Disclaimer: I do not own anything having to do with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Written by Holly Mitchell (SPARTAN-G122, formally known as Zhar The Mad)
Co-written by Bruce Mitchell
Chapter 10: The Death of a Loved One
NOTE: Keep in mind that this takes place several months after the previous chapter.
Reign arrived on the doorstep of Applewatch. She couldn't wait to tell Lucien about the diary she found convicting the true betrayer of the Black Hand. She hastily flung the door open "Lucien, darling, I have found the traitor's where a bouts! We must hur-" she stopped mid-sentence and dropped the book.
For the first second, all she saw was members of the Black Hand. At that moment she saw her worst fear; Lucien was dead. He had been stripped and hung upside down, his throat had been slit and body mutilated. "Lucien!" tears poured like fountains from her eyes as her heart sank to her stomach. She ran to his body then dropped to her knees.
"He was a traitor to the Black Hand." Arquen said coldly.
"How could you say that?! Lucien's life was the Black Hand! He didn't betray anyone! The proof is in that diary!" she sobbed. "Lucien…" she whispered to him "My love…. I'm …so sorry …we were …too late." The pain was too much to bear. She couldn't breathe. Her eyesight grew blurry.
Arquen picked up the diary "Where did you find this?"
"In… in the Light House of Anvil." She barely managed to whisper.
A ghostly figure appeared and the backdrop slowly began dissipating "Calm yourself, child. This is just a dream."
"What? 'Just a dream?!' Who are you?" she choked out.
"I am your Unholy Matron. I have visited you in your dreams so you can prevent this injustice from coming real. Save my children."
Reign flung forward. She was in her bed, still sobbing "It… It was so real…"
'Lucien… You're not safe at Applewatch. How can I stop this from happening?' she pondered for a moment "Lucien ordered me to destroy everyone in the Cheydinhal Sanctuary… If I go ahead and collect that diary, I can get to Lucien fast enough to stop this from happening." Reign gathered her weapons and clothing and left for The Golden Coast of Anvil.
She arrived at the gate just after dawn. She searched inside the lighthouse and found nothing but a little old man. "Sir, are you the only one who lives here?"
The old man paused thoughtfully "Yes, I'm letting a man use my basement."
"What do you know about him?"
"Nothing much, he just showed up one day and asked if I had any room to spare. He seems like a harmless beggar or something."
Reign ran out to the basement. She stopped in her footsteps as soon as she opened the door, mortified at the picture in front of her; dead bodies. Nude and mutilated. 'this may be more dangerous than I anticipated. But I can't turn back now. The future of the Sanctuary depends on me.' she scoured the room for the diary. Meticulously flipping through books, leaving no stone unturned.
Nothing.
'Okay. Well, room two it is, then.' She opened the door. A deranged dog leaped at her, she moved out of the way just in time. It snarled its fearsome canines and pounced again, landing on top of her. She managed to hold it back far enough so it wouldn't bite her. She stabbed the dog in the jaw and twisted the knife, its jaw shattered and it fell limp immediately. She exhaled began to search through the new set of dead bodies. She realized this room was different. There was a pedestal, and on top of it was a head. It had the words 'mother' written across its face. Then there it was in plain sight...The object of her journey. She took it and ran as fast as she could. She ran until she felt like her heart would explode. She dropped to her knees, waiting for her breathing to slow. She made it to the stables. "Shadowmere!" her horse jumped over the fence, knelling beside her so she could climb up. She jumped on her horse, he reared "We have to hurry to Lucien!" he neighed almost as if he was responding to her and bolted off towards Applewatch.
She ran to the door, banging on it as hard as she could "Lucien!" she banged harder "Lucien, please open the door!"
The door swung open. Lucien had a terrified look plastered on his face. "Reign, whats the matter?"
She leaped into his arms "Lucien!" Tears streamed her down face "You're not safe here."
"What are you talking about?" her smoothed down her hair.
"They will be here shortly to kill you."
"How do you know all of this?" he was shocked and was barely able to keep his composure.
"The Night Mother visited me in my dreams. She showed me what was to happen to you. And where to find this;" she pulled the diary from behind her cloak. "It concludes the fact that there is a traitor amongst us. He's residing in Anvil. That is where she told me I could find it."
Lucien held her close to him "Reign, I wish you hadn't come for me."
"What?"
"I already knew the members of the Black Hand would find me anywhere I hid. It is an inevitable fate I cannot escape…And now you have been woven into my shambles." his chin rested on top of her head.
"But Lucien, I have proof that you have nothing to do with it! All we have to do is convince them to listen for a second! They'll decide to go to the Night Mother. And then everything will be fine again!'
He didn't respond. She looked up at him and gasped. Tears were filling his eyes. "They will not listen."
"My love, please…" she didn't know what to say, she'd never seen him become upset before. Ever.
Lucien kissed her passionately "They are here now." he brushed his fingers against her smooth, pale skin. "I love you." he forced her against a wall, shielding her as the Black Hand snaked in one by one. She stared incredulity at him; she couldn't believe that he was that positive that they were going to die.
"Lucien Lechance; You have been convicted of treachery. We have come to silence you and your accomplice."
"Stop it! Please! I have proof that Lucien had nothing to do with thi-" Reign shouted and Lucien covered her mouth.
Reign clung onto Lucien's robe as Arquen approached them, "Let the girl speak." she commanded.
"The Night Mother visited me in my sleep. She sent me to Anvil to find this." she threw the book to her.
Arquen caught the diary, completely unmoved "Why should we believe you?"
"She said; 'Save my children.'. It is my sworn duty to stop this massacre from happening."
"Hm, I see…" she flipped through the book "We must go see the Night Mother. She will know what to do."
They arrived in Bravil, in front of the statue of the Lucky Old Lady. Everyone made a perfect circle around it.
"What are we doing here?" Reign whispered to Lucien.
He shook his head "This is where they hope to find judgment for the deaths of their fallen brothers and sisters. This is also where the Listener comes to see the Night Mother and pass along contracts."
"Came." Arquen blurted out.
"Came?" He said with a puzzled expression.
"The Listener is now dead. Your" she glared at Reign "accomplice murdered him. The sooner we speak to the Night Mother and prove your guilt," a secret entrance opened at the foot of the statue, leading down into a black abyss "the sooner you die."
The Night Mother appeared before them. "My diluted children. Lucien is not the traitor, he is as faithful to us as the day we found him. The true traitor is-"
A member of the Black Hand swiftly unsheathed two daggers, killing two other members before anyone knew what was going on. Then lunged at Reign and Lucien.
"Protect the Night Mother! Kill the traitor!" Arquen ordered.
The traitor first assaulted Reign with a downward stabbing motion. She evaded it easily by spearing him in the wrist. The man cried out in agony and used the other dagger to slash at her.
Lucien decapitated him and the traitor's body fell limp, his death had been so swift that the nerves in his hands were still twitching.
Reign gasped "Lucien…" she collapsed in his arms, clutching her abdomen.
He lowered her to the ground "Arquen, Reign has been struck!"
Arquen ran to their side in a panic "What should I do?"
"I don't know-"
Watered down blood gushed from Reign's wound. He removed her arms, fearing the dagger had gone deep enough to pierce her organs. The wound was quite deep, pieces falling from it. His heart literally stopped for a few moments. He couldn't believe his eyes; the contents that spilled were now squirming.
"She's pregnant." Arquen said in utter shock, clasping a hand over her mouth.
Tears spilled like fountains from his eyes as the small fetus slowly became still. He swallowed hard, trying to ease the crippling wrenching feeling in his heart "…Was…"
"This was the sacrifice she made in order in restore balance to the Dark Brotherhood." the Night Mother said grimly.
"What?" he choked out.
"In order to save my children, -you and the others- she had to sacrifice her own child." the Night Mother's voice was cold.
"That was not a choice for her alone to make." He shook with anger.
"She knew nothing about the risk it placed on him. All she understood was that she would save you. A decision none the less."
"How could you willingly let this happen?!" Lucien gritted his teeth.
"I did what I could. You will understand in the near future." the ghostly figure held her arms out "Life for your offspring is not possible. Reign may still be saved. Bring her to me."
Lucien untrustingly obeyed his Unholy Matron and laid Reign down in front of her.
The Night Mother placed her hand over Reign's heart. There was a blinding flash."There. She will be well with a few days rest."
Lucien tightly cradled her, burying his face into her chest "I'm so sorry." he cut the umbilical cord from Reign, separating her and their child.
"Lucien, I want you to notify Reign that she is our new Listener. Also, Arquen is a substitute Speaker; making you the substitute Listener."
"Why must we have substitutes? We never have before. Tell me what you've seen!" he ordered.
"Calm down, my son. Nothing tragic will happen, I promise. Now, you must take your leave, your lover needs to rest for a while."
Lucien wrapped their deceased child in his robe and scooped Reign into his arms "Thank you." He said bitterly.