Winwolfa (A Roan x Female OC Fanfic)

Chapter 14

It didn't take long for the Queen to pull Roan and Astrid, along with a few other warriors to her battle chambers. Tension was heavy in the air, mingling with the brash Trigendsleng as they debated how to handle the invasion of the Sky People. While the highest esteemed warriors gathered around the oak table, pointing at a parchment map, the healer was fishing for the bullet in Astrid's thigh rather ungracefully.

"I believe one of the pieces landed behind our borders." Roan pointed to a mountainous location on the map, "The larger pieces landed in Trikru territory."

Astrid's patience grew thin, so she yanked the tweezers from his hand and pulled it out herself. "Incompetent," she growled between grinding teeth. Blue trailed across the map, until the bullet rolled to a stop in the dead center. Eyes growing wide, Astrid realized her grave mistake. Slowly, every single pair of eyes landed on hers. 

"Leave." The Queen demanded with a stone-cold monarch's voice. Even after everybody left except Roan and the Queen, Astrid could hear the hushed gossip about what the hell that was.  "This is not natblida, yet it is not normal blood. You are full of surprises, Winwolfa. And I do not like surprises. Roan, were you aware of this?"

He swallowed thickly before Astrid interrupted with a familiar rancor, "My past is none of your concern." 

The Queen 's knuckles met against Astrid's cheek. "Speak child." She rubbed against the tenderness along her cheekbone, feeling the split skin from those wicked sharp talons. Iron tickled her tongue.

"No." She hissed back, resentment deep in her eyes, then spat the navy-colored blood at the feet of the Queen. Never had Astrid seen such malice rise from the Queen. She would give anything just to throttle her right here and now. Once again, Astrid was met with the force of her hand. 

"What happened?" Roan asked impatiently. He paced around her like an eager dog. He knew this would be an endless altercation only ending in more blood if he didn't say something. Astrid was too stubborn. His mother was unrelenting, especially when it came to retrieving information. God... He didn't even want to think about what she did to Costia all those years ago...

Astrid wiped her bloody lip with the back of her hand, "Doesn't matter. I was an experiment for the Sky People, and they didn't get the results they wanted. I was disposable, which is how I ended up on the ground." A half lie. A dirty, stupid half lie that she hoped the Queen was dense enough to believe it. 

As much as Astrid put on a brave face, deep down, she was petrified of how the Queen and Roan would react. Their beatings could be ruthless and unforgiving, and she had already gotten a taste just for saying 'no.' But she wasn't ready to expose her past. Especially not to the people who were training her to become a hardened killer. Such information could make matters worse. Especially with the arrival of the Ark. If Abby or the Chancellor survived... she would have bigger issues to worry about that impressing the Queen. 

It wouldn't surprise her if the Sky People traded such information to Lexa for an alliance. Or even worse, captured her to deliver her at the hands of the highest bidder. Lexa couple keep her locked away until she withered to nothing. Or finish the job Azgeda had all along: force her to become a weapon of the Coalition. Astrid hadn't even met the woman, but she heard enough stories at the dining table to make her assumptions. 

 Perhaps the fact the Queen hadn't slit her throat was a good sign. But the contemplation in her eyes said otherwise.

"These people from the sky... they cannot be trusted." Roan broke the tension with his harsh observation. "Reports have come in that they blew up the bridge. And today, they killed 300 Trikru with a ring of fire."

Less than 100 teenage criminals killed 300 Grounders? How the hell did they pull that off? And most importantly... why? What the hell did they do to piss off the Grounders. A ring of fire could mean anything. Specifics weren't exactly the Grounders strong suit. That didn't stop the nauseating shock that rolled in her stomach. The Grounders could be killing machines, yes, but Astrid didn't expect this from her own people.