Wanheda - A Clexa Fanfiction

Chapter 8

The Commander came out of the door of the palace of Polis. She was walking with her head held high, with a determined pace. The armor and the black war paint on her face gave her a determined, threatening look. She took place on the front line, in front of all the soldiers, next to Indra.
-"They haven't arrived yet?"
Indra shook her head.
- "Not yet, Heda. But you can already hear the war drums."
Lexa kept her ear, and heard them. The army was getting closer.
-"I have to go in front of the Polis gate, alone. I can't let them enter the city. I hope Nia sees me and wants to hear what I have to say."
Indra turned to her, alarmed.
-"I can't let you do that, Heda. It's too dangerous."
Lexa turned to Indra, a mask of wrath painted on her face.
-"I am the Commander, Indra. I decide what to do or not to do. Don't you dare question my word."
Indra lowered her gaze.
-"I ask forgiveness, Heda. But think about it, you alone in front of an army? Nia could make you annihilate with a gesture of the hand. At least let an ambassador speak for you."
Lexa thought about it for a few seconds.
- "If Nia did not listen to me and killed me immediately, the army would invade Polis, and there would be thousands of deaths. Maybe you're right, Indra, it's a risk I can't take. I have to try hard to get Nia's attention. I'll send an ambassador, and if she doesn't want to listen to his words, I'll talk to her myself."
Indra nodded.
-"Well said, Heda."
The drums, the screams and the roar of Azgeda's army were getting closer and closer. Lexa mounted a horse.
- "Time to go. Indra, you will be my ambassador."
Indra mounted a horse and followed the Commander to the trot, along the main street, up to the gate of Polis.
...
Clarke observed the scenery outside the windows of her room. Lexa's army was lined up waiting for orders from the Commander, who in the front row was arguing with Indra, the war chief. Azgeda's army had not yet arrived, but it was clear that it was only a matter of time. Clarke went out on the balcony of her room and looked at the horizon. What she saw made her blood freeze. The army was on the road to Polis. The warriors were so numerous that one could not see the end of the endless line of men who were proceeding in the direction of the gates of the Capital. In front of everyone was Queen Nia on horseback, and next to her was Prince Roan.
The trumpets and war drums could be heard even from that distance. Polis' army, compared to Azgeda's looked like a handful of flies. Clarke looked at Lexa. In her warrior outfit she looked menacing, but compared to the huge army approaching she looked incredibly small and vulnerable. Clarke saw her mounting on horseback followed by Indra, heading toward the army, which was closer and closer to the city gates. Fear cut off Clarke's breath. She watched petrified the scene of Lexa dismounting from her horse and watching Indra, who stopped at the gates of Polis, in front of the queen of the Ice Nation.
...
Indra stood motionless on her black horse, and turned with a firm voice to the queen of Azgeda.
-"Nia, Queen of Azgeda, the Commander has a message for you. She asks that the conflict does not involve the armies, she asks that this conflict is not resolved with a war. Commander Lexa kom Trikru demands the dispute to be resolved by a duel, so that the lives of civilians are not endangered. They have nothing to do with this matter."
Nia froze her lips in a grimace reminiscent of an evil smile.
-"Why should I accept, Indra? My army is much more numerous than yours, I could raze the Capital to the ground without difficulty."
Lexa advanced and stood before the queen of Azgeda.
-"There is no reason to burn the city to the ground, Nia. You don't want this, you want me. I'm offering you a chance to kill me with your own hands in a fair fight."
Nia looked at her, her gaze was diabolical, the face contracted in a cold expression of sick fun.
-"It's true, I want you dead. But I also want Wanheda. What tells me that if I kill you your people will let me take her with me?"
Lexa looked into her eyes. Her prickly eyes were cold as ice.
-"I give you my word that if you succeed in killing me, Wanheda will be yours. Indra will bring her to you personally. But if I should be the one to kill you, your army will withdraw and your people will renounce any claim to her."
Nia smiled victoriously.
-"In that case, I accept your proposal, Lexa kom Trikru."
Nia got off her horse, the trill of a trumpet rose, and an ambassador came forward.
-"People of Polis and Azgeda, today we will not fight a war. Commander Lexa kom Trikru and Queen Nia of Azgeda will fight in a duel to death to secure possession of Wanheda, the Commander of Death. Wanheda will be the property of whoever wins this duel. Let the fight begin."
Another trumpet trill followed the ambassador's words, signaling the beginning of the fight.
Nia stealthily approached Lexa, drawing her sword.
-"You must really love her to risk your life like this."
Lexa gave her a cold look.
-"It is so."
Nia burst into a scornful laugh.
-"Very well, then you will die for her."
Lexa drew her swords and attacked angrily. Nia skillfully dodged Lexa's blows with a half-turn, then jumped forward and performed a lunge aiming at the belly of the opponent. Lexa dodged the blow by turning to the side and faked a diversion to distract Nia, who would not be fooled and dodged Lexa's sidekick. Now it was Nia who started the attack. She carried one thrust after the other in the direction of Lexa, who cleverly shot after shot. She performed a pirouette to attempt to attack Nia from behind but lost her balance and Nia's sword wounded her shoulder. The pain was excruciating, but Lexa did not let herself be distracted. She pretended to fall to the ground, and when Nia triumphantly approached to strike the final blow, she quickly jumped to the side and stabbed her with the sword from side to side. Nia squinted her eyes as the blood gushed out of the wound. She fell to the ground, dying, but before touching the ground, with one last effort she pierced Lexa on the abdomen with her sword. Nia died instantly, and Lexa fell to the ground near to death.
...
Clarke, from the balcony of her room, had witnessed the whole duel with her breath in her throat. She had never experienced such a state of agitation, her hands were sweaty and trembling, and her breath was fatigued. When she saw Lexa fall to the ground, she felt the ground slipping under her feet. She couldn't have died. She regained strength and rushed out of her room. She expected to find guards at her door, but she did not. Evidently all the men had been gathered in the courtyard, at the risk of fighting a battle. Clarke rushed down the stone bleachers and ran out of the palace, heading for the crowd that had witnessed the duel and was now gathered around the bloodless bodies of Lexa and Queen Nia. Clarke made her way through the crowd and ran in tears to Lexa who was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. She knelt beside her. Lexa was alive, but her conditions were critical.
-"Quick, somebody help me, we have to stop the bleeding!"
Kane and Clarke's mother made their way to her. Abby knelt next to Clarke and began to compress Lexa's wound, from which blood continued to flow copiously. Clarke, out of her mind, turned to Kane.
-"Quick, pick her up! We have to get her in!"
Kane lifted Lexa's fainted body into his arms, and ran to the palace followed by Clarke, Abby, Indra, and the entire crowd who had witnessed the scene. A gloomy sound of trumpets came from Azgeda's army. The meaning was clear to everyone: the queen was dead. Nia's lifeless body was lifted off the ground and shrouded in shroud, and Azgeda's army retreated.