Lexa refrained the urge to rub her temples as she listened to the arguing ambassadors.

It had been over two weeks since the victory against Mount Weather, and the Clans were still debating to maintain or dissolve the Coalition.

Azgeda was pressuring its old allies – the Delphi and Blue Cliff Clans – to leave the Kongeda now that the Mountain had been dealt with. Lexa was confident that the Blue Cliff would remain at least neutral, since they had benefited a lot from the improved trade and probably did not wish to have half of the clans stopping to buy their salt in retaliation. Moreover, the Mountain had been further away from their territory, and hope of its downfall had not played such a large part in their decision to join her Coalition in the first place – it was only pressure from Nia that had made them wait so long to join it. They would only become a problem if many clans openly defied her.

Similarly, most of the southern and western clans were quietly observing the threats exchanged by the Ice Nation, the Trikru and the Lake People. Trade was a large part of the Coalition, and many of the clans had no wish to see the profitable commerce stop just because a common enemy had been slayed. In fact, Lexa noticed the Plain Riders ambassador humph irritatedly when Azgeda again accused the Commander of depriving its Nation of the blood of the Mountain.

The argument was weak, and everyone in the throne room knew it. Heda's army had stormed and conquered Mount Weather in less than a day, with extremely few losses, and had brought back prisoners for each of the clans that had suffered from it.

It did not stop the Ice Nation ambassador from whining, unfortunately. But as the days passed, Lexa had become more and more suspicious that the ambassador was mostly trying to prolong the current instability. What she was currently unsure of was why.

It could be that he hoped the Healing Nymph's absence would be noticed and remarked upon, but she felt that there was more to it.

When she had discovered that Clarke had been taken by Azgeda, she had been furious. At Nia, for taking yet another person away from her. At Clarke, for insisting that she did not need more guards. And, mostly, at herself for agreeing to reduce the number of warriors shadowing the healer, especially with the troops of many other clans so close.

She had sent Anya and a few more scouts to try and catch up with the attackers. She had known that it would be much harder – if not impossible – to free Clarke once she passed the border of Azgeda. She had wanted to go herself, but there was too much to manage in the aftermath of the victory. Especially if the Nymph mysteriously disappeared.

Her first action had been to swear all the warriors around her to secrecy on what had happened. Nia had sent unmarked warriors, and the significance of Costia's necklace could only be understood by Lexa and a few extremely close to her. The Ice Queen knew that the Commander would be unable to retaliate without proofs, and she had been careful not to leave any behind that Heda could show to the other clans.

But Lexa was no longer a young, overwhelmed Commander surprised by the cruel actions of an enemy. If Nia left no proof that the Nymph had been abducted, she would ensure that the official story would not jeopardize Heda. She supposed that Azgeda's queen had not expected her to obtain such a complete victory against the Mountain. While Nia had likely hoped for a humiliating retreat in addition to which she could point out the sudden disappearance of the protector sent by the Spirit, Lexa had just accomplished an unprecedented show of strength.

No one had questioned it when she claimed that the Healing Nymph had remained inside the Maunon to ensure that the prisoners would be evacuated as soon as possible, so that the leaders of their old enemy could face judgement before all the clans.

Not exactly the best story, but she trusted the warriors she had left in charge there to keep others away for as long as necessary. And she had hoped that Anya would be back with Clarke within a week.

She had not. The attackers had divided in several small groups, and there had not been enough scouts to follow them all. Not to mention that it would have been unlikely for the Azgeda warriors to give up their prize without a fight.

The discussions with Clarke and, more recently, with Murphy about politics in the Ark, which had often used surveillance close to spying as well as deception, had also made her more apt at imagining the dishonorable ways in which Nia might attempt to hurt Heda. As a result, Lexa's second order had been to send a trusted warrior back to Polis with firm instructions to protect her novitiates. She had no doubt that assassins had left Nia's territory at the same time as those unmarked warriors.

So far, she had adverted three attempts – two against herself, and one against Aden. They had been relatively poorly executed, but had cost the life of two warriors that had been tasting hers and her novitiates' food. She also sported a new scar along the left side of her ribs, from the shallow wound of a poorly aimed arrow.

She was not sure if this was a reason to rejoice or not. Was Nia finding it difficult to find competent fighters to serve as assassins, or was she trying to lull her into a false sense of security?

Moreover, she still had absolutely no idea what Nia's purpose was. The current negotiations proved how uncertain Azgeda's position was amongst the other clans. Though they had been a feared nation not so long ago, their reputation had been based mostly on their efficient army and they had been backed by a powerful ally – the Delphi Clan. However, even Delphi had entered in many trade agreements with the other clans, and was now reluctant to risk those by openly supporting its old ally.

In fact, Lexa had been pleasantly surprised by how the ambassadors had first tried to confirm that all the agreements they had negotiated over the last two years would uphold. Her Coalition, and more precisely the power it gave her to call on the armies of the clans, was being discussed, but not the more peaceful relationships that had developed between them. It was definitely something, and she wondered if, like her, Nia had underestimated this fact.

Right now, Azgeda seemed very isolated, and if she died in an assassination attempt there would be very little doubt as to who was guilty. Azgeda needed resources from other clans to survive, and the price for it would most likely be high – either in goods or in warriors lives, for Trikru and the other targeted clans would have more support than before the Coalition. Therefore, Lexa was perplexed as to what Nia hoped to accomplish by destroying both herself and her legacy.

Yes, a younger natblida would be more easy to manipulate. But her successor would be surrounded by many ambassadors also hoping to bargain to their advantage, so there was no guarantee of a particular gain for Azgeda. And even if absolutely no Heda succeeded her, it seemed the trade at least would still hold, so some sort of ambassador council would likely be formed. In both cases, Azgeda would only be one amongst twelve, just as it was now.

Somehow, she doubted Nia would settle for such an option. Just as she doubted that the queen was stupid enough to act solely to spite Lexa herself. She had a personal grief against Nia for capturing and killing Costia, and now for Strina's and Clarke's fates, but the reverse was not true. She had not even been the one to kill the only natblida from Azgeda in the last Conclave.

There had to be something else that explained Nia's machinations, but she could not figure out what.

And she was worried about Clarke.

Though the situation felt painfully similar, it was very different from when Costia had been taken. Just like now, Nia had kept the capture hidden from the other clans but had made it clear to Lexa herself, hoping to provoke her into attacking and betraying the oaths of non-aggression she had given to the clans. She had refrained, knowing that there was absolutely no hope to save Costia and that neither her lover nor the Flame would accept her sacrificing years of hard work and careful preparation for a personal vendetta. One day, she hoped she would be able to avenge Costia. But not at such a cost.

With Clarke, however, she lived in a constant uncertainty. Nia might hope to force the healer to serve her – and Lexa shuddered at what kind of means could be used to do that. It could bring Azgeda some prestige and be part of how Nia hoped to gain political power after destroying the office of Heda. But Nia could also decide to kill her in hope of obtaining the Nymph's power for herself. Clarke had been adamant that this was impossible, and Lexa believed her but she knew that there would be many who would be convinced that the queen had absorbed her powers.

Every day, she was terrified that she would receive another bloody crate. And sometimes, a small voice in her mind said that if such a crate arrived she would at least be freed of this constant fear. And that perhaps Clarke would be better off dead than eternally trapped in Nia's dungeons.

She had sent word to her new ambassador in Azgeda, but had yet to hear back from him. She had no idea whether her message had actually reached him, and whether he would be of any help in this matter anyway. A couple of traders she had sent to start this spying network had also been informed, but they had no information on what might happen inside Nia's palace, and no reliable sources of information in general yet. They had only been sent a few weeks ago.

Worse, the first snow had arrived this morning, adding to her irritation. Even if Nia somehow gave her a valid reason to call upon the clans and march on Azgeda, it was now impossible for an army to travel. She could send a scouting party with little supplies at most. Any kind of cart or larger group of warriors was likely to end up bogged. Not to mention that Azgeda warriors were much more used to these conditions than any she could pit against them.

The only good thing about snow was that the clans had no choice but to let their ambassadors speak instead of measuring their warriors on a battlefield.

If Clarke had not been abducted, it would have overall been the best case scenario: a quick and impressive victory against the Maunon – meaning her strength could not be questioned – with enough prisoners to offer to the clans, and a couple of months to negotiate peacefully.

A bell rang, signaling the mid-day meal. Lexa firmly put an end to the fruitless argument by declaring the negotiations over for the day. Azgeda's ambassador tried to protest, but most of the other officials were already leaving the room, most likely to enjoy a warm meal and some blissful silence away from his vociferating.

She sagged in her throne when the door finally closed behind him. The constant worry made her tired, and her sleep was often interrupted by nightmares in which Costia, Clarke or any of her novitiates was tortured and killed by Nia or some warrior with Azgeda's traditional scars. She had taken to wearing her warpaint daily to hide the circles around her eyes.

She felt the political situation, though unstable, was mostly under control. If this ambassador could just shut up and stop throwing veiled threats to the Lake Clan, she would probably be able to negotiate with a small majority of representatives to maintain the Coalition in its current form. Then, it would just take some more time for the other clans to follow.

A slow and careful process, but not as daunting as forming the Coalition in the first place.

She turned to Anya, who was replacing Gustus as her constant shadow. The wound he had suffered during the battle had weakened him too much to travel back to Polis immediately, so she had left him in charge of preparing the banishment of the children from the Mountain. And of the delinquents that had been Clarke's first companions on Earth. Monty had remained there as well, along with an injured Raven. She had made it clear that the two of them would be welcome in Polis, but not their old companions.

The mechanic had returned the previous day, and Lexa had yet to talk to her. She was not sure how much she knew about Clarke's current situation, and explaining the situation to the Nightbloods had been painful enough for her not to be eager to renew the experience. She was also aware that the relationship between the two sky girls had been strained before the battle, and she was not in the mood to hear sarcastic comments from anyone.

''Have there been any news from our scouts?'' She asked her old mentor.

She was not surprised when Anya shook her head with an apologetic look.

Lexa gritted her teeth. She needed to do something. Anything. While she was sitting in this room, Clarke was somewhere in Azgeda, hopefully alive, and most likely in pain. Inaction had been difficult when Costia had been taken, but she had been able to rationalize it because acting could only worsen the situation and would not bring back Costia anyway. Clarke, however, could survive long enough to be rescued.

Which only made her current helplessness even more bitter.

Before she could discuss sending out a few more teams to try and sneak past Azgeda's borders, a loud knock made her turn towards the door as a guard opened it to escort a young boy inside.

He could not be older than fourteen, with his gangly limbs and childish face. No longer a child, but not an adult yet. Lexa noticed the letter gripped in his bare hands, and her brow furrowed. She had never seen this boy before, and her guards usually brought written messages to the Commander themselves rather than allow a stranger in. She glanced at the guard with a raised eyebrow and a look that asked for an explanation on the breach of protocol, especially when she had tightened the security.

''Heda.'' The warrior bowed, followed hesitantly by the boy. ''This boy claims he has a message for you, and insisted that it be delivered directly to you.''

She noticed a dark bruise on the boy's wrist, along with his unusually stiff posture. Lexa had spent enough time training the natblidas to distinguish a stiffness born from nervousness and one that came from pain. Her guards had tried to force the boy to give the letter, and he had resisted enough to convince them to let him be escorted to her. Though her warriors always did their duty, they did not relish harming a child. A quick look up and down confirmed that the boy had been divested of any weapon.

She nodded at the warrior in silent approval of his decision, and turned her attention to the boy. ''Why would you not trust my warriors with this message?''

There was no accusation in her inquiry, but an honest curiosity. Warriors in Polis were the guarantors of peace and security, and it was a terrible insult to question their honor and loyalty as this boy had by his refusal.

He shrugged warily. ''I was told not to give the letter to anyone but Heda.''

''By whom?''

She tried to keep the worry out of her voice. Azgeda's attack had been so perfectly timed that they must have known at least part of her plans against the Mountain, and she had not yet been able to figure out whether it was the new ambassador that had found her maps or if someone else she trusted had betrayed her. Again. If this person had so insisted for the letter not to go through anyone else before her, then whoever had sent it suspected betrayal as well or had extremely sensitive information to share.

The boy glared at the warrior beside him and glanced at Anya, Titus and Murphy that were still standing beside her. He did not want to answer that question in front of the others, she realized.

Without insisting, she rose from her throne to walk up to the boy, extending her hand to receive the missive.

''Are you supposed to wait for a reply?'' She asked.

The boy shook his head and asked for his dismissal. She granted it as she studied the seal of the letter. It was a cat, and she could not recall any clan or village that used such a symbol. She dismissed her advisers to retire to her rooms and study the letter in private.

The moment she opened it, she cursed herself for dismissing the boy, and ran outside of her rooms to order the warriors to try and find him before he left Polis, with strict instructions not to harm him in any way.

Feverishly, she closed back the doors of her room and sat at her table, smoothing out the wrinkles of the letter as she observed the handwriting again to confirm that she had not been mistaken.

It was definitely Clarke's.

She had had the opportunity to see the blonde's handwriting on several occasion, and she was certain no one raised on the ground could imitate the round, effortless and sometimes messy way her healer wrote.

Unfortunately, most of the letter was incomprehensible. There was only one sentence she could read, and it made little sense. The rest simply did not form words. It looked like consonants and vowels randomly gathered in groups in an imitation of words and sentences.

Lexa frowned. Some letters were present more often than others, and the varying length of the words was too similar to what she had grown used to seeing in books for it to be an accident. Somehow, Clarke had come up with a way to make the letter useless to anyone but the intended recipient – Lexa herself. Meaning she had sensitive information.

She mentally reviewed all her conversations with Clarke, checking that the only decipherable sentence had never been uttered by the blonde. She furrowed her brow, considering. The letter was addressed to Heda, but she was not the only person the healer trusted. What better way to hide her words from people of the Coalition than to use something from the Ark?

Deciding that it couldn't hurt to try, she carefully folded the letter and hurried to Raven's room. Murphy was teaching the Natblidas with Titus, and she had to talk to the mechanic anyway.

The young woman was sitting in her bed, her healing leg propped up on a pillow while she fiddled with some piece of tek. Lexa knocked to announce her presence, remembering Clarke's remarks on her often failing to do so whenever she entered a room.

Raven looked slightly confused. ''I kind of expected to be summoned to your throne room when you had the time to hear me.'' She observed.

Belatedly, Lexa realized that she had never really spoken with the mechanic alone. They had attended Lincoln's punishment together, and she had shared a few words with her then but not anything that called for a reply. Her announcement of the delinquents' fate had been Heda addressing a group of teenager. She had always appreciated the mechanic's energetic ways, but was unsure of where she stood with her.

But Raven was Clarke's friend, and she was confident she would help her free the healer.

''I know there is probably much to discuss, but first I have news that may interest you. Clarke has sent me a letter, but she hid the meaning of it. I suspect she used something from the Ark to do so, and hoped you might help me figure it out.'' She explained.

Raven sat a little straighter. ''How so? How do you know it's Clarke's?''

''I recognized her handwriting. Most of the letter is unreadable, except for the first sentence.'' She unfolded the missive as she took a seat at the mechanic's desk.

''What sentence?''

She frowned. ''It is more of a question, actually. I think Clarke put it as some hint on how to understand the rest, but I have never discussed such things with her. I believe it is knowledge from the Old World.''

''Which is why you came to me. Okay. What is the question?'' Raven asked.

''What is the answer to life, the universe and everything?'' Lexa read out loud.

''42.''

''What did you say?''

''The answer. It's 42.'' Raven stated.

''This is not the kind of question that can be answered with a number.'' Lexa objected.

''It's some sort of famous pop-culture from the Old World. More of a joke than an actual answer, I guess. Can I see the rest of the letter?''

Baffled, Lexa rose and handed it to the young woman.

She watched as Raven studied the message, mouthing words silently and counting with her fingers. The mechanic grabbed a pencil beside her on the bed and started writing on the letter as she explained.

''She encrypted the message. 42 is the key to decrypt it. It's something that was used in the Old World to hide the true meaning of your messages from an enemy. And many children in the Ark played with small messages like that. Basically, you substitute each letter by another.''

''So you can translate it?'' Lexa asked.

''What do you think I am doing right now?'' The brunette replied with a grin.

She felt the corner of her own lips rise. ''How long will it take?''

Raven rolled her eyes. ''It's certainly not Enigma. Give me five minutes of silence and it's done.''

Lexa forced back her irritation at Raven's tone and sat back in the chair, waiting. All the preparations to fight the Mountain had slowed down her progress on the spying network she hoped to implement. She had started sending a couple of trusted individuals in each clans territory, but she knew there were many details to figure out. One of which was a safe way to communicate.

Clarke's encrypted letter, beyond the information it might bring and the assurance that she must be in relative safety, opened new possibilities she had never considered before. Most of those she had sent could not read or write, but a written message would have many advantages. It could be placed in a hidden cache, so that the informant and the recipient would remain oblivious of the other identity. So, even if one was captured, her network would not be compromised. Encryption meant that, even if an enemy found the cache, the messages would be useless to them.

She shook herself from her thoughts. As interesting as the perspective was, now was not the time to ponder it. Hopefully, she would be able to discuss it with Clarke soon.

She might not know much about what was going on inside Nia's territory, but she was absolutely certain that Clarke would not have been able to send her this letter from the queen's dungeon. Somehow, she had escaped and found some allies who had been willing to face Nia's wrath and bring a letter to Heda.

''I'm done.'' She heard Raven announce. ''But before I give you the letter, can we discuss my people?''

Lexa rose an eyebrow at the demand.

The mechanic noticed and immediately argued. ''I want Clarke to come back as much as you. She is my friend. But until she is here, I guess I am responsible of looking out for the others.''

''Clarke understood that it would be impossible for me to welcome your old companions into my Coalition after they helped the Maunon. If they had been forced like my own people, or if the Ark had come here as planned, it would be different. But it is not, and the best I can do is offer you the supplies I had set aside for the Ark's delegation.'' Lexa explained.

''I know, you said that after the battle.'' Raven reminded as she nodded. ''I saw those maps when you were choosing a landing site for the Exodus. Your Coalition is wide, and the lands beyond are not very hospitable, right?''

Lexa nodded. That was why a banishment often equaled a death sentence. There were rumors of a territory beyond the Waste Lands, but she had no idea if any had ever reached it. From what Clarke had explained of the Old World and the planisphere she had drawn, Lexa believed such lands did exist. She could only hope that the supplies would be enough for the children to reach it.

She explained as much to Raven, firmly, but without hiding that she sincerely commiserated with her companions situation. She took no pleasure in condemning children for crimes committed by their parents, or forced in a situation where there were no good choice.

The mechanic sighed. ''Yeah, I supposed as much. And I explained it all to the delinquents and the people from the Mountain that will go with them. We discussed it a lot, wondering which way was the best bet, and thought of another option.''

''Go on.'' Lexa said, unsure of what else could be done.

''They decided it might be better to go East. Cross the ocean, and try to find the Ark. Clarke mentioned a clan that leaves on the coast and offshore, once. The Boat People?''

Lexa nodded in confirmation. ''Their leader is a friend of mine, and does not like unnecessary deaths. She might be willing to help you. I gather that you would need boats?''

''Yeah. And some time. The supplies you offer might not be enough for the travel, but the Mountain has means to produce more. And it would give us time to fix up the old boats you give us, so no need for your people to give their best ones. Give us the shitty ones. I will gather a team of all those who have skills in engineering or the likes, and we will fix the boats while the rest prepare supplies. If the boats are not complete wrecks, we may be able to leave as soon as winter is over.'' Raven outlined.

Lexa thought it over. Luna would probably agree to the children living on her territory while they fixed the old boats. She had no idea, however, if her old friend had boats to give.

''I will send a message to the Boat People. If they have boats they can spare, and agree to your people fixing them, you have my support. However, I cannot offer protection when spring returns. People will not think too much of it if you do not move during winter, especially since most will still be imprisoned inside Mount Weather. Once spring comes, there will be too much questions if they do not go.'' She warned.

Raven grinned. ''Can't ask for more, I guess. At the very least, we will have more time to prepare provisions.''

''I take it Monty and you will leave with your companions?''

''Not me. If you are still willing to welcome me in Polis, I mean. Monty will probably leave, though.''

Lexa noticed the slight grimace of the mechanic as she mentioned the sky boy.

''May I ask why? Especially since you plan to spend winter helping them.''

''Honestly?'' Raven shrugged. ''I don't believe they will make it. Perhaps they will reach Europe, but we don't even know where the Ark landed – assuming they survived the crash. There must be other survivors out there, so I might as well stay with those I know.''

''You don't want to try and find your old friends and team?'' Lexa asked, slightly surprised. The mechanic had always seemed impatient to find the Ark before the Exodus' crash.

''Like I said, I doubt they are alive, or that I could find them if they are. And… Well, I was a zero-G mechanic. It was my dream. And I can't do that down here, Ark or not. I have seen all the old tech you have. There is enough to keep me busy.''

Lexa perceived the unease in the mechanic's demeanor. She had never really talked with Raven before, and had not realized what she had lost since coming to the ground. She had lost a lover, she knew, but she had never really considered the brunette's situation beyond that. She was glad, though, that she would remain in Polis. She was a friend of Clarke, and she felt that she could become a friend to her as well. Not to mention her expertise in Old World technology.

''And Monty?'' She asked.

Raven winced. ''He is… angry. I don't think he really understands why we can't just stay here, and… well, he learned about Clarke's… abilities… at some point after the battle. He is sad she has been captured, but I am not sure how he will react if he sees her.''

Lexa frowned. There was obviously some history there, but she doubted it was her place to inquire more about it. The priority was to get Clarke back in Polis. Then the blonde could worry about her angry friend.

''Is there anything else we need to discuss?'' She asked Raven, already getting up to grab the letter.

Raven shook her head with a smile. ''That was the most urgent discussion.''

Lexa froze. ''There is something else, then?''

''It can wait. Clarke's letter is more important.''