The brink of war
Lexa swallowed hard as she tried to figure out what to answer. She'd never been one to not be able to respond to a verbal attack, and she wasn't going to start that day. She saw Clarke from the corner of her eye and noticed the expression on the other girl's face, mimicking her own. She'd have to show her cards, risking everything she and the previous Heda had been preparing in advance for so many years.
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4 YEARS BEFORE
Lexa and Yera, the Commander at the time had just walked out of their 3-hour meeting with the leader of the Broadleaf clan. However, Lexa's factions showed a hint of a smile as she knew what they'd accomplished would help their cause greatly. Once Broadleaf had agreed to enter their alliance, several other clans would do the same, if not because they believed in their desire for peace, they'd do it out of fear to be exterminated.
Yera had finally told Lexa what she'd begun planning a couple of months ago, creating a coallition of their most loyal clans, in order to defend themselves from Azgeda and their allies, should there be war. After long and tortuous meetings and broken oaths, they'd finally gotten four clans together, creating the biggest alliance that'd ever been made amongst the grounders.
Once they got to the Commander's chambers, Lexa dropped the question that'd haunted her ever since Yera asked her to join her in the meeting.
"Why me?"
Yera raised an eyebrow
"Why you what?"
"Why take me today and not any other novitiate?" Lexa had the strangest mix of emotions in her head: on one hand, she felt pride about being the one chosen, on the other, she was scared about what it could mean.
"You know why, Lexa." The Commander put a hand on Lexa's shoulder "You are my bet. I shouldn't tell you, but I believe you'll be the one my spirit will choose to live on in."
Lexa opened and closed her mouth several times, unable to speak. She finally managed to stutter a quiet "Thank you"
And then Yera did the most unexpected thing, she smiled. Lexa had almost never seen the woman show any kind of emotion, but she'd definitely never seen the woman smile, and she understood why. That wasn't the smile of a Heda, it was the warm smile of a woman, a friend, a child forced to take on a great responsibility from a very young age.
"So. Tell me, what would you change about the coallition?"
The question caught Lexa off guard
"I... nothing, Heda" she stared at the floor, not wanting her eyes to betray her
Yera scoffed "I asked you a question, Aleksandria"
That send a shiver down Lexa's spine, Yers wasn't going to accept any fake or evasive answer
"Fine. I'd join them all. Not just our allies, all the clans. It'd theoretically end all wars, and if someone was stupid enough to betray you, the coallition, there'd still be eleven clans against them, so war wouldn't be an option for them."
Yera remained quiet for a few seconds, and when she spoke, pride and respect showed in her voice
"That's why you'll be a great Heda some day, Lexa kom Trikru"
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Lexa looked back at Nia. Even after all those years, only eight clans had firmly vowed to join the coallition once it was made public, which they hadn't in case someone tried to attack them meanwhile, destroying everything they'd built so far. The rest of the clans had commited to join, when and if Azgeda did so, fearing an attack from the Ice Nation if they joined behind their backs. Yet Lexa knew it was the only reason she could give so as not to start a war, the realisation that Azgeda couldn't win it.
"You won't defeat us."
Nia laughed as if it was the funniest joke she'd ever heard
"Oh. Because you are such a threat to me"
Lexa stood up from her throne and with flick of her wrist ordered her guards to remain where they were.
"It's not just Trikru, Nia kom Azgeda. There's a coallition, one you'll join unless you want every other clan to end you. Shallow Valley, Blue Cliff, Glowing Forest...all of them, they've pledged their allegiance to me."
Nia tried to keep her fake smile on, but a glimpse of fear showed through her fake mask, she clearly didn't expect what she was hearing.
"So, what'll it be? Will you kneel before me or die?"