That's Why I Love You

Chapter 24

Lexa

I looked around the room, noticing the absence of light while embraced with Clarke. I felt a nervous patter in my heart, knowing something was wrong.

"Why is it dark in here?" I asked. I felt Clarke tense beside me. She pulled away and glanced around the room with an apologetic grin. Now she was worrying me. "Clarke?"

"We, uh, sorta blew out your candles?" Clarke said.

I felt my jaw clench. Those candles provided warmth and light, and they were often the only possession that could really be mine. I coveted those candles, collecting them from the previous Commander and the commanders before them. Of course I bought my own, but some of those candles were more than three times older me. Candles outlived commanders.

"Why?" I asked sternly.

Clarke sighed. "We were bored. Honestly, Lexa, there's not much to do here."

"This is not supposed to be an activity center, Clarke. You're an adult now. You shouldn't have to be entertained. Go make friends with the other Ambassadors." I growled.

Clarke feigned being hurt. "I'm only eighteen, Lexa. And the Ambassadors hate me."

"Oh they do not--"

"Yes. They do." Clarke said. "I heard one say that they wish they would've come all the way to the dropship and wiped us out themselves before the rest of our people came down. Then they could've watched "the pretty blonde beg for mercy"." Clarke said, curling her fingers in a motion I didn't understand.

I stared at the ground, trying to hide my anger. I thought that by now the Ambassadors had come to accept Clarke and the Sky People, but it seemed as if I thought wrong. "Who?"

"What?"

"Who said that?"

"Lexa, no. I don't need my Commander girlfriend coming in and defending my honor. It's fine." Clarke said. While I wanted to kick them off the roof as I had with the Ice Nation Ambassador, it would only make the situation worse.

I looked around the room again, finally noticing the cold, unlit candles. I shivered at the horror.
"So, it was only in this room, correct?"

Clarke crossed her arms and looked guiltily at the ground. "No." She peeped.

"Where else?" I asked, trying to remain calm.

"The whole tower. At least where there were candles." Clarke said.

My eyes widened. "The whole tower, Clarke? And all the rooms?"

Clarke gritted her teeth. "Yeah..."

My heart stopped. If she went in to every room that was unlocked...then she saw the room. I had never thought to lock it, knowing that most people never went down to that floor and my guards knew to never go into it.

I couldn't live with not knowing.

"Did you...did you see--?"

"Yeah." Clarke said, continuing to look down at the floor. I felt my cheeks grow red. "It's okay. I think it's cute."

"Cute?"

"Uh..." Clarke hesitated. "Yeah."

I growled and flopped down on the couch, covering my face with my hands.

"I liked the ones with the different clan symbols carved in." Clarke said, trying to comfort me.

I sighed and looked up at her. "No one has ever known what's in that room. Not Indra, not Titus." I swallowed. "Not even Costia."