The Commander and The Girl

Chapter 10

CLARKE POV
I awake to the sound of movement outside my room. It's only been an hour the warriors shouldn't be switching posts again. I go into the bathroom where I've broken a mirror and grab a shard trying to protect myself. I face the door and wait for it to open. I tuck the shard under my sleeve and prepare to attack.
The door opens up and Lincoln is he only one who comes in. I sigh in relief.
"Lincoln finally. Please let me go. You don't have to trade me for peace. There's another way!"
I plead with him.
He looks at me sadly.
"Lincoln they'll kill me!"
I'm bewildered by his lack of care for me.
"We're about to go to war Clarke. They ask for little now, but soon it will be all. I'm protecting Octavia. You'll understand."
"Like hell I will." I spit at his feet and take out my shard.
"You'll have to fight me to get me!" I scream getting into a fighting stance.
Lincoln looks at me one last time before motioning for two grounders to hold me back.
I slit one of their chests before they kick the glass out of my hand causing me to fall face first. They yank me up with the scruff of my jacket and tie my hands together. I scream and I kick as they push me along. I look to see Octavia right outside of my room. She doesn't do anything.
"Screw you." I hiss right before they put a cloth over my head. This feels familiar except it's not my life that awaits me. It's my death.
I drag my feet as I walk, so much so to where one of the grounders ends up throwing me over his shoulder.
"Don't harm her."
I hear Lincoln scold.
"Do your worst. I already know what my fate is to become."
I kick whoever's carrying me in the chest, trying to dig my shoe in their ribs. They drop me to the ground and I'm picked up by someone else. By the soft slope of their shoulder I already know it's a girl.
"So O, this is your revenge right? I tortured Lincoln, almost killed him, and this is how you pay that back."
"You're not the reason Lincoln was almost shot."
Octavia says exasperated.
"Tell that to your brother."
I curse.
We stand still yet I feel like we're moving. The lift. They're probably going to let Ontari kick me off the floor as Lexa had to their ambassador. Blood must have blood. Their stupid phrase they chant like a curse.
The me that came up with blood must not have blood was naive. No one's gotten anywhere on Earth with empty promises of peace. It always needs surrender, death, heartbreak. Nothing less. If it were up to me I'd kill Titus and happily die. At least I would have killed my 'almost' murderer.

I hiss as I'm dropped again. I hear someone say something in Trigedaslang before pushing me forward. I hear doors open and can feel a current of air come out as I'm pushed forward into the room.

"Who's this?" I hear Roan ask.
By the sound of his voice he isn't having the best of time either.
"You really don't know?" I say snarkily.

I feel someone stand behind me as if through a wordless command. They pull me onto my feet before holding onto my arms. They tie a second rope to them insuring I don't run away. I won't run from death. I never have.
I try to look as confident as possible before someone rips the cloth from my head. I squint at the light. A blinding ray of sunlight pools out in front of me making me stumble backwards.
A gasp goes through the crowd as I finally realize where I am. The first person I see is Kane.
"You." I yell and lurch forward only to be pulled back.
My face grows red with rage. I trusted him, I thought he'd help. Looking back at it I knew from the start they'd trade me. I didn't know they'd kill me.
"So the great Wanheda lives."
Roan's voice silences the murmurs. I turn to face him as he smirks at my appearance.
"Oh wouldn't you just love for me to be dead."
I begin to smirk.
"You can't rid me that easily."

I'm about to curse Kane out when I hear a strong voice coming from the new commander.
"Clarke?"
I look up to the Heda and almost melt at the sight.
Lexa looks down at me. Disbelief covering her face. Her eyes are bloodshot, as if she hasn't been sleeping. Her face is hard and stoic but softens at the sight of mine. Tears brim her eyes that she refuses to let free. Refusing to hold her eye contact I look around the room. She does as well.
I try to open my mouth to say something but I can't.
"Everyone leave."
Lexa says in a booming voice.
"Heda what will we do about.."
Titus insists.
"Silent Titus." She growls. I watch as all the warriors and ambassadors leave the room besides Kane. Lexa's eyes on the other hand never leave mine. It's as if she's looking at a ghost. Maybe I am. Why is she alive?
Once everyone's left she stands from her throne and walks down to me. I try to stand but realize my arms are still tied behind me. She takes my hands in hers and cuts through the rope. I shake my hands free then turn around to look at her. She creates a distance between us and folds her arms behind her. She looks broken, yet so much more fierce than I've ever seen before. I realize I'm staring at her face trying to memorize every wrinkle, freckle, everything just so I'll never forget her. I let a tear drop that I realize I was holding in. We stand there taking each other in no one moving until someone interrupts us.

"Heda please you must realize she's no good for anyone! We were about to bring peace to our 12 clans with war until she showed up." Titus growls.
I break contact with Lexa and look up to see Titus standing next to a girl no older than me. She looks at us observing, not wanting to speak. Titus catches my eye and looks at me as though he can break me. I wipe my eyes and look at him with so much hatred he might as well jump off himself.
"Hod in ste kwelnes." He hisses.
(Love is weakness)
"You almost had me killed." I look at him revenge in my eyes.
"It's a shame really. You bring nothing but destruction to this Coalition!" He yells.
Without turning I yank the dagger out of Lexa's sheath and lunge towards him only to be held back by Lexa. I freeze at her touch and drop the dagger. I look at her pleading before she leaves to sit back on her throne furthering our much needed space. I realize she's left me the dagger and pick it up, holding on so tightly my knuckles turn white.
"Titus you may no longer speak."
Lexa commands. He looks down at me as if it's my fault but does not make a noise. The girl standing next to him all but eagerly chimes in.
"How did you survive?" She asks curious.
"Gaia please." I hear Kane say.
"No, I'm curious myself. How did you survive?" Lexa says. She's turned cold. Her face hardens at mine. The feeling makes me want to hide. I turn back to Gaia.
"I was healed by my mother. I assumed someone had sent word out of my recovery." I turn to Kane.
"But it seems someone stopped it."
I say meekly.
"Her mother refused to let your people know. She didn't want word getting out of Wanheda being alive. She thought it would help you. You kill Wanheda, you gain respect from Azgeda." Kane says as though convincing himself.

"That's not the case though is it." Lexa states.
"Her mother was scared of losing her, so she hid her. From everyone." She looks directly at me as she says this.

"How are you alive?" I counter.
Lexa looks at me confused. I turn to Kane and he shakes his head.

"She lied about that too didn't she. Say Lexa died so I wouldn't want to come back. Make the threat of Ontari seem inevitable to my death." I don't need to look at him to know it's true.

"How could you allow this to happen Kane." I hear a woman say. I hadn't even realized Indra was standing behind me this whole time.
"Wanheda's survival may cost us ours. Although you may have escaped war, we haven't. Azgeda will want their justice. They believed Lexa was weak until the announcement of Wanheda's death. Only then did they respect her. Now with you here, no one can predict their opinion." Indra chastises.

"You say this as if I'm a child Indra." Lexa responds.
"We will discuss the state that Skaikru is in and the return of Wanheda. Indra alert the ambassadors and King of Azgeda that the meeting will take place at sundown." I hear the door close behind me as Indra leaves.
"Kane you may return to your room."
With only us three left I open my mouth to speak before being interrupted.
"Gaia please escort Clarke to her bedchambers." Her voice softens at my name yet her face shows no emotion. I plead with my eyes, but am dragged out of the room by her little pet.
I look up at the girl who's looped her arm through mine. She must be someone of status to be important enough to stand next to Lexa. Or just be important. She's pretty enough. She has a circular tattoo on her shoulder similar to Titus'. She has dark skin that reminds me of Indra's. Her face is sharp yet soft with a sense of-
"You must be important to her." She whispers.
Her voice is sweet yet thick with years of intelligence behind them.
"I've only been here a few weeks and no one has made her look at them the same way she looks at you. To you it may look like nothing, but you can see it as her eyes twinkle." She assures me. A few weeks. So she came in just as I left. Maybe she has to do with Lexa's distance.
"No I can see it. I just don't think she wants it to be there."
I look at her once we stop.
"I've heard the rumors." She whispers.
"My mother always disapproved of the relationship, but I disagree. I never saw Heda at the time, but I think you made her stronger. I believe you made her not just a commander, but a human."
She squeezes my arm before opening the doors to my old bed chambers.