Skye & Earth ||| Bellamy Blake

74 ~ Natblida

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And I will be loathing

For, forever loathing

Truly, deeply loathing you

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The sword comes inches from Skye's neck.

"Is that death I hear stalking me?" Roan asks, holding the weapon.

Skye lowers the hood from her head. They are standing in the streets of Polis.

Roan is training for his battle with Lexa.

"Or just the Commander of death?" Roan finishes.

"We need to talk." She says, not even bothered by the metal glinting in the sunlight, right next to her face.

He lowers the sword. "We have nothing to talk about. I need to prepare." 

Skye takes a step toward the man. "I know you had nothing to do with Mount Weather. That's why I didn't tell Lexa that you gave me the dagger."

He pauses his practice at that.

She continues. "This is what your mother wanted all along."

He huffs. "What do you want? Spit it out, Blue."

Skye lowers her voice so only he can hear. "I want you to become the king."

Roan furrows his brows, saying nothing.

"I know you've thought of it. She was willing to let you die. Willing to let you be banished. I know you just wanna go home."

"When I win today, I will."

"For how long?" She asks, speaking at a normal tone now. "How long until your mother finds another reason to cast you out? To sacrifice you? No one can cast a king out of his kingdom."

He shakes his head, clearly considering it, but unable to commit. "I can't do it. My people would never take me back."

Skye takes a deep breath, turning to walk away.

"But..." Roan says.

She faces him once more.

"I can help you do it."

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"Skye kom Skaikru, my haiplana." The guard escorting Skye says, as he enters the dining room.

At the head of any empty table, sits the Queen. A young woman tends to her as she eats.

Nia takes a bite of her food before speaking. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"What if I changed my vote?"

The older woman smirks. "Now you're thinking like a leader of your people."

Skye approaches her slowly, passing the dark-haired woman who watches her from the side of the room. "I would need some assurances first."

"Skaikru will be safe."

"And me?"

She takes another bite. "My quarrel is with Lexa, not you." She shoves a dagger, blade down, into the table she sits at. "Once she's gone, I won't need the power of Wanheda."

"Okay." Skye says.

"Okay?" She tilts her head. "You don't want vengeance for the dead at Mount Weather?"

Skye walks a little closer as she responds. "My priority is with the living, not the dead. She yanks the dagger out from the splintering wood of the table. "We bind ourselves in blood." She says, in Trigedasleng.

She lowers the knife to the palm of her hand, slashing it, revealing blood.

Nia smiles. "I see you've learned our oath."

Skye nods, wiping her blood off the knife onto her sleeve. She puts it on the table. "Do you accept?"

Nia stands from her chair, grabbing the knife. She repeats the same phrase that Skye spoke, lifting the knife to her own palm.

Suddenly the young woman in the room with them shouts, pinning Skye to the table. She brings Skye's sleeve to her nose and inhales deeply, before glancing at her Queen. "Poison."

Nia sighs with disappointment, wiping the dagger clean with a cloth. "We could have been allies, Skye. But instead, I declare you and your people enemies of Azgeda."

She looks at the woman, still holding Skye down. "Ontari, hold out your hand."

The girl listens, and Nia uses the now-poisonless knife to cut a gash into it. 

Nia makes eye contact with Skye. "I'm letting you live, for now, to send a message to Lexa."

Skye watches the blood drip out of Ontari's cut. Her blood is black.

Nia squeezes Ontari's hand over Skye's pale face, uttering a few more words. "I have my own Natblida. And she will be the next Commander."

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Titus examines the dried blood on Skye's face before facing Lexa. "A Commander from the Ice Nation. Now all of Nia's provocations make sense. And we played right into it. She knew you'd accept her challenge."

Bellamy, who is actually very upset with Skye, for not informing him about what she was up to, walks closer to Titus and Lexa. "I've never seen blood that color before."

Lexa nods, in thought. "It goes back to the first Commander. When a Nightblood child is found, they're brought here to be trained or are supposed to be."

Titus speaks. "Your legacy is no longer secure. There is still time to choose a champion."

Lexa grinds her teeth. "You know I can't do that."

"Heda-"

"Leave us."

The man lowers his head, hesitantly leaving the room. 

Skye glances at Bellamy before talking to Lexa who is facing away from them. "Titus is right. You're giving her exactly what she wants."

Lexa turns. "Only if I lose." She sighs. "I know that you are both trying to help but there's nothing you can do here."

Skye huffs. "We can't just let Roan kill you."

"If that is to be my fate, you must. You're driven to fix everything for everyone, Skye, but you can't fix this. I have to do this on my own and you have to let me." 

"I won't just sit there and watch you die. Not just my people are at stake here if you lose, Commander. If Roan wins and Nia takes over, all of the clans will suffer." Skye says, running a hand through her tousled hair.

Before anyone can speak another word, Titus reenters. "Heda. It's time."

"Then, this is goodbye. For now."

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