Revenge
Clarke was beyond angry as she finally found her way to the Grounder's camp after a few days of hiking and survival.
She'd thought about what Lexa had done to her, her people, the scenarios playing in her head like a tape. Leaving Clarke behind like she meant nothing to her, despite the relationship Clarke thought they had. The whole event made Clarke wonder who she was angry at, herself? For letting emotions blind her from every possibility that could happen? How being double crossed never occurred to her?
I should have known better! Clarke reasoned with herself, but if Lexa thinks she can just walk away from this… Clarke's trail of thought wondered away as she heard the faint sound of voices.
But that moment that she actually physically saw the markings of Lexa's people, the anger that had submerged rose up like putting petrol on a fire.
The first person Clarke saw was one of Lexa's guards that she vaguely remembered. "Where is Lexa?!" Clarke shouted, gaining the attention of the surrounding people.
"How dare you raise your voice while on the land of the grounders?!" The guard equally shouted.
"Tell me where-" A voice interrupted the two of them from a far.
"Hod op!" It was a female voice. Lexa, Clarke immediately thought. The warrior walked over towards Clarke and the guard.
"Clarke of the sky people, we meet again." Lexa spoke calmly as though nothing had happened- which only fuelled the blonde woman's rage more. Turning to the guard, Lexa nodded at him to be dismissed from the situation. "Clarke would you like to talk somewhere privately?"
Clarke let out a harsh laugh, "You ignorant, suborn, tight arse bitch!" Lexa let no sign of these words offending her, she just stood there with her hands resting on her sword waiting for Clarke to release the steam that had probably built up over the past few days. "How could you?! We had a plan! But you… you couldn't just try and go through with it! Could you?"
"I did what was best for my people Clarke," Lexa replied in a flat tone.
"Your people? What about my people?! We were in this together! My people are your people! I trusted you! You said you trusted in me!" Tears were now starting to spill over Clarke's eyes, despite Clarke's attempts to keep them at bay. "Or did you lie? Because you seem to be pretty good at that!"
"The plan would have cost hundreds of lives Clarke." Lexa tried to reason.
"Oh yeah! Because being kept in a lab and being dissected painfully is a much better life! You know what commander? My mother was right, I never should have trusted you. When you said love was weakness, what did that mean to you when you kissed me?!" Clarke continued to shout, ignoring the slight murmurs from the people surrounding them.
Lexa remained her cool, her warrior paint hiding any change of emotion that she had. "Clarke you are angry and emotional, you have every right to be. But you were willing to risk lives because you've never had to lose them. You have bliss of not knowing what it's like to have your own soldiers die in front of you."
"That doesn't excuse you for lying to me, I trusted you." Clarke said again, as though Lexa didn't seem to be understanding why Clarke hurt so much.
"I know you did and I am sorry that it had to end like that." Lexa replied.
Clarke let out a harsh laugh, "Fine, you're used to talking about war and being an emotionless drone! Why don't I try and make you realise what you've done to me through an emotion I think you know quite well Lexa, because I hate you right now! I hate you and the fact that you think you just left my people to die! I hate you and after this, I hope I never see you again!"
That was it, Clarke had finished. So now they just stood in front of each other, neither one not knowing what to say. But then Clarke looked Lexa straight in the eye.
"And if you ever thought we'd ever be in a relationship, you were wrong."
Lexa just gave a nod, trying to hold her breaking heart together. Clarke couldn't believe what she'd just said but she knew she didn't want to stay here any longer.
Turning around, Clarke left the camp.
Lexa watched Clarke leave, she wanted to sprint after the blonde woman and wrap her arms round Clarke and kiss her, cry and tell her how sorry she was.
But that was not the commander way.
That night
Lexa had Ingra ask her if she should kill the sky person for showing such disrespect, Lexa told her not to purely because of the likelihood of a new war being brought on to her people. When Lexa went to bed, she couldn't rest. Her mind continued to run circles, replaying how almost all of Lexa's loved ones seemed to die or get hurt.
Suddenly Lexa thought of Costia and how happy they had been, automatically Lexa turned to look at the antique hair pin that sat on the small table next to Lexa's bed. Lexa remembered bringing it back from one of her trips to another grounder camp and how Costia had been so happy to receive a gift from the newly elected commander.
It had a very sharp end but the top part of it had an emerald green gem in it, just like Costia's eyes. Sighing Lexa remembered it had been a while since she'd visited Costia, realising she was not going to get a good night's rest tonight, Lexa put her boots on, equipped her dagger just in case and headed outside her tent.
It was the early hours of the morning, the birds were chirping but the sky was still dark. Lexa walked across the edge of the camp and pulled some flowers out of the ground and went over to a large tree with the initials "C+L" crudely carved into the true.
Lexa smiled at the memory of how Costia insisted on carving onto the tree, showing how natural and pure their love for each other was.
Lexa placed the flowers at the bottom of the tree and stared at the carving, remembering all the times the two of them had sat down and leaned against the tree, talking about anything while holding each other's hands or lying on top of one another, promising to grow old and happy together.
But the warrior was soon pulled out of her memories as she vividly remembered the day she found out Costia had been kidnapped, then the day she had been killed. Days after hearing of this news, Lexa couldn't even recall. They didn't feel real.
Then the realisation dawned on her, Lexa had lost Costia because she was related to Lexa, what if I lost Clarke too? Lexa began to worry. Despite all that Clarke had said hours ago, Lexa knew her feelings for Clarke- no matter how hard she tried to remove them.
Suddenly Lexa felt guilty for thinking of another partner other than Costia- even while at her make shift grave. "I know you'd want me to be happy Costia, but I feel as though I never will be. Not as commander. Nor as someone who's loved ones are always under threat from myself or others. I shall avenge your death my love." Lexa whispered as dangerous, reckless and impulsive idea started to brew in her mind.
Standing up from the grave, Lexa took a deep breath and sighed. Removing her dagger and the mark of her tribe that was on her forehead, she placed the two together on the ground. Lexa returned to her tent, writing a quick letter to Indra, picking up Costia's hair pin, taking some supplies and weapons that she deemed necessary, she left the camp on horseback.
Vowing that the ice nations shall pay for what they did.
Blood must have blood.
A few miles away from the camp
Clarke was emotionally exhausted and it hadn't taken her long to fall asleep once she had set up camp, but once the recollection of what she'd told Lexa last night, Clarke instantly felt guilty, those things that she had said… were just plain mean.
The blonde haired woman started to repack her tiny camp and started to head back towards the Grounder's, as there were things that needed to be sorted out.
Once Clark was within a few feet of the camp, she knew something was wrong. People were shouting in Trigedasleng and Clarke couldn't figure out what they were saying. Soon Clarke found Indra, walking as fast as possible to the older woman, Indra cut Clarke off before she could even speak, "Sky girl, have you seen the commander?"
"N- No, why?"
Indra soon grew annoyed.
"She has been missing from her tent since last night." Indra accidently allowed a worried tone to be noticed by the sky girl "of course this is nothing a sky person should worry about. Why are you here? Haven't you done enough damage already?"
"I came to apologise, what I said yesterday was out of line." Clarke admitted.
"You offended our commander and turned your back on her, you are lucky you breath the same air at this moment…" Clarke became confused as she noticed Indra's usually menacing gaze had changed to not at Clarke but past her. Before she could even ask, Indra sprinted in a direction and Clarke just tried to keep up with the woman.
She soon found herself at a large tree with several items at the bottom of the tree.
"Beja no," Indra breathed out dropping to her knees.
Clarke couldn't figure out what was wrong until she examined the items on the ground, an envelope, a dagger… Clarke gasped at realisation that the dagger was Lexa's.
Indra took the envelop off the ground and opened it using the dagger.
Indra spoke certain bits of it, as if trying to make sense of it all.
"No longer fit to command… emotions have weakened my mental state…" Indra stood off the ground as she realised what Lexa had done. Shouting orders around the camp that Clarke didn't understand, it didn't' take long but almost the entire camp had gathered round Indra.
"Commander Lexa has decided to step down from her position," Indra spoke aloud, her voice unwavering, "and has elected me to take up her mantle."
Clarke was grateful that Indra had said these parts in English but she was curious as to what the rest of the speech had included.
The group started to dissolve later on leaving Clarke and Indra on their own, but Clarke refused to leave Indra in peace. "Where do you think Lexa went?"
"I do not know sky girl." Indra replied annoyed that one: she didn't know where Lexa was and two: why the sky girl continued to pester her with her presence.
Clarke followed Indra into Lexa's tent, watching as Indra searched the place. Probably trying to find clues as to where Lexa may have gone. Clarke rationalised in her head watching Indra search under the bed.
The younger woman became worried when Indra froze at the side of the bed, "What's wrong?" Clarke asked.
"The hair pin. Costia's hair pin. It's not here. Oh god…" Clarke too dawned on what this meant and what Lexa must have gone to do.
"She's gone to kill the Ice nation's leader." Indra whispered.
Hours later
Lexa was now in the mountains doing her best to ignore the cold – despite the fur layers she had on her. It wasn't that there was snow, but the ice cold wins simply cut through her like she was paper.
Lexa continued to let the horse rest after demanding the beast to run for so long non-stop, although with her mission at hand she was unsure how exactly the mission would unfold. She couldn't waltz into the camp like she owned the place, but she couldn't sneak in. There were far too many guards on patrol.
So I'll have to be a guard, Lexa reasoned in her mind. Taking a long sword out of its sheath, she crept around the mountains, following recent trails of human feet. The guards walked in packs of three or four, and as Lexa continued to follow the trail for what seemed like forever.
Eventually the sound of voices came to Lexa's ears and she was surprised that the group of people seemed to be speaking the same English of that of the sky people's.
Quickly ducking behind one of the caves in the mountain, Lexa watched as three guards in blue armour walked past, maintaining her element of surprise.
Within seconds all guards were dead on the floor. Lexa had been careful to remove the blood stains on the amour in order not to arouse suspicion.
Putting the armour which best suited her size, Lexa headed up the mountain. The helmet the ice nation's soldiers wore blocked off the majority of Lexa's face except for the eyes. Re attaching the sword to Lexa's belt and a little pouch filled with her other necessities, the warrior continued up the mountain to the Ice nation.
Trying to maintain her confidence as she approached the gates. Her insides were shivering violently from the cold as her body was not adapted for this kind of climate.
Lexa just stood in front of the gates, unsure of what to do. Just as she was about to say something, the gates opened slowly.
"Soldier, where are your others?" A taller man in a similar uniform asked her.
"They found some known bandits along the mountains and are bringing them up shortly." Lexa lied.
"These scavengers are becoming awfully common," the guard replied regretfully, stepping aside to allow Lexa to pass. "You are required in the King's dining hall for the ceremony."
"Ceremony?" Lexa couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, the king's son has taken a bride. Again."
"Oh yes, of course. How could I forget?" Lexa lied once more, walking on.
After asking several civilian's for direction to the king's dining room, Lexa soon found herself in a massive room with a very long table. The room had lots of candle's lit on the side of the walls to provide extra lighting, as well as the candles there were various bits of artwork.
Clarke would probably like those, Lexa thought in her mind as she wondered round the hall.
The room was packed with about a hundred people that Lexa was having trouble finding where she was. The Ice Queen.
But then Lexa saw the two figures sitting at the front of the table surrounded by food and wine. One was a woman, quite tall and skinny, very pale complexion with white hair and almost the same could be said for her eyes. That was her. The witch who had put Costia through all her pain and executions. Lexa did her best to remain calm and not through the sword that swung at her side through the woman.
On the ice queen's right was a man of a slightly larger and darker complexion, but his hair and eyes were still the same.
"Guard! Guard!" The man started to call to Lexa "another drink please!"
In any other situation, Lexa would have slit his throat there and then. However, she had a goal. So she sucked it up, took the glass and nodded.
Suddenly Lexa had an idea, walking to the kitchen, Lexa filled up the glass with wine, looking round to see if anyone was watching her, she quickly whipped out a vial from her pouch that was on her belt. Quickly undoing the vial, she poured the contents into the drink and left.
Being careful not to spill the drink by the amount of people walking past her, Lexa handed the drink back to the king.
He stood up while tapping the glass with a spoon, which to Lexa seemed very bizarre, until Lexa realised he was going to make a speech.
"Hello ladies and gentlemen, I would like you all to know how grateful I am that you've attended my son's engagement party. Now ever since Young George was a boy…" Lexa started to trail off in her head, just waiting for the king to drink the poison already.
Lexa jumped when suddenly everyone raised the glasses and shouted "cheers!"
A small smirk made its way onto Lexa's face as she watched the Kind down the drink.
At the bottom of the mountain
Clarke and Indra continued to encourage the horses to get to the ice nation as fast as possible, Clarke had questioned Indra on why she hadn't brought any other soldiers with her, Indra just told the sky girl not to question her. But after several hours of riding together, Indra had started to inform Clarke of bits of information of how serious this situation was.
"Lexa has done tried to do this before?" Lexa asked in surprise that something had managed to stop Lexa from achieving her goals.
"Yes, a few weeks after she heard of Costia's death. She vowed to kill everyone who was part of the ice nation. Nearly got herself killed. But she wasn't as trained then as she is now. But if she succeeds, and the rest of the ice nation finds out, it will be what your people call a "blood bath."
Clarke couldn't even begin to imagine what Lexa had planned. "What are your intentions for Lexa?" Indra surprisingly questioned.
"What?"
"What are your intentions for Lexa?" Indra repeated.
Clarke let out a heavy sigh, not sure whether because the answer to the question was complicated or because of how much effort was involved in getting up the mountain (the horses hooves being too vulnerable for the slippy slopes.)
"I don't know. What I said… I didn't mean it. I was just angry. I wanted to hurt Lexa. I know it sounds wrong, but she just didn't seem to understand how much she hurt me when she left us all at that stupid metal door. But when I woke up the next day, I went to apologise, and now that I know that Lexa's in this life threatening situation, I know I'll love her no matter what."
Indra did not know how to comment on this, "You might tell me love is weakness now, won't you?" Clarke teased.
"On contrary, I believe it is the opposite. It is a great vulnerability you would have, but it is a great drive of force." Indra surprised Clarke with that remark.
"Oh? How come Lexa thinks that it is?"
"Because she has never fully learnt to accept the loss that she has. She blames herself mostly." There was a silence between the two women, "Obviously you won't be repeating any of this information to Lexa once we find her." Indra reminded Clarke.
"Of course not, I feel flattered that you trust me with this information."
"I'm surprised Lexa trusted you. But that's how survival goes. Changes." Indra replied, "pick up speed sky girl," Indra patronised as she quickly changed the subject and started to walk up the mountain faster.
In the dining room
"I think the king has had too much to drink, guard! Take him to the chambers upstairs, I shall join him soon." The ice queen instructed to Lexa, who was watching the king stagger about the place like a drunk man.
Lexa gave a nod, not wanting to blow her cover and assisted the king out of the dining room.
Once out of the corridor, Lexa was directed by various maids and servants to which way the king and queen's chambers where- obviously this was not the first time the king had been highly intoxicated (or what everyone believed was intoxicated.)
Lying the man down on the bed, he was out within a few seconds.
Now Lexa saw her chance of revenge.
Top of the mountain
Lexa and Indra soon recovered their stamina and started running to the gates, wary of the slippery ice patches that surrounded them. Banging on the gates, Indra was soon greeted by a tall guard.
"What do the grounders want now?" The guard asked, before Clarke could even explain the situation, the guard was impaled by Indra's sword.
"Clarke, they will not understand. If there's any trace the grounders have been here, there will be nothing but war." Clarke couldn't disagree, so she stuck to Indra.
"How are we going to get in?!" Clarke whispered as they snuck around the back of the shacks in the mountains.
Looking around, Indra noticed two similar sized soldiers who were clearly intoxicated beyond their mind.
Smiling, Clarke looked at Indra. "Now there's an idea."
Inside the chambers
The queen dismissed the guards as she entered her chambers, trying not to allow her own intoxication show. It was her husband who remained the public drunk.
Suddenly a strange smell came to her as she closed the door, turning round she noticed her husband unconscious and tied to the end of the bed. Before she could raise the alarm, she felt a painful bang of the back of her head.
Soon waking up with a pounding pain in the back of her head, the queen's eyes adjusted to the dark light. But now she too was tied up to what was she felt like the large cupboard. There was a dark figure in the corner, sitting on a chair and playing with a small dagger.
"You wake." The ice queen remembered who that voice belonged to, and suddenly she became very scared.
"It's been many seasons commander Lexa since we last saw each other, why return now?" The woman asked naturally.
"Actually, it's just Lexa now. I would not be so relaxed if I was you. I came back because you never paid for the death of Costia, but that debt is about to be fulfilled. Remember what your messenger told me that day when I killed one of your soldiers in battle?"
The queen waited for Lexa to continue.
"Blood must have blood."
Standing up, Lexa circled the woman. "That smell? Is a fuel used by the sky people. Very flammable. And this" Lexa pulled out a small cylinder and pushed half of the lid over "is a lighter." Lexa let her thumb quickly slide down the dial as a flame was created in the air "very creative. But as I recall, your people aren't very fond of the heat."
The queen's eyes widened in response to realising what Lexa was hinting. Lexa started to walk to the King.
"Lexa! Please don't!" The queen begged.
"Please don't'?! Did you listen to Costia when she said those words to you?! Or did you continue to torture her instead? Even though she knew nothing!" Lexa burst, but trying to keep her voice down.
"I was wrong! I know I can never make it up to you, but please, please don't hurt my husband!" the queen begged.
"Lexa!" A familiar voice called out.
"Clarke?" Lexa called out, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her. But the blonde quickly appeared in the door way along with Indra.
"Commander this is asking for war! Think with your mind!"
"Indra stay out of this! This monster is responsible for the death of Costia!"
"Costia would not want you to do this. This woman has a family and a nation. She has done wrong, she does deserve to suffer. But from her own kind, knowing that she will be in constant fear of you should be enough!" Lexa just stood there staring at Indra.
"Lexa please do not do this, we just finished one war and it nearly tore us apart. Please don't start another one!" Clarke pleaded. Lexa continued to stand there looking at the lighter.
"Costia," Lexa said quietly as the beautiful girl lay on top of Lexa's armour, playing with the young warrior's hair, "if I were to die in battle-"
"Of Lexa, please don't start this again." The girl pleaded looking into her lover's green eyes.
"No please listen, do not become obsessed with revenge over my death. It is inevitable yes, but please I want you to be happy, even if that's without me." Lexa insisted.
"But what have I to do without your love?" Costia asked.
"What you do best. Healing others." Lexa assured while caressing the other girl's cheek.
"But what if I were to be killed in battle?" Costia suggested – although the likelihood was low. Lexa had never considered this factor. "I do not know what I'd do," Lexa admitted. Only to be placed a kiss on her lips.
"What you do best. Protecting people."
Lexa let out a heavy sigh as the memory came to an end. Lexa looked at Clarke, then back at the lighter in her hand just inches away from burning the king who was covered in petrol alive.
Closing the lid on the lighter, Lexa leaned down towards the ice queen, placing a hand on the side of her head.
"I've been wrong too. We were never here." Lexa said finally, standing up and walking out the door, Clarke and Indra following right behind her.
The trip back was filled with silence, Indra and Clarke on horses while Lexa walked along. When asked if Lexa wanted to share a horse because it would be quicker, Lexa simply asked "Why the rush?"
Clarke couldn't believe how long Lexa had been walking for, but it must have been for about three hours now. Eventually Clarke grew tired and insisted that Lexa get on the horse in order for the three of them to get back to the grounder's camp quicker. It seemed Indra had been sharing the same thinking process.
"Lexa, as commander, I order you to get on Clarke's horse." This comment had taken both Clarke and Lexa by surprise, but if Lexa's superior ordered her to do something, Lexa had no place to argue- she was lucky Indra even continued to accept Lexa as a grounder and not a traitor of some kind.
They soon arrived back at the grounder's camp, but Lexa had not expected that Indra had taken over her thrown and tent. But Indra had informed Lexa that there was a spare tent that Clarke and Lexa could share.
Before Lexa could head towards the spare tent, Indra held Lexa by her arm.
"Technically Lexa, I have not had the commander ceremony… that means that currently no one is commander."
"We shall leave that up for discussion tomorrow Indra." Lexa replied as she tensed her jaw trying to stifle a yawn.
"Very well, Commander." Indra added on before turning back into the tent.
Clarke had already settled down into the tent and Lexa had just walked in, unsure of what to do with herself.
"Lexa"
"Clarke." The two women both said at the same time. They both stood there trying to hide their embarrassment. So Clarke was the first to try again. "Lexa, I just want to know, I understand. Your decision with the mountain people. You did what was best for your people. I wish there was another way, but I guess there wasn't one. What's done is done."
"Thank you Clarke. That actually does mean a lot to me."
"I'm also sorry for what I said to you at the camp. Costia was a very lucky girl to have you in her life." Clarke added, trying to remain as formal about it as possible.
Lexa hadn't realised how their bodies were together. "I was just angry at you, I had never been through anything like this before-" Clarke started to ramble before Lexa cut her off.
"Clarke it is in the past. Let us live in the present." Clarke tried to smile but obviously holding something back, "what?"
"It took a great strength of humanity and mercy to do what you did today. You proved the ice nation your people are not savages…" Lexa waited for Clarke to carry on.
"When I said I wasn't ready to be in a relationship…I think I maybe soon… do you think you can wait for me?" Lexa nodded.
"Of course." The warrior added, trying not to seem tired as she was.
"Right, I guess you'll want your side of the bed." Lexa just smiled in what felt like the first time in ages.
"Actually Clarke… I think I just want to be close to you," Lexa said in a cheesy fashion. Clarke let out a chuckle as she slid under the covers and patted on the space next to her. "Come on." Clarke said happily as she realised things were moving forwards.
Things were finally moving forwards
Later on that night
Lexa couldn't help but stare at the slightly smaller woman who's eye brow tended to twitch in her sleep. Sighing she couldn't help but feel guilty of what she'd put Clarke through. Slowly sliding out of the sheets and out of the tent, Lexa walked over towards the tree with her and Costia's initials carved in.
"Clarke does not know." Lexa confessed to the empty air.
Ice nation capital
The queen's body lay lifelessly as blood trickled down the side of her temple.
A sharp hair pin impaling the right side of her head…
"She can never know…"
Ok first ever 100 fanfic, hope you enjoyed!