Chapter Text
6 years ago
Lena was getting ready for bed one night when she heard a knock at the door.
“Come in,” She called, setting her brush down.
“Good evening, sister,” Lex drawled.
Lena tensed and slowly turned around, a tight smile on her face.
“Good evening, brother,” Lena replied politely. Her stomach turned at the thought of why Lex might be in her room so late at night, for the times he had before had never meant anything good.
“I need you to come with me,” He ordered, making no room for argument.
Lena nodded and silently followed him out of the room, slipping flats on as she passed by the door, and followed her brother down the dark hallways of the castle, all the way down to the dungeons, a place she knew all too well.
Lex led them deep into the darkness, torches along the wall being the only thing lighting their way, making it to the far end, where Lena knew her brother kept his most prized prisoners.
“Here,” Lex said, pointing towards one of the cells.
Peering into the dark cell, Lena had to bite back a gasp. She had seen this so many times, prisoners tortured by her brother's hand, but she didn’t think she’d ever get used to it. There was a man and a woman huddled in the corner of the small space wrapped around each other to ward off the cold. They were covered in cuts and bruises and looked like they hadn’t eaten in days.
When their eyes landed on Lena, they stood, a defiant look on their faces that most Kryptonians were known for, in Lena’s experience anyway.
“I thought you would like to see my new pets,” Lex sneered, eyeing the pair in the cell.
Lena just continued to stare at the Kryptonians, wanting nothing more than to open the cell and let them run free, but she knew she couldn’t, they would all end up dead, or worse. So, she just continued to study them. Her eyes ventured a little lower as she was looking at the woman and she took a slight step back.
She was pregnant.
“Lena? Everything alright?” Lex grumbled, gripping her arm tightly.
She nodded slightly, feeling sick.
The two Kryptonians hadn’t said a word the whole time, just stared at the Luthor siblings as if they were prepared for an attack, but nothing happened. Lex just stood there smirking and Lena in shock as she tried to determine how she was going to help them escape.
After a few tense moments passed, Lex tugged on the arm he was still gripping and spurred Lena back down the hall.
“You, my dear sister, will be the warrior that brings them to their knees.”
“Wha- Lex, you know I don’t kill,” Lena stammered, her brain working overtime to try to find a solution to her brother’s all-consuming madness.
“I’ve had you trained as a warrior for a reason, Lena, and it’s not just for show. You will fight for your country, you will do as I command you, and those abominations will die at your hand in front of our people. Have I made myself clear?” The dimly lit hallway accentuated Lex’s sharp features, the shadows making him seem taller than he actually was and Lena knew there was no way around this and so, she swallowed hard and nodded in defeat.
“Yes, your majesty,” She murmured softly.
Lex grinned slightly, finally letting go of Lena’s arm and Lena had to fight the urge to cradle it to herself as it throbbed.
“Good, I knew you’d come to your senses.” It was when Lex turned to leave that she got an idea.
“Brother, wait!” She called after him, hoping this wasn’t a grave mistake.
“Yes,” Lex replied impatiently.
“I know you want them gone as soon as possible, believe me, I do too, but that woman, she’s pregnant,” Lena said, feigning her best evil smirk.
“Yes, and?” Lex tapped his foot on the stone floor impatiently, waiting for Lena to continue.
“Think about this logically, if we allow the woman to have her child, we would have a malleable Kryptonian in our mix. This could change everything.”
Lex’s annoyed features turned into something akin to interest and pride, and Lena internally celebrated at the fact that she had more time to at least save the mother and her child, knowing Lex would want the man gone as soon as possible.
“Hm,” Lex hummed, “Maybe I was wrong about you, Lena, maybe you are a Luthor after all.”
Lena chuckled slightly, “You never should have doubted me, brother, I have always been dedicated to Luthernia and will do everything in my power to destroy anything that stands against it.”
“Good. I’ll see you in the ring tomorrow, the male Kryptonian still must die, I have no need of him.”
Lena nodded, suppressing a shudder, as Lex walked past her, leaving her alone in the hallway. Once he was gone, Lena headed back towards the cell and peered between the bars at the now sleeping couple and sighed, knowing she was going to ruin their lives tomorrow.
____
The next day found Lena standing in a sandy pit which was located in the middle of the city. Hundreds of Luthernians had come from all over to see their princess take down an all-powerful Kryptonian. Lena was handed a glowing green sword and she swallowed hard, trying to keep her meager breakfast down. She had never killed anyone before, let alone someone completely innocent of any crimes and she had to stop her body from shaking violently as she thought over what she was about to do. There was no way around it if she wanted to save the man’s wife and child.
The Kryptonian man was dragged out and thrown into the sand while the ground surrounding them jeered and screamed profanities.
Lena stared at the hunched-over figure, struggling to his knees and meeting her gaze. His bright blue eyes felt like they were piercing into her soul and she knew she would see those eyes in her dreams for as long as she lived.
Lex stood and the whole crowd went eerily silent.
“Citizens of Luthernia, this creature is a danger to the land and it is up to us to eradicate them. This one is a member of the royal family,” Lena watched as Lex’s face grew into a menacing smile. “We are one step closer to the destruction of the El’s.”
Lex stopped speaking and the crowd erupted into cheers. After a few moments, Lex lifted his arms and the crowd silenced once more.
“I have bestowed this great honor upon my dear sister, Princess Lena, who I know will make her country proud. Begin!”
Cheers erupted from the stands once more and Lex slowly sat back down, a smirk gracing his features as he looked Lena dead in the eyes.
When Lena turned her attention back to her opponent, he was unshackled and held a dull sword in his palm. The young princess felt as though her heart was going to pound through her chest as the man just stood solemnly with the weapon at his side. Lena slowly started walking towards him, feeling her brother’s eyes on her and focused on keeping her face void of any emotion. When she was stood right in front of the Kryptonian nearly eye to eye she raised her sword and watched as his veins turned green.
“Aren’t you going to fight back?” She yelled so the crowd could hear from the stands.
The Kryptonian just stood there, staring ahead, not moving a muscle.
Lena sidestepped behind him and held the glowing sword to the man’s throat and heard the crowd roar.
“Why are you not fighting back?” She murmured into his ear.
“I shall go to my death with honor,” the man answered.
Lena sighed as she watched a trail of blood drip down the man’s throat, “at least tell me your name, so your child can remember you.”
The man stiffened in her arms, “aren’t my unborn child and wife to follow me in death?”
“I’m doing everything I can to protect them, so please, just tell me your name,” Lena pleaded, knowing she was running out of time.
“Kal-El, my name is Kal-El. Please, protect my family princess, I’m begging you.”
Lena’s heart clenched at the desperate plea and she softly whispered back, “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they survive.” She paused, feeling her brother’s gaze once more, “I’m sorry.” Lena kicked the man to his knees and walked back around to face him, taking a deep breath and plunging the sword through Kal-El’s heart and took it back out again, the body crumpling to the floor. The crowd burst into raucous cheers and Lena lifted the sword, covered in the Kryptonian’s blood and smiled, turning away from the lifeless body and toward the people. She felt like she was going to be sick and she knew that she would never be the same again.
———
5 months later
Lena was in the study reading when she heard a knock on the door.
“Enter,” she said, wondering who could require her audience this late in the evening.
A guard peaked his head through and Lena stood up immediately.
“It’s happening,” the guard told her, opening the door as Lena raced past him.
The princess made her way down to the dungeons as she had taken to doing whenever she could and all the way down to the Kryptonian woman, Lois’s, cell.
Lena ordered the guards to open the cell and stared them down when they tried to protest.
“She’s in labor! She’s not going to try anything you imbeciles.”
The guards nodded and opened the door for her. She rushed in and kneeled by Lois’s side.
“Lena,” Lois murmured, giving the princess a small smile.
“I’m right here,” Lena said softly, brushing some sweaty hair out of the woman’s face and holding her hand. “Squeeze as hard as you need to.”
Lena turned to the guards, “one of you go fetch some water and cloths.”
“But, your highness-“
“I said go!”
The guard pursed his lips and went to go do as he was told.
It was another few hours before Lois was ready to push and Lena was there every step of the way, coaching the woman through it as best she could.
“Alright Lois, almost there, I just need you to push.”
Lois nodded and gave one big push, screaming and squeezing Lena’s hand as hard as she could, which Lena will admit was pretty hard even with her lack of powers, and a sharp cry pierced the air. Lena let go of Lois’s hand to catch the baby with both hands and clean it up with the cloths.
“It’s a girl!” Lena proclaimed, smiling down at the brand new baby in her arms. Lois gave her a small smile and Lena carefully swaddled the baby. “Do you want to hold her?”
Lois nodded and Lena helped the woman sit up before handing her the baby.
“Does she have a name?” Lena asked softly.
“Kal and I never got to decide,” Lois sighed, lightly brushing the baby’s cheek, “but I’ve always loved the name Lara, Lara-El.”
“It’s beautiful, just like her.” Lena murmured, watching as the baby’s nose scrunched up adorably in her sleep.
“You’ll take care of her, right?” Lois whispered, looking up at Lena with tears in her eyes.
“Lois,” Lena said lowly so no one could hear, “you’re going to care for her, I’m going to get you out of here.”
“No Lena, you won’t.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Lena, I’m dying,” Lois said, a few tears slipping down her cheeks.
“What? How, I-“
“Kryptonite poisoning. Growing a baby in here has taken its toll, my body had to work overtime to provide for her and now that she’s here-“ Lois sucked in a deep breath, “I can go be with my husband.”
“No, Lois, she needs you, Lara needs her mother.”
“Lena, I need you to promise me that you’ll protect her.”
“Lois-“
“Lena please,” Lois begged, looking straight into Lena’s eyes.
“Okay, I promise, of course I’ll protect her. I’ll protect her with my life.”
Lois nodded and gave her a small smile, looking back down at her sleeping baby, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “I love you, Lara.”
The two women sat there in silence, the weight of their circumstances heavy on their shoulders. After a few hours, Lois closed her eyes and Lena watched as her breathing slowed and eventually stopped.
The baby started whimpering when Lena took her out of her mother’s arms and the princess held her tight against her chest, trying not to let the tears that had built up fall, knowing that from now on she would have to be strong for this child.
When Lena made her way back up to her bedroom, she found Lex waiting for her.
“The woman is dead,” she informed him, “kryptonite poisoning.”
Lex smiled as he eyed the small bundle in Lena’s arms. “Well that’s one less kill for you then I suppose,” he sighed, reaching out to take the baby from her arms. “Disgusting creature,” he sneered, “but you will be a formidable weapon.” Handing the baby back to Lena he started for the door, “she will be your responsibility until she begins developing her powers, except at night, I know how… deep you sleep.”
Lena shuddered at the insinuation and glared at her brother before he left her alone with the child. She sighed and cuddled the baby closer to her and wondered how the hell she was supposed to raise a child in this palace.
___
Two years went by and Lena became more infatuated with Lara each day. Lena was there for her first word, her first steps, her first tooth, everything. Lara brought a light to Lena’s life that she thought she would never have, but her brother’s promise hung over Lena’s head like a dark cloud she just couldn’t shake and when Lara crushed one of her toys with her bare hands, Lena’s heart shattered.
Lara was barely two, her dark hair just starting to grow out and with bright blue eyes that were always attentive and full of life, when Lena dressed her in servants clothes and carefully climbed out of the window, scaling the stone wall of the castle with Lara tightly tied to her back with a large sheet. Lena snuck out of the palace walls and walked to the nearest village, a place she knew Lex would never venture.
Coming upon an inconspicuous wooden building, the sign reading ‘Metropolis Orphanage’, she knocked on the door and waited for a kindly old woman to answer. The old woman took in her appearance and her eyes went wide before dipping into a curtsy.
“Your highness.”
“Mistress Patricia?” Lena asked.
“That is I, your highness, is it time?”
Lena nodded and untied the sleeping toddler from her back and held her in her arms, “Promise me you’ll protect her.” Lena said, remembering her promise to Lois all those nights ago and to Clark in the sandy area.
“With my life, your highness,” the woman curtsied again and Lena kissed the top of Lara’s head, squeezing her just a bit tighter before handing her over to the kind mistress.
“King Lex will be looking for her.” Lena wrung her hands nervously, aching to reach out and hold Lara.
“I have a place to hide her until things blow over,” Patricia answered.
“Thank you, Mistress, this will not be forgotten.”
“Of course, your highness, be safe.”
Lena nodded and watched as the woman slipped behind the door and closed it. Lena took in a shuddering breath and ran back to the castle as fast as she could, scaling back up the wall and through the window, leaving it open. She tipped the cradle over and grabbed a rock she had stowed away for this very occasion. Gritting her teeth, Lena gripped the rock and smashed her temple, hard, effectively knocking herself out as she crumpled to the floor, making sure to toss the rock a few feet away with her last few moments of conciousness.
When Lena woke, she felt a pounding in her temple, worse than any headache she’d ever had before.
“You're awake,” A voice grumbled from beside her. Lena cringed, knowing that voice all too well.
“Mm, Lara,” Lena murmured.
“She’s gone.”
“What?” Lena shot up and immediately regretted it. Lex forcefully pushed her back down and she grimaced in pain, seeing black spots line her vision.
“You let someone take her from you,” Lex sneered, “you lost our most valuable weapon.”
Lena’s eyes filled with tears and she sucked in a sharp breath, feeling the loss of the little girl she had raised as her own for two years, knowing she would probably never see her again. “I’m sorry,” Lena whispered.
Lex gripped her chin and waited for her to open her eyes, their gazes met and Lena swallowed harshly knowing her life was about to get a whole lot more difficult.
_____
A week after Lena gave Lara up, a messanger pigeon came to her window and Lena stood up, still sore from her training session that morning and lasting concussion from that fateful night.
She untied the letter and watched the bird fly away. The princess sat down at her desk and began reading, her eyes widening when she realized it was from a member of the Kryptonian council. They were asking for information and aid in their impending war, offering protection if she was ever found out. Lena closed the letter and quickly began writing back, eager to possibly find a way to bring her brother down and make her way back to Lara.