Okay so another long chapter today. It was supposed to be two but I merged them into one. I'm really excited about the next couple of chapters and I hope you guys stay tuned for it. A lot goes down in this chapter and I hope you enjoy! As always, I appreciate hearing your comments. They let me know you guys are into the story and want me to keep going. Don't be afraid to tell me what you do/don't like and what you would/wouldn't like to see. I'm writing this for you guys as much as I am for me. Anyway, Enjoy!
Clarke made her way through the streets of Polis. She couldn't help but admire everything about this place. It was so different from Saipan. The people here were actually happy. The markets were full of a lot of different people from all different clans trading, talking, and laughing. It was really a sight. There were even children running around laughing and playing games with each other. It made Clarke happy, even with everything that was going on in this moment.
She saw Octavia, Lincoln, and Raven sitting at a table talking and she made her way over to them. She hadn't realized that she had been silent and a little hidden on her approach until she spoke, "Hey guys." All three of them jumped in surprise having not noticed her approach, but once their racing hearts slowed down they all hopped to their feet and embraced Clarke tightly. She knew it was because of her story last night, but Clarke couldn't find it in herself to complain about it. When the friends were all done hugging each other they sat back down. It was obvious that they three didn't know exactly what to say to Clarke. Should they apologize? Should they bring up last night at all? It was a lot, but Clarke didn't hang too much on it. "Sorry for scaring you," she apologized, starting off the conversation. She needed to remember that she didn't need to hide in the shadows or avoid people anymore. She couldn't give away her abilities like that again. She brushed that thought off for the moment though as she looked to Raven, "Raven, I want to talk to you about something."
"Of course, what's up?"
"What happened to Mount Weather. What happened after I left? What's its status now?" Clarke asked. She was taking a risk talking about the mountain out in the open, but Clarke needed answers. Plus, she was good at scanning her surroundings, and it was clear to her that no one was close enough to hear their conversations, and there was nowhere around them that would be a good place to hide for someone to listen in. If a spy was watching her, they either weren't here now or they were, but they were too far away to hear what was being said. She still needed to be careful though.
Raven thought for a moment, "After you left we took a lot of the resources that we thought we could use. When the Commander asked us to join her coalition, the mountain was a big talking point. She didn't want anyone going into the mountain, but we wanted some of the resources and we didn't want to just leave it there unoccupied. We came up with an agreement that we were allowed to take the resources as long as we cleared them with her and we send monthly checks to make sure its stable, and that no one is planning to take up residence there or steal any of the resources for themselves."
Clarke nodded. "Have you been there?"
"Yeah, I've been there a few times," she held her hand out towards Lincoln and Octavia, "We all have actually."
"What did you do while you were there?"
"Well your mom looked at the medical supplies. Bellamy, these two, and some others looked at the weapons and a few other supplies. Monty and myself took a look at more of the technology that they had there," Raven explained.
Clarke had to be careful from here. She couldn't give away her knowledge of the missile within the mountain and she couldn't give away that it was what was being held over her by Nia and Emerson. "Was any of the technology in there… dangerous?"
"Some of it yeah. You know the missile they used to hit TonDC? They have another one," Raven said.
"Yeah, it was huge," Octavia added. She had been the one to find the missile in the silo in the mountain.
Clarke swallowed, "Can it be launched?"
"I looked into that. It's operational, but it requires the launch codes which is a pretty long sequence of numbers. I wouldn't worry about it. Without that code, the missile won't launch, and luckily for us, no one has the launch codes."
"Yeah, lucky for us," Clarke mumbled to herself. "Is there any way you could make it unoperational?"
Raven furrowed her brows, "I might be able to. It would take a lot of time and a lot of hacking."
"Could you do it from here?"
"These are a lot of questions Clarke. What's going on?" Raven asked.
"I've just been afraid that the mountain still hold some dangers. It's done enough damage to me in my life and I want to make sure that it doesn't do anymore. Please, just humor me," Clarke responded.
Raven understood Clarke's fear. The mountain had taken away something from everyone. Maybe she should look into the missile just to make sure that it didn't take anymore, so she thought hard about what Clarke was asking. "I would need help from Monty. I brought some stuff here that I could use, but we would probably also need someone in the mountain to talk with. Luckily for us, Sinclair and Gina should be making a trip up there… today probably. I can radio them and look into it," Raven offered.
"That would be great," Clarke replied. She looked at the entire group, "Please don't tell anyone what you're doing and don't bring this up to anyone. It'll just scare everyone. They don't understand tek like we do and if they know there is still a missile out there it could cause panic."
"We won't Clarke," Raven said and Octavia and Lincoln nodded. "Don't worry about it though. No one has a way to launch it. I'm sure it'll make everyone feel better if I disable it though, so I'll get to work on it, but I don't see a threat."
"Thank you," Clarke said gratefully. Raven nodded and left the table to get started on some research. "Either of you guys interested in a sparring match? I still have a little time before I have to get ready for the next Summit meeting." The two sitting at the table looked hesitantly at each other. Octavia was getting better, and Lincoln was good, but he wasn't sure how he stacked up against Clarke. "Come on, I'll take on both of you at once," Clarke offered.
That was a challenge that Octavia couldn't refuse. She agreed without even consulting Lincoln, not that he would argue with her. If she wanted to do it, he would do it, but if Clarke was confident enough to lay down the challenge, he was pretty sure she had the ability to win. Either way, the three of them made their way to the sparring pits.
/
Lincoln was right. Clarke had kicked both his and Octavia's asses. They worked well as a team, but Clarke was just too good. They had managed to land a few good blows, but it wasn't nearly enough to earn them a win. Clarke had beaten them both and left them with some very visible bruising, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the beating Octavia took the first time she fought Clarke.
They understood why Clarke was so skilled. After learning about everything that she had gone through, it wasn't hard to be surprised by just how good she was. Neither of them held anything against her. The point of training was to simulate real life fights and Clarke was good to work with for that. She was harsh, she didn't hold back, and she never slowed down, but how else are you supposed to get better?
After the match, Clarke had separated from the two of them to get ready for the next Summit meeting. When it was time she met Queen Nia and the others and they entered the throne room. Shortly after that, Lexa arrived and the meeting began. It was another civil meeting. The Shadow was brought up often, it was a common concern for everyone. Queen Nia had started to speak out more against Lexa and her abilities to lead and protect her people. The allies of Azgeda, Podakru and Blue Cliff, spoke out a little more as well. It was subtle. No one made any real threats or posed much of an issue, but the dissent they showed was there.
When the meeting ended Clarke stayed behind to speak with Lexa. Nia was happy to leave her behind and didn't question it when Clarke didn't follow her out of the throne room. Clarke hadn't seen Lexa since they had separated earlier that morning. When the room was clear, other than Indra and Titus, Clarke spoke, "Did you find anything out about any spies?"
Lexa opened her mouth to answer, but Titus spoke before she could, "You come here and you accuse Heda's staff of betrayal, of spying, when they have been serving her for years. There has never been any issue before you showed up here, and you are the one with a connection to Azgeda."
Clarke could see a flame build in Lexa's eyes at the accusation. "Titus," she snapped.
Clarke took a step forward and spoke before Lexa could berate him further, her own anger taking over. "I have told you everything about what happened to me. I do not wish to serve Queen Nia and I am not here with the intent of harming the Commander. Accuse me all you want, but the more time you spend focusing on me, the more information the real spy is going to gain." Clarke had been advancing on Titus throughout her little speech. She was shorter than him, but the glint in her eye and the calm control on her face made him cower slightly.
"Em Pleni!" Lexa ordered, and Clarke took a step back from the bald man, but her glare remained fully locked on his. "Titus, Indra, leave us." The two of them bowed and left the room without further argument.
"I don't like him," Clarke said when Titus was finally gone.
"He has trained me for most of my life," Lexa said. "He just wants to protect me."
Clarke so badly wanted to say that Lexa didn't need protection from her, but it wasn't true. Clarke had absolutely no intention of hurting Lexa, but Nia did, and as long as Nia was in control, Clarke couldn't promise that. She didn't know what to say so she just nodded, accepting Lexa's explanation of his actions. "I hate Summit meetings," Clarke complained, effectively changing the subject.
Lexa smiled slightly, "They are not fun." She sighed and the smile dropped from her face, "To answer your question, no I didn't find any spy. Most of my staff, guards and servants, were questioned, but they have all been cleared. There are still more that must be questioned, but I do not know if we will find them."
Clarke sighed, "Well thank you for trying, and I'm sorry for accusing your staff. I know that they wouldn't be serving you unless you trusted them. I would just really like to find out who Nia has watching me."
"I would like to as well Clarke. I will continue to look into it."
Clarke nodded. "So what else is going on? I can tell you are upset about more than just a spy."
Lexa sighed. "I must figure out how these assassins have made it into Polis. Nia is growing more confident and seems to be gaining some support from the other clans by claiming that I cannot protect my people." Clarke was not happy to be talking about this subject. She had too big of a role and there was nothing she could really say or do about it, at least about The Shadow. "I actually wanted to talk to you about that Clarke. I have no information on the assassin who attacked Nia, but you were the one who took care of his body. Can you tell me anything about him?"
Clarke grimaced. "I've actually been meaning to talk to you about that. The assassin was one of Nia's. She wanted to use me to show the clans how skilled I was and that I serve and protect her. She also figured that you would never think to look into the assassin being one of her own. She figured that you wouldn't be able to figure out where the assassin came from and she could use it against you."
Lexa growled at the revelation. Of course Nia would do something like that, and there was nothing she could do about it. She has no proof that the assassin was Azgeda and she couldn't use Clarke to provide evidence, so there was nothing that could be done. "What about The Shadow?" Lexa asked, frustration clearly coming through her tone.
Clarke swallowed, "What about The Shadow?"
"The Shadow has quickly become the most dangerous assassin in all of the coalition. Azgeda is known for having the most ruthless assassins, and they are the clan to most commonly use them. Do you anything about The Shadow?"
"I think what makes The Shadow so good is the fact that no one knows anything about them," Clarke answered. It wasn't a lie. No one knew much of anything about The Shadow except for The Shadow herself.
"I suppose you're right," Lexa said. Clarke took a huge sigh of relief at that. She didn't want to have to lie or stay on this subject any longer. "The next celebration of The Summit will be beginning shortly. I must go get ready, but I will see you down there."
Lexa stepped towards Clarke and placed a series of short pecks to Clarke's lips before Clarke grabbed a hold of her and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss. When Clarke pulled away, she smirked at the dark look in Lexa's eyes. "I will see you down there Commander," Clarke husked in her ear, and she backed out of the room, leaving a slightly stunned Lexa behind.
/
The streets of Polis were decorated just like they had been for the first celebration. There were tables stacked high with food and drink, tables for people sit, eat, talk, and enjoy themselves, and there were sections set up for people to dance or show off their skill in some of the combat competitions that were being held.
Just like the first celebration, Clarke found herself seated at a table with Roan. The Commander had yet to make an appearance, but Clarke was happy to be with Roan for a while. "So how did the Commander take learning about the past two years?"
"How do you know I told her?" Clarke replied.
Roan smirked, "I know you did Clarke. You seem lighter, Skaikru keeps glaring at me and the other members of Azgeda more than they did before, and you have been spending more time with her."
Clarke bit down on her bottom lip and nodded her head, "Those are some good observations." Roan chuckled as Clarke continued, "She um, took it as well as could be expected I guess. She's angry, but she's hiding it well. I had her promise me she wouldn't react harshly, and I think that might be the only thing holding her back."
"I don't blame her for that," Roan replied. "My mother's ways are harsh."
Clarke laughed, "Understatement of the century."
Roan smiled and the two of them fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments. Roan broke it when he asked, "Has my mother made any more requests of you?"
Clarke knew he was talking about The Shadow. "No, she hasn't given me any more assignments and hopefully she won't. The Shadow is already big enough talk in those meetings, I don't need to become any more of a concern or threat or whatever."
The two fell into another silence, but this time it was broken by someone clearing their throat behind her. "Clarke," Bellamy said as he approached from behind her.
"Bellamy," Clarke replied. He made his way over to her, glaring at Roan the entire way. "This is Prince Roan kom Azgeda. Roan, this is Bellamy."
Bellamy's eyes softened slightly. He recognized that Roan was one of the two people that Clarke had actually befriended in Azgeda from the story that Clarke had told them. "Clarke can I speak to you...alone?"
Clarke glanced at Roan who only raised an eyebrow. "Sure," she said as she stood up from the table. She let Bellamy guide her to a quieter part of the celebration. She was still in view of some of the people that were celebrating, but they had enough privacy to talk, "What's up?"
"That's it?" Bellamy asked. "We have a chance to talk alone for the first time in two years and all you have to say is what's up?"
Clarke shrugged, "What exactly is it that you want me to say?"
"How about you talk to me about how you can sit here at this celebration and laugh and joke with the Prince of Azgeda like nothing is going on. Or how about you tell me about what the hell that bitch has over you that is making you work for her so I can help you," Bellamy replied.
"I already told you that Roan is my friend, and I also told you that I can't tell you anything about Nia," Clarke shot back. She was getting tired of this. There was nothing she could talk about, why couldn't anyone just drop it and let her figure this out herself.
Bellamy crossed his arms over his chest, "Clarke just tell me. I won't tell anyone else. All I want is to help you."
"I'm not your responsibility Bellamy," Clarke replied, her voice raising some.
"Clarke, you and I, we've done these things together. We fought against the grounders at the dropship, we took control to save our friends, we saved our friends from that mountain, we pulled that lever together. It has never been just you. Let me help."
"It has been just me. I was the one who pulled the lever on the dropship, leaving some of our friends behind. I am the one who made the deal with the Commander that blew up in our faces. I am the one who came up with the idea to irradiate level five. I am the one who survived two years of hell-"
"Because you left," Bellamy yelled, cutting her off. "You left us Clarke. You left your people behind." Now it seemed they were getting to the real reason Bellamy was so upset with her.
"So, what?" Clarke fired back, "I deserved what I got? Is that what you're saying?"
"I'm saying that you should have stayed Clarke. You aren't the only one who has been suffering for the decisions that they have made. We've survived all of this shit together. You should have stayed so we could get through what happened on that mountain together. You and me," Bellamy came back.
"But it wasn't you and me Bell," Clarke all but yelled. "You didn't choose to irradiate level five, I did. You didn't choose to lock some of our friends outside of the dropship, I did. You didn't choose to kill Finn to create a truce that didn't even work, I did. We've done a lot together Bell, I won't deny that, but you don't know all that I've been through."
"You should have stayed. We could have helped each other get through our shit." Bellamy seemed fixated on the same argument.
"I couldn't Bell. I couldn't stay. I'm sorry that I wasn't there with you, but I couldn't deal with all that I'd done. I had to go, and yeah I suffered a lot out there, but I just couldn't stay," Clarke breathed.
"Do you even care what happened after you left? Raven's leg has gotten ten times worse. I could barely sleep, could barely live with myself. Lincoln had a kill order placed on his head. Your mother was in full on panic, wasting resources to try and find you, and Jasper… Jasper's a drunk. Tried to commit suicide a couple of times, but we were able to stop him each time. Monty's trying to put on a brave face, but I can see the pain he's in. We're all suffering Clarke, but we stayed, and we got through it as best we could together. You should have been there with us."
This was all too much for Clarke. How dare he throw all of this back in her face. How dare he blame her for leaving. How could he not understand? Why did he think that she deserved to be blamed for all that happened, and how could he, for one second, think that she didn't care? Clarke could feel the tears burning in her eyes, but she wasn't going to let them fall, not for Bellamy. "You used to be the person that I could rely on. The person who would trust me, and would have my back when I needed it. I was hoping that when I saw you again, we could find a way to get back to that place. I can see I was wrong," Clarke rasped.
Bellamy shook his head, "You've changed Clarke."
Clarke scoffed, "Yeah, I have. Sadly you haven't. You're still the same self-centered, arrogant, asshole that landed on earth." With that, Clarke stormed away.
Someone had been watching the interaction from a distance and when Clarke stormed off, they followed after her. It wasn't hard to find Clarke, fuming and pacing in one of the many allies in Polis. "That was quite the argument," Luna said as she walked into the ally.
"Now is not a good time, Luna," Clarke replied more harshly than she intended. She wasn't mad at Luna, but she just couldn't get a hold on her temper.
"I don't know what he said to you, but it clearly has you shaken. I just want to help you calm down," Luna said, slowly taking a step closer toward the raging blonde.
"Why do you even care?"
"Lexa and I have been friends for a long time. She is busy tending to something, so she can't be here to help you right now. She really cares about you though, and I care about her, so I'm here to help," Luna replied calmly.
Clarke took a deep breath and stopped her pacing. "I'm sorry for snapping at you," Clarke apologized.
"It's alright," Luna accepted. "Now do you want to talk?"
"I'm tired of talking," Clarke grumbled. "I need to hit something."
"Ah well there is a sparring competition going on right now. I'm sure that many of the clans finest warriors would be happy to face Wanheda," Luna offered.
Clarke nodded and started to walk with Luna to exit the ally, "With the mood I'm in right now, they shouldn't be."
/
Lexa was seated in her throne and a smaller, but still muscular man was standing before her. "Heda," he bowed.
"Flax, thank you for coming."
"Of course Heda. How may I serve you?" Flax was the greatest scout in the coalition and his loyalty to Lexa was unmatched. Lexa had a good use for his talents at the moment.
"I am going to tell you something that cannot be repeated to anyone," Lexa said.
"Then it will not be," he replied.
She nodded. "Good. You know of Wanheda yes?"
"I do."
"Azgeda is threatening her. I do not know how, and due to the Summit, I cannot go to Azgeda myself and figure it out. I want you to go. Find out anything strange going on there. Talk to the people, spy on her higher ranked warriors and advisors, find out what is going on in Azgeda and what is being held against Wanheda," Lexa ordered.
"Right away," he said. "I will return when I can with some information. You can trust me Heda," he said and then he left her throne room. He found the fastest horse he could and left on his journey.
/
Clarke had been right. Her anger from her conversation with Bellamy helped lead her to victory after victory. She had learned a long time ago how to use her anger and channel it in a way that wouldn't cause her to make mistakes, and she didn't. She beat the absolute shit out of everyone she faced, but she withdrew from the competition before she could win.
Lexa had finally finished whatever business she needed to and she was was standing with Luna in front of the sparring area, so Clarke made her way over to her. "Is everything okay?" Lexa asked when she arrived. Clarke had calmed down considerably after letting out some of her anger. "Luna told me about you having an argument with someone?"
Clarke nodded. Her anger had dissipated now that she had worked it off, but now her anger turned to a type of sadness. Bellamy had been her co-leader. Probably the person she trusted more than anyone. Now he was accusing her of not caring for anyone and blaming her for leaving. Lexa noticed Clarke's demeanor change and saw the corners of her mouth drop. She squeezed Clarke's hand to get her attention and walked towards Polis Tower. Clarke got the message and followed behind her, all the way up to Lexa's room. "What happened?"
"It was nothing. Bellamy and I had an argument, but its not worth being upset over."
Lexa knew that Clarke was blocking out her emotions over this. She gave Clarke a stern look, which had Clarke opening up in seconds. She told Lexa everything he said and it actually helped Clarke to feel a lot better. Lexa was pissed, that much Clarke knew, but all Clarke had to do was lean in and kiss her softly, and Lexa melted.
They stayed in each others arms for a while. Clarke felt safe when she was with Lexa. She trusted the brunette more than she ever imagined she would be able to. Something about Lexa just made her feel calm, protected. After a rather long kiss, Lexa rested her forehead on Clarkes, "Are you sure your alright?" She whispered, slightly winded from their previous kiss.
"I'm fine now," Clarke smiled, and it was the truth. She was in Lexa's arms, she was safe, and she wasn't going to let Bellamy get to her. Yes, she decided to leave, and no, she wasn't the person she once was, but Clarke was a survivor. More than that, she was a fighter, and no one, not Bellamy and not Queen Nia, was going to take her down without one hell of a fight.
/
A few days passed since Clarke's argument with Bellamy and those days had been full of a lot of the same. Clarke and Lexa spent as much time together as possible. Clarke stayed in Lexa's room every night, and she had been getting better, sleeping much later into the night, but her nightmares always caught up with her. Lexa was there every time to hold her, bring her out of her dream induced haze, and calm her. Clarke appreciated Lexa's gentleness and genuine care more than she knew how to express. As long as one of them wasn't needed somewhere else, they were generally always with each other.
Clarke had spent some time training with Octavia. She had been getting better, but still nowhere near Clarke's level. Clarke enjoyed being around the younger girl again. Their friendship when they were at the dropship was a strong one, it broke after the missile hitting TonDC, but it looked like they were on their way back to that same level of friendship.
Raven and Monty had gotten together and were able to contact Sinclair and Gina. They were currently stationed in the mountain and were relaying as much information as they could back to the two geniuses. They didn't have anything on disabling the missile yet, but they were working hard, and they were not planning on giving up any time soon.
When Clarke wasn't with Octavia or Lexa, she was with Roan. The two of them always getting along well. Clarke had made sure to avoid Bellamy and her mother. Neither of them were on her good side. They were too self-centered, too arrogant and Clarke couldn't stand being around them.
Lexa was a little hostile with Bellamy and Abby and anyone Azgeda. Clarke tried to get her to calm down, at least around Azgeda, and she had some sway, but it was proving to be rather difficult. Lexa was hell-bent on keeping Clarke safe, and while usually Clarke would have found that frustrating, with Lexa it was endearing. Clarke had tried to get Lexa to at least accept Roan, and to a degree she had, but there was still some hostility between the two.
The Summit meetings had been a little off. It was subtle, but Nia was speaking out more against the Commander and more and more of the other clans seemed like they were slowly being swayed to her side. Thankfully, Nia hadn't asked for The Shadow to land another hit, but that could change at any moment. Over the last few days, Queen Nia had been looking a little more excited than normal. Clarke had a bad feeling about it, but she kept her head down. Until Raven could give her some information on the missile, there wasn't much she could do. Nia was likely going to make a move soon though, so Clarke and Lexa had been doing their best to try and figure out what that move would be and how they could handle it.
This morning was not very different from the past few. Clarke found herself in Lexa's arms after another nightmare. Her back was pressed up into Lexa's front and Lexa was whispering calming words in her ear. When Clarke finally settled down, she leaned back and kissed the brunette behind her, "Thank you."
Lexa pressed her lips to the top of Clarke's head, "There is nothing to thank me for."
"I have everything to thank you for. I have not felt calm or safe one time in the past two years, but I do when I'm with you," Clarke replied.
"I made a decision on the mountain that separated us. I hurt you and I lost you. I will not do that again, and I will always be here for you," Lexa replied with sincerity. Clarke smiled wider than she had in a really long time. How amazing it was that the strong, fierce, intimidating Commander, was so caring and gentle an incredible when she was with Clarke.
After staying in each others arms for a little longer, Clarke and Lexa got out of bed and changed for the day. "The Sankru Chief wants to talk with me about his choice for his next ambassador, so I won't be able to train with you this morning," Lexa said as she finished attaching her last piece of armor.
"Do you know who he is going to pick?" Clarke asked from across the room where she was sitting, tightening up her boots.
"I have an idea. I'm not thrilled with who I think it will be, but I have no say in the internal affairs of any of the clans. I can try to convince him to pick someone else, but if he doesn't listen to me, then I will have to accept his choice," Lexa said. The old Sankru ambassador, Julius, may have been a drunk and a bit of a fool, but he supported the coalition and Lexa's goal of peace. Mikah, the man Lexa expected would become the next ambassador, was a bit of a hot head. He wasn't for or against the coalition, but he always thought fighting was a better option for getting what you want instead of finding a peaceful way. She really needed to be careful when she talked with the Sankru Chief because him, along with the rest of Sankru were questioning her abilities. The Shadow had not been caught and there was no headway on their identity. Lexa needed to try and convince him that him and his people were safe and that Mikah was not a wise a choice.
Clarke stood up when her boots were tied and she walked over to Lexa. "Well good luck," she said as she brought her lips within inches of the brunettes. "Not that I think you need it," she whispered before crashing their lips together. Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke's waist, pulling her in closer and she kissed her back with fervor. Clarke bit down softly on Lexa's bottom lip, earning herself a quiet whimper from Lexa. Clarke smiled at the noise, but didn't pull away until she could feel her lungs burning. When the two of them separated, they were breathing heavily, restoring the oxygen in their lungs, and Clark backed away from Lexa slowly. "I'll see you later," she husked, still slightly out of breath, and she left the room.
Lexa's normal two guards, Rosco and Argus, were stationed outside the door. They stood like statues as she passed them and she scanned the both of them as she walked by. Neither of them looked familiar, and she knew that both of them had been serving Lexa for a long time, but someone had been spying on her, and they were the only two that Clarke knew of, who had seen her in Lexa's room. Clarke made her way into the elevator and rode down to the bottom floor, still thinking about Lexa's guards. They both did seem trustworthy and Lexa and Titus had questioned them and cleared them. Lexa assured Clarke that they were trustworthy, so Clarke was going to as well. She would keep an eye out for someone watching her, but Clarke had settled on the likelihood of never finding Nia's spy.
When the elevator reached the bottom floor, Clarke left the tower and made her way to the training grounds. On her way, she noticed Octavia and Raven sitting a table in front of one of Polis's many food carts, so she decided to take a detour from training and go sit with them. "You two are up early," she said as she sat down at the table with them.
Raven and Octavia both seemed to jump out of their skin, having not noticed her approach. "Geez, do you ever make a sound when you walk?" Raven asked.
Clarke shrugged. "No. So why are you guys out here so early?"
Raven seemed to be fully awake, but Octavia looked far from it. "She kept me up all night last night," Octavia complained. "Monty was asleep, but she needed someone to talk to about the mountain, so she talked to me all night, not that I understood a word of what she said."
"I work better when I talk out loud," Raven defended. "It's not my fault you aren't a genius and can't keep up with me."
Octavia scowled at her and mumbled something under her breath. Clarke chuckled at her friends antics, but she kept the conversation going, "How is the stuff in the mountain going?"
"I don't have much yet. Gina and Sinclair have been working to get me as much information as possible, but a lot of the data was encrypted by the Mountain Men. Monty is working to get the information we need, and I'm using all that we have to figure out what I can about the missile, but so far it isn't much," Rave explained. She had been working hard, but she just didn't have enough information yet to really do anything.
Clarke nodded in response and started to think about the missile and Emerson. Her only option right now was to get Raven to figure out the missile, otherwise she would have to wait to get back to Saipan where she could try and take out Emerson. She was lost in her thoughts, but was snapped out it when Octavia spoke, "So where is the Commander?"
"What?" Clarke asked, blinking her eyes rapidly a few times.
"Come on," Raven said. "You think we didn't notice the two of you spending most of your time together or the heart eyes you two give each other."
"I don't have heart eyes," Clarke defended.
"You definitely do. I'm surprised more people haven't noticed," Raven said back. Clarke tried to deny it and she looked to Octavia for help, but unfortunately for her, it seemed that Octavia was on Raven's side. "Come on Clarke, we're your friends. What's going on between you two?"
"I don't really know what to call us," Clarke admitted after giving in to her friends.
"Tell us everything," Octavia chirped.
Clarke thought for a moment of where she should start, and she decided it was best to start from the beginning. "She kissed me before we attacked the mountain. I told her I wasn't ready to be with her then. Maybe it was Finn, maybe it was me, I don't know. We marched on the mountain side by side, and I thought we had it, but then she left. That's why it hurt so much. She didn't just abandon our people, she abandoned me."
Raven and Octavia looked at Clarke with wide eyes, but they also looked a little sad for her. "I'm sorry Clarke," Octavia said.
Clarke met her eyes and nodded. "When I left, I was so angry. Angry at myself, angry at what I had to do, angry at her, and I carried it with me for months. One night, Dak, I told you guys about him, he woke me from a nightmare. He got me to talk about it and she came up. I was clearly still pissed at her. Dak, he taught me a lot about anger. He taught me how to channel it when I fought, how to use it to my advantage and keep from making a mistake. That night he also taught me that it wasn't always good to carry around. He said that it didn't do anyone any good, it only brought me pain. He talked to me about how what she did may have been unfair to Skaikru, but it was what was best for her people, and I slowly started to understand and accept that. I was still angry, but I tried to let go, and eventually I did. I forgave her, mostly, and I tried to move on from that. Once that anger diminished, I just started to miss her, to miss all of you guys, but the things Nia had me do, I was breaking inside. I started to close myself off from my emotions. To block them out, ignore them, and it worked. Then I came here. I saw her, I spoke to her, and I couldn't close myself off anymore." Clarke's voice was becoming a little shaky. Raven reached across the table and took one of Clarke's hands in her own and Octavia moved closer to Clarke and put a hand on her back.
Clarke took a few deep breaths to center herself before she continued. "It felt so good to be with her again, to be with all of you again, and it felt so good to have someone look at me like they actually cared about me. She was the first person in two years to ask me if I was okay. I wasn't, but it felt good to have someone ask. The day I killed that assassin that went after Nia, I had a little bit of a break down. Being here, seeing everyone, having everyone see who I have become, it was too much. Lexa, she came into my room and she apologized to me like all of this was her fault. I couldn't help myself and I kissed her. A little after that she found out about my scars and I told my story. We've been with each other as often as possible since then." Clarke shook her head, "I know it may not be the safest or wisest decision, but I can't help it. I feel safe when I'm around her, and I haven't felt that way in a really long time."
"Hey, when you know, you know," Raven added with a full blown smile.
"That sounds a lot like how I feel about Lincoln. I mean the two of us haven't been through nearly as much crap as the two of you, but he makes me feel safe too. He's my home, and it sounds like you have that with Lexa," Octavia said.
Clarke couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. She was grateful that her friends understood and accepted this and it felt good having someone to talk to. She wasn't really sure of the extent of her feelings towards Lexa, but whatever it was it was deep and it was real. Having her friends have her back was really big for her.
Then, Raven started to rub her hands together and a playful smirk appeared on her face, "Now to the important details… How's the sex?"
Clarke rolled her eyes at the question and Octavia slapped Raven on the back of the head, but after she delivered the slap, she turned to Clarke expectantly. "Not that it is any of your business, but we haven't done anything yet. It's still dangerous for the both of us to be together and we have just spent a lot of time doing other things together."
Raven opened her mouth to say something, probably snarky, back, but she froze when she noticed who was approaching them. Octavia and Clarke were smiling at each other, and waiting for the likely obnoxious words that were going to come out of their friends mouth, but their smiles quickly dropped when they noticed Raven's demeanor change.
Bellamy approached the table. "Clarke can I talk to you?" His voice was quiet, hesitant.
"She doesn't want to talk to you Bell," Octavia stood up for her friend. Her and Raven had both learned of the argument the two had, and they were not happy with Bellamy.
Clarke reached out and put a hand on Octavia's arm, "It's okay." She stood from the table and followed Bellamy to a more private place so they could talk. "Talk," Clarke ordered as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Clarke, I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Bellamy said. He waited for her to reply, but he got nothing, so he continued, "Look I shouldn't have said what I said." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "When I'm lost, I lash out. I try to find stable ground for myself and I always end up hurting people in the process. I didn't mean what I said to you I just… I'm lost without you Clarke. I don't know who I am."
"You, are Bellamy Blake," Clarke started. "You aren't defined by me or anyone else. You are a lot of good things Bellamy, and you don't need me to be a good guy."
Bellamy swallowed, "I'm going to work on being that good guy. Clarke I just want to help you. You're like a sister to me. You and Octavia and even Raven, I just want to be there for you and I want to keep you safe."
"And I appreciate that Bellamy, but like you said, I'm not the person I once was. I can take care of myself. I need to take care of myself, at least for a little while. I promise you, when I figure everything out, I will come to you for help. I have trusted you for a long time, Bell. Right now, I need you trust me. Let me figure this out, and when I do, I will come to you."
Bellamy nodded, "And I'll be there for you. I really am sorry Clarke."
"I know," Clarke replied. She pulled Bellamy forward and wrapped him in a tight hug. She wasn't totally confident that he wouldn't lash out again, but she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt. They had been through so much together, he deserved it, and she missed her co-leader.
Clarke and Bellamy returned to the table that Octavia and Raven were still sitting at. They looked at Clarke questioningly, "You guys okay?"
"Yeah we're good," Clarke replied.
"Good," Octavia grinned. "Clarke I was wondering if I could just watch you spar, really get to look at you in action. I think Bellamy would be a good opponent for you."
Raven's arm shot up in the air and she had a wide smile. "I second that," she chimed in. She was almost bouncing she was so excited.
Clarke rolled her eyes, "Guys, we just fixed our problems."
"I think it'll be a good way to air any last feelings out," Octavia said.
"You just want to watch me kick his ass."
"Hell yeah we do," Octavia and Raven said in unison.
"Hey," Bellamy said at the same time.
"Oh come on Bell, you really think you stand a chance against me?"
"I wouldn't count myself out," Bellamy replied.
"Do you even use a weapon other than a gun?" Clarke asked.
"I've been working with Lincoln, but I think hand to hand would be better," Bellamy said.
Clarke raised an eyebrow, "You really want to do this?" Bellamy looked to Octavia and Raven before nodding his head. "Alright, you're on, but just like I told Octavia before we spared for the first time, I warned you."
Octavia and Raven shot up from their seats and made a beeline for the pits. They were very excited to watch Bellamy get his ass handed to him. He needed to be knocked down a peg or two. Bellamy and Clarke followed behind them and made it to the pits shortly after Octavia and Raven did. They entered the pit and started circling each other. Raven and Octavia were standing close to the edge, watching intently, "Alright Octavia, you better pay attention. You're facing me next." Octavia swallowed thickly, but nodded. She probably deserved that after making Bellamy fight with Clarke. She knew he would accept the challenge if she laid it down. His pride was too strong for him not too.
Clarke and Bellamy were circling each other, looking for any weaknesses in the others defense. Clarke saw quite a few ways that she could easily take down Bellamy right away, but she decided to hold off and see what he could do. It didn't take long for him to charge towards her, sending his fist flying towards her face. Clarke slipped to the right, avoiding the blow easily. Bellamy threw another fist at her, and this time Clarke slipped left, avoiding the hit again.
Clarke took a few steps away from him and Bellamy grumbled to himself as he prepared to go at her again. This time he threw a fist and followed it up with a hook from his other hand. Clarke dodged the first and ducked under the second. He was too easy to read, and far too confident in his own strength.
Bellamy was starting to get frustrated. He knew it wasn't going to be an easy fight, but he had expected to at least hit her and not keep swinging at air. He charged her for the third time, bringing on a flurry of blows, trying to hit something, but Clarke kept dodging each one. On Bellamy's final punch, Clarke ducked under his arm, moved behind his body, and hit him with an open handed shove. Bellamy stumbled forward, managing just barely to stay on his feet. He growled in frustration and brought up his leg, managing to graze Clarke's side. It didn't affect her much though, and she pushed forward punching him square in the jaw, then two rapid hits to his midsection and then one to his right cheek. Bellamy's head jerked to the left and he took two steps back, gasping for air from the hits to his midsection. Bellamy was in a bad position and he knew it. He made a last ditch effort, sending his most powerful strike towards Clarke's head. Clarke saw it coming easily and she grabbed his arm, rotated her body, and threw him over shoulder.
Bellamy landed with a loud thud and he was inhaling deeply trying to regain his breath. Clarke gave him a second to recover, and then held out her hand to help him to his feet. "You telegraph your punches. You were too easy to read," Clarke commented.
Bellamy brushed the dirt of his pants. "I just think you're too damn fast," he mumbled.
Clarke smiled at him and patted his back. Then she turned to see the grinning faces of her two friends. "That was awesome," Raven cheered. "You think you could do that to Wick? I swear he is getting on my nerves."
"Aw, does Raven miss the sex with the big, blonde engineer?" Octavia goaded.
"No I don't. If anything, he misses the sex with the incredibly talented, extremely hot mechanic," Raven shot back.
Octavia was laughing at her friends response, but the smile on her face quickly died when Clarke spoke, "Alright Octavia. I hope you were watching. It's your turn."
Raven cheered, "Yeah, kick her ass too Clarke."
Octavia scowled at her before making her way into the pit. She passed Bellamy on the way, "Good luck," he offered as he passed by and he took a seat beside Raven, who was very excited to make fun of him for his loss.
The fight between Octavia and Clarke was much the same as the one between Clarke and Bellamy. Octavia actually managed to hit Clarke a couple of times, but it didn't take long for the blonde to have Octavia on the ground. When the fight was over Clarke said goodbye to her friends so she could prepare herself for the next Summit meeting as well as let them get cleaned up for the meeting.
/
Clarke met with Roan, Cyrus and Queen Nia outside of Nia's room. They rode the elevator up to the floor with Lexa's throne room and stepped out. As usual, they were the last clan to enter the room, but before they stepped inside Nia stopped. "I'm going to be making a big announcement today. I don't want either of you to be surprised by it." That was all Nia said and she made her way to enter the throne room.
Clarke and Roan followed behind her as usual but Clarke turned to Roan, "What the hell does that mean?"
Roan shrugged his shoulders, "I guess we'll find out soon."
Not long after that, Lexa entered with Indra and Titus and the meeting began. It went along as usual, a few debates between some of the clans over trade routes or trade deals, and there was the occasional, borderline dangerous, comment from Nia or one of her allied clans about Lexa or the coalition. Nothing unusual had happened. At least until the end.
Lexa was about to dismiss all of the leaders for the day when Nia spoke up, "Commander I'd like to make an announcement."
Lexa turned in her throne to look the Queen directly in the eye. For a moment her eyes flicked to Clarke, who slightly shrugged her shoulders, before they were on the Queen again. Lexa's eyes were narrow, clearly not thrilled with the request, and Nia had a smirk on her face. This was not good. Lexa nodded her head once allowing Nia to speak. "My son, Prince Roan, is to be bonded, and I would like for it to happen during the Summit so you and the other clan leaders may be here to witness."
Clarke could feel her heart rate pick up and a knot formed in her stomach. She chanced a glance at Roan. On the outside he looked calm and unfazed, but Clarke had learned how to read him, and it was clear that this announcement came as a shock to him.
"And who is he to be bonded to?" Lexa asked, bringing Clarke's attention back to the issue at hand.
"Wanheda," Nia revealed with a smirk. Clarke felt her heart sink in her chest. Of course Nia would come up with some insane plot like this to make the Commander suffer and make Azgeda increase in strength.
Clarke looked up from her position behind Nia onto the face of Lexa. She had her calm and stoic mask on as always, but those green eyes told a different story. There was a flurry of emotion hidden in them and they were changing so quickly, Clarke couldn't get a solid read.
The other clan leaders seemed just as shocked by the revelation as she herself was and she could hear them whispering to each other. Then the Delphi Clan Chief, Joanna, stood from her seat. "Wanheda was not born Azgeda. She can not be bonded to the heir to the throne," she argued. The Broadleaf Chief stood up and made their agreement with Joanna known.
Nia turned to them, "Wanheda and Roan will take the trials."
This time Luna stood up anger written across her face, "You cannot make that decision for them." After that the clans descended into chaos all arguing with each other over the possibility of this bonding.
Lexa let the chaos drag on for a moment before she was able to fully gather herself. "Em Pleni!" she roared, silencing the room.
Lexa waited for the room to quiet down completely and then she turned to the Prince first, "Prince Roan?"
Roan stood tall and met the Commander's eyes. He knew what he needed to do, and although it pained him to say it, his mother controlled him and he would do what she asked of him. "I will take the trials."
Lexa slowly looked over and met Clarke's eye. "Clarke, what do you have to say about this?" Clarke met Lexa's gaze and could read her expression, Lexa was pleading with her not to go through with it, to refuse to take the trials and be bonded. It's not like she wanted to go through with it, but she didn't have a choice.
Clarke took a deep breath to make sure her voice wouldn't waver and she met Lexa's eyes with a look asking for forgiveness for what she was about to say. "It would be my honor to be accepted into Azgeda's royal family. I will take the trials."
The room was dead silent as everyone watched as Lexa inclined her head and sat back in her throne, looking away from Clarke. "Commander if I may?" Kane asked from where he was seated. Lexa gave a curt nod and he continued, "What are these trials?"
Lexa swallowed and slowly turned to meet his eye, "The heir to a throne of any clan must be bonded to someone of high station and they must originate from the clan they are being bonded into. With the title of Wanheda, Clarke meets and even exceeds the Prince's station, but she was not born Azgeda. For a pair to be bonded without meeting both of these requirements they must face the trials. It is a fight to the death. The pair will fight against two warriors from each clan. A clan may choose not to send in their warriors if they do not oppose the bonding. The pair must work together in the fight, and if they both survive, then it proves that the spirits have accepted the bonding and accept the leadership of the one who was not born into it."
Kane and the other Skaikru, minus Lincoln, all stared up at the Commander in shock. Lexa didn't say anything more or even acknowledge the looks she was getting. Instead she looked to Titus. "All clans who oppose?" he asked. Every clan opposed except for Podakru, Ouskejonkru, and Skaikru. Trikru didn't oppose because Lexa as Commander had to remain impartial and the Trikru ambassador opposed the bonding.
"It is settled then," Titus said. "Tomorrow the trials will be held. If Wanheda and the Prince are successful, then the bonding will be held at a later decided date, sometime before the end of the Summit." With that the room was dismissed and Titus left to ensure that the preparations of the trials began.