Chapter 19
Taylor's eyes widened a little at Lexa's words. She had completely forgotten that the journey in the show began almost immediately after Lexa's and Clarke's talk. She did not have a chance yet to tell Lexa and Anya what would happen in TonDC.
Her grey eyes shifted over to Gustus who stood right beside the throne. The man was indeed huge and if she did not prevent it, he would die in TonDC. Taylor was not sure just how long the journey to TonDC actually was. Would she have a chance to speak with Lexa and Anya alone before they entered the village. She remembered how Gustus had snuck a bottle of poison into Raven's jacket as he had pretended to search her for weapons in the show.
Even now Taylor could see the man's dark eyes flitting back and forth between the members of Skykru within the tent in suspicion. Was he planning his betrayal already? Taylor did not know the answer. What she did know for certain though was that the man would take action in the believes that the alliance between Skykru and the coalition would not come to be. He was ready to sacrifice his own life in the hopes of saving his protégé.
In addition, Taylor knew for certain that having to execute Gustus was going to hurt Lexa on a deep personal level. She did not know if somehow trying to change the future in a way in which Gustus survived would in the end already increase Lexa's security. Titus after all had accidentally shot Lexa while actually trying to protect her in a rather twisted way.
Taylor felt her stomach churn slightly when her eyes fell onto Clarke. Would Lexa die if the two became a couple like the did in the show? And why was the mere thought of these two together leaving a sour taste within her mouth?
The feeling of Anya's fingers giving her own a slight squeeze pulled Taylor from her deep thoughts. She blinked for a second, feeling a little dazed. Taylor actually had not consciously noticed that their physical contact had remained intact all through the meeting.
Anya snorted under her breath. Her slight amusement was overshadowed by worry lingering within her brown eyes as the general gazed down at the blonde woman. Taylor had completely missed how the tent had cleared already, neither had the other woman reacted to being called in a soft tone.
"Sorry" Taylor automatically said and her features pulled into an innocent smile when Anya's eyes narrowed at the apology "I was just lost in my thoughts…" the blonde exclaimed, tone still sounding far away somehow.
Taylor looked around the tent quickly, noticing that she was the only one left inside with the general. She wondered where Lexa was and her lips pressed into a displeased line; she wanted to speak to both women together.
"Where is Lexa?" she inquired in an even tone. Taylor's hand left on the table immediately felt colder when Anya straightened herself and finally removed her own hand. Her brows furrowed at the general's suddenly closed off expression. She only noticed now just how physically close the other woman had been to her and now the distance felt weirdly magnified.
"One of the Skykru is causing trouble" Anya answered in a crisp tone as she turned her head towards the tent flaps.
Taylor sighed under her breath. She knew who most likely was meant. Raven. The Skykru woman had not wanted anyone to touch Finn's body and she had caused a scene with Clarke.
"Anya wait" Taylor called out, stopping the general mid-step. She hoped that Gustus had followed Lexa and that the commander's tent was unguarded now. It would at least explain why the general had stayed behind with her.
"Do you need a healer?" Anya had returned back to Taylor's side in a blink and was gazing down on her with the same worry from only moments before.
Taylor shook her head in slight confusion, regretting the motion immediately though. A headache bloomed beneath her temples, probably courtesy of her fight with Jaha. "No…" she insisted in the firmest tone she could muster a moment later. The general did not seem convinced judging from her raised brow, but Taylor did not give her a chance to speak either. "… but I need to talk to you. Ideally with Lexa as well, but as she is not here, I am just going to tell it to you now. I know what will happen in TonDC of course" the blonde doctor continued in a rushed tone.
It was obvious that Anya was listening intently to each of the doctor's words. She still interrupted her though, feeling slightly foolish for her sudden flash of jealousy before. "I can call Lexa back. The track can wait for a little" the general proposed.
Taylor contemplated the option for a moment, before she shook her head again, much gentler this time though. Her expression was deeply conflicted when she began to speak again "You have no idea just how complicated this concept of knowing the future and not knowing what events are changeable and what not or what would actually bring a good change is…". Taylor shoulders fell slightly in defeat.
She knew of course that a few key elements just needed to happen. Skykru and the coalition needed to form the alliance or there simply would not be peace. The peace would remain shaky and she was afraid that keeping Gustus alive would make it even more unstable. But the scene of Lexa pushing her sword into Gustus' heart and how the commander would hide her feeling there was still vivid within Taylor's mind from the last time she had seen this episode of the show. She wanted to spare the commander the pain, but she was unsure if she could.
Anya watched the blonde doctor literally crumble in front of her eyes. A moment ago, the other woman had appeared steadfast in her decision to tell her of whatever knowledge she had of the immediate future. Now, she sat there with her shoulders hunched and if Anya was not mistaken completely, she appeared to be close to tears.
She sunk down into a crouch right in front of Taylor and while she placed one hand gently on the blonde woman's shoulder, Anya reached out with her other hand and guided her chin upwards, so that their eyes were meeting again. "Just tell me what you know, Yssa" she urged the other woman in an understanding tone "We can try and decide together what to do". The general knew that Lexa would be waiting for them, but she doubted that her former second would demand them to hurry.
Taylor gave the general a slightly timid smile, feeling her long index finger still lingering on her chin. She nodded once Anya pulled away a little. She took in one deep breath, deciding a slight change in subject "Did Lexa tell you that she will die?" she asked, gazing deeply into the general's brown eyes.
Anya's eyes widened visibly and her brows furrowed "The commander will fall in TonDC?!" she echoed and her tone was a little screeched.
Taylor quickly shook her head again "No, no, I did not mean it that way. Lexa will not die in TonDC. She will not even die before…" she hesitated for a moment, before she continued "…before the fall of the Mountain, but she will. Same as many others."
"So, the Mountain will fall…" Anya's expression retained some confusion although there was a distinct shimmer of hope for a moment "Death is a constant companion in our world". The general remained balanced on the balls of her feet easily "A commander rarely reigns long" she added although her expression clearly showed what she thought of the possibility of the current commander dying anytime soon.
Taylor nodded "The Mountain will fall. At least it did in the future I know of" she formulated her reassurance cautiously "There is an event going to happen in TonDC which I would like to attempt to change, but I fear that it may influence the war with the Mountain".
"And what event are you speaking of?" Anya questioned. She had let her hand linger on Taylor's shoulder and she did not feel like pulling away either. She could already feel the subtle warmth radiating from the doctor's body.
Taylor gnawed at her lower lip for a long moment, indecisive if telling the general was the right choice or not. As she continued to keep the eye contact with Anya, she noted how the general's pupils suddenly dilated a fraction and she felt a sudden heat settling onto her cheeks. Taylor was suddenly very aware of the fact that she only would need to lean forward just a little bit to connect their lips. Right before she indeed wanted to give into this sudden unexpected desire, Taylor caught the sounds of movements outside of the tent and she was instantly reminded how dire the situation was. She shook her head subtly, clearing her mind of her distracting thoughts.
Anya was still gazing at her with the same intensity, patiently waiting, when Taylor looked up again. She decided that if her body suddenly seemed so attracted by the general, she may as well trust her for now. The general had after all just offered to decide together.
"It is Gustus" Taylor breathed out in a low tone. She did not know just who had walked past the commander's tent. For all she knew, it could have been the very man himself and she did not want him warned like this. Who knew what he may come up with instead, if he feared that his plan would fail to frame Raven.
"Gusts?" Anya echoed in a surprisingly startled tone. The general was obviously deeply convinced from the man's unwavering loyalty to Lexa.
Taylor nodded and wetted her lips with a flick of her tongue, before she explained "He thinks that the alliance with Skykru will be Lexa's death. He will try to protect her. There will be a kind of feast at TonDC to celebrate and confirm the alliance after Finn's body is burned together with those he had killed, right?"
Anya nodded with a cautious expression and Taylor could only guess that the general was probably trying to think of a scenario about what Gustus may do to protect Lexa.
"Gustus will take the first sip from a bottle of alcohol from Skykru" Taylor continued her explanation "It will look as if the alcohol has been poisoned".
"Skykru will try to poison Lexa?" Anya exclaimed and a flash of horror mixed with disbelief crossed her features.
Taylor shook her head again "No, I said that it appears as if the alcohol was poisoned. But it was actually Gustus who has put poison into Lexa's cup. He frames it on Raven, the girl was Finn's love."
Anya appeared speechless for a moment "He will betray Lexa?" the disbelief colouring the general's tone was strong and it was obvious how shook she was by the mere concept.
"Yeah" Taylor agreed, looking at the other woman in sympathy. She did not know if there is a personal connection between Gustus and Anya, but judging from the fact that Anya was Lexa's first and guided her through her training, it made sense that she would also be at least slightly close to Gustus. "Lexa and all the other will first fall for Gustus' deception, but Clarke and Bellamy will conclude that it is not their alcohol. He will be called out for treachery".
Anya's expression flashed so quickly with a variety of emotions that Taylor failed to pinpoint any of them, before resoluteness settled on her features "The only thing Lexa can do then, is to execute him for his treachery" she concluded in a grim tone.
Taylor nodded her head sadly in agreement. She wished to know of a possibility to save Gustus' life, but she was uncertain if there was any way at all. "I know that I can just tell all of this to Lexa now, but…" she hesitated for another moment and waited to have Anya's full attention back "… in the future I know off, it seemed as if seeing your full judgment system and how harsh it really can be, finally knocked some sense into Skykru".
It was Anya who sighed now. It was obvious that the general had understood the problem with Taylor's dilemma. She gave the doctor's shoulder a slight squeeze, before she swiftly got back to her feet.
Taylor wanted to open her mouth again when it appeared as if the general planned to walk out – possible to fetch the commander – she stayed silent though when Anya turned on her feet just in front of the tent flaps and crossed through the length of the tent again. Although the graveness of the situation had not left her mind, Taylor still noticed how strong and almost elegant Anya appeared as she strode across the tent, back and forth, probably just like her thoughts inside her mind.
She knew that the woman was a general and she probably would not have gotten into this military position of power if she did not possess a strategic mind, so, Taylor just waited in silence for Anya to analyse their possibilities. She felt a slight flutter in the pit of her stomach at catching herself thinking of "their" possibilities.
When it appeared as if the general would never stop pacing through the tent, Taylor finally broke the silence in a tentative tone "Anya, do you think there is a possibility of keeping Gustus alive?"
She was taken off guard by the hardness in the general's eyes as the other woman shook her head in the negative.
"Gustus is ready to betray the commander, no matter if it is out of good intentions or not. Without unwavering loyalty, he cannot remain in his position" the general's ton was as hard as her brown eyes.
Taylor swallowed heavily, feeling her heart sink a little. "Do you think that telling Lexa…?" she began to ask, but Anya did not let her finish.
"No, we will not tell her" the general decided in a clear tone.
Taylor nodded, feeling defeated again. She had hoped that Anya would help her find a solution to change what was about to happen in TonDC, but it was clear that the general had made her decision in favour of letting things play out.
Anya's voice got softer again when she noticed how troubled Taylor's expression was again "We need to get ready to leave as well".
Taylor nodded again, sighing deeply. She accepted the general's offered hands to pull her up from the stool and back onto her feet. She held onto the other woman's hands for a moment longer, just speaking her thoughts "What good does my knowledge do, if I cannot use it to change something?" her tone sounded defeated and tears began to blur her grey eyes again.
Anya simply held the doctor's hands for a brief moment, giving her soft fingers a gentle squeeze of sympathy "You have saved me" she said in a soft voice "and together we will make sure that Lexa survives".
Taylor could not stop her lips from pulling back into a slight smile at the sheer determination within the general's brown eyes. She did not know if the other woman was just a pure optimist or if she really thought that they could together save Lexa. She felt a little surer of herself again though. Anya was right, she had already changed one thing by keeping the general alive.
Instinctually, Taylor let go of the general's hands and stepped just a tad bit closer, hugging the other woman before she could pull back. Her body tensed noticeably for a second, before Taylor felt Anya's hands settle on her waist.
"Thank you" she whispered into the general's ears as she slowly pulled away herself, almost breathing the words against the side of the other woman's face.
Taylor felt her heartbeat pick up at the look on Anya's features. The general appeared almost dazed and her pupils had dilated again visibly.
Before she herself could decide on anything, it was actually Anya who unexpectedly leaned forward. Taylor felt their lips connect softly and it felt as if her heart missed several beats.
Footsteps shuffling outside of the tent again, made the general pull out of Taylor's arms completely only a second later and Taylor was left standing there with a slightly panting breath, still feeling the other woman's soft lips against her own.
Her mind needed a moment to realize that the general had addressed her again in a surprisingly clear and steady tone.
The corners of the general's lips were pulled into a slightly amused smirk, while gentleness still lingered within her brown eyes "We need to go now, Yssa" she repeated in a soft tone.
Taylor finally nodded, swallowing down the sudden dryness in her throat. Her mind was still occupied catching up with what had just happened.
They had kissed. Anya had kissed her. And it had felt good, extremely so. Taylor felt almost like giggling like a young girl.
Her sudden joyful mood vanished though as soon as they stepped out of the commander's tent. The atmosphere in the camp was still noticeably hostile and Taylor felt her heart give a painful lurch when her eyes finally fell on Lexa, who was standing together with Gustus and Indra while they seemed to oversee Finn's wrapped body being loaded onto a cart.
Taylor knew she was in deep emotional trouble. She was not just undeniably attracted to Anya, but also to Lexa. Could this get any more complicated?
