Warpaint | Clexa (Completed)

Chapter 18: Decisions

Clarke woke up in the early hours of the morning, confused, from a nightmare. The space beside her on the bed was empty and looked like noone had slept on it at night.

Damn, she muttered as her head throbbed with the hangover. It was as if she was back in the NouKru rig again.

She wondered why Lexa had not come in last night. Her side of the bed was not slept in, and the door was locked from inside. Lexa had not even come back to her house.

Clarke immediately began to panic. She had seen Lexa fight, and she wasn't ever going to forget it. Lexa fought like she was the sharpest, most deadliest weapon herself. The Dance of Death, the Grounders called it. But Lexa was also injured in one arm and she was in enemy territory.

Clarke quickly changed into fresh clothes, and got out of the house.

It was empty and cold outside. The sun had not fully risen over the Arkadian camp and it seemed like everyone was still indoors, recovering from last night's feast.

Clarke was walking towards the Trikru settlements in the outer peripheries of the camp, when she spotted Luna and Lincoln seated in front of Luna's tent, deep in conversation.

She walked upto them. Both of them seemed to jump out of their skins as Clarke suddenly approached them, stopping their conversation midway. "Hey guys, have any of you seen Lexa since last night?" Clarke asked, a little suspiciously.

Lincoln and Luna exchanged a glance, and both of them stared strangely at Clarke. Finally, Luna said, "Haven't you seen Lexa since last night?"

"No, not since she's gone to the council meeting," Clarke said. "Why? Is something wrong? Has something happened to her? Is her arm alright?"

Clarke stared at Lincoln and Luna's faces as they stared at each other, as if trying to come up with a reply.

"Heda is healthy, Clarke, don't worry," Lincoln said. "She is in the empty house beside the lake in the north. She went in there, this morning."

"What the hell is she doing in there? It's a completely ruined part of the Ark. Noone goes there anymore."

"As far as I know, Heda is meditating over there."

"She could have meditated in her room!" Clarke said. "I swear this woman is weird. Anyway, thanks Lincoln, I'll go see her there."

"Erm, Clarke?" Luna hesitated.

"Yea?"

"Remember this is war."

"What? Why are all of you so cryptic today?" Clarke rolled her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that we all have to make difficult decisions during wartime. Our people will always come first." Luna said, with a strangely sad expression on her face.

"Luna, I know I am your second, but no offence, I am a little anxious to find my gi...Lexa now. So can we have this war-talk later?"

Luna nodded slightly, and Clarke began to walk towards the lake. While she was midway there, she suddenly saw Lexa walking back to the camp from the other end. Clarke stopped midway, crossing her arms and glared at Lexa. She has some answering to do.

As Lexa came nearer, she noticed that for the first time since she had been captured, Lexa had not applied her warpaint when stepping outside her room.

"Clarke," Lexa said, coming to a stop in front of her.

There was something different about the way she looked at Clarke. Clarke couldn't somehow fathom the look in her eyes. She had seen it once before, she thought. She couldn't figure out when. Was it the day she was leaving TonDC.

"Lexa," Clarke said, "Where the fuck were you all night?"

"I had the council meet, Clarke," Lexa said, her tone oddly calm and strained.

"The whole damn night!" Clarke exclaimed. "You are not, are you? And why are you brooding in that empty capsule?"

"I am not brooding, Clarke. I'm seeking peace. Meditating." Lex explained. "I have much to talk about, with you."

"Clarkeeeeeeeey" came a screech from the direction of the Trikru tents. Clarke looked back to see Raven and Octavia running towards her, flailing their arms wildly. "Dobbbbbby! Clarkeeeey Dobbbbbby!"

Clarke's eyes widened in excitement and joy. "You're kidding, right? He's here? Still here?"

"Yes," they came to a halt in front of Clarke and Lexa, panting. "Come! Now!"

Clarke squealed in joy and Lexa at them, confusion written all over her face.

"Dobby...my pet deer...Pike chased him away cause he had two heads...must see..." Clarke tried to explain to Lexa as succinctly as she could. "Lex, I'll see you later."

"But Clarke, I have to talk about something very important." Lexa said impatiently.

"It can wait, Lex, whatever it is," Clarke said, beginning to run. "I'll see you soon, I promise." Clarke called out as she broke into a run with Raven and Octavia.

"But Clarke..." Lexa began, and sighed as Clarke ran out of sight.

She looked up, and closed her eyes, trying to gather herself. This was her only chance to explain herself to Clarke.

She felt helpless, weak, almost. "Love is weakness," she began to see the truth behind Titus's teachings. She wished she had Anya with her now to advise her.

Lexa began walking towards her room. No amount of meditation would help her today. She wondered how she would face Clarke the next time she saw her.

She had been gathering courage for hours to talk to Clarke, and yet she wondered what possible explanation could she have given Clarke. How would Clarke, who was busy petting a deer like child, would ever understand the weight on Lexa's shoulders.

"For the greater good," she muttered to herself, and walked into the room to prepare for meeting her people and the Arkadians for the general meeting. However she knew that nothing ever would be able to prepare her for Clarke's reaction.

She indeed would be betraying Clarke, and nothing she did would ever fix that.

---

A/n: Hey, short chapter, this one. I've been busy fangirling over Fantastic Beasts recently, and haven't been able to write much. The next chapter will be up in a day or two. Let me know if you're enjoying the story. I live for your comments :D
OK, I exaggerate, but you get it, right? :P