SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER: Up to episode 09 of Season 2 – "Remember Me".

ALLIANCE – CHAPTER 3

Sacrifices

After Lexa and her people returned to their camp, Clarke regrouped with the others at Camp Jaha and left to meet the Commander with Kane and Abby. The doctor was worried about her daughter leaving to Tondc so soon after going through a heavy trauma, but Clarke convinced her that she should go with the Grounders to their village so she could watch Finn's funeral.

As they marched among their former enemies, Clarke and Bellamy discussed about what to do next. The man insisted on going inside Mt. Weather to help them from inside, but she didn't agree on risking his life like this. It was too dangerous.

They walked in silence and after a few minutes her eyes felt on Lexa, who was a few feet ahead, hiding her horse between the guards. Right now, they were making sacrifices and going behind their people's backs to assure an alliance for the final battle against Mt. Weather, but after the fight was over what was going to happen? How would they end this marriage? Was it even possible for Grounders to divorce? Somehow Clarke had a very strong feeling that she wouldn't be needing a divorce, because maybe her own wife would end things in a much quicker and simpler way – by killing her when she became useless.

OOOOOO

The next day they burned Finn's body with the 18 people he had killed in Tondc. Between all the pain she felt inside and the visions she kept having of Finn following her around, Clarke wasn't expecting Lexa to show any sings of sympathy, but she did. She even talked about a former lover, Costia, who was captured by the Ice Nation, tortured and murdered just because she was Lexa's companion. Clarke couldn't help wondering whether they would do the same to her if they found out that she was the Commander's wife now. What a surprise they would have by founding out that she knew almost nothing about her mysterious wife.

But she knew one thing now: Lexa thought love was weakness.

OOOOOO

"Can I have a word, Heda?"

Gustus was waiting near the cabin's door, waiting to be invited closer. Lexa was alone, looking for the hundredth time at Mt. Weather's map drawn by Clarke, trying to figure out something that could help their attack.

"Come forward, Gustus."

When she noticed he was closer than usual, she put down the map to give him full attention. He was probably going to talk about something secret.

"I trust you with my heart and my soul, Heda, but my mind can't help feeling that your decision to marry the Sky girl was wrong."

"What is done is done. There is no going back."

"But if you change your mind, it's simple to fix."

Lexa narrowed her eyes, but didn't react to his comment. Former leaders might have charged him with treason for challenging her decisions like that, but she was very different from the others. She was trying to bring peace, and not more bloodshed.

"Speak your mind, Gustus."

"I don't trust them. I think they are only approaching us to buy time for them to attack us before we can attack them. They are trying to get closer to you so they can kill you, Heda."

"What good will my death bring to them? They need us to help them get into Mt. Weather."

"Maybe they are planning to go alone."

Lexa didn't want to believe him, but deep down she knew he could be right. They knew nothing about those people, and they have killed hundreds of her soldiers and many of their civilians as well. But there was something about Clarke that kept her faith on this truce – something about her keen intent on always making the two clans get along, something about her constant sacrifices to save her people and bring them together.

"I appreciate your concern, but my mind has been made. I am going to trust them, as I hope they are trusting me in return."

"You put a lot of faith on the girl", said Gustus in a low voice. "But your marriage isn't worth anything yet."

Right after he said those words, he lowered his head in shame, and Lexa knew what he was talking about.

"Are you implying that our union isn't valid because we didn't consummate it carnally?"

Gustus was clearly uncomfortable, but he really believed in what he was trying to say, so he kept talking anyway. "Heda, it's tradition: a marriage is only valid if there is bonding not only from the souls but also from the bodies."

"That is a very old tradition." Lexa was angry now, speaking sharply and louder than she should under the circumstances. "It doesn't mean the union isn't valid."

"For some it does, Heda."

"We are done here. Resume to your post and don't talk about this anymore. I expect you to welcome our guests respectfully tonight."

Gustus gave her a quick bow and left, leaving Lexa behind with her thoughts. He was right, many of the Grounders still believed that marriage is only valid after sex. Now that would be a problem, wouldn't it?

OOOOOO

Then it all went wrong really fast.

Someone tried to poison Lexa and it looked like it was the Sky People, because Gustus almost died drinking some of the vodka Kane had given the Commander.

She was furious, betrayal burning inside her chest. Lexa should have listened to Gustus before. How could she be so blind? She wasn't going to be merciful anymore – it was time to honor her title as Commander and make justice with her own hands: blood must have blood.

And just as she was starting to punish Raven of the Sky People for trying to kill her, Clarke came forward and drank from the supposedly poisoned bottle. Lexa's heart skipped a beat, which she tried to not pay attention to. She just couldn't be worried about that girl who was aiming for her death so keenly.

But Clarke survived and revealed the terrible truth: Gustus had poisoned the cup, trying to make the Sky People seem untrustworthy and end the alliance in its first hours of existence. Lexa's relief for not being wrong about this alliance was not enough to extinguish the sadness brought by Gustus betrayal. He had to respond for his crime.

OOOOOO

Later that day, before the sun was set, Clarke was siting alone by the woods when Lexa approached. The blonde didn't seem to want company, but the Commander made herself comfortable by her side anyway.

They both stood in silence for a few seconds, until Clarke broke first.

"This is never going to work if you keep accusing me and my people at the very first sight of trouble. Why is it so hard for you to trust me?"

"I do trust you, Clarke, and that's why Gustus didn't. He thought I was wrong about you, he thought I was being tricked. Trusting you doesn't mean I can trust all of you."

"Yes, it does", she turned around to look at Lexa's eyes, but for the first time she didn't found them right away. Lexa was staring ahead into the trees, completely lost in her thoughts. "That's what is like to be a leader for me. I speak for my people, so if you trust me you have to trust them."

"You know so little about been a leader yet, Clarke of the Sky People."

When she spoke, she wasn't angry, but sad. In a way Clarke had never seen the Commander before. That took her by surprise, so she didn't reply to the criticism and just let the brunette continue talking.

"Do you think I enjoyed anything that happened today? I brought to these dead people justice 18 times smaller than they deserved. I was betrayed twice and I had to kill one of my best guards and friends. All this because I trust you and our alliance and I'm doing everything I can to make it real."

Lexa stood up fast as Clarke followed her with her eyes. The Commander stared at her and this time her eyes weren't cold: they were burning.

"You made a sacrifice yesterday for your people. That was required and you didn't hesitate. Now continue being that kind of leader today and all the days that come after so we can lead these people together to victory."

Before Clarke could say anything, she was gone, and darkness was spreading through the forest fast.

Later that night, Clarke asked Bellamy to go to Mt. Weather and infiltrate there, even though she knew it was probably the last time she would ever see her friend.