Chapter 2
Clarke grumbled as she sat down at the table in the small back room of the tavern, Ontari looked up from what she was doing, she smiled a little and shook her head as she walked over to the table and sat opposite the blonde.
“Something wrong, Clarke?” she asked, resting her elbows on the table.
“Tell me again why I’m doing this.” Clarke replied, dropping her head down onto the table.
“Because she left you to die on that mountain, alone,” Ontari said, “she walked away and left you there alone, Clarke. Without her reinforcements you can’t help your people.”
Clarke looked up from the table and nodded a little.
“She found my hidden dagger.” She said with a sigh.
“Then it obviously wasn’t hidden very well.” The other girl replied, “what did she do?”
“Gave me it back.” Clarke said, “she asked me if the price of Nia helping my people is her death, then gave me the dagger back as she told me that I almost sounded like I believed it when I said Nia wouldn’t want her dead. I told you this wasn’t going to work, I told you she would know something was wrong.”
“She’s suspicious, I’d be worried if she wasn’t,” Ontari said, trying to calm the blonde down a little, “she’s Heda. You turn up after three months to ask her for help on behalf of your people and the Azgeda, she is obviously going to be looking for the other reasons that you’re here. She isn’t going to think that after everything that happened, what she did, that you’re just going to come here as if the last three months hadn’t happened. Lexa is on edge, that’s all. Say she does agree to help us, it’s going to take her a few days to organize the numbers to send to Camp Jaha, use that time to make her stop considering you a threat. It shouldn’t take much.”
“I just need to get her there right…” Clarke replied, a cold edge to her face as she looked at the girl opposite her.
“You get her there, Nia takes care of the rest.” She said with a nod.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x
“You wanted to know if the new Azgeda visitors met with anyone of interest…” Indra said as she walked into the room where Lexa had just finished a meeting with one of her generals.
“I did.” Lexa replied with a nod, her right hand gripping her left wrist, her arms behind her back as she looked out of the window.
“Clarke was seen this morning going into the tavern where they are staying.” Indra said.
“Would you say it was safe to assume that is also the tavern that Clarke visited last night?” Lexa asked, glancing back at the older woman.
“I would say it is highly likely.” Indra replied with a slight nod.
“Has she returned from the tavern?” the Commander asked in reply, turning her attention back to the window.
“She has.” Indra said.
“Tell her that I want to speak with her.” Lexa said, “inform her that I have made my decision about the aid she requested.”
Indra nodded slightly and left the room, going to find Clarke.
“Are you sure you’re making the right decision, Heda.” Ryder said, walking back into the room from where he had been standing in the doorway.
“I’m not sure I have another choice,” Lexa replied, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, “if I do nothing and the Azgeda lose, that will be remembered when I have no decision but to march my army on Camp Jaha. I could use the Azgeda and Clarke’s people as a buffer zone, buying myself a little extra time to build the defenses around my cities… But one way or another it is a fight that we will be drawn into eventually. If my reinforcements turn the tide in favour of the Azgeda, then that is a victory for everyone in the long run. The Sky People are of little concern to me, but it would be easier to co-exist alongside them if their leadership are people I can at least work with. I am making the only decision that I can see myself not regretting in the future.”
“And if you’re right and there is more to this than there appears?” he asked.
“Then I will deal with that when the time comes.” Lexa said, “If this is more than a simple request for assistance then I will face those consequences, not anyone else.”
A knock at the door caused Lexa to look over.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Clarke said with a little smile, “Indra said you wanted to talk to me, figured I probably shouldn’t keep you waiting, but if this is a bad time I can come back.”
“I was just leaving.” Ryder said, he nodded his head towards Lexa a little before he walked past Clarke to the door, the blonde stepped further into the room as he left, so he closed the door behind him.
“He still hates me.” Clarke said, looking towards the door as Ryder closed it.
“He just believes you are too irrational for someone who spends so much time talking about things,” Lexa replied as she turned around to face Clarke, “my people don’t tend to waste too much time discussing things.”
“Maybe if you spent more time talking about things, your people wouldn’t spend so much time killing each other.” Clarke said.
“Because that is working out so well for your people at this present time.” Lexa shot back.
“Indra said something about you coming to a decision about helping us.” Clarke said, ignoring what Lexa had just said, and reminding the Commander why she was there.
“I have,” the brunette said with a nod, “I can send two units to assist your people and the Azgeda.”
“Two units?” Clarke asked, not knowing what that meant in terms of numbers.
“500 warriors, Clarke,” Lexa replied, “that is the best I can do at short notice. Even then it is going to take me a few days to have them ready to march on Camp Jaha. Most of my generals believe that 500 is too many, they believe that I am throwing away lives on a battle that does not concern me.”
“I bet Indra tried to talk you out of it.” Clarke said with a small laugh.
“Indra is leading one of the units.” Lexa said, clenching her jaw slightly.
“Who is leading the other one?” The blonde asked, “You?”
“No,” Lexa replied, “that was another part of the agreement. Your people and the Azgeda get my assistance in the form of warriors, I will not be riding with them.”
“Let me guess, it would look bad if you appeared to be throwing your personal support behind a war that you weren’t consulted on.” Clarke said.
“Something like that.” Lexa said with a small nod, “though my generals believe I would not return from this battle, even if you get the victory you desire.”
“And what do you think?” Clarke asked, her brow furrowed a little as she looked at Lexa.
“I think I cannot control my destiny, Clarke.” Lexa replied, narrowing her eyes as she continued to look out of the window, “the two units will be ready to march for you in three days from today.”
“Thank you.” Clarke said, knowing that the conversation was now over.
She glanced back at Lexa as she turned to leave the room, the Commanders head was bowed forwards a little and her shoulders weren’t quite as high as Clarke always remembered them being. Shaking her head a little, Clarke left the room, closing the door behind her. Instead of heading back to her room, Clarke walked downstairs and out onto the bustling streets of Polis. She made her way towards the market, not realizing that she had gained a new shadow as Ryder followed along silently behind her.
Clarke made her way to the blacksmith stall where she could see Ontari standing looking at the weapons.
“Two units.” Clarke said quietly as she stood next to the girl, “500 warriors, that’s what she’s going to send.”
“I’ll let Nia know,” the other girl replied just as quietly, “any idea who is leading them?”
“Indra and someone else,” Clarke said with a sigh, “she said something about part of the agreement she made with her generals, we can have her warriors but she won’t be riding with them.”
“When do they march?” Ontari asked, making a mental note of everything Clarke was telling her.
“Three days from today,” the blonde said, “don’t know exactly when, or where from. I assume they’ll be marching from here.”
Ontari nodded a little and smiled a little as she looked at Clarke.
“You did well Clarke.” She said before she turned and walked away.
Clarke stood looking at the weapons for a while after Ontari had left, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Ryder walked up next to her.
“They are very well made weapons,” he said looking at the blades on the wall, “but even the strongest weapons can have a weakness.”
“They look pretty good to me.” Clarke said, glancing over at him before looking back at the blades.
“Are you considering purchasing one?” Ryder asked.
“I can’t,” Clarke replied, “I’m pretty sure when Lexa asked me to hand over all my weapons she didn’t mean go out and get new ones.”
“Oh, that’s right, you’re here representing the Azgeda.” He said with a nod.
“I’m here to help my people.” Clarke said as she turned to look at him.
“You’re here to request help for the Azgeda,” Ryder said as he looked at her, “does that mean they are your people.”
“I help Nia, she helps me,” Clarke replied, “Lexa helping them is Lexa helping to save my people.”
“I suppose if that is the cost of saving your people then that is what you must do,” he said, stepping back away from her, turning to leave before he stopped and looked back, “my only worry is about what Lexa’s price to pay is.”
“For what?” Clarke asked.
“For your forgiveness.” Ryder said, “She will pay whatever price you need her to, I just hope that it is not something so high that you regret it later.”
Clarke stood and watched as Ryder walked away. She knew he was right; she also knew that is why Lexa had agreed to send her warriors to Camp Jaha. It’s why Nia had asked her to go, saying that Lexa would be feeling guilty about what had happened. Nia had heard talk of the relationship that had been building between the Sky Girl and the Commander, she had put it mostly down to gossip, until her people who returned from the mountain told her what had happened. Clarke knew that she had something that Nia wanted, and if there was anything that Lexa had taught Clarke it was that any price is high enough to pay if your people are safe.
As she walked away from the blacksmith stall, she walked around a little, trying to get a feel for the city, hoping it would help her understand the people who lived there. She noticed a small crowd gathered around a small public square. When she walked over to the group they automatically parted so she could see what was going on. She saw that the gathered people were watching warrior training. Clarke figured that the training was an everyday thing in Polis, just as she was about to turn and leave she saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her stop. Lexa was swinging two blades in her hands she walked closer to the center of the little square. Clarke looked in the other direction and saw a guy with a spear walking towards Lexa. That is why everyone had stopped. Clarke realized that as much as training was something that happened every day, Lexa being there was obviously something different.
The guy in question was huge, Clarke would put him at well over 6 foot tall, he looked like he could snap Lexa in half.
“What about you young lady,” A guy said walking up next to where Clarke was standing, “are you interested in becoming involved in the wager?”
“You’re betting on this?” Clarke asked as she looked at him.
“Naturally,” he replied, “it makes the sparing a little more entertaining for everyone involved. Minimum amount is two gold coins on the winner.”
“Okay,” Clarke said with a nod, as she glanced over at Lexa, “I’ll take your wager, two gold coins on L… the Commander to win.”
“Get ready to hand over your coins,” another guy who was standing near Clarke, “this guy has been pretty much unbeaten here in a week.”
“Isn’t it some kind of Grounder offence to talk badly about your Commanders fighting ability?” Clarke asked with a small laugh as she felt herself starting to relax a little.
“Only when she can hear you.” The guy replied, flashing Clarke a grin which made her laugh again.
“You can change your mind.” The other guy said, indicating that she could change her bet if she wanted to.
“Not a chance.” Clarke said, shaking her head a little.
A few minutes later Clarke was counting her way through the gold coins in her hand, part of her felt sorry for the guys who had to hand over their loses, but another part of her felt very amused that they had bet against Lexa. Clarke would never bet against Lexa in a fight, if the thing had a heartbeat, there was a way to kill it, Lexa would always find the way.
“It appears someone had a profitable day at the training arena.” Lexa said as she stepped out of an alley way which Clarke had been walking past while counting.
“Sneaky much.” Clarke said, trying to get her heart rate back to normal after Lexa made her jump.
“I take it you backed the right fighter.” Lexa said motioning to Clarke’s hands.
“Yeah,” Clarke said with a nod, “you know that your people bet against you down there right?”
“It doesn’t happen very often,” Lexa replied, a hint of a smile on her lips, “but I am only human, Clarke.”
“That’s not what you are to these people, Lexa,” Clarke said, looking around her, “you know that isn’t how they see you.”
“It’s my duty to protect them, Clarke,” Lexa replied with a small smile, “they know that I will do that until the last breath leaves my body and it’s my spirits time to move on to the next Heda.”
“Death is such an easy thing for you to think about isn’t it…” the blonde said.
“It is not something that I can fight,” Lexa answered, “it doesn’t matter how many men I can bring down in the training arena or out on the battle field, it is something that’s going to happen. I’ve lived longer than any other Heda before me, I hope that continues for a while longer yet, but if it doesn’t and it’s my time, then I accept that. I only hope that I have done enough to leave my people with a better world than the one I entered.”
“Do you ever think that maybe death would be an easier option?” Clarke asked quietly in reply.
“It would be a lie if I said I hadn’t thought about it,” Lexa said honestly, “certain choices that I’ve had to make slowly chipped away at any soul I may have had. With every war we fight more people die. It is up to me to get as many of my people home, alive, as I can. But each time I lead them through those gates or send them out there to fight for me… that’s more death which is on my hands. Some blood can never be washed away.”
“What stopped you?” the blonde asked, her brow furrowed as she looked at Lexa.
“I have a feeling that I’m not quite finished doing what I’m supposed to do,” Lexa said with a small laugh, “well, that and things like this…”
Clarke looked in the direction that Lexa motioned and she saw a young group of children, running around playing some kind of game.
“We make choices as leaders of our people, so children like them can grow up in a safer and more peaceful world.” Lexa said, “if I have to carry a little more blood on my hands so one of those children spends more time growing within the safety of their family, then it’s worth it.”
“Is it worth it though?” Clarke asked, not sure if she meant it as a rhetorical question, or if she expected an answer from Lexa.
Lexa looked over at Clarke and for a very brief moment she saw doubt in Clarke’s eyes, and pain, a lot of pain.
“The dead will never leave you, Clarke,” Lexa replied honestly, “I cannot lie to you and say they do. I cannot lie and tell you that one day soon you’ll be able to sleep without seeing their faces when you close your eyes… You learn to live with your ghosts. They remind you of the things that you’re capable of. They remind you that sometimes your best simply isn’t enough. We live with that so our people can live the lives they deserve.”
“I just can’t get the nightmares to stop…” Clarke said quietly.
“Will you come somewhere with me?” Lexa asked as she looked at the blonde girl standing next to her.
Clarke didn’t say anything, she just nodded her head a little, before she could talk herself out of it. Lexa had to fight to keep the small smile from her lips as she walked down the street, Clarke following behind her. As she walked she was having to stop every few steps to talk to someone, or to listen to a child tell her about how they were learning about the unification of the clans in school. She didn’t mind stopping and talking to people, it was part of who she was, she was worried that Clarke would get bored with the delays and change her mind about going with Lexa. While she was listening to what the latest woman who stopped her wanted to tell her, she glanced over at Clarke and saw that she was talking to a couple of young children. The blonde looked over at Lexa and smiled a little, which caused Lexa to smile in return.
“That last woman sure had a lot to say.” Clarke said as she caught up to Lexa once the small crowed had dispersed.
“She had something very important that she wanted to say to me.” Lexa said with a slight tilt of her head, “it was more of a request, there is something that she asked me to do for her.”
“Do you take requests in the street like that normally?” Clarke asked, “Cause that would be good to know, for future reference, then I don’t have to deal with the death glare from Indra.”
Lexa laughed little as she stopped at a gate in a huge wall. She opened the gate and motioned for Clarke to go inside. Beyond the gate and the wall there was a garden. Surrounded by wall on all four sides. At random points on the wall Clarke could see bits of wood and pieces of rough paper which had been caught up in the rain. There were four benches near the walls, and one in the center of the garden. Clarke could see that this place was something treated with respect by Lexa’s people.
“What is this place?” The blonde asked quietly as she looked around.
“It’s a remembrance garden,” Lexa replied as she walked a little way from where Clarke was standing and sat down on one of the benches, “It is usually open to people at daybreak and nightfall. It’s somewhere they can come and think about those who they’ve lost. I spend a lot of time here when I’m in Polis. Each of these things on the wall is something that someone remembers about a person, carvings that children have done for lost parents… it helps me to… process what I’ve done.”
“Are you ever going to tell me what that old woman wanted you to do?” Clarke asked, trying to keep her emotions in check, she knew that she had messed up earlier when she started opening up to Lexa.
“She wanted me to thank you.” Lexa said.
“What could she possibly have to thank me for?” the blonde asked, turning away from Lexa and focusing on something on the wall.
“Her two grandchildren were in the mountain, Clarke,” Lexa said, not wanting Clarke to run, “they were the only family she had left, and she wanted to thank you for returning them back to her.”
“You brought them back, not me.” Clarke replied, clenching her jaw as her eyes started to burn a little.
“I wouldn’t have stood a chance of bringing any of them back if it hadn’t been for you,” Lexa said, standing up and slowly walking over to where Clarke was standing, “You may be feeling regret about what you did, guilt over the lives that were lost that night, but my people see you as a hero, Clarke. Each of my people who were in the mountain was part of someone’s family, their friends wanted them home… Thanks to you they are home.”
Lexa watched as Clarke angrily wiped a tear from her face as she listened to what Lexa was saying.
“Innocent people shouldn’t have had to die…” Clarke said, “That wasn’t part of the plan.”
“How many innocent people had they killed over the years that they had been taking my people and draining their blood?” Lexa asked, “how many of your people are dead or still haven’t recovered from what they did to them? I am not saying that innocent people should ever have to die, but when they do I am less conflicted when the innocent people are not mine.”
“That’s you all over isn’t it, Commander?” Clarke asked, turning to face Lexa, “The ruthless calculous of war.”
Lexa knew that she was risking all the progress she had made with Clarke so far that day, but she also knew that when Clarke was hurting she tended to get angry. If they were going to stand any chance of moving past what had happened, going to stand any chance of being anything other than civil, she needed her to get angry. Lexa knew that a lot of that anger was aimed at her, and she also knew why. Clarke needed to blame someone, it made it easier for her to survive with what she had done, and if the person she needed to blame was Lexa, then she would accept that. She hadn’t been there that night to shoulder the weight with Clarke, she could at least be there to take the anger and hate that followed it.
“No, Clarke, it’s not,” Lexa said, “but I make choices so that other people don’t have to. I am the one who shoulders the responsibility for a village over here burning down so a city over there can be defended. I take the blame for 250 of my people dying, because I didn’t warn an entire village that they were going to be hit by a missile, so that your friend wouldn’t be found inside the mountain. That is something that is on me. What you did…”
“Is on you too, I know.” Clarke said, turning away from her.
“If that is what you need, then fine.” Lexa replied, grabbing her arm and turning her back around, “if you need to blame me, then blame me. If that is what you need, then I’ll take it. Clarke, if it stopped you slowly killing yourself, I would take every single burden in the world away from you, but I can’t.”
“Don’t you have some meeting to be at?” Clarke asked coldly as she pulled herself away from Lexa, any emotion that Lexa had seen in her eyes was long gone.
“Probably,” Lexa replied with a nod as she started to walk past Clarke, stopping next to her briefly, “hating me will not stop you hating yourself, Clarke. You’re waiting for someone to say they forgive you, but it is not their forgiveness you need, it is your own.”
Clarke stood still as she heard Lexa walk away.
x-x-x-x-x-x
Clarke didn’t see Lexa again that day before the evening meal, it surprised her that the Commander missed the meal, from her experience the night before she thought it seemed like Lexa actually enjoyed the chance to relax a little. Later that evening, Clarke was sitting at the bar at the tavern, steadily making her way through her winnings of earlier that day. While she was looking down at her drink, trying to get her eyes to focus she heard someone sit on the seat next to her.
“I thought I might find you in here.” Lexa said.
“You sure it’s safe for you to be out here with us normal people without your guards, Commander?” Clarke asked, leaning back on her seat as she looked around the tavern for any sign of Indra or Ryder.
“This is my city, Clarke,” Lexa said, signaling to the barman that she wanted a drink, “I’m as safe in here as I am in my home.”
“You’re putting a lot of faith in your people to not attack you…” Clarke mumbled as she turned back around so she was facing the bar.
“Or I’m not putting a lot of faith in my security detail to keep people who want to kill me, away from me.” Lexa replied with a shrug, which caused Clarke to laugh a little.
“So which is it?” Clarke asked as the barman brought Lexa a drink over, and refilled Clarke’s drink for her.
“I would say either was likely.” Lexa replied.
“What do you want, Lexa?” Clarke asked with a sigh.
“I wanted to see how you were,” the brunette explained, “after we talked earlier…”
“I’m fine,” Clarke said, interrupting her, “figured I’d spend the night celebrating…”
“Celebrating what?” Lexa asked, a look of confusion on her face.
“Celebrating you agreeing to send 500 troops to help my people.” Clarke said, raising her glass a little.
“I always believed that celebrating can only be done properly with two or more people,” Lexa said, looking around the tavern a little before she looked back at Clarke, “and it looks to me like you were drinking alone. That is not celebrating, that is wallowing.”
“Who said I was alone.” Clarke said, glancing off to the side of the room, Lexa followed her line of sight and saw a brunette girl looking at them.
“Ah…” Lexa said, looking down at her drink.
At that moment the girl who had been sitting looking at them made her way over to the bar and stood on the opposite side of Clarke to Lexa.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us Clarke?” Ontari asked as she leant on the bar next to Clarke, looking across the blonde to Lexa.
“I was just leaving.” Lexa said, moving to stand up.
“Oh come on, Commander,” Ontari said, causing Lexa to stop, “don’t let me ruin your drink.”
“As you obviously already know who I am,” Lexa replied, turning back to look at the girl, “this puts me at a little bit of a disadvantage, don’t you agree?”
Clarke nearly choked on the drink she had in her mouth, coughing as she tried to stop herself laughing at what Lexa had said. She turned and saw Ontari open her mouth like she was about to respond to Lexa, but the other girl beat her to it.
“Actually, let me try and figure out who you are,” Lexa said, looking the girl up and down, “no weapons, but you don’t look like a farm worker. That tells me that you’re not allowed weapons here for some reason, which in turn tells me that you’re Azgeda. Am I right so far?”
“Lexa, Ontari,” Clarke said waving her arm a little, “Ontari, Lexa. There now you both know each other, can we get back to drinking now?”
“No, because now the Commander is wondering why I’m here and how many more there are…” Ontari said, knowing what it meant when Lexa narrowed her eyes a little as she looked at her.
“It may have crossed my mind.” Lexa replied.
“There’s another 3 of them,” Clarke said, “they’re drinking in the back, probably playing some drinking game or other. They’re here because I needed a way to get messages back to Nia. Without them here it would take days for me to let her know that you agreed to help.”
“I have messengers, Clarke,” Lexa said, glancing at Clarke before looking back at the other girl, “someone could have taken the message for you.”
“Well, no, actually, they couldn’t.” Ontari said with a shrug, “you’re assuming that the message would need to be taken back to our capitol.”
“Where else would it need to go?” Lexa asked, “Unless… Where is she?”
“I can’t tell you that Commander,” Ontari said with a smirk, “I can tell you that they’re on the move. I have no idea where they are right now, but you already know their final destination.”
“You didn’t tell me that the Azgeda were already marching on Camp Jaha.” Lexa said, looking at Clarke.
“Whoops…” The blonde replied with a shrug.
“You could have at least told me the true reason you wanted my help.” Lexa said to her, “you didn’t have to lie to me Clarke.”
“It must have slipped my mind…” Clarke replied.
“Any other important things that I need to know that have slipped your mind?” the brunette asked.
“Not that I can think of right now,” Clarke said, finishing her drink, “I mean, there might be something, I just…”
“Clarke, stop talking.” Ontari said rolling her eyes a little at the drunk girl.
“When will they reach the camp?” Lexa said, looking at Ontari and ignoring Clarke who had just picked up the drink which Lexa had left on the bar.
“Not for at least another two days,” the other girl replied, “when they arrive they will stop a safe distance away and wait for you to get there.”
“I won’t be there.” Lexa corrected, “my warriors will be, but I will not.”
“That’s a shame, I know Queen Nia was looking forward to finally fighting on the same side as you.” Ontari said.
“I’m sure she was.” Lexa replied hoping to hold back the bite of sarcasm which accompanied that sentence, “like I said earlier, I was leaving. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Lexa…” Clarke called after her, causing her to stop, “I’m sorry.”
“I know, Clarke.” Lexa replied quietly, before she walked from the tavern.
x-x-x-x-x-x
The sounds of the city had long since stopped filtering up to her bedroom window as Lexa sat at the table and once again went over a different strategy on a map, she couldn’t sleep and battle planning had always helped her relax. As she once again moved her troops to within reach of certain annihilation a knock at the door caused her to shake her head a little.
“Yes…” she said, letting whoever it was know they could go in.
“You wanted to know when Clarke returned.” Ryder said as he walked into the room.
Lexa didn’t say anything, she just rubbed the back of her neck as she looked down at the map on the table in front of her.
“Is something worrying you?” Ryder asked her.
“It doesn’t matter what formation I use to approach Camp Jaha, we’re going to have big losses…” She said with a sigh, “I have to select warriors tomorrow knowing that I’m sending some of them to their deaths…”
“Isn’t every war the same?” he asked with a sad smile.
“I should be going with them.” She said as she shook her head a little and stood up, “Instead of doing what I’m supposed to do and riding into battle with them, I will be sitting here wondering how many of my people are dying in a battle that I won’t fight in.”
Clarke, clearing her throat from the doorway, stopped Lexa talking.
“I er… I just wanted to say, again, that I’m sorry.” Clarke said as she looked nervously at Lexa.
“What are you sorry for, Clarke?” Lexa asked as she looked at her.
“For, you know, not telling you that the Azgeda were already marching to Camp Jaha.” Clarke said, looking down at her feet.
“I assume that it’s part of some plan that you and Nia set into motion,” Lexa said, “I just fail to see what you would both gain from not telling me.”
“I really did just forget to mention it.” The blonde replied with a small nod.
“Okay,” Lexa said with a nod of her own, “I already told you that you don’t have to lie to me, Clarke.”
“I’m not lying.” Clarke said.
“Okay…” Lexa replied with another small nod.
“I should be going.” Ryder said as he started walking towards the door.
“I need to go and lay down somewhere anyway,” Clarke said, smiling a little as she looked at him, “good night.”
“Who is she to you, Clarke?” Lexa asked as Clarke turned to walk away.
“A friend.” Clarke replied, glancing back before she walked away from the door.