A/N: Hey! :) Chapter 100. This is actually insane, I never imagined getting this far but here we are. Together because even though I'm the writer, you guys have carried me through this. Rest assured this fic isn't going to be ending for a long time, and I hope that you all keep following and reading because writing this I have made some amazing friends who are fast becoming family. So to my facebook chat, you know who you are and you are all amazing and such brilliant people and I have loved getting to know you all. This chapter is one that has been planned right from the beginning of me writing this. Because I like the symmetry of it, with the number matching up with the name of the show. I am nervous posting this but I hope you all enjoy it and I can't wait to hear what you think! :) I love you all so much, and I mean that completely genuinely! xxx
"Are you ready for this?" Octavia asked quietly, as Clarke stared straight ahead at the heavy wooden door in front of her, "Last chance to back out if you're not completely sure that this is what you want."
Clarke bit her lip nervously, gripping Raven's hand as she stood beside her, "Thank you but I've never been more sure about anything in my life."
"Good, because we all think that deciding to marry Lexa is the best decision you have ever made Clarke." Raven smiled nodding to the guards on the doors.
The doors swung open in front of her and Clarke caught sight of the main square which had been prepared for their ceremony.
A great bonfire was in the center of the space, the flames flickering and jumping up towards the sky. Ahead of that was a raised dais, the twelve clan leaders in their seats, gathered from across the lands of the Thirteen Clans for the bonding ceremony of their Commander.
The people of the coalition were gathered below the dais, standing in a hushed silence as they waited for the two great leaders to arrive. The Skaikru party Abby had brought with her stood at the front, the Trikru people directly across from them. As the clans of the two people being joined they stood proudly in front of the other eleven.
"Show time Clarke." Octavia muttered, before pushing at her shoulders, causing Clarke to take her first step out of the door and for every one to turn and look back at her, marveling at the beauty of the sky leader.
Forgoing the traditional white of her people, Clarke had embraced the grounder tradition of wearing something that reflected her clan, so she was in a floor length sky blue gown that Octavia and Raven had had commissioned especially. The dress was simple and understated but over the top of it she had a inky dark blue corset that pulled in the material to hug her curves. At her side hung a decorative short sword, to show her reputation as Wanheda, and instead of a veil she was wearing a long cloak made of the same coarse material that the sashes on her war armor was cut from. Finally, her hair had been braided intricately, having took hours to finish to show her new status as the full equal of the Commander of the Thirteen Clans.
Following behind her, Raven and Octavia were wearing full ceremonial armor rather than bridesmaids dresses, but their hair was pulled back in loose braids and they carried no weapons.
The three of them walked through the square until they reached the dais, Octavia and Raven stepping aside and pulling the cloak from her shoulders as Clarke ascended the steps, standing in front of the clan leaders and looking out over the crowd waiting to catch sight of Lexa walking towards her, having not seen her girlfriend all day with their friends deliberately barring them from seeing each other.
Abby tried to catch Clarke's eye, but all her daughters focus was on the doors where Lexa would soon be appearing. She had envisioned many things for her daughters wedding day, but never had she ever though that one day she would be watching her daughter stand in front of thousands of people to marry their leader, a warrior from the ground. As much as she may have resented Lexa in the past, seeing the shine in Clarke's eyes, Abby couldn't remember one reason why she had ever thought that they didn't belong together, heart, body and soul.
Everyone saw the moment their Commander arrived in Clarke's face, the way her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened. They turned round to see Lexa herself, flanked by Ontari and Lincoln, confidently walking from the tower, with eyes only for the girl she was about to give her life to.
Lexa's dress was pure white, it seemed that whilst Clarke had embraced the grounder ceremonies and traditions, Lexa had equally embraced the Skaikru. Choosing a dress that was loose and flowing and seemed to dance and swirl around her legs as she walked. For the first time ever, her people saw her without a single braid in her hair, instead the majority was left down around her shoulders, with just a small section pinned back to leave her face bare. Around her waist was tied a crimson piece of material to match the sash on her armor and lazily swinging from her side was her own ceremonial blade. Even dressed as she was, the Commander looked as deadly as she ever did, her back straight and her chin raised proudly as she moved.
Ontari and Lincoln stood side by side with their partners as Lexa met Clarke, standing face to face to her with a small smile, her eyes asking for one last time if this was definitely what Clarke wanted. Clarke just ghosted her fingers over the back of Lexa's hand and giving a small, firm smile of their own before they stepped back to allow Luna to address the crowd.
"People of the coalition." Luna called, not needing to raise her voice because for the first time in history Polis was silent. "Today you are here to witness something amazing, something that has never happened before in our entire history. You are here to witness your Heda tie her life to another, through nothing more than pure and honest love. It's never been done before because for generations we have been taught that love is weakness and to be Commander you have to be alone. Well today Lexa is proving that nothing could be less true, and it is to my joy and great honor that they asked me to lead this ceremony for my greatest friend, of whom I couldn't be prouder."
Lexa smiled brightly as Luna turned slightly and nodded to her, "Lexa you are the longest reigning Commander, you are loved by your people and you love each of them. I am sure I speak for every one of us when I say we are overjoyed that you have found happiness in this life with Clarke. Costia would have wanted this for you." The last part was mumbled quietly, heard only by Clarke and Lexa themselves.
"And Clarke, you fell from the sky, you felled the mountain, you became a warrior who will never be forgotten. But by far, your greatest feat in this life, and the one that should be cherished above all others, is you showing us all a better way, fighting for peace, and teaching Lexa how to be truly happy again. The two of you are leading the way to a better world, and we will all follow you until our dying breath." Luna said fiercely, the people gathered cheering in agreement.
"Now, it's time for you to swear your lives to each other, I believe Skaikru call this your vows?" She said with a grin once everyone had settled down again.
Clarke nodded at her, pulling the sword from where it hung on her hip and dropping it on the floor in front of Lexa, "Everything I am, and everything I have I lay at your feet. From the moment I stepped foot on the ground, my life was only about making sure my people survived to the end of each day. I never asked for it, I never wanted it, but I became a leader, and I hated every moment of it. But I would not change that for anything. The first time I saw you, everything changed, you were powerful and strong, and also incredibly intimidating." There were a few laughs from the crowd at that last part, "But in you I found a guide, a friend, and then something more, the potential for true happiness. I could lie and say that I loved you from the first moment our eyes met but that would be a lie. I came to love you bit by bit, over the time we spent together, over calming words in between struggles and hardships. And I never though that I would have this, so now I swear my life to you, to love you, and to follow you for the rest of my life, wherever you go. From this day on my loyalty is to you first before anything else, and I will never cause you harm."
Luna held out her hand to Clarke, passing her a small circle of silver which Clarke slipped onto Lexa's finger.
Lexa stared into Clarke's eyes for a moment, silenced by what Clarke had said, before her eyes flicked down to the ring she was now wearing on her hand. Pulling her arm back, she drew her own blade, holding her arm out to release it and let it drop to the floor in the same way Clarke had done with hers, but then she paused, impulsively handing it over to Clarke instead, "I trust you with me, with all that I am, and with all that I hold dear, and I place it into your hands freely and without condition. After I lost Costia I thought that I would never lost again, I was so alone, for so many years and I truly believed that all that remained was the Commander, that Lexa was a distant memory. The world had lost its vibrancy for me, but from the moment you stepped into my tent, as an enemy, the colors started coming back. I cannot promise that I will never have to make a hard choice again, but I will protect you with all of my might and to the end of my days, because I love you Clarke, and I owe you my soul, which I thought had been lost to me."
Clarke's eyes were tearful as Lexa gently took hold of her hand, slipping the matching ring to hers onto Clarke's finger. "I will love you to the end of my days Clarke, and in whatever life comes next, I swear that I will find you again and love you there."
Luna smiled at them both, stepping forward as they placed their hands on top of each other to wrap a long piece of silky ribbon around their joined hands, "Before the people of the thirteen clans you have have sworn yourselves to each other. In the eyes of all you are now a single bonded couple, bound together for the rest of your lives. May you lead long, happy lived filled with love and happiness." The crowd quickly recognized their cue cheering loudly and shouting congratulations at the two of them as Luna smirked, slipping Lexa's sword from Clarke's hand and jerking her head back towards Lexa, "This is the point where you kiss her and you probably don't want to accidentally impale her with a sword this soon after joining your lives together."
Lexa laughed as she brushed Luna aside, pulling Clarke towards her and crashing their lips together, clinging to her shoulders as Clarke's found their way round to wrap around her back.
Everything else was pushed aside and for that moment it was just the two of them, reveling in each other and officially recognizing their connection for the world to see.
The party that night was the greatest Polis had ever seen.
Even those in the city who had initially opposed to the break from tradition the wedding was were swept up in the festivities as music sounded through the streets and people danced and laughed, drinking as they went.
"Hey!" Octavia yelled, Lincoln in tow as she bounded over to where Raven and Ontari where standing, "Why are you two still sober? Lincoln get them some drinks!"
Lincoln grinned, placing his hands on Octavia's shoulders to keep her still as he smirked knowingly at Ontari, "Not feeling so good?"
"Even thinking of drinking that poison makes me feel sick to my stomach, I have no idea how you people do this." She groaned as Raven laughed, rubbing her back comfortingly.
"Lot's of practice, and most people don't try and keep up with Octavia on their first time drinking."
"Where are Lexa and Clarke?" Octavia asked curiously, looking around for the two newlyweds, "Starting the honeymoon early?"
Raven grinned and pointed behind her to where Lexa and Clarke were clearly visible, sitting on top of a roof together watching over the celebrations from above, "They seem to have decided they're more like birds than people lately."
"This is so weird." Clarke said softly, her eyes fixed on her ring, which was sparkling as the moonlight caught it, "Lexa we're married!"
Smiling in amusement, Lexa took hold of her hand as she nodded, so Clarke was forced to look up at her face rather than down at her hand, "You know I was there for that part right Clarke?"
"No, you don't understand." Clarke insisted, pulling on Lexa's hand to look at her ring, "This is for life, we're married for life."
"Clarke." Lexa said softly, cupping her cheek gently with one hand, "I need you to give me a little context, I don't understand the point you are attempting to make."
Grinning, Clarke placed her hand over Lexa's so their rings were resting against each other, "This is for life, no matter what happens, no one can take this away from us."
Lexa's smiled widened as she leaned forwards to rest her head against Clarke's. "I understand now Clarke, and you're right. This is ours forever."