Unnamed Astarion Romance Novel (ongoing)

CHAPTER ONE

 There's nothing like the searing burn of vodka to wash away the bitter taste of a bad day. Not that today was particularly bad; just another shitty day ending in the bottom of a glass or two; or ten. "Pour me another will you Lucian?" Casimir chirped, waving his hand towards the bartender.

"Don't you think you've had enough for one night Casimir?" Lucian asked, more of an empty question as he was already filling Casimir's glass with liquor.

Casimir giggles softly, "Oh please Lucian you make me laugh. You know it takes more than a few glasses to take me down buddy." He picks up the glass, lifting it to his face to inhale the fumes resonating from the clear liquid before taking a long sip from it. Lucian sighed deeply, shaking his head as he watched his friend wash away his sorrows with yet another glass. Casimir spent most nights in the Murky Mouse, playing music usually, drinking in between songs. He would stir up trouble on nights he was particularly bored. Tonight, thankfully, was not one of those nights. He took a final gulp of his drink, finishing it before standing up, grabbing his violin off of the countertop and making his way towards the small stage near the back of the tavern. He stepped up onto the elevated wooden surface, presenting himself to the bustling patrons. His long black hair cascaded over his frail shoulders. His fingers, slender and agile, gripped the bow expertly as he lifted it to the stings of the violin nestled between his shoulder and chin. The bow pulled over the strings, coaxing forth a melody that wove through the air like a gentle breeze.

With each stroke of the bow, his eyes fell shut in concentration, feeling every note as if it were a part of him. An appreciative smile found its way to his lips as the lilting sound of the violin filled the crowded space of the tavern. Around him, patrons paused their conversations, drawn in by the haunting beauty of the bard's music. The violin sang under his touch, its sound filling the room with a richness that seemed to defy the modest instrument in his grasp.

There was nothing Casimir loved more than music, playing it, hearing it, simply being it. Life seemed so empty and pointless without performance and he wouldn't be himself without it. Performing was embedded into his very being. It's one of the only things he truly knows, his oldest memory, something that's been with him from the beginning. Music.

As the last strains played out into the hushed atmosphere of the tavern, Casimir opened his eyes to meet all of the adoring gazes watching him and he smiles, beginning to play another song. His eyes continue to roam over the tavern as he played, and then he sees someone. A man he didn't quite recognize. He had never seen this man in the tavern or even around the city before. An elf. Tall, well built, well dressed. His pointed ears decorated with silver rings and a wine glass held elegantly in his pale hands. His cold red gaze seemed to stab Casimir like a dagger, pinning him in place, and he faltered, playing an incorrect note. The man's piercing stare filled him with a pitting sense of dread that left him almost breathless.

He clears his throat, the bow trembling in his hand as he tries to continue playing. He looked away for a moment, maybe he had only just caught the man's eyes inconveniently. He takes a moment to look over the crowd again and when he glances back, he is pinned once more. Those red eyes digging straight into his skin, straight into his soul. He dropped his gaze to the floor, trying to shake the way the man's stare had him feeling but he just couldn't. After another failed attempt to continue, he decided he was done, and stepped down from the stage.

As he looked around, the man was nowhere to be seen. Who was that? What about him had Casimir feeling so trapped? He breathed out shakily, trying to shake the thought from his head. It's hard to breathe and he pulls at his ruffled collar, swallowing thickly as he begins panicking. Why? Why was he feeling like this? Something about him. Something about the way he looked at him, almost as if he was prey being hunted. He felt afraid. He continued looking around the tavern in a panicked frenzy. The man was just gone. Like he was never there to begin with. As he continued to move around he bumped into Lucian who was cleaning up a table.