A/N: Please read the authors note at the end of the chapter.
Chapter Eleven Pt 2
"Where's the Commander?" Clarke asked over breakfast. Lexa's place at the table had been noticeable vacant and Clarke had tried not to let it show that she was worried. But in the time that they had been in Polis, Lexa had never been absent.
"She had business to attend to. She'll be back tonight." Talia answered.
"Where did she go?" Clarke couldn't contain her curiosity. Talia smiled kindly, she remembered the worry. The wonder that came with being in love with the Commander. Wondering if they would come home from whatever endeavor they had gone called away to.
"Escorting the leader of the Boat Clan to Polis."
"Escorting?" Clarke asked. It seemed strange that Lexa would go out of her way, there was a flare of jealousy that coiled in the pit of Clarke's stomach.
"Luna and her people would need it." Talia said with a hint of distain that confused Clarke.
"Why do you say that?" Marcus asked curiously. This was the first time he had heard mention of another one of the Grounder clans. He was excited at the prospect of meeting them.
"The boat people were the ones that you were going to take me to when we first met right? Octavia asked looking at Lincoln for confirmation. Lincoln looked away from Talia's sharp gaze and nodded.
"The boat people are not warriors. They do not agree with a life of war." Lincoln explained. That was how he knew that Octavia would be safe there. Luna was a peace lover by nature, she didn't have the stomach for war and she would not turn away a young girl who was injured and in need of sanctuary.
"Is that possible in Grounder culture? I thought that all the clans fought each other before Lexa united them." Clarke said, letting slip Lexa's name instead of her title. She caught herself too late and her cheeks flared red with a blush.
"The boat people keep to themselves. They do not often draw the attention of the other clans. When the Commander began unifying the clans, Luna was the first to agree." Talia didn't like Luna, most of the Trikru didn't like the pacifist nature of Luna and her kind. What good were they if they weren't willing to offer warriors? And yet they expected others to fight and to die for them.
"So it is possible to not have an army at the beck and call of the Commander?" Abby asked.
"I would not recommend suggesting such a thing to her. The relationship she has with Luna is unique and you will find it very difficult to replicate it." Talia said though she silently dared Abby to try. She couldn't explain what it was about Abby that set her nerves on edge. Maybe it was the entitled air that Abby seemed to have, though she had done nothing to deserve the allowances she expected.
"Unique how?" Clarke asked unsuccessfully keeping the jealousy from her tone. Octavia snickered, she hadn't seen Clarke jealous before and it was kinda hilarious.
"Do not worry Sky Princess, it is not what you think." Talia said. The name, Sky Princess, had everyone at the table looking at Clarke for answers. Clarke shrugged. She had heard Lexa use it and wasn't surprised to hear Talia use it as well. Lexa probably picked it up after hearing Bellamy call her that.
"The name is your fault." Clarke said under her breath. Bellamy laughed at the accusation, however true it might be.
"Whatever you say Princess."
Lexa waited at the border between the Trikru land and the boat people territory for Luna and her envoy to show up. It had been a last minute decision to go herself, but she blamed the fact that it had been months since she had seen any form of excitement. She was growing restless trapped in the capital. Aside from Clarke there was little to keep her interest for long. All her council did was talk, and she had no mind for politics. Lexa left that to Talia, the older woman had the true talent for it.
When she saw Luna and her small escort coming over the crest of a hill Lexa smiled. Luna was in her mid-thirties, a successful life by Grounder standards. Luna had sun kissed skin, courtesy of the reflection off the water. The boat people lived on the water, on houses tied together and left to float on the water. Lexa hadn't ever been able to find comfort in their dwellings, the constant moving of the water made it difficult for her to settle her mind. Unlike Lexa's escort, Luna's had no weapons, the most they carried might be a knife meant only for cutting net.
As their parties approached one another Lexa greeted Luna with a slight nod, Luna returned the gesture. It was approaching midday, and while they could have turned and begun their journey back to Polis immediately, they both stopped for a rest. Lexa dismounting her horse first and then Luna.
"An escort from Heda kom Trikru herself. I'm honored." Luna said unable to keep her snark inside for long. Lexa smiled and let Luna pull her into a brief hug.
"Don't let it go to your head. It was mainly out of boredom." Lexa said.
"Ah, still haven't learned how to play the game of politics?" Luna asked as they sat, watching as their horses drank from the small creek.
"I like to know who my enemies are." Lexa replied.
"Speaking of, I'm surprised that Talia hasn't convinced you to cut off my head and present it to her." Luna knew that she wasn't very popular with the Trikru, they respected her because Lexa respected her. But her pacifist ways were baffling.
"She has no say in this. I owe you more than I will ever owe her." Lexa answered firmly. Luna knew to drop the subject after that. Letting silence reclaim the air around them.
"So, the Sky People, I hear that you have gotten very close to their leader." Luna said. Lexa wasn't surprised that Luna knew about Clarke. After the war of the Mountain, many stories were spread throughout the clans about the Sky People.
"Her name is Clarke." Lexa offered.
"Clarke. You like her."
"She is different. You will know when you meet her. You would like her, she doesn't like war."
"Really?" That news intrigued Luna more than anything else. The idea that Lexa was associating closely with someone who would argue against war.
"Do not get any ideas. The summit will happen as it always has." Luna didn't argue. As much as she wanted to argue with Lexa on the matter, she knew that most of what she said would fall on deaf ears.
Clarke nearly skid to a halt as she was exiting her bedroom and she saw Hudson leaning against the opposite wall. Since she had arrived in the capital she hadn't seen much of her body guard. She'd thought that Lexa had finally realized that she didn't need to have a body guard and dismissed Hudson. At first, Clarke had missed the constant shadow, she never thought that she would but Hudson had become a constant in her life.
"Where have you been?" Clarke asked with a smile. Hudson looked down at the young Sky Princess and returned her smile. He looked different than he had before when they were still fighting. He was still dressed in some of his armor, but he didn't look as if he were ready to take on an entire army. His war paint was gone and he was clean shaven making him look a lot less intimidating.
"Visiting my wife and child." Hudson answered.
"I'm sure they were happy to see you."
"Yes. Heda has tasked me with keeping you safe while she is away."
"I don't need a body guard Hudson. I thought you would know that by now." Clarke said.
"It is my honor to protect you Clarke of the Sky People."
"Is it because of Costia?" Clarke asked. Hudson straightened, he had not heard that name spoken in a long time. She was a ghost that haunted the palace even still.
"Costia was taken from the palace when Heda was gone." Hudson explained.
"Oh." Clarke said feeling bad for bringing it up. But no one ever spoke about Costia, Clarke didn't know anything about her other than how she died. She had yet to work up the courage to ask Lexa about her.
"She'll tell you about Costia when she is ready." Clarke spun around, surprised to hear Talia's voice behind her. She hadn't even heard the older woman approach.
"I know she still mourns for Costia. I just want to help." Clarke said.
"May we speak? In private?" Talia asked gesturing towards her chambers. Clarke nodded, though she couldn't shake the feeling that she was about to get scolded.
Clarke followed Talia into her room, taking a moment to note how much bigger the room was than even Lexa's. Elegantly designed, and filled with all sorts of treasures. Talia watched Clarke take in the room and knew that there were a million questions that were swimming around Clarke's head.
"Lexa could have made me move out of this room when she became Heda but she didn't." Talia explained, answering the unspoken question.
"This is the Commanders room?"
"It was. I shared it with my wife before she died." Talia said. Her eyes drifting away from Clarke to the bed. The bed where she had watched her wife succumb to the poison that had stricken her down.
"I'm sorry."
"Thank you. Please, have a seat." Talia said gesturing towards a set of chairs just under a window. Clarke did as she was instructed and walked towards the chairs and sat.
"Can I ask you about her?" Clarke asked. She didn't want to be indelicate but she was so curious about how the Commander was chosen. She remembered Lexa saying that they were chosen because of reincarnation.
"Her name was Drea. She had been Commander for three years before she was killed." Talia had gotten better at talking about Drea, able now to speak about her without feeling like her heart was being ripped out of her chest over and over.
"How long were you married?"
"We were bonded before she was called to lead. I knew that she would be called to lead, but neither of us wanted to wait. Times were different then, we were at war with everyone. There was no coalition. Life for a Commander is not a long one Clarke. You need to know and accept that before you go further with Lexa." Talia offered.
"What do you mean?"
"The average life span of a Commander does not exceed 19 summers." Clarke felt the words take the breath from her lungs. And for a minute it was impossible for her to form words.
"But, but there is peace now." Clarke insisted. She couldn't think about Lexa dying.
"I know. I have hope that Lexa can break that trend. What she has done with the coalition is beyond what has ever been done before. And if it holds, then she may live to old age. But you should prepare yourself, in case tradition holds."
"Are you trying to talk me out of being with Lexa?" Clarke asked.
"No. I'm trying to prepare you. To love a Commander, is to know that you are going to outlive them. Are you willing to take that risk?" Talia watched Clarke's expression, she missed the idealism of youth.
"I don't care. I want to be with her. And she's an amazing warrior and Commander. If anyone can beat those odds then she can." Clarke said firmly. Talia smiled, glad that Clarke had no disappointed her.
"Good. Then we can continue."
"Continue?"
"I had to make sure what your intentions were towards Lexa before we had this conversation. Being with a Commander is different Clarke, than any other relationship you have probably ever been in. Our people think of Lexa as a God, her word is law, and she must never be challenged in public."
"So I can never disagree with her? Because that isn't going to happen." Clarke said, just from the brief time that they had together Clarke knew that she and Lexa were going to butt heads a lot.
"You can disagree with her all you like. You just have to make sure that when you voice your disagreement you are in private. If the people see you undermining Lexa, and she concedes to you, it could be seen as weakness." Talia remembered when she had to wait to voice her opinion to Drea and sometimes it would spawn the biggest arguments between them.
"Okay. I mean, I don't like it. But it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice."
"I know our ways are different than yours. Lexa explained to me how you elect your leaders. If it makes any difference, I know that Lexa truly values your opinion. She wants you to maintain your independence. She likes it when you challenge her." Talia offered seeing Clarke blush a fierce red.
"She doesn't want me to be subservient?"
"Clarke, I don't think you understand the power that you would hold as wife to the Heda. You would become the most powerful person in our culture, after Lexa. Entrusted to rule when Lexa is away on campaign." Talia explained.
"But that's your job."
"I am only holding this place until Lexa marries. Then it will be her wife's job. I would, of course help should you require it."
"Wait, we're talking about marriage. Me marrying Lexa?"
"Yes. How do your courting rituals go?" Talia asked confused at Clarke's surprise.
"Our courting ritual usually lasts longer than a few weeks."
"How long?"
"Sometimes years."
"On the ground we do not have time to wait years to know if we want to spend the rest of our lives with someone. We believe that if we have found the right person we would know. Do you feel that way towards Lexa? When you see her do you think that you would ever want to be with anyone else?" Talia asked. Clarke looked away, out the window at Polis. Seeing everyone going about their days, living their lives. She liked it in Polis, it was the closest thing she had felt to normal since she had landed on the ground.
"I don't want to be with anyone else." Clarke answered. Talia looked over at Clarke and knew that Clarke meant it.
"I can show you how to rule Clarke. If you let me."
"Okay." Clarke answered automatically. She knew that she and Lexa had a lot to talk about when Lexa got back.
The sun had just begun to set when throughout the entire city horns could be heard, announcing that Lexa had returned. Clarke had been with Talia looking over several of the texts that went over the histories of the Commanders. It was fascinating. But all of that was forgotten when she heard the sound of the horns, Clarke felt her heart rate practically double in anticipation of seeing Lexa again. It seemed strange to feel so giddy at the prospect of seeing the Commander.
Still, there was a noticeable bounce in her step when she followed Talia towards the entrance of the palace where they would wait for Lexa and Luna to arrive.
"Hey, where have you been all day?" Octavia asked when Clarke stood next to her.
"Political lessons with Talia." Clarke answered.
"What kind of political lessons?" Abby asked. Clarke sent her mother a harsh glare but Abby wasn't deterred.
"If Lexa and I get married, then it would fall to me to rule when she isn't in Polis." Clarke answered, she was mainly going for shock value. She wanted to see the look on her mother's face when she told her that she was seriously considering marrying Lexa. Abby didn't disappoint. Her eyes widened almost comically. And it was clear that she wanted to say some choice words when Marcus grabbed Abby around the arm and whispered in her ear. Whatever he said got her to swallow her words.
"You're thinking about marrying the Commander?" Raven asked.
"It's on the table for discussion." Clarke said.
"I hope you know what you're doing." Raven really wanted to support Clarke, she wanted to make sure that Clarke knew that no matter what she had her back. But, marriage seemed a bit quick.
"They don't have time to move slowly on the ground Raven."
"Hey, I think it'd be great. A union between grounder and Sky people." Octavia said excitedly. If it worked out well for Clarke and Lexa, then it would look good for her and Lincoln.
Lexa tried to hide her excitement, she wanted to get back to the palace and back to Clarke. If it were up to her she would be racing her horse down the main street. But she had to go slow, she had to be on parade with Luna. For her people. Her anxiousness didn't go unnoticed by Luna, the older woman finding the sight of it amusing.
"I haven't seen you so excited for something in a long time." Luna commented quietly.
"When you meet her, you will understand why."
When they finally reached the palace entrance Lexa dismounted her horse, handing the reins to the waiting attendant. She saw Clarke standing beside Talia and had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. Talia nudged Clarke gently towards Lexa, silently telling her that it was alright if Clarke wanted to greet Lexa. Walking towards Lexa, Clarke was surprised when Lexa wrapped her hand around Clarke's neck and pulled her close.
"You are well?" Lexa asked softly. Clarke nodded, torn between being shy at the blatant show of affection and also touched by it. Lexa moved away from Clarke and turned towards Luna. "Luna, this is Clarke of the Sky People. Clarke is this Luna, she is the leader of the Boat Clan."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Clarke said with a smile.
"The pleasure is mine."
Introductions were made and once they were completed Lexa dismissed everyone until the feast. Luna had been to the capital enough times to know her way around. And she wanted to speak with Lincoln. She had dealt a lot if with Lincoln, teaching him about peace and the benefits of not going to war.
"Luna, may I introduce Octavia. She is Indra's second." Lincoln said.
"This is the one that you were going to bring to my people?" Luna asked looking Octavia up.
"Before we had a peace with the Trikru, yes."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Octavia kom Skaikru."
"Kom Trikru." Indra corrected rapidly. Octavia could tell that her mentor didn't like Luna, and she wondered if that meant that she was also not supposed to like Luna. But Luna seemed to matter quite a lot of Lincoln.
"Of course."
Clarke gasped as she felt her back collide with the door of her bedroom, giving Lexa the opportunity to capitalize and deepen the kiss. Lexa's kisses were hungry, and full of longing. It almost seemed like they had been apart for weeks and no just a day. Lexa kissed Clarke with a passion that made the blonde's knee's go weak. For several long moments their kiss continued until they broke the kiss both in desperate need for air.
"I missed you too." Clarke whispered breathlessly with a smirk. Lexa returned the smirk briefly before claiming Clarke's lips once again. Lexa wasn't always going to be the most open with her words but Clarke could tell that Lexa missed her, just with her actions.
Several minutes passed before Lexa moved away from Clarke, allowing the blonde woman to step away from the door. For a while neither one of them spoke. Lexa wandering almost aimlessly through Clarke's room, not really looking at or for anything, just wandering. There was something on Lexa's mind, Clarke could tell by the way that Lexa wouldn't stop moving.
"What's wrong?" Clarke asked warily. Lexa looked over at the blonde, finding Clarke completely irresistible. Her lips slightly bruised from the passion filled kisses that had driven them only moments before.
"Did you speak with Talia?" Lexa asked.
"Yeah, she gave me a rundown of what it's going to be like for us." Clarke said. She'd almost forgotten about it, she'd been too happy to see Lexa that she'd forgotten that she was mildly angry at Lexa.
"Do you find it acceptable?" Lexa asked, she couldn't bring herself to look at Clarke. She knew that averting her gaze was a sign of weakness but she didn't know what she would see in Clarke's eyes. If Clarke was going to have a favorable reaction or a negative one. Clarke was always surprising Lexa, each time Lexa thought she could predict what Clarke might do she found herself surprised.
"You should have talked to me about this. You didn't need to have Talia do it." Clarke said softly.
"Talia is better qualified. She was married to a Commander before."
"But she doesn't know us. She doesn't know how we are together. She told me that on the ground there isn't time for a long courtship. That I should be thinking about us getting married." Clarke said.
"You do not need to feel rushed Clarke. I would not pressure you into anything that you do not want. But it is true, that on the ground courtships are generally short."
"She also told me about the lifespan of the Commanders." Clarke whispered. Lexa cursed under her breath, she knew that Talia would be frank with Clarke but she didn't want to worry Clarke.
"Don't think about that Clarke."
"I don't know how I can forget it." Clarke argued.
"Clarke, I cannot promise to live forever. Life on the ground is hard. We have learned a long time ago to enjoy life while we can." Clarke hated how easily Lexa spoke about this.
"Well, try really hard." Clarke said.
"I will." Lexa promised.
"I don't know if I'm ready to talk marriage Lexa. I care about you a lot, but this is all too fast for me." Clarke said truthfully. Lexa nodded, she expected that Clarke's answer would be something like this.
"It's alright Clarke. These things take as long as they take." Lexa offered with a reassuring smile. Clarke felt the flood of relief that Lexa wasn't disappointed, or if she was disappointed in Clarke's decision she didn't show it. "Come walk with me."
Polis at night was an experience that always took Clarke's breath away. The city was so active during the day with merchants and venders and people going about their lives. But at night, when the work was done and it was time to celebrate and enjoy the life that they had worked so hard to create. Then sun had just gone down, but there was still some light left while they walked.
"Where are we going?" Clarke asked as they weaved through crowds. Most people moved out of their way once they realized who Lexa was. Lexa didn't answer, instead she reached down and grabbed Clarke's hand pulling her more insistently through the crowd. It was the laughter that first caught Clarke's attention, and then when they turned the corner off the main street Clarke saw a large open field where she found a group of children playing. It took a minute for Clarke to recognize what they were playing.
"Are they playing football?" Clarke asked as she watched one of the boy's score what looked like a touch down although it did look somewhat different.
"Yes." Lexa said. Looking over at Clarke, watching the wonderment that crossed the blonde's face.
"How did you know about this game?" Clarke asked her voice barely above a whisper.
"We have tried to keep as many things from the past alive as possible. This game is both fun and strategic. It teaches team work, working as a unit to achieve a goal. It is a valuable lesson for children to learn." Lexa explained. Clarke hadn't noticed that the children had stopped playing while they watched the two women talking until one of the girls that was playing handed Clarke the ball. It was beaten up, it looked raggedy and well loved, but it still held its shape.
"Sky Princess will play with us?" The girl's accent was strong, and it was clear that she wasn't that comfortable with the English language yet. But Clarke thought that it was adorable.
"Not today. Maybe some other time. You guys go have fun." Clarke said handing the ball back. The young girl took it with enthusiasm and ran back to her team. The two only lingered until the game started up again.
"They aren't wearing pads." Clarke commented as they started walking away. Lexa smirked, of course Clarke would be worried about their safety.
"Warriors need to be exposed to the potential of injury during their training." Lexa offered.
"They are just children."
"Children need to be trained to become warriors." Lexa said.
"What else do you have of the old world?" Clarke asked curiously. Lexa hesitated a moment, looking unsure for a moment if she would even answer the question. Since becoming the Commander, Lexa had fiercely protected every relic they had of the time before the bombs fell. Clarke could see the dilemma playing out on Lexa's face.
"Come with me." Lexa said finally. Clarke obediently followed Lexa as they turned back towards the palace. Lexa seemed to have laser focus on where they were going, she didn't stop or slow down her stride. Clarke had to almost jog to catch up to Lexa. Curiosity bubbled in the pit of Clarke's stomach and her skin tingled with anticipation for what Lexa was about to show her.
Lexa took Clarke down a long hallway that looked like it had been forgotten, it was dark, and the only light that came from it was a single torch that was lit at the end of it. The golden light illuminated the faces of two Trikru warriors that were standing on either side of the door. Both guards watched their approach with trained eyes, but said nothing as Lexa opened the door and walked inside. Clarke had no doubt that their reaction would have been very different if it hadn't been Lexa walking down the hall.
The room that Lexa had led them to was completely dark, but Clarke could recognize the smell anywhere. The musty, dusty aroma that could only belong to a library. Her suspicion was confirmed when Lexa began lighting a series of torches and row after row of books were exposed. There were hundreds of them, maybe more Clarke couldn't tell.
"You have a library?" Clarke whispered in awe.
"Before the bombs fell, the first Commander wanted to protect the knowledge of the world. So, he brought every book he could into a shelter under the ground. After things settled, and people started to reclaim the Earth, they were moved here. Where they could be protected and enjoyed." Lexa said running her fingers over the spine of one of the books. It was an old travel guide, details and maps of a place called Budapest.
"This is amazing."
"I can hardly take credit for it. But I could not let this wonder fade while I am Commander." Lexa said leading Clarke through the aisles of books, waiting patiently for Clarke to browse and look over different texts when a title would call out for her.
"Can I…would it be okay if…"
"You can borrow any book you like Clarke. That's why I showed it to you, I knew that you would appreciate it. As I do." Lexa answered. Clarke didn't think she could smile any wider. Knowing that Lexa trusted her with something so precious was truly heartwarming.
"Thank you."
The two spent a little over an hour in the library. Clarke couldn't decide which book she wanted. But both of them heard the sound of the feast horns being blown. So, with a promise that they could return whenever Clarke wanted, Lexa was able to coax Clarke out of the library.
Clarke couldn't wait to tell the others of what Lexa had shown her. Lexa sat with Luna, watching Clarke recounting the wonderment of what she had seen, seeing the blonde's face light up as she talked. Lexa's look could only be described as adoration. And Luna would not miss the opportunity to mention it.
"I never thought I would see her glow in such a way. She truly loves the Sky Princess." Luna commented, Talia looked over at Luna and then back to her plate. She didn't want to discuss such things with Luna, but out of the people in Lexa's life they both knew her best.
"She does."
"Does Clarke return such affections?"
"I believe so."
"Do you think they will marry?"
"It is hard to tell."
"Well, I'm hopeful for them."
A/N: Alright, so for this chapter I'm gonna beg you guys to bear with me. I know that having Clarke need to be seemingly subservient to Lexa if they were to get married seems a little stepford wife-ish. But, trust me. This is Clarke we're talking about. ;-)
