Anya and Raven make a breakthrough in their relationship while Clarke, Lexa and Octavia try to understand Bellamy and his motives. Also, it seems that the war against Azgeda is coming sooner than expected?

Notes:

Hope you enjoy this chapter and that you're still with me when it comes to this story. Things are starting to move towards the climax!

Anya was frantically moving across the room, trying her best to keep herself composed and calm enough to await for news to come from her coven. After Miller interrupted the meeting with words of an attack from Azgeda, Clarke had decided to place Bellamy on a cell in order to focus on the actions done by Roan and Ontari. Not that they didn't believe that Azgeda could be capable of physically breaking the laws of the Coalition, but it didn't make that much sense for them to attack one of the strongest covens while preparing for a war with the Skaikru. For all they knew, it could very well be a trap to lure them all to Trikru territory and ambush them on their way there.

"I can feel your turmoil." Raven told Anya while slowly approaching her. "I'm sorry all of this is happening now."

"I knew we would we at war the moment Clarke banished Azgeda from the Coalition." Anya murmurs bitterly. "I just didn't expect them to retaliate so quickly. Besides, for them to reach our lands in such a short amount of time means that they had already planned to launch an attack way before the meetings between the covens started."

"Have you heard anything from your scouts?" the brunette hackers asks her softly.

"Not a single thing." the Trikru vampire whispers. "I know my coven is strong, but there are some villages that are not military prepared. They're the home of elders and children."

"Children?" Raven asks surprised but then remembers that the Trikru coven is mixed. "Of course, the families of the hunters..."

"Some villages are the home of the children, and they learn from our culture since we believe inclusion is the key to acceptance and respect."

"I hope nothing happened."

"Something did happen, I can feel it." Anya says brokenly. "It's too much of a coincidence that Bellamy tells us that Azgeda is planning attacks and then we get word on Azgeda attacking my coven."

"You think they're working together..." Raven realizes.

"It's either that or Bellamy managed to have someone inside Azgeda relaying this type of information to him. Anything could be possible with that vile man."

"Clarke must be considering the same things you're thinking about." the hacker says mostly to herself. "And knowing my friend as well as I do, if an attack on Trikru is confirmed then she won't kill Bellamy. She'll want to use him."

"And that also worries me." Anya tells her mate somberly. "Because based on all I have seen from him, what Bellamy wants is to be next to Clarke and Octavia no matter what."

"Don't let that discourage you." Raven gets close to her mate and immediately feels both of them relax. "You know Clarke, and you know she'll do everything to bring you and your coven the justice you deserve."

"I know that." the Trikru vampire promises her. "But I also know that Clarke must put the safety of the whole Coalition before the interests of her friends. That's one of the burdens that come with being a leader."

"I trust Clarke and I trust she'll find a way of being both a friend and a Queen."

"I hope so." Anya whispers and can feel Raven getting even closer to her. "What are you doing?" she asks.

"I just feel this need." Raven murmurs. "To get close to you. I feel calmer when I do so."

"But yesterday night..."

"I was upset..." the hacker admits. "But I can also sense how you evaluate things. It's like I have this deep connection now that allows me to see beyond your words and actions. You didn't say those things to Octavia out of malice or because it reminded them of me. You were honestly offended and angry with her for questioning your loyalty."

"Still..." she whispers brokenly. "It's the bond. Your inner self is feeing my distress and it wants to soothe and calm me." she smiles tightly at the hacker. "You don't have to do anything about it."

"But what if I want to?" the brunette asks surely.

"I would ask you to think it carefully because I would not be capable of seeing and feeling your touch as something insignificant." Anya whimpers brokenly. "It would mean everything."

"I want it to mean that Anya." Raven promises her. "I know that last time I reacted badly. No, scratch that, I was a complete bitch about it." she tells her mate. "But ever since that moment, all I have wanted is to feel close to you again. To have your skin on top of mine, your lips caressing mine." she starts to purr while moving her hands in front of them.

"Raven..." Anya closes her eyes and feels tears falling from her eyes. "Please don't kiss me if you're not ready to be with me."

"I won't." the brunette hacker closes her eyes and the distance between of them. "Because I'm tired of being afraid Anya. For all we know, a war will start soon between the covens. I don't want to go into it without having a good reason to not die."

"And am I a good enough reason?" the Trikru vampire whispers softly.

"You would be every reason." Raven promises her and kisses her mate on the lips, finally feeling everything she had denied herself of feeling many years ago.

"Is this really happening?"

"It is." she smiles brightly at her mate.

"And no regrets?"

"No regrets." she reassures Anya and continues kissing her lightly, making sure to not overwhelm her so much or confuse her desire to soothe and calm her with passion and lust.

Nevertheless, before things could even escalate, Raven feels her phone ring, which makes her groan bitterly in response. Separating from Anya with a soft kiss and promise, she quickly answers the call.

"Reyes." she says bored but immediately turns upright once she hears who it is.

"The messenger from Trikru has returned." Miller told her from the other line. "And it's not good news."

CLCLCLCL

"If you keep moving around the room like that you'll make me dizzy." Octavia tries to joke with her Queen but realizes how bitter the atmosphere around them feels like.

Lexa, who had remained silent after telling Clarke to put Bellamy in one of the cells, is looking outside the window calmly. Her mate, on the other hand, was the opposite; frantically pacing around the room completely distressed.

"I don't think this is the right time for jokes." Lexa warns her coldly.

"I'm sorry." the brunette vampire apologizes immediately. "I just don't know what to do. Or even think." she admits.

"We have been played yet again." Clarke says darkly. "Azgeda must have had an army near Trikru territory way before the meeting between covens started. They planned this."

"Perhaps it was a contingency plan were their attempt at overthrowing you failed." Lexa says. "What I can't understand yet is how Bellamy got involved in this. I just don't see Azgeda telling him about the army while they knew he was loyal to you."

"Because he has a mole inside Azgeda." Octavia realizes. "He must have one. I mean, he must have a contact who negotiated the poison for him."

"Like an intermediary of sorts?" Lexa asks. "Do you have those?"

"If we're not sure about the intentions of a vampire or mundane, we ask someone inside the coven to vouch for them. As a precaution." Clarke explains to her mate. "It would make sense for Bellamy to retain some of his contacts inside Azgeda."

"The question is who vouched for him and how he contacted the vampire that did so." Octavia murmurs bitterly. "Shit Clarke, we had him!"

"I know O..." the blonde says softly. "Trust me, I share your bitterness with our current situation."

"I'm assuming that based on what we know you will not execute Bellamy as planned." Lexa says calmly.

"I can't..." Clarke whispers brokenly. "If an attack on Trikru is confirmed then that proves our theory and perhaps we could use this to our advantage."

"Use Bellamy?" Octavia asks angrily. "Ever since he called me to come here all I have felt is that he's been the one using us."

"I've been thinking about that..." Lexa tells the two vampires who immediately stare at her. "Why did he even call you? I mean, you two were not talking at all, and if he wanted to get rid of me right from the start, why did he place you as an extra guardian? One that knew about his true self and would be completely against him?"

"At first I thought it was because he was honestly trying to keep Clarke safe." Octavia tells them surely. "But now I'm not so sure. Maybe he knew that by telling me that you were in danger I would abandon my self-exile and return to Skaikru."

"He didn't know where you were..." Clarke starts theorizing. "But he did have a way to contact you and used it in order to lure you to a place he knew well."

"You think he was hoping things would be fixed the moment he killed Lexa?" the brunette vampire asks shocked. "I saw him murder a vampire I loved! There's no way I could even be capable of forgiving him for doing that."

"Who could even know what Bellamy's mind is capable of thinking." Clarke says tersely. "Because although his motives are confusing, his plans and tricks are precise and clear."

"It seems like he's getting just what he wants from all of us." Lexa murmurs knowing that the two vampires in the room can hear her clearly. "The reactions from Azgeda, from Octavia, even from you." she says to Clarke. "He's the one moving the strings and creating a chain of reaction that may be the cause of a civil war between the covens."

"Pessimistic much?" Octavia says somberly.

"But she's right." Clarke closes her eyes. "And the more we allow him to see that he's getting away with things, the further his ego will be fed."

"So we'll kill him no matter what?"

"You know I can't do that if Trikru territories were attacked." the blonde explains. "Indra and Gustus would never forgive me for preventing her coven from getting retribution."

"So then we go to them and we tell them our plan." Lexa says surely. "It's not like we weren't planning on going there anyway."

"They'll be angry." the blonde explains to her mate. "They were just attacked and they may not be as understanding as we'll wish them to be. Not when it comes to their niece being bonded to the queen."

"My people." Lexa says because she knows that although she wasn't aware of their true nature they were still part of her coven. "Value strength and valor. We do not hide and we do not lie when it comes to our motives and our reasons. Doing so is not a part of our culture. My uncle and aunt, no matter how much the situation may displease them, will never undervalue that."

"So what you're saying then is that the moment we get confirmation from Anya's sources about the attack we should go to the Trikru coven?"

"The Coalition must show that they will not allow Azgeda to get away with this." Lexa explains to Octavia. "The moment they do Roan and Ontari will use that to their advantage and undermine Clarke's authority. We cannot let that happen if we wish to retain the Coalition."

"If we?" the brunette vampire raises her eyes questioningly.

"I'm bonded to the Queen of the Coalition, which means that I'm a part of your coven just as Clarke has become a part of mine." the brunette mundane stares softly at her mate. "Not only that, but based on what I have seen, being your mate means that after yours, my word is law?"

"Indeed." Clarke smiles softly at her mate and hugs her tightly. Once we completed our bond you immediately acquired this right. And everyone must respect it." she says mostly to Octavia who nods in understanding.

"You know our customs Clarke." the brunette vampire tells her. "You must give Lexa a mate bite that proves her relationship with you."

"A mate bite?" Lexa asks confused.

"It's a mark that shows that we're mated. It would ensure your position in our world." Clarke explains to her. "I didn't mention this before because doing so would mean that there's no turning back for you darling."

"Turning back?" Lexa laughs bitterly. "You really think, that after everything we've been through I would wish to leave you?"

"I was hoping not." the blonde smiles brightly at her. "But I still had to ask before biting you." she winks at her mate who blushes.

"So that's settled then." Octavia interrupts them before things get deeper. "We still need to decide about Bellamy."

"We take Bellamy with us to Trikru." Lexa says immediately.

"What?!" Octavia asks loudly. "So that he can escape on the way there, perhaps with the help of an Azgeda ambush?!"

"Do you trust to just leave him here without us? We can't know who to trust or who is conspiring with Azgeda." Lexa shrugs. "Although it's also a risk to take him out, there is a higher probability of him buying his way out of this cell."

"I guess you're right." Octavia murmurs bitterly. "So what happens after we reach Trikru land?"

"We go straight to my aunt and uncle and tell them what's been happening. I know they will aid you immediately, especially after Azgeda attacked them. Jus drein jus daun."

"Blood must have blood." Clarke translates for Octavia. "And since the Azgeda attacked a member of the Coalition then that means that all the covens can ally to respond to the threat."

"So we launch a joint attack just like that?" Octavia asks. "That will cause many casualties and it may take months, along with the fact that people would notice."

"Of course not. By then we will use Bellamy's source inside Azgeda so we can learn about their attacks and weapons." Lexa says surely. "That's why we must also take Bellamy with us! Once he tells us all he knows he no longer holds any value and we can kill him."

"All of this is sounding way too easy." the brunette vampire says solemnly. "Which means that the plan won't probably work like that."

"But it's the only one we have." Clarke tells her friend. "Because as far as we're aware, allowing Bellamy to roam freely will only cause us harm. It's dangerous and risky, but I can't see another way out of this. We must take Bellamy with us."

"That of course if Trikru was indeed attacked." Octavia reminds them. "Because it could also be possible that we're being tricked."

"I don't think so." Lexa tells them. "I think that while he's been playing with us, all his threats and plans have not been fabricated. Why start now, and based on something as sporadic and unreliable as the Azgeda?"

Clarke needed to consider all of the possibilities, and while she hated to wait and permit casualties to increase by doing nothing, she knew that she had Lexa's and Anya's support. Nevertheless, it still didn't please her that if the attack on the Trikru coven was real it meant that Bellamy had information that they could use, which meant that she couldn't kill him like she wanted to do. One thing Clarke had learned during her time as Queen was that the longer she allowed an enemy to stay alive, the more damage they could do to her. Besides, a person that knew that they had nothing else to lose became a liability and Bellamy had already reached that point of no return. His plan had been discovered, he was captured and yet he was calm and composed. That to Clarke could only mean that he was expecting to either be rescued or released in exchange for the information he could give them.

That was it.

"Clarke..." Lexa whispers while touching her face. "Where were you?"

"I know what Bellamy wants." she simply says and jumps in front of Lexa when she hears steps coming towards them.

"It's Raven and Anya." Octavia relaxes from her position and watches the way the Trikru vampire is determinedly walking towards them.

"A messenger from the Trikru has arrived." she says solemnly to Clarke and they all realize that Anya is taking refuge behind her position as Captain. "Word has come of an attack against one of our villages, TonDc. 10 people were killed; three hunters and seven children."

"Oh no..." Lexa whispers brokenly while hiding her face.

"What's wrong?" Clarke asks her mate immediately when she feels Lexa's turmoil.

"That's where my cousin Lincoln lives."

"I know..." Anya promises her. "And I already checked with the messenger. Lincoln is alright."

"Thank God." the brunette mundane whispers completely relieved. "I was so worried."

"Bastards." Octavia roars.

"Has the party responsible for the attack been identified?" Clarke asks bitterly while keeping the mundane close to her.

"It was Azgeda." Anya murmurs darkly. "By the time our vampires reached the village, most of them had already escaped apart from one that was injured by one of the deceased hunters. The vampire had scars on his face."

"That's Azgeda all right." Octavia says bitterly while facing Clarke and Lexa. "So what now?"

"We will do as planned." the blonde vampire murmurs solemnly. She then turns to look at Raven. "I want messengers to leave immediately to the rest of covens with the message that Azgeda has broken Coalition law and that their Queen is asking them to honor their word."

"Yes Domina." Raven replies immediately and quickly takes her phone out to call and barge orders.

"Anya..." Clarke turns around to look at her friend.

"I know what you will say." Anya interrupts her bitterly. "We must let the bastard live so he can tell us what he knows."

"Indeed." she tells her friend sadly. "But, he will come with us to TonDc where we'll meet with Indra and Gustus."

"You'll come to TonDc with the prisoner?! That's a terrible idea."

"He has managed to turn people from Skaikru's elite army. We can't trust anyone apart from us." Lexa is the one that speaks. "Besides, you know what our laws would demand. Justice and retribution for the crime done against our people."

"Jus drein jus daun." Anya murmurs darkly. She looks at Clarke. "Does this mean that once we extract the information from him you'll give him to Trikru?"

"Yes." Clarke promises her friend. "The moment he speaks he'll be yours to do as you wish."

"And are you ok with this?" the Trikru vampire asks Octavia. "I'm certain you must have heard about our rituals when it comes to murderers and traitors."

"Death by a thousand cuts." Octavia says simply. "I've seen the ritual once. And the man responsible for all that is happening has not been my brother for a very long time."

"Good." Anya responds bitterly. "And what about you?" she asks Lexa. "Are you ready to willingly send a man to his death?"

"I'm ready to do whatever it takes to protect my mate and our family. If that means killing Bellamy then I'm certainly ok with it." Lexa promises her friend.

"The messenger are leaving Arkadia as we speak." Raven tells them solemnly. "What was that I heard about taking Bellamy with us to TonDc?"

"We decided to go to the village where we'll deliver Bellamy to the Trikru so he can be judged by their laws." Clarke explains to the hacker. "But not before figuring out who his mole inside Azgeda is."

"Makes sense. Won't be easy to subdue and make Bellamy follow us though."

"He will follow if he believes that he will be freed the moment he tells us what we need to know." the blonde vampire tells them.

"And how will you make that happen, especially if he asks you to make a blood oath?" Raven questions her yet again.

"What is a blood oath?" Lexa interrupts them. "Because I don't like the way that sounds."

"It's a promise done between two vampire that cannot be broken. If it is broken then the vampire responsible for it immediately exsanguinates and dies." Anya tells her friend.

"And you'll do that with Bellamy, consciously knowing that you'll have to break your word to set him free once you arrive to Trikru?!" the brunette questions her mate's sanity.

"He'll believe that he's safe the moment we make the oath. And although I cannot break the deal, I know someone who can..." she smiles brightly at her mate who understands what Clarke is trying to say.

"Ok, so it seems that Lexa understands." Raven says confused. "But I sure as hell don't."

"Well, the rules of our Coalition argue that our Domina's word is the absolute law. No one can backtrack or question or change it unless the Domina is physically or psychologically incapable of doing so and has publicly legitimized her bond with her soulmate." Clarke argues.

"You cheeky bastard!" Anya is the one that says and all the people in the room are surprised at her outburst. "That law was made so it could be almost impossible to break."

"Lucky for us, Lexa helped me realize that there's a huge loophole in it. We never mentioned that blood oaths are out of spoken or written law." the blonde vampire smiles darkly.

"Which means that we'll finally be capable of tricking Bellamy." Octavia murmurs excitedly.

"Was that what you realized earlier?" Lexa asks her knowingly.

"Maybe." she smiles dashingly at her mate.

"So clever." the mundane purrs while getting close to Clarke who embarrassedly whimpers. "So sexy."

"Ok, you insatiable creatures..." Raven says loudly. "Delegate things so we can leave the room and that way you can start having crazy hot sex."

"Really?" Anya closes her eyes in apprehension. "Do you have to be so crude?"

"Do you have to be so prude?" she retorts quickly.

"Ok." Clarke manages to say while being kissed by Lexa who has suddenly lost her shyness. "Raven, I want you to start preparing everything for our trip. Spare no expense. Also, keep it need to know basis."

"Sure thing boss."

"Anya... Please warn Indra and Gustus about our trip. Send her my condolences and tell her of my proposition to deliver them the traitor responsible for the attack."

"What about them knowing of your relationship?"

"I guess we'll tell them the moment we arrive together." Lexa murmurs.

"You know Indra doesn't like surprises."

"Maybe she'll have to suck this one up." the mundane says a little angrily and immediately feels bad. "I'm sorry."

"I understand." Anya reassures her.

"And Octavia..." Clarke says after making sure that Lexa was alright. "I want you to be the one giving Bellamy the news."

"What?!" Octavia asks disgusted. "Why me?!"

"Because of that." Lexa is the one that tells her. "He'll believe you the moment he sees your reaction. Besides, in order for him to believe you you could beat him a little. For both of us?" she smiles at the vampire who nods in agreement.

"Good. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning after our announcement." Clarke says surely. "One that will be done right after Bellamy and I make our deal and possibly without him being in the vicinity."

"That can be arranged." Raven promises them. "The man was disgustingly dirty."

"Then I guess that's all." the blonde vampire dismisses them and immediately turns around to grab Lexa tightly. "Oh no dear." she whispers seductively. "You and I, we're not done."

"We're not?" Lexa purrs warmly.

"Oh no..." Clarke takes her tongue out and slowly likes the mundane's lips, earning herself an encouraging growl in response. "In fact, we haven't even started yet."

"Then take me to bed and start, Domina." she says and immediately feels herself being carried out of the conference room.