Lexa woke up slowly, her eyes blurrily opening to see Clarke's bed empty. She sat up abruptly and looked around the dark room before soft laughter met her ears. Clarke emerged from the bathroom with a smile on her face at Lexa's ruffled hair and her confused face.

"You fell asleep while I was getting ready for bed," she said, walking over and sinking into the covers.

"My apologies Clarke," Lexa yawned.

"Why do you sleep in the chair? It is not good for your body to be so uncomfortable every night."

"You have slept in my presence peacefully." Lexa looked at her as if the answer was obvious. "This chair is better than the ground we are used to, yes?"

"Yeah the chair is a step up from the floor but still. You must have a large bed of your own."

"I don't see how the height affects my sleep," Lexa said, a look of absolute bewilderment on her face.

Clarke laughed as the look on Lexa's face became haughty.

"Step up is a phrase my people use. It means better. The chair is better than the ground. Stop looking so offended, I'm not making fun of you."

Clarke reached over and fluffed up the pillow beside her, pulling back the covers. The unspoken meaning was clear and Lexa's body tensed slightly. Her mind was at war, fighting the idea that she would want nothing more than to share a bed with the beautiful blonde before her, but love is weakness.

"There is plenty of room for us both. And if you insist on staying beside me then I insist on ensuring your comfort." Clarke could see the hesitation, the trepidation in Lexa's eyes.

"I would never invite myself into your bed Clarke." Lexa's voice was soft. Though the intent was innocent, the meaning behind the words was clear. Lexa would wait. She would wait until Clarke was ready.

Clarke nodded. "I am inviting you Lexa."

Moments later the girls found themselves laying down side-by-side, bodies close enough to feel the warmth from one another but not touching. There was a subtle tug in Clarke's chest, the same pull she felt each time she was near the Commander, but in this moment it was stronger than it had ever been.

"Os sheidgada Clarke. Goodnight." With that Lexa rolled over on her side, her back to Clarke as she let sleep take her over.

Morning

Clarke opened her eyes, gradually taking in the room around her. There was warmth across her stomach and against her side that she was unaccustomed to feeling. As she looked down she saw a tanned arm draped across her and a blush colored her cheeks.

She glanced over to the sleeping form next to her, taking in the smooth, tan skin and the full lips of the Commander. Her face was pressed into the pillow, her hair wild. The urge to reach out and trace the Commander's jaw nearly overcame Clarke as she sighed.

The fact that the almighty and powerful Commander was sleeping next to her, arm draped across Clarke's body to keep her close and keep her safe all in one was endearing to say the least. For Lexa to show this much vulnerability to Clarke said a lot. Lexa refused to show anyone else this vulnerable side, and for Clarke to see it now was a power unto its own.

"Lexa," Clarke murmured, lightly shaking the sleeping woman next to her. "Lexa wake up. It's time to get up."

Lexa growled as she was roused from her sleep, moving further into Clarke and burying her head deeper into her pillow. Clarke could barely make out the words "don't" and "want" during Lexa's movement. Laughing, Clarke began to move out of bed and away from Lexa to get ready, but the half-asleep woman beside her obviously had other plans as she latched onto Clarke and mumbled something along the lines of stay.

"Who knew that the big bad Commander was so hard to get out of bed," she teased. "Come on Lexa, time to move."

After about an hour, the two were dressed for the day and ready to go. They ate a quick breakfast in the banquet hall, Clarke shuddering as they entered.

Once they made their way out of the grand home, Lexa mounted her black steed, looking down at Clarke on the ground below.

"Would you prefer your own horse?" she asked.

When Clarke shook her head, Lexa reached an arm down and helped Clarke mount before beginning their trek down to the city. The feeling of Lexa so close was becoming natural for the both of them, a similar pull felt by each.

In the city

As they rode through, Lexa questioned Clarke about her life on the Ark and the ways of her people. She explained some of the customs and rules of the city and of her people. They exchanged stories, bantering back and forth the entire ride.

"I want to learn the ways of your people," Clarke said as they dismounted.

Lexa agreed to teach her their ways, their weapons, their politics. She walked Clarke to the blacksmith's shop they had visited a few nights prior before gesturing for Clarke to choose her first weapon of choice. Clarke walked around, smiling at the overly excited vendor who seemed beyond honored that both his heda and the Skai Heda were buying his weapons.

Clarke ended up choosing the bow and arrow and Lexa made sure to pay the vendor more than the bow itself cost. Lexa took Clarke out to a clearing where targets were set up in rows and began to show her the basics of the bow.

Lexa called for someone to bring her own bow and so they stood, practicing archery until Clarke was consistently hitting the target. She was tired but proud as she smiled at Lexa and thanked her for her help. Villagers had come and gone throughout their session, cheering for them both.

Lexa arranged for some of her best warriors and teachers to work with Clarke for the next month, helping her learn the ways of their people. She was to learn to understand the language better, learn to fight with their weapons, and she was to learn more about the Trikru culture. Lexa was sure that Clarke would benefit from learning these things, especially since she was still wary of the Skaikru leadership while Clarke was gone.

Over the course of the next month, Clarke spent every waking moment immersed in her training and teachings. She could now understand a lot of what was said to her by the grounders, and she was a fierce warrior who soon began to develop a reputation for it. Her fighting style was light and fast, and her trainers helped her perfect the ways in which she moved and struck. She was a fast learner, and in a mere month, she was able to best many of Lexa's warriors.

All who saw her fight came to know Clarke as the Trikova Gona, the shadow warrior. It was a term of endearment for the grounders, and even the warriors soon came to respect her more than they had.

"You fight well Clarke," a voice spoke from behind her.

Clarke turned, her eyes meeting the deep green orbs she had come to love. They had spent every night together for her stay here in Polis, the walls between them gradually crumbling to the ground. Lexa was discovered to be an affectionate person behind closed doors, but she remained respectful and it was only in sleep when her inhibitions were lax that Clarke was closest to her. They had not kissed since the moment in Lexa's tent that long while ago, but the pull between them was getting harder to resist.

"Thank you," Clarke smiled. "I've grown fond of the nickname they gave me. They say I fight like a shadow."

"Hard to touch, agile, yet constantly everywhere you need to be. It is a great title, it honors you." Lexa smiled her usual tug of the lips smile.

"Ge smak daun, gyon op nodotaim," Clarke smirked. "Get knocked down, get back up again."

"I would like to allow you reprieve from your training. Will you join me?"

Clarke nodded, slightly confused but trusting the Commander to have something good in mind. They mounted Lexa's horse before riding back up to their home. Once inside, Lexa led Clarke over to the one room she had yet to go into: Lexa's room.

Clarke simply gaped at the room once she followed Lexa through the door, her eyes unable to rest on anything for too long. Lexa's room was in itself a work of art. There was a wall of weapons and maps, some of which were even stained with blood. The maps were marked with tallies, much like the tallies that the warriors wore to mark their kills in battle.

On another wall, the largest bed that Clarke had ever seen stood tall and proud, it's frame a dark elegant masterpiece of carved wood. Clarke wondered how the Commander could have ever chosen a mere chair over this bed, though in the back of her mind she knew exactly why Lexa had preferred the chair.

On the far right wall there was a massive bookshelf, completely filled with old books, maps, and reports. Clarke even managed to recognize a few of the books from her time on the Ark. Old world classics as they were called.

On the last and final wall, the wall to the far left, was a double glass door, leading out to a large balcony. There was an easel outside, along with a chair facing the forest below. From the balcony, Clarke could see for miles, vast expanses of wilderness and land stretching out to the horizon.

"You mentioned your drawings on the Ark, times when you would imagine the ground. Now you can draw it from experience."

Clarke's eyes went wide as she spun around to a shifting Lexa whose cheeks were beautifully tinged pink. Clarke didn't even hesitate to cross the room and throw her arms around the Commander's neck, enveloping her in a tight hug. Lexa's arms hung still at her side, surprise evident on her face and in the stiffness of her body. As Clarke was about to pull away, she felt strong arms encircle her in an embrace. Clarke whispered her thanks as the Commander reveled in the feeling of such intimacy.

Once they let go, both sets of cheeks were reddened and their gazes anywhere but on one another. Clarke couldn't help but wonder when the last time Lexa had felt such physicality with someone was. Was it Costia? Were there others that Lexa had claimed as her own? Was she even ready to be with Lexa? There were parts of her mind that were feebly arguing the matter, claiming Finn and the death brought on by the Commander were reason enough not to give in to her feelings. But the rush of blood to her cheeks and ears, the incessant pull that Clarke felt to be close to Lexa, and the electricity that sparked each time that Lexa touched her drowned those voices out.

"How many women have you taken to your bed Lexa?" Clarke avoided her eyes, uncertainty coating her tongue.

Lexa brought a gentle finger to Clarke's chin, guiding her face back up so that she could meet Clarke's strikingly blue eyes once more.

"None," she murmured.

Surprise flitted across Clarke's face, her mind going blank as she searched for something, anything to say in response.

"In Trikru culture we do not take more than one mate. Our spirits find the spirit of our one true mate and that is whom we are destined to be with. Those who attempt to take more than one are exiled. It is a high crime." Lexa smiled ruefully at Clarke who appeared troubled. "They say there is a strong tie between bound spirits. A gravitational pull stronger than that of the stars themselves."

The air between them was thick with tension and anticipation as Clarke drew in a shaky breath.

"What are the ways of your people Clarke?"

"We do not share the same beliefs, though the idea of a soulmate, the one true mate, is something we believe in also. Though it is more of a myth than a real thing. We believe it is normal to date multiple people, even sleep with others, before we find the person we wish to marry. It is not as romantic as the ways of your people."

"Have you taken others to your bed," Lexa asked, the hurt lacing her words before she even knew the answer.

Clarke, who could not bring herself to say it out loud, merely nodded. Shame was evident on her features. Lexa closed her eyes abruptly, squeezing them closed as she took in a sharp and shaky breath. She took a step back, turning her back to Clarke.

Clarke watched her, worried that she had just ruined everything there was between her and the Commander. She took a step forward, cautiously placing her hand on Lexa's shoulder.

"Lexa," she breathed. "It didn't mean anything to me. Our ways are different. It was for pleasure not love, I would take it back if I could." Her voice was pleading as she slowly turned Lexa back around to face her.

The Commander's eyes were red rimmed and her cheeks wet and streaked with the burning path of fresh tears. Clarke's heart stopped in that moment, jolting back to life with a painful thud in her chest. Every ounce of her being ached to make Lexa's pain disappear, to wash out the memory of Lexa's hurt expression that would be forever ingrained in her mind.

"Who," Lexa whispered, her voice so broken that Clarke's own eyes wet her cheeks as well.

"Finn."

Lexa's eyes hardened, anger consuming her entire body, hatred fueling the newfound energy that coursed through her veins. Clarke looked alarmed at this sudden change in Lexa's demeanor.

Placing both her hands on Lexa's cheeks she forced Lexa to look at her.

"Lexa, Finn is dead. I killed him. Sleeping with him… It was a mistake and we both know it. Look at me. I slept with him before I understood what it means to truly love someone. I feel it too Lexa. There is something pulling me to you, forcing me to recognize you and care for you more than I ever thought possible."

"Os keryon laik teina. Our souls are entwined," Lexa said.

"Promise me you won't hold onto this. Promise me."

"It is past. But make no mistake Clarke. You are my spirit's chosen. I cannot and will not ever seek another. If you choose to leave me I will let you go. But if anyone makes an attempt on you while you remain my chosen, they will pay the price. "

Clarke smiled before her eyes flitted down to Lexa's lips. Green eyes met blue as Clarke looked up again and the tension that filled the space between them became alive with energy. The connection that pulled them ever closer tugged harder on their souls, resistance only adding to its strength.

Subconsciously they moved closer to one another, both sets of eyes now focused on full lips. As their lips touched, both girls were enveloped by a strange electric shock that coursed through their bodies, while simultaneously feeling a sense of familiarity and comfort. It was as if their lips were meant to be together, molded perfectly to accompany the other. The pull was no longer active, placated by the feeling of closeness and the sense of home they both felt.

Clarke allowed her arms to wrap around Lexa's neck as their kiss deepened, Lexa's hands finding refuge on Clarke's waist. Lips moving together as one, the girls reveled in the taste and feeling of one another.

As Lexa moved to pull Clarke harder against her body, there was a loud banging against the door and a voice yelling for the Heda to come quickly. They broke apart, faces flushed and hearts beating rapidly against their chests, a silent promise exchanged between the two of them to continue later.

Once Outside

Lexa and Clarke had been frantically escorted outside by the guards upon learning that there was an army directly outside of Polis' walls declaring that they were ready to wage war.

With a small army of warriors behind them, Lexa and Clarke rode to the front gate of Polis, ready to meet the enemy with a promise of war. Once they got closer Clarke and Lexa both recognized the black armor and weapons of the challengers.

"Clarke?" a voice called out.

"Mom?" Clarke responded, taking in the sight of the entire Ark army at the gates of her new home.