A/N: Maighdean Mhara, this is for you.
She awoke the next morning with the weight of the world on her heart. Her first wedded night was spent alone while her husband was with another. She was among enemies and her loved ones were unreachable.
She felt a mess. The paint on her face had smeared and her hair had tangled while she buried her face in the pillows of her bridal bed. So, she allowed herself a few minutes of misery before she pulled herself together and went to find the washroom.
Once she had bathed, she dressed herself in a simple tank top and pants. She threw on her boots and readied herself to face the outside world. As she stepped up to the door, she took a deep breath and steadied her shaking hand upon the knob. Just as a knock erupted from the other side.
She took a step back, startled as the door slowly opened and her husband stepped inside.
"Good Morning…" He eyed her awkwardly. He wore a dark t-shirt that clung to his body in all the right places, she noticed and smiled despite herself. He seemed to accept the smile as a greeting.
"I brought you some food. Not sure what you like so I just brought a bit of everything." He held out the plate and she accepted it, briefly brushing his fingers in the process. His quick intake of breath startled her and she almost dropped the plate, so she set it down on the table and gestured for him to sit.
He obliged, intrigued. He hadn't planned on staying, there were matters he needed to attend to. But this was a confusing relationship and he wasn't sure what the dynamic was supposed to be.
"Eat with me." She stared him right in the eye. It was unnerving, though it filled him with a nervous excitement he'd never experienced before. She was exotically beautiful, with her black hair, tanned skin and big, blue eyes. It confused him. Under normal circumstances, he would have tried to get in her bed. But they were technically married, and technically enemies. This wasn't real and making it seem like it was would just make things difficult. But she was stuck here in his camp alone, and he felt bad for her. So he ate in silence as she carefully eyed him.
"I need to go to my village. There are things I need to do. I will be back by nightfall." Her voice broke the silence and he thought he heard it shake slightly, but her eyes were unwaveringly strong so he must have imagined it.
He had his own duties to fulfill, but he was supposed to limit her movements. He couldn't let her go by herself, and sending guards with her seemed hostile. The truce was still too new to test.
"I'll go with you. A walk would do me good." His eyes rose to meet hers and they silently agreed. "We'll leave after breakfast."
They finished their meal in silence, tensely at first but as comfort crept in, they relaxed in each other's presence.
The village was an hour's walk from camp. He took a handgun, just in case.
"We are married but we don't know each other. It's strange." They walked in silence, but it became deafening so she broke it. "I am Angelina, sister of the commander. I am a leader in the region, so I will need to return to the village to uphold my responsibilities."
"Is that why we're going?"
"Yes. We trade with the surrounding villages. I need to decide what we are sending."
He was impressed, and surprised by the knowledge of established trade routes in the area. This could help them when this truce eventually broke down. He realized that this union could actually be beneficial.
"I'm Bellamy Blake. I have a sister too, Octavia. I led the initial colony and now I lead troops."
"Bellamy…" she repeated. It sounded like the smell of the flowers in the summer sun. Strong, but sweet. "You lead warriors." She concluded.
"I guess. It's a little different."
They entered the village and made their way to the longhouse, where she had previously lived. Eyes followed them everywhere, it made Bellamy uncomfortable but he felt a sense of protection.
"My sister is here. She moves from village to village but she will be residing here for a while following our union. Just in case…" she trailed off as they entered the building.
Guards bowed their heads as they walked past, hands trained on their swords. Angelina nodded in greeting, but also to assure them that he wasn't a threat.
Lexa ran to greet her sister and held her tightly. Their first night apart had been difficult. Though Lexa was exhausted by the stresses of the day, she was unable to sleep due to the worry that her sister may be strung up in the Sky Clan camp. Seeing her brought relief. She seemed fine, in good health. But her eyes held a sadness that she couldn't ignore.
Lexa started speaking in their native tongue but Angelina stopped her.
"Can we speak in English?" Angelina requested, noticing Bellamy's discomfort.
"Why?" Lexa asked, staring at him.
"I want him to understand." Angelina responded, glancing at him as she spoke. "I'm fine, I've been treated well." She answered the question he didn't understand.
"If that changes I will know, and there will be hell to pay." Lexa warned, staring at him with fire in her eyes.
"It won't." Angelina seemed so sure of her answer. It scared him slightly, because he knew that this was not going to end well. That eventually he'd have to break their agreement and defend his people.
He couldn't tell whether she was pretending or if she believed this marriage would work out. In his mind, he knew that there was no way she could be serious about it. But something about her made him question whether she foresaw the same ending to their relationship as he did. The thought scared him to death.
Bellamy suddenly felt constricted, he needed air, so he politely excused himself and went outside.
He surveyed the village, it seemed fairly large. There was a heavy military presence, he assumed because Lexa was there. The longhouse was in the middle of the village, near the square. He watched a group of children play there for a while, till Angelina came out with a large bag.
"I'll take that." He offered, extending his hand.
Angelina eyed him suspiciously, but begrudgingly obliged and handed him the bag. It was heavy and she wasn't looking forward to carrying it.
"It's some of my things. Hunting gear, things to cook with, stuff they wouldn't let me bring at the time of the wedding." She explained, suddenly embarrassed.
"It's okay, take everything you need." He said, seeing her face redden.
"I'll show you the village. I need to see some of the traders. All my responsibilities here will hold, but Lexa will deal with disputes in the area until we are settled."
Bellamy nodded, understanding her role in the community. As they walked from building to building, he paid special attention to the layout of the village.
Surrounding the square, there were a few community buildings, where people traded goods. Surrounding those were the homes of the villagers and on the outskirts were a few farms and a barracks, which housed the Warriors that guarded the village.
"One more stop and we can leave." Angelina declared, pulling him from his strategic thoughts.
He followed her to the storehouse, and watched in wonder as she climbed up the crates to the rafters and disappeared into the attic.
"Are you okay?" He yelled, unsure of what exactly was happening.
"Yes, I'm coming down." She emerged a few moments later, carrying a tiny, tortoiseshell kitten. "There was a litter up there, the mother moved the others but he was the runt. Can he come with us?" She asked in a small, desperate voice, a childlike hope shining in her eyes.
It shocked him, he expected her to maintain the hard, strong facade she had in place. To play the game as he was.
It was the first time she asked him something instead of stating what she wanted, it threw him off.
"I dunno... The camp isn't exactly pet friendly..." The sudden sadness that flashed across her face was enough for him to stop in his tracks. "But I suppose we can bring him."
He saw the sorrow replaced with sublime joy in an instant. She Jumped forth and threw her free arm around him, smiling from ear to ear and he felt proud to be responsible for that smile. He basked in it for a moment before reminding himself that he couldn't get attached, so he broke their embrace, steadied his emotions, laid his hands on her shoulders and looked her right in the eye.
"You know this isn't real right? We're technically married but I'm not your husband. So if you want the cat, take it. Lord knows I do whatever I want." He watched her struggle internally, deciding how to respond. She was so transparent, every emotion she felt played across her face.
Eventually she brought her eyes back to his and slowly responded, her voice shaking.
"This may not be real to you. I see that, I know you can't see yourself as my husband. That's ok, I understand it. But you need to understand that this has to be real to me. I need to see myself as your wife. Otherwise my home, my family, my friends, my whole life was sacrificed for nothing. I cannot return to my people, it will end the truce and many will die. So do whatever you want to do, be whatever you want to be. I don't need you to be a husband in order to be a wife." She pulled herself free and began walking towards the camp.
He stood for a moment, wrapping his mind around her words, before following her home in silence.
A/N: This chapter feels short, and I apologise. Please review and let me know what you think. I really do appreciate constructive criticism. The next chapter will be longer.