Disclaimer: I am not the owner of these characters. The original story and the characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only borrowing them for a little while.

Chapter 15

With Sophie Anne alive, the possibilities are endless!

Sookie's POV

Pam looked around with a confused face for a whole two seconds and then a smile brightened her face.

"I have been waiting for you and the others that work for Eric to join us tonight. Didn't you get my text?" I asked her frustrated. She was supposed to be here several hours ago. I texted her while she was still dead to the world with instructions for tonight. "You're the first one to show up."

I was starting to worry over her absence, and now, seen her stressed look and unmatched clothes made me realize that something bad happened. Pam eyes went wide opened when she spotted Sophie Anne, "your majesty," Pam said and her smile widened as far as her facial skin allowed it.

Pam turned to me, "you never cease to amaze me."

I smiled at her statement. I must say that Sophie Anne's presence was pure coincidence, but the others… well, I have been very busy since I first met Bill.

"I told you, tonight the king dies for good," I stated as a matter of fact.

"And here I thought today was not going to be a good day. You're in luck! They are both in Fangtasia which is driving Eric and all of us crazy. I received your text when I first woke up, but it is impossible to bring Eric's subordinates here. The king thinks Fangtasia is his new castle and we are at his disposal. Which brings me back to the reason for me to be here; the king is requesting your presence immediately. Just know that Eric has done everything he could to protect you," Pam said staring into my eyes.

What has Eric done? I breathed deeply trying not to cry.

"Do not leak again," Pam demanded and she was right. This was the time to fight and not to cry.

I faced Alcide, Calvin, and the others, "It seems that the time to fight is now while they're still in Fangtasia. I'll meet with them while you guys make your way there. Pam, make sure all of Eric's people wear the Fangtasia shirt to distinguish them from the king's entourage."

Pam agreed and without further delays we went to her car and off we left. I said all the prayers I ever learned, yet the driving took forever. At least, that's how it felt to me.

My phone beeped with an incoming text from Alcide, "we're five minutes behind you" and my tension grew even higher.

"Why does the king want to see me with so much urgency?" I asked Pam. The silence was killing me. I was expecting Pam to drive in a hurry, but to my surprise, she was actually driving to the speed limit.

"Eric has done everything he could to help you. You must keep that in mind," she replied.

"What did he do?" I asked, scared of the answer.

"Tonight he's going to divorce you. He has accepted the marriage to Freyda. His decision will keep both of you alive."

A divorce? What the fuck? "If he wants to divorce me, then why am I doing this?" I asked with a giant bump in my throat.

"He doesn't want to, but he must. Otherwise, you will not live another day. Neither will he. However, your plan overrides everything. Eric just does not know it yet. He will be pleased."

The rest of the ride was in complete silence. My heart was breaking into tinier pieces the closer we got to Fangtasia. The bar was closed tonight and only a handful of cars were parked in the back. We parked on the usual employee spot, "remember, tonight will be a great night," Pam told me and exited the car right away.

Pam opened and closed the trunk, without getting anything from it or putting anything in it.

She then checked her heels for some dust or something. She brushed the surface of her shoes with her hand to remove dust off them. The problem was that I didn't see any dust on them. Even though she was wearing non-matching clothes, she wore those heels like a pro. She always did. I wished I looked half as good as she did with them.

I looked at her confused and she gave me a small smile. She was stalling! Taking her time for the others to arrive.

Eventually we had to go in and a vampire I had never seen before opened the door "your maker has been looking for you," he said as we walked in.

Pam didn't reply to him. We just continued our way to Eric's office. Before entering his office, a vampire gave Pam something and she handed it over to me. It was a familiar black velvet bundle which I unfolded slightly until the knife came to view. The ceremonial blade was gleaming and ornate and sharp, just as I remembered it. I folded the bundle again as Pam opened Eric's office.

Eric's office wasn't big, and it wasn't grand, but it sure was crowded. The first face I saw was Eric's and it was a sweet and sour moment. As always, he looked like a hot model from a magazine with a sexy look and a lethal aura that could kill anybody without flinching. He was my vampire Viking. The total package.

There were no visible signs of torture, but I was willing to bet that deep inside he was scarred for life. I didn't know how I was feeling when I recognized Felipe de Castro and Freyda. I'd been sure they'd be there, but to see both… my heart sank.

The presence of royalty never meant anything good. Even thought my plan was already in the works, I couldn't help to feel insecure. Felipe was behind the desk, sitting on Eric's chair, naturally. He was flanked by his right hand, Horst Friedman, and his consort, Angie Weatherspoon. Angie was a leggy redhead I'd hardly exchanged two words with. I'd hate her forever because she'd danced on Eric's favorite table while wearing spike-heeled shoes.

There was a throw rug in front of the desk. Eric and I had been literally called on the carpet.

"Meees Stekhuss," Felipe said pleasantly. "How nice to see you again."

"Hmmmm," Freyda said, from her chair against the wall facing the door. It seemed she disagreed.

There was a new vampire who was leaning against a wall, expressionless. "This is Karin, my other child," Eric said.

If I was a golden blonde and Pam was paler true blonde, Karin's hair was at the ash blond end of the spectrum. It fell in heavy waves down her back. Her face was utterly bare of makeup and utterly lovely. Her lips were narrower than mine, as was her nose, but her eyes were wide and blue. Karin was shorter than me or Pam, but just as curvy.

The biggest difference was not in our features but in our expressions. When I looked into Karin's eyes, I knew she was a stone-cold killer. All vampires are, but some have more aptitude for it than others. And some take more pleasure in it than others. When Eric had turned Pam and Karin, he'd gotten blond warriors.

If I became a vampire, I'd be like them. I thought of things I'd already done. I shivered.

Karin nodded slightly and I did the same.

"I'll be right outside," Pam announced. She took a step back, and then shut the door very firmly.

"Sookie," Felipe de Castro said, and I saw we'd dispensed with honorifics. "Eric has called you here to release you from your marriage to him."

It was like being smacked in the face with a large dead fish.

I made myself hold still, made my face freeze. I repeated in my head what Pam had said, that he had to do this to keep us both alive, but still felt a sharp, deep pain, to hear those words out loud.

I didn't even glance at Freyda. If I saw pity in her face, I would jump her and try to smack her down, whether that meant suicide or not. I hoped she was sneering in triumph, because that would be more tolerable. Only if she knew what I have for her tonight!

Looking at Eric's face was out of the question. Karin approached me, and unfolded the velvet to expose the knife I had forgotten I was holding.

"You just nick yourself on the arm and you say, 'This is yours no longer,' to Eric. You hand the knife to Eric," Karin said with a firm, unattached voice.

I had a momentary impulse to sink the knife into one of the silent hearts around me. I didn't know which one I'd aim for first: Felipe's, Freyda's, or even Eric's. This situation hurt deeply.

Before I could think of this too much, I closed my eyes and forced myself to get back to the moment. 'This divorce isn't going to happen.' 'They are going to die tonight' I kept repeating it over and over in my mind.

Too many voices started to cloud my mind and I realized that they came from my group who were too busy surrounding Fangtasia. I could literally feel them moving around the building. It was confusing; too many thoughts at the same time and a group of empty spaces moving towards the main entrance of the bar.

My heart was pounding fast and I knew that everybody in this room could hear it. 'Let them think it's because of their presence or because I'm losing Eric.'

War was about a minute away, followed by their deaths. Maybe mine too. Maybe I'll die today too.

I forced myself once again to concentrate on the plan: I had to create a distraction to stall.

I turned my attention to the king who was staring at me, waiting for me to repeat Karin's words.

"No," I said and Felipe blinked twice. I could feel Eric's staring at me, but I just couldn't look him in the eyes. "I won't divorce Eric. You think that you are all clever, yet failed to recognize what has been in front of you all this time. How could you ever consider that I was going to let Eric go this easily? He's MINE and will be until I say so," I said putting my official claim on him.

He was mine and I was ready to fight for him.

I waved the knife as I spoke and glared at Felipe de Castro, defying him. Maybe I was committing suicide by doing this, but right now I didn't care.

Felipe de Castro tilted his head and his expression changed from a civilized king to lethal murderer. "Are you disputing the divorce Sookie?"

"Yes, I am," I said. I had to stall this moment as much as possible until everybody got ready to attack.

"Do you understand that you can't force a vampire to stay married to you?" His mocking tone pissed me off.

"But he could force me into marrying him, right?" The truth was that he actually tricked me into marriage without my consent, but I wasn't going to discuss that here. At least not now.

Felipe raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "You seriously think that you are equal to us."

Oh no, he didn't go there!

"At least humans respect each other's wishes and don't force each other into unwanted marriages," I raised my eyebrows too. However, the second those words came out of my mouth, I regretted them. Not because of Felipe, but because of Eric. I didn't want him to think that I didn't want to be with him.

"Yet, here you are disputing the dissolution of such unwanted marriage," Felipe said with his thick Spaniard accent while waving his hands mocking me.

God I hated this man!

I didn't dare to look at Eric's face. I didn't know if he was angry at my words or if he was hurting. I had to do damage control, but not until after the fight was over.

"I didn't say it was unwanted, but as equals, I demand my rights to be respected," I stated in a desperate attempt to change the way this conversation was going.

Felipe de Castro laughed like I never heard him laugh before. Freyda smiled and silently giggled.

Bitch!

Eric and Karin remained silent. Yeah, he was pissed.

Looking at Freyda I replied as bitter as I could, "what does it feel to buy a husband? Couldn't you find one that would willingly make the sacrifice?"

Freyda stood up in a millisecond, her fangs fully extended and ready to launch at me. Eric and Karin immediately stood in front of me, ready to stop her.

"No harm will ever come to her," Eric reminded her.

She glared at him and then gave me a death sentence look. That look told me everything: an "accident" was going to happen to me real soon.

"Sookie. Sookie. We're ready," Alcide communicated to me with his thoughts.

"Sook, we're ready," Jason followed.

I smiled slightly and a sense of relief covered my soul for about one full second followed by deep anxiety at the realization of those words… 'This was it'

And that was the moment when hell broke loose… literally!

A loud commotion came from the bar area. A vampire burst into the office, "we are under attack!" and stood there guarding the door and Felipe. I recognized him as part of Felipe's personal guards. He was always at arm-length from Felipe. I didn't know how old was he, but I was guessing not too old since everybody that supported Felipe was within a couple of centuries old. Eric was the only one in the entire kingdom that was as old as dirt.

Eric, of course, went from a business man to full Viking in less than a second and exited the office with his battle sword on hand; the same sword that Pam had mentioned earlier. I thought Pam had said it as if he had brought it to his office because he was planning something against Felipe; a suicide mission. Maybe my assumption was wrong.

Eric, my Viking. On the other hand, would it be wrong for me to find his Viking side to be lethal and sexy and the same time? In moments like this, I was happy to be on his side. His opponents better get ready to lose a few body parts before finding their final death.

Karin remained in front of me; my own personal bodyguard.

The king followed Eric and his bodyguard followed right after. Freyda gave me a suspicious look and then left to fight too. A sudden surge of adrenaline followed by anger filled my soul. I wanted it to be me who killed her, so I went after her and Karin followed me too.

I never thought I would ever see the scene in front of me: Fangtasia was a real battleground…

Note: I debated about starting the fight in this chapter and then finishing it on the next one, but I decided against it. I think it's best to have the entire fight as one chapter. In the meantime, what do you think about this Sookie? Can you picture her defying Felipe de Castro, even if it was a "suicidal move"?