Up In Flames

by Motor City Mistress

MAJOR SPOILERS for Rise of the Lycans. I wrote out the last few scenes of Lucian and Sonja together from Lucian's point of view, from their short talk in the cells, to her death. Lucian x Sonja, character death.

TITLE: Up In Flames

CHARACTERS: Lucian, Sonja, mentions others

PAIRINGS: Lucian/Sonja

NOTES: Felt like writing something sad. Sue me.

DISCLAIMER: Lucian, Sonja, and any others are not mine, nor do I claim that they are.

Lucian's POV

I lean closer to the bars that separate me from my beloved, in the cages that have held me and my kind during our off hours for centuries. We are alone, for the most part. I want to kiss her so badly, but Sonja remains just out of my reach. She looks out of place in her slave's gown. My Sonja should not be dressed as such. Not as a slave. No, she should be shrouded in the most soft silks and beautiful jewels known to the earth. She is a Vampyre princess, she deserves better than this. I cannot believe that her father has allowed them to put her in here. She doesn't deserve this. He has to save her from the judging. He has to get her out of this. I worry not for my own fate. I don't care what Viktor has them do to me. He is Sonja's father, he has to save her from this peril. He has to. For the sake of his grandchild.

"You said there were risks you were willing to take for me..." Sonja lets a sad smile cross her features. I don't want to see her sad. She should never have to be sad. I trust Viktor to save her from this. He is an Elder. He can make any descision he wants, and the Vampyres will have to follow it. I trust him to save his own daughter. "As have I for you. For us." She continues, that sad smile still prominent. I can't come up with the words to answer her. Nothing seems appropriate enough for this moment.

I open my mouth to give her a response when the doors open. Voices flood the small holding area that we're in. "Open the door." A pair of Vampyres enter the hallway, moving for Sonja's cell. I can feel anger building up in me. They can't take her from me. Not yet. I haven't had her long enough. I just want to stay with her.

"No." I whisper, moving toward the separating wall of bars. I know there would be nothing I could do, if I wanted to. They were already taking her away. Sonja gives me a frightened look before turning back to her assailants.

"Get her." The Vampyre continues as he and his friend grab my Sonja by the arms. They pick her up off of the floor and begin to drag her away.

"No, no." I repeat, reaching through the bars at them. I don't know what it is that I'm trying to grab, maybe just dig my claws into their legs to slow them. Maybe to cause some type of small damage. Either way, I miss all the same. "No!" I stand, using the bars for support for a moment. My eyes grow dark, large. I can feel my teeth sharpening, my claws lengthening. "I'll kill you!" I shriek at the guards. I know that they don't care, they don't fear me. But I want to hurt them all the same. I want to make them hurt like I hurt. They are taking my Sonja from me, and I don't want her to go. "All of you!" I continue my threat, screaming through the bars where my beloved has disappeared from. I will. I will feel their blood on my fingers before the night is out. I let out a soft yelp when, from above, a silver-tipped arrow buries itself between my shoulder blades. I fall to my knees in pain and clutch at my back. A second arrow joins it, just inches from the first, and I fall into the straw-covered floor. As I try to regain my footing, or at least force myself to my knees, a hand reaches into my cell and breaks off the wooden shaft of one arrow. The sharp, poisonous tip remains embedded inside of me.

I am woozy, tired, exhausted when I realize that I'm being dragged into the trial chamber. My vision is blurry, due to the silver in my back. I can't focus on anything. There is a Vampyre on either side of me. They support me by the biceps. My head lolls idly on my shoulders, and I am suddenly dropped to the floor. I collapse, unable to support my full weight with the silver in my back. I force myself up on my hands and knees. The cuffs and chains around my wrists clink together loudly in the otherwise quiet room.

"The accused has committed high treason against the coven. She has consorted with animals. She has abated in their escape." A tall Vampyre is circling my Sonja. He seems to get some type of sick pleasure out of saying these things, putting my beloved down the way he is. He enjoys his position of power. He enjoys being able to list all of the things that Sonja has done that don't fit with the coven's laws.

"I have saved this coven many times over." Sonja replies to his claims, regally as always. Even in her rags, Sonja looks as royal and beautiful as she always does. Her hands are clasped in front of her, held together by her handcuffs. She keeps her head level, her eyes staring directly at her father, sitting at his throne.

"You have killed your own kind." The other Vampyre interjects, stopping any other flow of words that Sonja may have tried to utter. He stands out of her reach, triumphantly grinning at her submission. I struggle to keep my hands and arms steady as I push myself from the cold, stone floor. "And you comingled bloodlines." The Vampyre continues. "Resulting in the thing germinating within you."

I look around the room, trying to make my eyes focus. I can see Viktor, just barely, sitting stoically as always on his throne. He watches this trial take place. He doesn't even seem to mind that it is his daughter they are talking about.

"Your past glory doesn't excuse your present guilt. Nor does your station as a Council member." The Vampyre looks around the room at the faces of the other royals. They all have the same look on their faces, one of smug satisfaction. He delivers his final statement with an edge of power to his voice. "The punishment for these crimes is death." He grins to himself at the deliverance of the judgement. "How vote you?"

I sit up further, pleading silently for Viktor to look at me. For any of them to look at me. Just to notice. Please. Please, let them vote against it. Please, let the vote for life rather than death. Please, let Sonja live.

For a moment, Sonja seems just as worried as I, but she composes herself when she sees me. She wants to appear strong for me. She wants to make sure that I see her in the same light I always have, as the strongest woman I have ever met.

My heart sinks when the first Council member casts her vote. "Aye." The rest of them follow her lead, repeating the same word that she said. None of them seem to be sorry, none are apologetic for what they are doing to Sonja. I don't know why they all seem so evil. I have never hated the Vampyres more than I do right now. Sonja did nothing wrong, yet they're condemning her to death.

I can't help my erratic breathing. All eyes turn to Viktor. He could change the vote. His single 'nay' could save Sonja's life. She could be free to have our child. Free to live. But he looks unsure. He's silent. I grow tired of trying to make him look at me. He can't feel my eyes on him. "She is your daughter..." I say out loud, trying to sway his vote, even though in my mind, I feel that he won't let her die.

Viktor straightens, and for once, Sonja looks worried. She doesn't seem to trust this man, her father, to let her live. Everyone seems to hold their breath as he thinks. We can't imagine what he's thinking. Finally, he opens his mouth to state his judgement. "Aye." He breathes slowly, almost unwillingly. But still, it was 'aye.' He has condemned Sonja to her death.

Sonja doesn't seem shocked as much as betrayed. She continues to stare at her father. Her back straightens regally. Even on her way to her sentence, Sonja will look like her royal self. As she should.

"Take her to the chamber." The Vampyre judge says smugly, motioning to two guards to flank her.

I can't help myself. Even as two Vampyre guards hold me back, I try to lunge toward Sonja. "No, you-you cannot do this!" I struggle when Sonja, now even more betrayed than before, is grabbed by her own guards. The practically pick her up and carry her from the room. "Viktor!" I turn to the Vampyre Elder, pleading with him to help release her. He is the only one who can help her now. "Viktor! No!" I cry now, more loudly than before. "No! Viktor!" I scream as they drag me, too, from the trial chamber. I feel the sorrow building up in my chest. I will not have my Sonja when the night is through.

We are in the execution chamber now, a large, round room, with a pole in the center and a mechanical, self-opening roof. I watch as they chain Sonja to the pole, in direct view of the ceiling. She will be burned alive. She stares across the room at me when they shackle my wrists to the ground. Both of us can feel the pressure and painful heat in the room. We both know how horrible this night is ending.

I focus on Sonja, even as I hear the whip bearing Vampyre behind me readying himself to assault me. I know just how much this is going to hurt, but at this point, I don't care. I wait for the first blow. The Vampyre Council enter the room through the main door to watch the punishment. They all seem smug and excited to see both a whipping and an execution. It's then that I feel the need to leap across the room. I want to gouge out Viktor's eyes. I want to rip out the throats of every Council member in this room. But the silver in my back is weakening me. I can't even break the metal in my handcuffs. I am reserved to watching, on my knees, as they all file in to watch.

Viktor gives the Vampyre behind me a slight nod and, with a grunt, he cracks the whip into my back. I am surprised at the shooting pain that the whip brings me. My mouth falls open wide, and I scream hoarsely as I fall to the floor. Sonja wrenches her body toward me, unsuccessfully, and cries "No!"

I force myself back to my knees. I can already feel blood pouring down my back from the first strike. Another cry leaves my lips when I am whipped once more. It's hard to stay up when the force of the whip knocks me to the ground. Another strike brings a low scream of agony. Sonja looks horrified, at least from what I can see. It's hard to watch her when my vision blurs with pain and my hair falls into my eyes. I grunt when the fourth strike of the whip lands, my shirt tearing open further than it already had. I can hear the fabric tearing, giving. I hold in my painful howls at the fifth swipe. The sixth lands in the mass of blood and torn tissue, bringing a tearful yelp from my mouth. The next three strikes of the whip just force me even further to the ground. I pant heartily, spreading my hands to try to force myself back up. It's too hard to move. Two more whippings land before Viktor calls off the Vampyre with the long strap. He stops, and I continue to lay on the floor, bleeding and in pain.

I hear the Vampyre Council leave the room, not a word being spoken between father and daughter. Only after the door has closed, leaving Sonja and I alone, does she speak. "Lucian..." The hiss reaches my ears. She sounds frightened, worried. She wants to be sure that I'm okay.

I sit up slowly, my body jerking. I'm in so much pain. The whip has made deep abrasions in my back, torn and bleeding. The arrow heads are still embedded within the ruined flesh. I breathe heavily through the pain and hold my arms far from my sides. My eyes meet hers, and I can't help but feel useless. I can't reach her. I'm too weak to save her from this humiliation and agony. I crawl as near to her as the chains will allow. We continue to stare at each other, feeling a need to speak, but not able to find the words to say. Both of us are trying to reassure the other. There is nothing I can tell Sonja to make the situation happy. There is nothing I can do.

Both of us look up when the roof makes a clanking noise. Sonja's punishment is beginning. I don't want her to think about it. I know she only has only a few more moments left to live, and I want those moments to be happy for her. I can't get her away from this horrible situation, but at least I can give her my love. When I see that she is still looking up, I give the ceiling a glance. The cracks worry me. I struggle towards Sonja, though my chains have no give. I can't reach her. "No, Sonja." I call to her, wanting to see her beautiful face at least one more time. "No, just-just look at me. Keep your eyes on me." Sonja's eyes remain on the ceiling, worridly watching for the cracks to grow. Her face is turned from me. "Sonja! Look at me!" Finally, she looks at me. Our eyes connect momentarily, and neither of us speak. It is a still moment.

The roof continues to move noisily as I watch my beloved Sonja from across the room. I have no words to ease her tension, nothing to say that will make anything better. I only have my love for her. It would never be enough to save her. But I have to try. I've heard that love can remedy any situation. "I love you." I whisper, loudly enough for her to hear. Please, let love be enough.

"And I love you." Sonja replies, just as quietly. I can see the frightened side of her now, the side that she lets no one see. She knows that she is in her last moments. She knows that this is the last time we will ever see each other. Unless love can triumph. Please. Please, let us find a way out of this. An ominous clank echoes overhead. "Your face will not be here when this is overwith." She laments, still watching me. I can feel tears in my eyes. I don't want this to happen to my beloved. Not to my Sonja. One final mechanical clank sounds and Sonja sighs. "Goodbye, my love."

No. Not goodbye. I though love could save us. It worked in all of the stories! Why is it not working now? "N-no." I whimper, looking up at the ceiling. I can't let this happen. There has to be something I can do. I can't let her die like this. Humiliated, condemned by her own kind.

The ceiling finally opens, and the burning ray of sunlight streams down straight onto my Sonja, turning her body almost immediately into ash. I jerk on my chains, trying to get to her. I don't know what I could possibly do, but I feel like if I could just get to her, I may be able to do something. My arms are wrenched behind me, my shoulder sockets burning. I don't care about the pain. "No!" I scream at the sunlight. I know that there is nothing I can do now. She's gone already. "No!" I scream again, over and over until my throat goes hoarse. After a long time of screaming, I slouch down to my knees. My voice is gone, and I cry. As I fall to the floor, one last thought swirls through my head. I will kill all of the Vampyres. I no longer feel that they should be allowed to live. It is then that I sleep.

I've lost everything close to me. My beloved and my child. Gone. Up in flames.