Chapter Three: These Are Our Terms

Clarke leaned back on the metal wall and watched as her mother surveyed the small room that was to be her home for the foreseeable future. The communal houses were little more than rows of small bedrooms, two stories high. They were eerily similar to the living quarters back on the Ark, spaces meant for sleeping and little else. The buildings were there to provide shelter for those who, for whatever reason, did not have the means to provide their own. People who'd lost their families or had nothing to trade in return for building materials would be given a room in one of the houses. With a place to sleep and at least one square meal provided for them at the soup kitchen, they had the chance to learn a craft or hold down a job. Something they could do in return for the materials necessary to build their own home. Thus, the communal houses were a crucial part of Trigeda society and they were now full. Keeping the Sky people in them could not be a permanent arrangement.

"Just like the Ark, huh?" Clarke spoke. Her mother sat on the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to her. Clarke also took a seat,

"How far we have come, and yet this seems so familiar," her mother answered,

"Well. It's not forever. One day, the Sky Clan will have it's own capital."

Abby smiled at Clarke and put a hand on her knee, "It's nice to hear you being so optimistic."

"What? You too? I swear everyone thinks I'm a party pooper. I can do upbeat. I think." Clarke protested. Then Lexa appeared in the doorway to the room and Clarke beamed at her from where she sat on the bed.

"So I can see," her mother said quietly, "Now go on, off with you so I can sleep."

Clarke scoffed and stood up off of the bed. "We ready to go home?" she asked Lexa.

Lexa nodded an affirmative, "Yes. I just came from the house next door. Everyone there is settled in. Let's go."

"See you tomorrow, Mom." Clarke leaned down and gave her mother a squeeze.

"Goodnight, Clarke. And Lexa, thank you again. I will see you both tomorrow."

Clarke left the small bedroom, closing the door behind her. Whilst they had the privacy of being indoors still, Clarke looped her arm with Lexa's and leaned her head onto Lexa's shoulder,

"All things considered, this is pretty nice. Getting to say goodnight to Mom and then go home with you,"

"I'm glad you feel that way, Clarke. The next few days could bring anything. It is important to savour little moments like this."

They reached the door that would lead them back outside. Clarke stood away from Lexa again, "Time to stop being a sap," she laughed. Lexa rolled her eyes at her and opened the door, holding it for Clarke. Aldrin stood up straight when he saw them, he had been leaning against the side of the building waiting. They walked slowly to the Commander's village together, savouring the familiar sights of home on the way.

Clarke watched from her armchair as Lexa diligently placed the full jug of water on the table. It was a ritual one of them would complete every night before going to bed. Once that was done, Lexa stripped off her coat and took a seat in her own chair across from Clarke's. There was a comfortable silence as they both looked towards the flames in the fireplace. Finally, Lexa spoke,

"I thought I'd come back to find you in bed."

Clarke wrinkled her nose, "Every muscle in my body is telling me to sleep right now. But my mind is buzzing."

Lexa motioned her head. It was a feeling she surely knew well. In the first few weeks of Clarke living with Lexa she came to realise that Lexa rarely slept. The first time Clarke had awoken in the middle of the night to find Lexa watching her, she'd put it down to a one off. But then it happened again and again. Then one night, she had woken up to find the place next to her empty; Lexa was silently pacing in their room. That's when Clarke had decided to ask Lexa. Lexa admitted that she would go to bed with Clarke, only to lie awake for hours. If she was lucky, she'd drift off and catch a couple of hours just before dawn, once her mind was also too tired to resist the pull of fatigue. If Clarke had ever found herself awake before Lexa, it was likely that Lexa had only really fallen asleep a short time beforehand.

Clarke hadn't wanted to press about the reasons for this. She thought she could make a pretty good guess. But in time, she didn't need to press. After Clarke had made Lexa aware that she knew about her sleeping habits, or rather lack of them, it took only a few more days for Lexa to open up. She admitted that she often found her mind too full to switch off. And sometimes she suffered from nightmares. Lexa could suppress her emotions and her worst memories whilst she was awake. Yet there was nothing she could do to control them if she slept. Clarke was worried about Lexa, of course. As someone with medical expertise, Clarke knew plenty about the effects of sleep deprivation on the human body. But she also understood Lexa's predicament quite well herself. Instead of protesting, Clarke simply let Lexa talk.

The night after, Lexa found her waiting in bed with a book. The previous Commander's had amassed a fair collection of artifacts from the old world. Items that held little interest for Lexa. Clarke had found the book on a dusty shelf. She remembered well the raised eyebrow Lexa had given her when she saw the book. Clarke asked that she come to bed, close her eyes, and listen. Lexa had fallen asleep before Clarke had read a chapter.

This became a regular occurrence. Soon, books were replaced with personal stories. Clarke told Lexa about growing up on the Ark, about starting her medical training. She talked about losing her dad and being in the sky box. Eventually Clarke even began telling stories about her first days on the ground and about the friends she made. And Finn. She told Lexa all about how he had been the first one to want peace. About how she wished things had gone better when she met Anya for the first time on the bridge. And Lexa had listened to it all and then she had slept.

"Clarke?" Lexa's voice interrupted Clarke's reverie and she refocused her eyes,

"Sorry. I wandered off a bit then."

"I could tell. Worrying about the Ice nation?" Lexa prompted,

"No actually. Thinking about us," Clarke admitted. Lexa gave a sheepish smile and Clarke swore she saw a blush creep into her cheeks,

"That's sweet of you ,Clarke. But you do need to focus on what may come."

Clarke let out a groan and flopped her head onto her chest, closing her eyes. "There's no point lecturing when your student is fast asleep. Can you see?" Clarke opened one eye, "I'm very asleep."

"Mo-"

"Mockery isn't the product of a strong mind, Clarke." Clarke finished for her in a childish voice. Lexa regarded her with her blankest stare. Clarke conceded and sat up; "Fine. Hit me with your wisdom, oh Master Yoda."

Lexa rolled her eyes at the nickname. It wasn't the first time Clarke had used it, but she was never going to explain the reference. She silently thanked whoever it was who had thought to bring a copy of the Star Wars saga to space with them. It had been one of Clarke's favourites of the Ark's video library.

"I simply wanted to ask you what you want for the Sky people? If we defeat the Azgeda."

Clarke let out a puff of breath and shrugged, "You know me. I haven't thought that far ahead," she admitted.

Lexa pursed her lips at her, a clear sign that she wasn't satisfied with the answer. "Which is why I'm asking you to now. Clarke, if you do end up leading the Sky clan, it is important to learn how to think tactically. To always be several steps ahead of any foes. Ahead of your own people, even."

"I thought we've been over this. I don't want to be 'Heda Clarke kom Skaikru'."

"What we want and what happens are two very different things, Clarke. So please. Will you humour me?"

Clarke began to speak, the first things that came into her head; "I don't know, I guess a proper settlement would be nice? Some land of our own, for my people to build on. I want them to learn how to hunt properly and be self-sufficient. I want the Sky clan to be a valuable member of the Coalition, rather than one verging on a crux. I just want to see my friends safe and happy and really alive, not just surviving."

Lexa all but sprang out of her chair at Clarke's speech. She walked over to where Clarke sat and leaned down, cupping Clarke's cheek before planting a soft kiss on her lips. Clarke kissed her back just as tenderly. Once they parted, Lexa remained bent over, her hand still on Clarke's cheek,

"Then I will do all that I can to see that we get your people there," Lexa whispered. Her voice was so very earnest.

"Ai hod yu in," Clarke managed to whisper back. That made two times she had said it aloud and still she was getting used to the way that the phrase felt on her lips.

"I love you too, Clarke," came the reply, without hesitation.

Clarke smiled up at her lover, "Come here,"

Lexa was about to kiss her again when a sharp rap on the door interrupted them. Lexa straightened up immediately and turned towards the offending noise,

"Who is it?" she inquired, and her tone was close to venomous,

"Commander? It's Aldrin. I apologise for disturbing you, but you must come. Some of our warriors have caught an Ice person trying to sneak out of Polis. They have her secured in the war room."

Clarke and Lexa exchanged a serious glance.

"We are coming." Lexa said.

Clarke knew that 'we' meant that she was expected to go too, and it was not a request.

Clarke looked from the steely expression on Lexa's face to the one of defiance on the Azgeda prisoner's. The prisoner was apparently an ambassador. The Ice Queen had sent her to await Lexa's return from Camp Jaha to begin planning a new trade agreement. The timing of her arrival made it difficult to believe the 'ambassador's' tale.

Lexa began to move towards the woman, always an imposing sight. Lexa had donned her full ceremonial garb and her katana hung at her waist. The only feature that marked her face was deliberately put there; the warpaint over her eyes and cheeks. Clarke expected the first strike of an interrogation to come at any moment. She did not like torture, but she would not question Lexa's actions in front of a woman who was potentially the enemy. Clarke readied herself to watch but the first blow never came. Instead, Lexa bent over and brought her face to within inches of the prisoner's.

"Why are you here?" Lexa asked in the cold voice of the Commander. She spoke in Trigedasleng of course. Clarke had to concentrate less and less each day to understand the language. Still, she listened intently.

"Because your warriors tied me here," the woman answered back with snarl.

Lexa stood back up; "Why are you in Polis?" she asked, ignoring the prisoner's sass.

"I was sent by the Queen to negotiate a new trade agreement."

Clarke watched Lexa's face, tried to guess what conclusions Lexa was drawing from that slither of a reply. "I believe you," Lexa said. Clarke was taken aback and she noticed that the prisoner could not hide her own shock quickly enough at being believed.

"Unfortunately for you, your Queen decided to march on Camp Jaha in your absence. In doing so, she declared war on the coalition and made you an enemy to the Trigeda. Whilst knowing you were in my capital. Tell me, is there any reason she might have wanted to get rid of you?"

Clarke tried not to smile. You did not need to throw punches in an interrogation when you could make your words cut so deeply like the Commander could. The prisoner shifted against her restraints in her seat. She was agitated.

"I have always served my Queen loyally,"

"That did not answer my question," Lexa shot back.

The woman looked everywhere but at Lexa. it was answer enough for the Commander,

"Then I can assume that the Ice Queen will not be pleased when a woman she very clearly wanted out of her way returns to her? Carrying a message from me?"

Now the woman looked up. Clarke was also intrigued. She thought back to the time she had sent Emerson back to the mountain with a message. To this day Clarke did not know if it had been the strong thing to do. Or if it had only contributed to the mess that occurred once she reached the foot of the mountain. Clarke hoped that Lexa had a better idea of what she was doing.

"I'll take your silence as a cue to continue. You will be allowed to leave Polis unharmed. You will return to your Queen and you will tell her this. She has three options. One, she comes to Polis with the army that was meant to attack Camp Jaha. They get slaughtered trying to besiege the city and the Coalition will never trade with the Azgeda again. Two, the Queen gets reinforcements and attacks the city. The battle will no doubt be longer and bloodier. But her single army will be fighting against the armies of eleven other clans. The Coalition will never trade with the Azgeda again. Three, the Ice Queen comes to Polis with a small entourage. She fights me in a one-on-one duel to the death. If she wins, she becomes the de facto leader of the Coalition. If I win, the Coalition be willing to negotiate trade with her successor."

There was only one smart answer to Lexa's conundrum, Clarke realised. The ambassador knew this too and her eyes widened,

"The Azgeda would not survive without trade! You would slaughter us all!" she finally broke.

Lexa sneered, "No. Your Queen will slaughter you all if she is allowed to choose unwisely. You are one of her advisers are you not? Better make sure your people do not let that happen."

Clarke watched Lexa unsheathe her dagger and cut the ropes that tied the prisoner's arms to the chair. Then she spoke to the warriors that had been standing in the corners of the room.

"Take the prisoner to the gates and release her. Make sure she walks away. If she fails to deliver the message, my terms still stand. But her people will have had no warning when their Queen dooms them all."

"Yes, Commander."

The two warriors took the woman by her shoulders and lead her out into the pitch black of night. Clarke waited only a moment before she walked over to Lexa.

"That was quite something to watch, babe."

Lexa was stood stock still, but she turned and smiled at the pet name.

"And now we wait," was all Lexa said back. She turned on her heel and left the war room.

Clarke followed and could see the tenseness in Lexa's shoulders. Clarke herself felt wide awake. The scene she had just witnessed had her wired, pumped full of adrenaline. Clarke wondered if she could coax Lexa into picking up where they had left off when they'd been interrupted. As Lexa had suggested, Clarke began to try thinking ahead. As they walked back to the Commander's home, Clarke thought about her attack strategy. She had to stop herself from laughing and giving herself away. What she was up to was not what Lexa had had in mind when giving her little lecture earlier.