Even with Clarke and Roan staying in the healer's tent, the Summit meetings continued. Nia had two different guards with as replacements until they were healthy enough to return. The Summit meetings since the trial had occurred had been relatively normal. Nia boasted about being victorious and continued to take a few jabs at Lexa when she could, but that was really all from her.

There was an argument between two of the clans over trade routes, but Lexa managed to settle it rather easily. The conversation shifted over to The Shadow, but didn't last long, as no one had any real or valuable information. The meeting today had been going on for a while and Lexa's mind kept drifting off to Clarke. She knew she needed to pay attention. She couldn't afford anyone noticing her distracted state, but based off the glares she was getting from Titus, he had. She had already snapped at a few of her ambassadors and she was pretty sure that there was an angry scowled plastered to her face, but she just couldn't shake it off. She was angry and distracted and the ambassadors petty squabbles were not helping her current mood. Lexa knew she needed to clear her head, and that wasn't going to happen any time soon, so she dismissed the room, ending the meeting a little earlier than usual.

Everyone left except for Titus unfortunately. When the door closed, sealing the two of them in the room together, Lexa slumped back into her throne and waited for the argument she knew was about to happen. "You are distracted," is all he said.

Lexa sighed and rubbed her temples, "There is a lot on my mind, Titus."

"You need to focus Heda," he said taking a step so he was standing below the dias in front of her throne. "The Summit is not nearly over. You must attend to your business. Queen Nia is trying to sew dissent among the clans and there is an assassin behind Polis walls. You cannot be distracted by Wanheda. She is healing and is to be bonded to the Hainofa soon."

"I do not need a reminder of that," Lexa growled.

"It seems you do," Titus chastised. "Love is weakness, and you are projecting your weakness for all of the clans to see."

"I will not hear this again," Lexa halted, but of course, Titus kept pushing.

"You will," he yelled. "Do not make her pay with her life like Costia did." Lexa straightened in her throne as anger washed over her in waves, but before she could respond, Titus pressed on. "Queen Nia used Costia in an attempt to weaken you. She wanted to take control of the coalition that you built. She killed Costia so you would slip up, and she could prey on your weakness, however you didn't falter. Nia has learned from Costia, and now she using your weakness again, but in a different way. She is keeping Wanheda alive to force you to make a mistake, one you are already on the brink of committing. You cannot fall into her trap. You must stay focused."

Lexa was reeling. She rose from her throne and stalked down the steps towards Titus sending him stumbling backwards. "Nia will not take control of my coalition, I will not allow her, but I also will not let her torment the lives of my people," Lexa was fuming and Titus looked absolutely terrified. "She is controlling the Commander of Death, using her to scare the other clans. I will not allow Nia to gain support from other clans out of fear, and I will not allow her to control the Commander of Death. I am focused on my coalition. I have been striving for peace ever since I ascended and I will not let Nia ruin that." Lexa was breathing heard and her teeth were clenched. Her hands were tightening into fists and she had Titus retreating until his back was pressed up against the door of her throne room. "Now get out," she yelled. Titus scrambled quickly for the door handle and made his escape out the door. Lexa turned and stormed out onto the balcony to get some air and try to reign in her current rage.

To say she was frustrated was an understatement. She was mad at Titus, at Nia, at herself, and at Clarke. She didn't want to be, but she couldn't help it. How could Clarke resign herself to the fate that Nia had set for her without a fight? After her and Clark talked last night, she had left the healers tent to find her best scouts. If Clarke wasn't going to give her the answers she was looking for, then she was going to get them herself. She had promised Clarke to let her figure everything out on her own, but since it appeared that she had given up, Lexa was going to find her answers. She couldn't leave Polis, and she couldn't talk to any Azgeda as likely no one knew what was being held against Clarke, and if anyone did, they definitely wouldn't break, so Lexa had settled on sending a group of her best scouts to aid Flax in his search in Azgeda to find her some answers. It wasn't ideal, but it was all she could really do.

Lexa was still standing out on her balcony, thinking, when she heard a knock on the door. She walked into the room and plopped down into her throne, "Enter."

The door creaked open and in walked Luna. "Luna," Lexa greeted.

"Lexa," Luna greeted informally. "I came to check on you."

"The Commander does not need to be checked on," Lexa deadpanned.

"Maybe not," she agreed. "But Lexa does."

Lexa let out a drawn out sigh and Luna watched as her shoulders deflated. Lexa hated being vulnerable. It was a feeling that she rarely ever felt and when she did it made her feel weak, but she needed to talk to someone about Clarke. She needed to let it out, and Luna was someone she trusted enough to confide in. "She's giving up Luna. She won't talk to me, won't tell me what Nia has on her. Before her trial she told me she would live and we would figure everything out. Now she lived, but she doesn't want to free herself anymore. She has accepted Nia's control over her and she asked me to accept it as well. She doesn't want to argue with me since we have such little time together. Am I supposed to just give up? Let her go? Let her give up on us? On herself?" Lexa's voice was sad, but Luna could also read some level anger. That anger was ever present during the Summit meeting and it was present now.

"Lexa, whatever Nia is holding against her, it is clearly dangerous. I know you won't give up on her and I know you will do what you can to help her. I also know that you are angry with her for wanting to give up, but Lexa she is scared. Nia torturer her immensely and she is the threatening her still," Luna sighed. "This cannot be an easy decision for her either. I am not telling you to give up on her, but do not spend these last two weeks, if that is all that is left, angry with her. Do not ignore her or focus on Nia. Focus on her, be there for her, be with her. Before it is too late."

Lexa sunk down in her chair. Luna was right, but Lexa wasn't in the right mindset yet to go see the blonde. She definitely wasn't going to give up on Clarke, but she wasn't going to waste a moment with her either. "Thank you Luna." Luna recognized it as a dismissal so she nodded her head before leaving Lexa alone in her throne room.

/

Clarke opened her eyes and tried to sit up, but immediately regretted it. She let out a groan as pain coursed through her body, and then two people were at her side. A cup was held up against her lips. "Drink, Clarke," Nyko said and Clarke drained the contents of the cup before grimacing. Nyko chuckled, "I know it is not pleasant, but it will help with the pain."

Clarke winced as she sat up more on the bed. "Thank you," she said before her eyes drifted to her mother who was standing rather awkwardly at the bottom of her bed.

"I'll give you two a minute," Nyko said, sensing the tension between the two. Clarke nodded, but her eyes never left her mother, and Nyko left them alone.

Clarke stared at her mother but said nothing. She was still angry at her mother, but she also felt relief at seeing her. Relief because the nightmare she had just recently included her mother dead in the middle of Arkadia after the missile struck and it was a relief to see her standing, breathing, alive. Clarke may still be angry, but she wanted to try and find some sort of understanding with her mother. "I'm so glad you're okay," Abby started, snapping Clarke out of her thoughts and ending the current silence between them.

Clarke nodded. "Look, mom I-"

"I just wanted-"

Clarke and Abby spoke at the same time before they both went quiet. "You first," Clarke said.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Abby started, taking a seat in the stool that Lexa always used when she was there. "I haven't reacted well to seeing you again and I… It's just so hard. It's been two years Clarke, and in that time I wanted to believe you were alive, but I was losing hope. Then the Summit starts and on that first day Marcus found me and told me you were alive and following the Ice Queen. I didn't know how to react. There were so many emotions and I couldn't control them, and then I found out what they did to you," she sniffled. "It's my job as a mother to keep you safe and I failed. I just want my daughter back and I want her to be safe and I overreacted and I'm sorry," Abby's voice tapered off and there were tears shining in her eyes.

That's a start, Clarke thought. "I know this isn't easy for you. It's not easy for me either, but this is who I am now. I'm different than the girl I once was. I've been through a lot and I've changed a lot. You didn't fail me. You taught me to be strong, you taught me to fight, you are a part of who I am mom. I get that you're mad at Azgeda, but you can't react the way you have been. You tried to slap the Prince. That's a serious thing mom, and then you yelled at Queen Nia. She could have done a lot worse than the few lashes I got. Skaikru won't be able to survive a war against Azgeda, so you need to stop overreacting or you will get them all killed. And you can't keep demanding I give you the answers you're looking for, or trying to control what I do. I'm my own person, I make my own decisions, and they aren't all going to be decisions that you agree with. I need you to let me make them anyway and I need you with me instead of against me."

Abby nodded. "I know. I'm sorry and I will try to react properly next time."

"Thank you," Clarke said and she sat up in her bed, swinging her legs over the side. She winced as she did so, but she fought through the pain she was feeling.

"What do you think you're doing?" Abby asked with a furrowed brow.

"I'm getting up," Clarke said blankly. "I need to start moving around and I need to build my strength back up."

"What you need, is rest," Abby argued.

"I need to move," Clarke said and she pushed off from the bed. Her knees almost buckled, but she managed to stay on her feet and her mother held her arm to hold her up. Abby gave her a concerned look, but Clarke ignored it. "I'm fine," she said as she grit her teeth to try and block out some of the pain. She took a step and her legs were wobbling slightly, but she moved forward.

She made her way, slowly, out of the tent and outside. It was bright out so she had to squint and shield her eyes until they adjusted. Clarke was sweating at this point, her body not reacting well to the stress she was putting on it, but Clarke pressed forward anyway, her mom at her side. She started to slowly make her way through the streets of Polis, wincing with every step. She could feel the eyes of everyone in Polis on her as she passed and she could hear her name being whispered around her. She ignore them all, standing as tall as she could and trying to hide her own pain behind the mask she had learned to build for herself, until she made it to a table where Raven, Monty, and Harper were sitting.

Raven was the first to notice them and she hopped up from her seat and walked quickly over to Clarke. "Clarke! Thank god you're okay," Raven said as she took the blonde's other arm to lead her to their table.

"Hey Raven," Clarke said as she was led to the table. She basically collapsed down into the seat and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll let you guys catch up," Abby said. "Be careful, and don't push yourself too hard."

"I won't. Thanks mom," Clarke said squeezing her mother's hand and smiling before she left. When she was gone she turned to her friends at the table, "How are you guys?"

"Shouldn't we be asking you that?" Harper said with a smile.

Clarke grinned. "I've been better, but I've also been worse, so I'm not going to complain." The three Skaikru seemed to stiffen some as they all remembered what Clarke's scarred body had looked like. "It's okay. I'm fine, really."

"Good," Monty said with a smile.

Clarke turned to look at Raven and the sounds of her screaming started echoing her mind. That dream she had was haunting her even when she was awake. She needed to try and solve this missile problem, but she needed to be as discreet and careful as possible. She couldn't let the events from her dream come to pass.. "How is the stuff with Mount Weather going?"

"We're still working on it," Monty said. "The Mountain Men were serious about their security on their weapons, but I'm trying to get into their system."

"Monty and I will figure it out, don't worry," Raven chimed in.

Clarke had faith in their abilities, but it didn't sound like they were going to figure this issue out before her bonding with Roan. She sat and talked with the three of them for a while until Octavia, Bellamy, and Lincoln returned from the Summit meeting that had been going on and joined them. "Clarke!" Octavia yelled as soon as she noticed her at the table. She ran to Clarke and threw her arms around her, and Clarke had to bite back a groan.

Raven slapped her on the arm, "Get off her you idiot! You're hurting her."

Octavia let go of Clarke so fast you would think Clarke had burned her, "Oh shit! I'm so sorry."

"You're good O," Clarke said back, but her voice sounded pained.

"Way to go O," Bellamy said as he arrived at the table. "You hurt our already injured friend."

"I'm sorry, I forgot," Octavia defended weakly. "I just got excited."

"I'm fine Octavia. Seriously," Clarke replied.

The three arrivals took their seats at the table and the group fell into an easy banter between one another. Even though Clarke was in a lot of pain, she couldn't help but feel happy at where her relationships were with her friends.

"What's wrong with the Commander?" Octavia suddenly asked. "She did not seem happy at all during the meeting today."

"That would probably be my doing," Clarke said with a sigh. She knew Lexa wasn't happy about her request to accept her bonding, and it wasn't her intent at all to hurt Lexa, but the dream she had terrified her to the point where she felt she didn't have a choice in the matter. She couldn't tell Lexa anything because she couldn't risk Arkadia and the lives of Skaikru within it. If she had to marry Roan to keep them all safe, then she would do it, no matter how painful it was for her to lose the woman that she had quickly been falling for. "With my bonding with Roan… It's hard for both of us." Everyone at the table gave some questioning looks. Only Raven and Octavia knew about the relationship between Clarke and Lexa, and none of them clarified it for anyone else at the table.

"What are you going to do about that Clarke?" Octavia asked. "You won your trial which is great, but you can't just go into this bonding with the Prince of Azgeda. You know the grounders culture, once a bond is made, it can't be undone unless one of you dies."

Clarke swallowed. "I know, but I don't have a choice."

"You could tell us what Nia is holding over you," Bellamy said. Clarke turned to glare at him, but he ignored it, "I know you said you wanted to figure this out on your own Clarke. I promised you I would trust you and I would stand by you, and I am not going to back out on that, but I really think that we can help you if you just let us."

"No one can help me anymore. I don't think even I am going to be able to get myself out of this situation," Clarke admitted.

"You can't just give up and roll over," Raven said.

"I'm not rolling over, but I just don't have the time or the resources to get myself out of this. I appreciate you all wanting to help me, but there is nothing left that can be done," Clarke said with finality. It was clear she wasn't interested in staying on this topic. Her friends didn't seem thrilled about moving on, but they could tell pushing her was a bad idea, so they moved on to talk about their random thoughts.

The group started to slowly trickle down after that. Octavia and Lincoln left to go and train with Indra, Monty and Harper went to go and have some alone time together, and Raven left to do some more work on the Mount Weather situation. Clarke was left alone with Bellamy for a while, which she didn't really mind until he had to leave. "I can take you back to the healer's tent before I go," he offered. Clarke was about to accept, but then he noticed the Commander making her way towards them. "Actually, I think she can help you," he said with a knowing look. She hadn't told Bellamy of their relationship, but it seemed he must have caught on. She nodded her thanks and he left just as Lexa approached. He nodded his head to her as he passed and then it was just Clarke and Lexa.

"You should still be resting," Lexa commented.

"I'm not good at sitting still," she shrugged.

Lexa took a seat at the table, "Clarke, I… I want to spend my time with you being happy and not arguing. If all the time that we have is two weeks then I will take it, but you can't ask me to give up on you. You can't ask me to stop fighting for you because I can't, I won't."

"Okay," Clarke said with a sad smile, but it was quickly wiped away. "I'm sorry Lexa-"

"No. I told you you do not have to apologize to me for anything she makes you do," Lexa cut her off. Clarke nodded. Would she still mean that when she found out about everything Nia made her do? About who she really was?

It was starting to get dark out so Clarke forced herself up onto her feet and Lexa was by her side in an instant aiding her back to her bed in Nyko's tent. Clarke laid down and groaned as the strain was taken off of her sore and injured body.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine Lexa. All I need is you," Clarke said with a shy smile.

Lexa leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to her lips. "You have me. For as long as possible."