Her words were met with silence, as if no one expected her to accept so calmly. The leaders that had eyed her with distrust before were now watching her curiously as though she had done something interesting. Drake was watching her intently, head slightly to the side wondering if the young blonde leader had something up her sleeve. Titus looked pleased at the turn of events, Lexa however felt as if the world had just fallen apart at her feet ... There was hardly any chance of Clarke winning this with only two weeks weapon training. Now her decision to harm Nia didn't seem worth it ... Not now that it was Clarkes life that was hanging by a thread.
Nia was the first to speak. "How does it feel knowing that your going to die Wanheda?"
"Everyone's journey has to end at some point Nia, the fact that you think there's a chance that it will be you that ends mine shows your delusions are only getting worse with age."
The Ice Queens face hardened at the words, pure hate filling her face as she uttered her next words hoping to unsettle the sky princess. "I will make sure you die a slow and painful death girl, you will beg me for mercy and i shall deny it and when I'm satisfied you have received everything you deserve i will slit your throat and watch while you choke on your own blood." She finished with a bitter laugh.
"Yeah because that worked out so well for you last time." Clarke replied cockily. The threats she had received from Nia last time were pretty much the same and it was getting kind of boring.
Laughter echoed around the hall, Drake and Claudia were grinning openly at her remark along with a few others, one or two of the leaders didn't look amused ... Lexa included. She was staring intently at the blonde and when she spoke her tone of voice left little doubt that she expected to be obeyed. "That's enough! ... This needs to be discussed in more detail ... Clarke is not skilled enough for it to be a fair fight ...she will pick a champion." She emphasized warning Clarke with her eyes that refusal was not an option.
Clarke caught the look but was going to ignore it, she had to do this ... Asking someone else to fight for her would make her look weak, before she could speak up however Titus stepped forward drawing everyone's attention. "Commander ... Wanheda has already accepted the challenge and the terms, this can not be undone ... Its our law-"
Lexa rounded on him angrily, silencing him with a glare. "This meeting is suspended." She hissed. "Things need to be discussed and explained to the Ambassador of the Sky People ... The meeting will resume in an hour."
"No!" Nia exclaimed. "She has accepted in front of many witnesses ... You can not save her now Commander." She stated with a look of victory on her face, she had already won and she knew Lexa knew it, the suffering Clarke's death would cause made it all the sweeter.
The truth of the Ice Queens words caused Heda's body to stiffen and her hand drifted unconciously to the handle of her weapon, the urge to draw it and end the pathetic life before her was overwhelming and then Clarke would be safe.
As if hearing her thoughts Titus stepped forward blocking their view of eachother and spoke. "The Commander has spoken ... This meeting is over for now, you will all be notified of any further meetings."
Everybody stood and two guards stepped forward to escort Nia from the room while the other Ambassadors began speaking amongst themselves, a few nodding towards Clarke respectfully before they left, others ignoring her completely. Her eyes met Lexa's and she saw anger there knowing this wasn't going to end well she leant towards the guard nearest to her.
"Can you wake Connor and ask him to meet me here as soon as possible please?"
The guard merely nodded and left without a word, she hoped it wouldn't take long because she wasn't looking forward to being left alone in Lexa's company, she could sense a big lecture coming her way.
Drake crossed the room and smiled gently at the blonde. "That was extremely brave of you Wanheda."
Clarke shrugged dismissively. "I don't see that I had much of a choice."
"We always have a choice ... You chose to be brave and face your fears head on instead of running and letting someone else take on the responsibility this is part of being a true leader to your people." He said wisely.
Clarke quirked an eyebrow at his choice of words. "You think I'm afraid?"
"It is your first battle is it not? Against an experienced fighter ... You have a minimal amount of time to train yourself ... Yes i think you are afraid."
Clarke decided not to confirm or deny it, at the moment she didn't feel anything but a strange sort of calmness.
"The Commander does not seem very happy with your decision though." He continued. Clarke followed his gaze and see Lexa talking to Claudia, her face void of any expression but her body betrayed her mood, her shoulders were tense, her hand was still on the handle of her sword and her eyes kept flicking to Clarke every few seconds obviously waiting for her chance to talk to the blonde.
"Yeah." She agreed. "I was hoping to slip out with Connor before she had a chance to interrogate me about this but it looks like her conversation is about to come to an end."
"I'll do my best to distract her for as long as possible." He said quietly with a wink before walking towards the brunette.
Five uncomfortable minutes passed as she watched Drake engage Lexa in conversation even though it was obvious the Commander had no desire to talk with him by the way she was slowly edging towards Clarke before he bought up another subject, relief flooded through her when she noticed Connor striding towards her looking tired but confused, she quickly caught Lexa's eye and nodded respectfully before walking toward her bodyguard ignoring the look of warning Lexa had shot at her.
"What's going on?" Connor asked as they made their way back to her room. "The Commander looks pissed."
"Nia pointed out to everyone that me and my people weren't in the Coalition at the time she abducted and tortured me ... Then she forced me to prove my worth by challenging me to a fight to the death." She replied in a tone that suggested they were talking about nothing more than the weather.
Connor blew out a breath and ran his hand through his already sleep tousled hair. "Shit."
"It wasn't completely unexpected Chihuahua." She grinned openeing the door to her room, surprised when he followed her instead of waiting outside the door, clearly the conversation wasnt over.
"You knew this would happen?" He said half accusingly and half question.
"No not for certain ... But it was a possibility. ... First rule of chess, try to anticipate your opponents next move and plan accordingly."
"So thats why you had me teach you the basic-"
"Yep." she replied popping the p. "And I'm hoping you'll teach me the rest, I have two weeks until I have to face her."
"I ... Well ... I mean yeah of course I will ... If Heda allows it obviously."
"Why wouldn't she? ... Are you secretly crap at the more complex moves chihuahua? ... All bark and no bite?" She teased.
"No ... She just may want to teach you herself."
Clarke shook her head. "She seems pretty pissed off with me, I doubt she will want to spend much time in my-" Before she could finish her sentence the door burst open and Lexa stormed in, rage seemed to radiate from every inch of her body, she only had eyes for Clarke ignoring Connor's presence completely.
"Do you have any idea what you have done?" She seethed talking through gritted teeth.
Raising her eyebrows at the question and the tone her own anger surfaced, she wasnt an idiot and she didnt appreciate being spoken to like one. She had done what she believed was for the best. "Yes funnily enough i was there." She replied sarcastically.
"Now is not the time to push me Clarke." Lexa said her voice dangerously low. "Your about to enter a fight you have no chance of winning especially not with only two weeks of training! You have done nothing but ensure your death and Nia's freedom."
"Four weeks." Clarke replied calmly.
"What?"
"Four weeks training, what did you think me and Connor were doing while you've been busy?"
Lexa acknowledged the bodyguard for the first time. "You have been teaching her to fight?" She asked outraged. Why was she not consulted on this? She had told him anything to do with Clarke had to be reported back to her.
"Just the basics ... She said she was bored and it would pass the time." He said nervously.
At least she now knew where the blondes new bruises were coming from.
"Her footwork is almost perfect Commander and she has potential. ... She learns extremely quickly, she became skilled in the basics in less than a week."
Heda raised a hand to silence him, she didnt want to hear any of this it made no difference ... Not when the Ice Queen was the opponent.
"Two weeks or four it makes no difference! Nia is skilled and a dirty fighter ... It was a stupid decision! You believe you can win against someone that has over thirty years of experience againt your four weeks? You will retract your acceptance and a champion will be chosen to fight in your place."
"No, i need to do this! How else am i going to earn enough respect to keep my people safe from further attacks? This is my only option and you know it."
Lexa was quiet for a moment. "I will be your champion ... When they see the lengths i will go to protect you and your people they wont dare move against you." She said in a tone that warned this was not a request, then she turned to leave before her anger exploded.
Clarke's dreams flashed through her mind, Lexa trying to help and losing her life in the process, she couldnt let that happen. She had heard that the Commander was extremely skilled but all it took was one lucky strike from Nia and the brunette would lose her life in a battle that wasn't even hers to fight.
"I won't accept you as my champion." Clarke stated at the retreating figure.
"Its not up for discussion." Lexa growled stopping in er tracks.
"Your right its not." The blonde replied stubbornly. "I wont let you die for me."
Lexa balled her hands into fists and tried to control her breathing. "Connor ... Leave."
Panic flashed across his face briefly. He did not want to disobey his leader or have her angry at him but Clarke had become a close friend and he didnt want to risk her being hurt in a moment of anger ... He had never seen Heda this furious before. Rage filled eyes met his own at his hesitation, Clarke laid her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Its ok ... I'll be fine. Meet me at the training ground in half an hour so we can begin?"
He nodded in agreement and turned to leave throwing them both one last look, hoping they sorted this out amicably.
He was barely out the door before Lexa rounded on Clarke. "You will listen to me , you have no chance of defeating the Ice Queen and if you think you do your the one who is delusional. I will not allow you to fight ... I will not stand there and watch you die."
"You don't know for sure that i will lose-"
"And you can't know for sure that you will win!" She shouted. "Your life is more important than earning anyones respect! Stop acting like a stubborn child and do as your Commander demands!"
"Lexa i'm sorry but you're not going to change my mind so stop trying."
The brunette resisted the urge to grab Clarke and shake some sense in to her but instead she dug the heels of her hands in to her eyes as if it would help keep her temper in but it didn't work. "I will keep you in this room if i have to! You wont train and you wont be able to fight!"
"Then my death will be on your conscience because i am going to face her in two weeks." Clarke replied raising her chin in defiance.
It was like a flip had been switched, the word death had filled her with fury as the images of Clarke dead flashed through her mind, one moment Lexa was forcibly calm and then she was like a woman possesed. She punched the wall leaving a fist shaped hole in it, she then proceeded to trash everything in the room screaming her anger as she did. Chairs were thrown and smashed ...the table lay in pieces ...curtains torn from the windows ... cushions ripped in half, Clarke saw the Commanders true strength as she picked up the bed and threw it across the room where the wood smashed against the wall an old chest of drawers following it. When there was nothing left to destroy Lexa took her anger out on the walls until her hands became numb and bloody.
Again Nia was trying to take away something so precious to her, they had only just shown that they had feelings for eachother and now she was on the verge of losing the woman who had made her feel again. Footsteps sounded towards her and a hand was running up her back softly but she moved away from it. "Stay away Clarke." She warned.
For the first time Clarke was wary of Lexa and backed away, she knew the brunette must be hurting about her decision and she had made it obvious that she certainly didnt understand it but Clarke knew it was the right one she couldnt back down ... Not now.
"Your hands are bleeding." She said stating the obvious. "You should get them seen to."
"And what happens when your injuries cant be tended to Clarke?" She responded without missing a beat. "When your laying dead on the ground before me ... What am i supposed to do then?" Lexa whispered trying and failing to keep her voice from shaking, the image of it popping into her mind again and she hugged herself tightly.
Clarke was more than shocked when Lexa had begun trashing everything around her but she was even more surprised at the vunerability that had shown itself with that sentence and the way the Commander was practically begging her with her eyes not to do this, she was tempted to do anything she asked as long as it got rid of the hurt look on her face ... But she couldn't. ... She needed to do everything in her power to keep her people safe.
The best she could do was be as truthful as possible with her. "Lexa ... I can't promise that i won't die." She swallowed nervously at the admission. "I can't promise I won't fail but I can promise that I'm doing what i believe is right and that I will push myself harder than i ever have in my life to learn all i can from Connor ... Trust me i'm not going in to this blind, on the ark we had a few fencing lessons, i know its not completely the same as the way you fight on the ground but its similar and the instructor said i was a natural ... Ive already learnt more from Connor and you heard him yourself i'm a quick learner ... if you think about it all this is an advantage."
Lexa scoffed. "You playfighting with blunt ended weapons is not an advantage Clarke ... Stop kidding yourself."
"I meant Nia obviously thinks the same as you ... And probably everyone else ... I'm a girl from the sky with no fighting skills about to battle someone more experienced ... She will be underestimating me, she doesn't know i have previous experiences ... She doesn't know how much ive already learnt."
Lexa was impressed at Clarke's thinking ... Nia's ego wouldn't let her believe Clarke had any chance at beating her ... It would be unnerving for her if Clarke showed decent skill in battle ... Maybe even get her angry which could cause her to make mistakes ... But something was niggling at the back of her mind ...
"You knew this was going to happen." Lexa said ... It wasn't a question ... "You knew what she was going to do ... Thats why you asked Connor to train you ... It had nothing to do with boredom. Why didn't you come to me with these suspicions? ... We could of come up with something else! ... A plan where you didn't have to risk getting yourself killed!"
Clarke didn't even bother denying anything. "It was my problem Lexa ..."
"Dont even finish that sentence, you should of trusted me enough to confide in me."
For the third time Lexa made Clarke feel incredibly guilty, she stepped forward in to her personal space slowly in case she still didn't want her near her, when the brunette said nothing Clarke stepped closer still and gently took the bleeding hands in to her own. A shudder ran the length of the Commanders spine at the one small touch. Lust and desire pushing away some ofnthe anger.
"I do trust you." The blonde whispered. "... I just didn't want to burden you with this ..."
The Commander closed her eyes and rested her head against Clarkes before speaking softly. "Did last night not prove how much you mean to me? I cant lose you ... not now."
Clarkes heart thudded harder against her ribs at the mention of their night of passion, she smiled and bit down on her bottom lip at the memories. "Look on the bright side of all of this ... I have to stay at least another two weeks ... And i also think you kicked the shit out of my room so i would have to stay in yours." She teased. She knew it was a time to be serious but they had said all there was to say on the subject, she was going to fight Nia and nothing was going to change her mind, right now she just wanted that easy going, relaxed teasing atmosphere back that she enjoyed so much with the brunette.
Lexa pulled her head back slightly and offered a small smile in return even though she wasn't feeling it. "I think maybe i should train you Clarke, Connor is more than an able fighter but i am better." She shrugged. "At least this way i know i did something to help."
The blonde shook her head making Lexa confused. "I need to practice against someone that's going to at least try to beat me ... Not hold back out of fear they will hurt me because that won't help will it ... Can you promise that you can hit me back? That you won't hesistate to strike when you see the oppurtunity?"
Lexa opened her mouth to make that promise but realised she couldn't, the thought of laying her hands on the bonde with the intention of hurting her was just not possible. She groaned clearly frustrated. "So how exactly do you suggest i help?"
Clarke chuckled. "You don't. ... You just sit back and watch me kick arse ... How many times do i have to tell you?" She pointed to herself with both hands and grinned. "Perfection."
"Big headed." Lexa muttered and Clarkes happiness returned tenfold at the easy way they had slipped back in to teasing mode.
"If you want to do something though you can tell Connor not to hold back, let him know you won't be angry if he hurts me."
"But i will be angry if he hurts you." Lexa growled.
"Well then you will also be helping if you work on your acting skills."
"So i should just pretend everythings fine when i see you covered in bruises?"
Laying her hands on Lexa's shoulders and moving her face closer until it was just inches away she nodded slowly. " then when we're alone ... Maybe you could kiss them better?"
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For the third time in a row Clarke found herself on her back in the dirt looking up at the sky, the wind forced out of her lungs at the force of her fall. She growled in frustration and resisted the urge to slam her fists in to the ground repeatedly.
"You can do better than this, your not concentrating ... Where's your head at?" Connors voice came from above as he offered her a hand up which she refused.
He was right though, for the past fifteen minutes when they started to warm up she had made stupid mistakes because instead of focusing on Connor and what he was doing her mind had kept drifting back to Lexa and the kiss they had shared moments before, the Commander had closed the space between them and kissed her hungrily, forcing her tongue between her lips and releasing a moan that seemed to emphasis her desire, it had made the blonde go weak at the knees and she responded just as eagerly, only pulling away when the urge to breathe became too much ...
"Clarke!" Connor's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"What?!" She replied more than a little pissed off.
"Focus!"
"I am!" She lied.
"Then what did i just say?"
"... You told me to focus."
"Before that."
"... Something about how we need to hurry this up so you can get back to snow white and the other dwarves?"
A shadow of a smile crossed his face but he refused to laugh. "Clarke we need to take this seriously, if Heda thinks i'm wasting valuable time messing around she will kill me." He said lookindg around a little nervously remembering her parting words after she had walked Clarke to him, he had been smart enough not to comment about her bloodied hands Clarke didn't have a scratch on her so she must of taken her anger out on the walls. "I don't want her angry at me and i dont want you to lose this fight ... So please ... Please focus." He pleaded.
He was right, she was doing this to prove she was a good enough leader for her people and leaders didn't act like children ... Even the ones that were kids didn't act as immature as she had been lately. Taking a deep breath and focusing fully on the task ahead of her she nodded at Connor seriously as she stood up and brushed the dirt from her trousers before taking up the defensive stance he taught her last week.
"Ok. Go again."
He struck quickly trying to catch her of guard but surprisingly she blocked his blow with her right arm and struck back with her other fist which he only just dodged by ducking and then quickly slid back out of her reach. They continued this for another ten minutes Connor only landed one punch to the side of her chest when she didn't move away quickly enough and Clarke hadn't yet managed to get him.
"Why are we fist fighting anyway? ... I thought we had weapons?" She asked breathlessly.
"You will but if Nia knocks your sword out of your hand at any point then you can fight her off until you have the chance to get back your sword."
That made sense. "Oh because i was just going to ask her politely if she could pass it back ... But i suppose your way works to."
He didn't smile ... Right promised to be serious.
He struck again aiming for her head but she see the drop of his shoulder before he lunged and was expecting it, she ducked the blow and he followed with his other fist this time aiming for her stomach, twisting her body to the side she dodged it, her new position abled her to have a clear shot at the side of his head when he over reached and she took the oppurtunity her fist colliding with his cheek bone and knocking him off balance making him hit the floor. He rolled with the momentum and was on his feet again quickly, shooting her an approving nod.
"Better ... Now that your warmed up ... And focusing properly ... Time for weapons."
A/N Hey people so sorry for the delay getting this up but i accidently deleted the whole chapter and had to start again. (Shame cos i really liked how it was written in that one) Also my birthday was last week (yay!) and apparently its rude if you dont show up to your night out ... Then came the two day hangover (must be getting old) but now its done and its up! This is another filler chapter before the battle against Nia which i have nearly finished (and will make sure i dont accidently delete it) love to hear your opinions of everything so far and thanks for all previous reviews, pm's, follows and favourites your all lovely people also thanks for sticking with the story so far! X