The Princess & the Commander ➸ clexa

chapter 5

l e x a ❀

"Let her pass," I order Indra. Clarke walks around the spear that Indra points at her and walks up to me.

As she walks up to me, I know her purpose is to convince me not to kill her lover, Finn. I was never told of their relationship, but it was easy to learn how she felt about him. The way Clarke looked at him, the way she would do anything to save his life. Love.

When she makes it in front of me, I notice a bloodstain on her shirt. A part of me is impressed at how she pushed herself into Indra's spear. A part of me even likes it, but I push it away.

"You bleed for nothing," my voice remains calm and cool. "You cannot stop this."

"No," her eyes burn into mine, "only you can."

There are shouts of victory from my warriors and we turn to see Finn being led to the post where he will meet his end.

"Show my people how powerful you are, show them you can be merciful," she pleads to me. "Show them you're not a savage."

The last one stings and I try not to flinch. Is that what Clarke thought of us? Of me? Nothing more than a savage?

"We are what we are," I tell her viciously, attempting to cover the hurt.

Finn is bound to the pole by rope and glory fills my body. It brought me great joy that I would be the one to kill him. I tell myself that it is because he killed my people, but I know it's not true.

"Then I'm a killer!" Clarke blurts out. "I burned three-hundred of your people. I slit a man's throat and watched him die. I'm soaked in Grounder blood, take me."

My heart races at her suggestion. I couldn't allow that, I wouldn't allow that. My brain buzzes to justify Finn's death over hers, but I can only say, "Finn is guilty."

"No!" She insists. "He did it for me."

The way she said it made it seem like she in agony, which I didn't understand. Why him? Why Finn? What was it about that Sky Boy that made him so appealing to her. He was weak. Pathetic. Nothing. Clarke could do so much better.

"Then he dies for you," my gaze hardens to let her know I will not change my mind.

She looks over at Finn with wet eyes then turns back to me, "Can I say goodbye?"

I almost tilt my head with confusion. That was all? She wouldn't be putting up a fight? I expected more from Clarke, but I'm satisfied with the turn of events.

She walks up to Finn and kisses his lips, I watch them curiously. Grounder relationships were not about physical caressing, they were about the bond between them. Respect. It astounded me how differently Clarke and Finn were from Costia and I, the approach to love varied by our customs.

Clarke holds him tightly and I see him whisper something in her ear. She steps back and I'm about to give the signal to begin his punishment when I freeze at what I see. Finn is slumped over and there's a dark stain on his shirt.

For two seconds, there is absolute silence. Then my people realize what has happened. Clarke has killed Finn. I don't know what to think or feel, but when my men start running to attack her I panic and shout, "It is done."

I didn't feel angry that he would not receive his rightful punishment, I was too shocked that Clarke would have killed him. I would have done the same for Costia––better to end it quickly than feel the pain.

In fact, I was feeling good for some reason. Finn was gone, I would get to speak to Clarke about the truce and then rescue my people. Things were going well.