Lexa Deserved Better (clexa fic)

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Lexa was a lot hungrier than she had realized. It had been a long day, and she hadn't had time to eat anything before her visit to Titus or had the appetite afterwards. Clarke watched her chow down with an amused smile as she herself took careful, slow bites of her own meal. Lexa rolled her eyes and continued to scarf down the meat and fruit on her plate. 

"Titus must die," Lexa said suddenly, setting down her fork. Her voice was soft but decisive, and her eyes were pained but hard with acceptance. 

"Won't someone else need to take his place as flamekeeper, then?" Clarke questioned. "His job sounded pretty important to me when you described it."

"Yes," Lexa answered. "Someone will. I will choose someone that I trust to take his position." She swallowed hard, her eyes darting nervously before she asked, "Will you help me choose?"

"Of course, Lexa." 

Clarke smiled warmly. It was obvious that Lexa didn't often ask for help. Clarke figured that to ask for help was a sign of weakness, and the Commander of the twelve- scratch that, thirteen clans couldn't afford to ask someone else to help make a decision like this without fearing that they appeared unfit to lead. Lexa's eyes shone with gratitude, and Clarke knew she was right.

"What will become of Titus?" Clarke wondered. "You've said that he will die, but how? By whose hands?"

"I've thought hard about that," Lexa said. "I believe it will send the strongest message if the cause of his demise is the skaikru weapon that he tried to kill me with, and I wish for him to pull the trigger on himself. That way, my people will see that attempting to take Heda's life is suicide."

"How will you get him to do that?" Clarke furrowed her brow. "He won't be willing to kill himself. Titus is a man of self preservation at his core."

"I've thought of that as well. He already feels guilty enough, so he might agree without any kind of additional pressure on my part, but if he doesn't, the second option will be to be branded and banished."

"What do you mean by branded?"

"If a person's crime is deemed horrendous enough, the Commander has a right to brand that person by slicing across the right side of their face with their blade, from their temple to their jaw. There is a ceremony in which this takes place, and then the person is banished from any land that belongs to the coalition. If he is found by any of my citizens, he can be injured, tortured, or killed by them without punishment. 

"The brand means that the person has lost their protection from me. If a regular citizen was hurt by another, unless it was during a fair fight, training session, or ritual, I would decide what punishment to give the offender. If someone with the brand is hurt, or even killed, I will do nothing. My people are unforgiving when it comes to my protection. Jomp ai op en yu jump em op. Attack me and you attack them."

Clarke nodded as understanding crossed her features. It would be in Titus' best interests to die here in Polis, even if it was by his own hand. 

"So have you got any ideas for potential flamekeepers?" Clarke asked, changing the subject.

Lexa's face gave it away, but she didn't seem willing to say. 

"C'mon, Lexa, who would you choose? Knowing you, it'll be someone great."

"I'm leaning towards Lincoln as he was the first grounder to try and make peace with Skaikru, but he's being detained by your leader at the moment," Lexa said with reluctance.

"Crap," Clarke moaned. "I forgot about Arkadia. I was supposed to go back two days ago! ANd we need to get Lincoln out of there. He would be perfect for this! And the rest of your people, who are no doubt locked up or dead. What am I gonna do?" 

She put her head in her hands, clearly overwhelmed by all that was going on. Lexa placed a gentle hand on her back. 

"It's alright, Clarke. I'm sure things are fine in Arkadia."

"You're lying," Clarke mumbled, seeing right through Lexa's hasty defense. "I need to go back. We need to go to the barricade, and you need to tell your warriors to let me cross. I have to help my people, and I have to get your people, our people, out of there. The other grounders aren't safe."

"Clarke, it's too dangerous," Lexa pleaded. She had become visibly upset at the thought of her love leaving her. "Stay here with me. Please."

"Lexa," Clarke sighed. "You know I can't."

"Will you stay the rest of the week?" Lexa asked timidly. "While I heal? Then, after we've dealt with the mess that was my most trusted advisor, I will ride out to the barricade with you and see to it that you get through."

"Fine. But I'm crossing that barricade alone."

"Clarke-"

"Lexa, it's too dangerous. Your people need you, and mine need me." Her face softened as she saw Lexa's worried expression. "But let's not think about that tonight. Let's just enjoy our evening, alright?"

Lexa nodded and called for her maids to take their plates back down to the kitchen. She quickly changed into her nightclothes, ignoring the pain in her abdomen when she pulled her shirt over her head, and waited patiently for Clarke to be done changing before pulling her into bed. 

"Tired?" Clarke joked, sitting on the edge of the bed rather than allowing Lexa to drag her under the covers. 

"It's been a long day," Lexa remarked. 

"True, but the sky is clear and the night air is fresh. Could we sit on your balcony and look at the stars?" 

Lexa shrugged and followed Clarke outside. It was indeed a very clear night, no clouds to block the thousands of stars twinkling above Polis. Clarke sighed, wrapping herself in Lexa's arms as she stared up at them and leaning her head back comfortably into Lexa's chest. 

"Wow," she breathed. 

"You're more beautiful than all these stars combined," Lexa said, pressing a kiss to Clarke's hair. 

Clarke scoffed and tilted her head back even further so that she could look up at her dorky girlfriend.

"That was cheesy and you know it."

"If by cheesy you mean romantic and sweet, then yes," Lexa laughed. "Although I have a feeling that's not what cheesy means."

Clarke rolled her eyes and directed Lexa back to the bed. 

"Try and get some sleep, ok?" She fixed Lexa with a concerned look. "You said it yourself, it's been a long day." 

"Yes, Wanheda," Lexa answered. "But I want to talk to you some more first. Before we go to sleep, I want to hear your favorite story about your dad. I don't want the last thing you tell me about him today to be sad."

Clarke grinned, and Lexa smirked, satisfied that she had made put the smile on Clarke's face.