Grounders

CHAPTER 5

The trip to Polis was uneventful, so Lexa had time to think. She couldn’t believe how well Clarke and Costia got along. That could mean that they could become friends which would be great, but it would also cause Lexa to have more people ganging up on her. She rolled her eyes at that thought. ‘I’m going to have to get Madi on my side. There is no hope for Charlotte as she already loves Costia, and can you blame her Costia is wonderful. I’m so glad she is alive and well in this timeline and is my cousin and best friend. I’m also glad Clarke will get to know her and not feel threatened by her. Also, Niylah is out of the picture as well as she is happily married to Costia.’ Lexa was brought out of her thoughts when she saw the gates of Polis up ahead. She can hear the hustle and bustle of the market and it makes her smile.

“Open the gates Heda approaches,” a guard in the guard tower shouts, and the gates start to open.

When she entered the capital, she went straight to the tower to meet up with Titus and find out what Roan has to tell her. Titus was waiting at the elevator for her to ride up to the throne room.

“Heda,” Titus bowed his head.

“Titus, has Roan said anything to you about what his visit is about.”

“No Heda just that it was about Nia.”

Lexa nodded to Titus as they entered the throne room. When she reached Roan, he bowed as she continued to her throne. Once she was seated, she addressed Roan. “Prince Roan, you asked for an audience with me knowing you have been banished. What information do you have?”

“Heda, I have brought you something that I hope will lift my banishment, and I would also like to swear my felty to you and to the Kongeda.”

“If what you have brought me is a of worth, I will consider lifting your banishment.”

Roan nodded and went to retrieve what he had brought. Two women came walking in with Roan and someone else who’s head was hidden under a cloaked hood. “Heda,” Roan started, “I would like to introduce you to Echo Kom Azgeda.” Lexa raised her brows when she heard the name. “Yes, this is one of my sisters.” He then motioned for the other girl to step forward. “This is my other sister Ontari Kom Azgeda. They both searched me out to get away from our nomon and warn me about what she has been planning. Also, to bring the other person with us to you.” The other person started moving forward. “They escaped from the ice pits, and as you know Heda people don’t escape the pits.”

“Do you know who they are,” Lexa asked.

“You know who I am Alexandria,” the mystery person said.

Heda’s eyes go wide and everyone else just looks at the person. The person puts their hands on their hood and pulls it off. When they raise their head they look right into Lexa’s eyes, and Lexa looked into bright green eyes. Lexa sucks in a breath and can’t believe what she is seeing. The other three didn’t know what they were seeing, but knew Lexa was not believing what she was seeing.

Titus speaks up, “Heda do you know who this woman is.”

“Sha Titus. She is a ghost from my past. Someone whom I thought dead. She left to go hunting and never came home.”

“That’s because I was captured by Azgeda and taken to the ice pits. Once I got there, they started to train me, and I became one of the best fighters.”

Ontari’s breath hitched, “you’re the Blood Angel,” she whispered.

The mystery woman looked down, “yes that is what they called me.”

Lexa rose from her throne and moved towards the woman. She walked around her and checked her from head to toe. When Lexa got back to the front she stopped and looked into the woman’s eyes. A few minutes pass when Lexa breathes out, “Nomon.”

Titus’s eyes got big, and he just eyed the woman.

“Sha, Alexandria it’s me. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about you, Lincoln, Luna and your Nontu.”

Roan, Echo and Ontari are just standing off to the side watching everything unfold.

“Every time I went into the pit I was fighting to get back to my family. A week ago, I was able to finally escape and actually get away. I had tried a few times before, to escape, but I was caught, beaten and then forced to work in the mines and fight.” Roan just shook his head. He knew about this place, but Nia would never let them near it.

Once the words had finished leaving the woman’s lips, Lexa ran into the woman’s arms and cried. She just kept murmuring, “nomon.”

The three siblings just watched the reunion of a child and mother. They all knew what each other was thinking, ‘why wouldn’t they have a nomon like Lexa’s.’

It was then that Titus spoke up, “Heda I don’t want to sound rude, but how do you know for sure that this is you nomon.”

“My nomon’s eyes are green with gold around the rims of the green. I’ve never known anyone else with eyes like that, and it is also something you would not be able to fake,” Lexa said still staring at her nomon.

Titus walks up to the woman and looks into her eyes. He sees exactly what Lexa described, and he then backs away and bows to her. He then looked to Lexa, “I believe you Heda.” Lexa nodded to Titus and then moved back to Roan, Echo and Ontari.

“Roan you unknowingly brought back Alexis Kom Trikru, my nomon.”

“Also, the legendary Trikru warrior and Chief,” Roan said with wide eyes. Alexis just bowed her head.

Alexis Kom Trikru was the greatest leader of Trikru and was the most feared warrior in all the Krus. Her legend was cemented when she took down a puana all by herself. Echo and Ontari were both very much in aww of Alexis. Both wanted to be as good of warriors as Alexis is., but their mother hated her, and they didn’t know why.

Alexis looked at the three Azgedan’s standing there. “I must tell you something that none of you know.” Everyone just stairs at Alexis waiting to hear what she has to say. “Queen Nia is my older sistra. She is Trikru and left when my father picked me over her to be the next Trikru chief. She left and headed to Azgeda where she met your father, then the prince and fell in love, or so everyone thought. We all know now that she just wanted to rule anywhere so she could be equal to her sistra. You three would be my nieces and nephew, and that would also make Lexa your cousin.”

Lexa just looks at the three of them and then back to her nomon. “That would make Nia my aunt,” she says with discuss.

“She is not worthy of the title,” Alexis says with hate seething from her. “She hated me from the day I was born. She told me when I was old enough to understand that she hated me and wanted to be an only child. So, I did everything in my power to be better than her, which I did. That was why she left Trikru.

“That’s why she hates me,” Lexa asked.

“Sha, and she hates her children because none were born nightbloods. Something else I did that she could not. So, she killed the King after Ontari was born and found not to be a nightblood.”

The three siblings just stood there, until Echo spoke up. “We are so sorry how our mother treated you, but now I understand why Ontari and I were so drawn to you. We both wanted to be just like you.”

Ontari spoke up next. “It all makes sense now when I mentioned once wanting to take down a puana like the Mighty Alexis, my mother went crazy telling me she never wanted me to talk of you again and I needed to like her because she was better than that worthless Trikru.”

With that Lexa gathered herself and went over to Roan. “What news do you have to tell me.”

“Heda my mother has been in communication with the mountain men trying to make an alliance to help them and keep Azgeda safe.”

Anger came from Lexa, “that NATRONA! I will make sure Nia meets her end. For taking my nomon from me and my siblings, and for threating my family,” as she looks at all three of Nia’s children. “Like they are nothing, and for treating the great people of Azgeda like they are her pon's in some game.” Lexa was breathing hard when she finished and was shaking until Alexis walked up to her and pulled her in a hug.

“It’s strike Heda. Breath my child,” Alexis says. She then looks over to her sisters’ children and knows they have never known a mother’s love. “Come here you three.” The three siblings looked at each other and then looked back to Alexis. They saw Lexa look at them with questioning eyes, but she made no move to move out of her mothers’ arms. With a wave of Alexis’s hand, the three moved over to them and she wrapped them all into one big hug.

When they parted Lexa took a deep breath to regain her composure and then looked over to Roan. “Roan I hereby lift your banishment. You are free to move throughout the coalition along with your sisters.”

“Thank you, Heda,” Roan said bowing his head.

“Heda,” Titus said. “How are we going to deal with Nia and her betrayal with the mountain.”

Lexa looked at the three Azgedan’s, her cousins. “Do you have any proof that Nia has had dealings with the maunon.”

The three hang their heads when Echo speaks up. “I’m sorry Heda all her communications have been through a talking device that the maunon gave to her.”

Lexa nods, “That is okay Echo we have the people from the sky who know how to use the tek that the maunon use, so maybe they can help us.”

Roan looked shocked. “The thing that fell from the sky had people in it.”

“Sha Roan people who will become Trikru very soon through the quest.”

Alexis and Titus looked up in surprise. It was Alexis who spoke first. “How many want to join Lexa.”

“About 15 people nomon. They have already begun to train with Anya and Indra and have started to find jobs that they may want to become sekens in and have already started working with our people in these trades.”

Alexis looked satisfied that if her daughter, niece and best friend are all on board then she would be too. “Then when we return, I will also help to train them.”

“Mochof, nomon. That would be greatly appreciated.”

Lexa then turned her attention back to the other three. “What would you all like to do now.”

The three siblings looked at each other and silently came to an understanding.

It was Echo who spoke first. “I will speak for myself Heda, but if its ok with you I would like to travel with you back to Trikru. I’m a skilled hunter or assassin as my mother would say. I have also been trained as a spy, but she hasn’t used me in that capacity yet. I know telling you this is not helping my case,” but Echo knelt down on one knee, “I swear fealty to you Lexa Kom Trikru. My blood and family.”

Titus went to say something, but Heda stopped him. “No Titus, that proclamation is more than swearing fealty to Heda. She is welcomed into my family. Echo I have a mission for you when we get back to TonD.C. if you accept.”

“Sha, Heda. It would be my honor to serve you,” Echo said still on her knee with her head bowed. If I could also Heda, I would like to join the quest to become Trikru.”

Ontari came up next to Echo and got on her knee and bowed her head as she swore fealty to Heda and also asked to join the quest with her sister.

Lexa looked at the two sisters and bowed her head, “Trikru would be proud to have you join us.”

Alexis stepped forward at that moment, “Lexa I would like to take Ontari as my seken.”

Everyone had wide eyes except Lexa. She knew how her nomon would want to make up for her sister being the cruel and hateful woman that she is. Lexa realized just how much she missed her nomon. When Lexa then looked at Ontari she saw tears running down her cheeks.

Ontari wiped her cheeks quickly when she noticed Lexa looking at her. She then bowed her head to Alexis. “It would be an honor to be your seken, Fos.” When Lexa nodded to agree, Ontari rose to go and stand next to her Fos.

“Heda,” Roan said, “I would like to swear fealty to you and with your approval go and raise an army to help take out our mother and return Azgeda back to when my father was king.”

“That would be very helpful. Once your mother is out would you become the King of Azgeda.”

“Sha Heda I would be honored to take what my father was trying to build before my mother took it from him.”

“Very well, Titus please make sure we are keeping in close contact with Roan and make sure he has what is needed to raise the army to go against Nia.”

“Sha Heda I will make the arrangements for the prince to have all the help we can give him.”

“Good thank you all. Let’s get some dinner and rest before leaving at first light to head back to TonD.C.”

At first light everyone was at the stables readying their horses to leave. The three siblings all hugged and then moved towards their horses.

Lexa moved to Roan, “good luck my cousin. Please be careful and come back to us.”

Roan smiled. He had heard so many stories about Heda from his mother and none of it was true. “I will cousin, thank you, but will you please keep my sisters safe. They are all I have, and I know they will want to do anything you ask of them to prove themselves to you.”

Lexa looks him in the eyes, “I will do my best.”

“That’s all I can ask,” and he bowed his head. They all mounted their horses and started off to the front gates. The siblings and Alexis all had covers on so that if Nia had any spies in Polis, they would not know that her children and nomon had been there and with that they were all on their ways.