The Tribute (Clexa)

Chapter 9

Clarke was feeling better about her situation. Not great, but better. She'd eaten breakfast with Lexa, and she found herself enjoying the alpha's company. That didn't mean that Lexa didn't still make her nervous, she did, but that feeling was slowly decreasing.

She realized that maybe she had judged the alpha too harshly, but how could she not have, with the way she was brought up?

Still, she felt bad for having been so much trouble to Lexa, so much trouble, in fact, that the poor alpha had to spend the night sleeping somewhere else.

She bravely hobbled over to the fence of the training ring to get a better look at Haula. She was clumsy with the crutches and the brace on her leg, but she didn't want to sit back in the wheelchair which Nyko had stowed away on the side of the stable.

Sitting in the chair made her feel weak, and she was already weak enough. The problem was, she could feel her back and leg getting tired. The brace kept her leg from buckling, but the strain of having to stand was beginning to take a toll on the omega.

She envied the horse with its four legs. It would be so much easier to stand on four than on two.

She allowed herself a small chuckle at the thought. The noise caught the horse's ear, and the creature slowly moved toward Clarke. It was moving carefully, almost as if it sensed the omega's apprehension.

Clarke stood still. To her, the horse was enormous, and even with the fence between her and the animal, she was still afraid it might trample her. When it stopped only a few inches from the fencing, it bobbed its head in front of her.

She almost jumped when it whinnied. "H-hi, girl. Lexa said you wouldn't hurt me. I hope that is true."

The horse made a small chuffing sound and extended its neck toward Clarke. Unconsciously, the omega's hand started to drift toward the giant head, and she let out a tiny squeak when the horse breached the gap between them so that its nose could touch her hand.

"Oh." The sensation of the bristly nose in her hand was a unique sensation to Clarke. She moved her hand further up to touch the surprisingly soft fur between Haula's eyes.

She was so enthralled with the friendly horse that she didn't hear Lexa's approach behind her. It wasn't until Haula gave an exited whinny that she turned her head. If she hadn't been standing so close to the fence, she would have fallen over if not for its support, for the alpha who Clarke expected to be standing behind her, wasn't on her feet at all. The alpha was on her knees.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Clarke asked perplexed. Her nerves came flooding back in.

Lexa didn't answer. She lowered her eyes and turned her neck in submission to the omega.

"D-don't."

Lexa ignored her and held her position.

Clarke looked at Haula like the horse would have an answer for why the alpha, why Lexa, was on the ground submitting to her. In all her life, she had never seen such a thing. An alpha bowing to an omega. It just wasn't possible.

"L-lexa. Stand up." Something at the gesture had a tightening in Clarke's chest loosening. At the same time, if felt patently wrong to see this alpha on her knees before her. The blonde looked at Lexa and knew that this was an alpha that shouldn't bow, shouldn't submit, to anyone, especially not her.

"Lexa, stand up, please," Clarke begged.

"Only because you command it," Lexa said. The alpha slowly rose to her feet but kept her eyes down.

"Why did you do that?" Clarke asked, her voice getting stronger, no longer just below a conversational level.

Lexa gradually brought her gaze upward and looked directly into Clarke's eyes. "Because I...because you are you."