140AD - The Rise to Empress || [GxG] ||

Chapter 33

Octavia casually strolled through the Flavian Palace, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword and the shifting of her metal armour being the only noise that sounds in the hall. It had been six days since the fight in the Colosseum, and Lexa still wasn't fully lucid.

She hadn't been in the room Lexa lays in simply because she absolutely hated seeing her sister so weak and depleted. Perhaps it was selfish that she wasn't going to see Lexa, but the feeling of so much helplessness was and will always be hellish.

Octavia passed a few people on her way to Clarke's quarters, only recognizing a few but they weren't slaves; far from. The past two- or three days members of the Collegium littered the halls, for what reason though, Octavia wasn't sure, and she wasn't about to ask why either.

The Empress on the other hand has been coping with her irritability and 'forced' confinement to her room in her own way by taking up a stroll on a road of destruction, leaving only rubble in her wake. Metaphorically of course. She was in the works of doing something, but she wasn't very open about the matter, but it was definitely something big.

After mumbling a few apologies when she bumps into someone by accident, Octavia finally makes it to a clear hall in the palace that only servants occasionally strolled through to bring the Empress whatever she wanted. It was just after early morning, which meant it was time for Octavia's duty that she earned again when Lexa became incapacitated.

It's not that she despised duty or had major issues with it, it was a good excuse to wear her armour and be armed at all times; the issue was all the errands she had to run and Clarke's newly found irritable mood swings. Octavia couldn't blame her for having them, but her days would've certainly been better if the Empress wasn't so sour every day.

Octavia was so lost in her thought that she doesn't even notice Raven coming from the opposite side of the hall. They hadn't spoken more than ten words in the past few days and tension was running high. The Flavian Palace had become their stage for constant drama, and their outbursts toward one another would put the street performers to shame.

If Octavia could find somewhere to hide before the other woman would spot her, she would've, but where does one actually hide in a desolate hallway? Behind a bust of Jupiter? It was too late anyway and the sullen look on Raven's face proved just that.

"I didn't expect to see you here so early. If I did, I would've made myself scarce a long time ago." Raven was bitter and she didn't bother to hide the displeasure in her tone of voice. Raven was hurt and Octavia could see as much, but she too was experiencing heartache and a sense of betrayal.

"I'll make sure to come at a later stage tomorrow. I would just hate to make things uncomfortable for you."

"Uncomfortable? You've done far more than that. You've humiliated me." Both women stood shoulder to shoulder in front of Clarke's door, waiting for the Empress to come out and start whatever havoc she would like to wreak on the day.

"I've humiliated you? You're a hypocrite. I only did to you, what you did to me. You don't get to run around on me and expect me to be fine with it. It's only right that I move on too then don't you think?"

Raven scoffed, knowing Octavia had a good point but it didn't make anything sting less. She made a mistake, one she apologized for, but Octavia didn't want to hear anything of it. "With someone that you didn't even know for more than a few hours, some Greek."

"And what then? That High Priestess of yours is any better?" Octavia slightly raised her voice, unable to stay calm and in control. "What are a few days compared to a few hours? It's the same thing if you ask me. You ran around on me first, Raven. You don't get to be upset with me if I see someone else."