The 100 Things and Such.

Black & Blue: IX

"Heda." I called as we entered an unpopular are of my camp.

She stopped, facing me with a bored expression to anyone else.

I could see in her eyes that she was widely upset about me seemingly taking Clarke's side but it was never the case.

"She calls you by your given name?" She swallowed as she allowed her face to fall.

"She believes it is rude to call me by my titles all day, since we do communicate so often, with a war up and coming." I shrug. "She does not claim me as hers, in fact she takes great recognition in my union to you-"

"I wonder why that is." She retorted.

"I only act this harsh toward you because you push me to this point. I am worth putting your trust into and I want you to know that I love you, Leksa.. I don't want you to question my loyalty to you or to your country, I-"

"I know you love me, (Y/n).." She assured, albeit defeated. "I never questioned your loyalty to me or Kongeda.."

"I question your faithfulness, Princess." She admitted sadly. "I wonder if you serve others.. I wonder if, in servicing the girl, you've forgotten how dangerous they really are. They do not cower to me or to my army, so.. What makes you believe they would ever fear you?"

"If I had their trust I would not need fear.." I stated quite obviously. "If they saw us as their weapon of protection against you, the same as your people see us as their weapons against them, they would have no need to kill us."

"I know you happen to be looking out for everyone right now but watch your back here, Princess. Savages have no need for reason.. They just do what they want." She warned me with a disapointed shake of her head before walking away.

"You're going to kill him?" Clarke asked plainly as I reentered my tent.

It made me stop for only a moment to think.

"I have to.." I sighed. "Leksa's counsil will never let him walk free for what he did, but with the plans I'm making.. Your people will not face his charges. Only he will.."

"With death?" She frowned.

"My people have adopted a method of controlled killing.." I admitted. "He would be heavily sedated and a painless poisen would be injected into his blood as he slept."

"Thats called euthanasia on the Ark.. It's what they called putting a dog down before the bombs.." Her argument seemed to question the humanity of her friend's impending death.

"I beg you to see it the way I have had to look at it, Klark.." I pleaded softly, knowing it was a better way. "The counsil is going to torture him to death, unless I put in the motion to.. Euthanasia.. him."

"Is- If it's in a sentence like that it's actually "euthanize"- I can explain that later.." She rambled before shaking her head in thought.

"Captain.." She frowned. "If, in your opinion, there's no way to reason-"

"Klark, I feed these people.." I frowned. "I eat with them, I fight with them, I even married one, you can not reason with them over this.. Your friend shot their wives.. Their children.."

"They have no need for your reason about this.. Your people can agree that a murderer should be put to death." I sighed, taking in the sad irony of my words. "Your friend dying peacefully in his sleep will bring them all a small step closer to some shining version of humanity.. Leksa put me in charge of this because your people would not have enjoyed the outcome, by making my word, your new law, her servants have no choice but to listen and agree as long as she says yes to everything in these documents. I just have to make her people as equally unhappy as yours without anymore people dying."

"Well.. If you want her to agree with you, shouldn't you be kissing her heels or something nice? Instead of letting her barge out of your tent-"

"She stood and leapt from my tent, Klark. Neither of her feet made complete contact with the floor.." I smiled, as an after thought. "But that beast you see behind those deadly swamp eyes is not all that she is.. In fact, she cares very deeply for me. We may show our affections toward each other in somewhat odd ways in front of an audience especially, but I can assure you.. She will agree to these terms. She wants this step for her people as much as we do, but she must maintain her kingdom and throne to accomplish any of it.."

"Heda's weakness is her council." I addmitted shamelessly."Without them, there would be no mutiny.. Most-likely due to a world at war with itself."

"Tell me, Clarke.." I asked after we had settled a few terms to place in the documents. "What do the stars look like up close?"

Her response was a quiet chuckle.

"What?" I questioned as she shook her head.

"The stars in space are still pretty far away from where the Ark was." She smirked playfully. "It was closer, but-"

"What was it like to see the stars up closer, Klark?" I asked again, not able to hold back a smile. "What do they look like?"

"They're.." She smiled and rolled her eyes as she leaned on my desk. "They look like.. Peaceful little explosions, in a way."

"Do you think I could ever see one?" I asked, sadly hopeful.

"I.." She frowned, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know."

"Wishful thinking." I sighed, with a wave of my hand. "Thank you, for your company, Klark."

"Are you going back to the capitol already?" She frowned.

"Leksa and I have matters to attend together." I explained. "As it is I will not be getting much sleep with all this work and I need her approval."

"I understand." She nodded. "I'll see you in the morning, Oun'hura."

"Safe and well rested, Klark kom Skai.." I paused, straight in my back as I realized the implications of my words.

She could be killed because of these obvious affections I have shown toward her, though I would never let that happen.

"Goodnight." I waved as I left toward the capitol.

Leksa is the jealous type but she knows I would tell her if my status with Clarke were to shift.

She would not ask so frequently if it were not to be sure that I had not impulsively changed it while I was unsupervised.

The truth is, I have thought about Clarke in that regard since meeting her, but if I were to act on my feelings before this trial it would only ensure the death of all skaikru for her treason.

These plans should lay out a saftey net for Skaikru as a while against their individual crimes.

If one of them commits the crime one of them will pay but that only applies after the trial and after Leksa agrees to the terms of defense.

Which she would be much less inclined to do if I were openly sleeping with the head of our enemy.

Her people trust my judgement to be impartial but if Clarke and I were to get involved now, they would see it as her attempting to overthrow Heda's thrown.

"When you advance on her, does she give in to you?" Leksa asked as I entered her room.

"I do not advance on-"

My words caught in my throat as I turned to see her in an almost completely see through, short, dark nightgown.

I dropped to my knees, eyes full of wonder as I stared at her beauty.

I realized my mouth was handing open so I shut it as she took a few, slow steps toward me.

"Then when you do.." She growled, grabbing my neck as I rested my chin against her stomach, forcing me to look up at her.

"Will she give in to you?" She frowned, pulling my hair impatiently.

"Yes." I frowned. "If I did, I suppose she would accept-"

I was interupted by a fierce if not angry kiss.

Heda was jealous of nothing, of course, but I did rather enjoy the benefits of Leksa showing her claim over me..