A/N - I'm back with a longer chapter than normal but I wanted to get this into one chapter. I hope you enjoy and I'll hopefully be back soon with another chapter. Enjoy!
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Morning crept up on them too quickly, the couple leaving the comfort of the furs of their bed to start their day. Clarke had tried to hold onto Lexa for longer, entwine them together so efficiently she'd have no way of leaving the bed. Lexa just dragged her from the bed with her.
Was a lie in so hard to come by? Seriously?
Dressed, the two sat opposite at the small table in their tent – Lexa's tent? – Clarke wasn't sure anymore. That was something they needed to talk about, having her here permanently would definitely tell everyone they were together and spark Titus to do something stupid and reckless. Despite the day's events, Clarke let herself wonder what would happen if she stayed in Lexa's tent, had no tent of her own. What would the other clans think? Would Lexa be in more danger because of her?
"I can hear you thinking from here." Lexa smirked at her from behind her cup of water, her plate almost finished. "You do not have to tell me, but if it helps to talk, I'm here."
Clarke smiled. "I realised I should be getting to my own tent, but I don't know where it is or if I have one."
Lexa put her cup down and picked up one of the few pieces of fruit on her plate. "What are you asking me Clarke?"
She rolled her eyes. Lexa knew exactly what she was asking. "Do I have a tent or am I staying here with you?" She wanted to be serious, it was a serious conversation, but she couldn't help but smile.
Lexa swallowed the piece of apple in her mouth and looked at her. "We said our souls stayed here together, did we not?"
Clarke leant back, the hard wood digging between her shoulder blades for a moment. "That doesn't mean you're comfortable for everyone to know about us, which will happen if I share your tent."
For a moment Lexa dropped her gaze from Clarke but returned it quickly with a smirk. "You are assuming that most do not already suspect of a relationship between the two of us."
"Assuming and knowing are very different and we both know those distinctions can cost lives." Assumptions between their two people had cost several people their lives before her and Anya escaped the Mountain. "And Titus will do anything to keep us apart once we return to Polis."
Wiping her hands, Lexa stared at Clarke. "Then he can count the time it takes to fall from my balcony."
That stopped her, she wasn't sure if Lexa was being serious or was joking, was a Commander able to kill the Flamekeeper? Surely there was a law about that? But nothing about Lexa told her she was joking; she was as serious as she had been when they had spoken last night.
"You would kill him for doing his job?" It was a stretch, but she could see how someone in his position could perceive her as a threat to Lexa's safety should people know of the extent of their relationship.
Lexa shook her head and stood. "His job is to protect the Commander. My legacy is peace, I am what is holding this Kongeda together, I am not disillusioned to believe it would hold after my death. If he took your life to save mine, he would kill me. I told you last night, I won't survive losing you and peace with Skaikru hangs on your ability to reason with them. Killing you destroys the peace I have spent my time as Commander building and I will not have the strength to save it."
She turned back to Clarke who was still sat in her chair. "If Titus can not see that, then he is not fit to be the Flamekeeper."
Movement outside the tent cut off their conversation as Clarke stood to finish getting ready for the day, Lexa calling whoever was on the other side in. Indra pulled the tent flap aside to step inside and bowed her head, ready for what they had to do today and most likely looking forward to it. She couldn't deny, a small sadistic part of her was too, she wanted revenge for her friends.
"It is time, Heda."
Lexa nodded. "Thank you, Indra. We will be there in a moment." Dismissed politely, Indra flicked her eyes to Clarke as she turned to leave. The pair caught the action but said nothing, Indra wasn't as against them as she wanted to be, Clarke with Lexa was no more of a risk than she was wandering the Trikru and Azgeda border.
Waiting for the tent flaps to close fully, Clarke pulled on her coat. "We both saw that, letting everyone know we're together will make it worse from more difficult people. Is there anything I can do to help you calm the other clans? Tell me and I'll do it."
Lexa didn't look at her, stepping close to help her with the buckles on her coat, her fingers running over the stitching at the edges. "Nothing I would ask of you."
"You can't ask me if you never tell me what it is." She gently clasped Lexa's hands in her own. "What do I have to do?" Whispering, the world shrank to the two of them, stood together in the dim tent, their masks of Commander and Wanheda but shadows as they stood alone.
Hesitating, Lexa tried to step back but Clarke's grip on her hands stopped her. One hand left hers to cup her cheek, the gentleness of the action breaking her. "Kneel before the clan leaders during the ceremony next week that joins Skaikru to the Kongeda and swear fealty to me." She leaned into the touch on her cheek, hating that she had to ask.
"Done."
Lexa turned her head to kiss Clarke's palm. They needed to put their war paint on, and she had a gift for Clarke, not that she thought she'd appreciate it too much. "Let's finish getting ready, help me with my war paint and I'll help you?"
The blonde frowned. "I'll help you, but I don't have a style of war paint." She stepped back to Lexa and held out a hand for the pot of charcoal she used as war paint.
Lexa sat still as she let Clarke start the quick process of spreading the charcoal in the signature pattern. "Yes, you do, I'll do it for you and show you a mirror before we go out."
Clarke chuckled. "Whatever you want Commander Racoon."
It was a good thing Clarke was almost done as Lexa pulled back to glare at her. "I am not a racoon."
Filling the last fraction of skin with black, she nodded. "Sure, you aren't Lex."
She wiped her hands on a rag on the ottoman that sat next to another pot, Lexa glared at her mock unamused. "I am the one about to smear clay on your face before we face your people and Trikru, do you wish to take back that comment?"
Clarke tilted her head; Lexa was cute like this. "I'm good. You are incapable of letting me leave looking anything but a match to your beauty.
Grumbling, Lexa gathers some clay on two fingers. "You are lucky I like you."
Smearing the clay from her eyes to her hair line in a horizontal line, Lexa lets the smallest of lines trail line down her cheeks from her eyes. Three perfect imitations of tears ran down each cheek, the whole design taking much less time than Lexa's. When the brunette turned away to wipe her hands and pick up the small mirror she had, Clarke was still standing, eyes closed and Lexa wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but it would have ruined their designs, which they didn't have time to do again.
"Open your eyes." She held the mirror up for Clarke to instantly see her reflection, the shock and surprise that encompassed them was exactly what she wanted to see. "Your very own design."
Clarke turned her head slightly to look at the whole design, the red clay looking like tears of blood and made her eyes that little bit harder, they didn't stand out as much as last time, but it was still a look of death. "I look like a better version of when Anya sent that virus to our camp before the battle."
Lexa's smile twitched. "It's a little more refined than what we gave you for facing Pike at the fence, but just as deadly. I will say it now, do not pay attention to the rumours that will spread after today, our people can be eccentric when it comes to those it deems as symbols."
She let Lexa drop the mirror and gave her a look. "You don't need to tell me that, you should have heard some of the stories about me when I was wandering around. Last I heard, I think some were saying I pulled the door of Mount Weather open with my bare hands."
Against herself, Lexa let out a small chuckle. "Impressive, I can only imagine what people will say of the assassination of Pike as word spreads."
"Probably that I killed him just by looking him in the eyes."
Finally ready and knowing everyone was waiting for them, Lexa stopped before exiting the tent. "Today, I am going to give you the final cut."
Clarke stopped. "What?"
"I should do it, but I know I will not be able to abide by my duty to be swift with the killing strike if she is alive. She killed your friends; you have no such obligations should you believe she has not suffered enough when the time comes. Unless you don't want to?"
Weighing up her words, Clarke wasn't sure what to feel for a moment. Hannah had done unspeakable things, she had killed her own son, regardless of whether she pulled the trigger or not. This was one death she wouldn't feel bad about, but she knew Monty would hate for her to suffer, even after everything. "I'll do it."
With a nod, the pair exited the tent, the whole village tense as it seemed Skaikru had arrived at some point. It was odd they hadn't been notified but given that they were due out of their tent earlier they didn't say anything. Bellamy had Hannah next to him, hands cuffed behind her back and a new black eye forming.
The pair approached and Hannah had the sense pale slightly. God knows they looked scary walking together in their own armour and war paint, most of the grounders stopped to stare at them as they crossed the village square where the pole was already standing. They were complete opposites, Lexa the picture of precision, not a hair out of place in her braids, swords strapped to her back, pauldron draping one side in red and her war paint striking against the rest of her face. She was the Commander. Clarke on the other hand, her hair was left to fall down her back and shoulders, her armour similar to Lexa's except for the hints of blue for Skaikru, two daggers and her gun strapped to her hips, no one knowing which was more deadly; but Wanheda was born with the red war paint stretching from her temples to her eyelids, three teardrops of what could only be blood from afar. Some were already forming rumours of the reasons behind her war paint, knowing no other would wear the same.
"Heda." Bellamy bowed. "Not many of my people have come to watch, but those that have are already at the main area. Indra told me to wait here for you." He was being polite, that was considerate, although Clarke knew he probably just didn't want to end up next to Hannah today.
Lexa stared at him. "Thank you, Bellamy kom Skaikru. We will start shortly, as you have seen before, this can take several hours and to leave for Polis in the morning, we must finish before sundown."
He nodded. "Mount Weather has also been evacuated, after today our alliance starts and when Kane takes the brand, we are part of your coalition. What I want to know, is what happens right after Hannah dies?" He wasn't even bothered that Hannah was next to him, listening to him refer to her death as a chore – although that was exactly what it was.
"That is good to hear." She flicked her gaze over to Hannah, cold and indifferent and Clarke couldn't imagine the level of control Lexa was demonstrating not showing how much she hated the woman for what she had done. "You will die today, both mine and your people will be given the chance to cut you for what you have done and at the end, if you live that long, Wanheda will deliver the final cut."
At the mention of Wanheda delivering the killing strike, several Trikru around them started whispering lowly, wanting to listen to everything that was happening. Clarke wasn't sure what response she was going to receive from the woman, but a sneer was not it. "You can't do that; I know your laws for this. You must give me a quick death at the end." It was bold, the last of her fight useless as Lexa's mind could not be changed.
Lexa didn't even bat an eye, although Clarke herself was wondering why she was being given the killing strike, she wouldn't question it publicly, not after agreeing without question privately. "You are correct. I am duty bound to deliver the killing strike, a merciful death after punishment, for my people. You aren't my people, Skaikru aren't my people until you are dead. By our laws, one your crimes are against can deliver the killing strike," She pauses, letting the knowledge of what she was saying sink in for Hannah. "Wanheda will deliver the killing strike."
Clarke curled her mouth up in a small smile. "And your death will be one I take pleasure in delivering with more pain than you can imagine."
Paling even more, Hannah looked like she was about to pass out, her shaking legs not something that went unnoticed. Not that she was given time to do anything as two Trikru warriors stepped from the trees behind her, the smallest of gestures from Lexa telling them to take her to the pole. Whatever semblance of fight she thought she had before was gone, her feet almost dragged along the floor as she was led away, Bellamy hanging around looking at his feet.
Clarke saw Hannah being led to the pole, a crowd already gathering and blocked her view before she was tied to the pole. Having seen the woman, she wondered whether or not her decision was a good one, was what she could live with. But it wasn't going to change, she knew that. She was just torturing herself as she let Lexa lead her through to the small dais in front of the pole and Hannah.
The assembled crowd was bigger than Clarke initially thought as she saw what must have been the entire village assembled along with several Skaikru tentatively watching at the fringes looking around as though ready to run away at any moment. Perhaps not everyone here was as happy with this arrangement as Bellamy had made out? Lexa would have already clocked the skittish members and have her guards watching them just in case, not that anything would happen, it shouldn't anyway.
Clarke stopped next to Lexa in the middle of dais and the whole village fell into silence. "Members of Trikru and Skaikru, we are here today to bear witness to the punishment of Hannah Green kom Skaikeu." Lexa looked down to the woman tied, arms above her head, to the pole in the centre of the crowd. "Hannah Green, you have been charged with the murder of forty-five Coalition allies, the murder of twenty Trikru members, the attempted murder of Clarke kom Skaikru, Wanheda and Skaikru Ambassador, and the attempted murder of myself, Heda of the twelve clans. How do you plead to these crimes?"
Hannah glared up at the two leaders, eyes fixed on Lexa as she waited for the obvious denial. "I didn't kill those kids; I didn't kill my kid."
"You may not have pulled the trigger for your son, but we have witnesses that place you as one of those that killed those your society still deemed as children. Today you will be punished for these crimes through death by a thousand cuts."
This time there was no objection, just a look of resignation of her fate. Resignation that Lexa let settle for a moment, she looked to Indra. "Begin."
Indra stepped forward, knife in hand to make the first cut. Clarke watched on as the first cut was made along Hannah's side, her top instantly staining with a thin line of red when Indra stepped away. There was no scream, only a grunt of pain that filled the air again as the second cut was made by another of Lexa's generals.
It went on like that for a while, no screams but grunts and groans of pain. Until it wasn't. The first time she screamed, she was cut up more than Clarke thought she would have been, but hearing her screams, they were the first ones she wanted to hear from the people she had killed. The first time she had wanted to kill the person and hear their screams as she did. She knew it was wrong, she knew there was something wrong with her to think like that, but on this occasion, she didn't want to care.
Too soon, or not soon enough, she couldn't tell, it was time for her to make the final cut. The village fell silent as she stepped forward at Lexa's nod, the only indication she would get it was time. Hannah didn't look good; she was pale but conscious, blood stained what was left of her top as her pants were sliced up almost as much with blood as her top with just as much blood. She couldn't see an more than inch of Hannah's skin that wasn't crisscrossed with cuts.
Stepping down from the dais, she had a clear shot to Hannah as the crowd let her through, none of them wanted to get in her way. Neither would she if the positions were reversed. Too soon, she was stopping in front of an exhausted Hannah, one hand on her dagger.
Sensing someone else in front of her, Hannah looked up, her head shaking with the effort to hold it up to look at her. "Earlier I told you I was going to kill you with the most painful way possible, and a large part of me wants to. You killed my friends, you killed Monty and because of him, because he wanted us to be better," She pulled her knife from its sheath at her hip. "I will give you a death you don't deserve."
Clarke held the knife to Hannah's ribs, just the correct puncture and she'd nick an artery and it'll be over in minutes. She caught Hannah's eye, hazy but still there as she rested the knife at the side of her ribs. "Your son was the best of us and because of you he's gone. He won't get to see us do better, be better, but I hope you have an eternity to live with that wherever you end up. May we never meet again."
She pushed in, her knife slicing between two of her ribs easily to the hilt. Retracting it, blood started to flow from the wound, but she didn't move, she watched and waited as Hannah's head dropped and her breathing stopped. It was so similar to Finn's death, she'd done almost the same thing to him, only this time she hoped her words haunted Hannah instead of comforted her, like she tried to do last time.
It was over too quickly.
Clarke stepped back and the rest of the village came into focus again, not many had heard what she had said, she'd spoken quietly, but with the silence her words still carried. Most wouldn't look her in the eye, whether it was from killing her too quickly, or what she'd said, she wasn't sure. Either way, her part was done, and they had seen Wanheda claim another life.
"It is done. With this death, let us start an alliance with Skaikru. Blood has answered blood." Lexa's voice boomed over the village and the silent crowd slowly started to come to life and disperse. Her eyes never strayed from Clarke's back as the village got back to normal, the punishment finished and the convicted dead, she hadn't moved in the minutes since Hannah died. Staring at the woman but she didn't need to see Clarke's face to know she wasn't seeing everything properly.
Stood on the dais, she waited another moment, before stepping down and making her way through the crowd to Clarke. "Follow me to my tent, there are details of the alliance that need discussing before we leave for Polis."
Clarke nodded and followed behind Lexa a step; she didn't falter but Lexa wanted to reach their tent before someone else could corner them for their attention. She saw the entrance to her tent come into view and stopped herself from quickening her step to get there quicker.
Pushing aside the tent flaps, she entered the dimmed tent, her eyes taking a moment to adjust in time for Clarke to enter behind her. She didn't hesitate. The tent flaps closed, and a second later Lexa had Clarke wrapped in a hug, her arms pulling her tight against her. Slowly, too slowly for her liking, Clarke's arms came to waist and hugged her back, gripped her tighter than she thought possible.
"Soukei, ai kamp hir. Ai hod you in. (It's okay, I'm here. I love you.)" Lexa whispered as Clarke buried her head in her shoulder, breathing her in.