archenemy | clexa

ten

Lexa's shoulder healed reasonably well once it was tended to, but she had lost too much blood. So, for two days, Nyko practically forces her to stay in bed. Half of the time, she's passed out anyway.

On the third day, she's up and relatively free of pain and she doesn't let Nyko tell her what to do anymore. Two days are enough of someone doing that, especially after that stranger had saved them in Azgeda and Lexa had already been entirely helpless there.

There's also another reason she's up on the third day; a message of war has reached Lexa's camp, but while she expected that, there's one thing inherently wrong with it.

Nia sent it, must have, as the Ice Queen, but it only consists of the mere declaration of war. Nothing else, no offer to surrender and get Costia, no mention of Costia at all. It gives Lexa the terrible idea that they might have just taken her to kill her, make the coalition's leader grieve and thus, make her weak- and it works perfectly. She's rough and irritated and doesn't let Anya or Indra advise her at all, she just waits for the announced march of Azgeda's army.

Half of Lexa's army awaits them, the other half is still around the deimeika, but everything comes entirely different than Lexa expects- once more.

-

Lexa sits on her horse, leading her army to the announced battlefield. She won't run or hide, she will show Azgeda that she's more powerful than that, she will show them she's more powerful than crumbling because one person was taken from her.

The person that she loved most, the person that was the sweetest and most innocent. The person that deserved to die in the least-

Lexa shakes the thoughts off. That's exactly what she's there for, to show Nia she's stronger than love.

But Nia's army never arrives. At noon, Lexa and her warriors have long taken up their side of the chosen battlefield, shields high, weapons ready, but their opponents never come.

In the distance, a front of horses arrives, all gloriously white and the four in the middle pulling a carriage, but no soldiers follow up. It's Nia on the carriage, flanked by a dozen highly armored and weaponed guards on either side of her- but they're not the only ones by her side.

On one side, there is Roan, the Azgedan prince with his sharp eyes and his prideful posture, riding on one of two black horses. Lexa despises him nearly as much as his mother.

The other black horse is by Nia's right side- and Lexa can't believe her eyes. Dressed in a lush armor resembling Nia's, there sits a girl, a woman, head held high and-

"Costia?" Lexa breathes, obviously not loud enough for Costia to actually hear.

"Does this surprise you?" Nia calls, wearing a smug smirk that Lexa wants to cut out of her face.

"If you hurt her-"

"Then what? You're going to attack with your little, pitiful 'army'? Aw, I'm so afraid of that. No, Lexa, your girl won't be hurt. Different to you, she sees how things are supposed to be. She knows she deserves the power to be a proper princess, not stand in her lover's shadow all the time."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lexa shouts, the vein by her forehead pulsing as she can hardly keep herself from ordering her warriors to shoot Nia straight through her wicked heart.

"What, did you think I would want to be with someone who treats me like their maid?" Costia now speaks and Lexa looks at her again, sight growing only slightly blurry. Mostly, she's angry. What the hell is going on?

"I never did that, I never treated you like you were beneath me! Cos, I'm going to get you out of-"

"Spare yourself the effort. Why would I want out of here if I have it all? The power, the fancy dresses and jewelry, the fame, the boyfriend... I'm all fine here, Lexa, don't you worry."

Lexa feels like she's in a bad dream, she knows she's simply having a nightmare. Costia's usually so warm eyes are cold, cruel, just like Nia's, and Lexa feels herself crumble when too much time passes and she can't pretend this isn't real anymore.

She doesn't understand, she doesn't want to understand, she just wants to take her girlfriend home. "Costia, let's just go," she pleads, and Costia laughs.

It's high, evil, and Lexa's knees waver under her weight. "Costia-"

"Thanks, I'm good. I chose my side of this war, Lexa, and you can still make the right choice too. Come on, let me help you with things. This is better. I mean, you probably won't have as many benefits as me, but maybe you wouldn't fail one thing in your life, maybe you could at least save your people."

"Costia, I don't know what they did to you, but this isn't you."

Costia shakes her head. "You're wrong, but that doesn't surprise me. If you hadn't been so focused on your duty all the time, you might have noticed that I enjoy being spoiled by a certain Azgedan prince much more than boring myself to death with you."

Lexa does not break. She nearly does, she feels like it, but she has the dignity and strength to keep as much steadiness as she can muster.

She blows the horn for retreat and shouts at her horse to move, turning it around before galloping into the other direction.

Lexa is burning with anger and disbelieving heartbreak, burning and ready to use the fire to set Azgeda aflame. She will run them down, and kill each and every one of them without mercy. She is Heda, and no one betrays her like that, no one humiliates her like that. All of Azgeda will regret being born in the same world as Lexa soon, Nia and Roan most of them all.

That night, they will have harvest feast in the camp and Lexa will not let it be ruined. She refuses to give Costia that power, too.

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