Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter and hopefully this can cheer you guys up.


Clarke was not sure if she had made a mistake showing Indra the memory of her with Luna or not. She knew that it was her best option, of course. Luna would be able to vouch for her and her name would be cleared, but it still presented another problem.

What would be done with this information?

Clarke didn't expect the specifics to be mentioned to anyone other than Lexa, but would the clans be appeased with a word from their leader? Indra surely held considerable sway as the leader of Trikru, but since Clarke was being framed she wondered if the true perpetrators would strike then.

"A meeting in Polis? How many of us are going?" said Bellamy as the Rover was restarted. Indra and her warriors had already retreated and apparently Anya would be the one to take them to Polis from TonDC.

"Other than me and Kane, we can bring two guards," said Clarke leaning her head against the shell of the Rover, "I think it should be Bellamy and Raven."

Clarke had expected a flare-up from Octavia, but she seemed to agree with the choice. Octavia must have felt Clarke's eyes on her as she turned to Clarke.

"You guys are going into the Coalition's stronghold," said Octavia as she shrugged her shoulders, "They're strong enough to help out. Plus, my temper might get the better of me while I'm there."

It was a more mature outlook than Clarke had been expecting, but it seemed like Octavia had grown in their time apart. There had been some initial awkwardness, but the reality of the situation seemed to have melted that away.

The others were mostly the same. Bellamy was calmer and he seemed to take a second longer before acting. Lincoln was also the same, but that didn't say much considering Clarke had barely spent time around him to begin with.

The only difference was that he seemed to be a lot closer to Octavia, but that had been apparent even before the Mountain. Perhaps Lincoln's influence had tempered Octavia's boldness. That was obviously a good thing.

The only one who seemed different was Raven. She seemed so...tense whenever Clarke spoke to her. Clarke still remembered their last conversation before she left. How could she not? Neither of them had said anything about it, but what was there to say?

In any case, that had to be put on the backburner for now. They still had to get their story straight before they left for Polis and speaking of Polis there was still a big issue with going there.

Clarke wasn't sure what to do about Madi who was currently lying on her lap asleep. Arkadia was fairly safe, but with her, Raven a d Bellamy gone they would be easy pickings. The problem was, though, that bringing Madi to Polis would attract a lot of unwanted attention.

Even if Madi somehow managed to blend in while in Polis, the chances of a fight breaking out in Polis were still too high for Clarke's liking. Clarke only trusted Luna with Madi and knowing there was no right option here was just another problem to deal with.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Raven said and Clarke shook her head even though Raven couldn't see her.

"Something else is going on," said Clarke as she thought back to her encounter with Indra and Anya.

The memory Indra had shown Clarke was... illuminating. Whoever had been posing her had done a good enough job to convince the average person. Of course, it didn't work on Clarke since she knew that it was a fake.

"If someone was able to pose as me," Clarke began, but she was cut off by Bellamy.

"Then those Grounders could have been impersonated as well," he said gravely, "That means this whole trip could have been for nothing and we lost Monty for nothing."

"That's why it's important we go to this meeting," said Clarke, "Something is bound to happen while we're there. The clan leaders and their generals and us in one room? I'd be more surprised if nothing happened. "

"We're here," said Raven and Clarke looked out the windscreen to get her first glimpse of Arkadia in months.

The walls seemed to have been raised higher and made thicker. Plus, there was a multitude of manmade structures that surrounded the last surviving Ark station.

There were quite a few people milling around and Clarke leaned back into her seat as they slowed to a stop. The jolt seemed to wake Madi up who stretched before turning to Clarke.

"Are we at Arkadia?" Madi's presence had mostly been ignored by the others, but Clarke could tell they were all curious about the younger girl. Especially since she had shown to have a few powers.

"Yes," said Clarke rising to her feet and she held onto Madi's hand, "Stay close. I don't want you running around."

Madi didn't seem to mind the restriction as they all filed out of the Rover. There were a couple of stands set up that Clarke realised must have been set up for trading with the Coalition. Even now, there were a few Grounders perusing the stands.

The relaxed atmosphere seemed to change, though, as Clarke was spotted by one of the many people around them. Her hair still held a few red streaks in them, but her hair and face was a dead giveaway.

No one seemed brave enough to approach her, but she felt the gaze of virtually everybody on her and Madi. Clarke tightened her hold on Madi's hand before turning to Bellamy.

"Where's Kane? We need to tell him what's going on."

"I'm right here," said Kane as he walked towards them. His surprise was clear as day as he saw Clarke standing right in the middle of their camp.

Kane seemed to realise that everyone was paying far too much attention to them and he turned to the crowd, "Carry on, please!"

It was a simple order, but it did a lot as most of everyone went back to their own business. Clarke felt herself relax and she let go of Madi's hand as everyone's focus was now elsewhere for the most part.

"It's good to have you back, Clarke," said Kane as he shook her hand, "Abby will be glad to see you."

Kane stepped back and he looked over the group his eyes lingering on Madi for only a moment. He looked towards the Rover before a serious expression came over his face.

"What happened to Monty?"


"That's a lot to take in," said Kane as he leaned back in a chair, "This is a lot messier than I expected."

Clarke had just finished explaining the events of the day to Kane who seemed a touch overwhelmed. It was rather worrying that there was someone actively seeking to ruin relations between the Coalition and Skaikru.

There was no chance of either side proving their innocence without having a meeting. There was the off-chance that this was just a ploy by Lexa to lure Clarke into danger, but it was far too convoluted of a plan for that to make any sense.

"We'll go to Polis," said Kane with a tone of finality in his voice, "I'm not going, though."

Clarke was surprised by that mirroring the confusion of the others, "You're the Chancellor. You have to be there."

"You saw what happened in TonDC," said Kane nonplussed by their confusion, "They won't take me seriously. I don't command their respect."

"So who's going in your place?" Clarke asked and she felt her heart sink as Kane's gaze was fixed on her. She began to shake her head even as Kane began to speak.

"It has to be you, Clarke," said Kane and Clarke looked at the faces of the others to gauge their reaction and they all seemed to be on the same page.

"Indra respects you enough to tell you about this meeting even though we weren't meant to know," said Bellamy drawing Clarke's eyes to him, "Plus, you're on good terms with the Floukru leader. No one in this camp will be taken as seriously as you, Clarke."

"I don't even know the first thing about running this place," Clarke knew it was a feeble defence and Kane proved it as he cut that argument down.

"I'll teach you over the next few days," he said as he unclipped the badge on his chest, "Besides, it would be better if you took Octavia with you. Indra can read her memories of the attack to solidify our case."

It made for a compelling argument and Clarke only paused for a moment before she accepted the Chancellor's pin. She attached it to her chest and it seemed to hold something of a metaphorical weight.

"Won't the people be upset?" Octavia said as she pointed out something Clarke hadn't thought of, "Clarke's our best option by a lot, but they might get upset."

"Abby and I will run damage control," said Kane, "This is too precarious of a situation for us to get hung up on what they'll think. A speech by Clarke would help a lot in quelling any dissent, but that can wait for before you guys leave."

"Where's my mom?" Clarke asked as they reached the end of the debriefing, "Is she in Medical?"

"I think so," said Kane as he rose to his feet, "There are still quite a few guards hurt from the attack at the Mountain. I'm sure she'd appreciate your company. "

Clarke had expected as much. The carnage she had witnessed would have kept a large number of guards sidelined for the time being. Maybe she could lend her mother some help too.

"I need to check on something," Raven said as she rose to her feet and that seemed to be the cue for everyone to file out the room.

Clarke walked in the opposite direction of the other with Madi in tow. The girl seemed to be rather interested in the sights that Arkadia had to offer and it was at times like this that Clarke remembered Madi was still a child.

They finally reached Medical and once she got inside Clarke was surprised to see Maya standing over a guard with a clipboard. Maya didn't seem to register Clarke's presence until she was right in front of her.

"Clarke?" Maya said her face showing her disbelief, "You're back? It's so good to see you! Abby will be over the moon."

Maya pulled Clarke into a hug that she returned. Maya seemed to be a lot happier than when she had been in Mount Weather and it made for a rather warm feeling to well up in Clarke. For all the bad that had gone down in Mount Weather, there was still some good to come from it.

"Who's this?" Maya said as she looked down at Madi who was standing a little behind Clarke.

"Maya, I need the reports on the status of the guards before I go into surgery–"

Clarke turned to the source of a voice she had never forgotten and she was greeted by the sight of her mother standing stock still. Clarke walked towards her mother slowly who couldn't quite seem to process what was in front of her.

It was only once Clarke was close enough to pull her into a hug, did Abby seem to register Clarke's presence. Soft sobs began to wrack Abby's body as she pulled Clarke closer and closer to her.

"I've missed you so much, Clarke. Are you okay? The attack at the Mountain–"

"I'm fine, mom," Clarke said as she quelled Abby's rising panic, "I'm just happy to see you."

Clarke wasn't quite sure how long they had been hugging, but eventually, Abby stepped back as if she just remembered something. She looked down towards Madi and a puzzled expression filled her face.

"Who's this?" Abby said as she knelt down to Madi's level, "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Madi," Clarke was happy to see that Madi didn't appear on edge as she spoke to Clarke's mother.

"It's nice to meet you, Madi," said Abby before turning her gaze to Clarke, "How did you two meet?"

"I saved her from these people trying to take her," said Clarke, "She's very important to me."

Clarke was not sure what to label her relationship with Madi, but all she knew was that she loved the girl as if she were her own flesh and blood. Abby pulled Madi into a hug and Madi only paused for a second before returning it.

A few moments later, Abby rose and her eyes were drawn to something shiny on Clarke's chest. Clarke saw her mother's expression twist as she took in the Chancellor's pin on her chest.

"Clarke," said Abby her voice holding a touch of confusion and anger, "Why do you have that?"

"It's a long story," said Clarke before she looked at the guards in the room, "Let us heal these guards first. Madi, help out those you can. Maya, please help her with removing the equipment."

Madi nodded before going to one of the guards that wasn't too hurt, at least in relation to the others. She placed her hands above the guard before they began to glow a soothing green. Slowly, the guard's wounds and bruises began to dissipate before he was fully healed.

Clarke turned back to her mother who seemed stunned by the sight of Madi's powers. As Madi went to the next bed with Maya trailing behind her, Clarke raised a hand to halt any questions.

"There are more pressing issues to deal with than that right now," Clarke said even as the first of the guards began to awaken, "Why don't I help you out with the critical cases and I'll fill you in on what you've missed?"

Abby didn't bother to use any words as she simply nodded. She glanced at Madi healing another one of the guards before turning back to Clarke.

"Ok. Let's go."


Clarke took a deep breath as she stood before the gathered crowd. They were made up of people Clarke remembered from both the Ark and the Mountain. Right now, they all seemed to be calm as they waited for her to speak under the scorching afternoon sun.

It had already been two days since she had returned and now she was about to head out to the capital of Trikru to quell any suspicions the Grounders may have, but also to raise suspicions of their own.

Word had already spread of Clarke being appointed Chancellor and while there was no unrest, Kane had told her to put the people at ease. She was still remembered for saving them from the Grounders first attack on them as well as getting the Mount Weather citizen out so, at the very least, she had something to work with.

Clarke cleared her throat as decided to simply bite the bullet and go ahead. The crowd fell silent and Clarke took that as a cue to begin her speech.

"Hello, people of Arkadia," Clarke said and she received a few mumbled greetings back, "As I'm sure you've heard by now, I've been elected the new Chancellor. "

There was no negative reaction to this which pushed Clarke on to continue, "This did not come from nowhere. Chancellor Kane had been doing a phenomenal job and ordinarily, I would have wanted him to continue, but these are not ordinary times."

"Our lives are in danger," said Clarke causing some unrest amongst the people, "There have been multiple attacks and abductions of some of our people and on me personally. It has been a tough few days for all of us, but I promise I'll make this right."

"We are Arkers. We are from the Mountain. We are Skaikru," said Clarke, "We will survive anything and everything that they throw at us, but for that to happen we need to be united. I'll be honest with you. Things may get worse. We could be in for the hardest times of our lives, but I will stop at nothing to get us through it. "

There was rapturous applause after her speech and Clarke felt a bit awkward as she stood on the stage. Thankfully, Kane took it as his chance to speak once the applause died down.

"I'll be leading Arkadia in Clarke's stead until she returns from Polis," Kane said, "Thanks to Clarke and Abby, the Guard has recovered from the attack on the Mountain and will continue to operate. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen, that'll be all."

The crowd began to disperse and although there was a seriousness in the air, there was none of the outright dissent, Clarke feared would appear. Perhaps their people were a bit too comfortable with authoritative leaders due to their pasts on the Ark and in the Mountain. It worked for Clarke, though, and she liked to think the backing from the people was genuine.

"Are we taking the Rover?" asked Octavia as she, Bellamy and Raven walked up to Clarke. Kane was already nearby and they were soon joined by Abby and Madi.

"I don't think that's necessary," said Clarke, "I can carry two of you guys to TonDC and then I can get the last one over as well."

"Okay, then it's settled," said Bellamy as he walked towards the gate, "I'll meet you at the gate."

Octavia followed after him leaving Raven, Kane, Madi and Abby with Clarke. It was Kane that brought up something still plaguing Clarke.

"Are you going to leave Madi?" he said looking at the child, "I know you have reservations about the Grounders but–"

"I'll take her with," Clarke said surprising everyone but especially Abby who looked rather upset, "It's not that I don't trust you, but she would be safest at my side. I'll just take her as my second. "

"We should trust Clarke on this one," said Raven to the surprise of Clarke and it seemed to be enough to convince Abby and Kane.

"Okay," said Abby placing her hands on Madi's shoulders, "Just keep her safe, Clarke."

Madi had formed a rather close bond with Abby over the past few days. While Kane had been showing Clarke the ropes on how to be Chancellor, Madi had spent the majority of her time with Abby.

Clarke knew her mom had always been very good when dealing with children, but it was still nice to see her gel so quickly with Madi. Of course, no one in the camp knew that Madi was a nightblood.

Clarke assumed they knew the significance of being a nightblood after her gauntlet and it was only her paranoia that kept her from revealing Madi's status. She would tell them before they went to TonDC. It wouldn't do for them to be caught flat-footed by it if anything happened while in Madi.

Clarke walked with Raven and Madi to the gates and Bellamy and Octavia were waiting for them. Octavia was engrossed in a conversation with Lincoln, but it seemed to be over as Lincoln kissed Octavia before nodding towards the others in a sort of farewell.

Bellamy was the first to see Madi at her side, "You want to bring her? Isn't it unsafe?"

Clarke shook her head, "Madi is more than strong enough to come along. The Grounders that were here to trade already saw her and how close she is to me. I'd rather have her by my side if something were to happen."

Clarke could still sense their scepticism when it came to Madi's strength and so Clarke made a small needle of light. Madi seemed to understand as she held out her hand and Clarke gently pricked her index fingers.

Dark blood oozed out of the wound and flowed down Madi's finger. Clarke looked at the faces of her friends and they all had the same expression of shock. Clarke wiped the blood off of Madi's finger before healing the small wound.

"Is that part of the reason why you found her?" Bellamy asked and Clarke nodded.

"A few bandits were trying to abduct her for her blood," Clarke said, "Her village was razed by Reapers and we were actually in the Mountain together, but I saved her and we've been together ever since."

Clarke allowed them to digest that before she raised her hand and spun it in a circle. A ring of energy formed a few feet away and looking through it they could see a town in the distance. It was Bellamy that recognised it first though.

"TonDC?" Bellamy said as he stated through the portal, "Why don't you take us straight to Polis?"

"I've never been there so I can't," said Clarke, "I usually prefer walking, but we've got no time to waste. Who's first?"

Octavia approached the portal and she stuck her hand through it before eventually jumping through it. Bellamy was next as he just walked straight through and Madi followed right after him. Raven was last and she stared rather tentatively at the portal.

"That thing doesn't obey the law of physics," Raven said causing Clarke to smile a bit.

"Just go."

Raven seemed to be hesitating, but eventually, she just ran straight through the portal. Clarke looked behind her and she took in the sight of Arkadia one last time before walking through the portal.

The others were waiting for her on the other side and she closed the portal behind her. It seemed to have attracted a fair bit of attention from the TonDC residents as a few of them began to approach the group, but thankfully it was led by Anya.

"You're early," she said looking at Clarke.

She looked over the group one at a time and her eyes seemed to linger on Madi the longest, "Where is Kane? I thought he would come here with you."

"I'm the Chancellor now," Clarke said and Anya's eyes were drawn to the pin on her chest, "This is who I'm taking with me."

"You have an extra person with you," Anya's tone was more curious than guarded, but the body language of the Grounders around them leaned more to the latter.

"She's my second," It was a declaration that seemed to temper some of the hostility towards them, "She goes wherever I go."

"You were told to bring only four people including yourself, Wanheda," said one of the warriors around them, "Do you not respect the Coalition?"

"I don't trust the Coalition," Clarke said as she glared at the man who had spoken up, "In case you forgot, Skaikru was abandoned by the Coalition at the Mountain and my people have been attacked by yours as well. I took the order as a suggestion. "

"Kylian, be quiet," Anya said before she dismissed the group as a whole, "The meeting starts tomorrow a few hours past noon. Would you like to stay here for now or do you want to go to Polis now?"

"I think we've overstayed our welcome," Raven said as she eyed the retreating group of Grounders, "Hopefully, people are more respectful in Polis."

That seemed to cause Anya to twitch, but before any more could be said Clarke turned to Anya, "Raven's right. We want to get to Polis as soon as possible."

"Very well," Anya said only sparing a glance at Raven, " Form a circle and hold onto each other's hands."

They did as directed before Anya joined the circle between Raven and Clarke. She closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. Less than a second later, they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.


Polis was...impressive.

Clarke had never been in a city before. TonDC was rather large, but it did not have buildings that rose up into the sky. Polis had plenty of them– skyscrapers if Clarke remembered correctly.

Its walls were thick and sturdy and a multitude of buildings rose above the titanic walls. However, right in the centre of the city was a behemoth of a building. It was an off-white cylindrical tower that dwarfed all of the buildings in the tower.

A vast flame blazed at the top of the tower acting as a beacon of sorts. Clarke had no doubt in her mind that it could be seen from miles away at night. It was a little disturbing that they allowed a giant flame over the tallest building, but Clarke assumed they had a way of dealing with it.

"These buildings are from before the bombs," Bellamy said his voice filled with wonderment, "How did they survive so long? It's been hundreds of years. "

"I actually know that one," Raven said as she took in the sight before them, "Countries were trying to build sturdier and sturdier buildings that could withstand an all-out nuclear war as tensions rose between countries. It seems like it worked."

Clarke was still surprised by how much of the old world had survived until today. Luna's rig, Mount Weather and this tower were the most prominent of examples of this. The only other example Clarke could think of was the Ark which had survived centuries in the void of space which was no easy feat.

The world they lived in lacked technology, but Clarke wasn't entirely sure if they were better off for it. Conflict and strife existed all the same and a part of Clarke wished for technology to reclaim parts of the Earth.

It would make things like famine or plagues far more manageable and would surely improve the lives of the Grounders. Ironically, Clarke had a wealth of old-world knowledge in her head, but Clarke would do her best to avoid Darah as much as she could.

She would find another way to change the world they were living in.

"I'm guessing the tower is where we're staying," Clarke said drawing a nod from Anya, "Heda placed Skaikru above the meeting hall. Coalition members will be on the levels below that."

"How many clans are here? Are we the last to arrive?" asked Octavia and Anya nodded.

"All, but Skaikru and Azgeda have arrived," Anya said and her face seemed to twist at the latter, "There was said to be some weather that prevented them from arriving earlier. Indra is accompanying them to Polis."

The rest of the walk to the gates was in a steady silence. Even Madi seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation ahead as she remained quiet even though Clarke could see she was enamoured by the sight of Polis.

Clarke tried to keep calm, but there was a kernel of unrest rooted in her chest and it only grew as she got closer and closer to the gates. Her dreams had been plaguing her for months on end and even after all these months, Clarke knew she still had some things to work out.

The nightmare from a few days ago was just evidence of this. Some part of Clarke still hung onto all the turmoil and stress and all other emotions from after her escape from the Mountain. Maybe it was because Lexa's betrayal had blindsided her unlike anything before or maybe it was because of who had betrayed her.

Clarke knew she had to push the swirl of emotions down. It would only result in her saying or doing something that she would regret later on. The best-case scenario would be clearing their names and finding those responsible for attacking them and taking their friends.

Clarke was drawn out from her thoughts as they finally reached the gates of Polis. There were a few guard ms who eyed them cautiously, but let them pass as they saw Anya was at the head of their group.

Clarke made sure to pull Madi closer to her as they walked the busy streets of the capital. There were murmurs and whispers and looks as they traversed the capital. Their attire made them stick out as it was only Madi and Clarke who wore clothes similar to the Grounders.

Clarke still attracted the most attention by a fair distance and she had a feeling it was because people knew who she was. It wasn't too farfetched of an idea and considering how everyone seemed to avoid her gaze then the more likely it became in Clarke's mind.

Finally, they reached the tower and it looked even more impressive from up close. Clarke took a moment to take in the sight of the tower as it soared into the sky above before turning to Anya.

"Ready when you are."

"I don't know if you know what is waiting for you," Anya said and while it sounded rather ominous Clarke chose to not let it bother her.

They walked inside and made their way towards one of the elevators. Clarke was sure there was no power in the building so she was a bit confused when they filed into the elevator. Anya teleported away before returning a few seconds later.

There was a groan from somewhere above them before the elevator began to move upwards. It was not nearly as fast as the elevators in Mount Weather and Clarke realised the elevator was probably being operated manually.

The ride was surprisingly stable and it took Clarke surprise as it came to a halt. Anya opened the doors and Clarke was about to file out, but she was stopped by Anya.

"You need to announce your arrival to Heda," Anya said, "Only one of your people may accompany you if you wish."

"That's fine. Bellamy, you guys get settled in," Clarke said raising her hands to stop any arguments, "I'll be fine, guys. Seriously. Just go get settled in."

There were no further arguments and soon the elevator was descending again. Anya seemed to have something on her mind before she finally spoke.

"Things are not looking good," Anya said turning to Clarke, "The attacks are not unique to Trikru. A lot of clans have reported their people disappearing and various attacks. A lot of them think this was your doing."

"Are you one of those people?" Clarke asked drawing a shake of the head from Anya.

"Those people do not know you like I do," Anya said as the elevator came to a stop, "You would not do something like this. Whatever this mess is, it is from inside the Coalition. "

"Thanks, Anya," Clarke said before the doors opened and they walked out the elevator. Knowing that Anya was on her side did a lot to ease the tension Clarke felt. They continued to walk as they took a number of turns before finally, they came to a large door.

There was a line of people outside the door leading into the room. Clarke could hear the buzz of conversation behind the door and she turned to Anya in confusion.

"What is this?"

They came to a stop outside the door next to the front of the line before Anya said, "Once a week, the Commander listens to the plight of the people. Her will extends all over the Coalition and so people are free to speak to her about any issues they may have. Usually, only Trikru make use of this, however."

"Why is that?"

"A lot of clan leaders do not like being subverted so it may not end well for those who go directly to the Commander," Anya said as they moved to the front of the line.

No one had an issue with this and Clarke crossed her arms as she waited. A few moments later, a man walked out of the room and he was soon followed by a bald man in flowing robes.

"Next–Anya," said the man before he turned his gaze to Clarke, "Wanheda, I see you are here. I understand you took a...hiatus from leading your people. Where is your Chancellor? Is he sick?"

Clarke did not like this man. He had an air about him that just annoyed her. It was similar to the arrogance of Ontari that just rubbed Clarke the wrong way. Thankfully, Anya spoke before Clarke did.

"Titus," said Anya to the man, "Announce Chancellor Clarke's arrival. We have just come from TonDC."

Titus caught the title added onto Clarke's name and his eyes lingered on Clarke before going into the room.

"Heda, a special guest has arrived," Titus' voice echoed out through the room, "Skaikru's Chancellor has arrived."

Clarke took a deep breath before walking in. There was a pause before the first in the room recognised her. Clarke barely had time to survey the room before she had to defend herself.

*!*

A man lunged at her with a dagger, but Clarke ducked under his strike. She grabbed onto his arm before throwing him to the ground. She held onto his arm with her left hand before placing her boot on his chest.

Anger filled her being as flames began to form on her right hand. She raised it towards the man and she was about to melt his face off when a familiar voice called out to her.

"Clarke," Clarke looked up and she saw Luna standing up from her seat, "Remember where you are."

Clarke looked around the room and she was surprised to find the room filled with most of the generals. They were seated on either side of a throne on which Lexa sat. All of them looked ready to attack.

"Was this whole thing a trap?" Clarke said looking at the Commander, "If any of you want to kill me then do it yourself."

"You have some nerve," said a woman in tan robes. Erid, the Sankru general, if Clarke remembered correctly.

"My people's villages have been under attack for months and you were seen at the site of these attacks," The man said as he rose to his feet, "You're lucky Heda has not allowed me to cut you down where you stand."

"That is enough, Erid," Lexa said as she stared down the man before turning back to Clarke, "I can assure you that you were not brought here as a trap, Chancellor. Allow my people to deal with that man."

Clarke looked over the faces of the generals before her eyes landed on Luna who was right next to Lexa. Luna's face was twisted in the way that showed she was uncomfortable with the situation.

Clarke sighed deeply before stepping off of the man. Guards swarmed him the second he tried to rise and he was taken away. Titus walked out from somewhere behind Clarke as he turned to Lexa.

"Heda, I believe the hearing should be adjourned in light of the attack on Wanheda," he said and Lexa nodded to show her approval.

"Generals and guards, you may leave," Lexa said and it was an order that was obeyed after a few seconds of pause. Luna walked past Clarke and they exchanged nods before soon the room was empty of all save for Lexa's guards and Titus.

"I am sure you have heard of the accusations laid out against you," Lexa said and Clarke saw that her face was devoid of any warpaint.

"I have."

"For what it is worth, I do not believe Skaikru are responsible for the attacks," Titus muttered something under his breath, but he was ignored for the time being.

"Then call off your people," Clarke said a bit of frustration leaking into her voice, "I want nothing to do with the Coalition. It's your clans that keep running after me and pestering my people. We've been attacked multiple times over the past week by warriors in Coalition colours. Why are my people the ones being judged?"

Lexa's face showed her surprise at Clarke's revelation her posture just a bit more stiff, "Your people have been attacked by Coalition members? "

"Yes," Clarke said and in truth Lexa's reaction gave credence to her not being involved, "First, our guards got attacked and left at the Mountain. We went to the Mountain to investigate and the same happened, but this time some of my friends were abducted. The last time we were attacked again before they set fire to the forest around the Mountain. That was the day we met with Indra and Anya."

"This does not prove anything," Titus said inserting himself in the conversation, "You only wish to lay the blame elsewhere. You have been accused of multiple attacks in Trikru land. How can we trust you?"

"I haven't been on Trikru land for nine months," Clarke said as she glared at Titus, "Indra already scanned my memories of the day of the attack where I was spotted. She knows I'm innocent. In fact, when she gets here, she'll show you the memory herself."

"As reliable as Indra's word is," Titus said and Clarke found her already negative view of the man take another hit, "It will not be enough to convince the generals and by proxy the leaders."

"I thought the clan leaders were already here?" Clarke's question drew a shake of the head from Lexa.

"That had been the initial idea, but it had been changed," Lexa said a hint of intrigue in her voice, "Perhaps Indra may have misremembered the exact details."

That did not seem quite right to Clarke. Indra was as professional as they came. Surely she would remember something like that. Unless there was something else at play. It wasn't out of the realms of possibility that Indra had simply forgotten. She was only human after all.

"Indra isn't the only person who can tell you the truth," Clarke was about to add more when she heard a loud conversation start from outside the room.

"The Commander has requested all generals to leave."

"I am no general, boy."

The doors to the room were pushed apart as an older woman with dirty blonde hair walked in. She had two guards with her, one a tall man with long hair and the other–

"Ontari?" Clarke's whisper sounded loud in the room and the Azgeda general locked eyes with Clarke immediately. Ontari's face twisted into something halfway between disgust and cruel delight upon seeing Clarke's face.

It only served to put Clarke on edge.

Clarke looked back at the older woman who seemed to be staring at Lexa. The man at her side seemed to be staring at his leader and it was only now that Clarke realised just who this was.

"Nia," Lexa said her voice holding something of an edge to it, "I was not made aware that you would be attending."

What are you doing here?

"It was a late decision, Commander," Nia responded in Trigedasleng, but Clarke understood her perfectly, "Was I interrupting something? "

"It doesn't matter right now," Clarke said in Trigedasleng surprising the others with her usage of the language.

She switched back to English as she said to Lexa, "I'm sure you have a lot to discuss with Nia. I'll leave you to it."

Clarke made to walk outside, but Lexa's voice called after her.

"There will be a dinner with all of the generals later tonight," Lexa said, "I will send a handmaiden once it is ready. I hope you enjoy your stay in Polis."

Clarke nodded in acknowledgement before carrying on her way. Even with her back turned, she could feel the gaze of everyone in the room on her until she left the room closing the doors behind her.

She had to get her story straight. Luna was the key to all of this and they had to be on the same page or else things could get a lot worse for Skaikru.


Clarke stayed quiet as she followed a handmaiden to the dining room. As it turned out, the dinner was only open to the generals and so the others had gone with Anya to another dinner for the other delegation members.

As it turned out, there were stairs that could be used in the building which made sense. It would be rather tedious if the only way of navigating the tower was through the elevator.

The most surprising thing about the tower, though, was it had running water. The handmaiden had mentioned it to Clarke. From what she had said, there was a machine that one of the previous Commanders had designed that pumped collected water through the building.

Those who could control water were often assigned to funnelling water to the tower. The machine had a boiler built-in so the water was purified as it pumped through the tower.

It was no small feat and it showed that the Grounders weren't terribly adverse to technology. As a matter of fact, stuff like torches and lamps were some of the most sought after products from Arkadia.

In any case, the Grounder's technology was unimportant right now. Clarke had not been able to find time to speak to Luna. According to a handmaiden, Luna had been having talks with a lot of the generals.

It was easy for Clarke to forget that Luna was a clan leader and that Floukru land existed beyond the rig. Luna still had to keep up trade routes and partnerships if she wanted her people to be safe.

Floukru were rather averse to fighting, but they still had a fair amount of warriors. They were close allies to Trikru and so they were never really antagonised especially compared to clans like Louwoda Kilron. Luna had said Shallow Valley was one of the weakest clans and relied on the Coalition heavily to get by.

They came to a stop outside a large door and Clarke could hear some conversation going on. The handmaiden bowed before she walked off leaving Clarke alone. Clarke sort of wished she had arrived first, but in the end, it was inconsequential.

Clarke walked in and the first thing she noticed was the smell of the food. Spices, wine and all other scents that made Clarke realise she was actually rather hungry.

The second thing she noticed was that she was a little late. The circular table was empty save for two seats. The one was rather ornate and it didn't take a genius to realise that was meant to be Lexa's seat.

The other seat was about two seats to the left of Lexa's seat, but Clarke relaxed once she saw who was next to it. Luna. Clarke was aware of everyone's eyes on her as she sat down. The one that put her the most on-edge was that of Ontari, but luckily she was seated rather far away.

Clarke looked around at the others and soon conversation began again. Luna was to her right and opposite her was Indra whose face was set in something resembling curiosity. Titus took up the seat adjacent to Lexa's and he seemed to be doing his best to ignore Clarke.

"If it isn't Skaifaya herself. It's been a long time since you've graced us with your presence," Clarke sighed as she was addressed by the general next to her. It was the Podakru general, Akeri.

"I needed a break," Clarke said choosing to be civil and keep the conversation. Akeri was one of the more bearable generals, but considering Clarke only had a bead on Indra, Luna and Ontari that was not saying much.

"I'm sure," Akeri said before whipping his hair back, "You had quite the trial at TonDC and at the Mountain. Are the rumours true? All those people killed by one person?"

"What about it?" Clarke felt her temper rise, but it fell just as quickly as Luna placed her hand on Clarke's knee.

It was quick and fleeting, but it worked to calm Clarke down. She noticed that quite a few of the generals were interested in her conversation and so was Titus. Clarke calmed herself as Akeri responded.

"It's just very impressive is all," he said a smile on his face, "Most would say all that power makes you dangerous, but I find strength to be rather... attractive."

Clarke had to struggle to not roll her eyes. Akeri was very handsome. Clarke was sure even Indra would admit that, but he was not her type. Aside from being a total stranger, his personality was just a bit too brash for Clarke's liking.

"If you find power attractive then why don't you try your luck with Lexa," it was rather interesting to see how those around her reacted to that.

Titus was the one with the most animated reaction his face settled into a sneer, "Heda is wise enough to not care about such trivial matters. She is above caring about sating her body's desires. Something I believe is a weakness of yours, Akeri."

Titus's little speech was blunt and rather pretentious, but it at the very least ended the conversation between Clarke and Akeri. Clarke turned back to Luna who seemed a bit amused by Titus' rant.

"You were busy today," Clarke said and despite herself, a hint of annoyance leaked into Clarke's voice.

"I know why you are upset. I am sorry I could not speak to you, but Indra informed me about what is going on," To her credit, Luna did sound apologetic and it eased Clarke's worries that Luna already knew what was bugging her. Someone had probably filled her in.

Clarke decided to not push the issue for now. She still had to tell Luna that Madi was here, but there was no easy way of doing that without Luna's reaction being an indicator to Madi's importance. If Clarke could speak to Luna after the dinner, it would do them both a world of good.

It was then that Lexa made her entrance. She was dressed in comfortable clothes and it was a bit jarring for Clarke to see Lexa in more casual clothes. Clarke had almost always seen Lexa in armour so that was the reason Clarke followed her from the door until she stopped in front of her seat.

Lexa's gaze settled on her first and under the candlelight, her eyes seemed to sparkle. They stared at each for a bit longer before finally, Clarke looked away. Lexa was still standing and she made a quick motion with one of her hands.

A metal bottle was drawn to her hand and Lexa caught it deftly before handing it to Titus. Lexa looked around the table and again her eyes lingered on Clarke before snapping back to Ontari.

"Is Nia not coming?"

"She was not feeling hungry, Heda," Ontari said causing Lexa to nod.

"Please fill their chalices, Titus. I'd like to propose a toast."

Titus accepted the bottle and Clarke watched him as he went around serving what looked like wine. Clarke knew that grapes were a somewhat rare commodity and it was found most commonly in Podakru and Ouskejon territory. It was going to be her first try of the drink and she felt like she would need it to get through the dinner.

Titus finally got to Clarke and he bumped into her chair rather heavily before muttering an apology. Clarke did not respond, but she turned towards Luna who had a wide smile as she looked straight ahead.

Finally, Titus finished off by pouring Lexa a drink who then raised her chalice, "To keeping the peace our ancestors have fought for."

The generals raised their chalices before as one they all took a drink of the wine. Clarke was a bit slower, but she followed suit. The wine smelled amazing, but the taste was a lot more bitter than Clarke had been expecting.

A slight grimace was on her face as she out her chalice down and as Lexa gave the go-ahead for the food to be eaten, Clarke knew she was not going to touch her wine again. Clarke took a few slices of meat and a few spoonfuls of some vegetables.

A rather casual conversation settled over the table and Clarke found she was able to eat her food in peace even as the others around her engaged in conversation. Clarke thought she would go the whole night without having to say much, but that changed as Luna brought her into a conversation.

"You haven't touched your wine since the beginning, Clarke," Luna said and Clarke was sure that Luna knew Clarke hated the taste of it.

"It's not really for me," Clarke said glaring lightheartedly at Luna whose smile only grew wider in response.

"If the wine is not up to your taste then feel free to ask for something else," Lexa said and it was the first thing Lexa had said since her toast at the beginning, "What do you prefer? A juice?"

"Uh, sure," Clarke said caught off guard by how...mundane the conversation was, "Any fruit will do."

A handmaiden walked off presumably to fulfil the request and Clarke could not help, but feel a bit awkward. Clarke still had issues with how everything had gone down at the Mountain, but she had put those away.

This awkwardness stemmed more from how she and Lexa had never had a conversation that wasn't about serious matters. They had always spoken about the Mountain Men or the generals or other heavy stuff. It was an unexpected change of pace.

A handmaiden came with a jug of juice and a new chalice that she placed next to Clarke. Clarke thanked the woman before taking a sip of the juice. This was far more enjoyable and Clarke could not help, but take a second, deeper sip.

"Thank you," Clarke said to Lexa who paused for a second before nodding.

Clarke was about to return to her plate when Titus decided to speak and it was a question which caught the attention of the room.

"Wanheda, if you would be so kind, could enlighten us to your whereabouts for the past year?"

The atmosphere of the room seemed to thicken as it fell into silence. Clarke was not sure what Titus had against her, but it was growing more and more exhausting as it went on.

"I don't see how that's relevant right now," Clarke said looking him in the eyes, "I am not in the Coalition. I am not one of your soldiers to command. I'll tell if and when it's important."

"Does that sound like the words of someone with nothing to hide, Heda?" Titus said as he kept his eyes on Clarke, "She clearly cannot be–"

"Titus, know your place," Lexa said after slamming her fist onto the table, "You may be the flamekeeper, but that does not give you the power to question my guest as you please."

"I apologise, Heda," Titus said his voice a touch more subdued. Clarke had had enough, though, and she was only barely able to stop herself from going off on a tirade.

Instead, she put down her utensils before rising to her feet. She pushed her chair in before walking out of the room. Clarke chose to walk to her room instead of using a portal and by the time she arrived she had not cooled down at all.

Clarke slammed the door behind her and she simply stood in the centre of her room as she tried to compose herself. It took her a few minutes, but soon she was able to slow her breathing.

This had been one of the most stressful weeks, Clarke had had in a long while. From the attack by those strangers in cloaks to her friends going missing to constantly having he every move and action analyzed, Clarke could feel her patience wearing thin. The only silver lining was that she had managed to not offend anyone except maybe for Titus. That barely cheered Clarke up.

It was made even worse when she realised she had not organised to speak with Luna after dinner. The potential doom of Skaikru hung over Clarke's head as well as the fact that someone was impersonating her and killing people. Was that some sort of power? Or was this all just a hoax to begin with to lure her out?

It was all getting too much and so when Clarke heard a knock on the door she reacted with far more aggression than appropriate.

"What?" Clarke said expecting it to be one of the generals or even Lexa or Luna, but it was none of those people.

"Costia?"

"So it is true," Costia said as she stepped into Clarke's room. Clarke turned as she watched Costia take a look around the room.

"This is one the nicest rooms in the tower," Costia said as she looked around, "Fitting you would be put here."

Clarke closed the door partially as she turned fully towards Costia, "What are you doing here? It's good to see you're looking healthier than before, but this seems a bit..."

"Random?" Costia said as she fiddled with a trinket on a table, "I suppose you'd think so. It's been what seven months since we saw each other?"

"Nine."

"My bad. Perhaps my sense of time is still off after trading prisons."

"Costia," Clarke said causing the other woman to stand up straight, "Why are you here?"

"I heard you were in Polis and I just wanted to thank you again for saving me," Costia said as she faced Clarke, "I gave up all hope. I really thought I would have died an old woman in there if they didn't kill me before I got old anyways."

Costia was wearing a dress that looked a lot more comfortable than the tattered clothes she had worn in the Mountain. Costia seemed to sense Clarke's eyes on her as she smiled brightly. She stepped right up to Clarke and her voice was a whisper as she spoke.

"Let me thank you."

Costia wrapped her hands around Clarke's neck before pulling her into a kiss. This was different from Niylah's kiss just a few nights ago despite being just as one-sided. Costia seemed to be almost desperate as she pushed herself up against Clarke and moved her hands up and down Clarke's sides.

Clarke raised her hands to Costia's hips as she tried to push the other woman away. Before she could apply any real force, though, a cough drew their attention. Costia took a step back from Clarke who felt panic rise up in her at who stood in the doorway.

Lexa held Clarke's plate and her chalice of juice from earlier and her face looked as though she had been struck. Clarke pushed her hands off Costia and turned towards Lexa.

"This isn't–"

"Any of my business," Lexa said as she walked inside and placed the objects in her hand down, "Luna said she cannot meet with you right now as she has to speak with Sagan from Trishana. A handmaiden will bring your breakfast and the tribunal will begin at twelve."

Lexa didn't even look at Costia and she only looked at Clarke momentarily as she walked past the two of them. A lone tear trailing down her eye.

"Enjoy your night."

As quickly as she came, Lexa was gone and Clarke had no idea how to react. There was about half a minute of silence before Costia took a step towards Clarke.

However, this time Clarke knew what was coming and she raised her hand to stop Costia, "What is wrong with you? Lexa is your partner. She loves you. Why would you throw that away?"

Why throw away something so many people desperately wanted? Something that Clarke desperately wanted.

"She left me to rot in a mountain for years," Costia said her eyes displaying a cold anger, "She mobilised an attack force before abandoning it and leaving me in there again."

"She doesn't love me. She never has," Costia said a mix of anger and disgust in her voice, "She cast me aside twice. All those years ago and then again at the Mountain. She was going to cut me in half all those months ago if you did not stop her."

"I got captured because she was too busy running from clan to clan."

"I won't give myself to someone who cares so little for the people they say they love," Costia said as she looked back towards the table, "She thinks I'm blind, but I see everything."

"She deserves the same amount of pain I went through in that Mountain," Costia said before a bitter laugh escaped her, "She feels so guilty about it too, but that isn't enough. I say when it's enough and–"

A crack echoed through the room as Clarke dented the wall with a punch. Her psionic energy was streaming off of her in waves of blue as she spoke two simple words.

"Get. Out."

Costia was frozen by fear before Clarke made a half step towards her. Instantly, she fled the room and Clarke was finally left to her own devices.

She dispelled the psionic energy and even with the rage and confusion swirling inside her Clarke only had a few words to say as she collapsed against the door.

"What the fuck is wrong with this place?"


Podakru - Lake Clan

Sankru - Desert Clan

Louwoda Kilron - Shallow Valley


Author Notes:

Well, then. That started a bit slow before turning off into crazyville and this was just the preamble to the meeting.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please tell me what you thought of it.