Amyla was trying, with little success, to reassure their friends and their daughters. Everyone was just too worried, they knew all too well what would be the fate to someone who dare to defy the Heda, it wasn't just death but torture too. The girls were holding back their tears with difficulty, Amyla made a sign with her head to their friends, she needed some time alone with their daughters, once they had left Amyla took a deep breath,
" Listen, Clarke will be ok but she needs our strength, we have to stay strong for her if we want to help her! " said Amyla with difficulty, still feeling heartbroken from seeing Clarke's condition.
" I want Mama! I can't sleep without her stories! And and she was making a game with me, we were going to all play together! I can't finish it alone and and…. " Mea sniffed and started crying .
" Stop crying! You are not a baby anymore! " said Tia angrily to her youngest sister .
" Leave her alone! You were crying last night! Saying it was all your fault! " screamed Aura to Tia.
" I wasn't crying! Take it back! " replied furiously Tia.
Amyla sighed tiredly before moving to stop the fight. She gave Tia and Aura a severe look while consoling Mea,
"It has to stop! What do you think Clarke would feel if she knew you were fighting because of her? You are angry? Worried? Sad? Good! I'm too but I'm using these feelings to help Clarke! Do the same! I don't have the time to pamper you if we want to save Clarke! I'm going to be too busy to take care of you, I need you to behave yourself! Do you understand me ? " said Amyla, her tone severe and formal.
The girls looked up to Amyla, a little scared, they knew they had gone too far, Amyla had never used this tone with them, it was her leader's tone, commanding and unforgiving, they quickly nodded their heads, too afraid to speak.
" Good! No more fights! Tia, don't feel guilty, you know Clarke wouldn't want that! She is proud to have saved you, please, honour her sacrifice! I want you to help each others when I'm not here! When it's getting tough you should support each others! Right now, except our clan, friends and family everyone is a potential enemy, don't let your guard down! Protect each others! Clarke will be home soon if you work with me, I want you to support me while I'm helping her, ok!?" said Amyla more gently .
The girls nodded their head with a serious expression on their faces showing they understood.
Amyla smiled a little at them and gave some quick orders to her men who were watching the girls, she didn't tell it but the message was pretty clear, if anything was to happen to her girls she would have their heads.
She said goodbye and took a walk to clear her mind, she had to prepare herself for the informal meeting with her sister, after the disastrous official meeting she hoped this one would go better.
Amyla sighed once again, it felt as if she had sighed an hundred times already. How could her sister, the Heda, the one who was chosen by the spirits, the best leader she ever knew, being gifted with a great mind, a fierce temper in battle and a incredible self control, become a moody teenager with her when they were alone? Could she stop screaming so much? At least her insults were imaginative and colourful. Maybe she gave her too much spankings when they were little? Maybe she was still mad at her for stealing wolfy, the wolf's toy their parents had given Lexa when they were little? Or maybe it was the pranks she played on her, like the time she tied her up in a tree and let her all day? Sighed, being a big sister wasn't easy, specially when your parents were often absent and she had to raise the little brat almost by herself until Lexa was chosen to be the Heda, well, maybe playing dead wasn't the best idea she had but at the time she didn't know what else to do. Ah, she finally seemed ready to talk without yelling,
" So, let's resume, you thought it was a good idea to play dead, like if it would do nothing to me, since I'm the Heda I don't have the right to have feelings after all, right? You have a wife who just threatened my life and should be killed, a wife who is not a grounder! You have daughters! I'm a aunt ", here she sounded a little happier but it quickly disappeared, " You are healing the Reapers and now have a small army ready to declare war with me if I execute your wife! You are not even sorry that she tried to kill me are you? " said a very angry Lexa.
" Lexa, you know Clarke a little, she will never have do it! But she can be a little too much…passionate when it comes to people she cares about. For her, family means a lot and you are now a part of this family by the way, sister in law. " said Amyla teasingly with a smirk. .
" What a family! We have to fix this! I don't want another war with the clans! I can do nothing! I have to be impartial and respect the laws as the Heda but Indra and Anya will help you for the negotiations, I will not let your wife be killed. If some leaders and generals are a problem, the same who were defying me and spreading rumours behind my back , we will take care of them, I have been too lenient lately, it's time to clean house. " said Lexa thinking more like the Heda, " once the mountain has fallen, I need the clans to stay unite , if not all at least most of them .The ice nation will not wait long before attacking us, the queen's regard doesn't fool me, she is more and more defiant, almost mocking. I need you by my side when it will happen! Not against me! " said passionately Lexa.
" If my wife is saved and you allow us a territory, recognize us as a new clan, honour your alliance with the Sky people who are our allies even if they are annoying, my mother in law isn't easy but there are some good people too, people that I now am proud to call friends, then, yes, I will fight by your side. My clan will fight by your side. I swear. " said solemnly Amyla.
Lexa gave a small smile to Amyla, " I'm happy to hear it and I'm glad to see you are alive. I really missed you. I would like to meet the girls as Lexa, your sister, not as Heda, I don't want them to be afraid. "
"Of course you can! Tia was unconscious in the tent, she didn't see your face and the others two have never seen you. For them the Heda measure two meters, has claws, is mi animal mi human and has never lost a battle, you know how the rumours can be. " said Amyla rolling her eyes.
Lexa laughed, " Yes, the children always believe in some fairytales about the Heda. We were the same when we were young, remember? "
" True! " laughed Amyla , " the first time we met him we were really disappointed! "
The ambiance was more relaxed, both sisters enjoying the little time they had together, making some small talks .
" So we start the operation 'cleaning house'. Officially, I'm waiting to execute Clarke because we have a spy in the mountain who refuse to help us if she is dead. I'm going to change the guards and make sure they treat her well, I couldn't do it before in front of my people without seeming weak . You are going to be my ambassador with Indra and Anya, you will travel to the clans we know could cause us some problems and do what you need to do. We have to be fast, every days the mountain men stay alive is an affront to us! We now have the mean to destroy them so let's not waste time. " said Lexa .
"You and your silly operations names, you haven't chanded!" said a smirking Amyla, then she became deadly serious, "but Lexa, I have to warn you, if anything was to happen to Clarke while I'm gone… " Amyla didn't finish her sentence, she didn't need to.
" You really love her don't you? I can see it in your eyes. You are just like me when I was with Costia... You were here for me when I was with Costia, when almost everyone around me was against it, you were ready to attack the Ice nation for my sake when we both knew we had no chance of wining, so yes, Clarke has nothing to worry about. I will do everything I can to protect her , I swear! " said solemnly Lexa.
Amyla looked in her sister' s eyes and could see no deception, relieved she smiled gently,
" You want to come with me and meet the girls? We could eat together, a little distraction would be good for them, they almost haven't eat and sleep since Clarke is ... " Amyla couldn't finish her sentence, it was still too raw.
" Yes, I'm coming. You have to eat and sleep too! You look exhausted. You can't help your wife like this, you have to stay healthy, to be strong if you really want to help her! " said Lexa severely.
Amyla sighed, who was the big sister again? " I know but ….let's just say the last days haven't been easy. I will take better care of myself, now I know what I have to do to help her, I have a goal. Come on, let's go see the girls. "
The girls were happy to meet another member of their family, the diner was enjoyable, Lexa was a lot more relaxed when she wasn't acting as the Heda. It made the girls forget about their troubles for a little time. Lexa had just left and Amyla was watching tenderly the girls sleeping, she was more emotional than usual since Clarke has been put in jail, just looking at the girls was almost enough to make her tear up. She stayed a long time just watching them sleep, knowing she had only one more day with them before leaving. She will talk to their friends tomorrow, she wanted to be sure that they will take good care of the girls during her absence.
Then, she tried to sleep, the nightmares keeping her on the verge of panic all night, the dreams were terrible. She couldn't go back to sleep after the last one, the blood, her wife's lifeless eyes...she sobbed silently, not wanting to wake up the girls and be seen by them.