The original tittle was "It's better to die fighting for freedom than to live life in chains" but FF doesnt's allow it cause it's too long.
- Polis -
Heda silently studied Gustus with piercing scrutiny, satisfied with the unwavering support she found reflected in his eyes she minutely inclined her head and let her eyes wander toward the end of the hallway.
Lexa's actions were practically imperceptible; to an outsider, she would have appeared as inscrutable as a statue but Gustus was no stranger, he had learned long ago to read every one of her gestures, no matter how insignificant they might seem.
While following her through the corridor the warrior's eyes widened in confusion, in the five years since Lexa's ascension they had used that room only once. He had on good authority that only Lexa, Anya, Lexa's maid Halina, and he knew about its existence. Whatever she needed to tell him was either potentially disastrous or required the utmost secrecy. Possibly, probably, both.
After making sure that the hallway was deserted Lexa unclasped the small key that was fastened around her neck and knelt beside one of the decorative pieces drawn on the floor, underneath the colorful lines a trapped door was cleverly disguised.
Once in the small room, Lexa plopped down on one of the sofas. She looked a bit tired but in good spirits, her relaxed demeanor put Gustus instantly at ease, it did not seem catastrophic, or at least nowhere near the magnitude of the last time they had used this room.
Blood, Costia's blood more specifically, all over the bed. Lexa's grief-stricken face and almost catatonic state. Gustus shook his head to get rid of the images flashing in his mind, nothing good ever came from relieving the past.
"I need to tell you something important… well, two things actually but they are related"
Lexa hesitated a bit but in the end, she decided to trust her instincts and confide in Gustus.
"A few moons ago a child from the Sankru tribe arrived in Polis; he said his mother foretold my downfall if I didn't heed her warnings"
Gustus pursed his lips in clear disapproval; unlike most of his fellow warriors, he was not superstitious and did not truly believe in esoteric things like prophecies but as far as he knew Lexa did not believe in them either so clearly something else was bothering her.
"At first I was inclined to send him home, prophecies are known to be vague and very rarely hold some truth in them but when I was about to dismiss him the flame made itself known"
Gustus waited impassively for her to finish, he might not believe in prophecies or other divination arts but the flame was an entirely different matter, he had been by Lexa's side the day of her coronation, and he knew the flame was alive, that it was real, not just a meaningless ritual designed to validate Heda's position.
"Since that day the past commanders have been talking to me"
Whatever they had told her, certainly had made Lexa wary, he prayed it was nothing but he couldn't shake the foreboding feeling settling in his heart.
"At first it was just dreams but lately they made themselves known when I'm conscious. They are never direct with their message, not really, it's more like a feeling when I'm about to say or do something"
"Such us…?"
"Knowing that while I can't trust everybody around me I can trust you"
Gustus smiled at that declaration, he didn't need the flame to know he would die for her if necessary but it felt nice to be appreciated.
"And the dreams?"
"I saw the face of a beautiful blonde woman, when I laid my eyes on her I felt love and pride but also danger, anger, and crippling pain. When I wake up, I can't remember what she looked like but somehow I know she is important to the coalition… to me" she added the last part in a whisper like she was ashamed of putting her desires before the needs of the Coalition.
"When the metal box fell from the sky the dreams turned even more vivid, my life, our life, flashed through my eyes" Lexa turned uncharacteristically red, making Gustus wish he could ask exactly what those dreams entailed but he was far too worried for her safety to allow himself to delve in mindless gossip.
"I felt a sadness and guilt that did not belong to me. I saw the Mountain falling; a euphoric victory laid to waste by deceit and treachery. With her, by my side, I felt… invincible but I also saw my death"
"May I speak frankly Heda?". His tone was careful and measured, while Gustus was immensely happy to see that she seemed captivated by this stranger if only because it was the first time that she had shown real interest in someone since Costia's death, they still needed to be cautious, danger was lurking closely.
"Please do, I appreciate your honesty"
"I don't know if the prophecy is real or if the woman in your dreams is the key to toppling the Maunon, only time will tell, but I do know that you have more pressing concerns regarding your ruling than some vague words and an unknown beautiful sky woman"
Gustus braced himself to give her the ominous message relayed by his brother-in-law. He was even more worried now after Lexa had implied that they might be surrounded by possible traitors.
Alistair was married to Angelika, Gustus's younger sister, on paper he was a merchant who specialized in the animal skin trade but in reality, he was one of the best spies at Lexa's service.
Gustus hired him when Lexa took the mantle of Heda, he was efficient and ruthless and his job offered the best cover to move from one village to another without raising suspicion but above all that, Gustus trusted him to always have Lexa's best interest at heart.
Alistair would never betray him or Lexa, for he knew first-hand how ferocious Gustus could be when defending someone he loved; before he got married to Angelika, Gustus told him in no uncertain terms, that he would not hesitate to break his neck with his bare hands if he ever made his little sister unhappy or disrespected her in any way.
To prove his point Gustus had dragged his soon to be brother in law to the arena to show him how he trained the new guards; the man was shaking like a leaf and almost fainted at the sheer display of raw brutality but forced himself to stay until the end, Alistair knew this was a test and it would do him no favors to fail and have Gustus deciding he was too much of a wimp to marry his precious sister.
Once the training -torture-, Alistair decided privately, was over Gustus wrapped him in a bear hug and invited him for a cold drink to celebrate the upcoming nuptials, enthusiastically welcoming him to the family.
Alistair chose to ignore his future brother in law bloody face and simply smiled back, silently pledging loyalty to his beloved Angelika and her brother, after being alone for so long it was nice to be welcomed into a family.
Gustus serious tone and the use of her formal title put Lexa on edge; officially he was only her bodyguard but in reality, he had taken upon himself a much deeper role than a simple protector. He was her friend, her confidant and above all the man she thought of as her father.
Lexa was sent to Polis when she was only six summers old; her mother had died when giving birth, as often happened with nightbloods, and her biological father was nothing more than a blurry memory. The strict regimen the nightbloods were subjected to forbade them from keeping contact with their biological family, as potential Heda, it was their duty to serve all citizens; their subjects had to be at the forefront of their minds.
Since she turned eleven and began her training as Anya's second, Gustus had appointed himself as her honorary father. When Anya was harsh and unrelenting, Gustus would gather her in his strong arms and play with her until she forgot her pain; he was always ready to dry her tears and heal her wounds, and on the rare times when she faltered and tried to shirk her responsibilities he took it upon himself to cheer her up and encourage her to keep going.
When she ascended as Heda, he became her bodyguard, strengthening their already deep bond. Some ambassadors of the newly established coalition tried to get her to appoint someone else; they argued that there were much younger, fitter, more decorated warriors lining up to take up the position but Lexa put her foot down, she would accept no one but Gustus by her side. When they tried to challenge her, believing her youth and eagerness to maintain their freshly established government, would work in their favor, she threaten to have them all executed. No one dared to suggest it again.
"Some ambassadors believe you are turning soft"
"Is Delier who believes that, isn't he?". The Azgeda Nation and she had never seen eye to eye, the Queen's loathing of her seemed to be a shared sentiment with all Azgeda natives. Sometimes Lexa could not help but wonder if they opposed all her decisions just for the sake of it.
"He is not the only one. Syra has complained too" Gustus raised his hand to stop her from talking.
"I know you sent grains to Bodoulain but apparently that was not enough" Gustus shook his head in disbelief, the greediness of some ambassadors never failed to surprise him
"Is there more isn't it?". Lexa's irritated tone was not lost on Gustus, it seemed that no matter how much she did for them there would always be someone who complained.
"In their eyes, the fact that you order to spy and not engage means you care more for the intruders than for your people"
"I explained why I took those measures; they were all in agreement that it was better to assess the threat instead of engaging them directly"
"I know that and even Alistar understood without being specifically told. It was the best course of action" He placated her immediately.
Lexa was the best Heda they had ever had, uniting them in a coalition was more than enough proof, but she was still young and prone to overthinking. He would not let her doubt herself.
"Even the ambassadors who oppose you know that your decision was the most reasonable one, they are just using it as an excuse"
"You think there is something bigger at play"
It was not a question but Gustus answered her anyway "I know there is, I'm not sure what their endgame is but I know this is not about the sky people"
"What makes you say that?"
Gustus hesitated before answering "I'm not sure how to say this, I did not want to believe it but after you told me about the warning of the past commanders…"
"Speak plainly old friend, there is no one here but us"
"Alistair's informant got your flamekeeper drunk and paid a woman to seduce him, that's how he got the information. He seems to think you lost direction and was more than happy to tell that to anyone who would listen" Such was his ire that he did not dare mention him by name, if Titus was truly behind this Gustus vowed to kill him himself.
Lexa was seething, could Titus truly be fanning the flames against her? But if he was, why would he do it? Even if she was deposed or killed he could never be Heda so that couldn't be the reason unless… the face of a young, smiling boy suddenly flashed through her head. Aden. Could Titus be after Aden? Manipulating someone like Aden wouldn't be hard; he was a promising leader and a skilled warrior but his inexperience and youthfulness made him an easy target.
"Why was I not informed sooner?"
"Alistair is gathering more information; we did not want to worry you unnecessarily"
"I appreciate your concern Gustus but next time Alistair gives you information, relay it to me immediately"
"I won't make the same mistake twice Commander"
"Gustus, double the Guard protecting the nightbloods"
If he thought her order was unusual, considering the threat seemed to be directed at her only, he didn't comment on it and simply left to do her bidding.
- Arker Camp -
"Raven, are you decent?"
"Not morally, but I'm wearing pants if that's what you're asking"
Clarke opened the tent's flap and peek inside; Raven was putting on a top while Finn was scrambling to get dressed.
The blonde chose to ignore Finn, who looked at her like a guilty puppy, and instead laughed at the brunette's response.
"It seems like you two are having a party of your own but if you feel like it, we are celebrating by the dropship"
Finn was the first to spring to her side, leaving a confused Raven behind.
The brunette couldn't help but wonder if Clarke was the reason for Finn's strange behavior since she arrived on earth. She vowed to investigate later, for now; she had a party to attend.
"Clarke I…"
"You owe me no explanations, Finn"
"But I…"
"Finn what you do with your girlfriend is none of my business"
"I don't love her!"
"It's not me who you should be telling that"
"Clarke, I love you!"
The blonde prayed Raven was out of earshot, she didn't want to taint their budding friendship with Finn's confession. She resolved to talk to the mechanic sometime soon; Finn's unrequited feelings were like an ominous cloud hanging above all their heads.
"Finn, I told you before, I'm not interested in you"
Clarke didn't wait for him to add anything else and started to walk faster, resolutely ignoring him.
All the delinquents were gathered around Monty, asking questions and trying to confirm the rumors. When he explained that yes, it was true, they had been able to contact the Ark and that they would all have the opportunity to talk to their parents and friends everyone laughed and cheered.
"Today marks a victory for all of us!" Clarke waited for the ruckus to subdue before she resumed talking "Go hunting and bring all the alcohol we have because today we are celebrating!"
Hours went by and when the sky got dark the delinquents gathered together around the fire, waiting for the meat to be ready. Monty and Jasper had brought the special moonshine they had made for this occasion and started to distribute it while some guys improvised a few musical instruments with spare parts that they had found on the Dropship. Everyone was chatting excitedly, gossiping, and simply having fun. It was the most relaxing day they have had since they arrived on earth.
Wells and Charlotte came to Clarke's side as the blonde watched everyone starting to dance.
"Nice view isn't it?" he said as they sat down with her.
"Yeah, it is." The blonde replied smiling and gave him a side hug while holding Charlotte's hand.
Bellamy turned to the delinquents and called for their attention "While we wait for our dinner I just want to say a few words" He walked a few steps and stopped in front of Clarke.
"I will be the first to acknowledge that the princess and I didn't start with the right foot" a few chuckles could be heard at his declaration "so I also want to be the first one to say thank you, thank you for guiding us, for not losing your faith, but above all, thank you for helping us pull our heads from our asses"
Loud cheers and chortles followed Bellamy's words but the brunette boy was not done "I think it's time for a speech from the woman who made this night possible, without further ado, our fierce leader Clarke Griffin"
The blonde grinned but shook her head "No, no. I'm not…"
"Come on, Clarke!" Someone shouted from the crowd and others followed chanting her name.
"Okay." She gave a little sigh and faced the delinquents "I had no idea I would be speaking tonight but here I am, quacking in my boots and trying not to vomit, thanks for that one Bellamy" the blonde said giving the man a half-hearted glare, making everyone laugh.
"I realized that when Bellamy introduced me as the leader of our little community, no one complained about it so I guess that means I have everyone's approval. Is that right?" They all raised their glasses and cheered a choir of yeses and damn right you do.
Clarke giggled and drank a sip of her moonshine, saluting them with her glass "In that case, the first thing I want to say is thank you for that. It means a lot to me that you trust me to lead you"
"I only knew a few of you back in the Ark and if I'm honest being on the privileged side means I would have probably never crossed paths with most of you"
"I know that many of you disliked me at first not for who I am as a person but because I was part of the ruling class so thank you for giving me a chance to prove I was not a stuck-up jerk" She took a deep breath and carry on "We are not in the Ark anymore, no matter what background we have, who our parents are or were we are all equals here"
"What we created here since we landed, and I believe in this with my whole heart, is a family"
"We got to know that Nathan hates most fruits but will devour any type of meat, no matter what it is," She said and everyone looked at the guy who smiled.
"That Jasper moonshine is revolting, seriously dude, what the hell is this shit?" Clarke made a face at her glass and everyone laughed as well.
"That Bree is a natural with a spear, thank you for tonight's dinner!" The girl made a show of vowing to the cheering audience.
"That Murphy is an exceptional cook and that despite his gruff behavior he is a decent person". The boy rolled his eyes but a little smile grazed his lips.
"That Roma is a flirt with a heart of gold, always ready to lend a helping hand, and that Bellamy is hard-headed". Bellamy stuck out his tongue at her, making everyone laugh harder.
"What we accomplished here is no small feat; we arrived as inexperienced teenagers but working as a team we built this wall, we have regular patrols and we organized job assignments to make sure we have food, water, and shelter… piece by piece we are building a small village, our small village"
"Bellamy once said that you are not criminals but fighters and survivors, I couldn't agree more with him but I would like to add that you are saviors! Today was a victory for all of us; a day that will be remembered through future generations… today is the day that we, the delinquents, saved the Ark!"
"What will happen when the Ark came? Will the council take over?" Someone asked from the crowd, first it was a shy murmur but then more voices added their thoughts. The restlessness was evident among the delinquents.
"When they come down, the council and everyone else better be grateful to us for saving them or I swear to all of you we will kick them out of our land. The earth is huge; they can find their own place to stay"
"The last thing I want to say is that while our circumstances are not ideal I could not have chosen better people to be by my side; I'm proud of every single one of you and everything each one of you has done for this group and our people"
"I promise I will continue to do my very best to help and protect everyone in this camp." She said to them and they nodded.
"And as my first act as the official leader of the 100, I ask that Mr. Wells Jaha comes forward to be the first one getting his bracelet off. Wells, if you would please." She said and everyone cheered as Wells stepped forward as she said.
Despite his last name, they had started to accept him and Clarke couldn't be happier for his friend.
"Off with it Murphy." She said while Wells extended his arm on one of the tables they had prepared for this.
Murphy smiled before he started breaking it, with a click and a little grunt it was off and everyone cheered, patting his back and congratulating him
The elation was evident on Murphy's face as Wells's raised his arm. No bracelet. A few more began to raise their arms showing they had removed theirs as well.
The chant spread through the camp as Bellamy took out a bar to help Murphy in his endeavor, once they had finished removing all the wristbands Bellamy held it out towards Clarke in a gesture of goodwill; solidifying their alliance in the eyes of the others.
The blonde cradled the bar like a treasure, in reality, it was nothing more than a piece of old, rusty, metal but its symbolic meaning was not lost on anyone; the last chains tying them up to the Ark had finally been severed, just as she insisted they had waited but now –for the first time in their lives- they were free to forge their destiny.