Clarke's redemption

Chapter 2 - The redemption

Even in the dark her presence was short noticed. “The Sky Princess”, she heard some of them saying. Normally, they would react against some stranger invading their camp. But this was no stranger. Clarke had conquered their respect when they fought together.

“I wish to see your Commander”, she said and quickly a Grounder boy took her the message “the Commander will receive you. Come with me”.

She followed the boy who seemed to be 11 or 12 years old at most, into a great tent she immediately recognized as Lexa's. But she wasn’t there. “You shall wait here. The Commander will be here in a minute”.

Her heart was beating hard, she felt more anxious than ever and her body was shaking uncontrollably. 

The boy admired her curiously. “Was this the princess his Commander once talked about? As the one who saved her life and the one she betrayed to save the life of her people? She did seem like a princess... a beautiful sad one”.

“You can go now, Damius.”

Her heart felt another beat... Clarke would recognize that voice wherever she went or even after a million years. The boy went away and as she turned around, there she was... her eyes covered with a painted black mask, her voice cautious trying not to show any emotion and the splendor of her majesty, worthy of a true leader.

“You wanted to see me, Clarke of the Sky people?”

She tried to say something in response but the words didn't come out. Everything she thought she could say vanished away. She hesitated... she wanted to say so many things but nothing seemed to get out. Her chest was filled with mixed feelings... an urge and relief for seeing Lexa again and a deep pain reviving her betrayal and her last words “may we meet again”. 

So she said the only thing she could… that question that tortured her all this time “Why did you leave me?” Her eyes filled with tears she tried to contain “Why did you abandon me when I needed you the most?”

Lexa was better than anyone she knew in hiding her feelings, but Clarke could see right through her and she could swear she saw Lexa's eyes filling with pain and sorrow when she mentioned that hurtful moment.

“I did whatever I needed to save my people.” she said coldly.

“But, why did you left me like that?Why?... Do you know how much it hurt?! I trusted you, Lexa! I thought... I thought you did care about me...”

“I do... care about you, Clarke…” she said slowly, swallowing with difficulty as she seemed to have a big node in her throat “more than my own life”.

“Liar!” Clarke shout back in anger “How dare you lie to me saying you care more for me than for yourself when you did what you did to me!?”

Lexa couldn’t hold herself any longer… she approached with her intimidating look returning in anger “Do you think it didn't hurt me as well?? Knowing you'd never understand what I did and you'd hate me for the rest of your life?? Knowing I would lose you forever? Do you really think I'd leave you if I had another choice?” a single tear roll down Lexa's eye blurring her paint “When I left you there, a part of me died”.