"We're coming to Polis with you. After the wed- afterwards you'll go on with Lincoln, wherever the King says." Bellamy was saying as Mina walked alongside him towards the rover and the horses.

"I'm in the rover right?" she said looking a little anxiously at the horses.

"Yeah. You're in the rover with me, Monty, Harper and Kane. The horses are for Clarke, Lincoln and my sister."

"Okay." As they walked past Octavia to the door of the rover, Bellamy stopped and turned to face Mina.

"Mina you can say no. I won't let Abby punish you for it. You don't have to do this." He said seriously, resting a hand on her shoulder, which she reach up and squeezed with a small, sad smile.

"If I don't it'll just be someone else. I can't let that happen because of me."

Sighing, Bellamy used the hand on her shoulder to pull Mina in for a quick hug which she returned gratefully.

"You'll be ok kiddo." It sounded like he was trying to convince himself as well as her "Lincoln will look after you."

And with that they climbed into the back of the rover, and Monty pulled out of Arkadia's gates, Lincoln, Clarke and Octavia's horses cantering past.

"Clarke!" Lexa got up from her throne and walked down the two steps to greet the arriving party. Mina was stood a little further back between Octavia and Lincoln. As Lexa spoke to Clarke, Mina looked around at the throne room. There was a bald man with tattoos on his scalp, stood to the right of Lexa's chair, surveying them with narrowed eyes. There were a few sentries posted by the doors and at various points around the room and then there was-

"King Roan." Lexa said in a cool clipped voice and a man stepped out of the shadows. He was tall, far taller than she was and his long hair tied back out of his face revealing his ice nation scars. Though he was not particularly bulky, it was clear his frame was entirely lean muscle. His whole aura emitted danger, and darkness. It was clear that the Ice Nation king was not someone to be trifled with.

"Mina." Said Clarke gently and it took Mina a moment to force her legs to move, walking over so that she was stood opposite Roan, next to Clarke.

"Mina." Roan said the name as if he was testing how it sounded, before extending a hand towards her, which she reluctantly accepted. They didn't shake or embrace or anything. Roan simply held her hand in greeting for a moment and she heard a slight rustling behind her, which she imagined was Bellamy shifting his wait irritably. Roan must have noticed it too, as his eyes darted behind her for a moment before a smirk flashed across his face and he lowered his head and she felt his lips brush the back of her knuckles before he released her fingers. Mina dropped her hand and her eyes at once, not able to maintain eye contact when Roan was watching her with such intensity.

"The ceremony will take place tonight." Began Lexa and Mina did everything she could not to wince at the words. "The Ice Nation delegation leaves here in two days time. Titus" here she addressed the bald man "Show our guests to their quarters."

Titus bowed his head and walked towards the doors, the Arkadia people following behind him.

"Clarke. The girl will remain with you until the ceremony. You know where your chambers are." Titus said tightly, gesturing for Clarke to walk down a narrow winding hallway.

"Thank you Titus." Clarke said politely before taking Mina's hand and leading her down the hall. They reached a door with a single sentry posted outside who opened the twisted wrought iron door, allowing the two of them inside.

"Lexa gave me everything we need for later, It's nothing fancy, just more grounder-style you know?" said Clarke, pointing at a small bundle of material in the corner of the room.

"So, now you've met him." She said looking at Mina, who had pulled the sleeves of her top over her hands and was fiddling with the material.

"Yeah."

"What're you thinking?" asked Clarke sitting on the bed in the middle of the room. Mina shrugged a little awkwardly.

"I don't know."

"That thing about kissing your hand. That was just Roan trying to get under Bellamy's skin. I'd say it worked." Clarke said and Mina laughed without humour.

"Yeah. Him and me both." She said with a little squirm before collapsing onto the bed beside Clarke, who rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Mina I-I really don't think Roan is a bad guy. I'm not saying he's perfect, I'm not even saying he's good. But I don't believe you're in danger. Not from him."

"Hate to point it out Clarke but that's easy to say when you're not marrying him." The snappish reply surprised both Clarke and Mina, who immediately looked at the floor and started stammering out an apology

"G-god Clarke I- I'm s-"

"No, no. Don't apologise Mina. You're right. I'm sorry. It's different for you."

The two of them lapsed into silence before Mina asked hesitantly

"I know you said he's not bad..." she trailed off and Clarke said

"Go on."

"Didn't he abduct you, stab Bellamy and try to kill Lexa?" Mina asked in a rush and Clarke laughed at her honesty.

"Yeah. Yeah he did."

"Nice to know who I'm marrying." Mina sighed sarcastically and Clarke wrapped an arm around the younger girl's shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

"You're going to be ok. You're strong Mina. You're going to be ok."

Clarke had stayed with her for a few hours. After a while she had helped Mina dress in the grounder clothes and do her hair. The clothes were simple; a dark grey shirt that slid down into black further down the sleeves and it laced up at the back so that to put it on or take it off the ties had to be loosened and then the garment slid off. The pants were skinny, close to the leg and were smooth but on the right leg, some kind of ribbon wrapped in a lattice around her leg from knee to the top of her thigh.

Then there was the cloak. This, according to Clarke (which meant it was from Lexa) was a ceremonial garment. It was a combination of pale grey and white sheer material and mesh material, so the clothes underneath could be seen through the cloak as Mina slipped her arms into the sleeves and looked behind to see the body of the garment trail down behind her onto the floor.

When Clarke told her that her hair needed doing Mina was a little confused as to why.

"Did you notice Roan's face?"

Mina shrugged in answer not wanting to say that she hadn't wanted to maintain eye contact for very long.

"Did you see the scars?"

Mina froze at Clarke's words.

Scars.

Did that mean...

"Are they going to cut m-"

"I don't know" Clarke said honestly and Mina felt herself tremble slightly "Lexa just said to make sure you're face is clear. I really don't know Mina."

Mina bit her lip to stop it from shaking like her hands were and she physically couldn't speak. So instead she just let Clarke pull her hair back from her face leaving it bare, and weaving her hair into eight tiny braids that twisted into one thick braid that ended at the nape of her neck.

"All done." Clarke said softly, resting her hands on Mina's shoulders lightly before walking round and crouching in front of her.

"There's not long left. Just, try to relax until it's time."

Before Mina could respond there was a knock at the door and Titus appeared, stiff backed and stony faced.

"Heda requests your presence Clarke." He said stiffly and Clarke got to her feet.

"I'll be right there" she nodded to Titus who bowed his head and backed out of the door.

"I'll find one of the others and send them back. You won't be alone in this Mina." She assured her and then followed Titus from the room.

Twenty minutes later Bellamy walked into the room without bothering to knock and he wasn't alone. Octavia was with him, sword on back and scowl on face as both the Blake siblings walked to opposite sides of the room silently, Bellamy to Mina and Octavia to lean against the corner of the room furthest from her brother.

The tension between the siblings was palpable, almost unbearable to witness especially as Mina could see how much it was weighing on Bellamy, who shot a sad glance at his sister before looking down at Mina, arms folded.

"So, Clarke got you all dressed up for him." He said as he looked her over, bluntly enough to make Mina wince slightly and Bellamy's tense posture and face softened slightly and he said in a calmer, softer voice

"Sorry. You doin' ok?"

Mina shrugged and began to say "Ok-" before she stopped herself and slumped forwards, her head in her hands and saying shakily

"I can't do this Bellamy. I-I can't I-"

"Shh shh," Bellamy couldn't help but slip into protective mode at seeing a girl not much older than Octavia start to break down. Crouching down in front of her he took her hands away from her face and held them in his own.

"I'm sorry Mina. Really I am, I didn't want this for you, for anyone. The way Abby got you to agree to this, it wasn't right. But we're not gonna let anything happen to you. I won't. I promise." He said earnestly and Mina gave him a weak smile, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Don't cry."

Bellamy and Mina looked round at Octavia as the words left her mouth. The younger Blake was still leaning against the wall in the corner, arms folded but as the other two looked at her, she stood upright and walked over, giving Bellamy a pointed look to get out of her way, which he did. As Bellamy backed away, Octavia stood, strong, in front of Mina.

"Get up." She said firmly, but not unkindly. Blinking rapidly, Mina did so, so that she was stood face to face with Octavia.

"Don't cry. Don't show them you're scared. No tears. Cry and all Azgeda will see is weakness. All Roan will see is weakness. And weakness is not something that he or they will stand for. Don't cry." Octavia instructed, lifting Mina's chin as she did so.

"Hold that pretty little head up your highness. Queens don't cry. And grounders aren't weak. Ge smak daun gyon op nodotaim." Octavia spoke the Trigedasleng words with pride, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin defiantly. The strength behind the young warriors eyes gave Mina some comfort and support and she mimicked Octavia's stance, straightening herself so that she stood to her full (if not that tall) height and she held her head up as strongly as she could.

"Ge smak daun gyon up nodotaim." She repeated, even if the words weren't said with quite the right pronunciation or the same level of conviction.

All three of the rooms occupants turned to the door as they heard it open and Clarke appeared with Titus.

"It's time."

Ta da! So they finally meet! And of course Roan being a jackass just to piss off Bellamy. Had to put that in there hahahaha.

Let me know what you think, what you like what you don't, what you really want to see etc. I love hearing from you guys and I really appreciate the support so far.

Updates might slow down a bit because I'm back at college now so have less time but I will write whenever I can.

More soon.

Geronimo xx