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chapter seven, The Queen Is Dead

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CLARKE AND NOVA COLLECTED THEMSELVES and Nova put her weapons back on. "I'm going to talk to Roan. Stay here" Clarke says and Nova scoffs and stops Clarke.

"Talk to him about what?" Nova questions standing in front of Clarke.

"To stop all of this" Clarke states and doesn't give Nova enough time to answer before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her. Nova sighs and looks over on a nightstand beside Clarke's bed.

Nova walks over to the nightstand, spotting a small bottle with a liquid substance. Nova opens the tiny bottle and sniffs it letting out a harsh cough before realizing its poison.

A thought came into Nova's head, and she looked at her sleeve. "Bind ourselves in blood" Nova mumbled to herself before taking the liquid substance and placing some on the sleeve of her jacket.

Nova took a deep breath and walked out the room seeing a grounder walk past. "Hey, where would I find Nia's chambers?" Nova asked and the grounder took her where Nia was placed but left when they got to close.

Nova walked up to the door and knocked twice. The door opened quickly, and a man answered looking Nova up and down.

"State your clan" The man demanded, and Nova sighed. "Nova Kom Trikru. I need to speak with Queen Nia" Nova stated and the man let Nova in and walked her to where Queen Nia was eating.

"Nova Kom Trikru wants to speak my queen" The man stated, and Nia chuckled to herself as a girl served her wine in her cup. The girl looked Nova up and down before walking around the table and keeping a distance from the queen by standing up against the wall.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Queen Nia asks as she eats. "What if Clarke changed her vote? Would you give her safety? What would happen?" Nova asks frantically and Nia raises her eyebrows.

"If Clarke we're to change her vote, I'd give her what she asked. If I wanted to but since she isn't here to tell me herself, I won't" Nia states going back to eating her food.

"But does this have to happen before or after the battle?" Nova questions and Queen Nia sighs and ignores Nova. Nova gets mad and takes the knife Queen Nia was eating with and slams it on the table.

"Give me your word and tell me Clarke and Skaikru will be safe if Iris wins this battle" Nova says walking around the table and looking Nia in the eyes.

"Someone doesn't have much faith in Iris" Queen Nia says as she stands to her feet now looking down to Nova.

"Tell me. Would Clarke want vengeance for what happened at Mt. Weather?" Queen Nia asked, and Nova looked Nia in the eyes and took a deep breath.

"Honestly. Her priority is with the living not the dead so no" Nova states tilting her head as she stares at Queen Nia. "Tell me, would you?" Nia says taking a step forward making Nova to take a step back.

"No" Nova states honestly not cracking a smile, a blink, nothing. Nia stepped back and cleared her throat. "I want your word" Nova stated as she picked up the knife and cut into the middle of her palm.

"We bind ourselves in blood."

"If Clarke wants safety for anyone. Give it to her" Nova demands as she puts her hand out leaving blood on the floor. Nova then wipes the blade twice, once on each side, on the sleeve of her shirt, then stabs it back into the table.

"I like the way you handle things. Straight to the point" Nia states with a slight smile as she pulls the knife from the table.

"We bind ourselves in blood" Nia repeated and holds the knife to her hand until. "Wait!" The girl who was serving Nia wine shouts.

Nova looks over at her as Nia freezes and the girl walks over and slams Nova against the table, then sniffs the spot on her sleeve where she'd wiped the blade.

"Poison" The girl mumbles looking into Nova's eyes with a deadly look.

"Could've been allies, Nova. Instead, I declare you and your people enemies of Azgeda" Queen Nia says as she wipes the blade off with a napkin and grabs the girls' hand whose name is Ontari.

"I'm letting you live for now to send a message to Lexa... and Clarke" Queen Nia states as she holds Ontari's hand above Nova's face and squeezes it, dribbling Ontari's black blood down onto Nova's forehead. "Natblida" Nova mumbles and starts breathing heavily.

"You-- Black Blood" Nova stutters and Nia smirks.

"Yes, just like Naira who could've been the next commander, Ontari here will be" Queen Nia states as Ontari lifts Nova up and pushes away from the Queen. Nova took deep breath before wiping the black blood off her cheek and looking at it on her fingers immediately thinking of Naira.

Nova rushed out the room and went to Lexa's throne room where Lexa, Clarke and Titus sat in the front. Lexa and Titus immediately stood up and stared at the black blood that colored Nova's face. Clarke slowly stood up confused as she's never seen anything that color.

"Nova... what is that?" Clarke question walking down towards her. "Blood. Night Blood" Nova answered as Clarke wiped some of the blood off Nova's forehead.

"I've never seen blood that color before" Clarke states rubbing it in her hand.

"It's Ontari's. I thought Night Bloods train here though..." Nova breathed out. "Goes back to the first Commander. When a Night blood child is found, they're brought here to be trained, or supposed to be" Lexa states and Nova clears her throat as Titus hands her a rag so she can clean her face.

"Wait, who did you go see? You weren't in my room when I got back" Clarke questioned as Nova cleaned her face.

"I went to see Queen Nia to ask her some questions before the battle started but one thing led to another" Nova answered and Clarke sighed pushing Nova's hair behind her ear.

"I must get ready to fight. I hope you both will be there" Lexa says as she walks past Nova and Clarke. Nova mentally slaps herself as she forgot about Iris and the battle. She was so caught up with Nia she forgot Iris was the one having to fight Lexa. Well, being forced.

Nova couldn't go see her right now because Nova had another trick up her sleeve that could save Iris and Lexa both.

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NOVA WATCHED FROM A DISTANCE, but she was close enough to see everything. A crowd gathered to watch Lexa and Iris's fight. There's shouting and music. Iris and Lexa stand facing a stage where Titus stands, and Nia sits. Titus holds up his hands and silence falls.

"In single combat there is but one rule. Someone must die today. You may begin" Titus states as he sits and Aden, presumably with the other Natblidas in the audience. Iris pulls a sword from a sheath hesitantly and looks to Nia who nods.

Nova notices Clarke pushing her way through the crowd.

Lexa pulls her sword from its sheath with a flourish and looks to Nia with a deadly look. But Iris is advancing on Lexa from behind and Lexa hears the footsteps of Iris, turns and catches her sword with hers, then cuts her along her back as she passes.

Lexa strikes three times and Iris catches each of them until their swords meet with Iris on top and Lexa pushing up from the bottom. Her strength forces Lexa to her knees. Nova watches Iris and Lexa share a few words and Nova knows it's time to strike soon.

Nova stands up on a wooden block and lifts up the spear and leaves it standing next to her. Lexa swings up at Iris on her hands and knees, but Iris smacks the sword out of Lexa's hand and then kicks it away.

Lexa slams her fists into Iris's knee, bringing her down, and then quickly stands to knee her in the chin and snatches her sword. Lexa runs and grabs the other one and twirls them like the Lexa she is.

Iris looks around, panicked, before she socks a guard standing nearby and takes his spear. Not to be out extra'd, she twirls the spear too in an even more impressive display. They advance on each other, and Iris swings the sword at her head but Lexa ducks it.

Iris swings and Lexa, spinning and attacking with both swords and succeeds in backing Iris up but she catches every blow with the spear. Suddenly, Iris catches her spear between both of Lexa's blades and jerks one out of her hand. Iris goes to swing the other, but she knocks that one out of her hand too.

Titus rises, frantic. Iris kicks her square in the chest, and she flies before landing flat on her back. Titus sits back down, hilariously defeated. Iris advances as Lexa lays flat on her back. Iris puts the spear to her neck and as he pulls back and jabs down for Lexa's throat Lexa rolls out of the way and the spear just hits the concrete.

Lexa swings her legs around and catches Iris in the knee, flipping her onto her back. They both scramble to their feet, Lexa complete with a little cartwheel, and Iris swings at Lexa as she ducks. Iris stabs forward and Lexa catches it under her arm, and smacks Iris's arm so she let's go.

Lexa turns the spear on Iris and catches her in the leg with the blade, bringing her to her knees, and then hits Iris in the face with the butt of the spear.

Nia stands and throws her arms in the air. "Get up! If you die, you don't die a hero, you die a coward!" Nia shouts and Nova grips the spear she has in her hand. Lexa looks back and forth to Iris and Nia, so Nova lifts the spear in her hand still standing on the wooden block and squints one eye.

It's just like a crossbow. Nova thought as she hurls the spear at Nia, pinning her to her throne. Nova let out a sigh of relief until everyone started looking around at who has killed the Queen until they landed their eyes on Nova.

Nova looked around all of them and cleared her throat as she looked back at a bruised and shocked Iris.

"The queen is dead. Long live King Roan!" Nova shouted as she pointed to Roan who was seated next to his mother.

Roan slowly stood to his feet making the crowd cheer loudly.

Lexa slowly stepped away from Iris and took a deep breath. Nova looked around at everyone who was looking at her and liked all the power. She enjoyed looking down at people, but she'll keep that to herself.