"I bring you Wanheda." Roan announced behind me. I continued my struggle in some hope that, perhaps, I could find out where I was and escape. I would never stop trying to get away from this man. Anger burned in my heart like a wild forest fire seeking to destroy everything in its path. Murder was on my list despite all that had taken place in the past three months. At this point I was tempted to make an acceptation.
However, nothing prepared me for the sight before me as the sack was ripped off my head. The forest fire inside must had found more wood to consume because my entire body felt hot, so hot that tears started to flow down my cheeks.
"I said you were to bring her to me unharmed." Lexa growled at Roan. He shuffled on his feet a bit before glaring down at me.
"Yes well, she did not exactly come quietly." He explained.
"I did not expect anything different." Lexa huffed. She glided towards me to what I assumed was an act to help me up from my knees but Roan stepped in front of her path.
"I delivered Wanheda to you, Heda. I completed my part of the deal, now fulfill your part." He hissed. Lexa looked as if she were about to smack him.
"Your mother has brought her armies to my gates and you brought Wanheda to me harmed when I demanded she was to be delivered safely, yet you dare command me to fulfill my part on a deal I enlisted? You're mistaken. I will do my part of lifting your banishment when your mother withdrawals her act of war." She paused in her fury to turn her attention to a guard near by. "Take Prince Roan to my prisons." The guard hesitated before grasping Roan's forearm and dragging the man, whom was in an angry shock, and showed him to the door. Once the door slammed closed, Lexa directed her eyes to me.
"Help her up." The remainder of the guards lifted my body to a standing position before Lexa slowly and hesitatingly came towards me. Her expression was difficult to read or perhaps that was the tears obstructing my vision.
"I'm sorry." She said as she removed the gag from my mouth. "I had to ensure that the power of Wanheda did not fall in the hands of the Ice Queen."
Lexa jumped back in complete shock as my saliva met her face. I didn't think about spitting at her but then again it did not seem like a bad idea at the time. The guards started dragging me through the door as I rolled in my fury. But, as she looked back at me after wiping her face, my heart ached a bit when I saw sorrow in those blazing green eyes. I choked out that I wanted to kill her but I couldn't get the power of the words out. They were more of a whisper full of regret.
The guards took me down a hallway with such force that my arms were aching from their grip. Then again, I had just spit in the face of their commander, an act that was sure to come back to haunt me in future days. Without words I was thrown into a room and left alone to my thoughts.
Strange I thought to myself. As I took in my new surroundings I realized that I was not in a prison cell but a bedroom, a nice one at that. The bed was covered in furs from animals I did not recognize and was bigger than any bed I had ever seen. There were tables with complete sets of food and drink scattered around the room with a roaring fire in the corner fireplace. Small and large candles littered the room, giving it a very warm and comfort feeling. The anger that once burned bright inside the darkest parts of my heart seemed to have been vanquished. I shook my head in frustration before reminding myself what Lexa had done. She abandoned my people. She abandoned me... No matter the comfort she was showing me now, I would not trust her again. She is the enemy that before long I would kill myself.
Even when I continuously repeated those thoughts to myself, something deep and hidden within me pushed itself out with the remembrance of the kiss shared between the Commander and myself. I had been developing feelings for the woman, feelings that not even Finn could awaken. She had brought out the fight in me in which I did not have before I met her.
I allowed the anger I was wrestling with to turn to sensitivity. Even though there was more in me telling me not to trust Lexa again, there was the soft whisper telling me to run out of this room and find those green eyes and the war paint that was always there. My feet began to carry me towards the door before any other thought entered my mind. I reached out and pulled on the handles. Locked. Go figure.
All of the running and fighting and self-battles had left me drained of energy. I wasn't quite sure about falling asleep in such a strange and partially hostile place but my tired limps gave me no other choice. As I headed towards the bed I ran my fingers over the furs, wondering who their previous wearers were.
"How did we end up here?" I asked the shaven pelts. I didn't expect an answer but for once no answer was the most comforting thing at that moment. I crawled into the bed, under the furs, and allowed my heavy eyelids to whisk me away into a quiet world of darkness.
Meanwhile, in the Heda's Chambers...
"My Heda, the sky girl is in her room and by the looks of it she has fallen asleep." Lexa's servant girl said. "Will you be needing anything else?"
"No. That will be all. You may dismiss yourself for the night." The girl bowed low before quickly leaving the room.
Part of me was not surprised that Clarke had spit in my face. After all she had been through since I left her at the mountain, it was nothing shocking that she was furious. I continuously tried to justify my actions of leaving her to die by the hands of those awful men but the slight whisper in my heart told me that I had been wrong. As Heda, I had been raised from a little girl to always guide my decision-making with my head and never at any time my heart. But this girl... This blond hair, blue-eyed princess from the sky had changed all of what I knew.
She is nothing special. I should treat her like all my other subjects and enemies. Her people were no friends of mine and regardless of how infatuated my heart was with the woman I could not allow any of that to play a role in my life as the Heda. Right?
I must not begin to make decisions based on my feelings for Clarke. I must continue my duty as the Commander of the Grounders.
After wrestling with my thoughts and aching heart, I put my body in auto-pilot mode and went through my nightly motions of preparing for bed. As my head hit the pillow, nothing inside me craved anything more than to have that woman who fell from the sky to be beside me. Tomorrow was not going to be pleasant but I would take it hour by hour. That was all I could do.
The next morning in Clarke's room...
A loud and sudden bang on the door jolted me from my thoughts. I peeled my eyes away from the window and prepared myself for what was about to happen.
"Come in." I choked out. No, I had to be strong. Emotionless.
What I had been both dreading and hoping for came about. The green eyes grabbed my attention the moment they walked through the door. They were not accompanied by the usual war paint that I had grown used to seeing. Lexa casually and confidently strode through the doorway before coming to a halt in front of me.
"Leave us." She barked at the guards. They were close to knocking the other down trying to get through the door first and closed it behind them. Lexa stared at the door for a few milliseconds before turning back to me. I cleared the mucus in my throat.
"What can I do for you, Commander?" My voice strained out. Dang, Clarke, get a hold of yourself. She's the enemy. Remember that.
"I have a favor to ask of you. But first, how was your night? Did the servants set the room to your liking? Is the bed alright for you?" The Heda questioned. I narrowed my eyes at her. Here I am, in a city that I had no desire to be in and standing before a woman that I had so much hate and love for, and yet she had the courage to ask if I was comfortable? The hate I had felt the day before awaken once more.
"What? You're serious? You dragged me all the way here miles away from home and this is what you want to talk about? What is wrong with you?" I could tell my choice of words slapped her across the face. She looked down before taking a step forward.
"You are right. That is only partially why I am here today. The point is, I need a favor from you, Clarke." She waited for my permissible nod before advancing. "The truth is there is an army awaiting an attack outside my city. They wish to destroy everything in their path and to kill me. I need your help to save both my people and yours. For I know that if they succeed here they will not hesitate to pursue your people."
It took me a few moments for Lexa's words to click with me. She wanted me to help her? After what she did to my people and more personally me? I clinched my fists closed before I approached her. I didn't stop walking until I was only a few inches away from Lexa's face.
"How DARE you. You expect me to just forget everything that you put me through and more importantly my people just to help your people out? How could you be stupid enough to think that I would drop all of what has happened to help you. You can go float yourself." I went to shove at her chest but like lightening she grabbed my wrists. I stopped struggling when I felt her eyes on me. Oh, was it a mistake to look up into those eyes. My body felt like it had been dumped into a tub full of ice.
"Clarke, please. This is not something only for my people but it can also help your people out. I am sorry for what I did to you and no, I do not expect you to automatically forgive me for my actions. What I do expect is you to think about others before me or yourself. Please, hear me out." At the end of her talking I could hear her voice crack. The forest green eyes were filled with water. Nothing in me knew how to handle the powerful Lexa breaking down in front of me.
"Fine. I'll listen. But I can't promise that I will help. Start talking." I snapped. She gently released my wrists, walked over to the couch, and sat down. She looked at the floor.
"The Ice Queen wants my head. She wants someone else in my place as Commander. Normally this would not worry me because, in all honesty, it is not abnormal for threats to make their way to my doorstep. However, considering the history the Ice Nation has with the other clans... And with me... I cannot be too careful." Lexa drifted off as if she were lost in her memories.
"Wait, you've told me about the Ice Nation before. Weren't they the ones that..." I paused. Lexa looked me in the eyes with a nod.
"Yes, they are responsible for Costia's death. I am surprised you remember me sharing that with you." I looked away and thought over my next words carefully. This was not something simple as I thought. This was important to Lexa in more ways than one. I glanced at the door before I made my way to the couch and sat beside her.
"Okay. You have my attention. Tell me all that I need to know. I'm listening." Lexa breathed out a sigh of relief before continuing.
"The Ice Nation, as I am sure you have heard much about from Lincoln or Indra, is a clan within my conclave that do not respect the peace. They want all power to themselves and will kill anyone in order to obtain it. I have done well, if I do say so myself, in keeping them at bay but the past few months have challenged my role as Heda and they are taking advantage of that." Lexa explained.
"What has happened in the past few months that has challenged your role?"
"Making an alliance with your people was definitely a decision frowned upon and also being weak enough to... fall for someone. The Commander should never let his or her's feelings get the best of the decisions being made." All of her words flowed out like honey. I sucked in a breath. For the second time in two days the kiss we shared was again fresh in my mind. I swallowed hard before answering.
"So, this Ice Queen wants to take over Polis and the conclave all together? And later my people as well?" Lexa nodded. "Well, what do you expect us to do about that?"
"I have found a solution that I believe will save all of our people and bring the Ice Queen to justice. The Sky People, your people, need to join the conclave and become the thirteenth clan. Only then will we be strongly bound and be able to defeat this enemy." Lexa rushed out.
"Wait, hang on. You want my people to do what?" I stood and went to the window.
"I realize this would be a very serious and enormous decision for your people to make, but if you agree, I can guarantee your safety and theirs. Together we can defeat the Ice Nation."
I thought it over for a moment. I didn't believe for a second that Arcadia would agree to joining the conclave especially after what Lexa did to us at Mount Weather. What were the pros and cons of joining her? Most importantly, why should we to begin with? She betrayed us in more ways than one and nothing she has done has made up for that. No matter what my heart was saying, I had to listen to my brain for once. I turned back to look at Lexa.
"No. We will not join you. Not so you can parade around Arcadia and act like you own the place. You betrayed us. You left us for dead. Why should we ever join you and your fight? If the Ice Queen kills you, there's one less thing I have to worry about." Lexa was on her feet before I was even finished speaking. Tears were in her eyes and I could tell clear as day that she was trying her best to fight them back. The Commander never showed emotions. She walked towards the door and paused with her hand on the handle.
"Please think about it. I will give you a day to think it over and will return for your final answer." She said in a cold voice before exiting the room.
Think it over? Yeah right. It was time I should be leaving.
It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to sneak out or perhaps I wasn't a prisoner after all. I had made it all the way to the first floor before anyone had even stopped to say anything. And when they did, they simply asked if I wanted a coat considering it was quite chilly outside. After declining, I continued my escape through the front door and out into the street.
What was before me took my mind for a spin. Instead of warriors all about, there were children and elderly people. Instead of weapons and fighting all around, there were instead market stalls and children playing in the dirt. People were smiling and embracing. Parents scolding their sons and daughters for not staying close to their side.
This must be Polis. All around me were banners and colorful pictures of trees, animals, and lastly, the Commander.
I started to briskly walk through the narrow roads trying to find some way out of the city. Corner after corner there were people trying to sell me things, taste things, try on clothing, everything you could imagine in a busy market area. I didn't get very far when I felt a knife on my throat. I froze.
"You did not think you would be seeing me soon, did you, Wanheda?" I recognized Roan's voice from anywhere.
"How did you escape?" I managed to say with the knife dangerously close to my skin. I heard him chuckle.
"Did you really think you were the only one that knew how to escape without notice out of the Summit?" He laughed. He twirled me around to face him, knife still in position.
"What's the Summit?"
"The Heda's quarters. The main building in all of Polis in which you just left."
I looked to my left and sure enough, there was a massive building reaching hundreds of stories high. It looked like an old Greece building judging by the style of the stones and windows. At the very top was an enormous bowl-like structure with a massive burning flame inside.
"If you want to kill me, go ahead. I have nothing to live for anyway." I whispered. In some part of that statement there was truth. I had nothing in my heart other than my people I wanted to live for but as I thought about it, they probably didn't miss me. Not after I walked out on them when they needed me the most. That was when it hit me. Lexa and I really weren't different at all. All this time I had been blaming her for something I just did. Maybe it was not a life=threatening situation but there was still pain on both parts. I looked at Roan.
"If you kill me you know that Lexa will be after you. She won't rest until my death is avenged." He chuckled once more.
"Relax, Wanheda. As must as I want you dead I will not kill you. I have a better idea. Just think, if Heda were to be, say, assassinated, all of our troubles would be over. You could go home and be with your people and my queen can put a Commander that we all are worthy for. What do you say?" He withdrew the knife from my throat and placed it in my hand, "Would you like to have the honor if ending Lexa once and for all?"
I twirled the knife a few times in my hand before setting it down on the bed. I had ventured back into the Summit and back in the room I had been assigned. What Roan said echoed in my mind. If Lexa were to be killed, my revenge would be complete. However, if she were killed the conclave would fall apart. But, how was that my problem? This war of politics served no importance to me nor my people. I picked up the knife once more. As I began to come up with a game plan, I heard a knock on the door. I quickly hid the knife in my sleeve before the door opened. I heard a few footsteps before the door closed again. My breathing picked up pace.
"Clarke, you asked for me? I am here." Lexa said. My chest was aching from the rapid breathing within me. My lungs were working overtime to produce enough air for my panic mode. I heard her step forward. "Clarke, have you-"
Before she could finish I threw my body into a spin with knife in hand. When I came fully turned around, the knife rested on Lexa's throat. My free hand holding her neck closer to my grip. This was it. I could finally be rid of the one who both abandoned my people and broke my heart.
I searched her eyes for fear and excitement built up in me in thought of her fearing my motives. I searched and searched but all I saw was emptiness. She had banished her emotions like always. Excitement grew into fury. My breathing could no longer be contained and had now escaped my lips. Lexa kept her stance calm but I could hear her breathing pick up as well. She looked me right in the eyes and said something I did not expect to hear.
"I'm sorry." She breathed. That was all it took for me to break and drop the knife. I pulled away from her and turned from her glance. I could hear her breathing even harder now. "I never meant to turn you into this. I'm sorry, very sorry. You are free to go. I will have a guard escort you home." I panicked.
"No, wait." She stopped mid-pull of the door handle, "I have a better idea."