The Ascension
Clarke took a deep breath when Lexa killed the last novitiate. Her heart started beating one again when she realised Lexa was fine. It had stopped when the brunette fell to the ground and Clarke thought she'd died. She'd felt an unspeakable grief as she clutched her chest, Indra trying to hold her as she cried out in pain. She hadn't felt or seen anything surrounding her until Indra yelled at her to look at the fighting pit. Lexa was fine.
The crowd cheered and roared loudly as Lexa walked out of the arena, her face void of any trace of emotion, yet when she arrived to the Great Hall of the tower, where Clarke, Indra and the rest of the captains awaited, and she looked at Clarke in the eye, her relief and pride showed off.
Titus walked in shortly after her.
"We may go to your chambers. The Ascension ritual must begin now."
Lexa nodded as they both walked into the Commander's chambers. Her chambers, Lexa reminded herself. Titus dragged a chair to the centre of the room and motioned for Lexa to sit down. When she did, he took a tiny metal box out of his pocket. It was old and rusty, and had a drawing of a skull over a red background. Lexa tried to see what was inside but Titus turned her head around.
"What is it?" Lexa inquired
"The Flame"
He took out a tiny chip that had an infinity symbol engraved on it, the sacred symbol of the grounders. He also grabbed a scalpel as he moved Lexa's hair to get access to the back of her neck.
"Don't move"
And he cleanly made a vertical incision in Lexa's neck. She barely grunted as he introduced the chip into the wound. It moved as if it was alive, thin threads coming out of it and anchoring the chip into its position. Titus sew the wound as Lexa sit stoically.
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A few hours later, and after several people had walked in and out of Lexa's chambers, Clarke was feeling pretty much unsettled. Finally, the doors opened and Lexa walked into the Hall. Then, Titus made the announcement they'd been expecting.
"The Ascension has finished. Bow before Lexa, our Heda."
Lexa stood before her throne as everyone in the room kneeled. She looked scary in her war paint and with the Heda symbol on her forehead, yet Clarke didn't feel any fear, only joy. Lexa was fine.
Every captain then swore fealty to Lexa, all of them repeating the same formula. When it finally was Clarke's turn, she meant every word.
"I swear fealty to you, Lexa kom Trikru. I vow to obey your commands and give my life for yours if need be"
Clarke glanced at Lexa's eyes for a half second, but if was enough for them both to say what they couldn't express with words. Not in front of all those people.
The ceremony went on for a few hours, and it was nearly midnight when they were finally dismissed. Lexa went alone into her room as Clarke walked by Indra to theirs.
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When they got to their bedrooms' doors, Indra grabbed Clarke by the arm
"I will never know you went to her room"
Clarke stared at he, eyes wide open
"I wasn't going to..."
Indra rolled her eyes
"Right. Don't get caught." And she shut her bedroom's door, leaving Clarke speechless.
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Lexa sighed as she took a warm bath and winced as the hot water made her fresh wounds hurt. Still, it was her first time in a bathtub and she was willing to enjoy it.
She was startled when she heard her door open and footsteps approaching. She turned around and grabbed her robe, until she saw it was Clarke. She smiled for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
"Care to join me?"
Clarke nodded as she started taking off her clothes. Lexa's eyes roamed though the other girl's body
"Don't look" Clarke's face reddened in embarrasment
Lexa rolled her eyes "As if there was something I haven't seen..."
Clarke's expression was all she needed to see "Okay, eyes closed" she dramatically covered them with her hands until she felt Clarke's body sinking in the tub and resting her back on Lexa's chest. Lexa kissed the other girl's cheek as she hugged her firmly.
"It's okay. We're okay" she whispered as Clarke started quietly crying
They kissed over and over until Clarke's sobs turned into giggles and her breath was hitched for an entirely different reason.
Lexa got out of the tub, offering her robe to Clarke, and looking away as the other girl dressed. Clarke then ran her fingertips through Lexa's newly tattooed back. She'd been inked an abstract drawing of several circles joined by lines and mystical grounder symbols, as well as an infinity symbol on the back of her neck, right where the chip was located.
Lexa turned around and rested her hand on Clarke's lower back. Her eyes fixated on the other girl's lips, then the factions of her face, her eyes, and finally her lips again. Then she pulled Clarke closer as they passionately kissed.