Okay guys I know it's been three weeks but, once I started I just couldn't stop, lol. This is the length of three chapters so, I hope you enjoy it! It certainly is a labour of love I've been battling to finish through a nasty chest infection, but now it's done I can sleep ;) I was going to split it up but seeing as it's Clexa Week, I thought you could have it all in one go :) A couple mentions:

Nathalie26: There's definitely a lot more to come, don't worry about that.. and you may just get your wish ;)

ceyaro: Glad you like it bud :) I hope you enjoy what I do with it - hopefully it's different enough to the rest :p

Fong: Sorry to hear that, I'm happy I'm able to help with this 'lil story and I hope it continues to do so :)

adcisla: Clarke is a wee bit jealous of Luna, whether she has reason to be or not you'll see ;)

Guest: Thank you :) and don't worry about Pius, he's nowhere near as stupid as Titus was (grumbles) you're very welcome :)

airetam: I thought you'd appreciate Comet and Balius popping up ;) I like the idea of Balius' Untold Saga! Haha, that would be fun :p Thanks for your notes - will keep them in mind.

Thanks as always for each review, favourite and follow - makes me smile every time I get one :) please let me know what you think of this epically long chapter! Clexa forever.

Enjoy ;)

**A/N: There is a fighting sequence in this chapter where people get hurt and there are descriptions of violence and references to the dead that may be triggering in the light of recent events. I don't want to cause anyone distress, please look after yourselves and perhaps don't read if it could be upsetting for you. Saying that if you've read this message you will be able to see the scene coming and be able to skip past it if you wish. **

To say Clarke was intimidated would be an understatement, but she was managing to hide it well. She had conducted herself very well with members of Lexa's Coalition before, after all, when it was her plan that the Commander stood behind. Or at least she did eventually, after their run in with the Pauna but here she stood with the leaders of the twelve clans and their generals, all talking over themselves as they tried to be heard.

The meeting had been going on for a while, to mostly disagreements and angered questions. They were in Lexa's throne room, a large table set up in the middle to which the leaders all stood around, their generals standing just behind them and a number of guards lining the walls at the back.

"Quiet!" Lexa bellowed and her reprimanding tone echoed around the room, silencing the disgruntled leaders so their disagreements lowered into dull murmurs. The Commander's eyes were intense and she glared in turn at the two in particular who interrupted her last sentence.

Clarke had no idea how Lexa managed it, really, to get these strong and fierce grounders to fall into line. To silence them with nothing but her eyes, her tone and impenetrable demeanour. Not for the first time Clarke wondered what the hell it was Lexa did during their last war, the one before the Coalition was fully formed. Maybe one day she would ask her.

Lexa continued glaring at Anton in particular, her eyes flicking to Zion just twice before they settled back on the leader of the Blue Cliff Clan. The Commander waited for the murmurs to reduce to whispers before she carried on speaking. "Skaikru stand with the Coalition now, and Wanheda marches by my side," she said in a low and dangerous tone, her eyes sweeping to Kasius and Reiki to solidify her point. If their allegiance depended on the side Clarke chose, then Lexa would ensure there was no confusion. At her words the leaders of the Desert Clan and Lake People respectively cast wary glances toward Clarke who did her best to mirror the Commander's confidence. Lexa thought she did it well.

Clarke swallowed through the silence and after a moment she met Lexa's unrelenting gaze. There was some reassurance she found there just for her and Clarke clenched her jaw at it, taking a firm hold of the invisible support the Commander extended to her. Lexa's eyes held nothing but strength and Clarke found a large kind of comfort there.

"Heda," Kasius spoke up in a firm but respectful tone. "How can we trust Wanheda won't seek revenge? That her people won't break this second alliance you offer them?"

Lexa turned to him from her place at the table and raised her jaw, pinning him with her glaze.

According to Zeek, Kasius was a fair man. He was aging too much unlike the majority of the other male clan leaders. The Desert Clan was mostly peaceful and Kasius lead with a wise head, staying largely out of politics and very likely to go with the majority. His lands were vast as was his army and Zeek had said Nia would've promised him impossible things to win his allegiance. He was no fool, however, and being one of the older leaders he was more aware of Nia's history than most and therefore what she was capable of. Everyone knew she would need support, though, and so without Wanheda and the influence she would bring Nia didn't hold out much hope of receiving enough backing.

Clarke therefore understood why he was asking such a question.

"Wanheda is here, Kasius," Lexa responded firmly. "Perhaps direct your question toward her." She then turned and ascended the steps to her throne, her coat billowing out as she moved and when she sat down, she did so with all the authority of her station.

Kasius turned to Clarke then, and with a quick glance in Lexa's direction she took a deep breath and responded. "My people want peace," she began as her eyes moved around the room. "I, want peace-"

"-That guarantee's nothing," Anton interrupted, his huge bulking chest as inflated as it was with his last interruption. He held is hand in the air in Clarke's direction.

"Anton," Lexa growled, but he carried on nevertheless.

His voice rose so this time it was his words that bounced off the throne room walls. "We have no confidence she won't betray you just as you betrayed her." Lexa's eyes widened as immediate chatter began amongst the other leaders so Anton just shouted louder. "That her people won't stand against us. We cannot trust Wanheda-"

Luna was quick to cut him off with a bang of her hand against the surface of the thick, oak table. She placed her other hand on it too and then leaned her weight across it. "-Do not pretend you stand with the Coalition, Anton," she shouted just as loud as him, the others cutting off their muttering at the confrontation. "We are all aware of where your loyalties lie."

Anton grinned, at that, and quickly rolled his shoulders back as if to refute the accusation. "If that were true, why would I be here?"

Luna glared at him even harder. "That I would like to know. Why don't you tell us?"

"I am more a part of this Coalition than Wanheda," Anton snapped back, "and my clan deserves protection against the threat she may bring."

Roks was keen to join in on the argument, clear in her support for the Commander and the Coalition. "And what of the threat Azgeda brings?" she seethed toward the Ice Nation representatives.

Kristof was quick to defend his clan, stepping forward to take centre stage. "Azgeda brings no threat," he announced, very dismissively.

She didn't believe him for a second. "You say that when your army marches on my land as we speak."

Kristof looked away from Roks and waved his hand in the air. "Our army is simply conducting military exer-"

"-For what purpose?" Kaia interrupted, the Trishana leader easily jumping on the bandwagon. "Your army has no purpose conducting exercises so far south."

"There is a new clan even further south," Kristof countered. "Azgeda will not be intimidated by Skaikru and their weapons." He turned to Clarke then, lowering his voice a little. "We will make sure they know this."

"The Azgeda army has no authority any further south than the rock line," Lexa growled lowly, her eyes glaring daggers at the Ice Nation general. "You risk retaliation simply by marching."

Kristof raised his chin at the Commander, clearly in a show of defiance. "We are entitled to defend ourselves."

"Are you being attacked?" Luna asked, voicing the question that was poised on Lexa's lips.

There were a few murmurs around the table but Kristof was quick to silence them. To not be belittled before the Coalition. "Azgeda will not be told how to behave in the face of this new threat," he answered rather angrily.

Clarke sighed as she became annoyed. "We are no threat to you," she pushed out, a deep furrow in her brow. "Why would we be?" She wasn't comfortable in letting this general blame her people for his clan's movements against the Coalition.

"You are the only threat here, Kristof," Dolsha grinned at him, the leader of Yujleda. She could see through his lies, his stalling tactics and so could everyone else. "You and those who follow you."

"As you rightly say, Kristof," Lexa continued then, looking at him with practised nonchalance. "Azgeda is a part of my Coalition. If Skaikru did indeed pose a threat they would not be here." There were several gentle murmurs before Lexa stood and strode toward him, her shoulders back and her tone suddenly dangerous. "Your clan is under my rule and I order your army back to your own lands."

Kristof became just as imposing in return, or at least he tried to be. "If you cannot see the danger her clan brings," he said as he pointed blatantly at Clarke, "then it is your leadership that is in question."

The murmurs rose in volume as Lexa bared her teeth, snapping her reply as her eyes flashed with anger. "Then it is your Queen's place to voice this, not yours," she growled, her guards taking their positions at her sides with their hands poised on their weapons ready to strike at her word. The leaders loyal to Lexa also looked ready to strike at any moment.

All Kristof could do was back off, not ready and completely in over his head to be talking to the Commander in such a way but it was his mission to undermine her as much as possible at this meeting. "Apologies, Heda," he offered after a good few moments, lowering his head a little to her authority. "I only say what I see, in my Queen's absence."

Lexa though knew exactly what he was doing. "And it is your Queen's absence that highlights her weakness," she pushed back at him, keen to label her a coward for not bothering to be in attendance. "Nia refuses to face me yet thinks she can renege on her sworn allegiance to this Coalition. To me." Lexa's eyes were on fire and Kristof couldn't even bring himself to meet them so she turned and went back to her throne, standing tall in front of it with her chest puffed out. "Such behaviour will not be tolerated. Take this message to your Queen. If she does not retreat her forces behind the rock line by dusk tomorrow then I will unleash the forces of my army to force her, and those who stand with her."

Kristof kept his head bowed but flicked his eyes up just a little. "Such a move with be an act of war-"

"-Nia's actions are already an act of war!" Lexa spat, glaring at him with all of her ferocity and deadly intent. She wouldn't be undermined, and she was tired of granting Nia liberties she didn't deserve. "It is only by my grace that she is allowed such movement but I will not allow it to continue."

The room was thrust into silence and Clarke honestly thought Lexa might strike the general dead there and then so after a very tension-fuelled silence she spoke, wanting to let everyone know exactly who she supported. "Whether we are in the Coalition or not," she began, her voice getting louder with each word. "Skaikru support the Commander in this. We fight with her, and the Coalition."

Luna's attention turned to Clarke and she smiled just a little, and it made Clarke think she had done the right thing. She noticed Kasius and Reiki nodding at her words too, which was exactly what she wanted. Hopefully after hearing that they would have no desire to stand with Azgeda.

"We look forward to working with you, Wanheda," Reiki said after a few moments and Clarke smiled tightly at her in return.

There was a look between Kristof, Anton and Zion but they remained quiet.

Lexa seemed pleased and her anger was pacified for now. She took in a breath and glanced around the room. "You have remained quiet in this, Zion," she said as her eyes settled on him.

Zion looked awkward, and a little nervous if a man close to seven feet tall could look such things. He seemed to contemplate something before he spoke, bowing his head in respect of his Heda. "Delfikru stand where we always do, Heda," and then he looked at Clarke. "We are interested to know more of what Skaikru wish to contribute, should they truly stand with the Coalition."

"Politics can wait until after the Ice Queen withdraws her forces," Lexa responded quickly. It was another distraction tactic and she inwardly shook her head at it. On the fence is where you always stand, Zion, was her first choice of reply. And perhaps still upset that I paid Skaikru more attention than you...

"And if she shouldn't, Heda?" Azizi asked, and then Lexa regarded him.

Zeek had explained to Clarke that Azizi and Lexa went back a long way so she didn't think for a moment the question was a challenge. More like him giving Lexa an opportunity to intimate those who might turn against the Coalition.

The question itself made Kristof want to protest but Lexa held up a hand to silence him as she turned her attention to the general.

Her tone was once more low, and once more deadly, her eyes narrowed in hatred for the woman she spoke of. "Then she declares war against me and this time I will make an example of her." She let her words sink in for a moment before she stood and then continued. "She will be a lesson to those who wish to oppose me and unlike last time, she will not be granted another chance." Lexa then relaxed her frame a little as she regarded everyone in the room. "Ready your forces. Tomorrow we plan for war."

There were more gentle murmurs that erupted throughout the room however Kristof didn't waste a moment in sticking around. He left the room in a hurry followed by Anton and their delegations, some others taking their time in leaving so they could exchange a few words with their Heda and then bow before leaving her presence. Zion simply watched for a good few moments, speaking quietly with his own generals before he left amongst everyone else, not waiting to speak to Lexa, however.

Lexa and Luna conversed quietly at the foot of the throne with Azizi, Roks and Dolsha exchanging rapid fire conversation in Trigedasleng at the side of the table. The others who remained simply spoke with their generals and waited for a moment with their Heda.

Eventually though, Lexa was finally free and she made her way over to Clarke.

"Hey," Clarke greeted as Lexa came to a stop a foot or so from her, linking her hands behind her back and inclining her head a little. She barely smiled, but Clarke knew it was there.

There were a few things Lexa wanted to say but seeing as the delegations were slow on leaving the room she was forced to keep most of her comments to herself, for now. Instead she simply regarded Clarke, happy at the things Clarke said and how she handled herself during the meeting.

After a few moments Clarke leaned a little closer to Lexa as her lips formed a small smirk. Honestly she was relieved the meeting was over, but at the same time was nervous for what would follow. "That was intense, huh?" she said on a whisper, careful so no one else would hear.

Lexa nodded her head just once as Clarke pulled away, raising her brow a little in response. "As expected," she said, trying not to be curt after dealing with Kristof. She felt some tension in her shoulders and tried to let it drain out of her, sighing as she took her mind to better things. "Thank you," she offered quietly, "for what you said."

Clarke smiled at that and for a moment she glanced at the floor. She looked at Lexa from under her brow. "Hopefully it had the desired effect."

Lexa licked her lips, knowing it did. Kasius and Reiki were undoubtedly convinced Wanheda was on her side so as long as they still respected or feared Clarke, Lexa would have their loyalty. Lexa was grateful and she wanted to express but that she knew, would have to wait. She did however, provide Clarke with a bigger smile. "We shall see," she responded, and Clarke grinned back at her.

Luna chose that moment to interrupt and Clarke had to battle with herself not to roll her eyes. The Floukru leader touched Lexa on the arm and then dismissed herself and her delegation from the room. Luna inclined her head to Lexa and then focused her attention on Clarke. "Wanheda," she said as she lifted her chin, and then she made her way for the doors.

She didn't give Clarke a chance to respond, not that she would've done anyway but even so Clarke watched after her as she left the room, still very curious and interested in whatever had or was happening between her and the Commander. It took her a moment to turn back but when she did Lexa was regarding her with a curious expression of her own.

"So," Clarke began as she sucked in a deep breath and blinked a few times to get herself back on track. "What happens now?"

Lexa was quick to drop the curious look and she easily slipped back into Heda mode. The room now considerably more empty so Lexa let herself speak a little more freely. "If what we assume is correct, Delfikru and Ouskejou Kru will not remain in Polis after tonight. They will ride with the Azgeda delegation to where Nia is camped and discuss their own battle plans."

Clarke's brow furrowed. "Why don't we just stop them before they leave? Imprisoning the leaders of those clans will stop Nia from attacking, right?"

Lexa raised her eyebrows. "It would," she replied as she exhaled a breath. "But being a member of the Coalition offers the clans a certain amount of protection," she explained, trying to abbreviate until she could explain the ins and outs of the Coalition to Clarke properly. "There are rules that I simply cannot break because I think those leaders may attack me. The point of the Coalition is to promote peace and fairness. If I were to lock up whoever I chose and hold them indefinitely on a suspicion I would be breaking my own laws."

Clarke nodded her head. "Oh," she responded, and earned another little smile from Lexa. "And what would happen if you broke your own laws?"

Lexa licked her lips. "My own people would turn on me. The clan leaders would likely imprison me and then Nia would have her chance."

"Right," Clarke responded. So obviously that was a no go. Her mind still carried on working, though. "So what do you have to wait for before you can take them prisoner?"

Lexa considered it. "An act of war. An attempt on my life, or on the life of another clan leader."

"Ah," Clarke sighed. She had lots of questions, far too many for Lexa to answer all of them now so she stopped herself, letting out a long and frustrated breath.

"There is a lot for you to learn, Clarke," Lexa started, taking a half step closer to her.

Clarke just raised her eyebrows.

"It will take time, but I thank you for being here. For doing what you are," and then Lexa stopped, lowering her voice to nothing more than a whisper. "I am in your debt."

Clarke swallowed and felt the inflection in Lexa's tone was offering more than what her words were saying. She saw the glint in her eyes too and it made the breath hitch in her chest, a little. "I'm sure I can think of something for repayment," Clarke responded before she could stop herself and then suddenly she felt utterly embarrassed at flirting with the Commander in her throne room, with a couple of clan leaders still milling around, no less. She quickly looked at the floor as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

Lexa though, didn't seem embarrassed at all and in fact it was all she could do to conceal her smile. The Commander cleared her throat to get Clarke's attention and then she moved toward her, touching her arm as she passed to get her to follow. "Come," Lexa said, the almost smile still on her lips. "I will show you to the banquet hall. I have to meet with my generals and scouts shortly but there is no need for you to miss dinner."

Clarke felt relieved, knowing the Commander was in a much better mood now than when the meeting ended and it was because of her, no matter how stupid her comment had been. It didn't take long for her to regain her composure and as they both stepped into the lift, Clarke tried not to let her mind wander to how she'd really like Lexa to repay her.

"Can you believe this?" Kane asked, totally immersed in what he was seeing. The smile had been plastered all over his face since reaching the market and he was, by definition, completely enamoured. He picked up an item and stared at it, frowning a little in curiosity.

"Gon soujon," the grounder whose stall it was said, gesturing at the implement in Kane's hand. Kane looked at the man still confused. "Gon fig woda au".

Kane raised his head as if to agree and then he nodded a couple of times.

"He says you use it to find water," Octavia said as she stepped next to Kane. "Somehow I don't think you'll need one."

"I don't know," Kane said as he continued smiling, placing the item back down on the stall. "It could come in handy at some point." Octavia threw him a disbelieving look as he seemed to give in to her point. "Mochof," he said to the grounder and then carried on walking with Octavia by his side. "Isn't this fantastic?" he asked with excitement, not even letting a beat pass. He held his palms in the air in front of him and gestured to all that was going on around them. "A fully thriving society. I could never have imagined a city as big as this. Each aspect of it serving some purpose; buyers, sellers, workers..." he dropped his hands to his sides and sighed. "...Outstanding."

"I heard some people talking back there about a training ring," Octavia responded completely ignoring Kane's awe. She was eager to check out the warriors of Polis and see how they trained with each other. "Lincoln said the warriors that are selected to protect Polis are the best of all the clans."

Kane just glanced sideways at her and smiled. "As long as you remember we're guests here. I don't want you breaking any protocols volunteering to fight."

Octavia rolled her eyes as Bellamy walked up behind them. "We're being followed," he said in an unimpressed tone, looking then to his sister. "And you are not jumping in any ring with any warriors."

Octavia rolled her eyes even harder. "Relax," she said as she turned around to glare at her brother, keeping up the pace by walking backwards. "I just want to see what they've got." She frowned at him, then, as he gave her a disapproving look. "And don't be telling me what to do."

Bellamy turned his head to Kane. "They obviously don't trust us. Why else would guards be following us?"

Kane stopped at another stall to pick up some fabric that resembled a loose fitting shirt and Bellamy stood just to his side. Kane looked at it approvingly.

Bellamy sighed. "Aren't you worried?"

"We're the new guys in town," Kane replied, far more interested in the garment than Bellamy's concerns. "It's understandable Lexa would want to keep an eye on us, and also to protect us." He put the shirt back down. "We're not in the Coalition, remember? And there might be some who won't agree with us being here." He turned to Bellamy and met his gaze firmly. "And if anything does happen, we'll let the guards deal with it, understood?"

Bellamy looked to the sky and heaved out a sigh. He didn't like any of this, but they were clearly outnumbered. He tried a different tack. "And what if someone tries something on Clarke? She's on her own out there."

Kane grinned and turned back to the stall. "I think Clarke's proved she can handle herself."

Octavia jogged up to them then, a smile lighting up her face. "I found the training ring," she informed them as she slapped her brother on the arm. "Come check it out!"

Kane turned around just in time to see Octavia run off into the distance. He folded his arms across his chest and peered up at Bellamy. "Your sister's enjoying herself, maybe you should too." He started walking again and reluctantly Bellamy followed suit. "This is a good thing, Bellamy. A chance for us to experience their culture," he clenched his fists out in front of him. "Soak it up. See what they can offer-"

"-Why would we want anything they can offer?"

Kane abruptly stopped walking and pulled back on Bellamy's arm. For the first time since stepping foot in the city, Kane's brow furrowed in annoyance and disbelief. Disappointment heavily mixed in there, too. "Don't you want this? A peace like this, for your people?"

Bellamy tilted his head and regarded Kane warily. "Not with people I don't trust."

"Well start trusting them," Kane countered with authority, not caring that his voice was raised a little. Bellamy's refusal to see all this as the gift that it could be was starting to wear thin. To make it worse he knew Bellamy held a lot of influence at Camp Jaha so he'd need to get him onside, somehow. "We're here, they let us in. They're embracing us. We need to embrace them too."

Bellamy leaned in closer to him, the nervous in his chest at the situation they were in getting heavier by the second. "And what if they decide to kill us while we're busy embracing them?"

Kane sighed and shook his head.

Bellamy just carried on regardless. "Lexa has shown us she can't be trusted and as far as I can see, she's done nothing to earn it back."

Kane glanced around them as he placed his hands on his hips, catching one or two judgemental looks from a few passersby clearly hearing the tone of Bellamy's voice in which he addressed the Commander. Kane grabbed his elbow and quickly lead him away from the bustle of the crowd.

He glared at Bellamy with serious intent. He knew he was wary, in all honestly Kane was a little too, but this was an opportunity he wouldn't miss. Any kind of friendship and camaraderie the Commander of the twelve clans was offering them he wanted to take. Kane wanted nothing more than peace with the grounders and if they could achieve it without incident, then all the better. He wasn't going to let anyone squander it for them all.

"Clarke believes Lexa wants peace-"

Bellamy rolled his eyes but Kane reached out for him quickly to draw his gaze back in.

"-And so do I. For whatever reason she needs Clarke, that much is clear and we all come as a package deal."

Bellamy pushed out a breath, looking down and away to the side of Kane.

"She's not going to kill us, not when she needs us, so we're all going to be as amenable as possible." Kane held up a hand as Bellamy was about to protest. "It's fine for us to be careful, in fact it's wise for us to be," and then he held up his index finger. "But I will not accept behaviour that will jeopardise this truce between our people."

Bellamy clenched his jaw, clearly uncomfortable at Kane's words.

Kane looked beneath Bellamy's brow. "Understand?"

Bellamy flicked his eyes up to Kane's and then nodded, just once. "Yes sir."

"Good," Kane replied after a moment or so and then he took a step back, his tone and demeanour changing quickly to more positive ones. "Now let's find your sister." He took a step around Bellamy and moved to join the crowd.

"I hope you're right," Bellamy called over his shoulder, still not convinced even in the least trusting Lexa's people was the right thing to do.

Kane stopped in his tracks but didn't look back. "I am," he said without a moment of hesitation, and then he disappeared into the market and Bellamy reluctantly followed.

"So," Clarke frowned, drink in hand but mostly untouched. Her brow was furrowed and she was talking as quietly as she could but still be heard about the dull raw of the vast dining hall. She was standing opposite the buffet tables against the far wall with Zeek at her side, towering a good number of feet above her. He was drinkless and standing to attention watching over the crowds while keeping an eye on Clarke, as per his instructions from Dax after the meeting.

Clarke chose this point to take a sip of her drink, too busy contemplating what Zeek was saying to be interested in food right then. Her one arm was folded over her stomach while the other was bent at the elbow, the hand of which loosely holding her cup of wine. "The Delphi Clan and Blue Cliff Clan have history that links them together back before the Coalition was formed-"

"-Yes," Zeek confirmed.

Clarke was having trouble trying to understand it all. "Before Zion and Anton even took Command?"

"Yes."

"But something happened between Nia and Anton before or maybe even during the Coalition war and that's why Anton supports her."

Zeek nodded his head once. "That is the rumour."

"Right." Clarke then screwed up her face, a little. "So, Zion is obliged to follow Anton..."

"Yes." Zeek said, and he knew what was coming.

"...Why?" Clarke looked up at him then, Zeek's face not moving from the crowd ahead.

"I do not know."

Clarke sighed, loudly, remembering back to some of her first conversations with the young warrior. "Oh that's right," she said as she rolled her eyes. "You don't ask questions."

Zeek took in a breath. "I do not."

Clarke pushed out a sigh and had another sip of her wine. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. "But what happened between Nia and Anton?"

Zeek did peer down at her then and then slowly raised an eyebrow.

Clarke huffed and there was a rumble in her chest at her frustration. She had no idea how Zeek was able to not ask these questions. "Well who will know?"

Zeek was amused, she could tell by the tiny flick at the corner of his lips. "It is not your place to ask, Klark kom Skaikru," he replied, causing her to roll her eyes again. He then became serious once more. "All that is important is that these alliances exist, and to understand that Anton and Zion will not be swayed from supporting Azgeda, even if they believe it to be the wrong choice."

Clarke nodded, it not taking her much to believe such a thing of grounder culture. "Because Anton owes Nia a debt?"

Zeek nodded. "And Delfikru is indebted to Ouskejou Kru."

Clarke bit on her bottom lip for a moment. "So there were alliances between the clans before the Commander's Coalition?"

"Yes."

Clarke became curious again. "Which clans?"

Zeek clenched his jaw for a moment, sweeping his gaze through the crowd to gauge whether or not now was a good time for his attention to be on the conversation rather than the crowd. Nothing much was happening apart from chatter and eating, and Anton was keeping to his delegation as was Zion. He blinked once deciding there couldn't be much harm.

"Trishana are long time allies of Trikru, although Kaia and Indra are not friends."

Clarke found that easy to believe. She was certain Indra's temperament meant she had few or even no friends to speak of. She had to stifle a grin and then she closed her eyes for a moment, searching her memory. "Trishana is the Glowing Forest, right?"

"Yes."

She looked up at Zeek again. "So is the affiliation purely to do with the similar environments?"

Zeek didn't respond, just continued to survey the crowd.

"Right, you don't know." Clarke frowned. "Wait, why isn't Indra here? Shouldn't she have been at the meeting?"

"Indra is Heda's first general. Being from the same clan Trikru is automatically elevated to the first clan of Polis and she is often tasked with Heda's most important missions."

Clarke supposed that made sense. "So who speaks for Trikru if Indra isn't here?"

Zeek noticed Kristof enter the hall with his delegation and make his way over to Anton. He clenched his jaw at it, but other than that let it continue. "It is accepted that Heda's clan will side with her. It would be considered traitorous if they should not. Indra does not need to attend."

Clarke frowned. "Right."

"She will be here for war planning, however."

Clarke just raised her eyebrows. There was definitely a lot that Lexa needed to explain to her, at some point. She shook her head. "So what about the other clans?"

Kristof then moved away from Anton and approached the food tables and so Zeek rested a little easier. "Dolsha and Roks are close. Their clans are located very near to each other."

Clarke tried to remember but her mind was failing her. There were just far too many people and far too many clans. "Which clans are they again?"

"Roks is of the Shadow Valley and Dolsha of Broadleaf."

"Right, of course." She could recall Roks' clan being mentioned in the meeting, now.

Zeek's lips flicked up again. "You need to know this, Wanheda," and then he smiled down at her.

Clarke just offered him a glare.

Zeek looked back out at the crowd. "They have been friends a long time."

Clarke nodded, and then drank some more of her wine. "Like Lexa and Luna?"

Whenever anyone mentions Lexa by name Zeek always felt a little uncomfortable. She was Heda to him, therefore she should be Heda to everyone else, especially when people were in earshot. He tossed Clarke a look to inform her as such. "Yes," he nodded. "Like Heda and Luna."

It grated on Clarke but she managed to conceal it. She blamed the wine, and whatever Zeek was trying to tell her was lost on her.

Zeek sighed and carried on. "Jaikob and Azizi are out to the east, but their clans are not close. Azizi will always wait for Jaikob to arrive within the Plains before they travel to Polis together."

"Why?" It was out before Clarke could stop it. After a moment she just gestured in the air for Zeek to forget it.

"Kasius does not like company as you know, and Reiki keeps to herself also though she and Azizi always speak when they are in Polis."

Zeek nodded across the room to reiterate his point and Clarke followed his line of sight to find both Reiki and Azizi huddled in the corner together. It made Clarke smile. "Maybe they're something to each other," she wondered.

Zeek didn't seem to care and he went back to scanning the crowd. "Perhaps," he said quietly, and then after a moment; "Though it would be foolish of them to be so."

That really made Clarke furrow her brow. She looked up at him. "Why?"

Zeek looked down and met her gaze. "If the lives of warriors are short, than those of our leaders are even shorter."

Clarke just shrugged. "And that would stop them because?"

Zeek glanced around them once more and thought about how to phrase it. It took him a good minute or so. "Our history dictates that war can befall us at any moment." He looked out across the hall again at the two leaders in question. "And if they should find themselves on opposing sides? It is better they should not risk it. It is why our people do not often pair with those from another clan. It is better that way."

Clarke thought back to the Mountain and she immediately understood. "Yeah," she sighed. "I guess I can see that," but then she thought better of it. There had to be a way and as long as there was peace, then surely Reiki and Azizi stood a chance. "But things are changing, right?" she asked, not quite ready to let the idea of leaders from different clans being together go. "With the Commander's Coalition. There's peace, and even with this war they won't be on opposing sides." She didn't know who she was trying to convince at this point.

Zeek nodded, briefly. "Three years of change against ninety-five of tradition." He glanced back over to the corner of the room. "Tradition is safer."

In that moment Clarke wanted to argue with him. She wanted to point out that he was young, that he shouldn't be so short-sighted. She wanted to ask him how he thought change would come, if their generation wouldn't embrace it but the movement at the far end of the hall stopped her. She saw Lexa break away from the large crowd of people she was surrounded by and stride pointedly toward the raised platform to the left of the buffet tables. Pius was hot on her heels with Dax just behind him and several guards that brought up the rear. At the last moment the Commander snuck a glance at Clarke and even though her face was largely expressionless, Clarke could see the smile in her eyes.

It made Clarke consider what exactly Lexa was up against. Kane had been right, all that time ago; Lexa was a visionary. It was clear at least to Clarke that she wanted to change things. Obviously the peace she had forged within her reign was testament enough but here, just to Clarke's right stood one of her youngest warriors. A warrior who preached about tradition even though he loved and respected his Commander above all else. Clarke didn't doubt for a second Zeek would die for Lexa, although whether he knew it or not he didn't share the Commander's vision.

It was such a contradiction, but Clarke suspected it was engrained in their training and teaching, especially seeing as how the clans honoured generation-old debts to each other. It seemed the grounders honoured history more so than what the future could hold, and she knew it would take someone magnificent to get them to see things differently. Someone strong who could challenge tradition and show everyone a new way.

"Shof op!" Pius shouted out across the hall, silencing everyone almost immediately. He was standing to the side of Lexa who was elevated above everyone else on the platform, her hands interlaced behind her as she stood with her shoulders back, her jaw levelled proudly as she held herself regally and with authority. "Hosh gon Heda!"

Clarke was certain Lexa was the person to change the way of life for the grounders, and for her own people, too, for that matter. As Clarke stared at her up on that podium, as she surveyed her people with both dominance and compassion more than anything Clarke wanted to be a part of it, and to help Lexa deliver that ideal of peace. She just had absolutely no idea how Lexa intended to do it.

But then she supposed that's why Lexa was the visionary.

"I welcome you all to my home," Lexa began, her voice loud and booming and filled with the confidence her persona exuded. "To my halls. There are representatives from the leaderships of each clan here tonight, and we meet to discuss troubling times. You all know this, whether you are a warrior or civilian but understand that whatever is to come, our spirit will not be broken. This Coalition is strong and will remain so no matter the threat, and even if that threat comes from within."

"Tonight we welcome Skaikru as our friends, and Wanheda as a trusted ally." Lexa turned to Clarke then, and most in the hall did the same. There was a long moment where Lexa's stare held Clarke's gaze and the Commander's expression lifted, the corners of her lips slightly upturned. Clarke swallowed a little nervously and when she nodded to accept Lexa's words, the Commander then turned away and regarded her people once more. "Tomorrow is a new day when we will ward off all those who wish to threaten us, our peace and our illustrious Capital City but for now, we shall eat and we shall drink and we shall celebrate our unity, and our faith in one another."

She turned to Pius as her rousing words sparked various hoots and grunts of support from many in the hall, quite a few punching their fists in the air and slapping each other on the back. Clarke couldn't help but let her gaze fall on Anton and his delegation who were little more than stoic statutes making up the numbers. A quick glance at Zion showed him putting on more of a show for appearances, but his eyes shone with nerves and worry.

Pius handed Lexa a drink and she nodded him her thanks before she thrust it in the air, shouting even louder to be heard right at the back of the hall. "Oso gid em op!"

"Gid em op!" the room cheered, repeating the Commander's words before turning back to cheer and excite each other some more.

The Commander knocked back her drink and then handed her cup to Pius before descending the steps from the platform and making a beeline directly for Clarke. Many people nodded toward Lexa and exchanged a few words with her as she made her way, to which Lexa gladly responded to each in kind.

Clarke hurriedly finished her drink and then looked at it with some surprise when she realised the cup was empty.

"Clarke," Lexa greeted when she finally managed to get to her.

Clarke smiled in return. "Commander."

Lexa adopted her regal stance once more, her hands again behind her back but her expression was somewhat more relaxed.

"Thank you for welcoming us," Clarke added, a little too much like an afterthought but she appreciated the Commander's words from the platform nonetheless.

Lexa nodded. "Skaikru are always welcome in Polis. I look forward to welcoming more of you once this threat is over."

Clarke was nodding now too and realised she was still holding her empty cup up and just to the side of her. She lowered it quickly and then weirdly became very aware that she didn't know what to do with it. "I'm sure my people will love that," she hurried out as an answer. "Thank you."

Lexa held onto Clarke's gaze and wanted nothing more than to spend the evening with her, eat dinner together and introduce her properly to all of her people in the room but she knew she could not. She swallowed as the thought gave her an uncomfortable feeling in her chest and then she noticed the empty cup. "You wish for another?" she asked as if she was happy she could fix this tiny, insignificant thing for Clarke seeing as she couldn't be in her company for much longer.

"Uhmm," Clarke started, but Lexa didn't give her chance to respond properly.

Lexa had already turned to one of her attendants. "Hon Klark noda souda in," she ordered, not firmly but not softly either. "En get klin em en Skaikru choj os op taim emo sad in."

The attendant scurried off with a bow of his head and then she turned back to Clarke.

"Thanks," Clarke said after a moment, and Lexa afforded her a small smile.

"You have not eaten yet?" Lexa asked, and the normalness of the conversation pulled at something inside Clarke's chest.

"No," Clarke replied, as softly as she could. It felt like there shouldn't be hundreds of people stood round them, then, and she could see that Lexa felt the same. "I was waiting for my people."

Lexa nodded. She looked over Clarke's shoulder toward the back of the hall. "I believe they are being held up by Jaikob and his delegation."

Clarke turned to see for herself and couldn't help but smile at them being cajoled into drinking and celebrating with the swarm of grounders around them.

Lexa was all of a sudden stood right at Clarke's shoulder. "Boudalan enjoy their wine a little too much," she whispered, her voice low and it sent a shiver shooting down Clarke's side and when she turned, the small smirk on Lexa's face made her tingle.

Clarke had to clear her throat, a little. "Perhaps I should rescue them, then," she said with a smile and then she lowered her voice as well. "I wouldn't want your people leading them astray."

Lexa smiled at her words but then her attendant was back and handing Clarke another cup of wine. She handed him her empty cup in return.

"Mochof," she said to him as Lexa took a noticeable step back.

"Pro," the attendant replied.

"Let him know when you wish to eat," Lexa said as her shoulders went back and her expression returned to one of indifference. "He will ensure you and your people eat well."

Clarke nodded, briefly. "Won't you be eating?"

Lexa blinked a few times as if she wasn't expecting the question. "Unfortunately not. I have something I must attend to."

Oh, Clarke wanted to say but she managed to hold it in. "Will you be back later?"

Again the Commander blinked. "Perhaps," she replied, knowing she probably wouldn't. "If there is time."

Clarke nodded as Lexa noticed the rest of Skaikru making their way over to their position. She focused back on Clarke, then. "I will leave you to the celebration, Clarke," she said with a tiny incline of her head, and Clarke nodded in response. "Have fun."

Clarke smiled but then the Commander was gone, weaving her way through the crowd expertly just as her people approached her.

"This party is nuts," Octavia said, stumbling over to Clarke as various grounders grabbed her arm and patted her shoulder. "What's the occasion?"

Kane and Bellamy came over too, the former very much enjoying their reception and the latter with a scowl on his face at the fuss.

"I think we are," Clarke replied, bringing her cup to her lips and taking a long sip.

"This is great!" Kane said as he leaned in, the noise in the room getting louder by the second. Then he looked around. "Where's the Commander? I thought I saw her over here."

"She had to go," Clarke answered, causing a disappointed look to cross his face. "She said she might be back later, though," she added quickly.

Kane leaned in further. "I wanted to talk to her about Polis," he smiled. "It's amazing! I have so many questions. You really need to see it."

"I know," Clarke shouted back. "Lexa said she'd give me a tour when this is all over." Kane gave her a look, then, which hinted that he knew something and all he could do was give her a small smile as he looked down into the space between them. Clarke had no idea why she'd decided to share that with him, but it was too late to take it back now so she just rolled her eyes.

"So what happened at the meeting?" Bellamy asked, wading in. His expression screamed of caution and discomfort.

Clarke shook her head. "I'll tell you later," she replied, gesturing around the room with her cup. "When we're out of here."

Bellamy sighed and was clearly irritated by her answer but he straightened himself up nonetheless and glared out at the crowd.

Clarke furrowed her brow and tapped Octavia on the shoulder, getting her to come closer. "What's wrong with him?" she asked, not taking her eyes away from Bellamy.

"Oh ignore him," Octavia dismissed, as if she'd spent the entire afternoon doing the very same thing. "He's wary of everything and doesn't trust anyone."

Clarke continued to frown. She knew it would take Bellamy a while to get used to working with Lexa again, but she'd hoped seeing Polis might make him see what kind of society they could forge from their alliance.

She raised her eyebrows. Maybe not.

Clarke sighed and then downed the rest of her drink. She noticed Luna looking in her direction from across the hall with such a passive expression on her face, it made the sting at the back of her throat from the wine even more intense. Clarke's mind was quick to wander, for possibly the twentieth time that afternoon what she and Lexa had discussed in the throne room after they threw her out. Well, maybe 'threw' was a little strong but that was what it felt like at the time.

Clarke momentarily screwed her face up before she forced herself to try and forget about it or at the very least, distract herself from it and then her gaze fell on the buffet tables. "Come on," she announced, gaining the attention of the other three. "Let's get something to eat."

It was late when Lexa left her council chambers and she was in half a mind to visit the banquet hall on the off chance that Clarke might still be there. It had certainly been a long day filled with politics and for the last few hours planning. Or rather plotting. Second guessing Nia's movements and intentions and deciding where was best to send her scouting parties.

She reached the elevator doors and waited, holding a hand out and against the stone at the doors edge so she could rest her weight upon it because as much as she didn't want to admit it, her leg was absolutely throbbing. An idle thought went to the fact Clarke had yet to check it since her offer in the throne room, which she supposed would be ample reason to seek her out. The prospect made her stand a little straighter and she was just far too tired to listen to the side of her mind that might protest. Lexa worked the leaver to call the lift and inhaled a long, deep breath, standing to attention now the lift was on its way.

The floor which was home to her council chambers and war planning rooms was two thirds of the way up the tower; scarcely guarded as there was little point and largely unbeknown to anyone other than her most trusted warriors and advisors. Her meeting had been with Titus, Dax and the clan leaders she trusted beyond repute. She had missed Indra's presence but that couldn't be helped and she looked forward to her arrival the following day. Luna of course had been present too, a little later on during proceedings before everyone departed to deliver the decided upon missions to their various scouts.

Now the day was truly at an end and Lexa was honestly so glad. She hoped for the day when there would be no threat of war. Where people like Nia would no longer exist and everyone could just get along peacefully. She held onto that thought for a moment before she scoffed at herself a little, and then glanced down at the ground shaking her head. What foolish ideas they really were to think there would be no further challenges for her throne. 'How romantic' Luna would tell her, and she often did in their past before they were big enough to hold swords and play fight. Lexa had always been the most idealistic, more prone to fantasies of no war and conflict. It had soon been trained out of her, however, especially under Anya's guidance although perhaps, she had just stopped saying it out loud. Perhaps even stopped thinking it.

When she first formed the Coalition and joined the clans together Lexa had grinned hard and wide at Luna when she asked her, 'Who is foolish now?' and Lexa smiled fondly at the memory. She sucked in another breath and sighed, letting herself become a little freer in that moment as she stood alone at the end of the hallway. "It seems I am foolish once again," she murmured flippantly, knowing that there would always be a time limit on any acquired peace.

It made her recall the conversation she had with Luna when they were alone in her throne room, when the Floukru leader had asked about Clarke. She perhaps asked one too many questions about Clarke during that discussion and the recollection made Lexa clench her jaw. Clarke.

Luna, Pius and the way they both regarded Clarke. The way Luna enquired about her and the way Pius surely would once given the opportunity. Clarke, Clarke, Klark. What was it about Wanheda that made the people close to Lexa so wary? And why was it that all of a sudden, somewhere between their second kiss in her tent and the medical room on the Ark everything, seemed always to end back with Clarke?

There was a heavy thud behind the doors in front of her and it made Lexa snap her head up, startled a little out of her musings and when the doors to the elevator pulled open, the Commander's eyes went wide.

"Clarke."

Lexa stepped onto the lift and nodded at Zeek who proceeded to close the doors behind her. She stood at the back next to Clarke while Zeek stood in front of them, staring at the doors and zoning out as best he could so he wouldn't be party to their conversation. Or at least that was his intention.

There was silence for a moment, as Clarke didn't at all expect to see Lexa again that night since she didn't come back to the hall but now that she was standing next to her, she didn't quite know what to say. More than anything she wished Zeek wasn't there.

"Have you only just finished your meeting?" Clarke asked as concern took over. A furrow took root in her brow as she swept her gaze over the Commander. She looked shattered, even though Clarke could tell she was trying to hide it.

"Yes," Lexa responded quietly, trying to keep their words as far as possible from Zeek's ears. "There was much to set in motion."

"Anything I need to know about?" It was out quickly before she could curb it and it made Lexa smile. Of course Clarke would what to know what was put in place, especially if it concerned her people. That passion was one of the things Lexa loved about her-

Lexa broke eye contact then, blaming her tiredness entirely for letting such thoughts into her mind. She ran her eyes along the outline of Zeek's back and for some reason, she stood a little straighter. "No," the Commander replied, and then she glanced back at Clarke. "Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow."

Clarke wanted to press her but knew Lexa wouldn't say anything in front of Zeek, not at this early stage and besides, if there was something that she needed to know she trusted Lexa would tell her so she simply nodded, and then took note of how the Commander was standing. Her eyes dropped to Lexa's thigh. "Your leg must be killing," she said without a second thought, turning to face Lexa side on.

Lexa was expecting it. "It is fine," she said with a breathy exhale as she practically felt the heat of Clarke's stare at the side of her head. Lexa tilted hers and glared at her in return.

Clarke rolled her eyes and relaxed her stance, turning back to the front of the lift. "The bandage will need changing," she sighed. "It's long overdue."

Lexa could feel the irritation coming from Clarke and she couldn't help it, it made her smile and she regarded her companion warmly, earning a smile from Clarke after a moment. Lexa's gaze lingered longer than it should and she absolutely wished for her sword to be somehow magically strapped to her hip so she could do something with her hands. She needed something to clasp her palm around and her dagger pressing against her thigh just didn't serve that purpose. She momentarily considered drumming her fingers against her legs instead but such a nervous gesture was hardly becoming of the Commander of the twelve clans so she just stood, a little too rigid and a little too stoic as she stared at Clarke's beautiful profile and that was when she knew why.

Her mind always brought things back to Clarke because Clarke was always the one constant thing occupying her thoughts. It didn't matter where she was or what she was doing; it was always just Clarke and right then, all the strong and powerful Commander of the twelve clans wanted to do was order Zeek from the lift so she could push Clarke up against the wall and kiss the air from her lungs.

"If you come back to my room I'll do it for you."

Lexa heard it in slow motion and it made her swallow, hard. Her thoughts had quickly travelled somewhere else and she silently praised all those hard years of intensive training, so her mind could actually put Clarke's sentence in context and tell her what the hell she was talking about. Your bandage, branwada, her mind told her. She's talking about changing your bandage.

Of course she was.

Lexa exhaled loudly as she made herself look at Zeek's back. His braids really were terrible and she was going to have tell him to sort them out, especially as his position seemed to be elevating by the day.

"Thank you," she said to Clarke, her voice quiet, clearly lost to the same place her thoughts had ventured.

Lexa inhaled a breath, forcing herself to remember who and where she was as she desperately tried to pull herself together. She was tired, and her mind was being lazy. Nothing more.

"So when do you think I'll be used to it?" Lexa heard Clarke ask after a moment or so, and she couldn't help the frown that covered her brow as she considered how maybe her training wasn't so useful after all.

She had no idea what Clarke was talking about so she quirked a brow to indicate so and the wide smile that graced Clarke's lips was reward enough for her confusion.

Clarke held back her chuckle. "Your rickety lift," she clarified. "You said I'd get used to it."

"Oh," Lexa breathed, hoping she didn't seem as flustered as she felt and then she shrugged, a little, a small smile finally finding her lips. She leaned in a little closer to Clarke, too. "It will perhaps take longer than a day."

The lift came to a stop so Zeek opened the doors and stepped out into the hallway of Clarke's floor. Lexa waited for Clarke to exit first and she wasn't far behind, all three of them beginning a slow pace along the marble floor.

"Hopefully not too much longer," Clarke sighed, continuing their conversation as she let herself shiver, just a bit, reaching a hand up to scratch at the back of her neck. "I'd hate to ride up in that thing alone."

Lexa grinned as she considered how many more of the clans would perhaps dissent if they knew the great Wanheda was scared of her tiny lift. Then she licked at her lips as she thought perhaps, that wasn't quite as funny as she first thought. "It is either that or climb," she said with a side of nonchalance.

Clarke threw her a sideways glance. "I'm sure I'll get used to it."

Lexa heard something, a mild creaking up ahead and it made her pause. Her attention darting ahead of them and she immediately felt uneasy. Her hand automatically went out to Clarke's forearm, causing her to stop as her other hand went for her sword, grabbing the air where its hilt would've been.

"What is it?" Clarke asked, the smile on her lips fading quickly.

Lexa moved a step ahead of her. "There are no guards," she whispered, her eyes widening as the torch light from further down the hall faded into nothingness and suddenly she was overcome by a such sense of dread, her eyes going wide as she tried to pick out the shapes of people she thought she saw ahead.

Immediately there was a certain eeriness to the silence, a distinct chill that filled the air and then Lexa saw it, a flash of light as something came hurtling towards them.

Zeek hit the deck first, a sound of anguish coming from him as something impacted his shoulder. He fell sideways into the wall as Lexa caught sight of something else, a hint of metal whirling in her direction.

She turned before Clarke could even tell she moved, grabbing her shoulders as she spun them to the ground, Clarke's back thudding against the marble as Lexa landed on top of her. "Stay low," Lexa murmured, and then Clarke was missing the weight of the Commander's body as she was up again in an instant, grabbing the blade that had hit the elevator doors and then clattered against the floor.

Lexa launched the blade in the direction it came from before she pushed her back flat against the corridor wall, pulling her dagger from its sheath as her mind ran through countless scenarios of what the hell was happening, and how the hell they could possibly survive it given their position.

No one was coming to their aid in the time it would take whoever was up there to kill them, and without knowing numbers it was pretty much her against an army, especially with Zeek on the ground.

Suddenly though, in the time it took Lexa to turn her head Zeek was on his feet and throwing himself down the hall before she could stop him, racing into the darkness ahead with a ferocious battle cry.

"Zeek!" Lexa called after him, reaching up for the torch that bathed herself and Clarke in light so she could quickly douse it against the wall to give them a little camouflage. Zeek continued on, disappearing before Lexa's eyes so she crouched down to the floor and tried to listen as best she could to what was unfolding.

Clarke was panicking, only just reaching for her gun before she remembered it wasn't there. There was still some light just up ahead, from the position that Zeek sprang from but aside from that the hallway was dark. "Lexa?" Clarke whispered as she turned to her, confused as the Commander looked relatively calm with her daggers blade stretching down the length of her forearm as she grasped the hilt in her fist, her eyes closed in concentration.

"Stay quiet, Clarke," Lexa whispered, her breathing even as her mind continued to work.

There were noises up ahead as Zeek engaged whoever he discovered, loud grunts and gasps as fists clearly met skin and bone. Clarke was just about to say something more when someone came running at them; a large and bulky warrior with distinctive blue marks down his face with his sword raised and death vibrant in his eyes. He shouted as he saw them and that's when Lexa snarled. Her eyes opening as she turned to him, a simple flick of her wrist as she rose to her feet was all it took to send her dagger hurling at his chest.

It struck him within a moment and then Lexa ran for him, her own battle cry loud and piercing as his back hit the floor with a thud. It wasn't over though, as Clarke pressed her back against the wall and tried to blend into it as much as she could. There were others coming, running for Lexa as she ran for them and just as Clarke thought they were done for, Lexa ducked to the side as something shot past her head and once again struck the elevator doors. It was another blade and Clarke swallowed thickly, her breaths erratic as she looked at Lexa who was now armed with the fallen warriors sword, parrying and advancing upon two more warriors with blue marks on their faces. They were twice her size in both height and width but the Commander seemed to dance around them, easily dodging their attacks and striking them with just as much ferocity as they did her.

Clarke for the first time was able to take a breath. She looked at the blade by her feet and she wanted to do something. She wanted to help so she stole another glance down the hall and clenched her jaw as one of the warriors fists impacted Lexa's side. She was winded only for a moment before she ducked under another swing and then took his feet out from beneath him, slicing at the other warrior's side with her sword which made him stumble backwards so she could finish off the first with her blade in his chest. With each blow her cries were triumphant, much like the sounds from the other end of the hall which sounded a lot like Zeek, or at least that's what Clarke hoped. She saw Lexa swoop down for the fallen warrior's blade and then she twirled both weapons in her hands before she went full throttle at the other warrior, not phased even in the least as another one emerged from the darkness and came for her.

She took the first one down easily with her sword to his throat. "Zeek!" she called into the darkness. "Hani?"

There was nothing but grunts coming from the opposite end of the hall until finally Zeek responded. "Ai nou na ai op, Hed-" he said, his breathing ragged before he was cut off by a resounding thump.

"I cannot see, Hed-"

Lexa finished off the other warrior in a moment, her eyes startled and fearful for Zeek before she shouted once more and then barrelled off into the darkness.

Clarke was quickly worried, not being able to see anything further than a few feet in front of her and the noises coming from up ahead were terrifying. She swallowed thickly and with little other option, she grabbed the blade from her feet and slowly stood up.

She turned to face the darkened hallway but before she could take a step she heard Lexa's voice breathlessly coming toward her.

"Klark!" she shouted, and then there was a grunt and the clash of metal on metal. "The lever!" Another clash. "Pull it!"

Clarke furrowed her brow, holding the dagger out to her side. "What?" she sent into the darkness.

A barrage of thumps and clashes and yells followed before the sickening sound of metal slicing flesh flooded the hallway. Clarke cringed and then she waited.

"By the doors!" Came Lexa's voice again. "Pull it!"

As relieved as she was to hear Lexa's voice Clarke made herself spin around, searching the only set of doors near her for a lever. She hated levers but she approached the lift, spying a metal lever that protruded from the wall. Without any hesitation Clarke reached out and pulled it, hearing a faint and far away sounding noise that made her assume she'd done the right thing.

She turned around with a satisfied but still very nervous nod and was immediately confronted by a warrior running towards her. Clarke pushed her back up against the elevator doors and braced herself, waiting for the blow that would surely end her when the warrior stopped dead just in front of her, his eyes wide as he sunk to his knees and fell lifelessly to the floor. Clarke sucked in a breath and glanced down at him, a dagger imbedded deep in the back of his head and then she looked up to find Lexa staring at her, a small smile on her lips as her chest rose and fell with pure exertion, a good portion of her body covered in blood and a sword clasped loosely in her hand.

It was barely half a second later when Clarke's face dropped, a warrior grabbing the Commander from behind and pushing her face first into the wall. Clarke gasped as her heart plummeted, running at him without a second thought with her dagger raised but then the warrior shoved Lexa to the floor, reaching out for her with one hand and grabbing Clarke around the throat. Her dagger dropped to the floor as she brought her hands up to grab around his wrist, gasping and fighting for air as she felt her feet leaving the floor.

"Kom yu wamplei Wanheda, Azplana na get wimplei in," the warrior muttered, squeezing her throat tighter and making her splutter.

Clarke's eyes were clamped shut, her nails digging into his skin as she kicked out as much as she could but to no affect.

Suddenly there was a reprieve. His grip loosed as Lexa jumped on him, grabbing him around the neck and pulling him backwards so he was forced to let Clarke go. She slumped to the floor as her own hands went to her throat, sucking in breath after breath as her head rushed with the sudden sensation of air.

Lexa was growling, her lips snarling as her teeth clenched and she pulled the warrior down, making him stumble backwards and down onto one knee and as soon as she was able to brace both her feet on the floor, her forearms moved in opposite directions and the warrior's neck snapped.

Lexa let a dominant cry filter throughout the hallway as she did it and then there was nothing but silence, just the sounds of the Commander's heaving chest as she breathed powerfully, standing there as she glared down at the motionless warrior.

After what felt like an age but in reality was no longer than a few moments Lexa's gaze fell on Clarke and her demeanour changed entirely. She dropped to her knees in front of her, one of them placed between Clarke's legs so she could hover over her, her gaze moving a million miles a second to assess her body for injuries. The only ones she could find, though, were the ones busy bruising the skin around Clarke's neck and so Lexa reached forwards tentatively, gently tracing her fingertips her jaw and the sides of her neck.

"Are you okay?" Lexa whispered, her eyes full of worry and her body braced in concern.

Clarke's lungs were still working overtime in order to suck in enough oxygen to keep her conscious, her shoulders slumping though in absolute relief because somehow, they had managed to stay alive. Her eyes met Lexa's and she relaxed even more, her hands clasping loosely around the back of Lexa's arms and she used them to ground herself. To make sure Lexa was really there, to feel her still alive and breathing in front of her.

When Clarke was satisfied she was real she nodded her head. "Yeah," she breathed, and her throat hurt a little as she spoke.

Lexa heard the croak and it worried her, her eyes somehow managing to widen even more than they were already. She pressed her thumbs into Clarke's jaw even harder. "Can you breathe?" she asked, even though it was obvious that she could.

Clarke smiled weakly at the question and just nodded her response.

It didn't seem good enough for Lexa, though. Her eyes searched Clarke's face and she somehow shimmied a little closer, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips.

"Can you see okay?" the Commander worried, and then she blinked a few times. "How is your head?"

Clarke swallowed and it hurt but she tried not to let it show. Having Lexa fuss over her like this was warming despite the trauma of what just happened. "I'm okay, Lexa," Clarke replied, sitting up a little straighter against the wall. The Commander helped her as her hands found Clarke's waist and then Clarke regarded the blood that coated Lexa's clothing. It made her frown. "I should be asking after you-"

Lexa cut her off with a swift shake of her head. "It isn't mine," she replied knowing exactly what Clarke would be referring to. The Commander then glanced along the hall. "Zeek?" she shouted, to which an answering fumble could be heard and then the young warrior appeared from the darkness, even more covered in blood than Lexa was and sporting quite a few bruises on his visible skin.

Clarke hated to think what the marks beneath his clothes would look like.

"They are dead, Heda," he reported, his right arm bent and covering his ribs.

There was a moment before Lexa responded. "You are certain?"

Zeek swallowed and nodded. "Yes."

The doors to the elevator opened and Dax, Pius and three guards stepped from it, Pius stopping dead in his tracks as he looked along the hall in astonishment. The others were equally shocked but then Dax stepped forward, his mind reeling from the dead bodies he could see lining the floor and then his attention settled on the three who were moving.

"Heda," Dax whispered, and as Lexa stood with one last, lingering look at Clarke he sprinted toward her, sheathing his sword as he came to an abrupt stop a few feet from her. His face was covered in concern and he automatically felt shame, an overwhelming sense of failure at allowing such a thing to happen. His eyes scoured every inch of Lexa's body. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Lexa responded firmly, her frame quickly squared and her back straight and once more every inch of the Commander she was. She was working hard to keep her temper in check, much harder than usual as this was an utter outrage. Warriors from her own coalition attacking her in Polis Tower, in her own home and to attack Clarke... Lexa's blood boiled, her hands balling into fists at her sides. This was planned and it absolutely reeked of Nia.

"Heda," Pius called from where he stood over one of the bodies, the look on his face one of utter disgust. "These are Ouskejou Kru."

Lexa clenched her jaw, the fury bubbling in her chest impossible to ignore. "I know," she snarled bitterly and dangerously, her mind racing with the millions of ways she would kill Nia and revel in her death.

Pius was angry, too, much as everyone else was. Absolutely furious that such a thing was even attempted, yet alone almost a success. "Get klin emo ste daun!" he ordered the guards, taking a few hurried strides along the hall. There was no way he wanted more of these traitors appearing and attempting round two. "Lufa ogeda wogeda au, get klin der bilaik no mou."

"They are all dead," Zeek offered after a moment from where he stood against the wall, a little black and fairly blue. "I made certain of it."

Dax stepped over to Zeek and took stock of his various injuries, Zeek immediately mirroring Dax's demeanour with his shoulders back and his chin raised, the thing every warrior was instructed to do when being appraised by the general of the Coalition's army. After a moment or so Dax simply nodded his head as his chest filled with uncontained pride. It was anyone's guess what would've happened if Zeek hadn't of been there so Dax reached up and patted him on the side of his neck a few times, breathing a deep sigh of relief. "Os goufa," he murmured, thankful beyond belief that the young warrior was alive to tell the tale. Jael would be as proud as anyone when he found out, that Dax was sure of. "Kei don."

Pius though, was quickly at fuming at his every edge. "How did this happen?" he forced out into the darkness of the hallway, pointing after his words as they floated away. "Light those torches."

Dax turned to face him. "There are hundreds of people below us, from every clan," he started as his hands found his hips. "They must have come here during the banquet."

Pius was not appeased and he grumbled loudly. "Where are the guards?"

A guard emerged from a doorway, then, a third of the way up the hall. The look on his face unreadable. "Emo ste hir," he said lowly. "Stedaun."

Lexa sighed as her chest clenched, the idea of her dead guards only making her think of the amount of deaths that would surely come. She looked back down at Clarke who remained sat against the wall, still exceptionally concerned with the marks that coloured her neck. She crouched down again but was careful this time not to touch her, her eyes narrowing to examine the marks once more.

The Commander was a contradiction then, Clarke thought. Her eyes like fire but her expression full of care.

"If their intention was to kill Heda," Dax pondered aloud, glancing along the hallway and then turning to face his audience. "They would not have waited on this floor."

"They were after me," Clarke concluded, although she already knew as much. Her eyes remained on Lexa as she inhaled a shaky breath. "This was to kill me," and then she watched as Lexa's jaw visibly rippled beneath her skin.

"It does not matter," Pius said out after a moment, his hands all kinds of animated in the air and his voice still raised. "This is still a treacherous act-"

"-I know, Pius," Lexa interrupted, her voice a low rumble as she stood once more.

Pius sighed. "We must-"

"-I know!" she cut him off again, her breaths coming in huge gulps now and she took a purposeful step back from Clarke who then also rose to her feet. "Fetch Clarke a healer!" Lexa ordered no one in particular.

"Lexa, I'm fine," Clarke replied, not needing any fuss seeing as she was okay.

Lexa's brow furrowed and then regardless of who was present, she reached forward again. "I do not like these marks."

Clarke sucked in a breath not being able to deny the pain they caused even when touched lightly. "They'll fade."

Lexa gave her a look that demanded obedience before she softened it, a bit, and Clarke simply gave in. Lexa turned her head. "Pius..."

"Hod fisa nau in," Pius instructed the nearest guard.

The Commander nodded her head once and knowing that Clarke was going to be attended to she knew there was nothing else stopping her from doing what she must. Her eyes clouded over in pure fury and she spun on her heel, commanding the attention of Dax and the one guard who was still present in the hallway without even uttering a word. "Sis em gon ain wogeda op, ron em ten gona!" she ordered in a firm and dominant tone. She wanted as many guards as they could spare on Clarke at all times, and there was absolutely no way she would allow her to be alone tonight. She wanted her where she could see her. "Non gon ban em op! Zeek!"

Zeek was suddenly at her side. "Sha, Heda?"

Lexa eyed him quickly and if she was anyone but the Commander she would've hugged him, there and then. She had no idea how she would repay him for his bravery. "Yu don throu daun os, gon otaim."

Zeek would do it again in a heartbeat, he knew, it was his purpose after all. "En's ai dula, Heda." Though he did know he was lucky to be alive. More than anything though he was immensely proud and excited at having fought alongside the Commander, and honestly couldn't wait to tell his friends all about it.

Lexa nodded minutely at his modest words; another reason why she was so proud of him. "Ste yu laksen?" she asked, glancing over his mildly beaten form.

"No Heda."

She didn't believe him for a second so she reverted back to English so Clarke would understand and ensure the healer checked him out, too. "When the healer arrives, he will see to you too." Zeek wanted to protest but he daren't so he just remained quiet. Lexa looked again at Clarke. "Em kamp raun," she instructed Zeek, "nou dula ban em op."

"Ai na nou, Heda." He didn't need to be told again but now he knew more than ever that Clarke was in danger.

Her eyes softened then, for just a moment and she lowered her voice so no one else would hear, nodding once more at her young warrior. "Mochof," she whispered, and Zeek was almost taken aback.

He wasn't sure how to respond, not quite understanding why Heda was thanking him for simply doing his duty but the sentiment touched him nevertheless. He swallowed as he nodded and then Lexa stormed off toward the elevator.

"Pius!" she commanded. "Dax!"

They both fell in line behind her and when the elevator doors opened, more guards stepped out onto the floor.

"Ban bosh medo-de we. Shil veida-of op," Dax shouted at them as the three of them stepped onto the lift.

Clarke wanted to call after Lexa, to ask her what she was about to do but before she could the Commander caught her eye and with a swift, reassuring nod the doors snapped shut and she was gone.

Clarke sighed as she glanced sideways at Zeek, carefully running her fingertips over the marks that littered her neck. It made her wince and her forehead scrunched up in pain. "So now what?" she asked her ever present guard, who looked ten time worse than she felt.

"Now we go to Heda's room and wait for the healer."

The elevator ride lasted a lifetime for Lexa. She was buzzing; absolutely furious and it only got worse with each floor they descended past. The clear audacity of Nia to try such a thing; to try and kill Clarke in Lexa's own home, the sacred Tower of Polis that was an influential landmark to every grounder. Polis had always been safe; not one war breaching its walls for the past four Commander's and for an assassination on anyone to be attempted, right under Lexa's nose, on the floor below her own bedroom was an outrage of the worst kind.

Nia knew what she was doing when she sanctioned this. She knew it would force Lexa's hand and Lexa was happy to take it to her. A war that would end her once and for all.

Dax was just as furious as his Commander, never had such a thing been tried before. It was scandalous, and posed a lot of questions for security within the Tower and about who exactly should be allowed inside in the future but really, someone had to pay for this crime. For disturbing the sanctity of the Tower and what the building signified in their culture. A lot of people would need to pay and Dax was certain his Commander would ensure it. She would no doubt deliver each punishment herself and he could practically feel the rage radiating from her. He sensed she was about to unleash havoc and Dax couldn't wait for it.

The lift came to a stop and Dax heaved open the doors, Lexa stepping from within and then striding into the banquet hall with little regard for anyone or anything else. More guards got inside the lift once they were out of it and even more followed the procession lead by the Commander and into the hall.

"What's going on?" Kane inquired up as he stepped forward, Lexa barging by him without a second thought. All he could do was watch but then Dax stopped, pulling him to the side as Bellamy and Octavia joined them.

"Where's Clarke?" Bellamy asked quickly, just as Dax was about to speak.

Dax lowered his voice so no one else in the room would overhear. "Heda and Clarke were attacked on an upper floor of the tower."

"What?" Bellamy interjected, his forehead furrowing immediately. "Is she okay?"

Dax shook his head. "Clarke's fine."

"Attacked how?" Kane asked, concern flooding his body. He could only imagine what Abby would do to him if Clarke was harmed while he was supposed to be with her. "By who?"

Dax noticed Lexa climbing the platform steps over Kane's shoulder and knew he needed to be by her side. "I have to join the Commander," he said firmly, taking a step away. "Listen to what she has to say."

"What about Clarke?" Bellamy asked, reaching out for Dax's forearm to stop him from moving any further. "I want to see her."

Dax sighed, kind of wishing he hadn't stopped in the first place. He looked toward the lift and beckoned for a guard moving toward it to stop. "Boden, sis emo gon Heda wogeda op." Boden nodded and stood to attention as Dax looked back at Bellamy. "This guard will take you."

Bellamy nodded as Dax sprinted toward the platform. "You coming?" he asked as Kane stared after Dax.

"You two go," Kane responded. "I need to hear this." Bellamy nodded but before he could walk away Kane carried on speaking. "Make sure Clarke's okay, find out what happened."

"On it," Bellamy said and then he and Octavia followed Boden into the lift as Kane took a few steps further inside the hall.

Lexa stared at Dax as he ascended the steps a good few minutes after everyone else and at her disapproving glare he just nodded and took his place behind and to the side of her.

"Kru kom kongeda," Pius began, stepping to the front of the podium. "Hosh gon Heda."

Lexa had been scouring the crowd ever since she entered the hall. In the few minutes while she was waiting for Dax she had realised the entire Azgeda, Ouskejou Kru and Delfikru delegations had gone from the hall. It made her seethe all over again. Cowards, she growled in her mind.

Lexa stepped forward quickly, her chin raised and her eyes burning with anger and fury. "There has been an attack within the tower," she announced to startled and surprised gasps that flooded the hall. Lexa raised her voice exponentially, the image of that warrior strangling Clarke at the forefront of her mind. "The monument of our Capital City, the sacred home of the Commander now tainted by this malicious, venomous act." Murmurs began to echo around the hall and several leaders of the remaining clans within the hall stepped forward, Lexa's eyes immediately catching Luna's that were full of shock and worry. Regardless, Lexa pressed on. "This attack was a treacherous one as it came from within. The warriors of one of our sworn clans now lie dead above us, killed before they could achieve their aim."

"What was the aim, Heda?" Azizi shouted from the side of the hall. "Who was their target?"

Lexa clenched her jaw at the question and it took all her will power not to snap at him. The question was fair, though, and so Lexa relaxed her expression at him. "The Coalition," she responded, after a moment. "Me."

Murmurs turned into roars of disgust and outrage as the people before her became uneasy and irate. Angry that such a thing should happen within Polis, and would be directed at their Commander.

Lexa felt a sense of pride at their reactions and a small smile adorned her lips. She let their anger and frustration fill her chest and flood her senses once more.

"Who, Heda?" Luna asked, stepping right to the front of the crowd. She bore her teeth with the rage that was sweeping through the hall. "Which clan?"

Lexa sucked in a deep breath and after a moment of sharing Luna's gaze she regarded the rest of the room, all quietening down to a dull hush wanting to hear the answer. "Ouskejou Kru," and the murmurs started up once more. Again Lexa raised her voice, her chest aching with the heat bubbling underneath her ribs. "They stand with Azgeda, as do Delfikru." Her voice was low and it rumbled as she continued. "This will not stand. The time for patience has passed and this attack is a clear act of war."

The murmurs got louder as everyone was quick to fall in line behind their Heda and in defence of their Capital City.

"Anyone loyal to Nia take this message to her; tomorrow is the first day of war and when it is done she will no longer know life, and nor will those who support her."

The murmurs turned to cheers as fists pumped the air.

"Any attack on Polis is an attack on us all, and I will not stop until she has paid with her life."

"Clarke!" Octavia breathed as she barged into the Commander's room and jogged toward her, throwing her arms around Clarke's neck when she reached her. "Thank God."

Clarke gripped onto Octavia's arms and squeezed them as she winced in pain, making Octavia pull away immediately.

She frowned at Clarke's neck. "Jesus," she breathed, her eyes widening a little.

Clarke stepped out of the embrace. "It's not as bad as it looks."

Octavia's eyes widened even more. "Are you kidding? Clarke you've been strangled."

Clarke just sighed, glancing up as Bellamy came over and honestly she wished she was anywhere but there.

Bellamy's attention moved from Zeek who was across the room getting treated to Clarke and he just stared at her neck, for a good few moments. "What the hell happened?" he eventually asked, and it made Clarke lick her lips. He went to reach out for her but thought better of it. He really wished he had his gun.

Clarke prepared herself for an onslaught. "Some warriors stormed the floor, waited for Lexa and I to arrive and then attacked us."

"Oh my God," Octavia gasped, sounding a little mortified.

"What warriors?" Bellamy demanded, his tone firm and rigid.

"Ouskejou Kru," Clarke replied but Bellamy just stared at her blankly.

"Blue Cliff Clan," Octavia clarified, turning back to Clarke. "How did you survive?"

Clarke glanced over to Zeek. "It was Lexa and Zeek." She turned back, raising her eyebrows. "I've no idea how they did it, there must've been..." she tried to count in her head. "...Ten of them at least. They took them all out," and then she shook her head. "It happened so fast-"

"-Not before one got the better of you though," Bellamy interrupted, pointing at her neck.

Clarke squared on him. "Lexa and Zeek came out of it much worse."

Bellamy glanced at the ceiling, for a moment. "So what is she doing? Is she going to retaliate?"

Clarke glared at him, annoyed at his refusal to use Lexa's title, or even her name. "You remember what I told you earlier? Azgeda was behind this, Nia's behind both dissenting clans."

"I don't see why they were allowed in here if she knew they were on Azgeda's side." Bellamy shook his head. "I saw Azgeda down there, why are they even here?"

Clarke sighed. "That's not how it works, Bellamy," she started, feeling really too tired to be going into this now.

"It was a meeting, Bell," Octavia cut in much to Clarke's relief. "Don't think grounder politics are the same as ours. It's different."

"Yeah well," he shrugged. "Sounds stupid to me."

"Keep your voice down," Clarke said quickly, glancing around just in case Zeek or the healer heard. Thankfully all of the guards were outside the door and lining the hallway. "Nia hasn't declared war so Azgeda are still part of the Coalition," she carried on in a hushed voice.

"So?"

Clarke rolled her eyes.

"The Commander can't outcast a clan from the Coalition and attack them," Octavia said as if it were obvious. "Especially with no reason. The Coalition protects the clans."

"Well she has reason now," Bellamy responded flatly.

"The Commander," Clarke emphasised, glaring at him pointedly, "has plenty of reason now." She looked at Octavia. "I think that's what she's doing downstairs."

Octavia fidgeted where she stood. "What? Declaring war?" and then she paused for a moment. "Makes sense," she agreed with a tilt of her head.

"Clarke," Bellamy sighed, taking a step closer to her. "It's not safe here, and it doesn't sound like it's going to get any safer." He stared at her, then, and let the expression in his eyes soften. "We need to go home," he said as he looked at Octavia. "This has nothing to do with us."

"Of course it does," Clarke snapped.

"How?" Bellamy shot back. "This war is between the grounders, not us."

Octavia rolled her eyes. "We are grounders now, Bell."

Bellamy glared at her. "We're not."

Octavia grit her teeth. "Yes we are."

He took a step toward his sister. "At least at Camp Jaha we can protect ourselves. Here we're sitting ducks-"

"-Here we are under Lexa's protection," Clarke cut him off.

"And look what good that's done," he said, nodding his head at Clarke's neck. "Clarke, you are in danger here. If we go home you'll be safe."

"For how long, Bellamy?" Octavia asked, and Clarke was so glad she was on her side of this. She knew Octavia didn't completely trust Lexa again yet, but at least she could see supporting the Coalition was the best thing to do. "Azgeda came here for Clarke, you don't think they'll try Camp Jaha? And what army do we have?"

Bellamy clenched his jaw. "We have soldiers."

Octavia shook her head. "Not as many as Azgeda, and they have the armies of two other clans if what Clarke said is true."

Clarke stared at Bellamy with heavy intent. "We're no match for them on our own, you know that."

Bellamy sighed. "So what do you want us to do? Follow Lexa into her war? Tell our people to die for her?"

"No," Clarke retaliated, her voice getting slightly louder. She took a step into his personal space. "For us. For each other. So we can finally have peace."

Bellamy scoffed. "And you think we'll have that, after this war?"

Clarke exhaled and her hard expression dissolved with it. "Yes," she whispered, like she absolutely couldn't wait for it to be a reality. "They have an entire civilisation, Bell, you've seen Polis, its prospering. They know how to live down here, we don't. Lexa is offering us friendship and we'd be stupid to refuse it. Inside the Coalition we will have peace, outside of it and we're vulnerable to everyone."

Bellamy shook his head. He just couldn't believe Clarke would trust Lexa again so easily, just like that. "So that's what you want? To join the Coalition?"

Clarke blinked a few times, not quite realising that's what she said. She was so tired she could barely stand but maybe that was what she wanted. Maybe that was the answer to everything. Octavia was staring at her too, now, so Clarke just sighed and then she answered. "That's something for us to decide after the war."

"Well at least you've acknowledged there is an 'us', not just a 'you'."

"Bell," Octavia murmured.

"Of course it won't be my decision." Clarke did understand that, she knew it would be up to the council but she knew there would be no guarantee of peace without some kind of alliance with Lexa. She frowned at Bellamy, still not believing his short-sightedness. "You've seen this city more than I have, you've had a taste of how they live," and then she shook her head. "Don't you want that for us?"

Bellamy sighed, very aware he was letting his personal distaste for Lexa cloud his judgement but it was a no brainer, to him. The Commander couldn't be trusted so he wasn't prepared to entrust the lives of their people yet again to her, and he certainly wasn't prepared to follow and fight for her. He grumbled under his breath as he leaned in to Clarke. "We can't trust her," he sneered, and that really did make Clarke roll her eyes.

She didn't know what to say as she was rapidly running out of words and patience to try and make him see. "You need to get over it, Bellamy," she sneered at him back.

"Oh like you have?" he scoffed.

"Yes!" Clarke responded and it was automatic. Out before she could even think about it properly and they all just stood there, letting it sink in. Clarke was surprised, and her brow furrowed a bit but then she ploughed on, not wanting to analyse it in front of the Blake's. She looked up and glared at Bellamy. "And if I can, so can you. This is our future, Bellamy, the future I want to give our people," and then she narrowed her eyes, a little. "Why don't you?"

Clarke collapsed onto the sofa; finally alone, finally able to take a deep breath and breathe. She closed her eyes as she stretched out her hands on the cushions either side of her, absently digging her fingertips into the soft material.

She was almost strangled today. Well, she was strangled. What if Lexa hadn't of been there? Would Zeek be dead now? Would she?

Her eyes opened as she sucked in a sharp breath, leaning forwards quickly as her elbows found out her knees, her face pushing into her palms.

Was it worth it, all this? She had hardly been back five minutes and there were already people trying to kill her, and they were storming a tower to do it. Or that was at least the way it felt.

Would Nia be attacking Lexa if Clarke hadn't done what she did inside the Mountain? She raised her eyebrows at her own question. Would she have done what she did inside the Mountain if Lexa hadn't left her there?

She got up and began to pace, then.

There was no point thinking like that. It was done, and now here they were. Clarke was once again trying to protect her people, and Lexa was doing the same. It was just another day on the ground but hopefully, this time, when the war was done they could find some sort of normalcy, whatever that was on the ground.

Hopefully they could live, rather than just survive and like it or not, Lexa was helping her to remember what that felt like, to have that ideal and aim toward it. She thought back to what Lexa told her, way back when she was a prisoner in that cell. It was the moments that mattered, that made it worth it. The moments with the people that you cared about.

The number of moments with her people were few and far between, Clarke was realising. She cared for them of course and felt an unrelenting need to ensure their survival but really, all she could remember was them telling her she wasn't good enough. That her decisions were the wrong ones and that her actions caused others pain. In fact since landing on the ground she could barely remember a time when her people offered her praise. Thanked her, or even remotely encouraged her so what kind of moments were those to live for?

Was it really all worth it?

Clarke heard the door open and Lexa walked in, her coat open revealing her low cut black tank top beneath. She pushed the door closed as she froze in place, mid-exhale as she stared at Clarke, her eyes wide and vulnerable and such an open expression on her face it made Clarke's heart ache. Somehow she looked tiny, then, the weight of her title dripping away and hanging back in the openness of her coat like she was ready to shed it, just then, and hang it all up for the rest of the evening along with her coat.

Clarke moistened her lips and swallowed. Maybe it was, she thought and after a few moments of holding Lexa's gaze Clarke got to her feet and closed the distance, Lexa taking a few steps forward too and when they met they wrapped each other up in a back breaking, coma inducing hug that they both simultaneously sank into, regardless of whatever the hell it meant.

"I'm sorry," Lexa murmured into Clarke's neck after she breathed in a good couple of lung-fulls of her scent, her neck bent to its limit so she could press her face into Clarke's skin.

"It's not your fault," Clarke sighed, her chin firmly tucked over the Commander's shoulder. "If it wasn't for you I'd be dead."

Lexa clamped her eyes shut, a lump that felt the size of a boulder materialising and scratching at the inside of her throat. "Do not say that," she breathed, a shiver running through her at the prospect.

The thing was it felt like it was Lexa's fault. It was her tower, her home. Her city. It shouldn't have happened; Lexa should've know the risks. Of what Nia might do if it seemed she wouldn't be able to get Wanheda on her side. Lexa just squeezed her harder and allowed herself the comfort of Clarke's arms, even though she didn't think for a moment she deserved it.

It took a while but eventually, Lexa slowly pulled back and held Clarke's face in her hands, the furrow set thickly in her brow as she first stared forlornly into those beautiful blue eyes and then she took her attention again to the marks on her neck. Lexa lowered her hands to Clarke's collar bones as she examined them, Clarke's hands dropping to Lexa's waist.

Lexa was magnetic when she was like this, her level of softness almost as intimidating as when she commanded a room full of people, but obviously in a very different way. Clarke felt herself captivated, drawn in so completely by Lexa's gentle touch and adoring expression and she honestly thought she could live quite happily, with only the Commander's touch and lips as sustenance.

Clarke breathed in deeply and ran her hands around to Lexa's stomach, applying the faintest amount of pressure so she could take a tiny step back. "How are you?" she asked quietly as Lexa's hands fell from her shoulders and lightly grasped her upper arms just above her elbows. "Zeek took quite a beating."

Lexa sensed Clarke was feeling overwhelmed so she too took a small step backwards, looking down at the space between them that had suddenly took Clarke's attention. "I am fine," she whispered, a tiny smile forming at the corner of her lips.

Clarke looked up at her, then, a little bit of humour hiding in her tone. "You always say that." She took a proper step back this time to get a good look at her.

Lexa tilted her head. "That's because it is true."

Clarke smiled as she ran a hand through her hair. "I suppose your leg is fine too?"

Her leg actually, was killing her but she wasn't about to say that. She felt the smile playing on her lips and she battled to keep it from emerging properly, having more and more trouble with it the amount Clarke smiled in return.

"Okay, Heda," Clarke began, turning after she pointed at the bed. "Take your pants off and sit."

Suddenly all the Commander's confidence and poise fled from her like her people from a pauna in mating season. She licked her lips and then swallowed, and then licked her lips again.

Clarke was busying herself at the table in front of the sofa. "I had your healer leave some supplies here so I could do a proper job with your wound."

Lexa just stood there awkwardly feeling exactly like a goufa on their first date, her hands moving if she wasn't mistaken quite shakily to the belt around her hips.

"And take your coat off too," Clarke added, without turning around.

Lexa froze again and then she shook her head. This was stupid; Clarke had seen her with her pants off before, right? And anyway, this wasn't a thing. This was Clarke dressing her injured leg and so Lexa pushed out a breath at her childlike behaviour and then headed for the bed, unbuckling her belt before she took her coat off, draping it over the end of the bed.

Lexa couldn't help herself, though, regardless of how many times her handmaidens had seen her naked. She still felt a bit nervous because Clarke wasn't a handmaiden, Clarke was... well, she was Clarke and Lexa had never been alone with Clarke in her bedroom before. With her pants off, no less, so quickly Lexa coughed and pulled on her Heda stoicism before she pushed down her pants and sat on the edge of the bed.

Clarke was still tinkering with things on the table so Lexa sighed, absently rubbing at the darkened bandage that was around her thigh. She then decided to pull her boots off and take her pants off properly, if only for something to do with her hands and as she saw Clarke approaching her, she folded her pants neatly and placed them at the foot of the bed.

Clarke arrived with her hands full of cloths, bottles and a new bandage over her shoulder. She knelt in front of Lexa's legs without managing to look at her, her attention firmly on the things in her hands as she placed them on the floor next to her.

Clarke pulled in a breath and with a slight flush to her cheeks she reached up and started unwrapping the bandage from Lexa's leg. The tension evaporating a little as Clarke winced at what she found. The skin was dark and the wound was raised, dried blood coating her skin and Lexa expelled a breath when Clarke touched it.

It made Clarke glance up and meet the Commander's eyes. "Sorry," she said, managing to repel a comment about Lexa always saying the wound was 'fine'.

Lexa gripped at the furs beneath her hands and hissed a little, not caring as much about appearing weak, not in that moment.

Clarke went to work cleaning and checking the wound, a content sort of silence settling over them. Lexa watched her closely, her chest filling with warmth with how gentle Clarke w