Lexa stood at the head of the table, overlooking the scattered maps before her. She had memorized every word, note and line on them long ago. She looked them over again straining to see something different, something she hadn't seen before. Beside her, Clarke hunched over the table glaring down at the maps as if they had personally offended her. Around the room, warriors convened going over their own maps, talking amongst themselves and filling the room with the low babble of muttered conversations.

Lexa leaned sideways and spoke softly to Clarke,

"Clarke, we will figure this out." when Clarke didn't look at her she continued in a reassuring tone

"There is a solution here and we will find it. These things take time, but I promise we will get them back. They are my people too now."

On the table, Clarkes knuckles had turned white from clenching her fists so hard. At Lexa's last words, she slowly relaxed her hands and straightened up turning to face Lexa.

"I thought Roan was an ally now, why would he do this?"

Lexa's eyes searched Clarkes face. The question was meant to be accusatory, but Lexa could see that Clarke was more hurt than she wanted to let on. Lexa turned to face the table once more and paused as she struggled to form the right words.

"…It's not Roan, but I think you know that." She glanced at Clarke for affirmation before continuing

"Its Azgeda. Most of their people supported Nia and when I killed her and appointed Roan the new King it wasn't a choice they were very happy with." Lexa stopped and traced her finger absentmindedly over the word Polis on the page before her.

"But you're the Commander. Your word is law" Clarke interjected.

Lexa smiled sadly

"Yes it is..." She glanced at her soldiers around the room, each of whom had sworn their life to her.

"But theres more to it than that. It will be long time before I ever gain their true loyalty. Roan is doing everything he can to help us, but he can't outright go against his own people." She furrowed her brow and spoke more to herself than to Clarke

"I may have spared his life but I have put him in a dangerous position. Being new to the throne and needs to be smart. There are few people around him he can trust and he may be in just as much trouble there as your people are." she finished with a sigh.

Clarke sighed. She cast one last glance at the table and then looked around the room at the men and women poring over their own maps and discussing tactic plans. She turned and walked towards a window out looking the bustling streets of Polis beneath them. Without pause Lexa turned and followed her.

Clarke stood looking down on the city before them. Lexa came to a stop beside Clarke, her arms clasped behind her back, and stared out at her people before her. It was one of her favorite things to do when she felt overwhelmed. It comforted her to see her people safe and happy in the city she loved.

"It just feels like we can never catch a break. Like there is no such thing as real peace here." Clarke's voice broke as she spoke. Lexa didn't know what to say.

"How do you do it?" Clarke asked as she turned to face Lexa again.

"How do you deal with this every day? The fighting and warring between the clans, never truly being able to live in peace, knowing that one wrong move could cost you your position as Commander, or worse your life?"

With out taking her eyes off of her people before her, Lexa spoke:

"Because I have to. This is what I was born to do."

"I'm trying to be strong for my people too. But I don't think I can do this again. If they die, its all my fault. I came here thinking I could help insure their safety and now my friends are being held captive again while I'm stuck here in polis staring at maps. I should be out there looking for them! I should-"

Lexa stepped closer to Clarke, reached out, and grabbed one of Clarkes hands in hers and spoke in an even softer reassuring tone.

"We will get our people back Clarke. I promise!" Clarke knit her eyebrows and looked down at her hand in Lexa's. Then she slowly raised her eyes to find Lexa's. They stood like this for a moment, then Clarke blinked and cleared her throat. She looked toward the council table and her eyes grew in surprise, then she pulled her hands from Lexas.

Lexa she hadn't noticed that the room had gone quiet. She turned to follow Clarke's gaze and found that each of her warriors and counsel men had stopped what they were doing to stare at them. A smug grin spread across Indra's face and she turned to a man across the table and spoke

"Koff up Ragar!"

Without taking his eyes off of them Ragar reached into his cloak, pulled out a knife. Lexa felt Clarke tense beside her. With a short grunt he raised the knife then struck the table burying the tip deep in the dark wood with a loud thunk. He shot Clarke a look of loathing then turned and walked out of the room. Slowly, the room filled with the sounds of shuffling as one by one the others produced their own personal belongings and lay them on the table before they too left the room.

Indra reached over and pulled the knife out of the table looking at it in triumph. She turned to face Clarke and Lexa and with no small smile said:

"I've been wanting this knife a long time" She leaned over the table and scooped up the rest of her bounty looking at each piece in satisfaction. She turned to Lexa.

"Heda," she said with a deep bow and then walked out of the room too.