A.N: Shout out to guest Reviewer Rass, who left this wonderful comment on chapter 12.
"She launched herself into the air, wrapping her arms and legs around her attacker." HOLY S*** DID CLARKE JUST PULL A BLACK WIDOW MOVE? IM SHOOKETH! And not just me I bet Lexa felt her soul leave her body for a moment.
Love it all!"
It absolutely made me burst out laughing. For that, I love you.
Well spotted! That move was in fact inspired by the amazing and unbelievable Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow). X.K.E.Q.9.9.3.x
The Floukru were not poor people. They had enough to appreciate life and knew well how to celebrate it to its fullest. But they did live simple lives.
So the extravagance of Polis although not surprisingly did not mean it was unwelcome.
Never before had Clarke seen such a variety and abundance of food before her at one time. Whilst Miller and Octavia began to eat ravenously, Clarke couldn't help but pause.
Alec seeing so, quietly took a seat beside Clarke and waited for her to speak.
"It is so much. Too much." She whispered in shock before continuing to speak.
"We have done nothing to deserve such a feast." She confided.
"No, perhaps not. You have completed no great feat. But it is not about earning it, Clarke. You are the political guests of our Heda. You made a grueling journey in the hopes of gaining nothing more but peace."
"Therefore you are welcomed. You're willingness and dedication to maintaining peace is appreciated, rewarded, and admired. Eat Clarke, you will need your strength, securing peace never comes easily."
Smiling Clarke choose some meat slices, grapes, soft cheeses, and crackers for her plate, ignoring Anya's noisy entrance as she approached and started helping herself to the large quantities of food spread across the table.
Clarke began to nibble on some of the grapes and soft cheese on one of the many types of crackers piled upon her plate in front of her. She was quiet and lost in thought for a minute before she started to speak.
"Nor should it. It's too easy to give in to anger, to easy to demand retribution for wrongs done. Putting aside our own desires, our own wants and needs to put others first. It is a sacrifice, but a worthy one nonetheless."
Alec's eyes shut briefly and he began to swallow deeply and repetitively. His expression so still Clarke froze as she reached for more grapes to add to her plate.
"What's wrong?" She whispered stricken at the unshed tears that welled and filled his eyes but did not spill-free.
"By the gods, you remind me of my Costia."
"Alec..." Clarke whispered fighting the tears that fought to fall free.
"Sometimes you'll do or say something that reminds me so much of my dad that it hurts,"
Clarke whispered in reply to his admission.
"What a pair we are," Alec whispered.
Suddenly both became aware of the silence that had fallen over the room.
Octavia, Lincoln, and Miller all dropped their gazes and sat about eating their meal as though they hadn't been watching.
Whereas Anya stood frozen, face white in shock with eyes that looked accusingly at Clarke as though it was she who had intruded upon something private that she had no right to know about.
"Is there a reason for your presence here, Onya? I thought you said we would not see you again for the day?" Alec prompted, forcing Anya to break the glare she had focused upon Clarke.
"Yes, the Commander would like to extend an invitation that you join her, when your ready, I will escort you," Anya informed reluctantly holding her body rigid.
Clarke sucked in a shocked breath, forcing herself to remain calm on the outside despite the overwhelming sense of fear that was building within her.
"You are ready for this Clarke," Alec reassured, whilst Lincoln, Miller, and Octavia nodded their heads in agreement and smiled encouragingly.
"Well, lead on, Anya. There's no time like the present." Frowning Anya thumped her plate down on the table and left the room, leaving Clarke to nod goodbye to her friends before hurrying after her to catch up.
The trek to the room in which Clarke would meet the Commander was silent. Anya did not say another word nor did she even look at her.
When Anya led Clarke to a spiraling staircase, Clarke silently followed behind. Trying to keep her breath even so she didn't become winded as they climbed higher and higher.
It seemed an age passed as they zig-zagged back and forth through corridors before they turned one last time and came to a long corridor which ended with two large double doors.
Stationed outside the door, stood two enormous and well-muscled men. Clarke knew even before they came to a stop at the end of the corridor that they would both tower over her.
Silence enveloped the four people before one of the guards, the tallest of the two, who had long hair braided back from his bearded and tattooed face, spoke his voice calm and deadly sounding in the silence.
"If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I will slit your throat."
Clarke couldn't help but widen her eyes in alarm just before the man turned away and knocked solidly on the door twice.
A low voice within the room replied with a muffled "Enter." Without pause, the two guards silently opened the doors
Taking a deep breath, Clarke entered.
Inside, was a large empty room, with large windows and doors stretching across the back room, filling the room with light.
In the middle stood a dais, where a young woman sat upon a throne, dressed in black clothes and wearing armor, the handle of a dagger in her right hand, while she spun the tip against the middle finger of her left hand. The only bit of color upon her clothing was a long scarlet red sash that hung from the spikey metal shoulder pauldron.
Her hair was pulled back from her face with multiple strands of braids. And settled upon the center of her forehead a metal gear symbol, while war pain swept across her eyes and seemed the run down across her sharp cheekbones, three distinctive lines. It almost looked as though she had cried black tears.
Clarke turned briefly as the door closed and seen That the two guards had stationed themselves inside the closed door. The only other person was a non-descript man seated at a small desk with a piece of paper and a writing utensil of some sort help in his hand, poised to write.
Silence lingered over the room as Clarke made her way forward but stopped a couple of feet away from the dais.
The silence continued until the Commander looked up at her from between lowered lashes and spoke.
"So you're the one who spent the first morning of a trip specifically to bring about peace between our people, slicing up members of the Azgeda convoy of my coalition."
"And if you are as well informed as I think you are. You know, the Azgeda Warrior attacked first." Clarke replied swiftly, silently and inwardly cursing herself for her sharp tongue.
Stabbing the dagger tip into the arm of her throne, the girl paused before speaking.
"And what do you propose to offer me and my people in exchange for peace?" Taking a deep breath and allowing a moment for her scattered thoughts to calm, Clarke spoke clearly.
"I was under the impression that peace is not simply reliant upon what one people can offer another. From what I've learned of you and your people during my time on the ground, Peace is not an either/or stipulation, it is often considered its own reward. It can merely be, one people extending a hand of friendship to another."
As Clarke fell silent, the Commander meets Clarke's gaze fully for the first time. And as she did, it felt as though the world around Clarke came to a stop. Almost as though she could fall into and become lost in her green eyes that reminded Clarke so much of the Trikru forest that she had spent the last few days traveling through.
It took everything in Clarke not to blurt out, "Have I met or seen you somewhere before?" The sense of familiarity that filled Clarke was so strong. But she dampened the instinctive question and pulled her focus back to the present.
"For nothing more than the sake of peace?" Clarke questioned.
"True." The Commander replied.
"But that does not mean it does not come with benefits for both people." Clarke rebutted.
"So you do believe the Skaikru have something to offer in exchange for peace ?"
"Doesn't any people have something to offer another? Yes, an agreement of peace and partnership between both people. But also skills and crafts, goods to trade, and knowledge to share."
"You speak of your technology and weapons. My people spurned those elements of the old-world a long time ago. They brought nothing but hate and anger, fear, and destruction. They still do."
"You speak of the Maun."
"What do you know of the horrors of the Maun?" The Commander demanded.
"Nothing from experience. Only what I have been told. I know your people fear the use of old-world weapons not only because they have been used against you but they fear the fury of the mountain if they are caught using them. I know they steal your people. Some never be seen again and others, if you do see them, are beyond all recognition. No memories of themselves or their loved ones, of their clan, just mindless monsters, who take more people still and eat the flesh of your dead if given the opportunity."
"You are well informed, aren't you." The Commander murmured as she rose to her feet.
"Alec, says I have a gift for asking the right questions. I don't know if that's true." Clarke admitted.
"Okay, Klark of the Sky People. And what do you think your people could do to change this? That is where this conversation is leading is it not?" The Commander queried as she stepped down one step on the raised dais.
"Weapons aren't the only thing my people have to offer. Due to our home on the Ark, we are in a unique position and possess the abilities that could be beneficial in protecting your people, should war against the mountain break out and help you unravel their defenses." Clarke hinted.
"How?" The Commander demanded.
"On the trip here, Lincoln kom Trikru joined us on the journey back from Floukru. He mentioned and explained some of the things the mountain uses to keep your people from the area surrounding it. The mountains use of this killer fog, its most likely made up of a gas of some kind. My engineers could work to determine the chemical formulae and neutralize it. It would be nothing more than vaporized air. And the ripas.."
"The fog I could believe. It's not natural, therefore your people could find a way to undo it. But many have tried to destroy the reapers before. They just take more people to replace them." The Commander replied as she turned and paced along the length of the step from one end to the other as she spoke.
"I'm not talking about exterminating them. I'm talking about healing them." Clarke interrupted.
The Commander froze before speaking harshly.
"Impossible." She replied.
"Are you sure?" Clarke murmured.
"You would not be the first to try. Countless healers have attempted such a feat. All the efforts ended the same, with the reaper's death."
"Yes, but they didn't have the medical knowledge and technology of the Ark behind those efforts. This reaper state, it is not caused naturally. It's purposely brought about. For what I've been told, it's most likely chemically induced. A drug of some sort. If this is true it may be possible to save them. Maybe not all of them, but some of them at the very least." Clarke beseeched.
"It is a foolish endeavor." The Commander warned.
"Maybe but is it not worth a try. Such knowledge and technology are not limited to the use against the reapers. I'm sure Luna has sent you reports of the medical clinic created on the oil rig outpost. The things the combined knowledge of our medicines have already achieved, its just the beginning. And it's not just limited to medicine. We have the knowledge, technology, and skills that would benefit farming, engineering for housing, even education. Not all of your people can read and write, we could change that." Clarke rambled on, her voice full of passion.
"You promise quite a lot, Klark of the Sky People." the Commander warmed.
" I know. Maybe all of it is not possible. But is it not worth it to try? At the very least." Clarke admitted.
"And what if we form an alliance? What happens if the rest of your people return to the ground? What of your loyalties then? Are they not torn? Regardless of the things you promise. The truth is, you and your people have yet to prove your loyalty and commitment to the coalition."
"Then, for the time being, refuse us from joining the coalition. Grant us a temporary peace alliance. Let us prove our loyalty and commitment." Clarke brokered.
"Alright. For now, you have your temporary alliance. A mutual agreement of peace. But your people will be required to abide by the laws, traditions, and punishments of the coalition. I will get you a copy of these so there will be no misunderstandings. You will be required to remain in Polis until a written agreement has been created and signed between your people and me. You will also need to appoint a temporary ambassador to represent your people, who will reside in the polis. This peace alliance will be reviewed regularly." The Commander warmed as she walked down the remaining steps of the dais and came to a stop mere feet from Clarke.
Signing the Commander continued.
"And if you truly believe you may be able to heal the reapers. I will grant you access to medical archives. They are a collection of written records that the healers who attempted to help the reapers kept."
"I understand. And Thank you. For giving my people this chance. I know you didn't have to." Clarke replied.
Silently the Commander held out her hand.
Understanding Clarke stretched out her own hand, clasping the Commander's forearm in the grounder fashion.
As their forearms clasped in one another's grasp, a shock shot up Clarke's arm.
Clarke watched as the Commander's gaze widened briefly in shock as though she too felt the same before she shuttered the emotion and broke her hold. Leaving Clarke to blink away the surprise and swallow down the sense of loss she felt.
"You may return to you're people and share the news. In the meantime, I will have the scribe write up the alliance as we have agreed. A copy will be sent to you for review before the final version will be prepared to be signed. Once signed a feast will be held to introduce you and your people to those representatives of the coalition present in polis."
"Of course." Clarke agreed
"Good day, Klark of the Sky People." The Commander murmured before turning her back and climbing the steps to take her seat on the large wooden throne once again.
Understanding she had been dismissed. Clarke nodded in acknowledgment and turned to leave. The guards silently opening the doors as she approached.
Once outside the room and the doors closed quietly behind her, Clarke sighed heavily.
"I was kind of hoping she would kick you off the balcony as she did with the Azgeda Ambassador two winters ago. Oh well, there's still plenty of time for that. I'll escort you back to your room." Anya quipped from the shadows where she leaned against a pillar to the side of the double doors.
"Shit, Anya don't do that!" Clarke gasped in fright.
"Let's go Skai gada." Anya chuckled.
"You're joking right?" Clarke demanded following Anya as she began to walk down the corridor
"Come along Clarke, I don't have all day," Anya replied ignoring her question.
"Anya!" Clarke called in a whispered shout after her.