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Gravity \| Book I: Amidst the Chaos	By : Prophecy Category: 1 through F > The 100 Views: 2331 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Something has changed within me, something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing, too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap!
It's time to try defying gravity
- Idina Menzel, 'Defying Gravity'

Octavia carefully straightened one of Lexa's braids and leaned back a little, admiring her handiwork.

"You've got this, Heda Leksa." Octavia smiled widely, straightening out the collar of her jacket and grabbing the kohl off the table. Lexa closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "No more girl in a box, right?"

"Damn right." Octavia carefully started applying the kohl band across Lexa's eyes. "It's okay to be nervous."

"I am not nervous," Lexa replied, a little too quickly. Octavia paused to raise her brows at her pointedly, and she let out a sigh. "Okay, I'm a little nervous."

"Indra insisted on increasing the security detail on any high-priority targets in Polis, and everyone entering Polis Tower will be searched first."

Lexa shut her eyes again so Octavia could continue. "That seems excessive. Especially when the whole point of this is to show strength."

"I'm with Indra on this one. There's gonna be a lot of angry people, Lex. Not to mention a very, very pissed off Ice Nation. And the Audaskai rebels have been crazy active lately, too. There's too many threats to not play it safe."

Lexa let out a begrudged grunt. "Very well."

Octavia set aside the kohl tray and patted her shoulders lightly, leaning over her a little. "You ready to ban op disha lok daun, Commander? " [leave this cage]

Lexa stayed silent as a large, confident smile slowly spread across her lips.

___________________________________

The summit began at sundown.

Around the throne room were now thirteen more seats, each with the clan logo at the head and several of the leaders' attendants gathered around it. Nia was conspicuously absent, her son Roan standing before the throne in her stead. His attendants included a girl with dark hair and a scowl not much older than the Commander, and another young warrior with a half-mask and no scars. The latter fact made Octavia nervous as she stood post to the left of Heda's throne, and she turned a little, trying to catch Indra's eye on the other side of it.

But Indra was looking right at the Azgeda plangona already, and when Octavia glanced over to where Bellamy stood beside Chancellor Kane, he was looking at the girl, too. Very slowly and subtly, Octavia reached down and unsnapped her knife holster, just in case, at the same time as Indra did.

The doors opened just then, and as Lexa stepped through them, everyone took a knee. She moved slowly through the room, her spine ramrod straight, her chin tilted just slightly. Every step screamed Commander as she stepped up in front of the throne, but didn't sit, gazing around the room at her people.

She stood quietly, waiting another moment before speaking. "You may rise." Lexa deliberately remained standing as the room joined her on their feet.

"This leadership summit has been called in the interest of further uniting the 13 clans against the ongoing threat from the Audaskai rebellion, to discuss any major conflicts or concerns of your clans, as well as to solidify the treaty of the Coalition." Lexa surveyed the room, her gaze landing on the Azgedan throne. "Prince Roan of Azgeda, step forward." Roan did so with a reluctant sigh as his attendants both stood a bit straighter. Lexa looked him up and down slowly as he stood before her. "I assume there is a very good reason why you are here in the stead of your true leader."

"Queen Nia is too busy fighting the ongoing incursions from Skaikru to deal with the politics causing them," the dark-haired attendant said, her lips curling into a sneer. "Heda."

Lexa smiled pleasantly at the girl before turning her gaze back to Roan. "We will have a discussion about this later, in private. In the meantime, you might consider muzzling your pup. I would hate for there to be any misconceptions about who is in charge here."

"Of course, Heda," Roan bowed his head without a shred of reticence before going back to his throne, his eyes shooting daggers at the girl who had spoken.

Having knocked Azgeda's influence down a peg or two, Lexa once again addressed the entire room.

"It is not Skaikru that is the enemy. Skaikru, led by Chancellor Kane, is the thirteenth clan and a loyal member of the Coalition. We now know that the destructive acts attributed to Skaikru have been coming from a separatist faction that rejects the Coalition. Audaskai is made up of many former Sky People, yes, but they now have just as many defectors from every faction. So you see, this is not merely Chancellor Kane's problem—it is all of ours, and we will begin solving it this day.

"From here out, there is a bounty on the head of any member of Audaskai. They are not to be killed—" the room erupted with several outraged voices, and Lexa raised both her hand and her voice. "They are not to be killed unless it is in the form of self-defense, there is no other choice, or they have done something particularly heinous. This is the essence of jus nou drein jus daun, and you will all adhere to it.

"Many of you have expressed concerns about the world we are building without the guidance of 'blood must have blood'. My answer to you is a better world. A safer, kinder world, where our children can know a life without violence and hardship. Where Trikru, Azgeda, and Skaikru are just names for where we live, not reasons to hate each other. Where we might all live in peace among each other and learn to forgive."

The room before her was full of uncertain looks and Lexa very subtly took a slow breath to steady herself. "This will be the essence of the treaty we sign today. That blood must only have blood in the most extreme circumstances, and those circumstances will be examined by the Ambassadors of the Coalition until a council can be convened for this task. It will be a difficult change for all of us. It is human nature to seek vengeance and guarantee our survival—but are we not so much more than our nature? Do we not deserve better than just surviving? Because I believe we do."

Among a room full of confused muttering, Lexa turned slightly towards Indra and inclined her chin. Indra stepped forward and called out, "Lid fingadon in."

The doors opened once more and the room watched in stunned silence as Ryder and Cyrus brought in Clarke and Titus, their wrists bound in front of them. The party made its way to the throne and Clarke and Titus lowered themselves to their knees before Lexa, their heads bowed as Ryder and Cyrus stepped aside.

Lexa chose to ignore the whispers and mutterings as well as the defiant glares coming from the Azgedan attendants—but not, she noticed, from Roan, who merely looked on with curiosity.

" Jus drein jus daun has always, always been the way of our people. But the world has changed—we have changed, and we must continue to change or risk destroying each other. This is why jus drein jus daun is no longer the way of our people. I wish to be a Commander not of, but for the people. A Commander who has the best interest of her people always in mind, who gives all of herself to her people. Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun. [My life is your life.] I wish to show you what our future can look like."

Lexa straightened her shoulders further, clasping her hands behind her back as the room fell eerily silent. "Clarke kom Skaikru, you stand accused of war crimes at the Battle of the Mountain. Specifically, you are charged with violating the terms of Skaikru's alliance with the Coalition, with making a deal with the mountain that would leave the Coalition hostages to continue being bled against their will, and with forcing most of Skaikru to give marrow to the mountain whether or not they consented. How do you answer these charges? Ron ai ridiyo op."

Clarke kept her head lowered when she responded. "Ai laik hedsweda, Heda. Ai ron yu ain sonraun." [I am guilty, commander. I offer you my life.]

"Ai wigod op yu, Clarke kom Skaikru, gon fotones gon oso kru. Ai ron yu sonraun op." [I forgive you, Clarke of Skaikru, for crimes against our people. I grant you your life.]

"Mochof. Ai koma op oso kongeda. Ai badan klin gon yu, Heda Leksa kom Trikru. Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun." [Thank you. I honor our coalition. I swear loyalty to you, Commander Lexa of Trikru. My life is your life.]

"Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun." Lexa nodded at Octavia, who stepped forward and cut Clarke's bindings, helping her to her feet. She escorted Clarke to the Skaikru delegation, noting the look of pride on Bellamy's face when he caught her eye and gave her a subtle nod of approval as Raven reached out and gently squeezed Clarke's shoulder, whispering something that made her smile.

When Octavia had resumed post beside the throne, Lexa turned to Titus.

"Fleimkepa Titus kom Sangedakru, you stand accused of deceiving your Commander, assaulting a Skaikru prisoner, and the murder of sentries Jubal kom Podakru and Gunner kom Trishanakru. How do you answer these charges? Ron ai ridiyo op."

"Ai laik hedsweda, Heda. Ai ron yu ain sonraun."

"Ai wigod op yu, Titus kom Sangedakru, gon fotones gon oso kru. Ai ron yu sonraun op," Lexa paused, her lips pursed. "And I hereby strip you of your duties of Fleimkepa and appoint Gaia kom Trikru as Fleimkepa. It is up to her whether she will allow you to assist in training the natblidas, but you will no longer serve at the side of the Commander."

A wave of gasps made its way around the room, and Octavia actually felt bad for Titus, who couldn't have looked more devastated. To his credit, his voice was steady when he swore his loyalty. "Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun."

"Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun." When Lexa nodded, Indra stepped forward and removed Titus' bindings, escorting him to Gaia's side, her jaw clenched as she deliberately avoided her daughter's eyes. When she'd taken up her post again, Lexa gazed out over the crowd.

"This is our way now. The way of forgiveness and second chances, the way of blood must not have blood—a better way. I grant all of you life, because my life is your life. I give all of myself, for all of us. Will you defy me, or will you join me?"

Chancellor Kane kom Skaikru was the first to take a knee, joined quickly by Bellamy, Clarke, and Raven, all speaking as one. "Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun."

Prince Roan of Azgeda was the next to step forward, without his attendants, and he easily took a knee, bowing his head. "Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun."

Slowly, the Trikru and Trishanakru ambassadors stepped forward as well, and one by one the other delegations followed suit until only the Azgedan attendants remained standing. Roan looked over at them, his voice firm. "Echo. Ontari. You will bow before your Commander." The women exchanged a glance before they each knelt, their faces matching masks of mutiny as they did.

Lexa looked at the people before her—her people—and very slowly lowered herself onto her knees as well, to a chorus of gasps throughout the room. Her chin was lifted high and proud as she spoke. "Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun."

She inclined her head slightly as the room responded in unison. "Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun."

When she stood once more, she allowed herself to look across the room, her gaze finding the bright blue of Clarke's eyes, which were lit up with pride as she smiled at her, nodding a little.

Lexa finally sat on her throne, and the other ambassadors followed suit.

"The next order of business we must discuss is the temporary border adjustment request from Trishanakru. As I understand it, their hunting grounds have become scarce earlier than usual this year, and they request the same border adjustment into Azgeda for the winter season as we have issued the past three winters but for an extended time. Are there any objections?"

His attendants glared daggers, but Roan simply said, "Azgeda has no particular objection to this, Heda."

Lexa nodded. "Mochof, Prince Roan. So it is decided. We also have a req—"

She was cut off when Lincoln was escorted in by Ryder, their faces stony and concerned. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Heda, but something has happened. There's been an attack on Tondc."

Lexa stood quickly, her eyes widening, and then quickly narrowing as she glanced sideways toward the Azgeda delegation. "What kind of attack?"

Lincoln's voice was slightly choked when he responded. "It's been destroyed. Buildings burned to the ground, only a handful of survivors."

Lexa felt the world shift around her, fighting back the bile rising in the back of her throat, hearing Indra choke back a gasp of her own. She felt dizzy as the room erupted in a flurry of conversation and outraged cries. Finally, after a moment, Lexa was able to gather herself enough that her voice was only mildly shaky. "Do we know who is responsible for this?"

Lincoln swallowed hard, exchanging a look with Octavia, who had already figured out exactly who was responsible. "They were all killed with bullets."
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Gravity | Book I: Amidst the Chaos