SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER: Up to episode 13 of Season 2 – "Resurrection".
ALLIANCE – CHAPTER 05
Target
As Lexa paraded through Tondc heading to her tent while looking more regal than ever, no one would guess the turmoil that was going on inside her head. Only a few hours before she was lusting over Clarke and now the girl was asking to spend the night with her. There could be no misunderstanding: she wanted this to happen as well.
After all, it would only be a night to forget about all their problems, a release from the brutal reality in this broken land and the wait for a war that still couldn't be won not even in theory. They would have the night only to themselves and tomorrow everything would be back to place, as if nothing had changed.
Lexa entered the tent trying to calm down the frantic beating of her heart. She didn't felt like this not even when she was about to go into combat, so why now? Get yourself together, Commander. She barely had time to turn around and Clarke threw herself on her, noses almost touching, breath hitched and eyes wild.
"Why didn't you tell me that our marriage has no value until we have sex, Lexa?"
The brunette was taken aback by the question, not expecting that reaction at all.
"Answer me!" Clarke was closer than ever, asking the question as aggressively as she could without raising her voice, so no one outside would listen.
The Commander's instincts overcame the serenity she was trying to maintain and the next thing she knew, she was right on top of the blonde, holding her hands against the ground, pinning her down with ability. Clarke tried to break free squirming with her full force, but Lexa's grip was trained to not let that happen.
"Get off me!"
"Only when you calm down. Let me explain, please."
Clarke tried once again to free herself but didn't succeed. As she looked at Lexa's eyes again she saw nothing so she realized that the Commander could stay all night long holding her down if it was necessary. The blonde finally stopped moving and relaxed a bit, giving Lexa a chance to talk.
"The tradition is old, but it still exists for many of my people, as well as other clans. I just didn't want you to feel pressured into doing anything."
"I married you because I wanted to", replied Clarke, seeing the brunette's eyes glow a little. "Because I needed to save my people. It was my choice, just as this should be as well."
Lexa gripped Clarke's wrists harder, even though the girl wasn't fighting anymore. She felt her hands begin to sweat, which was very uncharacteristic for the always stoic Commander who wasn't afraid of anything, not even death. As green eyes met blue, Lexa did her best to restrain from kissing the woman beneath her. They were so close… it would be so easy. Just a few inches and she would claim what was hers by the right of marriage. Lexa's mind was screaming for her not to do so, but her eyes betrayed her for a second, lowering to meet the blonde's lips in an intense gaze.
"Lexa", whispered Clarke, aware of the mood change, "let me go."
And those words brought the Commander back to reality, because they meant so much more than just freeing the girl's hands, so she knew she was in trouble. She was letting herself not only feel, but show her emotions in a time that she absolutely couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't feel anything.
She got up slowly and gave Clarke a hand to do the same. They looked both a little flustered, the air failing to get to their lungs easily, their eyes not daring to look up. Lexa began to get her bedrolls ready and Clarke started to unlace her boots, both pretending that nothing had happened.
"My presence here is enough", stated Clarke breaking the silence, her voice clean of any hint of emotion. The Sky Princess was getting better on letting her head make the decisions. "They saw me getting in and tomorrow morning they'll see me getting out. If someone comes in during the night, I'll be sleeping by your side."
Lexa just nodded as she got rid of her armor, unable to say anything, scared that her voice might break. She was too emotional to take some action, to tell Clarke that she wasn't in charge, that no one spoke to the Commander like that. But they both knew that, from now on, someone did.
Her last hope was to fall asleep and let all these feelings fade away tonight, so tomorrow she was strong enough to deserve to be called Heda again. However, this would be almost impossible, as she realized when Clarke took off her jacket and laid down next to her, far enough not to be touched but close enough that the Commander's nostrils were filled with the blonde's smell.
It took them a while to fall sleep. Clarke did it first, like the afternoon before when they were out in the woods after being chased by the gorilla. Lexa did everything she could to clear her mind of all thoughts towards the girl, but after almost an hour of rolling around she decided that this could be her only night sharing a bed with Clarke, so she might as well enjoy it.
And then, without thinking twice, she put a strong arm around Clarke's waist, bringing her closer. In less than a minute Lexa was falling into the calmest sleep she had in ages.
OOOOOO
Half a day had passed since Clarke's departure to Camp Jaha and Lexa was doing her best to get her mind occupied. She spent the whole morning studying Mt. Weather's map and the attack plan on her table with the generals.
A couple hours after lunch Lexa joined her warriors to train, since some physical action could do her some good – even though she had plenty of practice on that matter the day before with the giant gorilla. When she was about to finish her contender, a soldier came into the village as fast as his horse's legs would allow.
Lexa raised her hand, ordering the training to stop, and the Grounder approached fast, heading towards the Commander.
"Heda, I bring a message from Indra: you are not safe. The Mountain Men are after you."
"They are after all of us, you fool", said one of the generals. "That's why you ran here, tiring your horse before war?"
"Let him speak", interrupted Lexa, urging the soldier to come forward.
"We were scouting Clarke of the Sky People when we were attacked. It was not an attack to our group, Heda, they were trying to kill her."
Lexa felt a shiver run through her spine, but kept her face free of emotions to not look weak in front of her people.
"Is she alive?"
"Yes."
Relief soothed her body just for a second.
"So why do you fear for my life as well?"
"They were carrying a painting of you two, Heda. You are both the target."
The Grounder reached inside his heavy coat and gave Lexa a picture of her and Clarke, both their faces marked with a red circle. Lexa had seen very few pictures before, just the ones they found scattered inside the ruins of Tondc and Polis among the belongings of the people who lived there before them.
The brunette looked back at her soldiers, who were waiting for her to give orders. To attack, they hoped. They had been waiting for a good fight for days now.
"This changes nothing", she spoke loudly so everyone could hear. "I can protect myself until the day we fight the Mountain Men. Resume your training!"
"Heda", said the general approaching her. "Why wait around for them to kill you? Let's attack, our army is ready!"
"An army without a plan is like a body without a head", she stated calmly. "You will do as I say. Keep training and get ready for battle. As soon as the Sky man is successfully infiltrated inside the mountain we will attack."
The man didn't speak again and, even though he wasn't satisfied by Lexa's answer, he resumed his battle practice without a single complain. Lexa tried to sooth her warrior with those words but deep down she was also starting to get worried by the delay on the attack. These Mountain Men were a real threat, specially when they had a target, for they had guns with sharp aims that made killing a single person as easy as smashing an insect with their boots.
She looked down at the picture again, focusing on Clarke's face. The girl looked worried as usual and the Commander couldn't help but smile a little, for the picture was so alike her real life counterpart. If only she could protect the blonde a little better, if only she could never let the girl leave her sight… But she must trust Indra and the others who were with her at Camp Jaha, at least for now.
Afraid that she had gone too soft again, Lexa shoved the picture inside her pocket and took out her weapon, throwing herself on her next spar partner.
OOOOOO
The other eleven clans arrived at Tondc the next morning bringing a feeling of uneasiness to the Tree People. It was the first time they were all together sharing the same camp in peace, united for a common goal: bring down the mountain that had been oppressing, mutilating and killing them for the past ninety-seven years.
Lexa knew this was a bold decision and all could go wrong, but she truly believed that their thirst for blood and justice would keep them together, at least for now. If the Grounders and the Sky People were able to make an alliance for one battle, there was no reason the people from the clans weren't able to do so as well. Nonetheless, everyone kept their eyes open at all times since the visitors arrived.
The hardest welcome the Commander had to give was to the representatives of the Ice Nation, the same ones who kidnaped her former lover Costia and tortured her in exchange of Lexa's secrets. They got nothing, since Costia didn't know anything, so they cut her head and throw her body away. The pain was so strong that it felt alive inside her body, but Lexa grew out of it with the help of her generals and elder soldiers of the clan. She had to let it go in order to be a good Commander. Love was weakness – that was the most important lesson she'd ever learned.
The last ones to arrive were the Sky People. To the Commander's surprise, Clarke was nowhere to be seen.
"Commander", greeted Kane, "we meet again."
"Welcome to Tondc, Marcus of the Sky People. I was told that Clarke would be representing your people on the meeting, but I don't see her."
"Unfortunately, Clarke won't come today. Bellamy just made contact from inside Mt. Weather, so she chose to stay behind and gather as much information as possible for the attack."
Lexa nodded, her face showing no hint of emotion. Of course Clarke's presence was requested there and her opinion was extremely important since she was the one behind the genesis of this attack, but Lexa understood and respected her decision to stay at Camp Jaha and help her soldier. She was truly becoming a strong leader each day that passed.
But the Commander was still feeling a knot on her throat, so before Kane was out of reach she asked for him again.
"Marcus", and as he turned around she continued, "all my men are here now; the only one who was left at your camp is the soldier I ordered to guard Clarke. The Mountain Men were trying to kill her yesterday and I was told we are isolated targets to them. I need to know she's safe."
Kane looked a little surprised about Lexa's concern. The Commander quickly tried to explain herself, afraid that she spoke too personally about the girl's safety.
"If she dies, we have nothing. She is responsible for gathering data so I can work on an attack plan."
"Don't worry, Commander, she is perfectly safe at Camp Jaha. We also have soldiers, you know."
And with a knowing smile, Kane got away from the Commander, who was not entirely satisfied by his answer. Sky People's soldiers weren't that good.
OOOOOO
Clarke rode the Grounder's horse as fast as she could, trying to get to Tondc before it was too late. Everyone she cared about was about to die if she didn't make it: her people, her friends, her mother and Lexa. It was hard to know why, but she couldn't stop thinking about the Commander, trying to figure out what the she would do to save all these people without compromising Bellamy's position inside Mt. Weather as a spy. She just couldn't decide for herself, it was too hard. She wasn't strong enough for this, but Lexa was.
When she finally arrived at the village, relief took over her body when she saw that everyone was ok. Her heart skipped a beat when her eyes met Lexa's for the first time since the morning they woke up together, limbs interlaced on the Commander's bedrolls, fact that they never mentioned again. That day Clarke just left at first light without saying a word. Lexa didn't try to justify anything either – they were both guilty, even though they hadn't committed any crime yet.
Their conversation about the missile was brief but objective. Clarke was right about the Commander – she was strong enough to make the decision Clarke couldn't even say out loud. If they didn't let the city get bombed, Mt. Weather would know they had a spy inside and Bellamy would die. Not only him, but also their only hope of winning this war. Lexa also pointed out that sometimes you have to concede a battle to win a war. She couldn't be more right.
This kind of lesson is much easier said than done, though. For Lexa, it was just another day commanding the Grounders, but for Clarke it was yet another decision to make that she couldn't take back. The blonde was glad that Lexa was there to guide her through this day and into the forest, not letting her look back to her friends that would die in there, not letting her wield and allow weakness to take over.
She was becoming a different person, yet again, a person she wasn't sure she wanted to be.
OOOOOO
"Marcus, you need to stay awake", said Abby, trying to make her friend get distracted from the pain. "Talk to me, please. Say anything."
"I'm tired now, I think we talked enough", he answered groggily.
They had just discussed about Clarke's knowledge about the bomb and her decision to let everyone die in there. Kane took part of the guilt for the way they raised their children on the Ark. After all, if the Grounder's ways were harsh, theirs weren't that different on space. And now they were trying to reach some humanity on Earth on the worst possible time, right in the middle of a war for survival.
"No, c'mon, don't give up", insisted the doctor.
"You know something, Abby?" He was breathing heavily, his head was light, his thoughts were a little confused like if this was just a bad dream. "Your daughter has become a true leader. She has learned not only from us, but also from Lexa."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"Don't be", he smiled. "The Commander means no harm to Clarke. Quite the opposite."
Abby raised an eyebrow and let Kane continue his delirious talk. That was better than allowing him to sleep.
"They got this, okay? They went very far to assure we win this war together."
"What are you talking about?"
"They got married, Abby. I married them a few days ago."