chapter 6 - game of thrones

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All five of Dakota's senses overwhelmed her as she stood on the sidelines of the makeshift arena, trapped in nothing but the intensifying atmosphere of anxiety and trepidation.

All she could feel, was the unmistakable thumping of her beating heart, mixed with the metaphorical hairs that were standing up on the back of her neck.

All she could hear, was the loud rambunctious crowd and the sound of war drums contributing to the overall premonition.

All she could taste, was the bitter and metallic flavor of her own blood seeping onto her tongue from biting her bottom lip so hard in anticipation.

All she could smell, was the overpowering air that oddly reeked of vindication, determination, and quite possibly, peer pressure.

However, even with all of those unfortunate things lingering in existence, what really made Kota sick to her stomach was the sight that was currently displayed in front of her.

All she could see, was Lexa—her only sister—standing beside a man whom she was about to fight to the death with. The thought of the fight involving a man against a woman was not the issue for her like it would've been several months ago. No, what was really making her grow wary, was the fact that this fight was supposed to be to the death, meaning someone was going to die today. The question was, would it end up being her beloved older sister? Or would it end up being the other warrior who was only fighting for a chance to finally gain freedom and respect from his mother and people?

Only time would tell...

The rowdy and excited cheering came to a sudden halt, once Titus raised his hand to silence them. "In single combat there is only one rule." He bellowed amongst the crowd and onlookers. "Someone must die today." He then turned to face the two warriors before him and begrudgingly sighed. "You may begin."

The people cheered once more as Prince Roan unsheathed his sword. The man quickly looked toward his mother, who only nodded at him from her seat next to Titus. Meanwhile, Lexa walked over to the sidelines and gave Kota her pauldron and cape.

The Commander had only looked up for a brief second, but yet, she still managed to catch sight of the expression on her sister's face. Dakota was standing straight with her head held high, however, Lexa knew her all too well now after spending so much time with her. She could read her like a book even if the girl took after her when it came to hiding emotions.

"What's wrong, ai strisis?"

"Nothing." Kota gave her a half-smile, avoiding her eyes. "Don't worry about me."

Lexa tilted her head and gave her a look. "I'll always worry about you, Kota." She told her sincerely, before reaching out and forcing her to look up. "But you mustn't worry about this fight, alright? I know it's scary to think about, but if I shall die today, just remember that I'll always be with you. Even if you choose not to become the next Commander, you'll never loose me. Not again..."

Dakota bit her lip once more to swallow her emotions, just like her sister had taught her, and she quickly embraced Lexa in a hug. "I love you, okay? And I know that you don't want me to say it, and I certainly know that you don't want to admit your love for me in return, but I understand. I've had some time to think, and I may not be able to promise you that I'll become Heda, but I can promise you that I'll be okay." She mumbled in her shoulder. "It'll hurt like hell for awhile, but I wont be alone. I have Lincoln and Octavia. I'll always have them, just like I'll always have you."

She looked up and saw Lexa smiling down at her sadly. "Thank you for assuring me that. I have to go now, but I need you to remember something else. When I was teaching the other nightbloods, do you remember what I told them when we dismissed the class?"

"Uh, yeah...you told them to train hard and remember that they are each worthy of their nightblood."

"Exactly. Dakota, you may not have been born a true nightblood, but that doesn't make you unworthy of carrying it now. In fact, there's more required to being Heda than just having different colored liquid running through your veins. Its not just our blood that makes us worthy of being Commander over our people, and that's what you need to realize. In fact, I would say that it's your only lesson left to learn for your training."

Kota, a bit speechless, nodded in reply as she watched Lexa unsheathe her sword and acknowledge Clarke's presence. While the two girls briefly chatted, Dakota looked behind them and noticed that Roan was already charging for the Commander. However, Lexa quickly turned around just in time and caught his sword with hers, before slicing him along his back as he passed.

The prince let out a hiss before advancing on her once more. Their swords continued clashing together as they danced along the center of the arena, before Roan's strength ended up forcing Lexa to her knees as their swords stayed connected.

"You're done." He sneered, out of breath.

His words failed to faze the Commander, and she completely caught him and everyone else off guard when she grabbed the end of his blade with her left hand, causing fresh black blood to ooze out of her palm and in-between her fingers.

She managed to force his sword upwards, before hitting him in the chin with the hilt of her own. The impact caused Roan to stumble back as a mixture of blood and saliva flew from his mouth. However, he bounced back quick and ran over to her, with the aim to strike her. As he came closer, Lexa managed to catch the first swing, and dodge the second, but then the prince suddenly grabbed her arm and kicked the back of her knees, causing her to fall to the ground. He wasted no time in smacking the sword out of her grip and kicking it away, but she quickly slammed her fists into his knees, bringing him down with her. She then stood up and kneed him in the chin with so much force and aggression that Kota was surprised his teeth were still in tact.

Lexa picked up her sword, AND his, and made a showy display of twirling them around before landing in a fighting stance. Her sister was no longer standing scared on the sidelines, but rather, she was cheering and jumping up and down like a fangirl. Roan stood without a weapon, and looked around the arena aimlessly. His eyes suddenly caught sight of one of the guardsmen standing to the side, before he suddenly ran over and punched him, stealing his spear. He too, gave it a good few unnecessary twirls, before charging at the Commander once more. 

They continued advancing on each other, delivering blows and allowing their weapons to clash simultaneously, until Roan managed to catch his spear between both of her blades and knock one out of her hand. She tried to swing the other, but he proved to be superior and jerked that one away as well, now leaving her to be the one weaponless.

Realizing that, Dakota looked around the arena in a panic, searching for any weapon that she could get her hands on. She even reached for her own sword in an attempt to throw it to her, however, she remembered that she unfortunately left it back in the tower. She turned her attention back towards the two fighters, just in time to see the prince kick Lexa square in the chest, causing her to fly down to the ground on her back. Both Kota and Clarke gasped from the sidelines, as did everybody else in the crowd. Even Titus had stood up frantically. It suddenly grew quiet and almost felt like everything was moving in slow motion.

As Roan sauntered over to the Commander, it may have even seemed like that was the end for Lexa and maybe this fight was about to end sooner than they all thought. However, Dakota had faith in her sister, and knew all too well that she was relentless. So, it was no surprise to her when Lexa stared up at the prince in nothing but complete observation and utter concentration.

She still had so much fight left in her that it was drowning out every distraction and thought that entered her mind. She was only focused on one thing, and that was the young brunette standing somewhere in the sidelines amidst the chaos. She wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet, and she would be damned if she let some prince come in and destroy the very relationship that she had worked so hard to rebuild.

Which is why Lexa wasn't about to give up. When Roan brought his spear down to jab her throat, she timed it perfectly and rolled out of the way, causing the blade to hit the concrete. She then swung her legs around and caught him in the knee, flipping him onto his back.

They both scrambled to their feet, and Lexa even performed a little cartwheel, before she ducked away from the prince swinging his weapon at her again.

Growing frustrated and impatient, Roan just started swinging his spear left and right randomly, until Lexa managed to catch it under her arm and smack him so he let it go. She turned the spear on him and sliced him in the leg, which brought him to his knees, before she hit his face with the end of it. The crowd was in a complete frenzy over the way she took control back over the situation. With one last strike, she connected the spear to his chin, smacking him onto his back and allowing more blood to sputter out from his bruised lips.

Both warriors were out of breath, as Lexa stood over him, aiming the spear at his throat.

"GYON OP!" [GET UP!] Queen Nia shouted as she jumped up from her throne. "Taim yu wan op, taim yu mou na wan op kom hainofa! Yu wan bushhada!" [If you die, you don't die a prince! You die a coward!] She spat.

Roan frowned at her words, but kept his gaze locked on Lexa's. "Get it over with." He mumbled, in annoyance.

And so, Lexa did just that.

"Jus drein jus daun." She recited, before surprising everyone greatly when she hurled the spear at Nia instead, pinning her to the throne.

The crowd was completely flabbergasted at the sudden sight before them, while some even chose to scream out in shock. But within an instant, silence pierced the air. Lexa had just declared that blood must have blood, and she got exactly that. Whether it was an act of true justice, or just an act of revenge, it didn't matter. Her actions were requited nonetheless.

Queen Nia was finally dead. The very same woman who murdered the Commander's lover in the most tragic of ways, and robbed Lexa of experiencing what the wonderful feelings of love could be like. The one who's habitual threats forced her to give up the only member of her family that she had left, forcing her to turn into someone that treated love like it was the most deadliest of weapons.

It was a very special moment for Dakota as well. The woman that was sitting emotionless in the throne ahead of her not only caused her both pain and hidden fear, but she also knew that Nia had did a much greater deal towards her sister. A few months ago, Kota was able to slay one of her demons by killing Cage, and now, after years of ongoing anguish, Lexa finally slayed hers, and Kota couldn't be any more prouder.

"THE QUEEN IS DEAD!" The Commander bellowed, as everyone stood in silence, clearly still dumbfounded. She then looked down at Roan, who was still laying on the ground. "LONG LIVE THE KING."

Those four words were all it took for people to erupt in a celebratory cry. "Long live the king!" They all shouted in unison, before switching over to chanting Heda over and over again.

Lexa looked over to her small personal fan-club that consisted of her sister, Clarke and Aden, and all of them had different expressions on their face, yet, relief and pride were the most prominent.

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Meanwhile, back at Arkadia things were slowly starting to fall apart at the seams. Pike, Bellamy and those still left of Farm Station, all banded together to wreak havoc on the army of grounders that were outside of their walls. The very same army that Lexa sent to keep them protected, and that certainly meant the Sky People no harm. However, Pike wasn't convinced of their good merits, and even influenced Bellamy to think the same way while the boy was still feeling guilty over the destruction of Mount Weather, and the loss of his girlfriend.

When night fell, they all marched towards the front gates in order to complete their shameless mission. Their footsteps held nothing but determination as they treaded through the mud, but when they finally reached the gates, Lincoln, Monroe, and Harper stood in their way, preventing them from leaving camp.

"You need to step aside, right now." Bellamy warned them. His face was stone cold, showing no signs of a change in his new attitude.

"What are the guns for?" Harper questioned him.

"There's an army out there. We need to hit them before they hit us."

"That army was sent to protect us." Lincoln reminded him, and if looks could kill, then Bellamy and Pike would surely be weighted six feet under the ground by his heavy glare.

"Do we have a problem?" Pike asked, taking a threatening step forward.

"No." Bellamy muttered, before looking back at the three of them. "I have always done what is best for us. I need you to trust that I am doing that now."

Lincoln stood his ground even when the other two gave up and put their trust in Bellamy. He wasn't going to let anymore innocent lives perish, especially, not his people.

"You wanna prove you're one of us?" Pike stared up at him, his patience running thin. "Then let us pass."

Lincoln's frown deepened. "I'm not moving." He firmly stated.

His words caused Gillmer, one of Pike's followers, to immediately cock his gun and aim it at him. "Get out of the way, Grounder." He threatened, but Lincoln quickly disarmed him with an elbow to the face. He then put him in a headlock and held a knife up to his throat, causing the rest of them to aim their guns on him as well.

"Put your guns down!" Bellamy shouted, and after Pike told them to listen, they hesitantly lowered them.

"So much for the good grounder." Monty's mother mumbled.

"Quiet, Hannah." Pike scolded her, before facing Lincoln once more, who still had Gillmer struggling in his grip. "Whose people are you defending here, Lincoln?"

Bellamy looked at him concerningly too. "Lincoln, put down the knife. No one has to get hurt here."

"I can't let you start a war."

"We're already at war." Pike and Bellamy both explained. "You can't stop this."

Just then, an alarm blared and a voice cut in on the camp's PA: "ALL ARKADIA SECURITY PERSONNEL, REPORT TO THE MAIN GATE. ALL ARKADIA PERSONEL, REPORT TO THE MAIN GATE NOW."

Octavia was the first one to arrive on the scene, and she ran straight to Lincoln's side before turning to glare at her brother. "What's wrong with you?" She questioned him. Soon enough, Kane, Abby and other members of the guard joined them so that they could disperse their little group.

"Calm down, people." Pike called out to his peers. "Farm Station. Guns on the ground." They all listened to their leader, and Lincoln finally released Gillmer once Kane gave him the go ahead.

Abby marched straight up to Pike. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What you didn't have the guts to." He spat.

"Guards, take them to lockup. Now." The chancellor bellowed, and the guards quickly restrained all of the members of Farm Station, including Bellamy and Pike. "Everybody else, back to your quarters. It's over."

"Nothing is over!" Pike declared, trying to cause a scene. "We are surrounded by warriors who want us dead."

"That's enough!" Kane shouted.

"No, it isn't! Not even close! Why don't you show us all what you let the grounders do to you yesterday?" He mocked, sparking the people's interest while Marcus glared at him. "Come on, Kane. I think that the people who are about to vote for you have a right to know."

When the others urged him to show what exactly Pike was talking about, Kane finally rolled up his sleeve and raised his arm so that his wrist was on display for everyone to see. There, already starting to heal on his flesh, was the brand he was given only the night before.

"It's the mark of the Commander's coalition." He informed the crowd. "It means we are the 13th clan. It means we are in this fight together."

"No." Pike instantly shook his head. "It's what farmers used to do to their livestock."

"Right before the slaughterhouse!" Hannah cut in once more, making those around her voice their agreement.

"Sir, you should be on the ballot tomorrow." Gillmer suggested, and a lot of people approved of that idea too.

"Yeah, we're with you, Pike."

"I vote for Pike!"

And when Abby finally told the guards to take them away, Bellamy even started to chant his name, causing others to quickly follow suit and do the same. Octavia just stood their with confusion and betrayal written all over her face as she watched her brother being taken away with the others.

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The next morning, at sunrise, Kane and two guards marched down the halls and corridors of the Ark, until they were standing in front of the holding cell where Pike, Bellamy, Hannah, and the other's were. Once the door was unlocked, he entered with a face void of any emotion.

"Congratulations." He stated, as Pike stood up. "Mr. Chancellor."

"Where's