"Rachel wake up," I took my pillow and slapped it against her peaceful head.
"I need guaze, stat!...wait what?" Realizing where she was she groaned and rubbed her head, "owwww, that really hurt."
"Get over it, I hit you with a pillow not my fist, you should be glad."
"I get it, I get it. Let me just freshen up and then we can go see Roan alright?"
Something about this morning and the possibility of this Roan being actual Roan...MY ROAN, made me extremely nervous. What would I do if I saw him? What if it wasn't Roan? Would he recognize me? How would he react to seeing me? So many questions floated through my mind and I couldn't help but to shake my leg and fidget with my fingers.
"Don't worry," Rachel said as she exited the bathroom, "he'll be glad to see you."
I shot her a smile that soon turned into a smirk, "the way you get glad to see Bellamy?"
"WHAT?!" She shot me a surprised look over her shoulder but the way the corners of her mouth were turned up and the way her face was as bright as a tomato gave her away.
"You need to learn the art of playing it cool." I leaned back on the bed as I waited for her to finish getting ready.
"I do play it cool," she replied nonchalantly.
"Cool like how? You were like 'hEEEeyyy BElllLLAAammmYY.' That's cool? You sounded like you were on a rollercoaster or like extremely drunk!"
"I did not!" She looked at me with a stern face, but her obvious facade broke within mere seconds, "...ugh did I really?"
"YES. It's okay though, he thinks you're cute."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
"How? You always seem to know so much about people, it's like you control their feelings or something."
"Nah, in Azgeda we're trained to read people."
"Read people?"
"Yeah like size them up? We read their body language, find their weaknesses through their eyes, stuff life that."
"Oh my gosh that's so cool!"
"Yeah something you're not." I laughed lightly as she threw a pillow at me, regretting that decision instantly. "Don't worry, it's just a pillow, Rachel."
"Phew. I thought you were gonna attack me. Anywho, let's get going yeah?"
And with that, my nerves set in again, the millions of question swarming every centimeter of my brain. I had searched high and low for so long, and now the day I get to see Roan with my own eyes, if it really is Roan, I want to back out. Backing out is never in my nature yet, I've been doing things out of my nature since being kidnapped and dragged to this place called Arkadia.
Finally I had worked enough courage to get up and follow Rachel out to the main yard area where guards stood protecting the gates, the farmers tending to their crops, and children ran around. I saw Bellamy and Clarke on one side talking to Abby and Kane, and soon enough my legs had carried me along behind Rachel to find me standing in front of the 4.
"Did you have a good sleep?" Abby spoke first.
"Yeah, thanks to Rachel."
"So when you leaving?" Bellamy piped up.
"Bell..." Rachel warned.
"Yeah you should get going." Clarke chipped in, her eyes narrowed.
"Look blondie-"
"My name is Clarke."
"Right. Okay, bitch face, I'll leave when I get what I need."
"And what is it exactly that you need?" Kane asked intently.
"More like WHO I need."
"And that would be?" Clarke asked.
"Roan, I need Prince Roan of Azgeda."
*cue dramatic music*
"And who needs my presence?" A deep husky voice came from directly behind me. The heat radiating of their body warmed my whole body and had the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Slowly I turned around my head low as I scanned my eyes from his feet up until I saw those piercing blue eyes I had been longing for.
I opened my mouth to speak but my mouth felt dry. My eyes wide open and my hands felt foreign as they swayed at my side even though Roan stood before me.
His body language was more surprised to find me there though I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing and the longer I stood there before him, the worse and worse my gut feeling came.
"Jessica." It was short and sharp, no emphasis in his tone. My heart broke just hearing him say my name.
Composing myself together, I returned the tone back at him, "Prince Roan of Azgeda."
It was safe to say it took him by surprise that I had referred to him using his full title, as I never usually would call him that. Cocky pants. Scarface. Stinky...Simply just Roan, all those names he would be used to, but Roan wasn't used to his full title especially coming out of my mouth.
"What are you doing here?" There was a softness in his tone this time.
"I came searching to find out if you were really dead." My tone unchanged. With that Roan furrowed his brow and the wrinkles on his forehead became more prominent while he pursed his lips.
"May we speak in private?"
I nodded as we excused ourselves from the group, "Rachel I'll be right back."
She grabbed me by the shoulders, "you're strong emotionally as you are physically. Remember that. Whatever it is you have between the two of you, it's nothing you won't be able to handle. He's your best friend, or he was at least. You mean something to him, it'll be okay."
I nodded and thanked her for her words of wisdom as I followed Roan into a private tent. As I walked through the tent door, strong arms engulfed me in a hug and I couldn't help but melt into his arms. For what felt like an eternity, I felt at ease as I snuggled up to my best friend.
"What are you really doing here?" He asked still disbelief in his voice.
"I told you. I came to find out if you were really dead. The Queen reported that you were killed in combat, I didn't believe it but she wouldn't have a reason to lie..."
"Of course she has a reason to lie!" He was furious all of a sudden as he pulled away, he saw the worry in my eyes and came back to hold both my hands. Pulling me onto his lap he spoke, "she banished me from Azgeda, disowned me as her son and told people I was dead."
"Why didn't you come to me and tell me? We could have had a secret meeting at our spot. Like we used to when we were 8."
He smiled at the thought, remembering the late night knocks at each other's balcony door and slipping out of the castle through the secret tunnels, hiking our way to our secret spot at the meadow that overlooked the whole of the Capitol.
"I didn't tell you on purpose."
"Why not?"
"You were to be betrothed, Jessica. The Queen was going to marry you off."
"To you.."
"That was before she disowned me. I didn't want to ruin what your life would be. You deserve everything."
"I deserve to be happy, Roan." I held face in my hand, my fingers lightly tracing his mark of Azgeda that graced his temples and cheeks.
"Exactly, and with me being banished, what life would I be able to give you?" He countered as he played with the strands of my hair.
"A happy one, Roan. I would be perfectly fine, so long as I was with you. You promised you would never leave, and then you did. And then I find out you're dead from other people, obviously you're not but can you just imagine how hard that was for me?"
"I'm sorry I put you through that pain, my love. I never meant for it to turn out that way. I wanted you to live an easy and carefree life."
"I don't care if life isn't easy with you, I'd walk through hell and back barefooted if it meant that I'd spend the rest of days loving you."
"I promise, this time for real, to never leave you."
"And if for some reason you have to, let me know first. I don't want to go around thinking you're dead again, I just don't think I'd be able to handle another heartbreak like that."
We sat it perfect silence just embracing each other's presence, we were back together and that's all that mattered to us in that moment.
"I love you, my heart."
"I love you too, my prince."
As we cuddled into each other's arm, my head nestled between his strong jaw and let shoulder, inhaling the scent that was Roan. His fingers traced the lines on my palms and we could feel our hearts beating in sync.
Footsteps approached and in the tent came Abby and Marcus. "We have some news to share."
"What is it?" Roan and I stood up, his body language now tense.
"Why don't you two come and join us outside and we'll talk out there." Marcus led the way as we all followed behind him. There Clarke stood slightly behind Bellamy and worried look evident in her face. Bellamy, stoned cold face stared blankly with eyebrows furrowed, his shoulders broad and muscles tensed.
"What's going on?" I asked.
Clarke spoke first, "the Queen on Azgeda is dead."
"WHAT?!" I pulled my hand away from Roan and I clenched my fists together. I could feel my nails piercing through my skin as I felt the anger bubbling inside of me. "How did this happen and who told you what?!"
"It was time she was gone," Roan stated.
"Roan, she's your mother! You can't be serious?!" My arms were flailing about as I tried to comprehend the words coming out of Roan's mouth.
"She treated me like dirt. Only using me when her wars needed to be fought."
"She was your queen too, it's our duty as a warrior to serve Her Majesty."
"Roan," it was Clarke, "by rightful heir, you're now the King of Azgeda."
"Shut up Clarke." I spat. "Roan, I am all for you being King of Azgeda, but as a child of the Ice Nation, you need to help me find out how this happened and who did this. BLOOD MUST HAVE BLOOD."
"NO." He was stern as his eyes pierced through mine. A challenge in one word.
"NO...?"
"I said no. I will not help you, nor will I let you do so."
"ARE YOU SERIOUS, ROAN? It is my duty as a Queen's guard to find out what THE HELL happened to her!"
"It's no longer your duty, stay here. Stay here, with me."
His word danced on my skin like poison, settling deeper through my pores, I couldn't believe what he was saying. Banished or not, it's his duty as a member of Azgeda to uphold the Queen's and our people's integrity and honor. I was going to find out what happened whether he liked it or not. So without thinking I replied, "you mean the way you stayed with me?"
He knew where I was going with this.
"The way you stayed with me after your banishment? Oh right, you didn't did you?! DIDN'T EVEN FUCKING TELL ME."
"Jessica you're being irrational." He stepped closer in my direction.
I stepped back, "I'm being irrational? No, Roan, YOU'RE being DELUSIONAL! Staying here with these people," I pointed at all of them standing around us, "it's made you something else, someONE else. I don't even know you anymore. You've become SOFT! You are not FIT to rule AZGEDA! YOU SHOW MERCY FOR THESE PEOPLE! WHY?"
"BECAUSE THEY DESERVE IT!" The veins in his head and neck protruded.
Marcus tried to intervene by stepping between the two of us, Bellamy right next to him helping him do the same. "Now let's just calm down, there doesn't need to be any trouble."
"THEY DESERVE NOTHING!" I yelled, "THEY invaded our lands. THEY killed our people. THEY know nothing of our traditions...THEY. DESERVE. NOTHING!"
"THEY DESERVE WHAT THEY GET!" He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, "Jessica, I'm not saying I'm siding with Skaikru, but I'm not saying I'm not either. I'm doing what I can to make sure our people, Ice Nation, are safe. That we are at peace."
"PEACE?!"
"Yes, peace. It's needed within the coalition, Jessica. Skaikru is the 13th clan."
"Like hell they are, Roan! WE, the 12 clans will NEVER honor them as the 13th clan."
"Well whether you like it or not, they are. And as new king of Azgeda, I am honoring them, and those who do not fall before me and governing will pay the price."
"Then I guess you're going to have to kill me. There's no way I'll ever be at peace knowing Skaikru is here."
"You ARE Skaikru," it was Clarke again, "you were born on The Ark."
I whipped my head in her direction, "and tossed out like a pile of shit, left to fend my way in unknown territory as an infant. Not knowing whether or not I'd survive." I looked at Kane, "right, 'DAD?'"
"Jessica, please." Roan pleaded, "just give them a chance, and stay with me here. We, you and I will rule Azgeda together, we will set peace to the 12 other nations including Skaikru."
"NO. I'm leaving."
"Jessica..."
"Give me my sword so I can go."
Hesitantly Rachel stepped forward, my chosen weapon in her hand, "you don't have to go." She said.
"I do, Rachel," my voice was soft as I talked to her know she did nothing wrong to me, none of them did, but Rachel never made me feel like she was a threat. "I need to find out who killed my queen."
"What are you going to do if you find out who did it?"
"The unimaginable."
"You're going to kill them?"
"Azgeda knows no mercy, Rachel. BLOOD. MUST. HAVE. BLOOD."
With no other words or shared looks with the others, I took my sword from Rachel and made my way to the gates of Arkadia, seeing onlookers watch me from the corner of my eyes. Pulling up closer to the gates I passed by a younger girl, maybe 17 years of age with brown hair braided and her bright colored eyes were dark, her face was stone cold and covered in dirt and scrapes. She was the last person I saw as I walked out of the gates and back into Earth's forest to find the killer of the queen. I was going back to Azgeda.
Two nights passed since I left Arkadia and I had just entered the gates of Azgeda. Walking through our city I was greeted by nods from the guards and smiles from the women and children. My feet carried me to the castle I called my home, the castle in which I had spent my life growing up, the castle that I was raised in...raised in by Queen Nia. And now she was dead. I called for a council in Queen Nia's throne room, between me and the other higher ranking officials in Ice Nation. It lasted about an hour before we all stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard to all of Ice Nation.
"Honoraries, warriors, PEOPLE OF AZGEDA, I have called you here today for word about our ruler has been spreading like wildfire." I started, "as some of you may know or may have heard, our Queen is dead. I, myself only found out two nights ago. But upon speaking with the other council members it has been brought to my attention that a few of the warriors who had accompanied the queen that night, and who made it out alive, can confirm she is indeed dead." There were some nods and whispers amongst the group. The 3 warriors I referred to in my speech all bowed their heads honoring the fallen, "settle down, settle down now. As the Queen's right hand, I propose we find out who assassinated our beloved. We will find them, and when we do, we'll have their head. And as for the 3 warriors left from the incident, I'd like you all please to step up and kneel down as I come down to you."
Walking from the balcony down the stairs, I made my way to the warriors who were all now kneeled before me. I grabbed my sword and raised it in the air as I looked at the crowd of people who were cheering behind them. "With this sword, I honor our queen and the warriors," the crowd grew louder and louder, "YOU 3 WARRIORS SERVED YOUR DUTY TO THE QUEEN. AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOU SERVICE, BUT!" My left hand up in the air now along with the hand holding the sword. The warriors, still kneeling raised their heads up turning to one another in confusion. The crowd simmered down also confused at what was happening.
"You 3 are here..."I picked up where I had left off, "and our queen is dead. Therefore you have failed your duty as warriors, no?"
"We-" one began to speak.
The tip of my sword now placed delicately on his forehead, just enough to pierce through the top layer of his skin, a drop of blood rolling down symmetrically on his face.
"Uh, uh, uh," I wagged my finger, "we are to protect the queen at all costs. And yet you three kneel before me instead of kneeling before the queen. And why is that? Because she's dead. You allowed them to kill her."
"She was strong, she was killing our people one by one, each time picking them off faster than the last. She's been terrorizing grounder territory since you set out on your mission."
"She? Who is she?"
"We call her Skairipa, but she goes by Octavia kom Skaikru." My eyes widened. SKAIKRU. "Please don't hurt us, Jessica, we didn't mean for it to happen."
"Of course you didn't," I dropped my blade to my side and smiled, they all relaxed, "but our queen is dead and Azgeda shows no mercy." Within less than a second my arm swiped up and to the left, decapitating all three of the warriors heads in one go. "Let it be known that all those who betray Azgeda and our people, will be at my mercy. Prepare yourselves for war, we're going for Skaikru. All those beware." The crowd cheered as weapons were held in the air, people swarming around gathering things they would need. "Clean these bodies up, heads on spears and displayed for all others to see. I am not one to be messed with. ICE NATION, WILL NOT BE THREATENED. WE ARE READY FOR WAR, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR!" The war horns sound from the tops of the castles and the horses being mounted up and geared for the journey ahead.
Skaikru wouldn't know what was coming next, while Roan made the wrong move choosing to stay. He may be the next King of Azgeda, but I was commanding our nation. I am the leader, now. And as for Skairipa, her head would be mine.