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chapter eleven, Death to The Commander

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NOVA FOUND OUT THAT EMERSON'S FATE HAS BEEN CHOSEN and she made her way to Lexa's throne room where people are playing drums. Emerson stands half-naked, still chained in the middle of the room, and Clarke watches from off to the side.

Lexa enters surrounded by guards and crosses to stand in front of her throne. She raises her hand, and the drums stop immediately. Nova walks over to Clarke and greets her by putting on a fake smile as she stood off to the side.

"We come together tonight as we have countless times before to watch a man die. Wanheda" Lexa speaks up looking over to Clarke who looks Nova for reassurance. Nova sends Clarke a sweet smile and Clarke takes a deep breath as Lexa hands a knife to a guard who moves to stand in front of Emerson holding it out for Clarke.

Nova looks around the room and spots Iris, but Iris doesn't notice her. She sees a weird look in Iris's eyes as she sees death awaiting. It's almost a happy look but Nova took her eyes off Iris and looked back at Clarke taking a deep breath.

"Vengeance is yours" Lexa states and Clarke crosses down to in front of Emerson and looks at the knife before turning to the rest of the room.

"No" Clarke calls out and Nova clears her throat, looking to Clarke.

There are murmurs throughout the crowd. The guard with the knife returns to Lexa and Clarke turns to Emerson.

"I don't know if your death would bring me peace. I just know I don't deserve it" Clarke states and Nova smiles proud of her, but the smile drops immediately after Nova begins to think about the people she's killed. Did those death bring her peace? Did she deserve them?

Titus crosses down to Clarke, furious and Nova immediately walks beside Clarke to have her back. "This man must die. If Skaikru will not take his life, then Heda will!" Titus shouts and Nova looks Titus up and down.

"Heda, knows how to speak for herself so back off" Nova says.

"What the hell is this?" Emerson questions. "I wouldn't be killing you for what you've done. I'd be killing you for what I've done. I give this man his life. Blood must not have blood" Clarke says and Emerson's eyes widen in fear. Emerson screams and the crowd begins to murmur.

"Silence! The crimes of the Mountain cannot be answered by one man. Wanheda knows this. Her actions show us a promise for a new future-" Lexa states looking around at the crowd as everyone looks up to her on her throne.

"A world in which violence does not always answer violence. A world in which our children can flourish without the shadow of death. This prisoner is banished from my land. He will live, but he will live with the ghosts of those he has lost" Lexa finishes and a smile appears on Clarke's face as she notices Lexa is taking her advice. Clarke steps closer to Emerson while Titus watches.

"May you live forever" Clarke states as Emerson looks to Clarke in fear and is dragged out of the room. Leaving an angry Titus in the room.

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IT WAS THE NEXT DAY and Nova still hasn't talked to Iris about what she confessed. Not that Nova wanted to all to, but Nova needed more details.

To get her mind off of everything she went to Lexa's throne room with Clarke to see the other night-bloods on Ascension Day. "We gather here on this Ascension Day to honor the Commanders that came before me, those who live on within me, as I would live on within one of you" Lexa says making Nova smile as she looked at the little kids before her until shouting was heard and grounders walked inside the throne room.

"The Flame keeper promised we would be heard!" A man shouted angrily as Titus walked in. "Titus? What is this?" Lexa questions demandingly.

"Something you need to hear, Heda" Titus states as they push Octavia forward.

"Octavia!" Clarke and Nova about worriedly in unison.

"Forgive me for intruding on this holy day, Commander. I am Semet of Trikru and I come seeking justice" Semet says apologizing.

"Explain yourself. Why do you hold Octavia of Skaikru prisoner?" Lexa questions angrily.

"She is a prisoner of war, Commander- brought here to bear witness to the crimes of her people" Semet states and Nova furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

"What crimes? What happened?" Nova questions stepping forward until Clarke held her back.

"Skaikru attacked their village. Because their warriors were lost and your people massacred the army we sent to protect you, their village were defenseless" Titus says as Nova looks over to an angry Lexa.

"Please Commander. I beg you. Avenge us" Semet begs as the grounders chant 'blood must have blood'. "You will show respect in this chamber!" Titus shouts at the grounders. Lexa marches out the throne room with Clarke and Titus following leaving Nova in the room with angry grounders.

"Okay! Everyone should calm down!" Nova shouts but they overpower her. Nova lets out a sigh as this goes on for multiple minutes until Lexa, Titus and Clarke march back in the throne room. Lexa going straight to her throne and raises her hand to quiet the Grounders.

"Today I call upon the armies of the 12 Clans to march on Arkadia. Not to attack, but to contain. We will blockade the 13th Clan. We will keep them from the lands they wish to possess. We will give them time to take out their leaders from within. Once they rise up against them, then we will welcome them back as one of us" Lexa states and Nova nods on the side looking to Octavia.

"You heard the Commander. Send riders. Tell your armies to set up a buffer zone around Arkadia. 5 miles should be enough to keep them away from our villages. What are their orders, heda?" Titus asks and everyone looks to Lexa.

"Any Skaikru caught across the line will be subject to a kill order" Lexa states and Nova, Octavia and Clarke all look to each other in shock.

"Lexa- Heda- Are you serious? A kill order?" Nova questions and Lexa looks down to Nova.

"I'm sorry, Aren't you a part of my clan. You take orders from me. Or do you want to be a part of Skaikru?" Lexa asks and Nova scoffs.

"You can't give me an ultimatum. What you're doing is wrong" Nova states.

"I can give whatever I want and it's not wrong" Lexa argues turning back to the group of grounders. "Heda, I do not understand, how is this vengeance?" Semet asks and Lexa sighs

"That is not vengeance, my brother. It is justice" Lexa states as she looks over to a confused Nova with a deadly look.

"Skaikru killed my son, and my brother, and my wife! If the spirit of the Commander will not protect us! Then what will?" Semet argues and Titus puts his hand up. "Mind yourself" Titus demands.

"Death to the commander!" Semet shouts and Nova looks over to Lexa.

"Justice, right? They want you dead" Nova says and Lexa takes a deep breath then looks back at the group of grounders who hold Octavia when Semet and Titus begin to fight and Titus stabs Semet killing him.

"Blood must have blood" Titus mumbles, looking into the scared faces of other Trikru grounders. Nova and Clarke rush over to Octavia and untie the ropes around her wrist.

"Let's go" Clarke says as her and Nova guide Octavia out of the throne room and into Clarke's bedroom.

"No wonder you wanted to stay" Octavia says looking around the room.

"Stop. You know why I'm here. Are you okay?" Clarke asks and Octavia nods her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I saw Indra in the crowd. Why wasn't she with Lexa?" Octavia says as Nova sighs.

"I heard she isn't doing too well" Nova answers and Clarke clears her throat.

"We can't deal with that right now" Clarke states and Octavia furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

"Okay, so what do we do?" Octavia questions and Clarke shrugs. "I'll talk to Lexa" Clarke states and Octavia chuckles.

"You just did that, and she came out with a kill order on all of us. That's the second time that she left us all to die" Octavia argues and Clarke pushes her hair out of her face tiredly. "The 12 Clans want a war. You know that. Lexa is just trying not to wipe us out" Clarke says defending Lexa.

"Why am I not surprised that you are still defending her?" Octavia questions. "Okay, Let's just see what Clarke can do" Nova states and Octavia rolls her eyes.

"You have nothing to worry about your Trikru, right?" Octavia asks and Nova furrows her eyebrows.

"I was only using the Trikru name for power. Lexa made the choice to let me in the clan" Nova argues and Octavia scoffs.

"Whatever, you'll just leave again for three months. Maybe you should make your own clan," Octavia spat, her words slicing through the room like a blade.

Nova let out an annoyed scoff, the sting of Octavia's accusation hitting hard. "Okay! I'm going to see what I can do. Please stay here!" Clarke interjected, her voice firm as she walked out of the room, leaving an uncomfortable silence between Octavia and Nova.

"I'm out," Octavia declared, storming out and slamming the door behind her. The sound echoed, leaving Nova alone with her frustration.

Nova's fists tightened, her knuckles white with tension. She kicked over a chair, the crash reverberating through the empty room. A scream tore from her throat, raw and filled with the pain she had been holding back.

Breathing heavily, Nova leaned over a table, tears spilling from her eyes in uncontrollable waves. She sobbed quietly, the weight of her emotions pressing down on her. After a few moments, she stood up straight, taking deep breaths to steady herself. She wiped her tears away, the sadness still lingering but masked by a façade of strength and bravery.