Lightning Only Strikes Once - Clexa

Chapter 130: Diplomacy For Dummies

The slow, careful creak of the door wakes Lexa and she is out of the bed with her sword held threateningly in her right hand before it is halfway open. Clarke is on the other side of the bed, a knife in her hand, but has the presence of mind to pull the blanket around her with the other so that she is not fully exposed when Raven edges in.

"Wake up, you're getting marr-" she starts to say loudly and cheerfully before noticing that Clarke's naked except for a blanket, and Lexa's naked except for her bandaged shoulder, and they are both already awake and holding weaponry. "Gah!"

"Raven?" Lexa says, lowering the sword.

Raven tries to back through the door again, eyes wide, and crashes into Gustus, who was following her into the room, landing uncomfortably on the ground. "I didn't see anything!" she lies quickly and unconvincingly, voice high-pitched, covering her eyes. "Nothing!"

"I told you that you should let me announce you," Gustus says with quiet smugness, unbothered by Lexa's nudity. He calmly passes her one of her robes and Lexa pulls it about herself out of deference to Raven kom Skaikru's feelings and her own dignity, though nakedness is not as significant a taboo among her people as it seems to be among Clarke's.

"Raven, what are you doing?" Clarke asks patiently.

"I was going to come in and wake you up to start getting ready, Clarke, since – you know – you're getting married today," Raven says, uncovering her eyes cautiously. She shoots a glare at Gustus. "He said you were in here and offered to announce me. He didn't mention that Lexa was as well."

"You did not ask," Gustus says calmly. "It is Heda's room, of course she is here."

"Normally she's out helping train the Nightbloods just after dawn!" Raven objects. "It's nearly ten."

"I decided to allow myself to rest longer since travelling to the area for our honey moon will take some time and we cannot expect to leave before dusk given the celebrations," Lexa explains, glad she does not blush easily. In addition to this perfectly sensible reason, she is quite tired from last night. She can see one corner of Clarke's mouth twitch upwards in mischievous amusement at her censored explanation. When she gives her niron an exasperated glance, Clarke gives her a sultry look in response.

...So much for Lexa's belief that she does not blush easily.

"Right. Right." Raven says, still speaking too quickly. "Very sensible. I was just explaining why I didn't expect you. Not that it's not great to see you, Lex. I mean, not that I saw you! Though if I had," Raven adds as a quiet aside to Clarke, sounding uncannily like Jasper kom Skaikru, "If I had seen her naked, I would say congratulations, because she is smoking."

Clarke rolls her eyes, still clutching the blanket around her. "Good thing you didn't see her, then, because that would be the worst maid of honour speech ever. Especially in front of my mother."

"Oh." Raven frowns. "We should probably get her up here as well, I'm pretty sure the mother-of-the-bride is supposed to be involved in the whole dress-and-make-up process. Even when the 'dress' is leather armour and the 'make-up' is warpaint."

"I will fetch her for you," Lexa says, casually shrugging off the robe and beginning to pull on her own outfit. Raven makes a little noise and stares for a moment then abruptly pivots to face the wall, as uncomfortable as Lexa has ever seen her. "Along with Marcus kom Skaikru, I placed her on the floor set aside for visiting leaders. I assume Roan's rooms will be on the same floor? I must speak to him before we are bonded and leave for our honey moon, it would not be respectful to ignore the new Azhefa."

Gustus is nodding already. "His quarters are very close to Abby kom Skaikru's, Heda," he says. As always, he will have memorised the location of every visitor, and organised guards for each. Guards ordered to protect valuable allies, but also to watch them. While the Fleimkepa traditionally handles the management of the Commander's personal servants, Gustus has always been devoted to ensuring Lexa's protection, inside the tower and out.