This was originally going to be a one-shot, but these two are just too perfect together to leave it at that.

Everything spoken in Trigadeslend will be in italics

L

"Em Pleni!" I shouted, barely suppressing the urge to throw something, preferably a knife. I took a breath to reign in my temper, before continuing, "I do not care what you think, if we do not find other ways to enforce our laws we will never find peace. If we do not value peace more than war, than we are no different from the Mountain and Sky people."

"Heda, this is our way, it is our tradition. How will we exact our revenge if we don't demand blood for blood?" The broadleaf ambassador protested. Others nodding in agreement.

"It is the Skaikrus tradition to use guns, should we permit that to continue as well simply because it is their way?" I asked schooling my features to conceal my impatience "Death without cost means life has no value has not changed. We will find a new way to remember this."

"Heda" Another protest "Dismissed!" Losing my mask of patience and calm once again. We had been discussing this for hours with no break, or progress, and we had gotten nowhere. The day had been long enough without continuing.

"Heda" Titus started "We need to..."

"Not now, Titus" I interrupted, not interested in hearing his arguments as well, "Leave me"

As he left, I turned to face the balcony seeing the city sprawling beneath me. People moved across the streets, greeting each other, hurrying on their way, stopping to purchase supplies. I stood and watched them lost in thought, how was I going to make this work?

I started as the door began to open, my hand going to the dagger strapped to my thigh, "Heda, I have food for you." My guard Ryder called "And Klark Kom Skaikru has asked her guard about you and the day's meetings"

I nodded my head, feeling my shoulders drop a little, I wanted to smile but I kept my face still "I will speak to Klark in her room, bring enough food for both of us"

I crossed the room and started moving down the halls towards Klarks room, I was barely aware of my guard following me I just wanted to see her. I caught myself increasing my pace in my eagerness, and forced myself to slow, I couldn't show such weakness.

"Heda, she has not left her rooms since this morning when we went into the market. She has been quiet and caused no issues" Sev, her guard, informed me as he moved to open the door.

I paused and let my guard enter the room before me, irritated that I had to wait, so I moved into the room before the all-clear signal came.

"Wait outside the door with the other guards" I ordered my own guard, Ryder gave me a look as he stood there waiting for the other two to finish clearing the room of threats. Once they were done, he nodded and followed them out of the room stationing himself across from the door. I turned and looked at Klark who had been silent.

"Hei," I said, feeling suddenly unsure, things were still so tense between us.

"Hi, would you like to sit?" Klark offered, moving to close the door.

I moved to the couch feeling stupid for coming here, why did I think this was a good idea?

"Ryder said that you had asked about today's meetings, I thought I'd come in person…" I trailed off, come in person and tell her what? That the ambassadors were ready to call for my head? A knock sounded on the door, giving me a reprieve, a chance to break away from Klarks stare and think again.

Klark moved to the door and opened it, allowing Ryder and another guard to bring in two trays of food. The smell of roasted meat made my stomach growl, I hadn't eaten since after my morning training session and I was starving. As the guards left the room I moved over on the sofa to make room for Klark and began to eat.

We ate in silence for a while, focusing on the food in front of us, but with every passing moment I felt more tense, the pressure building up in the air around us until it felt like a strike of lightning was coming.

"Klark" "Heda" we spoke at the same time

"Its Lexa, when we are alone, please," I asked, hoping she would call me by my name. As Heda I had to be many things and it had led to problems between us. But if I could just be Lexa, at least when we were alone, then maybe things could improve between us.

"Lexa" She gave me a small smile before glancing away. "How did your meetings with the ambassadors go?"

"As well as expected, they are not pleased but I am Heda, so there has been no call for war over this" Yet, I thought to myself.

Klark looked at me, her eyes narrowed as though I had said more than I did. As the moments passed I felt sure that she knew just how badly the talks had gone, but then she nodded her head and looked away. We were silent, neither of us really knowing what to say to the other. This is why I shouldn't have come here, we could speak to each other in public or when it was about our duties as leaders of our people. But when we were alone the space around us began to fill with unsaid things until they felt bigger than a pauna.

"Thank you, for dinner, it was delicious," Klark said, breaking the building pressure.

I was confused by the word dinner, but she had to be speaking of the food so I nodded. As the silence started to grow again I began steeling myself to leave. I had been so eager to get here, but now that I was here it felt harder than my conclave to sit in this awkward silence with this woman.

"What are your days like when you don't have a war threatening you?" Klark asked, cocking her head and looking at me with those blue eyes I could get lost in.

It took me a moment, "The alliance is still fairly new so things are still cautious. But we don't have talks this often. Usually only once every few months, or when something big comes up" I share, relieved that she had given me a few more minutes before I couldn't stand the silence between us. "When I'm not in meetings with ambassadors I spend my mornings in the training pit, both improving myself and training others. I teach the Natblidas our history, politics, and anything I can think of, really. I also travel a lot. I haven't been to all of the nations within our alliance, but I've been to many. It gives me a chance to see more than just what the ambassadors tell me."

Klark smiled at me and I felt like everything inside of me got lighter, "What were days like on the Ark?"

K

I settled into my chair and wiggled to get comfortable. It was oddly soft and large compared to the furniture we had on the Ark, but I was able to position myself so that my paper was in front of me. I looked over at the couch and began to draw.

We had talked about many things in the hour after our meal. Then a knock had sounded on the door. The one who guarded Lexa and helped with the meal was at the door. He whispered something to Lexa who shook her head before dismissing him.

"Someone else wants to speak to me about Blood must not have blood" She had said, scrubbing her hands over her face smearing the war paint just a bit. "I told Ryder to tell them to wait till tomorrow, but I should go make sure there is nothing else"

I hadn't thought before I walked over to her, I just knew that her paint was smeared and she couldn't leave with it looking less than perfect. As I reached to wipe the paint off of her cheek time seemed to stretch, slowing down and distorting until nothing else seemed to exist. "I don't want you to go yet" I whispered. I knew she was Heda and had far more important things to do than just sit here with me talking, but I just didn't want her to leave me.

She reached up and held my hand against her cheek before nodding "Then I'll stay for a bit" she paused and gave a little smile as she looked at the black that marked my fingers "As long as I can use your washroom"

I had nodded and moved away, glad she was staying, but I hadn't wanted the moment to end. While she was in the washroom I hadn't known what to do with myself so I picked up my sketch pad and began working on a drawing from earlier, a doe and her fawn drinking by the stream. After a while I felt the pressure of someone watching me and looked up. Lexa was sitting on the couch across from me again. I hadn't heard her come in and from the book in her hands, she had been there awhile. I had blushed and turned back to my drawing not knowing what to say.

One of the candles next to me started to sputter, the wick too long to maintain a steady burn. I trimmed off the extra before turning around and realizing that Lexa had fallen asleep. She looked so perfect there, that I didn't even think as I turned to a fresh page, got comfortable, and started. As each line marked the page and with every look at the woman sleeping across from me, something inside of me settled and eased. I was here, with her, and I was happy. And maybe, we could be happy together.