Warrior ‣ Bellamy Blake

Seventeen

Aelle sat alone in President Dante Wallace's office with her legs crossed and her arms bound behind her back. She took time to notice the paintings hanging on his wall and admired how lovely they were before realizing she was getting sidetracked.

"What do you think of them?" Wallace asked behind her.

"Lovely," she said. "Did you paint these?"

"Yes. I saw the outside world once and have painted my memories."

"It's not always what it's cracked up to be."

"I know." He sat down at his desk across from her and said, "You know, that is not why you're here."

"I know."

"I made sure you weren't harmed for a reason, Aella. I want to make sure you understand what you saw."

"You're draining Grounders of their blood to heal radiation wounds," she said.

"What do you think of that?"

"It's what you had to do," she lied, pretending like she was okay with the fact. "I would do anything for my people, even if it meant hurting someone else."

"I don't know if I believe you. See, we kept an eye on you for a long time and found out you wanted peace with the Grounders."

"That was before they murdered my people. My people are dead because of them." She tried to force tears but remembering everything that happened caused real ones to spring.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Aella."

"I hope you never know what it feels like to fail your people."

"I hope so too." He stood in front of her and squatted to her level. "Now, I want to believe you are with me and not against me, but I can't ever be too sure."

"What can I do to prove it to you?"

"Tell me what happened."

She took a small moment to think of the largest lie she would ever tell and said, "Clarke was upset with this place since she thought our people were out there, but I am sure they would be here if they were alive. I humored her, but it went too far and I had to stop her before she ruined this salvation! We found the harvest chamber and I knew you were just doing what you had to to survive."

"Why did you run?"

"I tried to stop Clarke and then we fell into the cave, got chased by Reapers, and she dragged me along. I-is she dead? She jumped and I-" She paused and forced herself to start crying. "I knew it went too far and now she's dead!"

"It is not your fault," he assured genuinely, buying into the lie.

"I wanted to tell her what you were doing was what you had to do and she wouldn't hear it."

"Are you entirely sure you are okay with it?" he asked, making sure.

"They killed my people, Mr. President. I would slaughter every Grounder if I could with my bare hands. At least you're getting use out of them." The lies made her feel sick.

"Can I trust you that you won't tell your friends this secret?"

"I will not tell them," she said. "If you need to, monitor me. I am trustworthy."

"I will until I know for sure. Now, if it's okay, Dr. Tsing and my son would like to talk to you."

"That sounds good," she lied.

He exited the room with a small smile on his face and Aella refrained from smirking to herself; he never told her she couldn't show the harvest chamber to her friends.