They were both frozen in time. One shocked beyond comprehension as realization phased through her; the other, on fire with a rage that began to boil in the pit of her stomach.
Clarke watched as strangers entered the camp. They contrasted with the lush greens and browns of the forest with their light gray and white attire. On their horses were banners that the blonde recognized from maps noting the locations of the Clans.
The Ice Nation.
They were here, how she didn't know but none of the scenarios for what she thought could happen were good. Her blue eyes came upon a figure dismounting a strong white steed. The woman was dressed in layers of cloth and armor, similar to what Lexa wore only starkly lighter and instead of a long distinct red cloth a blue one was in its place.
Out of the leaders and other clans that had arrived thus far, many were just as still as she was, however a few moved forward and greeted the Queen of the Ice Nation as if they were old friends and that her presence was nothing more than a happy coincidence.
Clarke pulled her eyes away from the woman and turned towards the one beside her. What she saw sent an unexpected shiver of fear down her spine. Lexa was even more tense than before, every muscle under exposed skin was locked and shaking. Her hands were balled into fists so tight that Clarke was surprised the white skin of her knuckles hadn't begun to break open and bleed.
Every rivet and dip in the bone of Lexa's jaw was visible as it clenched down, no doubt painfully, on her teeth. Lexa's eyes were the cause of the fear that pulsed through Clarke, however. The usually brown flecked green was now hardened. The look in them could only be described as that of a raging, starving tiger locked in a cage with a bleeding bore just inches away. Clawing, scratching, and roaring inside, the bloodlust growing as the cage started to break open.
Clarke turned her attention to the footsteps that started towards them as the Ice Queen approached. Lexa's gaze never wavered as the woman moved and Clarke could practically hear the cracking of the mask the Commander was caged behind.
The woman approached with a smile that never came close to her eyes. Her skin was pale compared to those around them and her raven colored hair, icy blue eyes, and soft but striking features would have had Clarke calling her beautiful if the woman's reputation did not precede her.
"Hello, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of introduction yet." The woman started, her voice was slightly accented. It was voice that was both like velvet and daggers, husky and alluring but you knew it could turn into a weapon at any moment.
"My name is Sura, Queen of the Ice Nation." She extended her hand.
For a moment Clarke had a fleeting feeling of wanting to run away and hide in a dark hole never to be seen again because of the way the woman was looking at her; like she was prey just waiting to be taken and killed.
This was not the time for such things, they needed to figure out how she found out, why she was here, and on top of all that not start a war in the process. So Clarke put on a polite mask, but did not take the woman's hand in greeting.
"I'm Clarke, one of the leaders of the Sky People."
Sura's look became more devilish at that, and her smile grew.
"The first Sky Person I meet is the one who took down the Mountain. I'm honored." And at that Lexa finally made a sound and scoffed.
"She is the first and the last you will meet, Sura. I suggest you leave. Now. Before I change my mind in allowing you to keep breathing." Lexa spat, taking step forward putting distance between Clarke and the Ice Queen.
"It seems some things haven't changed, your still as hot tempered as ever." Sura said with a smirk then looked between Clarke and Lexa, seemingly evaluating the dynamic of the two, and nodded her head and let out a throaty laugh, "and I see you've found a new girl to tame you."
She looked Clarke up and down like she was inspecting cattle before slaughter as she spoke.
"What was the name of your old one?" Sura said stopping to ponder. Lexa took a step forward, but Clarke caught the girl's wrist. Clarke could feel Lexa's heartbeat racing beneath her skin. Clarke knew this was not time or the place to do this. She may have just met the woman, but she could already tell that there was something more to her risking her life by being here than just toying with Lexa; and Clarke knew Lexa understood it too.
"Costia? Yes, that's what her name was. She was such a beautiful girl; you were lucky to have her while you did. It was such a shame to watch her die like that. Heartbreaking really." Sura purred, eyes locking with Lexa's.
Lexa started reaching for her knife.
"You know Commander, I saw why you cared for her the way you did. I found myself a little hurt at her passing as well. She was so passionate in everything she did; in being a grounder, being a healer, being a lover." With the last word Sura's lips quirked into a smirk. Clarke could feel her own anger begin to burn through her.
She looked to Lexa whose eyes had moved from the woman's gaze down to the hollow of her throat. To a pendant that was held by a braided string. The pendant was a beautiful gemstone; it reminded Clarke of the one that was embedded into the handle of Lexa's prized blade. Across the gem was an intricately molded piece of metal that wrapped around it and from the shape of 'C' in the center.
"You should take the Commander's advice and leave." Clarke spoke up. Icy blue eyes met her own with a curious glint. The woman laughed again and took a step back.
"You have even more of a fire than she did. My men and I do need to set up camp, I look forward to the meeting Lexa, it has been far too long since I've been to one of these." She started to walk away, but looked over her shoulder. "It was a pleasure to meet you Clarke."
Before she could get far, Lexa broke out of Clarke's grip and stalked towards the woman. Sura turned around and Lexa moved her hand towards the woman's throat. Everyone around them seemed to notice and stopped; it became eerily quiet.
Lexa grabbed the pendant that was around the woman's neck and pulled quickly and firmly and knot in the back snapped with an echo among the silence. The two stared at each other for a few beats before Sura turned around once more with a mischievous smile and met her guards.
Everyone in the village just stared, until Lexa swept her wrathful gaze around meeting eye contact with a few who hadn't yet turned back to work and business resumed only this time with whispers and concern. Then Lexa turned her gaze to Clarke before she stamped back into her tent.
Clarke followed suit a moment after the distraught Commander. Once in the safety of her tent Lexa didn't know if she wanted to throw something, breakdown and cry, or walk right back out and slit the bitch's throat.
As soon as Clarke entered the tent, Lexa was already making a tread in the dirt floor with her pacing. The blonde didn't say anything, just stood and watched. Several minutes passed before Lexa said anything, but when she did the mask that she had tried to keep up shattered.
"How did she know? Why is here?" the Commander started, her pacing started to grow faster. "She has the audacity to come into my village, full of my people and say those things about Co-" Lexa stopped suddenly. The she still had the pendant firmly in her grasp and she unclenched her fist to rub her thumb across the metal.
Clarke took a step forward, "That was hers?"
Lexa didn't look up, "I gave it to her as a gift when I became Commander, I was leaving for Polis for the first time and she had to stay in our village. It was first time we had ever been apart for a long time." A sad smile crossed Lexa's face and the anger subsided just a bit for the sorrow to take its place.
Clarke moved up to Lexa's side and placed hand on the brunette's back and began to slowly rub across the fabric of her clothing, but then the sorrow turned into steel. A quiet rage, the most dangerous of all, started seeping to the surface and filled Lexa's eyes.
Lexa's voice was barely above a whisper, "I want her dead, I want to watch her suffer at my hand. A quick death would be too good for her; it would need to be drawn out, torturous. Just like she did to Costia, just like she did to the hundreds of others that she traded to the Mountain Men to be drained. I want to hear her beg for me to kill her, beg and plead until the pain becomes too much and I took the life right out of her eyes."
"Lexa-" Clarke said, but Lexa moved from her touch so she was standing right before the blonde, her chaotic mess of emotions changing once more and the anger was suppressed but not gone. Her voice shook just the slightest as she spoke.
"Clarke I need you to promise me you will not ever be alone, be with a group, be with friends, be with guards. Be with me." Lexa looked back down at the necklace, "I have already lost one person I cared about to her."
She brought her gaze back up to meet Clarke's, "I refuse to lose you too."
Clarke smiled softy and brought a hand up to cup Lexa's cheek, "I promise."
Lexa let out a shaky sigh and placed the necklace in a pocket of her jacket, "We need find out what she knows, why she is here, and who betrayed our secrecy."
Lexa turned towards the table at the edge of the room and grabbed the canteen that was on it, taking a drink. "Some of the other leaders didn't look surprised to see her. I remember you telling me that during the war between the twelve clans that the Ice Nation had allies, could one of them have sent word? Betrayed the Coalition?"
Lexa offered the canteen to Clarke, "The Coalition was never strong, it was only ever agreed to by everyone because we were losing so many people. During the war it was never said but the clans were divided, and four of them aligned with Sura and her army. Sometimes I wonder why I even bothered with it, now we are just sneaking around and faking trust."
"Lexa, you made the Coalition, because it was best thing to do for your people." Clarke tried to reassure Lexa. The Commander had never second guessed her decisions, not until now and that was something Clarke wasn't going to allow to continue.
"I made the Coalition to try an escape a weakness, to prove that I wouldn't invade them for revenge." She said her voice was sharper this time.
Clarke physically turned the Commander to face her, her hands gripping the other woman's upper arms so she couldn't turn away.
"Love does not have to be weakness, and it wasn't then. Mourning Costia's death does not make you weak; making decisions because you care about someone does not make you weak. Making the Coalition was not because you were forcing yourself to be strong Lexa; you've never had to prove that. You made the Coalition in strength that wasn't forced, strength that came because you loved Costia and you didn't want to ruin her memory by sending more to their deaths."
Clarke moved forward and pressed her forehead against Lexa's, she could feel the other girl's warm breath and her voice was so soft, but firm enough to make her point, "It doesn't have to weakness. You just have to make the choice to let yourself believe it to be strength. Don't let her make you second guess yourself, second guess us because you care. She is trying to get under your skin, to ruin your leadership. Don't give her that satisfaction."
Clarke's eyes met with Lexa's again, her heartbeat had calmed, her features were less tense. "Why do you always know exactly what to say?"
Clarke smiled, "Because whether you want to admit or not, I do know you. Costia will be avenged one way or another, Sura will pay with blood eventually and trust me we will get that stupid grin off that woman's face too, but at the moment your people need you to avoid a war."
Lexa brought a hand up and brushed her thumb across Clarke's cheek and tilted her head up to catch Clarke's lips in a kiss.
Clarke was right, though she would never actually voice it to the blonde because she would never hear the end of it. She didn't have to view love as weakness because it never needed to be. Her actions after Costia's death were rooted in what she deemed to be defying and suppressing weakness and in a way they were, but they were also built on the premise of the love she held for her. Lexa had hidden away from it for so long, but now with Clarke she had an opportunity to accept love for what it was. As painful as love could be, you had a choice for it to destroy you in weakness or build you higher in strength.
The Ice Queen had manipulated her into viewing it as weakness, but that was about to change.