❝ 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲
𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂
𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 ❞
- 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝘀

𝗔𝘃𝗮'𝘀 𝗣𝗢𝗩

"Here they are" Titus huffs out as Clarke and I approach the throne where he is stood with Lexa.

"It's nice to see you too" I quip sarcastically and he narrows his eyes at me.

"You wanted to see us, Commander?" Clarke speaks up.

"Yes. I need to discuss the fate of The Last Mountain Man" Lexa tells us, referring to Carl Emerson who was delivered at our feet last night by King Roan.

"I believe he deserves death" Titus declares.

"They can speak for themselves, Titus" Lexa snaps at him.

"Titus is right" Clarke counters and I raise a brow at the blonde for her hypocritical reply.

"You see? It is human nature to need vengeance" Titus proves his point to Lexa and I roll my eyes "Only once satiated can there be peace. That is our way"

"That was our way" Lexa corrects the man before looking at me "What do you think, Ava?"

"I say let him rot for the rest of his miserable life. He deserves to live with his mistakes forever" I declare confidently, shooting Titus a pointed look and Lexa nods at me, clearly happier with my answer than with my friend's.

"Clarke...So blood must not have blood applies only when it is my people who bleed?" Lexa questions the blonde at my side.

"That was about stopping a war. This is about finishing one" Clarke argues.

"I'm sorry, but if you want my advice, I agree with Titus" She continues, not changing her answer and I share a frown with Lexa "He deserves to die for what he did"

"I'm not looking for advice. I'm looking for a decision" Lexa retorts bluntly.

"He was gifted to you two. Crime he stands charged with is against your people" Titus looks between me and Clarke.

"So what will it be, then, Clarke... banishment from our lands forever or death by forty nine cuts from your hand?" Lexa drawls off, glancing at me with a look of pleading and I know what she needs me to do "You have till sundown to decide"

Lexa leaves with Titus and Clarke turns to me, the expression on her face one of someone who is struggling with what to do.

"Maybe it's time we speak to the man himself" I suggest and my blonde friend nods.

"I think you're right" She sighs and we head for the door.

"I'm often right" I chirp smugly and Clarke rolls her eyes at me with a small smile.

Clarke and I make our way through the ruined hallways of the tower until we reach one of the lower rooms where Carl Emerson is being kept. The two guard at the door see us coming and open the doors for us, allowing us inside.

When we enter the room we find Emerson chained up to a metal pole by his neck, a bag over his head and his wrists bound behind his back. Clarke steps forward and removes the material from his head, letting the man adjust to the light in the room briefly.

"Carl Emerson, Mount Weather security detail" Clarke formally announces.

"I've heard what they call you both now...Wanheda, Commander of Death" He sneers at Clarke before looking to me "Wanlida, Bringer of Death...Executioner"

"I'd say it's nice to see you, but I'm trying not to lie as much as I used to" I comment with a disgusted look.

"I should've known it was you who told them how to destroy the mountain" Clarke narrows her eyes at the man.

"I didn't destroy Mount Weather. You did" Emerson retorts "381 people...182 men, 173 women, 26 children"

"Two of them were mine" He adds and I lower my gaze to my boots, guilt eating at my gut.

"Your president gave us no choice" Clarke defends our actions and the man lets out a loud wail of rage.

Clarke stumbles backwards a little in fright at his outburst, making him smirk in triumph and I step partly in front of her protectively.

"What's the matter, You don't like to be faced with your demons?" Emerson taunts and I scowl at him.

"If you want mercy, you better start begging" I warn him and he laughs in my face, surprising me.

"I don't want mercy. I want revenge" He argues "I want you to suffer the same way that I've suffered"

"Come on, Ava" Clarke starts pulling me to the door.

"You can kill me. You can never escape what you did" Emerson calls out after us as we walk away.

"My pain ends today! Yours has just begun!" He screams before the doors shut and anger runs through my bones, begging to be released on someone or something.

Clarke and I reach the end of the hall and when she notices me turning left instead of right to go back to our rooms she grabs my arm, stopping me.

"Where are you going?" She asks in confusion.

"I was told that there was a sparring room this way. I need to let off some steam" I explain to her and she nods in understanding.

"Do you want me to go with you?" She offers and I smile warmly, patting her hand that is still on my arm.

"I'm good, blondie. I've got to clear my head" I assure her and she smiles back at me.

"Be careful" She warns me.

"Of course" I wink at her and she shakes her head with a smile, heading back to her room.

I follow the directions that Sylva had given me earlier today and I quickly find a dimly lit room that is filled with equipment from weapons to mats on the floor and targets around the area.

Having left my own sword and bow in my room, I opt for a sword on the wall that looks a bit like my own. It's heavy in my hands when I pull it down and I swing it a little, testing the weight in my grip.

When I get situated with the weapon, I start going through the drills that Nova would make me go through during lessons and I take out my over flowing anger on a wooden mannequin.

The more I hack at the wooden figure in front of me the more that I start to see a face that isn't here, in my imagination the dummy is six foot of tanned skin covered in freckles with a head of dark curls.

Not being able to contain it, a raw scream slips from my throat and I strike the wood with such aggression that it surprises me. I stumble away from the dummy, the sword suddenly feeling much heavier in my hands.

A low whistle behind me pulls me from my thoughts and I spin around in surprise, gripping tighter on the weapon in my hands as I point it at the intruder. Mere inches from the tip of my blade is the ruggedly handsome face of Roan who is smirking at me and holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"You seem tense, Wanlida" He comments as I lower the sword.

"Ava" I correct with a huff "My name is Ava"

"Tired of the title already?" He questions.

"Mostly just tired" I reply bluntly, walking back over to the wall where I place the sword back "What brings a king like yourself here?"

"I was making sure you received my gift" He answers and I turn to him with a brow raised.

"You came all this way to see that we got Emerson?" I scoff, not believing him.

"That's not the gift I was referring to" He chuckles as if he knows something I don't "You clearly haven't a clue what I'm talking about"

"You got me a gift?" I question in surprise and he nods.

"It should be waiting for you in your room" He informs me.

"You shouldn't have. That's very kind of you" I decide to not be a raging bitch and his lips tug up into a smile.

"I believe that a beautiful woman deserves all of the best things" Roan flirts smoothly and I can't help the blush that coats my cheeks.

"Are you flirting with me, Your Royal Highness?" I narrow my eyes at the man and he grins cheekily, stepping towards me.

"I may have heard that you are not longer spoken for" He admits with a slight shrug, glancing at the mannequin I hacked up "I can only imagine he is who you were thinking of when you did that"

"Who told you that?" I avoid his observation and he allows me to.

"Clarke" He replies simply and I roll my eyes.

of course she did

I pull my hair up into a messy ponytail, securing it with an elastic and then brush off splinters from my clothes.

"Speaking of my dear friend, I must go and convince her not to act on her homicidal urges" I tell the man in front of me and he smiles in amusement as I make a move to walk past him to the door.

"What a good friend you are" He teases, wrapping his hand around my ponytail and gently tugging me back.

I stumble backwards in surprise and although he didn't hurt me, I shoot a glare at him and slap his hand away from my hair.

"That wasn't very gentleman like of you, was it?" I snap at him in frustration.

"I don't think I ever claimed to be a gentleman, strik fayafly" He retorts, his voice low and husky in a way that makes my mouth go dry.

It takes a moment of stunned silence for me to comprehend the nickname i've been given and I smile up at him.

"Little firefly, really?" I question him and he just smirks, reaching up to brush his knuckles across my cheek.

"I think it's a fitting name for someone as small but as bright and mesmerising as you are" He explains himself and I think I stop breathing at his words.

Neither of us speak for a moment, just basking in the other's full undivided attention and in the man's presence I seem to forget about all of my problems, everything else just kind of floating away.

Before I can get too comfortable with the king, a loud knock startles us and I jump away from the man as if he burned me. He frowns at me, but I look straight to the door where Clarke is stood with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry to interrupt. I need to steal Ava" Clarke speaks up and I nod at her, grateful to escape the tension in the room right now.

"Not a problem" Roan grits out, trying to hide his annoyance "Until next time, Wanlida"

"It was nice to see you, Roan" I smile politely at the man, who smiles back before I dart out of the room and drag Clarke with me.

"Did I interrupt something?" Clarke laughs as I tug her down the hallway.

"Shut the fuck up" I groan dramatically.