Ice Queen

In the morning a guard brings me to the throne room. "What's happening?" I ask. "They'll tell you when you get there." He says. He opens the door and I walk in. Many people are already there, and Lexa is sitting on her throne. Lexa gestures for me to stand on a side of the room, and I do. The doors open again, and two guards hold onto a woman I don't recognize. They put her onto her knees. "Queen Nia of Azgeda has confessed to the destruction of Mount Weather, resulting in the deaths of 49 members from Skykru." "Wanheda." Titus says. He must want me to say something. "Skykru demands justice." I say angrily. "Azgeda does not answer to this girl." Queen Nia says. "The punishment for your crime is death." Titus says to Nia. "Do you have anything to say for your defense?" Titus asks. "I need no defense. She does." Nia says, looking at Lexa. "Today is judgment day. I call for a vote of no confidence." Lexa looks angry after she says this, but I don't know what it means. "Take her away!" Titus says. "Wait!" Someone says in the group of people. "Commander no longer!" Someone else says it too. "Take them away too." Titus says. "Wait." Lexa says. "Commander please execute these traitors." Titus says. "Let her make her move." Lexa says, holding up her hand. Everyone starts saying, "Commander no longer!" "What is this?" I ask Lexa. "This is the law." Nia says. "Her law. A unanimous vote of the ambassadors, or death, is all that can remove a commander from power." Nia says. "It's not unanimous." I say. "We don't recognize the legitimacy of Skykru." "We do." Titus replies. "Yesterday they took the brand. Skykru is the 13th clan. This vote of no confidence fails. Now all of you traitors will suffer the same fate as the ice queen." Titus says. "She won't take our heads because she knows our army's will retaliate." Now says, as she glares at Lexa. None of us want war." Nia speaks to everyone. "We both know what you want." Lexa replies angrily, as she steps closer to Nia. If you believe I'm unfit to command, issue the challenge, and lets get on with it." "Very well, you are challenged." "And I accept your challenge." Lexa replies. "So be it. Single combat. Warrior against warrior, to the death." Lexa's going to fight to the death? What if she loses? Skykru would be demolished. Somethings telling me that I don't want her to die for more then just that. "Nia, who do you chose to be your champion?" Titus asks. "My son, Prince Roan if Azgeda." Oh good, Lexa doesn't have to fight. She will pick someone else. "Heda, who will fight for you?" Lexa walks back to her throne and sits down. "I'm the commander. No one fights for me." No. She is going to fight Roan. She might die. She probably will against him.

Later, I go to the throne room to see if Lexa's there. I see her sitting on her throne, talking to a group a children in trideaslang. I go to Titus. "Have you talked her out if it yet?" I ask him, hoping he did. "No, but maybe you can." "I don't understand. The queens not fighting, so why should she?" "The queens strength is not in doubt, but thanks to you, Lexa's is." I realize that Lexa is going to die because of me. Another persons death will be on my hands. Another person I care about. "Nightblidas, come with me." Titus tells the children as he walks them out of the room. "Aden, stay." Lexa calls to him before he walks out. I go to them. "Clarke, this is Aden. Aden is the most promising of my novitiates. If I die today, he will likely succeed me." She talks about her death like it's nothing. And how could a child rule the 13 clans? He's too young. "Clake worries about her people. Tell them what will happen to them when you become Heda." She says to him. "If I become Heda, I will pledge my loyalty to the 13th clan." He says to me. "Thank you. Now go join the others." She says to before he bows as ans walks away. "See? Nothing to worry about." Lexa says. "I'm sorry if I'm worried about the fate of my people being in the hands of a child." I say. "But it's not just about my people." I say honestly. "You don't stand a chance against Roan." "You've never seen me fight." Lexa says angrily. "No, but I've seen him kill three men in the time it took the first one to hit the ground." I say. "If you're right, today is the day my spirit will chose its next successor, and you need to accept that." "Like hell I do." I say before I walk out. I'm not going to accept her death. I can't.