Chapter 17-The puppet

Lexa stares at Costia as her former lover stares into her eyes. "Hi, Lexa," Costia says.

"I don't-You're dead."

"I wish I was but I never got that relief. Nia did a good job, found a girl who looked like me, beat her a little, broke her nose and sent you her head. She told me you would never come for me but I didn't believe him. I hoped, I dreamed of the day you would come, kill Nia and save me and we would be together again but that day never came. No, I remember the day she told me about the alliance, that you let her into the Coalition. I felt like she had stabbed me in the heart and I spent years listening to stories of your life. I heard about your great accomplishments…the women you would take to your bed. But then you stopped, and I got to hear the story about the girl from the sky, the one Nia belived took your heart," Costia says as she pushes herself up. Lexa staring at her speechless as Costia looks at Clarke. "This is her right, Clarke Griffin," Costia walks closer to Clarke who stares at her as a guard grabs for his sword and Clarke holds her hand up. "You're pretty, I see how you did it, she is a hard woman to impress. Has it been worth it?"

"Yes," Clarke answers, her voice steady and emotionless.

"It won't be," Costia says as she leans closer. "The day will come when you regret following Lexa, you will regret falling for her because she will tear the life from you, she'll always pick her people, and you'll die or worse because of it. She isn't worth it, Clarke. If I was you, I would drive my sword through her heart."

"She loves you."

"Loved me," Costia says as she walks in front of Lexa again. "No, she loves you, but even if she did love me. She would be loving a shell, the woman she loved, she died after she made a alliance with the woman who supposedly killed me. That's on you, Lexa," Costia growls as she stares in Lexa's eyes.

"Costia—I'm—"

"Take her to a room," Clarke tells the guard. "I want five guards on that room, the most loyal guards in this tower, none from Azgeda, make sure she has no weapons and if she tries to escape, chain her to the bed," Clarke tells the guard who stares at her for a moment. "Now."

He nods as he walks up to Costia and grabs her arm making her look at him. "I won't fight," She says before she looks at Lexa. "I hope we speak again soon," Costia says as she is pulled out of the room by the guard. Clarke looks at Roan.

"Leave," She tells him.

"Listen to me sky girl—"

"Get out, we will find you and lift your banishment, now get out before I have you thrown in a cell," Clarke says as she stands face to face with Roan.

Roan smirks as he turns and leaves the room. Clarke turns and looks at Lexa.

"Clarke-I—" Lexa tries to say. Clarke wraps her arms around her.

"I know, It's okay, I'm right here," Clarke says as she kisses the side of her head. "I'm right here."

Nia's P.O.V

Nia sat on her throne as a guard came in the room. "Is Costia back yet?" She asks.

"No my queen," He says.

"Maybe she is dead," Her secret nightblood Ontari says.

"No, impossible, she has been trained by our best, soon she will deliver me my son's head."

"What do you want us to do, my queen?" The guard asks.

"Set extra guards on the border, if the Commander finds out that Costia is our assassin she will come."

The guard nods as he leaves.

Luna's P.O.V

Luna was sleeping on Raven's couch when she heard pouding on the door. She opened her eyes with a groan as she stood up and Raven walked out of her room. "It is the middle of the night. Who the hell is that?" Raven growls as she walks up to the door and pulls it open and looks at Anya. "What?"

"A rider is here, Lexa's guard, Nick. It is urgent, meet at Jake's house."

Raven nods as she shuts the door and goes to her room. She comes back a minute later dressed with her sword on her hip. "You ready?" Raven asks Luna who nods as they walk out. The moon shined down on the village as they walked across into Jake's house where everybody was waiting.

"What is so urgent that you woke us up?" Anya asks him.

"What I am about to say. It does not leave this room, if it does. I will kill whoever talks, understood?" Nick asks.

"Yes," Jake says.

"We know who the assassin is. It is Costia," Nick says. Luna, Anya, Lincoln, Indra and Gustus look at him in shock and after two minutes. Luna speaks.

"No, that's not right. Costia is dead. Lexa saw her head," Luna says.

"It wasn't hers," Nick says. "Roan Kom Azgeda brought her there, she is locked in a room right now with five guards."

"Costia wouldn't kill for Nia and she wouldn't try and hurt Lexa. She loved her."

"It doesn't seem that way anymore. Clarke took the Commander to her room. I have only seen Clarke and she sent me here, I am riding back, who is coming?"

"We all are," Luna says.

"We can't," Jake says. "These guys don't understand how our culture works. We can't take them to Polis and risk them doing the wrong thing."

"Fine, Anya, Gustus, Raven, Jake, and I will go," Luna says. "Octavia, Indra, and Lincoln will stay here and teach Skaikru our ways."

"Can you do that?" Jake asks Octavia who nods.

"Yes, you need to go. Lincoln and I can handle this."

"We leave in ten minutes," Luna says.

Clarke's P.O.V

The morning sun was starting to shine in Lexa's room as Clarke sat on the bed watching Lexa as she slept. It had taken an hour to get her to calm down and lay down. Clarke watches as Lexa begins to stir and opens her eyes. "Clarke."

"I'm here," Clarke says as she takes her hand and Lexa looks at her.

"Did anything happen?"

"No, I send Nick to get the others. They should be here soon."

Lexa nods as she sits up. "I need to talk to her."

"Lexa—"

"I have to, Clarke. I owe her that much, I don't know what to do, she killed Titus and the Desert clan ambassador, I can't let her live."

"We'll figure that out, let's deal with one problem at a time. If you want to talk to her then do it, but I'm waiting outside that room," Clarke tells Lexa who nods as she stands up and walks towards the door.

Lexa's P.O.V

Lexa pushed the door the door opened and walked in. "Costia?"

"Balcony," Lexa hears. She walks towards the balcony and looks at her former love. Costia turns and looks at her. Lexa stares at her. She had changed a lot since Lexa last saw her. Costia had a heart-shaped face with fine bone structure, a wealth of brown curly hair, and almond-shaped, deep brown eyes with thick dark lashes. She had an athletic build and stood at five-six in height. "I always missed the view from this tower. I didn't get to see it when I killed Titus. I have missed it," Costia turns and looks at Lexa. "You have questions, ask them."

"Why did you kill the desert clan ambassador and Titus?"

"The desert clan ambassador was because of his deal with Clarke. I was told to try and weaken Skaikru and Titus. Two reasons," She says as she holds her fingers up. "One because Nia told me to and two, he gave me to that bitch. My turn, do you love her?"

"Yes," Lexa says. Costia nods. "What did Nia do to you?"

"Oh, cut me, burnt me, held me underwater, beat me. Pretty much everything she could do, besides letting her men rape me. That is the only thing she didn't do. I was surprised. Not that she hasn't made me use my body for that information, but I was never raped. Why did you do it? Why did you make that deal?"

"Because I thought you were dead. I didn't think I could save you but I could save everybody else. So I did it, even though I wanted to kill her. I put my feelings aside. How long have you been her assassin?"

"A couple of weeks, before I was just a spy. I saw you a couple of times. Do you still love me?"

"Yes, but not as much as I love Clarke, you will always have a place in my heart. Why didn't you run?"

"First, I'm surprised you have a heart and two, you don't run from Nia. She broke me, Lexa. I am her puppet, the truth is, the woman you loved, she is dead. Nia killed her. Even now, I'm scared of her and you should be too, you have underestimated her for so long. Are you going to kill me?"

"I don't know," Lexa answers. "If you were to live, would you try and build a life, find your will to live?"

"I don't know," Costia answers after a moment. "I might be to broken to build one."

Lexa nods as there is a knock. "What?"

Clarke opens the door and walks in. "The others are here."

Lexa nods. "We will speak more soon. But I have one more question? Do you hate me?"

"Yes," Costia answers. "It's amazing really, I hate you but a part of me still loves you. Feelings are a bitch."

"Let's go," Clarke says as she lays her hand on Lexa's shoulder and Lexa nods as they leave the room. They walk through the tower in silence until they reach the throne room where Luna, Anya, Gustus, Jake, and Jake were waiting.

"Is it really her?" Luna asks Lexa who nods.

"It is Costia," Lexa says.

"We can't kill her, Lexa," Luna says.

"Then tell me what to do? Cause I don't see any other way, blood must have blood Luna, that is how we live."

"Then let's take someone's blood. But not Costia. Nia has been a pain in the ass for far too long. So let's end it, once in for all. We kill her," Clarke says.

"You're suggesting war with Azgeda," Anya says.

"I know, even if we killed Costia today, Nia wouldn't stop, she will find a way to someday get what she wants. She'll find a way to kill Lexa, and all of us. We know she had Titus killed. Who knows what else, but we have Roan and Costia. Let's use them, plenty of people hate her. Costia is a pawn, we need to kill the queen. You give them Nia's head and tell the people that she was behind the murders, they'll believe you and they'll be okay with it."

"We have the people and the clans," Jake says. They look at Lexa and she nods.

"We're going to kill Nia. We're going to war."

Thanks for reading. I think this has been my favorite chapter to write. Costia is such a fun character to write. Also she will be played by Nina Dobrev. She has a long road ahead, next chapter Luna has a talk with Costia. Lexa and the others prepare for war as does Nia. Skaikru begins their training. As always suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.