Chapter Text
Lexa hesitated at the head of the hallway that lead to where Clarke had entered her room, fighting the urge to turn and follow her into her chambers. They had already said their goodbyes--more than their goodbyes--and she knew there was nothing to be gained by forcing herself through that same ordeal again. It would not hurt any less to hear Clarke say she was leaving for the second time, she knew that, but she still felt the same pull down the hallway because she also knew that one last echo of Clarke's voice, one last glimpse of the back of her head as she rode away, would be just as beautiful as the time before. She hoped, believed, knew that they would meet again, but she still craved just one more second, one last instant, to spend with the woman who had fallen from the sky and changed her world in so many ways. In every way.
The sound of gunfire stole the luxury of choice from her.
Even as she ran towards Clarke's door she recognized the noise and considered all that it meant; there should not have been any guns within the tower, nor anywhere in Polis at all. The weapons of the Mountain Men had been known and feared by all the clans for ages, and the Sky People had wielded their own firearms against the Mountain and Trikru. None of the Kongeda would use such a weapon, the Mountain had visited bloody retribution on the entire village of anyone who so much as held a gun and even with the Fall of the Mountain her people's fear ran deep, and the Sky People--Her thoughts came to a sudden halt just as she reached the door and she thought again of the Sky People. The new Chancellor, Pike, had shown himself to be drunk with blood, he had been steeped in it so much that he craved ever more, could he have thought to send assassins into Polis? Assassins to target Clarke? The thought stole the breath from her and she almost barged directly through the door upright, but she held herself at the realization that if the assassins were after her as well she would only give them the clearest opportunity to strike her directly. Instead, she kicked the door, which was not latched and still hung partly open, and dove through in a rolling tumble.
She heard the sound of another gunshot and felt the passage of the bullet pass over her, close enough to tug at the hair which was still loose, as she sprang back onto her feet.
"Lexa?" The one word coming from Clarke's lips, filled with surprise at her sudden appearance but without the marks of pain or injury, rushed through Lexa like rejuvenation itself. She sent thanks to the spirits of the Commanders who came before her that she had been fast enough to arrive before the assassin had managed to strike her. That she had been close enough to hear the gunfire at all. She did not, however, waste any time in saying such thanks aloud; she knew the Sky People weapons, knew that you could not dodge them or knock their attacks aside, all you could do was dodge the person wielding it. Strike them before they could use its power. With Clarke's voice still ringing in her ears Lexa continued the forward motion of her roll and dove towards the figure lying on the ground with weapon outstretched, spinning wide and lashing out to kick the gun aside and out of its user's grip. Even as she did, though, she recognized the figure, and as she felt herself make contact and knock the gun across the floor she briefly wished that she had been struck by the bullet as she came through the door rather than be forced to face what was now before her. Because it was no Sky People assassin who lay on the floor of Clarke's chambers, nor even some unknown Mountain threat or Trikru warrior driven to vengeance.
It was Titus.
Titus, the Flamekeeper, who had mentored her and guided her in the ways of command, whose counsel she had trusted above all others. Whose loyalty she had never doubted. Whose loyalty she still did not doubt, because even as he lay prostrate on the floor, Lexa knew what he had intended. The Sky Person bound and gagged behind him--who she recognized as one of the original 100 Sky People first sent to Trikru land--made it all too obvious what he had intended. Just like Gustus before him, Titus hoped to save her from herself, hoped to protect her by tricking her, lying to her, manipulating her. By framing this Sky Person for what he himself had done, and all to fan the flames of war. He was still loyal--he simply did not think she was competent enough or smart enough or capable enough to be worthy of that loyalty, which in the end made his loyalty worth less than honest enmity.
"Why?" Even though she already knew the answer she had to ask the question, had to hear his answer. Outside the room she could hear running footsteps, recognized her guards attracted by the sounds of battle, but they held outside. It was still just her, Clarke, that bound Sky Person, and Titus. "Speak true."
Titus's eyes were focused on the gun where Lexa had kicked it, but he was not contemplating grabbing it, it was instead as though he was reliving what he had almost done with it. "This peace will cost you your life, Heda. I cannot let that happen." Even the words were almost identical to Gustus's.
This treachery will cost you yours. The words came to her mind so clearly, the same as she had spoken the many months ago when faced with the same betrayal. She did not even have to think about them, she knew what to say. Under the Laws there could be no other punishment, no other retribution for this affront to the Commander. She could stand for nothing less after an attempt to murder Clarke. Murder Clarke. The very thought made her blood surge as it had not even when she looked upon Queen Nia before she flung her spear, made her thoughts rage more deeply than at any cruelty the Mountain had ever visited upon her people. For all of it, for Clarke, for her people, for herself, there was no other alternative. Jus drein jus daun.
"Guards!" At her call they were suddenly at her side, willing to enact Titus's execution right then if she so desired, or to bring him to the Tree for the full process. All she had to do was give the order, speak his death, and it would be. All she had to do... "Arrest him," she heard herself say, "and hold him." As her guards shouldered their way past her to grab Titus, dragging him towards the doorway, she caught sight again of the bound Sky Person and took note of the obvious wounds he bore. "And send for a healer." Then the guards were out again, and before Lexa could think of anything more or say anything more she felt Clarke rush up against her and everything stopped as she simply felt again.
"It's okay, everything's all right." Lexa heard herself speak, but it came out with its own echo and she realized that Clarke had spoken at the same time, and she could not help but smile as she realized that for each of them their first thought had been to reassure the other. Clarke let out a small gasp of laughter and shook her head, a slight smile on her face, then turned aside as a groan reached them both and they remembered that there was still another person bound and gagged in the room with them.
"Oh, god, Murphy," Clarke said, and rushed to his side, undoing his restraints and rapidly as she could. "What happened?"
His first words were garbled by the gag still forced in his mouth, but when Clarke removed that cloth at last he gasped "Your Grounders suck," and his head lolled back as sarcastic chuckles wracked his body.
"That may be so," Clarke agreed, "But they are ours," and she looked up and smiled at Lexa as she came over to help lay him flat for the healer's treatment.
After the healer had seen to Murphy, and Lexa had seen to Titus's confinement, Clarke and Lexa found themselves once again alone in Lexa's chambers. Without any attendants or the press of urgency it seemed quieter and larger than ever, particularly after what had passed that day. Glancing up at the sun's position through the window, Clarke let herself fall on to the couch and sighed. "I missed Octavia, she's gone by now."
"Yes, you did," Lexa said, "but..." She could not bring herself to finish the thought. All of the reasons that Clarke had for returning to Arkadia still held as true now as they did hours ago, Titus's betrayal changed nothing. It might have even made it more urgent for her to return, for Lexa's position might have grown even more tenuous since she had lost one of her strongest supporters, who held authority and respect amongst the 12 Clans on his own. If Clarke could not persuade the Sky People to change their own ways, if she could not help forge a true and lasting peace, Lexa feared that Titus's prediction might come true of its own accord.
"But..." Clarke echoed softly, and her soft expression said that she had had all the same thoughts that Lexa had just run through. Maybe someday, you and I will owe nothing more to our people. Clarke's words from earlier ran through Lexa's mind again, and again she wished that that day had arrived, but they both knew they had not reached that point yet. Not for all that their hearts desired.
"It will not be safe for you to travel at night. Not alone, and not with Murphy. I will have you escorted back to Arkadia in the morning."
"That will be after the kill order takes effect," Clarke reminded. Not challenging, but just raising the point.
"Yes, it will be," Lexa agreed, "but you will be safe. I will not send you out to die in the dark, and I will not let my people harm you because one of their own tried to defy me." She paused and then repeatedly more firmly, "I will not let my people harm you. You will be safe until then...with me." The final two words were almost an afterthought, uttered so softly, as if Lexa was still afraid that Clarke might recoil from the concept.
In response, Clarke reached up and grabbed hold of Lexa's arms, pulling her down to lay beside her on the couch. "Then we will be safe together until the morning."
The lights in both of their eyes did not require any words for understanding.