A/N: Sorry again about the wait guys. Life is really hard sometimes. Because of that I do not want to promise consistent updates but I am thankful for those of you that have favorited and followed my story. I am not confident in my editing with this chapter so I apologize for any errors you may see.

Lexa sat on her throne regally. One leg was crossed over the other while her arms were on the armrest. Titus had been huffy from the moment she entered the room.

"The nightblood is being kept in a different part of the tower from all of the other ones. She has not yet met them, therefore she does not know who they are. The girl has not spoken to me since her arrival," Titus informed.

Lexa nodded. She didn't want Ontari around the other natblida until she knew it would not endanger them. "Her name is Ontari. She is to be heavily guarded until I know she can be trusted. Split your time between the other nightbloods and her. You are to keep me updated on everything having to do with her."

Once Titus finished updating Lexa on everything Ontari he prepared to excuse himself, until Lexa impeded him from doing so. "There is another matter I wish to discuss with you," Lexa said.

"Yes, Heda?" Titus asked.

It was obvious to Lexa that them man did not know what she was about to accuse him of. "On the day of the challenge, you failed to report Azgeda being at Polis's walls." Lexa found satisfaction in the fact that Titus appeared to stiffen and pale a few shades. "Why is that?"

"You were in the challenge," Titus lied obviously. "There was no time."

Lexa leaned forward, her eyes full of danger, and replied, "You were the last person to see me before the challenge. You stood by Nia once you left me. No one spoke to you."

Titus opened and closed his mouth repeatedly. Lexa did not give him the time to recover. "That is awfully convenient, don't you think? The second the chaos started you disappeared. What was it you said to Nia, something about a deal? What exactly was that deal, Titus?" Lexa had forgotten his words the day before, too caught up in rescuing Clarke, but they did not stay gone for long. They ignited fury.

"Wanheda is taking advantage of you! You're are wrapped around the finger of an invader to our lands. Nia was going to take care of her. Wanheda or not, she needs to be gone," Titus spat in an explosion of words.

They were all Lexa needed to hear to make her move. "You have gone against me, you have gone against my coalition. You are an accomplice to a crime that has been committed against both a clan leader and an advisor." Lexa was out of her chair at this point, marching towards Titus. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "You, Titus, have unwisely made a move against Wanheda's life, a person whose spirit is as sacred as mine. For this crime, you are to be imprisoned until Nia is captured. Only then will you be charged for what you have committed. I strip you of your title as fleimkepa, you are to pass it down to whoever you may have trained for such an occasion."

"I was just looking out for the fla-"

"Guards!" Lexa bellowed. When they entered she ordered, "Take him to his quarters. He is allowed to inform the new fleimkepa or their elevated standing then you are to take him to a cell." Titus continued to yell. Because he refused to move the guards ended up having to drag him away.

Lexa did not know who the new flame keeper would be. As long as Titus had not corrupted their minds with his teachings Lexa did not care. If that was the case then Lexa herself would have yet another one trained and personally oversee the teachings. Titus had been dedicated most of the time he served by her side, but to a fault. He did what he thought was right, instead of what she, the commander, declared. He didn't just overstep when it came to Clarke. Lexa's limits had been being pushed for long enough.

The commander stalked her throne room. The worst of the day was done. That did not mean she was going to be any less busy however.

XXX

Clarke's day was going much less chaotic than Lexa's. Not soon after she and Lexa parted there was a knock at her door. Clarke looked at Anya, silently asking her if she knew who was at the door.

"The healer said he would check up on you in the morning," Anya answered, knowing Clarke wasn't conscious when Jax had told them.

Clarke nodded as Anya went to open the door. She sat up in the chair, unsure of how to behave with the man.

Jax walked in with a friendly smile and greeted, "Hello Wanheda, I am glad to see you are awake."

Clarke returned the smile albeit it being slightly awkward. "Just Clarke is fine." She was glad when the healer didn't argue with her.

"Well then, just Clarke, I am Jax. I only serve Heda and the people that live in the tower."

Jax's lame joke was enough to cause Clarke to chuckle. His humor reminded her of her father.

Jax stood across from when Clarke was sitting on the couch. "How are you feeling? Have any complications occurred?"

There was the question Clarke was waiting for. She swallowed nervously and played with the bottom of her shirt. Lying would do her no good so Clarke honestly answered, "Um yeah, when I woke up this morning I had an incredibly vivid... hallucination I guess you could say."

Jax nodded before squatting in front of Clarke to get a better look at her. He had such a warm personality that Clarke couldn't help but feel comfortable enough to talk with him. "May I ask what happened?

Clarke glances at Anya briefly. She didn't want the woman to answer for her, but she did want support. Anya's supportive nod was enough to get her going. "Do you know how I became Wanheda?"

"One does not become Wanheda, the spirit is something they are born with. I take it your true question is do I know how it was realized?" Clarke nodded silently, urging the healer to continue. "You saved thousands from the Maunon."

Clarke stares at him. From his point of view, that is what happened. He saw the positive side of it. Clarke, she was caught up in the negative side effects of what happened in the mountain. "I saw people I care about look the same way the people I killed did. They were burnt and had peeling skin; they were dead."

Jax nodded patiently. "Tell me, Clarke, do you fear what you did, the deaths you caused?"

Clarke didn't want to say yes. It seemed silly to be scared of a choice, yet that was what it sounded like. "It's more of a haunted by feeling rather than a fearful one."

A moment of silenced passed by for a few minutes. Clarke could see the wheels turn as if Jax was trying to figure out the answer to a complicated problem.

"May I see your hand, Clarke?"

Clarke hesitantly reached out, palm up, and let Jax take it. She tensed up when he unsheathed a knife from his belt. Clarke saw Anya move a hand to her sword and shook her head, silently willing Anya to stand down.

Anya kept her hand on the hilt of her sword and moved forwards. She stopped behind Jax and carefully watched his movements from behind.

Jax pushed the point on his knife into Clarke's palm. It stung momentarily, but wasn't enough to cause actual pain. He then pushed her skin together so that blood would spread from the small cut.

"Natblida," the man whispered with wide eyes.

Clarke stared at the liquid, transfixed by the color. There wasn't a trace of red. Her blood was running the color of night and darkness. She brought a finger to the small spot and spread the blood down her palm. The black streak only further confirmed that her blood was truly no longer red.

Jax cleared his throat. "The blood has accepted your body and your body it. Clarke, I do not know why, but I believe you becoming a natblida is what caused you to see what you saw. My hypothesis is that your body is trying to cope. For whatever the reason may be, you are being forced to face your fears, or rather your actions," Jax corrected. "Think of it as a trial-"

Clarke stopped listening. Everything else went in one ear and out of the other. It was unintentional, zoning the healer out, but all she could focus on was the possibility that it could happen again. Seeing, re-seeing, once was enough to last a life time. The only thing that brought Clarke out of her stupor was snapping.

Anya had urged Jax from the room when she saw the vacant stare on Clarke's face. It didn't take long to get a hold of her attention, but was still longer than necessary. She held out a salve for Clarke, the same that the blonde used when she was shot by an arrow.

A moment passed before Clarke took the jar, plus some clean bandages, and went to her bathroom to redress her wounds. She didn't bother to pay much attention to them and just focused on the action itself. When she reentered her room, Anya was holding a jacket out to her, Lexa's jacket.

"I see you still have not returned this," Anya smirked. She was making an effort to take Clarke's mind off of things. "You also failed to get a jacket of your own when I took you to the shopping district."

Clarke took the garment and inhaled deeply. Lexa's scent had not yet left it. She put the jacket on over her clothes. She didn't think she would need to change again and Anya didn't say anything about her attire so she supposed it was fine. "Are we going somewhere?" She questioned while putting her arms into the jacket.

Anya nodded in affirmation. "I am going to take you to one of my favorite areas in Polis." She didn't dislike the shopping district, but it wasn't her hobby. If her clothes weren't falling apart then they were good enough for her.

"Do I get to know where?" Clarke asked, and the moment she did her stomach grumbled loudly. She quickly covered it with her hand, not even realizing how hungry the was until that moment.

Anya chuckled and replied, "It will be a place that is going to fix your problem." She gestured her index finger towards Clarke's stomach. "Let us go, if you are ready," Anya said, hoping Clarke was indeed prepared. She herself was feeling quite peckish, but that wasn't anything abnormal. Anya could always go for food, and Polis had the best of it to offer.

The two exited Clarke's room and walked down the hall. Clarke was about to turn into the elevator when Anya tugged her to the side.

"You need to work on your conditioning," Anya informed Clarke.

Clarke grumbled out, "Fine," in response. She knew it was a good idea, but she also knew there would be a lot of steps to go down. They didn't get far before a voice called out to them on the floor below.

"Hey, hold up!" Raven yelled as she limped over to Clarke and Anya.

Clarke didn't mind Raven interrupting them. Out of all of the Skaikru in Polis, Clarke preferred talking to Raven. Her humor was always refreshing to the blonde.

XXX

Lexa enjoyed spending time with her natblida. They were all bright and gifted young warriors that she prayed would not have to take on her title anytime soon, for when that happened their freedom would be ripped away.

Aden stood out to her the most. She had seen skill in his movements the first time he ever picked up a weapon. Lexa could tell that leadership was just natural to him. It was as if it was as easy as breathing for the boy. Several times Lexa had passed by the natblida during their sparring or studying and he would always be the first one to help, correct, or assist the others in any way possible.

The sight she walked into is not one she's seen before. Aden was sitting in front of the closed door Ontari had been residing in. It looked like he was meditating. When he heard Lexa's foot steps he stood up with perfect posture and bowed his head respectively.

"Heda," Aden greeted.

Lexa looked at the blond a moment longer before asking, "What is it you're doing?" What she really wanted to know was why he was in front of that specific door. Her purpose for coming to the natblida courters was to check on how Ontari had been doing. Lexa was cautious to say the least, knowing that Ontari had likely been trained under Nia.

Aden briefly looked at the door again before replying. "I was helping some of the younger natblida with intermediate level fighting styles when we heard yelling come from the room. I told them to continue while I went to check it out. It happened again when I got here and it sounded..." He paused, mentally searching for the right work. "Broken."

Lexa could only imagine how Ontari felt. Her queen had abandoned her in efforts of making a clean get away. Not only that but Nia had left her to die. Lexa's jaw clenched, but that was the only giveaway to her inner rage.

"Where is the guard that is stationed here?" Lexa inquired. She had given strict orders for Ontari to be guarded at all times. Lexa refused to throw her in a cell, even though it'd be easier, knowing her life must've been hard enough already. All rooms in the natblida quarters were barred, to keep assassins out, meaning no one could escape through them either. Ontari should've been there in the first place, it was her birth right. Lexa would not deny her that right any longer, but she would not also not blindly put a possible fox in a house of chickens.

Lexa could see Aden shift uncomfortably before he righted himself. "He went to find the new fleimkepa. I told him I could keep watch. He should be coming back any time now."

Lexa nodded in response. She decided to stay, wanting the chance to judge the new fleimkepa before they spent too much time with the natblida. "Return to the others. I will stand here in your place," Lexa ordered. She saw Aden glance at the door before nodded. The concern in his eyes was obvious.

"Yes Heda." He bowed once more.

Lexa suddenly realized that Aden and the other natblida may not even be aware of just who Ontari was. No one else but natblida ever resided in the quarters so she was sure they were able to figure it out. It was not uncommon for a new natblida to be brought in the middle of the night, but there more often than not was some type of notice.

Hurried footsteps registered in Lexa's ears causing her to look to the side in time to see two people hurrying towards her. One was obviously the warrior that Aden mentioned and the other was the new fleimkepa.

The first thing Lexa noticed about the new fleimkepa was that she was a woman. A woman had never held the position. She was tall and lightly tanned. Red hair was bound back in a single tight braid. It was a natural type of red that Lexa did not often see. Her build was lean but she looked dense, like a warrior that had trained in areas of speed rather than brute strength. She looked to be in her mid thirties.

The new fleimkepa stopped once she realized who Lexa was and bowed fully. When she straightened back up Lexa was glad to see emotion throughout her face. Lexa could already tell she was less cold than Titus, which surprised her. Titus was the only fleimkepa that Lexa had ever known so she figured the new one would be like him.

"Hello Heda. I am Atlas, the new fleimkepa. I wish to have a proper meeting with you later. If it is OK with you I would like to see if I can help the natblida now. Titus has already told me the basics of who is in there."

Lexa observed the woman a moment longer. She could sense no ill intent from Atlas and had no reason to distrust her. Lexa thought about going in with her but decided against it. This would be the first and only test she would give Atlas. "I want a full report on Ontari's state the next time we meet. I am on my way to a meeting with the ambassadors that I will let you skip to deal with her. Find me when you are done.

"Yes Heda."

XXX

"Skaiprisa, I'd recommend you try this one next," Anya said while pointing out a piece of skewered meat, a personal favorite of hers.

Clarke rolled her eyes. Ever since Anya heard Raven call Clarke Princess she had started doing the same thing. She was beyond full, having tried everything ranging from roasted nuts to deliciously spiced meat. She flicked Raven for what felt like the millionth time when she began to laugh.

Raven was proud that she got someone else to pick up on the name and obviously found it quite entertaining.

Clarke could tell that Raven wanted to say something else, just to get under her skin, but failed to since she could not stop laughing. Before Raven even had a chance a high pitched scream suddenly sounded off close by. Clarke's head automatically jerked in the direction the noise came from. Anya blocked her path when the blonde made an attempt to move forwards.

Listening closer Clarke could hear crying. She tried to push past Anya, arguing, "Someone is hurt." Clarke locked eyes with Anya, silently willing her to stand down. "Let me help." Clarke sighed. "Please."

Anya could tell that Clarke was not going to back down. If someone was hurt then she knew Clarke had the abilities to help. She thought their was a possibility it could be good for the blonde, help take her mind off things. "You will stay behind me until I deem that there is no threat."

Clarke just agreed to make things go faster and urged Anya forwards. It took less than ten seconds to arrive to the scene and it was quite anticlimactic for the three. Even still, Clarke bent down and ripped off part of her shirt so that she could wipe the blood off of a small child's scraped knee. The entire time he looked up at her with star struck eyes.

After Clarke was done the kid jumped up, exclaiming, "Mochof Wanheda!" She gave him a small smile and ruffled his hair before he ran off.

Clarke felt good. Helping people, no matter how small the act, always left her with a content feeling.

They continued to browse the food stalls for a while. After a while Raven's leg got the best of her and she stumbled clumsily, bracing herself for a hard fall. Before she could make contact with the ground, however, a strong arm snaked around her waist and prevented herself from doing so.

Raven looks up with large eyes, willing herself to thank the general but couldn't seem to form words. Coming to her senses, the mechanic stood back up on her own two feet. Raven cleared her throat and fiddled with her shirt while mumbling out a thanks.

Clarke watched the interaction curiously. She could see a light rosy color on Raven's cheeks and thought about teasing her, but decided against it since they were in public. Clarke didn't have much time to read into the situation before someone roughly bumped into Anya, who easily stood strong and kept her footing.

"Bellamy?" Clarke asked when the figure turned to look at the with a glare. She took the first step to go after him but was stopped by Anya's outstretched arm.

"Let him cool down. I can check on him later," Raven advised.

Clarke's shoulders slumped forwards. Bellamy might have bumped into Anya but his angry expression was directed towards Clarke. There was something else in her eyes that she did not understand, but it hurt her that he was upset over something that obviously had to do with her.

Raven could tell that Clarke's thoughts were going into a dark area, so in an effort to distract her she implored, "Can I find old world metal scraps anywhere around here?"

XXX

Lexa sat on her throne, hands clasped together and eyes steely as she began the meeting. "I expect you all know why I have summoned you." She received a few grunts in response. Several advisors looked at the man that had the luck of representing Azgeda.

"Azgeda's queen has gone against the coalition, meaning she has also gone against me." Lexa looked around at her advisors, gauging there reactions. Most of them looked angry, some were more indifferent. "I have been patient with the queen and warned her more than once but her crimes have gone too far this time and they shall not be pardoned. The law states that clans may not attack anyone in the coalition." More noises of approval sounded around the room. "I am officially declaring war on Azgeda."

The Ice Nation ambassador stood up quickly, causing his chair to flip backwards. "You can't!"

Lexa stood from her throne with a growl. "I can and I have! I will not stand for your queen's blatant disrespect any longer. You are alive to send this declaration of war to your queen." Each time Lexa said Nia's title she would spit it out more venomously. "Tell Nia that the only thing that will save her people is her giving herself up for a trial here in Polis."

Lexa knew for a fact that Nia would never giver herself up, even if it meant saving her entire nation. Lexa would do her best to let the innocent people live, but blood would be spilled between Azgeda and the coalition. "Does anyone stand with Azgeda? Does anyone else want to make moves against me?" Lexa was met with silence. Inwardly she smirked but her outer expression remained a steely gaze.

The Ice Nation ambassador stomped towards the door. Just when he was going to exit Lexa saw a glint from his belt. A knife soared towards her head. She caught it deftly with two fingers, each on opposites sides of the smooth part of the blade. The commander looked at the former ambassador dangerously, and her next movements were so fast that almost no one could see her in action. Lexa hurled the knife, aiming for the man's bicep, with complete accuracy.

Lexa's movements across the meeting hall were slow, like a predator stalking its prey. Once she reached the Azgeda man there was an uproar from her ambassadors and guards flanked each of his sides. Lexa stared at the man for only a moment before twisting the blade and puling it out. She found satisfaction when he made a small pain filled noise. Lexa held up a single fist, effectively silencing all of the noise in the room within a second.

"You are lucky I do not let one of my more loyal ambassadors kill you where you stand. You are extremely lucky that I do not do it myself. I grant you your life for one reason and one reason only, to deliver a message to Nia." Lexa no longer cared to use the tile of queen. Nia's name alone left a bitter taste in the commander's mouth. "I will do to you what you have done to them if it is the last thing I do."

Costia's death, Clarke's torture, they would be avenged. Lexa no longer had the patience to have Nia test her, and now she had a reason to unite the clans of the coalition against her.

Lexa marched back to her thrown and sat down in it with one leg crossed over the other. She spun the dagger around on her finger, not caring in the slightest about the blood that remained on the blade. "Now, I have one more matter to discuss."

XXX

As Clarke helped Raven sift through piles of scrap metal, she would personally call it junk, her mood continued to stay down. She knew what the mechanic was trying to do every time a random thing was held in front of her face. Clarke appreciated that Raven wanted to distract her even though she knew the other woman did not fully understand what she was going through.

Clarke didn't want to let Bellamy's foul mood get to her, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't deal with another person's anger at her on top of her own.

"Woah how'd this baby stay so shiny?" Raven wondered while flipping around some time of metal plate. It was a little dirty but she could easily see her reflection in it.

Clarke spared a look to see what had gained Raven's attention this time. Whatever she was holding was indeed quite shiny. That, however, is not what pulled Clarke to it. Clarke scooted closer to Raven and looked into the object from over her shoulder.

Something appeared to be flickering in the center of the metal piece. Clarke looked behind her and found nothing that could be the cause. Upon closer inspection Clarke found that the flicker was quickly beginning to grow in size. The larger it got the more it began to form into a concrete image. Flames were barreling towards Clarke. It was almost as if she was in a hallway and watching them come, except everything was in Raven's hands.

Clarke froze, minus an incontrollable shaking in her hands. Something exploded and the second the flames touched her she would burn with no one to help her. Raven would burn. Anya would burn. They were not far enough away to evade the blast. They would be burnt like the people of the mountain were.

Just when Clarke was about to be engulfed, just when the explosion was about to break from its metal captor, Raven threw it away with a sigh.

"Well I can't make anything go boom with this."

Clarke blinked her eyes. It had all been another figment of her horrid imagination.

"Hey Princess, you feeling OK?" Raven asked, causing Anya to look in their direction. She too had been looking around the room filled with junk from the old world.

Clarke felt a hand press against her forehead, finally pulling her out of her head. She wiped her face with her clammy and shaking hands. Clarke wished she could have her girlfriend's armed wrapped around her. She could really use Lexa's comfort.

"I'm just tired. I think I'm gonna head back to the tower. You can stay if you want."

Raven grabbed Clarke's wrist when the blonde made the move to stand up. "Hold up. You know you can talk to me, right?"

Clarke put on her best false smile and nodded. She didn't want to burden Raven with the knowledge of her problems. Raven was still her friend though, even if their relationship was a bit strained at the moment. For that reason Clarke gave half of the truth. "I didn't get the best of sleep, had a bit of a nightmare. It's about time for me to put more ointment on my wounds anyways."

Raven couldn't argue with that so she just nodded and followed Anya and Clarke out of the building.

XXX

There was one more thing on Lexa's agenda for the day. She was headed towards the dungeons when she just so happened to walk into Atlas, or rather Atlas walked into her.

"Heda! My apologies. I am a bit distracted. Is now a good time for the report on Ontari?"

Lexa stared at the woman. She seemed to starkly contrast Titus. The brunette was amazed that Titus would choose Atlas as his successor. They were just so different.

The commander nodded once. "Let's hear it." Her trip to the dungeon could wait.

Atlas cleared her throat before started. "I could not get her to speak. All she did was lay on her bed and face the wall. Her knuckles were covered in fresh cuts and bruises, but other than that she was under no harm. I suspect that whatever upset her caused her to punch the wall. Various things looked to be thrown around the room. I don't think she's eaten or drank anything since her arrival."

Lexa knew there were two reasons that could be the cause behind Ontari's behavior. The first being that she felt as if she was a prisoner, which in retrospect Lexa could understand why she could feel that way. Ontari did have the freedom to explore, which the commander doubted to cared to do, but she had to have an escort at all times. The other reason could be her abandonment. For all Lexa knew, Nia was the closest thing Ontari had ever had to a parent, and she left her behind as if she was yesterday's trash.

An idea sparked in Lexa's mind suddenly, though she wasn't sure if it was a good one or not. "Accompany me where I am going. You might find use of it."

It didn't take long for the two to get to their destination. Lexa and her flame keeper stood in front of a cell. It's occupant looked at Lexa with veiled curiosity.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Heda?" Roan, the prince of Azgeda asked. His clothes were dirty and his hair was greasy. He had been in the cells far too long for his taste.

Lexa continued to stare at Roan with a hard expression, making sure he knew who was in charge. "Did you know your mother was after Wanheda?"

Roan laughed. It was the kind off laugh that was devoid of humor. "I didn't know Wanheda had even resurfaced. I am not surprised though."

The commander's eyes did not part from Roan's. She had no reason to disbelieve him on the matter. Roan had been in the cell since before Clarke annihilated the Maunon.

"He is telling the truth, Heda," Atlas said.

Atlas's words confirmed what Lexa was thinking. To the best of her knowledge, flame keepers were taught to read lies.

Roan smirked dangerously as he crossed his arms and leaned against the bars of the cell. "Something tells me there is something else you want to ask?"

Lexa had to fight to keep the glare off of her face. Her voice oozed with authority when she then asked, "Do the names Echo or Ontari mean anything to you?" Lexa could tell that she caught them man off guard when he straightened up. "Who are they?"

"What's in it for me?" Roan asked, making it obvious that he wouldn't give anything up if he received nothing in return.

Lexa forced herself to suppress a growl. She knew the question was going to come a prepared for it in advance. "Your mother has once again overstepped. I have decided that I've had enough." Lexa could tell that Roan could tell where she was taking things. "I will give you her thrown. Azgeda will be yours, but I have one more condition other than your answers."

Roan looked to be considering this before replying, "Name it."

"You respect my position as commander. For this I will allow the Ice Nation to live and you will be permitted to stay in the coalition." If Roan did not want Azgeda in the coalition then she would not force him. Azgeda was always a threat to it anyways, but that was under Nia's reign.

Roan slowly walked back and forth in his cell, weighing his options. When he stopped he returned to his place in front of Lexa, this time leaning against the bars with his shoulder. "Echo is a warrior, but a special one. She came to the queen, begging for her to help her family. At the time an illness was going around, and a shitty one at that. My mother took her family and told Echo that if she ever wanted to see them again that she would have to work for it." Roan stopped, counting the years that had gone by it his head. "That had to of been about ten years ago."

Lexa wasn't surprised by Nia's cruelness. She didn't have much time to wonder if Echo has seen her parents in that amount of time. Lexa doubted they were even alive.

"Contrary to what you think they are actually alive, though the father did die from the disease. Echo's mother and younger siblings, a brother and sister, are the survivors. She's been allowed to see them about every two years. They are kept in a prison above a long frozen lake. Many in similar situations as Echo's family are there"

Lexa absorbed the information. It sounded like Roan was actually trying to help her. She didn't expect him to do so so easily. She pondered Roan's motivation for doing so for a moment when it hit her. Freeing all of those people, returning them to their families, would not only bring favor to Roan as king but also sway a number of Nia's warriors to follow him. "You want to free them."

Roan clapped his hands together. "You impress me yet again, Commander." He was silent for a couple of seconds. Lexa could tell that he was second guessing whatever it was he wanted to say. "I do not agree with my mother's way of gaining warriors. I believe it should be voluntary. She only wanted a mass of people for reasons I'm sure you can guess."

The commander could easily figure out said reasons. Nia wanted Lexa's title and for that she had to throw away the lives of many away. "We can discuss more of this tomorrow. What do you know about Ontari?"

Roan shook his head. Lexa couldn't manage to make out his mood. It wasn't done sadly but she didn't think it was for show either. He also wasn't doing it to be defiant.

"Her story is not a happy one either. My mother had luck one day when Ontari did not. The girl was five at the time. Mother and I were returning from a battle with Trikru when Ontari slipped and fell near our horses. My mother saw night blood seep through her cut, and such a small one it was. Long story short her parents were killed and my mother put me in charge of training the girl though-"

"Ontari was your second?" Lexa and Atlas asked around the same time.

Roan shook his head, and this time it actually meant no. "No, I only trained her when I was in Azgeda. My mother did not allow her to ever leave. When Ontari turned fifteen my mother no longer let me see her. Ever since we discovered her, my mother-"

"Will she listen to you?" Atlas suddenly asks.

Lexa looked at the fleimkepa, knowing she had the same idea as her. Roan might be able to get Ontari to speak up. The commander knew the risk, but there was also a risk in blindly letting Ontari rage and protest eating. She would not trust Roan blindly, but she would have faith that he could be honest. No one was as bad as Nia after all, and she'd always preferred him to his mother.

Actual concern flashed across Roan's face. He quickly corrected himself and asked, "She is here?"

"Your mother left her bleeding out in order to escape me," Lexa replied. She wanted to see if he would slip up once more. She had a hunch that he cared about Ontari and was proven correct when obvious anger indeed filled his features.

"She will not speak to me," Atlas began. Before she could pick up where she left off Roan interrupted her.

"And you are?"

"Atlas, the new flame keeper. I am worried about her. She will not eat, or drink. She will not do anything. If you can help her then do. Prove your worth. Prove that the commander should trust you."

Lexa watched the exchange curiously. It was obvious that Atlas cared about the natblida's well being. The same went for Roan- though it was harder to detect with him.

Roan sighed. "I can not make any promises. It's been two years since I've been allowed to see her. I'm sure my mother has done many things to gain her obedience and her image of me could be tarnished. I will try."

Lexa nodded and called for the guards to release Roan from his cell. Before Atlas and Roan parted ways she pulled the flame keeper to the side, telling her to keep an eye on Roan. The commander then ordered for a passing guard to set up sleeping arrangements for the man on one of the lower floors.

After Lexa was finally alone again she let out a deep breath. The day had been very trying, but now she had something to look forward to; she could see Clarke.

XXX

Clarke kept her head down as the trio walked through out Polis. She would still exchange pleasantries anytime someone greeted her, but that was only to be polite. She didn't actually hold a conversation with anyone.

Silence passed amongst the three. It wasn't awkward but it also wasn't a pleasant one. It was just… silent, with the exception of the noise created by everyone around them.

Clarke could see the tower's guards when something soft bumped into her leg. She stopped and looked down just into to see the boy she helped from earlier run up to her.

"Wanheda, plei raun!" He exclaimed.

The words were ones that were still foreign to Clarke, so she looked to Anya for a translation.

Anya looked down at the boy, who all of a sudden seemed nervous under her gaze. "He want you to play with him. Plei raun means to play."

Clarke looked back at the boy and immediately locked onto his hope filled eyes. She looked up at the sky, gauging where the sun was. She guessed that it had to be around three or four in the afternoon. Clarke's inner doctor knew she should take it easy. She was more than aware that her injuries were still healing, and she was serious when she said that she needed to examine them. Her brain told her that yet her heart told her that she could not let the boy down.

"Alright, but you'll have to take it easy on me," Clarke said with a smile, chuckling when the boy nervously looked at Anya for a translation. Instead of waiting for the general, Clarke simply said, "Sha, yes."

The boy looked to be thinking about it for a moment before trying the word out on his own tongue. "Yes?"

"Yes," Clarke replied with a friendly smile and a nod. She found the child adorable.

"Yes!" The boy laughed before motioning for Clarke to follow. The blonde ignored Anya's wary glance and followed. Raven chose then to part ways, giving notice to Anya since Clarke was already off.

They weaved between a short alleyway and were greeted with several other children on the other side. They were all standing in the middle of a small dirt field. Two were waiting at opposite sides. The kids all jumped excitedly when they saw that the ball was back. They all froze with dropped jaws when they saw who was with their friend.

Clarke watched as the boy explained, and while she didn't fully understand what he said she could grasp the basics of it. The children became just as happy as the boy when they learned that Wanheda was going to play with them. Before Clarke had to chance to ask Anya how to play she was swept away by several pairs of small hands.

Anya watched everyone carefully. She knew that none of the kids would try to hurt Wanheda, especially with her watching over them. The general also knew that Clarke was in need of rest. The game wasn't strenuous, not when playing with children as young as the ones in front of her. The objective was simple, kick the ball to one side of the field and get it past the guard.

Once Clarke finally figured out the point of the game she was reminded of soccer. The ball that was being used almost looked to be the same size as a soccer ball, though Clarke couldn't tell for sure. She'd only seen them in sports movies that her dad liked to watch on the Ark. It was dirty and worn down as well.

Clarke's movements were clumsy and slow. They were about to par with the children she was playing with. Clarke gained possession of the ball a few times, but always passed it off to someone else so she wouldn't have to over exert herself.

The game went on for a while, causing Clarke to become tired. She passed the ball off for the last time but her aim was off and the ball flew over the girl she was aiming for. Clarke followed its trajectory and grinned. All of the kids stopped in their tracks.

Lexa had been watching the game go on for a few minutes. After searching and realizing Clarke was not in either of their rooms she decided to look elsewhere. The short search eventually led her to where she was now. She'd been surprised to see Clarke playing, but was glad to see a smile gracing her lips. Her and Anya watched together silently.

When the ball came towards Lexa she easily caught it, knowing exactly what she was going to do next. She easily bounced the ball off of her head, followed by masterfully juggling it between her knees and feet. Lexa allowed for part of her commander facade to melt away and gave a small smile when she saw wonderment in both the eyes of the children and Clarke.

After Lexa returned the ball Clarke decided she had had enough and told the children good bye. She walked over to where Lexa and Anya stood. Clarke couldn't help but smile when she saw her girl friend. She wanted to hug her but knew it was not the time nor the place.

The new trio walked covered the remaining bit of distance to the tower. One they were in the elevator Anya said, "Before you two get too busy there is something we need to discuss about what Jax informed us."

Lexa's head immediately snapped to her general. "What is it?" She knew she should wait to ask but her worry got the best of her. It, however, did not get the best of Anya, who didn't say anything until they stood in Lexa's room.

Clarke sat on the bed, unsure of how Lexa would react. Anya stood by the door while Lexa stood between the two.

"What did the healer say?" Lexa asked, more concern showing in her voice this time since absolutely no one had the possibility of over hearing them.

Knowing Lexa couldn't bear waiting any longer, Anya answered, "Clarke has become a natblida."

Lexa was taken aback. She didn't think anywhere near enough of Ontari's blood had been given to Clarke for hers to turn black. Atlas would need to be involved with this, Lexa knew, but she needed time to process it first.

Clarke could see the gears grinding in Lexa's head so she didn't bother to ask what would be done about her new blood. She trusted that Lexa would let her know when the time was right, and personally, she didn't want to even think about it at the moment. Clarke didn't realize she was so caught up in her thoughts until she heard the door close and saw Lexa kneeling in front of her.

"Are you alright, Clarke?" Lexa asked worriedly, having noticed the far off look in Clarke's eyes.

Clarke nodded. "Yes, but do you think you could help me with something?"

"Of course, anything," Lexa replied without faltering.

"I could use some help putting the salve on my wounds. It's always more difficult to do it to yourself." Clarke didn't know why she was feeling so shy about asking. She just couldn't manage to make the feeling go away.

Lexa smiled, noticing how nervous Clarke was behaving. "Of course, Clarke. Anything for my girlfriend."

Before Lexa turned around to gather the supplies off of the table where they'd been left Clarke called out, "Wait!" She stood off the bad and walked towards Lexa. When they were withing arms distance of each other Clarke wrapped her arms around the brunette and whispered, "I missed you, Lex."

Lexa's smile grew. "And I you."

They stood like that for a few minutes, simply enjoying the other's presence after being apart for most of the day. It was refreshing for both of them. There was no commander's mask. There were no nightmares for the time being. All that remained was Lexa and Clarke in a comforting embrace.

Clarke eventually pulled back so she could lean up and press her lips against Lexa's. She could feel the brunette smile against her. The kiss lasted until they needed air. It wasn't needy or heated, but it did make up for time lost.

Lexa pulled back while keeping Clarke's hands in hers. Clarke didn't know what Lexa was looking at but it was enough to make her blush. Lexa smirked when she saw this and walked behind Clarke.

Clarke wasn't sure what was happening. When she felt Lexa's breath on her ear a shiver shot down her skin, one she knew her girlfriend saw by the chuckle that sounded behind her.

"You look good in my jacket," Lexa whispered before kissing Clarke's ear. She then slowly slid the garment off and planted a kiss on the newly exposed skin of Clarke's shoulder.

Clarke felt hot all of a sudden and she could feel goosebumps spread across her body.

Lexa disappeared from behind Clarke as quickly as she got there. When she was once again standing in front of Clarke she gave her an innocent smile and asked, "I can't look at your wounds without taking it off, right?"

Clarke pouted and crossed her arms. "It's not nice to tease your girlfriend, Lex."

A small laugh broke from Lexa's throat at Clarke's childish demeanor. She walked forwards and wrapped her arms around Clarke's shoulder. Lexa then kissed the side of her head, waiting until she felt Clarke smile against her shoulder. Even though she nowhere regretted what she did Lexa asked, "Is there any way I could make it up to you, babe?"

Clarke pulled her head away and made an overly exaggerated thinking face. She realized she hadn't bathed since before she was captured. Clarke knew it'd be good to actually clean her body off as a whole and not just her injured areas. "Do you think you could run me a bath before you help with my wounds?"

Lexa nodded. "Only for you, Clarke." No one else would ever have the luck of the commander of the coalition to run a bath for them. It was a special privilege that only Clarke was granted.

XXX

Raven patiently waited for the elevator to reach her room. She'd enjoyed her time with Clarke, and even found herself developing a fondness of Anya.

The mechanic couldn't help but worry about Clarke. She knew that the blonde hadn't given her the full truth when they were looking at scraps. Even still, it was nice to spend some time with her old friend once again.

For reasons that Raven did not fully understand, Anya piked her interest. Even though they were born in completely different places Raven felt like they had some similarities, being imprisoned by Mount Weather being one of them. Raven could tell that there was more to the general though. At first it had been more of a suspicion than anything, but then she saw the way that Anya observed Clarke after… whatever it was that happened. There was concern and what looked almost like regret, followed by the easiest to distinguish, anger. The expression disappeared so quickly that Raven wondered if she had imagined it but in the end knew for a fact that she did not.

She was glad that Clarke had someone to protect her.

The door opened and Raven saw a flash of scruffy dark brown hair pass the elevator. She didn't even have to guess who it was.

"Bellamy!" Raven yelled after the Blake. He stopped but did not turn around. Raven had had more than enough than his attitude and asked, "What the fuck is your problem, dude? You've been throwing a pissy fit since we got here."

Bellamy's fist clenched tightly. Any tighter and blood would be drawn.

After several seconds Raven gritted her teeth and marched towards the Blake brother. Just when she was about to put a hand on his shoulder and whip him around a pain laced voice met her ears.

"She's back. I can finally see Clarke again."

Raven sighed, having half of the idea what Bellamy's attitude was about. Raven knew of his feelings for their mutual friend. She placed her hand on his shoulder, much more gently than she had originally planned.

"Bell-"

"I like her, like I really like her," Bellamy interrupted. "I don't even know when it started. When she left I felt like a part of me went with her. I tried to get her to stay but it wasn't good enough.

Raven already knew the information Bellamy was telling her.

Bellamy's voice suddenly took a more edgy, less controlled direction. "I liked her when she was too stubborn to understand reason. I liked her when we butted heads but everything worked out anyways. I fucking liked her when I helped her pull that damn lever! None of that mattered though. She ran off with a grounder anyways."

The last sentence was said almost in a whisper. Raven stood their shocked. That last bit had in fact been news to her ear. "What are you talking about?"

Bellamy glanced behind his shoulder and replied the answer as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The general."

"Anya," Raven clarified.

Bellamy nodded while turning and leaning against the wall. He crossed his arms while glaring at the floor.

Raven wasn't sure what to think but something about the entire situation caused her to feel disappointed. Something about that just didn't sound right though. "Bellamy, I just spent a good chunk of time with them and I didn't sense anything romantic. Where'd you even get this from?"

"She said she loved her. I overheard them talking."

"Anya said it or Clarke?" Raven's eyes were wide at this point. She trusted Bellamy but she still didn't know what to believe at this point.

"The general said it," Bellamy replied with a scowl.

For a moment Raven did not breathe. Then she just laughed. "Alright dude for all we know she was just translating something that Clarke overheard. You could be out of context. Anya could have been telling a story." Raven saw something similar to hope spark in Bellamy's eyes. She wished she could feel that same thing in this moment, and she she didn't even know what she wanted to hope for. Done with the conversation she said, "If you really like Clarke then just grow up and tell her."

Raven walked into her room and closed the door harder than necessary. Meanwhile Bellamy remained in the same spot with a lot to think about.