Prologue
Loud screams woke Marinette up.
She got to her feet quickly. Was it time? A voice screamed in the distance.
"Let her go! Mother, please, I beg you! Mother!"
A beautiful ladybug came flying through the bars of the little window and sat on her shoulder.
"I am so sorry, Marinette. They captured Kagami and Luka."
"What? What are they going to do to them?"
The ladybug hesitated.
"I do not think Madam Tsurugi hurts her own daughter, but she thinks her a traitor. As for Luka…I am so sorry."
Marinette sobbed, thinking of his beautiful face, his singing voice, his expert hands guiding her in a wild dance. Luka was the music of her world, and even if she herself did not survive this madness, Luka had to, there was nothing in the world his strong spirit and clear mind could not overcome. Was it?
"What… what about the others?"
"They are still safe. As long as they stay low."
Her heart was heavy for all her friends. But there was one name crawling its way out of her terrified heart.
"Did you see… my kitty?"
She could not say his name, not when death, blood and pain for it were so fresh in her mind.
Once again, the voice, yesterday so calm and soothing, trembled.
"The last I saw of him, he was still fighting. But Plagg said that he was locked up," the voice murmured in her ear.
Her heart skipped with panic. If they laid one finger on him…
"What do you mean he locked him up, Tikki!? Where? Gabriel would not take him to a dungeon, right? He would never… hurt him, would he?"
The voice of the ladybug sighed.
"Plagg said he is not harmed, but he has been fighting for you all night."
Her eyes went wet with tears.
"My sweet kitty," she murmured. She knew she had to be strong, but how, when the man she loved was going to suffer the most?
Suddenly, a guard opened the door of her cell. She had an impulse of crawling to the back like a scared squirrel, but she did not. They had hurt her so much already, that there was hardly anything else this man could do to her body.
The guard grabbed her arm. His fingers pressed around an open wound and when he dragged her, the long ones of her back bled again, but she did not even try to fight.
"Up, witch! Time to burn!"
She walked with as much dignity as the pain of the lashing wounds on her back, the sharp aching in her belly and the dried blood between her legs allowed her to, her face up and her back as straight as possible. She had never begged for anything and would not do it now; she was going to die like she lived, as she promised to Adrien, Luka and the others.
The man took her to the stake and tied her up. She almost screamed when the wooden stick dug in her hurt back. She spotted the beautiful smile of Lila Rossi, that envious piece of shit… Marinette closed her eyes. She did not want to cry, she was not going to give her the satisfaction.
Minister Agreste walked to her holding his bible.
"This is your last chance to save your soul, witch. Do you repent?"
"The only thing I regret is that I did not kill you when I had the chance."
The man took a torch and put it threateningly close to her face.
"Repent! Repent for seducing my son with your sorcery!"
She spat to his face. Enraged, Agreste slapped her.
"NO! Let her go! Marinette!"
Both the minister and the girl looked right at the young man riding a black horse towards them.
She quickly spotted the blood on his golden messy hair, his clothes were torn for the multiple fights. How much had he fought already? But of course, he was stubborn and so brave and loyal, that he would not leave her to die, even if she asked him to. Adrien loved her too much to let go. And she loved him enough to push him away, if only to save his life.
"Seize him and throw him in a cell! I will deal with you later."
Adrien fought his way to her, but the men of his Father stopped him. He was clearly tired and hurt.
"Let her go, father! Or I will...!"
"I will be fine, my love, go!" she yelled.
Minister Agreste frowned.
"She has bewitched my son, she is controlling him like a dog right in front of us!"
The man made a sign for the guards around Marinette and they lit up the stake. Adrien stared in complete horror at the flames quickly catching on the straw around her.
"NO, MILADY! NO!"
Marinette felt the fire hurting her feet, and she cried for the first time since she was imprisoned, tortured and raped. Because of the pain, because of her friends and because she did not want to die just yet, but above all, because she could see in the green eyes of her lover that his soul was breaking.
"I love you, milady!" he screamed to the night, as his beloved witch burnt.
I love you with all my hear, my sweet knight.