Y'know, it'd be a weird kind of funny if Tiamat decided to take up her tenants as a mortal by making Ashton a part of her hoard.
Like, Ashton is made of (maybe) jade and crystal and gold, all of which are valuable. They're a singularly unique blend of titan and dunamis. The sole heir to the earth titans and Ka'Mort, Empress of Earth, in particular. Hell, they were a keystone to Catatheosis. Ashton is, essentially, a rare collectable. And Tiamat is the god of greed and hoarding.
Also, holding someone captive/enslavement would certainly count as "Do not forgive nor forget an indignity to yourself. Let no affront go unpunished" plus "Take what you covet. Those without the strength to defend their dominion are not worthy of it." If Tiamat forces Ashton to be one of hers, he is both punished for challenging her by being beaten down and forced to submit, as well as taken as something covetous. Besides, death is a quick punishment with limited value. One that might not even stick given what dunamis can do to a soul and how hooked into it he is. Kept alive, he can generate more value and be punished more.
But Tiamat trying to hoard Ashton gets kind of funny because:
Ashton would then have two immortal queens after his ass.
And Bright Queen Leylas Kryn gets to beef with two Betrayer gods for eternity(?).
The "eternity" depends on whether or not Ashton ends up/already is essentially consecuted or otherwise immortal (demi-titan longevity?). Or if Tiamat succeeds in getting Ashton during his lifetime while Leylas fails, creating an eternal envy grudge.
