.

AO3 LINK

- Admin Rai