Brave Princess - A Bellarke Story

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Night has fallen. I'm showing Octavia how to stitch up a cut, when I hear shouts coming from outside.

"Grounders!" Someone shouts. It's Bellamy. They must have gotten back.

I look at Octavia, and she looks back. I quickly tie off the thread on the boy's arm, and we walk outside together. Bellamy is picking up a gun, and trying to guide people away from the gate, where Anya is marching in with at least two-dozen soldiers. The gunners pick up their guns and cock them at Bellamy's command.

I jog down the ramp and run to stand at Bellamy's side. I can feel the tension between our people and the grounders radiating between us.

Anya holds a sword to her side. Her eyes are calculating, her posture tense. Her voice rings out strong and clear as she says, "I want to speak to your leader."

Bellamy and I share a glance, and he speaks up. "We don't want to speak to you."

Anya mutters something to one of her soldiers, and they grab someone from the crowd. The crowd shouts and tries to push the soldiers away, but they are too quick. One of the soldiers grabs Asher from the crowd. My breath catches in my throat. I promised him that I would protect him. He looks at me fearfully, and my heart aches. I can't break my promise.

"I will say this one more time," Anya states dominantly. She holds her head high. "I want to speak to your leader."

Bellamy steps forward immediately, but Anya shakes her head.

"No, not you. The other one."

Bellamy looks back at me, concerned. I nod slightly at him, and he steps back as I step forward.

"Here I am," I say.

I hold my head high. Bravery. They respect bravery. All of Anya's soldiers have their spears and swords pointed at me, but I don't look at them. I stare right at Anya. Anya looks me up and down, but stops when she realizes that I am doing the same thing.

Anya mutters something and the soldier holding Asher lets him go. Asher runs over to me and wraps his arms around me, hugging me. I hug him back.

"It's okay, Asher, it's okay."

He slowly lets go of me, and I step in front of him, shielding him.

"What do you want, Anya?"

"You say you want peace, sky girl. Are you willing to do what it takes to have an alliance?" Anya's tone is almost sarcastic, and she has a small smile painted across her face.

"I am," I say simply.

"Good," Anya says. She shouts something out that I don't understand, and her soldiers move through the crowd.

I turn and watch as they take the youngest members of our group from the crowd. My eyes widen as they are taken to stand by Asher. I hear them calling out for Bellamy and I. Bellamy and I look desperately at each other. I quickly turn around.

"What are you doing?" I ask Anya.

"We need seconds for our warriors. We start training them at around the age of twelve or thirteen."

"No," I say. The word is simple and strong.

"What? I thought you wanted this alliance, sky girl."

"I do. We all do. But you can't take our people for your own."

Anya says something and the archers raise their bows, loading an arrow into them. A little more than a dozen arrows are pointed at me. I push the kids behind me and step forward.