Goodbye beautiful // King Roan

Chapter 15

Sitting on a stone in the temporary throne room I was listening with one ear to Echo and Roan planning the war. A dagger twirled around my hand, playing like it couldn't just cut my hand off. I was bored, waiting for anything to do. The summit had gone bad and we stood before war. And I had no other choice but to follow Roan. They were just talking about taking out Boudalankru when the horn blew. Standing up shocked I looked out the window. It couldn't be true. There was no Natblida left. There couldn't possibly be an ascension now. I watched as Roan and Echo marched up to the window and looked out on the tower.

"The Flame was destroyed." Echo pointed out, just as confused as everyone else. Except, the Flame hadn't been destroyed. "How is this possible? You said you saw it."

"It was shattered." Roan answered, realization sinking in. "I saw what they wanted me to see."

"A new Commander is bad for us, Roan." Echo responded, "But we control the tower, let me stop this ascension, at least until we know who the Natblida is."

"I know who it is." he then turned around in the room, "Celestina, you're with me." Walking out of the room I jumped off the stone and followed him. Echo's orders drowning out as we put more distance between each other. We left the Azgeda quarters in a brisk tempo, heading straight for the tower. Putting the dagger back in its holster I took a deep breath. Anxiety had been brewing inside me the last hour, this didn't help. The trident on my back gave me some sort of comfort.

We arrived at the throne room with the other scouts and ambassadors. Roan took his place and I stood behind his chair, Indra giving me an icy glance. It seemed I would break all friendships today. The Flamekeepers entered the throne room, a young dark skinned girl dressed in a robe stood in front of the throne. She was presiding today. Indra continued to interrogate her, they obviously knew each other. She must've been the Flamekeeper Octavia gave the Flame too. It struck me how similar they were. If I wasn't wrong they were daughter and mother. Now I understood why Octavia had done what she did.

"Through the dark the Flame lives on. The body passes but the Spirit is strong." she began in Trigedasleng while everyone else bowed their heads. We murmured 'May the Spirit choose wisely' in response. "The Spirit has chosen. Let the commander ascend." The doors opened and Clarke came walking down the aisle. The crowd began to whisper among them, they all knew that Wanheda wasn't a Nightblood. Everyone except for me and Roan.

"What is this? Wanheda is no Natblida!" Indra exclaimed. Her daughter proved her wrong when she cut Clarke's palm and let her black blood stream down. The crowd murmured again but I watched indifferently. This was nothing new. This was wrong. I told them that back at Becca's Island, making Nightblood was dishonoring the first Commander.

"The blood of the Commander is your blood. May the spirit choose wisely." the Flamekeeper continued and drew a line on her forehead with her own blood.

"May the Spirit of the Commander guide me." Clarke said and I clenched my jaw. My eyes turned to a silver flame. She had cheated. This wasn't the right way. If no one stopped this I would step forward. Clarke got down on her knees ready to have the Flame injected in her. The Flamekeeper activated the Flame.

"Lies upon lies." Roan cut her off and stood up, walking into the sacred circle.

"Get out of this sacred circle." The Flamekeeper stepped forward as Clarke stood up. A triumphal hint in my eyes.

"There's nothing sacred about any of this." Roan hissed "Wanheda is making a mockery of our faith."

"I'm trying to save us, your highness." she said with a meaning gaze, begging him to let it go, begging him to let her become the Commander. "You know that."

"Because you think we are savages in need of saving?" he questioned and I put a hand on my dagger, ready to attack. Look at me, going from being a dog on leash to his attack dog.

"Praimfaya is almost here." Clarke tired again.

"Then let's not waste any more time. Bring in the healer!" Roan called and Echo pushed open the doors, Abby was with her. The older woman walked up to the daughter, slight worry and panic in her eyes. They conversed in hushed voices, Abby obviously fearing for her daughter's life. "Tell them healer. Go on, tell them all how it is that your daughter became a Natblida."

Clarke begged her mother with her eyes, I could see it from afar. But I knew her mother would do anything to protect her. Just like my mother had jumped in front of the arrow meant to kill me. "Through science." Abby spoke up, murmurs filling the throne room, disappointed and angry looks.

"You made her a Nightblood?" the young Flamekeeper asked disbelieved, her expression saying it all. Abby told her yes.

"If anyone can be a Natblida, if anyone can take the Flame, then we can no longer trust the blood." Roan spoke up, people agreeing with him. But what they didn't know was that he had been in that room, been there when Clarke became a Natblida and yet he hadn't stopped them. But it would be pointless pointing that out, I was too there, I had too let them do that even if I did not agree.

"What we can still trust is the sword." Indra catched everyone's attention. "We've delayed this war long enough."

"Wait," Roan stopped her. "Wanheda is right about one thing. Fighting a war is a bad way to decide who gets to survive." Turning to the Flamekeeper he continued. "You summoned all your scouts here for an ascension, but you left out the best part."

"A conclave." Indra realized.

"A final conclave. One champion per clan. One death instead of thousands. And whoever wins gets the bunker." Roan finished and held out his fist.

"To the victor goes the spoils." Indra said and put her hand over his. "Trikru is in." The other ambassadors put their hands in the circle, participating in the final conclave. All thirteen clans were in. It was either fight or burn outside. I walked up to them and took space in the circle. Holding out my right hand, the Westari tattoo was visible.

"Westari is in." I said in Trigedasleng. Shocked whispers were spread all around me. As far as they knew the Westari were all dead, until now.

"But you don't have a people?" Indra stated confused.

"I still want a chance to survive." I told her and watched in the corner of my eye Roan turning his head towards me, a slight smile playing on his lips. Azgeda had a bigger chance at surviving now.