this is just a quick little chapter to tide you over until i can next update :) I've had science exams this week so things have been busy! Thank you so much to everyone who has followed (I can't believe how many of you that is!), reviewed and favourited!

Clarke woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside the window, and the busy sounds of the already thriving market. Lexa had told her she was in Polis, and had promised to show her around.

Clarke prised her eyes open, her eyelids heavy with sleep, and found herself looking into those startlingly green eyes.

"Good morning klark" Lexa murmured, the soft sunlight making her skin almost glow "Did you sleep well?"

"no nightmares?" she half said, half asked. She didn't remember any, but she wanted to be sure.

Lexa smiled and shook her head.

For the first time since the mountain, Clarke felt well-rested. She was warm and content; she didn't ever want to move from here. Lexa's arm was still wrapped around her, and their foreheads were almost touching. Clarke could feel the gentle tickle of Lexa's breath on her neck. Lexa looked so relaxed and youthful.

"You look happy" Clarke noted, gently tucking one of Lexa's curls behind her ear. Lexa's eyes flickered shut, and the corners of her mouth tugged up.

"I am" She murmured "I am always happy when I am with you"

Clarke felt her heart swell; she knew Lexa cared for her, but it was different to hear it. It made her want to kiss Lexa, right here, right now.

But she didn't.

She didn't want to spoil the moment; the commander found it so hard to express emotion, to let her guard down. She didn't want to go too quickly, and for Lexa to put back up all her carefully contracted walls. She loved the commander, but she loved Lexa even more.

"You make me happy too" Clarke said, and Lexa opened her eyes. She looked so joyful, so young and carefree.

"How are you today?" Lexa asked, looking at Clarke with a scrutinising gaze "You look better"

"I feel better" She replied truthfully. Her head was no longer hurting at all, and her arm seemed to be healing just fine; it itched slightly, but that was part of the healing process. Whatever concoctions the fisa had given her were almost as good as the antibiotics they had back on the Ark.

Lexa narrowed her eyes disbelievingly

"Honestly Lexa, I feel great" She insisted "My arm is healing well, and my head has recovered nicely"

Lexa sighed, reluctantly believing her. Clarke knew that if Lexa had her way she would be confined to bed rest for at least the next week. She knew that Lexa just wanted her to be safe and get better, but Clarke was itching to get out; she was desperate to move, to explore the bustling city below.

Lexa seemed to sense this

"Well then, Klark kom skaikru" Lexa began, her eyes sparkling with barely concealed excitement "I shall show you Polis"

—

"I must look ridiculous" Clarke complained as Lexa slid a small dagger into the holder she had just attached to Clarke's thigh.

"Quite the opposite" Lexa disagreed, standing back to look at Clarke, her eyes lingering over her body "I think you look nice" She trailed off

"You're just saying that" Clarke replied stubbornly

Lexa tore her eyes away from Clarke and cleared her throat

"You look one of us" She said, a smile on her face "I like it"

Clarke's clothes had been ruined when she fell, and so until she could get some clothes of her own, Lexa had found something of her own for Clarke to wear. She wasn't going to lie, Clarke liked the fact that they were Lexa's clothes; they smelt of her, and it felt special, like she was wearing a part of Lexa too.

Lexa had refused to let her go out without weapons; she pretended it was to do with looks, and that Clarke had to keep her reputation of being Wanheda, commander of death. Apparently that was what she was known as now amongst the grounders, and stories of how she defeated the maunon. had spread through the 12 clans like wildfire, each one becoming more elaborate than the one before. She was talked about with respect, and the children re-enacted the 'battle'.

Clarke hated it, she hated how the murder of innocents had been warped into being a good thing, but Lexa had urged her to take advantage of the respect she now had; grounders don't offer it up often. Lexa had told her she needed to look fearsome, she needed to keep their respect, and carrying weapons around would help. She couldn't look weak.

Clarke knew there was another reason Lexa wanted her to be armed; Lexa wanted to keep her safe, she wanted Clarke to be able to protect herself, should something happen.

Lexa led Clarke to a mirror in the corner that she had not noticed before, and Clarke was shocked by what she saw; Lexa was right, Clarke looked like a grounder.

Lexa had insisted upon braiding her hair back, which was actually quite nice as it kept it out of her face, but it made her look different. She looked somewhat fiercer, and stood next to Lexa she thought they looked like equals.

They looked like a deadly couple.

"Are you ready?" Lexa said with a smile

Clarke took one last look at herself before turning to Lexa, once again being temporarily taken aback by the beauty of the woman stood in front of her. Excitement suited her, Clarke decided; It made her eyes sparkle and a smile tug at her lips. She had only seen it a few times, but Clarke swore that Lexa's smile was the most beautiful sight she could ever see.

"Ready" she grinned

—

Polis was breathtaking.

There were people everywhere, of all ages; mothers cradling their young whilst bargaining with the market stall owners, children darting in and out of the throng of people, groups of men stood admiring the weapons. Clarke was swept up in the magic of it all; it was like a scene from one of the old movies they had on the Ark, it hardly seemed real.

Lexa steered her in the direction of a different street slightly further ahead, crammed with people. They had no problem getting through, the sea of people parted effortlessly to let their leader through, heads bowed in respect as she passed.

"Over here" Lexa murmered, her lips so close to Clarke's ear that she could feel the warm tickle of her breath on her shoulder. It sent tingles down Clarke's spine. Focus Clarke. She reminded herself, looking in the direction Lexa was pointing.

Right in front of her were what seemed like dozens of stalls and huts, all with merchants selling different items; there was fish and meat, weapons and clothing, foreign fruits and vegetables in so many different colours Clarke could hardly believe it. Clarke could smell something delicious, and she found herself gravitating towards it. Sure enough she came upon the source of the smell; a stall selling dozens of different types of pastries and cakes, all of which made Clarke's stomach rumble.

Lexa laughed softly, so quietly it was badly noticeable.

"This is Livna, Her goods are famous in Polis" Lexa told Clarke. Lexa turned to the woman "Ha yu Livna?" Lexa adressed the woman, her voice soft.

The woman smiled at Lexa

"Ai ste os Heda" She replied warmly, and Clarke sensed a familiarity between the two.

The woman turned to face Clarke, pushing a warm pastry into her hands

"For you, Wanheda" She said, bowing her head

Clarke was taken aback; she had never been bowed to before, she didn't deserve it. She didn't want to take this woman's produce without paying fairly, yet she was given no choice.

She wanted to thank the woman, but she didn't know the words. She looked to Lexa for help. Lexa seemed to understand what she wanted, and whispered it in her ear.

"Mochof, Livna"

The woman smiled even wider, and nodded her head curtly. Lexa and her excahnged a few more words in trigedaslang before Lexa steered her away.

They spent the rest of their morning this way; wandering through the streets, sampling produce and talking to the people of Polis. Lexa was different when she was not at war, she was kinder to her people than Clarke thought she would be. For some reason Clarke had believed that Lexa ruled with an iron fist, and while that may still be true, she also cared for her people a great deal.

Eventually the buzz of the market seemed to die down, and people returned to their houses and places of work, carrying on with their daily lives. Clarke and Lexa made their way back to the giant skyscraper in the centre; Clarke wasn't even sure what it was called, but it was huge.

"Are you hungry?" Lexa asked once they were back in her room

"A little" Clarke admitted - her stomach decided to take that moment to agree, loudly. Lexa laughed.

"Good." She declared, tossing Clarke a long riding cloak before putting on her light armour, and her shoulder guard. Obviously they were going somewhere then, Clarke thought to herself. "I have a surprise for you, if you'd like" Lexa half asked, half said.

"Am I allowed to know what this surprise is?"

Lexa looked at her as if she had gone mad

"Of course not." She said, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion "It is a surprise. You do know what one is?"

Clarke rolled her eyes, causing a smile to tug at Lexa's lips

"Shof op Leska" She protested, gently shoving her.

Lexa looked at her in shock, before it melted away and was replaced by a wide smile; a true smile, from the heart. Clarke hadn't realised just how much it would mean to Lexa that she had been learning, well trying to learn, her language. In all honestly, she hadn't really realised she had said it in trigedasleng; she'd been so submerged in the language for the past few days that it actually seemed familiar.

"Come, Klark kom skaikru" Lexa said, steering her out of the door "Your surprise awaits."

Translations:

Ha yu - How are you

Ai ste os - I am good