I've spent a while thinking about it, and I think this piece - or rather, the finished version of this piece - is one of my very favorites. I think it's because this is the Universal Spawn Astarion.
There are things people disagree on about Astarion's character in either of his endings. How affectionate vs. prickly he is. How much he likes and wants sex. How much does he connect with other party members. What exactly he wants or needs in a partner. How well he knows what he wants or needs at various stages of the game.
This is something just about everybody seems to agree on. The little edges of terror that still cling to him and cut him at unexpected moments. He's free, now, but he won't ever completely forget what life was before.
He will always carry a piece of that with him.