"I'm the one who's in control."
-Little Mix

9.

"So, what exactly are you trying to do?" I ask Monty as we enter the chancellors room. He goes onto explain whatever it is he wanted to do again but he started using terms that I could not understand.

"You want to speak English?" I say as I take a seat in a chair by Jasper.

"He means he's going to use the fire extinguishing foam to spurt out once Clarke opens the door. My idea, his brain." Jasper explains. My eyes widen.

"Why the hell are we doing this?" I question them.

"Because Clarke needs to loosen up." Jasper says.

"I need something to pry open the keypad." Monty states and Jasper pulls a pen from the desk and tosses it to him.

"This will just make her angry, you do know that right?" I ask. I watch Monty start unplugging wires and connecting things.

"Why does Clarke have a list of 100 names?" I turn to see Jasper holding up sheets of paper and my heart stops. I was planning on telling him soon especially after our little talk in the rain today.

"I think we should go, she's going to be back soon." Monty says coming over to us and trying to take the paper away from jasper. I stand up as soon as Jasper does.

"What is this?" He asks.

"Just put it away, Jasper." Monty reaches for the paper again but Jasper works his way around the desk. I get in front of him so he can't go anywhere.

"Guys, talk to me. What is it?"

I look to Monty and he sighs.

"The ship will only save 100 people. Guess Clarke made a list."

"You didn't tell me?" He looks to me, "neither of you told me."

"Jasper, we couldn't." I say as Monty says, "Clarke has a plan."

"Clarke lied to our faces. And now you're defending her?" He aims his question towards Monty.

"What do you care? You made it pretty clear you're planning to die."

"Yeah. But that's my choice to make, not Clarke's."

"Stop! You're not going to die, Jasper. Clarke made the list for back up in case we couldn't find another solution. I don't like it, I hate it but what are we going to do?" I ask him.

He shakes his head, "so Clarke's deciding who's worth saving." He looks at the list a little while longer before he lets out a small laugh.

"And you're not." He says to Monty.

"What?" Me and Monty say at the same time. Jasper hands the paper over to Monty.

"Clarke thinks your expendable." Expendable. That word throws me back to the day when I woke up in the drop ship after being sedated. I remember Jaha saying our crimes made us expendable. I remember hating the word, we did bad things yes, but it did not mean we did not matter. Is Clarke our new Jaha?

A beep interrupts me from my thoughts

Clarke walks in and Monty tries to warn her but it's too late and the foam is being blasted in her face.

"Really?" Clarke yells and picks up a rag to wipe her face.

"Told you she was going to be pissed." I whisper to them. Monty glares at me and I just shrug.

"I found your list. I guess we know who really matters to you." Jasper says walking over to her.

"You're not God, Clarke. You don't get to decide who lives or dies." He adds.

"The list is a backup-"

"Well then I guess you don't mind if I tell everyone then, right?" He goes over to the speaker.

"Jasper, no!" I try to block him as Clarke begs him.

"Is there a fire? Everything alright?" Millers dad walks in along with a few other guards.

"Not for you. You're not on the list." Jasper says. I sigh, this will end badly. I take a second to realize what he just said. Millers dad isn't on the list, Miller is going to be devastated. Hell, is Miller even on the list? Part of me wants to know everyone who's on the list but I have a feeling I'm not going to like what I see. Maybe ignorance really is bliss.

Jasper pushes me out of the way and starts to talk in the speaker.

"Attention Arkadia, I have an announcement-" He doesn't get to finish what he's saying as Clarke jabs the electric wand into his side making him fall to the ground. I quickly crouch down to make sure he's okay.

"He broke into the chancellors office. Lock him up. I'm acting on the authority of chancellor Kane." Millers dad nods to the other guards and they come pick him up.

"Hey! Wait! We're in here too, you're not going to lock me up, Clarke?" I stand up as they lift Jasper up and carry him out leaving just us three.

"Taylor-"

"What, Clarke? You know I was fine with whatever you were doing because I believe in you but this, what you just did, I don't know if I know who you are anymore. Jaha did the same exact thing to your dad, and now you're standing here doing the same exact thing to Jasper. Why was it right then but wrong now?" I don't let her answer the question as I push past her and walk out.

"Hey, you doing alright? Do you need help with anything?" I ask Harper. I came to the loading deck to see what I could help with. I just wanted to get my mind off that stupid list.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" She smirks as she moves things around.

"No, I don't think so." I shake my head. She rolls her eyes.

"Is Bellamy back yet?" She asks.

I shake my head. He was suppose to be back hours ago. I gave him the befit of the doubt thinking maybe him and Stephens were just running late but now I was starting to get worried.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon, he-"

"Clarke! Taylor! Help!" I turn to my right to see Jack leading a man carrying Octavia in.

I quickly run over to them and have the unknown man place her on the table.

"What happened? Who are you?" I question him as I check Octavia's heart rate. Her eyes are open but her breathing was very erratic.

"There's a stab wound in her belly. She's soaked in blood." Jack says.

"I'm Ilian kom trishanakru. I was on my way home from Polis when I found her." He explains.

"Get her to medical, now!" I tell Monty and Jack. They nod and Monty goes to get a stretcher. Octavia tries to move but I stop her and try to calm her down.

She starts talking but it all sounds very mumbled but finally I can make out what she's saying.

"Azgeda is coming. Army...is...marching. War is here." She says taking quick breaths.

"Take her, now!" I tell them. Clarke comes running in at the exact moment they start to carry her away and she comes up to me.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Azgeda is coming."

"Okay, we station gunners against the wall that way we can thin their numbers before they get a chance to close the distance." Millers dad says pointing to the map.

"And when they get close?" I ask him.

"Hydrazine. We buried what was left in the engines when we landed. It's being dug up right now. We're going to pour it into the trenches. All we have to do is spread it in front of the outer wall then when the army gets close-"

"We light 'em up." Riley says.

"You want to light a fire outside the ship we just spent the last month getting ready?" Monty butts in.

"That's not happening, any word from Kane?" Clarke says.

"No, but Jaha found the cargo truck 12 hours out. No sign of Bellamy or Stephens." Monty looks to me when he says it and my heart drops. He has to be okay, I know he's okay.

"I have to speak to Roan, something happened, some misunderstanding." She shakes her head in confusion.

"Clarke, if he wanted to talk he wouldn't be bringing an army. He's done talking." I state.

"Yeah, but there's only one way to get here from Polis. I'll ride out and meet him."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Millers dad speaks up. I walk forward.

"No, it could work. They think we don't know that they're coming. We have the upperhand. We need to use it, but you're not going alone." I say.

"If they raise their weapons, that's your signal to make ourselves known with our lasers. Fingers off the trigger, we don't need any accidental shots getting us all killed." I explain through the walkie. I was in charge of everyone with a gun, considering it was my idea and Clarke told me to lead them.

I laid with Monty, Harper, Riley, Jack, and Millers dad on one side of the cliff and a few other guards were on the other side. Azgeda had already started to come into view and finally they were almost below us as they stopped once they spotted Clarke.

"We need to talk." Clarke shouts.

"A little late for that." Roan says.

"Archers, target Wanheda!" Roan commands his army and they all raise their bows up.

"Now." I say into the walkie. Suddenly, Roan has green lasers on his chest.

Roan looks up at us and his army starts to get frantic.

"Remember, no one fires unless fired upon. These people are not the enemy, the radiation is." I say through the walkie. Roan says something to Echo and suddenly two people who are tied up and have sacks over their heads are being pushed forward. They put them on their knees and take off the clothes. My heart stops seeing Bellamy and Kane.

"Ten minutes, that's all I ask." She tries again. Roan gets off his horse and walks forward her way and she starts to walk away too.

I snap out of my trance of seeing Bellamy in their midst and I do what I need to do. Lead.

"Okay, shooters, let the king go. Targets on Echo and the two by Bellamy and Kane." I say into the walkie. They follow my orders. Except I still see one green light on Roans head.

"Wait, who's still targeting Roan?" I ask and raise my scope up to see where it's coming from. Riley.

"God damnit, Riley. Your target is the army, let him go." I say into the walkie. I know he can hear me but he chooses to ignore me.

"Riley, she's negotiating with him. Take your target off him, now!" I say.

"Negotiating with these people is a waste of time. We have the high ground and we have the guns. We should just take them out."

"We stick to the plan, Riley. Don't make the first bullet that goes off go into you because so help me I will shoot you if you even try anything unrelated to the plan. They have two of our own down there, if we fire first they will be the first to die. Do not shoot. Do I make myself clear, Riley?" I look through my scope to see him still set on the king. I hold my breath until finally he stops targeting.

"Crystal clear." He says into the headpiece.

A/N:

Who likes Taylor taking charge again? I know I do!!

100K READS ON QUEEN?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

I can't thank you guys enough honestly. Your support means the absolute world to me and it makes me happy every time I get on this app and see more reads and even more comments. I didn't know how well this book was going to do I just wanted to share my writing and I never did care about the reads because I continued to write regardless. But I'm so grateful for all the reads I do have on Queen and the rest of them. I've also been receiving messages that are full of love for my books/writing and it seriously makes my day reading those messages. Thanks for going out of your way to message me and tell me how much you love Queen and the rest of the books! And for the ones who like/read my books in silence, I appreciate you just as much. ❤️

I know it sucks when I can't update or I don't update for awhile because I'm extremely busy with school but thank you for sticking with me to go along on this journey with me, Taylor and Bellamy. And of course the rest of the gang.

So thanks times a million!!!!

Much love, xoxo