The happily ever after we deserve

Chapter 3 (Lexa pov)

When I finally got back from Arkadia, I found Titus working with the Nightbloods.  For the first time, in a while, I felt like overseeing the Nightboods while they trained for the Conclave after my death.

Adian is the best candidate for being the next Heda.  His skills are very promising, he is almost as good as I was.  All the little Nightbloods remind me of the time I trained at Polis.  I was Titus' favorite.

When I finally reach the training grounds, it takes less than a minute for them all to come rushing up to greet me.  "I am here to see your training,"  I tell them.

"We have gotten much better,"  Adian tells me.

"Why don't you prove it?"  I challenge.

"Pair up with your partners,"  Titus commands.  Everyone does what he says without a second thought.  In my nightblood group, there would have been a lot of complaints.

The first Nightblood fight, Adian and Leon, use wooden swords--so no one gets hurt--too bad.  Aden gets a good hit in Leon's gut and I am very surprised that Leon stays upright.  A month ago that would have knocked any of them to their feet.  Adian is clearly just as surprised as I am.  Leon manages to hit Adian in his side, which he clutches.  I have told Adian not to do that so many times, because it gives your opponent a chance to strike.  Then when while Adian is worried about his side, Leon hits him in the leg and he falls.  Leon walks over to him and turns around to justify that he has won.  Leon lets out a cry and falls on his face.  Suddenly, Adian jumps on top of him.  Leon shakes his head to say that he surrenders.  I watch seven more fights before I decide to go to my tower.  

After traveling all the way to Arkadia and back, seeing Clarke, and watching the nightbloods train, I am so tired that I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.  I am so tired that my bed has never felt softer.

I wake up and I don't have tears in my eyes.  I didn't wake to an awful nightmare.  Seeing Clarke did exactly what I thought it would--it gave me peace. I haven't felt this good in a long, long time. There is a hard knock on the door and then a bunch of laughter.  It must be the nightbloods.  I sit up straight, "Come in," my voice raspy from sleep.  As soon as all thirteen of them are in, I realize they have food in their hands.

"Look, Heda, we made food for you," says Adian.

"Who let you in the kitchen?" I ask jokingly.  They all duck their heads, I didn't think anyone would let thirteen nightbloods in the kitchen.  Gladly taking the food, I tell them "Go cause some trouble or something."  They all run away laughing, and shoving each other.

I know I told Clarke that she should come to Polis for the ceremonies but with Skaikru's lack of knowledge on grounder tradition, I am worried that without going over what is required to become the 13th clan Skaikru would not be prepared to join my coalition. 

Halfway to Arkadia, I see some people I banished for thieving. Grounder rules say that if you are banished and you come back then the punishment is death. I had hoped I had seen the last of them when they received their sentence. I hop off my horse and duck behind the nearest tree to tie it up because there are five of them and only one of me I need the element of surprise. When they walk past me I slide around the other side of the tree.  I stab the first one in the middle of his back. His body goes limp and hits the ground like a bag of bricks. One down--four to go.  

Only one of his friends notice that he is dead.  But before he can say anything or alert his other friends, I force my sword through his throat. Blood spilling through his lips. I look up to see that the other three have drawn their weapons. Bring it, I think.

One of them lunges forward and nips my left side.  It stings, but I know better than to clutch it or look down.  Before he has time to get back into his stance, I stab him right through the stomach.  And quickly I pull back my sword, his body goes limp. 

While my back is turned, one of the remaining two comes behind me and stabs my right leg.  My knee buckles, for only a second.  I quickly regain my balance and spin around to cut his head, almost clean off his body. The last one gets one good slash in my left arm, It burns like fire. I make huge gashes in his thighs, and he falls.  I look him dead in the eye, "I let you live once, that is not a mistake I will make again."  Before my sword punctures his heart. He gives me a grimace that makes my heart sink, something isn't right. The back of my right leg stings, I will have to ask Clarke to look at it when I get to Polis.  My arm is still bleeding;  so I rip part of the nearest guy's shirt and wrap it around my arm.  I need to make the bleeding stop. I grab my horse and head off to Polis. 

When I make it to Arkadia, I hear a sentry guard yell something.  I am way too tired and disoriented to understand what he says.  I am weak from the bleeding.  The next thing I know, the gate is open.  Clarke is running towards me;  she looks extremely concerned, instead of angry.  I wonder if it's because I am bleeding, or something bad had happened before my arrival. My arm is bleeding a lot more than it was earlier and the back of my right pant leg is soaked from the blood. The shirt that I wrapped around my forearm is now a dark red. Dripping with my dark nightblood.