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[PREVIOUSLY: Octavia and Bellamy seize their chance to escape but not everything goes to plan. While Bellamy gets out, unharmed, Octavia is cornered and forced to give up. But will Lexa be forgiving enough to grant her her life]?

THUD.

A double set of huge, ivory-coloured doors, overlaid with vines and carvings chipped from solid oak, slowly creaked open, revealing a most awing sight.

A role of deep red carpet gracefully curved its way to a large, ferrous throne whose back arched high into the air and whose velvety armrests spread out in a oval shape that was at least a metre in both directions.

With her long hair done up into tiny braids, with her fingers drumming against the flat side of a sharpened sword that was held in one hand, with midnight black warpaint splattered across her eyes and temples, and with her slim frame reclining back against the side of this magnificent throne was none other than Princess Lexa, awaiting the arrival of her prisoner. Me.

As the doors swung open, giving way to me and my escort of disgruntled guards, I saw a deep frown etch its way onto Lexa's features.

I was dragged before the throne and forced down onto my knees. Biting my chapped and bleeding lip, I bowed my head in submission. There was nothing I could do now. My fate was sealed.

"Octavia kom Skikru, set raun (Octavia of the Sky People, stand)," Lexa commanded as she gazed down at me.

Slowly, I pushed myself up to my feet, not daring to even look the princess in the eye.

"You have disappointed me, Peace Keeper," Lexa spoke as she motioned, with one wave of her hand, for the main doors to be closed and secured behind me. "I thought you were better than this." Heaving a deep breath, she uttered, "Thanks to the unwelcome antics of your brother, Bellamy, all of your friends have left Polis, unharmed. We have scouts tracking them as I speak and, according to our runners, they seem to be headed back towards your spaceship which is unfortunate because, once they reach it, they'll be under the full protection of your warriors. I can only be grateful that Titus' men stopped you before you escaped. Otherwise we would have no leverage with which to seal our revenge."

I swallowed hard as I raised my dark, emerald eyes to meet Lexa's deep, green ones.

"We have gathered the dead from TonDC," she continued, in a voice that was flat with a deadly calm. "Twenty-nine dead. Men, women, children. Slaughtered in cold blood." Lexa traced her finger over the razor-sharp tip of her sword as she continued, "Oh and I thought you'd be interested to know that Artigas, too, has been killed."

My breath caught in my throat and several tears swam in my eyes. No. Not Artigas. Not that cheery, bright-eyed little boy who loved people, who loved his horses, who loved to play mischievous tricks on the elders of his village. He was too young; too innocent; too sweet.

No. Please. No.

Grinding my teeth together in growing rage, I spat out, "Who did this? Who, among Skikru, was responsible?"

Lexa raised her eyebrows. "I don't see why I should tell you, seeing as you have a close bond with the one who committed this heinous act."

Something flipped over in my stomach. A fear, like nothing I had ever felt before, took a hold of me. "W-who?" I whispered, my voice rising with each syllable. "Who? Who bloody did it?"

Lexa, balancing her sword on the tops of her knees, leaned forward in her seat and sneered, "My spies tell me that there was only one person who, in a fit of uncontrollable fury, massacred the entire village with bullets from his gun. He is the only one who was responsible for this horrendous attack. He is the one that you call Finn."

This time I couldn't stop the tears from escalating down my cheeks. "F-Finn?" I choked.

"Yes," Lexa settled back in her seat. "And until he is turned over to me to die the death of a thousand cuts, you will never again see the light of day. I expected to be contacted by your camp leaders by now, but no word has, of yet, reached Polis. Oh dear. I suppose they just don't think you're worth saving."

A low snarl rose up in the back of my throat as I lunged towards Lexa. I had only gotten as far as a few paces before I was tackled down and pulled back by her ever-watchful guards. "You bitch!" I screamed. "I hate you! I hate you! I'm going to make sure you never succeed to the throne of Trikru! I'm going to kill you!"

Lexa, surprised by my sudden outburst, flinched and drew back, watching me with sharp, eagle-like eyes. Then, settling her lips into a long, firm line, she stood up. Her entire body was shaking with rage and her fingers were curled into tight fists. Looking me straight in the eye, she announced loudly, "I am calling the remaining Trikru clans and our allies to war against Skikru! We will march tonight and surround their camp! If they give us the one they call Finn, they shall not perish! But, for as long as they protect him behind those walls, they shall suffer the consequences. Every day that they linger is one more day that Octavia kom Skikru, our hostage, gets closer to death. If they do not heed our call within three days, I shall slit the throat of this girl myself and we shall charge into their camp and slaughter every last one of their people!"

Cheers and yells of agreement resounded throughout the throne-room as the court officials and bodyguards heard Lexa's sentiments.

Stepping down from her throne, Lexa, encouraged by her compadres, thrust her sword up into the air and shouted a blood-curdling cry, "Jus drein! Jus draun (Blood must have blood)!"

The spine-chilling chant was picked up by everyone in the room. "Jus drein! Jus draun! Jus drein! Jus draun! Jus drein! Jus draun!" The hideous screams bounced off the hollow walls of the throne-room and rang loudly throughout the air.

A half-strangled sob rose up in my throat as I realised what the alternatives of the end would be. Either Finn gave up his life to appease the blood of the dead or me and the rest of my people would be killed as revenge for the attack on TonDC!

"Why, Finn, why did you do it?" I whispered to myself as Lexa waved me and the accompanying guards out of the room.

I was shoved roughly out the doors and stumbled ungracefully down the winding hallway leading towards the huge, stone staircase. As I walked, I couldn't help but wish that I had waited - just a few moments longer ... for Finn and the others to come back.

Maybe, if I had done that, things would be looking a lot different right about now.

Gif: Octavia as she faces Lexa in the throne room.

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