Once back at the Mountain Clarke called for a meeting in the presidential office. The four remaining representatives and Bellamy were called to attend. Madi was still fairly distraught and refused to part from everyone and be left alone with Roberta yet so she too was in attendance.
Clarke sat casually on the mahogany desk with Madi in her lap. The little girl's dual colored eyes were closed as she wrapped her splotchy tan arms around Clarke's neck.
In a conscious choice to show Lexa as an equal she had asked her to sit on the desk as well. Clarke figured that if they would end up ruling together they needed to present a united front at all times.
Roberta stood in the corner of the room watching the attendees trail in like a hawk might watch field mice, her lone eye barely blinking.
Bellamy stood at attention to the side of the massive ornate desk as the representatives took their seats in plush leather chairs.
Pike remained standing as he addressed Clarke. "Is it true? About Sydney?" He asked in disbelief.
"It is," Was all that Clarke offered in response.
"But why!? It doesn't make sense! We're finally on the ground and she just decides to betray us before she fucks off somewhere?" He ranted with clear frustration.
Clarke waved to Lexa with a hand. "This moment will ring throughout both of our people's history. I believe she wished to have a larger role in shaping that history."
Pike grunted before taking his seat. "Then she doesn't deserve to be apart of it at all."
Clarke cleared her throat before getting to why she had gathered everyone. "I will be going to the Coalition's capital of Polis tomorrow, I am unsure how long I'll be gone. The Council of Representatives will rule in my absence."
Abby frowned. "Is that safe, what with the attack and Sydney being aided by an unknown group?"
"It's necessary. In order to legitimize my claim on the mountain, I must convince the clan ambassadors in person." Clarke explained.
Ever the argumentative one pike cocked an eyebrow at Lexa. "Can't you just tell them to accept it? You are their Commander after all."
Lexa pursed her lips at being addressed so flippantly. "I can but what you misunderstand is that the Kongeda, or Coalition, is only several years old and made of twelve clans and hundreds of thousands of people. These lands may have been uninhabitable but they are still good for hunting and the clans that border the mountain view it as their territory. If I simply tell them that those lands are no longer theirs they would likely declare war. With my support we will be able to convince them. They just need to be…mollified first." She finished with an accusing glint in her eye.
Pike gave a short grunt of a laugh. "I like her."
Clarke managed to suppress her chuckle, something Bellamy failed to do.
"Moving on, there are four things I need done or at least started while I'm away." Clarke said before raising a closed fist.
Clarke held up a single finger. "First and foremost, the Council will oversee an election for a new Historian representative immediately. I refuse to let a fifth of our people be unrepresented longer than absolutely necessary."
She held up a second finger. "Second, with the Sardaukar's assistance I want the Engineers and Craftsmen building housing and defenses. This mountain is central to most of the Coalition, I want it to become a fortress city capable of launching fast responses if needed. Build up towards the peak of the mountain with our fields encircling it below."
Another finger. "Bellamy, increase the defenses at the dam, it cannot fall."
A fourth and final finger was added. "Sinclair, make sure we retrieve the dropship I came here in."
All of them nodded in understanding of what needed to be done. Most of this would be a massive undertaking but it was needed. If worse came to worse then the Mountain would be besieged from all sides. They had an incredibly defensive position but without the heretical weapons the Maunen used they would not be able to hold it against all comers in a siege. They're only hope was to create a fortress of metal built directly atop the Mountain.
Marcus raised his hand before speaking. "What company of Sardaukar will you be taking with you to the capital?"
"The one I landed with, the tenth. Bellamy will stay here as my General though. I believe that having the civilians see the faces of those that liberated them from the Mountain men will go a long way in earning their trust. It won't be enough for people to say I marched an army on the capital, but it will be enough to portray strength and inspire awe." Clarke explained her thinking.
Lexa hummed next to her. "That's perfect. I'll send riders ahead of us to spread rumors that Wanheda and her warriors are on the way. We might have to put on a few airs, have a speech, and throw a feast, but this will go a long way in earning the common people's trust."
Her Dad leaned forward in his seat. "What of the children from the Mountain? How many will be assigned as Sardaukar?"
"None. Going forward Sardaukar will follow the same path as the other designations, they will train in all fields until twelve years old when they will decide which path to pursue in earnest. The instructors will share the same fate as their students, the days of children dying in training is over. Of course this will also mean that the others will be trained as Sardaukar until twelve, nobody in our population will be untrained in defending themselves going forward." Clarke decreed.
A knocking came from the door. Roberta answered it after receiving a nod from Clarke. Murphy escorted the woman that had warned them about Jaha in. 'Emori' was her name if memory serves.
Murphy bowed his head. "Apologies for the interruption but Emori refused to leave our borders."
Clarke tilted her head at the woman. "And why's that?"
"I would be killed, I am a freikdrana." Emori explained as she unwrapped her hand to reveal it was mutated. Her fingers were elongated, misshapen, and nonfunctional by the looks of it.
Judging by their confused reactions it was clear that nobody but Clarke, Lexa, and Madi were familiar with the term. Madi stirred and turned to face the newcomer with wide eyes. Emori gasped at seeing the child before glancing at Lexa with confusion.
"You openly harbor a freikdrana in the Commander's presence?" Emori asked, stupefied.
"She is a Natblida, her mutations are natural." Lexa bit out.
Emori began to apologize profusely as if her life was on the line.
Clarke waved her hand dismissively. "That's quite enough. You tried to warn us of Jaha, you may join my people if you so wish."
Before Emori could find her words Lexa spoke. "You can't be serious, the clans will never accept a clan that accepts freikdrana."
"I'm perfectly serious. There are no people we deny. If she chooses to stay she will be required to become a Nightblood so that her mutations couldn't be passed on." Clarke supplied simply.
Lexa furrowed her brow in thought but didn't say anything more. Emori looked like she was unsure if she was in reality at the moment and kept looking at her deformed hand.
"Representative Abby, do you think the Healers can do anything about her hand?" Clarke asked her Mom.
Abby got up and gently took Emori's hand in hers and began to inspect it every which way.
"It probably won't be perfect but if she's a Nightblood we can definitely get it functional and back to a more natural shape." Abby paused and looked Emori in the eye. "That is if that's what you want."
Emori's eyes watered as she nodded, her brown hair bouncing as she did so. She turned to Murphy and crushed him into a hug before kissing him on the cheek and thanking him for getting her an audience. The two practically floated out of the room. Clarke refocused her attention on those gathered.
"Tomorrow the real work begins." Clarke's tone turned somber as she looked at her Dad. "But tonight we mourn the death of our High Priestess and those that died defending her."
Lexa watched as a great number of trees were organized into a large funeral pyre fit for a clan leader. They were at the peak of the mountain and twilight was upon them. Klark was laboring alongside everyone else in her black armor with a glazed over look in her eye. Marcus was right alongside her looking no better.
"Is Mommy sad?" Madi's small voice asked from beside her.
Lexa looked down to see the girl, she was dressed up in her new leather armor, her wild hair braided, and her Damascus dagger on her hip. She looked every bit the warrior but her lips wobbled every few seconds to reveal that she was barely doing better than Clarke. She was looking up at her with those beautiful mismatched eyes as she held onto her hand awaiting a response.
"She is, but it's not your fault." She paused. "When we lose someone it's important to allow ourselves to grieve for them." Lexa's eyes unfocused as she looked at the horizon unseeingly. "Their spirits can't move on if we try to keep them with us, we have to let them go." Her breath hitched. "We…have to accept that they are no longer with us no matter how much it hurts." Lexa answered, her voice thick with emotion.
"Are you sad, Mama?" Madi asked, concerned.
Lexa's eyes refocused as she looked back to Klark as she was placing the final log. "Not anymore."
A few minutes later night was truly upon. The sky lit up in color as the sun retreated, blue and green streaked across the sky in a dazzling display that left many gasping. Klark asked her why the Aurora Borealis was visible here. Lexa had never heard that word but explained that Praimfaya had hurt the Earth and left many scars, this one of them. The lights showing during a funeral pyre was considered a good omen among her people, that the dead was being honored by the spirits as well.
Vera Kane lay dead atop the great pyre with colors dancing across her black veil that covered her face.
Shortly after lighting the pyre Marcus stepped forward and wiped a tear away.
"In peace may you leave the shore." He began.
"In love may you find the next." He wiped another tear away.
"Safe passage on your travels." Tears began to fall too fast to wipe away subtly.
"Until our final journey to the ground." His tears were freely flowing now with him making no attempt to stem their flow.
"May we meet again…goodbye Mom." He finished with a shaky voice. Abby was quick to pull him into an embrace.
As they continued to watch the pyre burn in a somber silence Klark grasped Lexa's hand, her trembling fingers intertwining with her own. Over the soft crackling of the pyre her whispers could be heard by all, her voice was melodic yet strained by grief.
"The sun rises..over a lily's field..."
"A mother veiled, her lips concealed…"
"The mourners come..in droves of black..."
"To bury..what their hearts unpack…"
"With shallow breath..and time…eclipsed,"
"I pray you miss..death's gentle kiss."
The road to Polis was beautiful yet long. Without horses for the Sardaukar they were forced to march in formation. Despite their inhuman strength and resilience it was slow going.
Originally the plan was to leave Madi behind with her parents but that plan was quickly dashed across the rocks when her daughter had asked what she had done wrong that made Clarke want to leave her behind. Clarke was starting to worry that she couldn't tell her daughter no.
At the end of the third day of marching the city came into sight . There was no other description than city, for it was certainly no village. A tower, at least one hundred stories tall, stood above the cityscape proudly as if in defiance of the destruction of the old world. Atop this last great monument was an ever burning flame that could be seen clearly from miles away. What impressed Clarke most of all was Polis's greatest defense; its wall. Encircling the entire city was a wall made of metal that looked to be welded together from anything those who made it could find. It was a bit odd since the Coalition didn't seem to possess the technology necessary to build such a wonder. In front of the wall were fields of corn, grain and many others.
"It's amazing, when was the wall built?" Clarke asked with Madi sound asleep in her lap.
"Becca herself oversaw its construction long ago." Lexa answered proudly from beside her astride her own wolf mount.
Behind them and at the head of the column of Sardaukar, Raven's voice sounded from her marching warsuit. "That wall has to be at least fifty feet high and dozens of miles long. With nothing but manpower and welders it could be classified as the eighth wonder of the world. Or the first now."
"I'm not sure what a wonder of the world is but thank you. I must admit, I didn't think you would be strong enough to move that armor for so long." Lexa said, impressed.
Raven laughed before explaining. "I'm not moving it, It's more like I'm riding it. It's like riding a horse but powered by a micro fusion reactor."
Lexa turned in her saddle to fix Clarke with a questioning look.
"It's basically powered by a miniature sun." Clarke tried to explain in layman's terms.
"Well I won't pretend to understand but don't tell many people that or they might start worshipping you." Lexa said, bemused.
"That doesn't sound so bad~" Raven hummed playfully.
"Ugh, please don't." Anya pleaded from her horse next to Raven.
They approached the colossal gates with archers watching them from atop the wall. At the lead of the column, Lexa's guard detachment barked a few orders and the gates opened.
The second the gates opened Clarke saw thousands of people gathered along the road, all of them cheering for the return of their Commander. it seemed as if all of Polis had come to greet them. Nobody seemed afraid of the massive wolves, they actually seemed to recognize them in a fashion. The warsuits drew a lot of attention, some looked like they couldn't believe their eyes as the twelve foot high metal warriors strided past. As they moved into the city proper there were reverent cries of 'Heda', 'Wanheda', 'Maunen Ripa', and something about 'spirits of forest' but she couldn't be sure due to her poor Trigedasleng. The people reached out trying to touch them as they passed. Lexa was waving and smiling as she greeted some people by name. The people greeted Lexa like she was a fabled hero returning home victorious, Clarke doubted Achilles was so well loved.
The infrastructure of the city took her breath away. They had taken the skeletons of the old world's buildings and built upon them. Old, crumbling, concrete buildings were stabilized and built over with wood to create massive super structures that were as beautiful as they were impressive. The roads were cobblestone and lined with small booths filled with wares.
She saw all types of people, most were Triku but there many were people with markings she had never seen before. It seemed that Polis was truly a hub for the twelve clans. This wasn't just survivors scraping by, this was a bustling melting pot of peoples.
They reached the looming tower and dismounted their wolves, Clarke handed a somehow still asleep Madi off to Roberta. Together Lexa and Clarke ascended the steps before turning to face the gathered crowd. The thousands of people that were just crying out in adoration fell silent save for a few crying children and shushing mothers. Lexa looked upon her people with a fondness that could only be described as love.
"The Maunen are no more!" Lexa yelled to the result of thunderous applause before it fell silent as she once more raised her hand.
"You may have noticed that Wanheda's star is no longer in the night sky." There were murmurs within the crowd. "That is because the prophesied day we have long been promised has come at last!" Lexa gestured to Clarke. "Wanheda walks among us! She and her warriors, the Sardaukar, laid the Mountain low in a single night!" The crowd burst into an uproar, people were openly crying in relief, wailing hysterics, cheering, and lowering themselves in prayer. Lexa gestured to Clarke with a look.
Clarke raised a hand just as Lexa had, the people silenced immediately. "Ai laik Wanheda, and I come in hopes of unifying our great peoples, WHAT SAY YOU!?"
The crowd went berserk with cries of 'Sha!' and 'Yes!'.
Satisfied, Lexa gave one last wave before leading Clarke into the tower. There was a very upset looking bald man wearing ceremonial robes waiting for them inside. Lexa shot Anya a look and Anya immediately moved to intercept the bald man and whisked him away. The man's entire head became red as he was being led away.
"That should make it more difficult for the ambassadors to deny you." Lexa said, seemingly trying to keep the subject away from the man.
Clarke decided not to press before she hummed in agreement, any representative would have a hard time going against public opinion.
"Your Sardaukar will garrison on the third floor, the entire floor will be theirs." Lexa said as she observed the warriors in question valiantly pretend that they weren't dead tired.
"Thank you, now I don't know about you but I'm dying for a warm bath. Clarke said as she stretched her aching back.
"I'm not dying but I too would like a bath. Arguing with ambassadors can wait until tomorrow. You and Madi will stay in my room if that is acceptable." Lexa said, trying to act nonchalant about suggesting they live with her essentially.
"You sure? What about 'to be Heda is to be alone'?" Clarke lightly teased knowing nobody would hear.
Lexa fixed her with a sharp glare before it softened once she realized it was teasing and had not been overheard. "I fear I won't be able to sleep without your snoring or Madi's sleep kicks."
Clarke gasped theatrically before whispering incredulously, "Did you just make a joke?"
Lexa's lip curled into a barely there smirk. "I'll have you know that I'm hilarious."
