Saving Me 》 Bellamy Blake {Book Two}

Chapter Twelve: Commander Lexa

A/N: Chapter song is "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor

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It was barely dawn when Clarke and Jamie were able to line up a meeting with the commander of the grounder army. They had been working with two grounders at the gate of Arkadia for several hours before a time was settled. They were both watched over very carefully by the entire guard as they spoke with the grounders and Jamie knew they would have to talk to their mother about having the guard keep an eye on them as they walked into the grounder camp as well. Her stomach was twisted in knots at the thought of walking through the grounder camp and right up to their commander but she knew it was their only option.

"Be safe. And please, be smart. Speak politely, remember everything you've ever learned about mannerisms from me, not your father." Abby rattled on as fast as possible to make sure she could prepare the girls as best as she could in the short time they had together. Her eyes were wide and frightened as she looked back and forth between Clarke and Jamie. The girls stood shoulder to shoulder, blonde hair at similar lengths, and at times like these Abby found it hard to remember that they weren't actually sisters. Whether Jamie was technically hers or not, Abby would fight for her daughter just as passionately as she would for Clarke. She couldn't lose either of them.

"And Jamie, honey, I know we were never very close. I was just so busy with work and you were always with your father and I just wanted to tell you that I love you so much, both of you and I can't...I can't even think about losing either of you so you both better come back to me. I mean it."

"Mom?" Jamie paused, waiting for Abby's gaze to shift back to her. She could tell how terrified Abby was to let her girls go but she also had faith that this would work. "We'll be okay. We can do this."

"We will do this." Clarke added with a soft smile. "We'll be fine and we'll get this worked out with the commander so all of Arkadia will be safe again."

"We know what we're doing."

No more words were spoken after Jamie's last statement as Abby nodded, tears in her eyes, and pulled her girls to her. She kissed each of their cheeks before she released them and watched as each step took them farther from the safety of Arkadia and closer to the army sent there to kill them.

Clarke and Jamie walked side by side, escorted by a group of grounders, to the commander. They finally reached the top of the hill overlooking Arkadia where the grounders had set up camp and were led to a tent with a large grounder standing out front. Jamie's eyes carefully swept across the sea of faces, not recognizing a single one. After being held hostage in the prisoner camp and then visiting the other camp with Finn and Murphy she had hoped at least one grounder would look familiar. That just proved how outrageously large the grounder population truly was.

Jamie's attention was redirected to the large man in front of the tent as he started speaking to them. "If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I will slit your throats." He turned without another word and pulled back the tent flap, a determined expression on his face.

Clarke glanced at Jamie and after the blondes made eye contact they both moved forward. Jamie walked into the tent first, her protective instincts kicking in. She took in the large tent with a neutral expression taking note of the grounder with a spikey mask on his face as well as the throne the commander was sitting on. It was made of wood but had branches spiraling out of the top making the commander look much smaller than she was. She had black paint shadowing her eyes almost making her resemble a raccoon and her long brown hair was half way pulled up in a similar fashion to Clarke.

A dark skinned woman stood tall beside the throne, narrowed eyes focused on the unwanted visitors. Even though the commander was twirling a large knife in her hands, it was the woman beside her that Jamie found unsettling.