I know this isn't couply, or very happy, but after watching Blood must have Blood pt 1, I just kept imagining what could have been going through Lexa's mind when she received the offer from Emerson. This is my take on it.

Duty Before All

'He's the enemy, what are you doing listening to him?!'

'He's offering a way to win, without fighting'.

'He's asking you to stab Clarke in the back!'

'He just wants the Grounders to retreat, that's all'.

'Which means Clarke will be left undefended'.

'She has the soldiers from The Ark with her. They'll protect her, they have guns'.

'You know as well as I do that ten of their soldiers can't compare to ONE of ours, she'll be killed!'

'Not necessarily'.

'Liar! You know she will!'

'She's smart, she'll make her own deal and save herself'.

'Clarke will die before she leaves her friends inside that place'.

'I have the chance to save my people, without losing any more in battle, I have to take the deal. Clarke would do the same thing in my position'.

'Clarke would never take the deal if she knew she had to sacrifice the life of even one of your people, let alone leave you to be slaughtered!'

'I am the Commander, I have to think of my people first, and do what is best for them. The sky people are outsiders, and I cannot think of them when making this decision'.

'Clarke will never forgive you'.

'That is her choice to make'.

'But you love her!'

'I don't love her!'

Liar'.

''Love is weakness, and I cannot afford to be weak. I will not let myself love anyone, ever, again. Not after Costia'.

'Your heart says different'.

'Then it is better that we part ways now, before my heart has the chance to betray me'.

'So you're going to betray Clarke first, before you have the chance to experience happiness again'.

'She said she wasn't ready to be with anyone, which I understand, but she may never be ready. Am I meant to ignore this offer and let my people get slaughtered, on the off chance that someday she might want to be with me?'

'That's not what's really scaring you though, is it? Its the thought that she will be ready that is truly terrifying, because then you'll have to live with the constant fear that she could be taken from you, just like Costia was'.

'I couldn't survive that, you know I couldn't. We barely survived last time'.

'But you can live with the guilt of betraying the woman you say you care for?'

'I am the Commander, I must put my duty to my people before all, including myself!'

'So you're just going to break the alliance?'

'We managed before the Sky people fell from the stars, we'll manage again without them'.

'You mean you managed before you met Clarke, and you'll find a way to manage once she's gone'.

I turn towards the soldier from the Mountain as my heart still screams at me to stop, to not go through with this terrible idea, but I push it down into a box and slam the lid on it to muffle its roar.

'I accept your deal'.