"You didn't seem very surprised about the Azgeda ambassador being an assassin," Clarke noted in the elevator with Madi on their way to see the Natblida novitiates.
"I had my suspicions but could never confirm them," Lexa confessed.
"But why would he reveal himself so haphazardly?" Clarke asked.
"He knew he was a dead man, Nia would have had him and his family, if he had any, killed for failing to prevent your ascension. Nia will undoubtedly claim ignorance and take her time to replace him with the excuse of vetting her candidates. We can't make changes that affect all the clans, like removing the Conclave, without every clan being represented. It's why I was pushing so hard in that meeting, I'm actually surprised he didn't reveal himself faster." Lexa explained at length.
Clarke hummed in realization as the elevator stopped at its destination. When she stepped out of the elevator she was greeted by a small landing, an entrance to the stairs to the left and a massive steel door directly in front of her guarded by two scowling Gonas.
Lexa fished a key out of her armor, inserted it into the door, and turned it. There was a muffled clunking sound as the mechanisms in the door unlocked. There were cries of 'Heda' the instant the door swung open. Madi was quick to grab Clarke's leg, seemingly nervous about the sudden shouting.
All the children snapped to attention and gave a respectful greeting of 'Heda' as Lexa entered the large room that must have comprised the entire floor. The kids were a wide range of ages with a blonde boy as the eldest. He was the only one that didn't look like he was about to burst with excitement at seeing her and Lexa. The other children were barely holding it together.
"Natblida, I would like you to meet Clarke Griffin, but you might know her better as Wanheda," Lexa introduced.
All the kids lowered their heads then the blonde boy stepped forward.
"I am Aden, it's an honor, Wanheda." The boy extended his arm for a clasped arm shake that was commonplace for his people. Before he could fully extend his arm, his eyes darted over to Madi peeking out from behind her legs. His eyes betrayed his revulsion at seeing her blotchy skin, his arm halted its forward motion.
Clarke narrowed her eyes at the boy's reaction, she was doing her best to reign in her protective instincts. She guided Madi out from her hiding place and in front of her, she could hear the other children's murmurs the second they saw her.
"This is my daughter, Madi. She's a Natblida, like us. Say hi, Madi," Clarke said a little too nicely.
"Hei-Hi," Madi began to say in Trig but quickly corrected to Gonasleng like Clarke had asked.
Aden was obviously confused and looked to Lexa for guidance. Lexa just gave him a very pointed look that Clarke could remember Abby giving her as a child. Aden's reaction was both quick and hilarious, he whipped his head back to Madi and lowered it even further than when he had greeted her.
"It's an honor to meet you as well!" Aden rushed out.
Madi looked up at Clarke and smiled brilliantly before rushing off to introduce herself in rapid Trig to the other children. Her and Lexa watched on as the kids swarmed around Madi, some were pointing at her vitiligo and heterochromatic eyes but they seemed only curious now that Lexa had essentially vouched for her. After a minute or two Madi returned to Clarke's legs but was no longer hiding, only holding onto the fabric of her pants.
"Is it true that you have a wolf!?" A little redheaded girl about the same age as Madi asked.
"I thought it was a raven?" A girl with a black braid as dark as night questioned.
"No, Heda has the raven!" A small boy with curly brown locks corrected.
"Did you really fall from the sky!?" A ash blond boy with freckles asked.
"Tell us about the big metal warriors!" A dark haired girl of asian descent asked excitedly.
"No, tell us about the inside of the Mountain!" A blond girl who looked to be the second eldest asked.
"Natblida!" Aden shouted, immediately garnering the other kids' attention. "Don't be rude, Wanheda will tell you if she wants to."
Clarke smiled and slowly sat down on the floor with Madi in her lap. "Take a seat in a circle and I'll tell you everything."
The preparations for tonight's celebration were underway and on track. Lexa went to find Titus while Klark organized her Sardaukar. She needed the Fleimkepa to announce Wanheda in a official manner
She found him in his private rooms. As a young novitiate she was forbidden to enter his chambers, even now the prospect made her nervous despite being Heda for years.
She quietly opened the door to find Titus kneeling in prayer at an altar consisting of dozens of candles. In front of each candle was an item, there were beads, feathers, scraps of leather, homemade jewelry, even simple rocks. The candles themselves looked as if they had been replaced countless times judging by the massive wax buildup at their bases.
Titus opened his eyes and glared at her in a way she had not seen in many years.
"GET OUT!" He screamed and just like that Lexa was six years old again. In a trained response, she quickly backed out of the room and slammed the door closed.
Lexa blinked in confusion at her own actions, she was Heda, she was a warrior, not a scared little girl. Before she could kick Titus's door down and teach him some manners the door opened of its own accord.
Titus fell to his knees, his head bowed. "Forgive me, Heda," He begged.
She blinked again in confusion but not at her actions this time but his, she had never even once seen the man prostrate himself and beg before.
"You are forgiven. It seems I'm not the only one that was transported back several years," She said with a hint of a smile in her voice.
"Indeed," He said as he stood, a ghost of a smile on his face. It felt wrong, she'd rather he yelled at her again.
"What were you doing?" She asked.
The ghost of a smile vanished to whence it came. "Remembering," He answered a bit too simply but she did not wish to press him on what was clearly a personal and sensitive subject.
Fires lit the cobblestone streets of Polis in an orange hue as the sound of merrymaking filled the air. The courtyard immediately in front of the tower was filled with citizens awaiting the arrival of their Heda.
The doors opened, Lexa and Clarke stride out side by side with the remaining ambassadors and Titus following them. The Commanders stayed at the top step leading up to the tower while Titus took up a place one step below them. The Ambassadors took up their spot one step below Titus.
The crowd murmured excitedly for only a moment before falling completely silent.
Titus cleared his throat. "The clans have spoken! Wankru will become the thirteenth clan and Wanheda shall take her place as your second Commander as it was first foretold by Becca Pramheda!
The roar of the people was like that of a monstrous beast. Drums began to beat, people began to dance, fires roared, and drinks were poured.
Clarke had thought the party in TonDc was impressive, it couldn't hold a candle to the rampaging animal this was quickly becoming.
Her Sardaukar began to stream past her and into the crowd to join in on the celebration.
Clarke turned to Lexa and offered her hand. "Care to dance, Beautiful?" She asked with a small smile.
Lexa smirked and made a show of looking hesitant, "That depends if you've improved."
Clarke scoffed playfully, "I'll have you know that I've been practicing."
Lexa's eyes scrunched nearly shut as she laughed, it sounded like glass wind chimes on a summer breeze.
The people around them fell away, the music fell away, the world fell away until it was only them standing at the top of those steps.
"We have many obstacles in our path ahead of us, but there is no one I would rather have at my side," Clarke started.
Lexa stopped laughing and looked at her, her earthy brown eyes searching hers.
"I don't know what the future holds, but there is one thing I know for certain," Clarke continued.
Clarke grasped Lexa's hand in hers, running a thumb over Lexa's knuckles.
"I love you, Lexa kom Triku, and I always will," Clarke finished, more sure of this than anything.
Lexa's eyes misted with unshed tears, she looked down to their joined hands and rubbed her thumb across Clarke's knuckles just as she had done before meeting her gaze once more. Her eyes were lit from within now, she gripped her hand tight.
"After Costia, I told myself that I would never let love weaken my heart again, that I would harden my heart in order to better lead my people…but you were right, I never stopped loving. I love my people, it's what kept me going, what drove me to build the Coalition so that all my people could live together in peace. You opened my eyes to many things since you fell from the sky, most of all that I love you, Clarke Griffin," Lexa finished, her lips curling into a full smile that reached her eyes and melted Clarke's heart.
They leaned in together, Clarke memorizing every detail of her face as she closed her eyes. Their lips met. It wasn't hungry, it wasn't a precursor to lust, it was warm, it was full of so much pure and potent love that it felt like sunshine, soaking into her skin. An eternity later they broke apart and opened their eyes, at some point they had pulled each other closer until their hips met. They stared into each other's eyes as if they held the secret to happiness. For all they knew, they did.
The world came roaring back as they came to the realization that the music had stopped and the clamor of people celebrating had ceased.
The Commanders slowly swiveled their heads with the dawning realization that they weren't, in fact, alone. Every single spirit in attendance was watching them with mouths agape.
"WOOOOOH!" Raven cheered over the stillness of the crowd.
The attendees exploded into cheers that put their previous effort to absolute shame, it was so loud that she saw a few people wince.
The celebration really kicked off then.
Clarke laughed, "Well at least we don't have to figure out how to tell them."
They never saw Titus storm off into the tower.
Several dance and alcohol filled hours later they headed back into the tower.
With Madi consenting to sleep in a room with Roberta, the two Commanders were looking forward to some time alone as they made their way to their room.
They were gravely disappointed to find Titus waiting for them outside their chamber doors with a deep scowl etched into his face that looked so natural that one might think he was born with it.
"May we speak inside?" He asked through gritted teeth.
Lexa barely restrained a sigh but acquiesced and led them inside.
"Have you forgotten everything I ever taught you?" Titus asked the second they were all inside.
"This is about the kiss, I take it?" Lexa asked, already tired of this conversation.
"Yes, love is a weakness! So is love for a child!" He yelled with a look thrown at Klark.
"I suppose we could have handled our relationship a bit more delicately, but love is no weakness," Lexa said.
"What's done is done. As for my daughter, you don't need to worry, I understand-" Klark started only to be interrupted.
"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND THE WEAKNESS LOVE BRINGS!? I have raised DOZENS of Natblida as if they were my very own children only to be forced to watch as they slaughter each other to the sound of thunderous applause!" Titus yelled, his face haunted.
The room went silent and Lexa realized what all those candles in his room represented now.
A knock sounded from the chamber door.
Lexa opened the door to see Roberta covered in blood and cradling a limp Madi rolled up in a blanket.
"Madi!?" Screeched Klark from behind her.
One hour ago.
Roberta tucked Madi into her bed, her charge had become tired well before the festivities were over.
Roberta had proposed to take the young mistress to bed in her room so that her mistress could spend some alone time with her lover. The Commander didn't like to be called mistress but what she referred to her in her head caused no harm.
"Song?" Madi asked in english.
Roberta gave a rare smile, her permanent snarl intensifying with the movement. Normally she frightened children now that her face was marred but Madi never once recoiled.
"Ci," Roberta agreed.
Roberta sat on the bed and began to sing 'Duermete nino', a children's lullaby from her ancestral home of Colombia that she had once sung to her boy, Garcia.
"Duermete nino (Go to sleep child,)"
"Duermete tu (Go to sleep, you,)"
"Antes que venga (Before the)"
"El currucutu. (Screech owl comes.)"
"Duermete nino (Go to sleep child,)"
"Duermete tu (Go to sleep, you,)"
"Antes que venga (Before the)"
"El gaunaguana (Black skimmer bird comes,)"
Roberta paused before singing the final verse. Madi was out like a light and drooling onto the pillow.
Roberta narrowed her eyes to slits as she heard the telltale creak of a door opening in the hallway.
This entire floor was designated to the Sardaukar and she doubted any of them were back already. Which left the guards unfortunate enough to be stuck on duty, but why would they be leaving their posts at the elevator and stairs?
She reached to her lower back and flipped on her aural dampener before disappearing into the shadows to investigate.
The team of four Azgeda assassins wearing Trikru disguises exited the elevator pretending to stumble drunkenly.
Two black armored sentries were immediately in front of them barring passage.
The assassins stumbled over their words in Trig before pretending to stumble into the two.
When the sentries went to push the drunkards away, they struck. They lashed out with blades hidden within their sleeves, nearly decapitating the two.
The team of assassins straightened up and melded into the shadows before moving forward in search of their prey; Wanheda's child. They had overheard the caregiver saying she would take the child to her room while shadowing them during the celebration.
The only problem was that they didn't know which room was the caregiver's, only what floor it was on.
They moved silently, checking room after room in hopes of finding the right one.
The leader halted in her tracks, there was one less set of soft footsteps than just a second ago.
She exited the room she was checking and saw two of her team members in the hall but the third was missing.
The door to the room he was checking was still ajar.
On silent feet she crept forward to investigate.
She looked into the room.
She had found him.
Or what was left of him.
His body was hanging from a bedpost by a garrote that was tightened so hard that only the man's spinal column was keeping him aloft.
She strained her eyes in search of his murderer but the room was empty.
She backed slowly into the hallway, careful in case she was wrong.
She bumped into something…or someone.
She whipped around ready to strike with her dagger but was relieved to see the face of her teammate.
Something was wrong though, her teammate had a look of panic in her eyes and something was…off..about her silhouette, but it was difficult to pinpoint the oddity from so close.
Her teammate coughed blood down her front and fell backwards onto her knees before falling flat, her palms facing upwards…
In dawning horror she realized that her teammate's head was twisted all the way around…she had coughed blood down her back, not her front.
Someone or something was hunting them and picking them off one by one.
She had to find her teammate, only together did they stand a chance.
She all but sprinted for the room he had been checking, hoping he was still alive.
She entered and saw her teammate quietly stalking towards her, he was alive.
"Room's empty-what's wrong?" He asked at seeing the fear no doubt riddling her features.
"We have to get out of here, something is-" She began but froze.
A hand reached out from the shadows cast by the door and wrapped around her teammate's neck from behind. It was missing a pinky finger.
He tried to scream but was silenced as the curved blade of a Karambit sliced into his back, piercing both his lungs and rendering his scream ineffectual. The hand lifted his dying body off the ground with inhuman strength until his writhing body was partially behind the door now. The hand holding the Karambit twisted and began to strain. There was a sickening tearing of flesh and splashing of blood before her teammate's body slapped to the floor now torn in half roughly.
She couldn't move. Whatever was behind that door would hear her…
A single eye peaked from around the corner and stared into her very soul as the monster snarled with a gleaming canine.
She screamed.
She didn't remember making the conscious decision to run but that's exactly what she was doing. She was running back to the stairs with everything she was worth.
There was a piercing pain in her calf as she stumbled and fell onto her face.
She began to crawl, the exit was so close! She could make it!
Something stomped on her back and she heard more than felt bones crumpling.
Her calf no longer hurt, in fact, she couldn't feel her legs at all.
Something roughly kicked her over on to her back so that she was staring up at the blood soaked form of the caregiver.
The monster lifted a black boot high into the air above her face.
"You almost woke the Young Mistress," It snarled contemptuously before bringing the boot down.
