Into The Woods- Bellamy Blake

Chapter 53

This meeting with the grounders was going just about as well as the last thirteen she'd had. It had been four days since they told the public about the radiation. Four days of arguing, fighting, and petty silence.

"Why are you even wasting your time helping Skaikru?" Archer asked. "You should be trying to find a solution for every clan. Not just your own."

Ember bit her lip, sitting up in her seat. Everyone was quiet, waiting to hear her answer. "And I will. But didn't any of guys have loyalty to your clan before becoming Commander? I'm loyal to Skaikru. I may have the Flame, but I'm not the Commander."

"You're already treated like one though," Cago argued. "We all witnessed that when you took that trip to Polish with the Azgeda slaves."

"Prisoners," Ember corrected. She didn't like the term, slaves. They had all been taken captive and forced to work, but they were prisoners. People who barely got fed enough make it through the day.

She and Bellamy had taken them to Polis together the day after they'd arrived in Arkadia. All the ambassadors excluding the Azgeda ambassador had talked privately with her, thanking her for being back their people then talking about whatever issues their clan was having.

They all trusted her to help them more than they trusted Roan. She was fine with listening to all of them, giving advice on how to address each issue they mentioned.

"Just because I'm respected doesn't make me the Commander, Cago."

"But the Flame does."

Ember glanced down at the table, her fist clenching at her side. She didn't know how Lexa dealt with all of them. "I'll figure out a solution for everyone. I'm not choosing my own clan over all clans, I just got dragged into solving it for Skaikru first. Clarke will help me find a solution. We've been looking."

"Not hard enough," Ryder said. Via wasn't at this meeting, a temporary punishment for constantly insulting Ember. Becca tried to keep these meetings peaceful, but it hadn't been working out that way.

"Do you have any advice, Ryder?" Lexa snapped. "If not, shut up and let her do what she's doing. Ember will take care of the clans."

"I'll figure out a solution, Ryder. Don't worry. Skaikru, Sankru, and every other clan will be safe."

Ryder didn't say anything, but he nodded in her direction in acknowledgment. "We'll pick this conversation up later. But we've made progress."

Ember slowly opened her eyes, waking up beside Bellamy on his bed.

His arm was draped over her, and she shifted slightly, waking him up. "Morning," he whispered, tightening his grip on her.

She reached her hand up, lacing their fingers together as she turned to face him. She laid her head on his chest. "Mornin," she muttered.

She had a serious thing she wanted to bring up to him, but she wasn't sure how to tell him. So she just came out and said it. "I'm helping Clarke make the list of people who will be able to stay at Arkadia. I'm not putting my name on the list."

"You're what?"

He was awake right away. She bit her lip. "I'm not going to be on the list. There's a lot of people who deserve to be on Arkadia, if they don't get to be there, I don't think I should either."

After a moment, Bellamy nodded. Ember couldn't see it, but focused on the rise and fall of his chest. "I'm not going to either. If only 100 people can stay, we don't deserve to stay."

"There's too many people to say we're important enough to stay," Ember said. "But we'll come up with a plan for everyone else."

"I know we will."