Chapter Text
Translations:
(Latin) Pythonissa = Witch / Sorceress
(Latin) Stigma = Tattoo / Branding / Marking
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A handful of Praetorians exited the city walls once again long before the sun reaches its zenith. Their sloppy formation remained but as Praetorian's their hearts still gleamed with pride. However, none expected to be tasked as a search party for their very first large charge. As much was humiliating, but most agreed that everyone has to start somewhere; nobody started at the very top.
Unlike the woman that led them out of the city on this fateful morning. She seemed to start at the very top and it was no secret that the brotherhood envied her for it. Yes, she was a champion of the Colosseum, perhaps that's what got her so far. Or perhaps she had her hands in something far bigger than anybody in the city knew.
Low whispers were shared between the men of the Praetorian, none hiding the glare they had on General Alexandria Silvestre. They shared their theories with one another as for how she reached such a rank so fast and as feeble-minded as they were, most resorted to the notion that she likely screwed Emperor Jake to reach her position.
When such notion passed, it wasn't long before lewd comments started and mocking laughter began. It annoyed Lexa agonizingly easily; not that she knew that she was the topic of conversation, but for the fact that she was dragged out of bed on short notice to lead these morons into the outskirts of the city; essentially into the woods.
She would much rather be tangled up in the nude body of the Empress but unfortunately, Lexa was down on her luck. Instead, an anonymous tip reached Emperor Blake early morning; a tip that was alarmingly accurate. In fact, the so-called anonymous tipster was walking right in front of her. Lexa was in a tough predicament, to say the least.
The tipster was all too proud to tell Blake that she knew where Finn was but she feared that it may already be too late to find him alive. It took Bellamy by surprise to hear that someone knew where his once most trusted advisor is, and the fact that he may be dead already was a tedious thought, but nevertheless, he approved the search party. Insisting that he's most trusted General lead them.
The Emperor was all too eager to send someone to find Lexa and to immediately have her report for duty and lead the Praetorian out to the location that the tipster pointed him in. However, what nobody was expecting was the fact that the tipster was willing to lead them to the exact location herself, in the flesh.
Lexa hadn't been right in her initial assumption that a member of the collegium will squeal, but instead, she found herself looking at the back of a Priestess. But not any Priestess, the High Priestess of Mercury. Luna. This deity of a woman sent chills down Lexa's spine. She was ... unnatural.
"Tell me, Priestess, how certain are you that we will find counselor Collins out here? It seems like you're not only wasting my time, but all of these Praetorian's time as well. Am I supposed to rely on your so-called visions? It's a bunch of crap if you ask me."
Luna chuckled, slightly looking over her shoulder as they ascend yet another small hill. "The Empress would disagree, General." Lexa furrowed her eyebrows at the statement. "She visited me often while you were in Egypt, always vaguely asking about you. If you were still alive to be more precise."
It was an odd thought to have; to consider the fact that Clarke had truly visited this fraud of a woman. That's what the Temple of Mercury is; fraud and corruption. They didn't know of the future as they claimed to; nobody knows of the future. "Is that so? And how would you know if I was alive or dead? I could've died on many occasions and not even my legions would know that I was dead. Not for days."
"But you didn't die, did you? The Empress made sure you didn't die. Her offerings were ... lavish."
Lexa grunted, wondering how much this woman swindled out of Clarke. It was disgusting really; the thought of someone taking advantage of another in desperation. The Empress was a smart woman; how could she have fallen for the likes of someone as shallow as the High Priestess?
For the rest of the walk, Lexa kept her mouth shut before she may say something out of annoyance and possibly decapitate Luna for just being an overall nuisance. First for swindling Clarke, then for dragging her out of bed so early for a wild goose chase, and lastly just because Luna's death would likely benefit all of Rome. Rome didn't need more corruption and the High Priestess was the epitome of such.
They reached the edge of a cliff only twenty feet high. Lexa wasn't even sure if it could be considered a cliff. "So? You brought us all the way out here to reach a dead end and I see nothing. We wasted so much daylight just so you can make a few aurei. How typical. Always hungry for other people's riches. Maybe I should just kick you down from here and—"
"Hush, General, and open your eyes." Luna pointed downward, over the small cliff's edge.
With a deep sigh, Lexa stepped closer to the edge, only barely peeking her eyes over the ledge. She had a fear of heights, and twenty feet was enough to get her palms moist and her knees weak. She didn't expect to find anything because they were practically in the middle of nowhere; there was a better chance of someone pushing her over than there was for finding something.
But again, Lexa was wrong.
Twenty feet below them laid a heap of bodies all dressed in expensive white togas. The smell of death hit her sense like a storm in the middle of the ocean and her heart sank. They were the Senators no doubt and for the life of her, Lexa couldn't manage to figure out how the Priestess knew exactly where they were.
Perhaps a member of the collegium squealed after all. It was the only explanation.
"Changed your mind, General? I know things ... many things." Luna fearlessly stepped toward the edge, standing so close to Lexa that she could feel the Priestess' breath on her face. "I know who killed them, and who killed the singular man the Emperor is searching for. What do you think he will do when he finds out that the Empress ended him? And that you are her lover."
No one was in earshot of them and the words were specially meant for Lexa who immediately darts her eyes up from the deathly cliff and toward the Priestess. "What are you on about, Priestess? Spewing a bunch of nonsense in my ear. Take. A. Step. Back." Her warning was clear and the shrill of her blade sliding from its sheath solidified it. However, Luna showed no sign of fear or a hint of uneasiness. She was calm and collected, almost mockingly so.
"You're scared, I can see it. You're afraid that your only source of happiness will be taken from you again. Do you think Clarke's head will roll the same way Costia's did?"
Lexa's fingers wrapped around Luna's neck, tightening around it second by second and the Priestess was dangerously close to being lifted from the grass patch under her feet. "What did you say to me? I remind you that we are standing very close to the edge. Choose your next words very carefully, Pythonissa."
"Very interesting choice of words, General." Luna chokes, wrapping both of her hands around the singular wrist hoisting her into the air gruelingly slow. She didn't try to free herself and she still didn't reek of fear. Instead, the look in her eye gleamed with ... enjoyment? It was unsettling. "All of my acolytes know of your scandalous affair so go ahead, kill me like you kill all of your problems. I will haunt you at night when you try to sleep and I will haunt you in the daytime when you try to eat. If I do not return to the city, my people will tell the Emperor everything. Clarke will be dead before sunset, and so will you."
The Praetorians watched with wide eyes, all unsure of the event that was unfolding in front of their very eyes. None were willing to intervene even though they knew they probably should. All of their tough talks had disappeared as the feared General of Egypt emerged. The tales they told of her in war were gruesome, wreaking fear in whoever heard the stories.
A low growl came from Lexa's chest as she ground her teeth, considering her options. She was all for killing her problems, all of them. But if she kills this problem, there were about ten more problems standing right behind her. She couldn't kill men from the brotherhood. It was dishonorable. But how much honor did she actually have left? Regicide and all.
"And let's say I spare you. What will happen? Will you spew your shit to the Emperor anyway? Or will you and your people remain quiet?"
"I do as Mercury tells me. If he chooses to exposes you then he will; I have no control over his choices. I only do as my god orders me. So for now, yes, we will remain quiet. I cannot tell you for how long but either way, you're screwed. The gods .... They do not favor you. You may be as cunning and sharp as Odysseus, but you're just as unfortunate."
"Do not compare me to Ulysses." Lexa's fingers tightened around the Priestess' neck, making an unceremonious choke come from her mouth. She was starting to turn an odd shade of pale mixed in with an unpleasant purple. In Lexa's peripheral, she noticed a sudden movement followed by the rustling of Praetorian armour.
"Come any closer and I will kill you. Stand down." The figure halted immediately, reconsidering their next move, teetering more forward than backward. "I said, stand down!" Lexa's hoarse voice echoed all the way to the tree-line of the forest, making the eyes of the Praetorian widen.
The Priestess lightly slapped her hand against Lexa's wrist, almost pleading for her to relent in her hold. It was getting particularly hard to breathe. "General ... please. Put me down." Lexa's eyes darted back to the woman in the air, blinking her eyes a few times before setting Luna down.
"If any of this reaches Blake, I will end you and all of your acolytes. Mercury will not be able to stop me. None of the gods will." The words were nothing short of a growl. The High Priestess was yet another problem, an imminent one, and another problem laid about twenty feet down from the small cliff.
Lexa stepped away from Luna, strongly making her way toward the huddled group of Praetorian. "You, the fearless one that dares to stand against his General, you have won yourself the grand prize of getting down there and hoisting the bodies up. Careful though, they're starting to rot."
The men of the Praetorian laughed at the man's unfortunate task; grateful that they won't be the ones to come so close to the corpses. The smell of death lingers for days.
//
By late afternoon, almost sunset, Lexa and the Praetorian along with the Priestess, returned to the city of Rome. The bodies of the Senators were all wrapped in white cloth, hiding their mangled state. Some had limbs missing and some were relieved of their facial features such as ears and noses.
Whoever orchestrated and carried out the deaths of these men ... were cruel. This person made sure each one of them suffered for a long and grueling time. Unfortunate for Lexa, she recognized each one of them still, even with their decaying faces. Predators had started to feed on them and insects had started to nest. Be it a week later and rarely anything would've remained.
Curse this Priestess.
Also, unfortunate enough was the fact that Finn was among them, without his hands as the Empress described to Lexa some days ago as some sort of promise she made him for his treachery. It truly was becoming more of a nightmare than anticipated. The sacks of bodies were dragged into the throne room, almost proudly presented in front of the Emperor.
It was almost feline-like; the predator dragging in its prey just to present it to its superior and or master, hoping to receive some sort of reward or compensation. Except no reward or compensation was going to come from this, only horror. Blake sat back on his throne, scoping out the situation in front of him. It was unfortunate that his Senators were all dead, or murdered rather, but as far as he was concerned at that moment was that Finn deserved his demise, the others didn't.
He was a liar and a cheat. A master of fraud. Not only did he bed the Empress but he made many funds and coinage disappear for his own riches and such only came to light recently when Blake dug farther into his history. Finn was nothing more than a power and money-hungry fool that would never rise above anything but a commoner.
"Where did you find them?"
"A few Roman miles from here; through the thick foliage and at the bottom of a cliff." Lexa's heart beat with anxiety. It was a guilty conscience; not that she committed the crime but rather because she generally knew who killed them and who ordered their murders. She only hoped that her exterior wouldn't show how anxious she was.
Suddenly the Empress marched in, the material of her dress gliding behind her and her face convulsed into someone determined, her eyebrows were furrowed and her mouth hung in half an angry frown.
"What is it you called me for; I was in the middle of meeting the—"
The Empress' eyes landed on her guard, her angry frown turning to one of worry in split seconds. Lexa's eyes danced all over the room, afraid of each moment that passes and how much exactly will be unveiled. It was closed to impossible to meet Clarke's eyes knowing that it would give something unspoken away to prying eyes.
The moment Lexa left the comfort of their bed this morning, Clarke could feel that something was terribly wrong. This was it.
"We found the Senators," Blake announces proudly as if he had a part in the search, or rather that he played the main role in it. "Your lover ... Finn ... is dead. Stripped of his hands and his face is barely recognizable. It would seem that someone got to him long before I did."
The Empress lightly gagged as the smell of death hit her senses like an unstoppable force. It was deafening, the smell, unhealthy to anyone living really. Lexa barely flinched at the smell, only occasionally blinking her eyes. This was barely anything compared to Egypt. The smell there was this, intensified by at least a hundred.
"Well, isn't that just a shame? What ever will you do now?" Clarke feigns.
"I'm not sure. I expected you to be more upset about him being gone." Blake sighed, tapping the tips of his fingers against the golden armrest of his throne. "You're a nuisance sometimes. A labyrinth of secrets. An unsolvable puzzle. A riddle that takes eons to solve. I don't know what to do with you anymore, Empress."
Ignoring the relevance, or rather irrelevance of Finn, Clarke moves on. "Leave me be as I leave you be. I stay out of your hair and you stay out mine. We can rule together. Take your fame, take credit for what I do, I honestly don't care. Just let me live my life." It sounded like a plea to Lexa's ears and it hits her then; Clarke was tired of playing cat and mouse with him. She just wanted to live in peace while caring for those that look up to her.
"So ... you don't care that he's dead? And you're not even remotely bothered by the fact that someone had some of the most influential men of Rome murdered? And that they were disposed of like plebs? If this is your idea of 'ruling' and turning a blind eye, I want no part of it. I want justice for my Senators even if one of them doesn't deserve it."
"Then chase your justice, Emperor, I never cared for the Senate anyway."
Lexa shot Clarke a look of warning. Now wasn't the time to act arrogant. This was the moment Lexa warned her of days ago; the moment Blake will inevitably feel threatened because he no longer had a team of influential men behind him that would agree with him for a big enough 'gift' or 'donation' to their riches. Bellamy was dangerous now, more so than he was before.
By uncovering these bodies, a world of new problems were uncovered as well. Lexa even considered running the idea of fleeing by the Empress again before things get ugly. They had a good two weeks while Blake chased his own tail trying to find Finn, but it was time to throw in the sword and admit that the gods were against them.
Clarke cleared her throat awkwardly, locking eyes with Bellamy again. "What I meant to say was that they never really had a big impact on my life. It was insensitive of me to not consider the fact that you have lost dear friends, and not only Senators. I mourn with you, Emperor."
Blake's features softened then, his shoulders sagging in the process. His defensiveness disengaged and he felt in control again. The Empress showed a sign of subordination which was exactly what set his mind to ease, it's what he wanted, even if he himself didn't know it.
That was the beauty of Clarke, Lexa notes. Once she realizes that she has spoken out of turn or landed herself in an uncomfortable situation, she knew how to recover, and fast. Such a skill is only acquired through a lot of dealings with ministers and monarchs of provinces.
Perhaps the Empress' slick tongue wasn't the best trait to have but it was certainly useful.
"Thank you for your consideration even if it was a little late." Bellamy sighed again, absentmindedly soothing hand over his now cleanly shaven face. It had become a habit of his it seems. A reaction to stress. "Nevertheless, the Empire continues, even without them. In the meantime, I will need a new Senate. There are so many decisions to make and you were right in what you said some time ago, I don't know much about ruling. I need guidance from elders." It was a tough pill to swallow and admit that he may have bitten off more than he could chew.
The Empress smiled softly, finding a small victory in his words. They were on a slight equal footing and that much was good enough for now. It bought her more time, no matter how little it was. "I understand. I'm heading into my fifth year of being Empress and I learn every day. I remember my first year was very intimidating. If a few hundred men will make your first year a little less intimidating, so be it. Now if you will excuse me ... it's been a long day."
//
It was close to midnight by the time Lexa sauntered into Octavia's villa, most of her braids loose already and her bracers hung by a leather strap from her weapons belt. She looked worse for wear, the day taking its toll on her for sure.
They traveled miles and miles on foot since it was too dense forestation to go by horseback. Luckily, she didn't carry any of the Senator's bodies back to the city but she had to keep everyone at a steady pace and that took its emotional toll. Being a General and acting disgruntled as well as strict and brutal constantly, just wasn't her forte. Not anymore.
On top of all of that came the stresses of keeping Blake at bay and lying to him constantly because he asked the most uncomfortable questions and came far too close to the truth occasionally. He insisted that she would come to have a few ales with him at the tavern since he considered her 'a dear friend' now, or rather someone he could confide him.
He was a drunk mess, to say the least, and a moaning one at that as well. He certainly was a different man after a few ales; all of his ego and tough exterior dissipating. All that remained was a broken fragile man with no family except for a half-sister and no true friends. Lexa pitied him at first but after a quick evaluation of her own life, she realized that the closest thing to family she had was a half-sister as well, and they happened to share the same one.
The gods were peculiar, and so were the fates. She loathed Bellamy, yet they weren't any different from one another. They both killed innocents, they both lie, they both don't have pure blood remaining and they were both sad drunks it seems. And somewhere along the line, Lexa landed herself in the unfortunate situation to be Blake's favorite company now.
Lexa sighed a heavy groan the moment she undoes the knot of her bracers and places them on the table in front of her as she sits down on a chaise. Her head dropped into her hands immediately, eliciting another heavy sigh.
The half-moon shined through the roof of the atrium, shimmering over her sweat-glistened skin and reflecting off of her Praetorian armour that once again weighed heavy on her. Except this time it wasn't a case of not feeling worthy for the sacred metal and the symbolic power it held, but rather because she was tired of wearing it.
She wasn't sure if she was ready to admit it aloud, but she was tired of wielding blades and being a soldier each and every day. Lexa wanted a quiet life, lately more than ever. Perhaps it was the injury she endured; it being the humbling she needed. Returning to Polis became a more attractive idea as each day passed by.
But then there was Clarke, she couldn't leave her behind and the Empress was far too loyal to her Empire and people to ever abandon it. Not even for love. Perhaps even a once-in-a-lifetime love. But Lexa couldn't fault her for it because she would've done the same. The greater good of others should always come first especially if it meant life or death.
"I thought I heard you coming in."
Octavia took a seat on the opposite chaise, resting her elbows on her knees as she slouches forward. She could see Lexa was down and she wasn't sure when last she had seen her sister in such a sullen mood. Lexa hardly ever portrayed her emotions outwardly, let alone in front of others.
"Do you want to talk about what has your head in your hands?"
Lexa laughed halfheartedly, shaking her head side to side. "And what would that bring me? Your pity? Maybe some advice that would do me no good?" Octavia remained quiet, allowing Lexa to spit more dejected words if she wished to. She had her moments and if it made her feel better, then so be it. "I'm sorry, Octavia. I know you only want to help but there's no fixing this."
"Try me. I'm feeling rather creative."
After a few minutes, Lexa gathered enough courage to look Octavia in the eye. "Where would you like me to start? Jake impaled himself on this very blade." Lexa motioned to her sheathed sword on the table, unsurprisingly still haunted by his death. "I saw Ontari again, it turns out after I abandoned her, she was raped multiple times and sold off as a slave, so that was my fault as well."
Lexa nodded her head in acceptance of the fact, interlacing her fingers together. "I ruined a lot of families in Egypt, I just about lost myself. I came back here and fell susceptible to jealousy of another even though I know Clarke loves me. The very man I was jealous of just about killed me."
The moonlight continued to dance over her as her voice started to shake and her eyes started to burn. "I thought I was dead and that I had lost everything I've fought for every single fucking day. Now your brother had me look for a man that I damn well knew was dead and I know the fates aren't kind enough to let his murder go unsolved. I fear what I will do when the truth comes out. These streets will run red with the blood of innocents because they will choose to fight for a man that doesn't deserve it."
"She killed him, didn't she?" Octavia questions, putting the puzzle pieces together. Clarke had killed Finn after all. "I see. It wouldn't take a scholar to piece together that what you told him was a lie; about Finn and Clarke's affair. And let's face it, the bond you two share ... it's all the plebs talk about. It's astonishing that Bellamy hasn't figured it out yet."
"Your point?"
"My point is if and when the day comes, Lexa," Octavia stood from her chaise taking a seat next to Lexa before grabbing the back of her neck and pushing their foreheads together. "I will fight alongside you, and I will kill anyone that stands against you or Clarke. Be it an innocent, be it the man I'm connected to by blood. You're my family. We fight together and we die together."
The motto from the academy hits Lexa in the gut. She hadn't heard it in years and quite honestly, she had almost completely forgotten about it. Lexa just barely manages to swallow down the lump in her throat and blink back the tears in her eyes before it was too late.
"Thank you. Your words weren't half bad." They pulled each other into a bear hug, the embrace tightening with every second. Lexa could almost feel a weight being lifted from her shoulders by knowing that someone stood behind her. Especially for the fact that it was her very own sister.
"I'll see you in the morning. Clarke tried to wait up for you but I think she may have fallen prey to the temptations of sleep."
Lexa chuckled, quickly wiping away the tear that escaped after all before pulling away. "I love you, little sister. With you at my side, I'll get through this. Chances are I'm merely overreacting and the fates will be in my favor on this matter."
"I love you too. When morning comes, you'll feel better as well."
"Hopefully." With one last good night, the women retired to their respective bedrooms and just as Octavia predicted, Clarke was fast asleep, a tiny snore and all. The smallest of amused smiles made its home on Lexa's lips. With each and every moment she spent with Clarke she thought that she couldn't possibly love the Empress more, but she was proven wrong each and every time.
Carefully, Lexa undid the straps of her armour before placing it on the wooden statuette. She opted for a change of clothing, doing her utmost best not to make any sort of noise but fails as she has all the other times in the past. Clarke was a heavy sleeper, by all means, but only when she was in the security of Lexa's embrace.
"Lexa?"
"Hmm." She hums before crawling into bed and falling face-first into the feather pillow awaiting her. Lexa was sure the moment her head would hit the pillow she would instantly fall asleep but now that the moment had finally come, she was wide awake again.
"Are you okay?"
"Hmm." Lexa hums again, this time lazily drooping her arm over Clarke's abdomen, slightly pulling her closer. "You might have to warm me tonight, it's freezing outside."
"Yeah?" Clarke did as hinted and immediately sprawled as much of her body possible over Lexa's while pulling up the second fur over them. "You went to the tavern, didn't you?" Absentmindedly the brunette nodded her head, not even trying to deny it. "Did you eat as well?"
"Like a Queen, yes. Bellamy thinks we're the best of friends. Its heart wrenching really."
"Lucky you." Clarke quirks sarcastically, starting to draw an uncoherent pattern on her guards' chest. "How are things? With the Finn situation? I've made a lot of trouble, haven't I?"
Lexa guffawed, closing her eyes as she laughs, trying to find humor in the situation but fails to. "You've made a bit more than trouble. And I fear we'll have to make a decision about the future soon. When you, or we get found out, there's going to be an unimaginable amount of anarchy. We've both lied so much that Blake ... gods. There's just no turning back anymore. Either we leave Rome or people will die. Whether it's you and I, or innocents when we try to escape anyway."
The realization had sunk into Clarke earlier in the afternoon when Lexa and the Praetorian brought in the decaying bodies of the Senate. Her power trip and dominance had caused a lot of trouble and overall havoc. The consequences of her actions were coming and at a rapid pace. But in the moment of her initial decisions, she failed to consider the consequences.
Especially for what it would mean for her as the Empress, and how much pressure it would place on Lexa; an official royal guard, a General, and among the very few remaining members of the Senate. Her official status was also in jeopardy just because of Clarke's personal grudges.
"You're right. I'm sorry that I've put you in the middle of it. All of this is my fault. I shouldn't have gone after the Senate. Not yet anyway, or rather never. Or maybe just less blatantly. Fuck, I really made a mess."
"It's okay. You did what you thought was right for the Empire. Which is the best anyone could do for it. You did what was necessary." Lexa pressed a chaste kiss to the blonde's head. "At this point, it doesn't even matter. We just have to deal with what we have and what we know. By doing that, nobody will get hurt. For now, let's just try to get a night's rest, and tomorrow we'll make a final decision."
"Tomorrow." The Empress repeats before resettling herself. "I don't deserve you, Lexa. You put up with far too much of my problems and the ones I cause. Maybe I should just face the consequences."
"Don't talk such into existence. The gods are wicked and will give you what you wish for. You don't have to suffer for anything because you have done nothing wrong. Now please, stop thinking and close your eyes. With light comes hope."
//
"Lexa," Clarke whines, trying to make an escape from the brunette's arms but to no avail. "I have to go. I forgot there's a grain shipment coming in and I really do have to oversee it, so you need to get out of bed as well."
"No, screw the grain. Let Raven tell whoever that you're sick and so you're staying in bed to rest."
"Lexa." The Empress tries again, trying to pry herself out of Lexa's strong hold. "Tell you what, I'll excuse myself tomorrow and then we can stay in bed all day." Clarke tries to bargain with the green eyed overgrown infant in dire need of attention today. "But I really can't today. And we have to talk about our plans as well but right now the Empire has to go on."
"Don't make me resort to drastic measures."
"Drastic measures?"
Lexa pulled Clarke down completely, burying the blonde's body beneath her own. "You should really fear me, you know? I have one of the most savage attacks in the whole city. I'd just hate to use it on you?"
"Attack?" The Empress mutters under her breath as chills start to rise on her skin. "Do your worst."
After a girlish giggle, Lexa buries her head in the crook of Clarke's neck, kissing every piece of skin possible before sprinkling butterfly kisses all over the Empress' face. An equal amount of giggle's filled the room and all worries dissipated into thin air. They were just two women, hopelessly in love with one another and the world was just the world, going on without them. In a matter of seconds, a space of peace, serenity, and love formed.
And just like that all of it was stripped away.
Praetorians jogged through the villa and down the hall followed by a loud bellow. "Lexa, run! They're coming!"
Before a clear thought passed through Lexa's mind she was on her feet, with the dagger once hidden under her pillow now wielded in front of her. One man after the other filtered into the room, blocking off the only exit of the room other than the window behind her.
The Empress pulled the furs over her body as her frightened eyes darted between the assortment of men. "What is the meaning of this?! Get out!"
The Praetorians ignored Clarke's order as they seemingly waited for something, or rather someone. "Stand down, men. There must be some sort of mistake." Lexa says calmly as she tightens her hold on the hilt of the dagger, holding it in a battle stance in front of her chest, upside-down – blade outward.
"Can't do that, General."
"Stand down, or your families will lose their breadwinner. You may be part of the brotherhood but I will not think twice about killing any of you. Back away and leave."
The foreman remained silent this time and the only sound in the room remaining was the heavy breath's coming from the helpless Empress. It was too late and their window to leave the city had closed. The consequences were here and it was time to face them.
"Lexa! Lexa! Get off of me you idiot!" Octavia continued to call after her sister while simultaneously trying to fight off the three Praetorians that were pinning her down onto the marble floor in the middle of the atrium.
"This is my final warning, men. Stand. Down." Lexa growls.
"They won't be listening to you; in fact, no soldier will ever be taking orders from you again." Emperor Blake rounded the corner as his men made way for him, standing on attention if he were to give them their next orders. "By law, you are charged on basis of the crimes of conspiring against those in ruling as well of the crime of conspiring to kill those of the Praetorian. As punishment, you will be lashed, tortured, beaten, and stripped of your citizenship."
"Fuck your laws. You'll have to get me down before any fruitless punishment will commence. You lot don't know the first thing about killing. Today won't be about conspiracy, Blake, but I'm going to make good on my word. Why don't you save these men's lives and their families and just face me directly? Don't hide behind them. Let's do this like true Romans; fight me in the Colosseum in front of the Empire."
"Unfortunately, this isn't how things are going to work. See, criminals don't get to decide how things will take place. You're going to take your beating and lashes like the slave you were always meant to be." Bellamy made a slight gesture with his hand forward. "Take her."
Wearily the men looked between one another to see who would be the first to step forward but all seemed quite hesitant. "What? No takers then? You call yourself Praetorians. You're absolutely disgraceful. Romans died in Egypt just to turn in their graves at the sight of you pitiful wretches."
The taunt seemed to poke one soldier too close to home and in his newly found bravery, he was the first to step forward and the first one to hit the marble floor as well, tainting it with his blood and labored moans. Lexa recomposed herself again, wiping the blood from the blade onto her face with her fingers as the old Roman tradition goes when slaying their own.
The Empress looked on in horror, never having seen Lexa kill so close to her, only from afar.
When the next wave comes, its only two men with their swords drawn. The Gladiatrix knocked one in the face with the butt of the dagger and buried the blade of it in the other's neck before pulling it out with one swift movement, slicing the first one's throat. Blood splatter hit the walls with a shrill yet dull noise before it ran down in lone trails.
"Stop this Bellamy!" The Empress begs with desperation coating each word, and tears of fear starting to well in her eyes. "Please, stop this! They don't have to die, just take me, I'm guilty! I killed the Senate, I— I— conspired to kill you! Lexa was just doing her duty, please Bellamy, stop this!"
"You..." Blake breathes, pushing through the Praetorian in front of him. "You killed them?!" A slap echoed through the room as Clarke's head jerked to the side. "You ungrateful, whore! They gave you power and in return you murdered them!" Bellamy yanked at the cape of a Praetorian, shoving him in the direction of the Empress. "Take her as well!"
But he doesn't reach her, in fact, a blade is protruding from his head. The blade went through the metal of his helmet as if it was only made of wax and essentially useless. In the split second Blake looks upward, Lexa is lunging through the air, leaving the blade behind in the Praetorian's head before she lands on top of the Emperor.
As the day of her last fight in the Colosseum against Fenix, her long digits wrap around Blake's throat and she's blinded by rage. The occasional hands that grab at her are met with extreme resistance and not even a blade in her side will make the Gladiatrix falter today. No, today was the end of the family name Blake.
The Praetorians continued to grasp for her and pulled at her limbs but it was if she had become one with Blake's throat. That was until an enforced leather sandal connects with the side of her face, not once but twice before she falls next to him, her vision blurred and a trail of blood running from her ear.
Lexa tried to blink away the dizziness but there was no point. An assortment of blows strike every single piece of her body that meets the eye and that's when she realized that she has officially lost. The violation of the single rule her father taught her from childhood has cost her a victory; do not fight with your emotions, fight with a strategy.
She tries to shield her head and her side from the blows but Lexa soon realizes that she has to choose one of them, but she never does. The Gladiatrix only sees a dark figure lunge into the room and three Praetorians fall but this figure soon falls as well when it becomes outnumbered.
The figure fell next to Lexa, both of them face down on the cold floor, being drenched in their own blood and those who have been slain. The figure reached for Lexa's hand that laid in a puddle of blood, weakly clutching its fingers around her own. "We fight together, and we die together, sister."
A minute or a moment passes, Lexa isn't sure, but she's being hoisted up by her arms and being dragged from the villa, leaving a slick trail of blood behind her. She tries to fight against their hold but her body aches too much and soon the brick roads came in contact with her bare legs, scraping them with each rough pull from the Praetorian's.
The citizens of Rome stood outside their homes, watching in horror as they dragged Lexa through the dirty streets toward the throne room. The Praetorians were met with resistance to Lexa's surprise, people rising up against them for mangling their victor of the Colosseum and war hero.
When they eventually come to a halt, Lexa is dropped in the middle of the room, watching through a thick trail of blood as the Praetorians walk away for a moment before returning with thick rope in their hands.
One man took to tying the rope around her left wrist and the other took to tying it around her right wrist before she was hoisted up between two pillars, just barely in a standing position. Finally, she was given a moment to recompose herself and try to blink away the blood that had started to run over her eyes.
Octavia was hoisted up across from Lexa, the women about twenty feet apart yet face to face. Her sister wasn't too badly beaten, she had endured worse at the academy and Lexa finds herself grateful for the fact. But guilt followed shortly after because she knew that Octavia was in this predicament because of her.
"And so, the sisters come face to face one last time." Blake coos, his hand firmly holding onto the back of the Empress's neck, shoving her down onto the floor just seconds later. "You're all guilty of something. A poison to my Empire and now it comes down to who will suffer for these crimes."
Though, the Emperor seemed to make the first choice by connecting his fist with Lexa's jaw with tremendous force. She writhed against her constraints, finding her second breath within the rage. "Untie me you bastard, at least make it a fair fight!"
Blake laughed bitterly, unclipping his weapons belt and throwing it to a Praetorian. "I'm afraid the word fair doesn't exist in my vocabulary. There is no fairness in the crimes you have committed, why should you get any grace from me? You could've faced the consequences of your crimes in peace but no, you killed the men from the brotherhood. Its punishable by death, Alexandria."
"Then what are you waiting for!" Lexa barks, pulling against her constraints making the muscles in her arms bulge and her veins pop out. "Come on! Do it! Kill me!"
Another fist connected with her jaw, this time coming from a Praetorian. One fist turned to two, and eventually three until Lexa spat blood to her side and glared at the dark-skinned man that mischievously smiled back at her. "You hit like an infant."
The man was about to strike again before Blake raises his hand in the air, making the Praetorian freeze immediately. "That's enough. She's pulling the piss out of you. Look at her eye, it's red with blood." Bellamy points out, slightly shoving the man away. "I'm going to ask you some things and if you're not honest, you're going to receive an extra ten lashes for every lie you tell."
Lexa growled in reply.
"Who killed the Senate?"
"I don't know."
"That's ten. Try again, who killed the Senate?"
"I don't know!"
"Twenty. Last chance, who killed the Senate?"
"What don't you understand about I don't know!"
Bellamy signaled again, this time the Praetorians pulled Clarke toward another two pillars, readying the rope to tie around her wrists. Lexa's chest heaved as she watched them pull the Empress, one or two of them starting to rip at pieces of her clothing.
"I did it! I killed them!" Lexa yells in desperation. "I killed every single one of those old bastards and I enjoyed it!"
"Funny, because I remember Clarke confessing to that crime? Are you denying that she did it and all of their deaths were by your hand? Even counselor Collins?"
"Yes, I enjoyed killing him the most. I nailed his hands to his mother's door." Lexa lies, recalling the specifics Clarke told her in order to sound more convincing. "I found him in a brothel, hiding. Stabbed him four or five times and then I watched him breathe out his last breath."
Blake nodded his head, signaling for the Praetorian to let go of the Empress once again who only fell to her hands and knees. "Is this another one of your duties, Alexandria? To lie for the Empress? If she murdered the Senate and you testify to it, you will be acquitted from all of your crimes and I will even go as far as to rewarding you with some land. All you have to do is tell the truth."
"I have told the truth already. I killed them. It was the last wish Emperor Jake had, to kill those that have betrayed him. Finn, however, was more personal than anything else. He never deserved the Empress, and I only made sure that he will never lay his grubby hands on her again."
Bellamy slightly gasped before chuckling with his hands on his hips. "So, they really did have an affair then? That wasn't a lie? And what? The rumors are true of you and her? The Empress and her guard..." Emperor Blake shook his head again in disbelief, a wicked smile on his face though. "Well, this makes all of it sweeter then. I finally have my grasps on her real lover."
"Punish me for it, Emperor. All of it." Lexa urges, meeting the teary eyes of Octavia. "Let me endure the punishment for our sisters' crime as well. She only killed the Praetorian because of the promise we made to one another as children; to always protect each other. Please, I beg you, only punish me."
Bellamy looked to the back of the throne room where a lone hooded figure stood, only the ash white lines on her skin gleaming in the lonely rays of the sun. The High Priestess nodded her head once, the action slow in approval of the Emperor's wordless question. This whole interaction between Blake and the Priestess goes unnoticed by all present in the throne room, except for the Empress.
"Very well. Praetorian, take Alexandria to the forum and string her up. Make sure the restraints are tight enough, she has a long day ahead, and make sure the Empress has a clear view of the spectacle. And Octavia, say your last farewell."
The moment Octavia's restraints were undone, she sprinted over to Lexa before wrapping her arms around her sister in a deathly embrace. "We don't have a lot time. But listen to me closely, take care of yourself, okay? And look after Clarke for me. And by the gods, don't let this man's reign last long. Avenge me."
Octavia was yanked from her embrace around Lexa, being dragged away to the other side of the room once again. "I love you, Lexa!" She yells between her sobs. "I love you too, little sister." Lexa mouths, a lump in her throat forming rapidly.
Once both Octavia and the Empress were escorted from the throne room and toward Clarke's quarters so she could decently dress again, Blake took to Lexa again; relentlessly beating her until she could no longer stand by herself. Only leaving her to hang from the restraints, gasping for air to fill her burning lungs.
Only when he received word that Clarke was presentable to the people again, did his brutal attack on Lexa stop. She wasn't sure how much exactly she had left in her, and if he were to change his mind and throw her in the Colosseum now, she would most definitely lose.
As the time before, Lexa was dragged from the throne room, all the way to the market forum where she was dropped onto the brick road like a sack of grain. Her hair sprawled across her face and the shortest of them matted to her skin, soaking up her blood. She coughed a few times, a few drops of blood flying through the air.
Behind a line of more Praetorian, Clarke watched in horror as they dragged Lexa to the middle of the market forum, tying either of her wrists to the legs of two adjacent statues. One of the deity Justitia the goddess of justice and the other her maker, Caesar Octavian Augustus. They hoisted her up until she stood on her bloodied knees. She seemed too weak to even lift her own head so it hung as if it was in shame. The Gladiatrix was weak and defeated ... her spirit crushed.
The Empress tried to bust through the Praetorians but they held her back, essentially constraining her as well; forcing her to watch the woman she loves being beaten as if she is a common slave. It was heartbreaking, shattering, and inhumane.
Blake emerged from a crowd on the right, the people parting for him as if he was a god. He wore his war armour, accentuating the gathering at hand and the hierarchy he held in it. He was to be the one who delivers the punishment for conspiring against the one in ruling, the murder of the Senate, and finally, the murder of the brotherhood. He dragged a whip along, one of at least several feet long and studded. It shined in the sun's rays, gleaming as if it was made of gold.
Lexa struggled in the constraints, weakly pulling at them to try and free herself but her attempts were feeble. There was no escape and this seemed to be the end. Her end. She couldn't even manage to lift her own head to see the growing crowds. Some staring in awe, some staring in pity and some staring with the gleam of bloodthirst in their eyes.
The Empress sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks and her lips quivering. She could barely see through her eyes; tears blurring her vision. It was a nightmare coming to life, her biggest fears becoming a reality.
Lexa on the other hand struggled to have a coherent thought as her mind still spun from the beating she received just a few moments before. She couldn't feel her face, let alone her arms or legs but the ache in her side was there; her previous injury aggravated by the new trauma.
The only thing that chased through her mind was that this in fact may be the end and she already accepted it. She deserved all of this; for the lifetime of sins she committed in Egypt just to be considered a war hero. For the lies that she's told and the innocents that she has killed.
This was her fate.
This must be the lifetime of bad fortune that was sworn upon her years ago the moment she looked into the blue eyes of a woman she wasn't supposed to see. Perhaps the myths were true of having a lifetime of bad fortune when looking royalty in the eye without permission. It was such a simple infraction yet here she was at the foot of death; one leg in the grave already.
From all the bad fortune sworn upon her, to the sins she committed, Lexa couldn't decide on which to pin her unfortunate fate upon.
Did it matter though? Did it matter who or what was at fault for this? She herself? Clarke? Or maybe even the gods? No, it didn't matter because this was her fate and it was too late to change it. And who was she to question it? This was the end of the pure Silvestre line and that's how it was going to be.
The first strike of a whip crossed the skin on her back, leaving an angry red line behind in its wake. She didn't wince, she didn't scream but her head did lift and the first person she laid eyes on was the Empress. Blood tainted her face, an assortment of angry purple bruises starting to emerge.
Another shot cracked over Lexa's skin again, making her back convulse, trying to subdue the pain but it was no use. One shot cracked after the other; one turning to five and five turning to ten and eventually, ten turned to fifty but not once did Lexa make a sound.
Her lip twitched and blood started to run down her back, turning her white bindings red. The blood on her face had started to crust on her eyebrow and blood caked at the sides of her mouth. All throughout the whipping, not once did her eyes leave Clarke; the Empress being her only source of strength remaining.
It was then when her life started to come in flashes; from her childhood, to her adulthood and the war in Egypt. But none of it reigned superior. Clarke reigned superior through all of it. One flash came after the other and Lexa knew in all of those moments they shared, nothing could've torn her from the Empress, not even the biggest of men.
The first kiss they shared sparked a fire so fierce that it eventually became unkillable. They shared a love that would extend for eras and eras; generations and generations. Their love would span over countless amount lifetimes, talked about, written about, and sung about. No matter what troubles they fought through before, their fire always remained hot and unwavering. It was phenomenal.
At that moment Lexa couldn't feel the lashes of the whip but rather the soft touch of Clarke's hands gliding across her nude skin, occasionally halting and a tender kiss following. It eliminated all worries, all pain, and all suffering. All that remained was the pure ecstasy of intimacy.
They spent hours sprawled and tangled in one another beneath the furs talking about everything and nothing. From stories of their childhoods, to the most outrageous of myths. Other times Lexa would share the boring yet intriguing history she had learned of the Empire, or Clarke would share the havoc she wreaked in the palace kitchen multiple times. Apparently cooking and baking wasn't her strong suit.
A small smile appeared on Lexa's lips even as she remained suspended by her arms, her knees occasionally dragging over the hard gravel beneath when one lash would consecutively follow over the exact same spot. She wondered how many times Clarke had asked about the branding on her forehead; what exactly it meant and why anyone 'with a face like that' would brand it. The answer was simple; pride in where and what she came from.
Lexa explicitly remembered each and every time Clarke would kiss her forehead, or the branding rather, muttering each time how much she adored it. Or on the multiple occasions the Empress dragged her fingers over the three lines the lion left behind many moons ago, always mentioning how much more beautiful it made Lexa.
Behind closed doors, they were only two women far too deep in love with one another. The willingness to sacrifice all and everything. That was the beauty of all of it; willingness to die for each other. They were free; free to be who they actually were and most importantly, free to truly love.
They held each other close, finding peace in all of it; a simple feeling both women craved more than they cared to admit.
But here it was ... the end.
A hundred lashes passed and blood poured from her back, mixed in with the black ink from the stigma she received in Egypt. Yet still, Lexa didn't do as much as groan and it annoyed Blake that the woman wouldn't even show emotion or pain now.
The cold of the setting sun drawing in stung Lexa's skin, a real relief to the burn she felt all over. She wished for some sort of miraculous snow. It would be a beautiful death, wouldn't it?
"Was it worth it? Lying to me? Deceiving me? Killing those that only followed orders?"
Lexa nodded her head best she could. All of it was worth it and she would do nothing of it differently if she had the opportunity. "Put me out of my misery, will you? Have I not suffered enough?" She didn't bother looking in the direction of the Emperor; her eyes still remaining on Clarke that tried her very best to break through the wall of Praetorian men to no avail.
"I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to banish you. Make you really suffer. I'm going to leave you to live the remainder of your life without the person you love. It's a fate much more dreadful than death. So, say your last words; after, your citizenship will be revoked and you will be sold as a slave in the morning. You will be reduced to the nothing you were always destined to be."
Again, Lexa nodded her head, the first tear spilling from her eye as reality sets in. "You can take my hope, you can take my life and you can take my legacy. But may the gods help you the day you go after her! Banish me, kill me, do your worst! But I will come back for you; if not in this life, in the next, and the one after! I will watch you die and I will revel in it!"
"I admire your fighting spirit. But I'm afraid you'll never be allowed into my Empire again. And you will never see Clarke again either."
Finally, Lexa's head settled, fully upward, her face being warmed by the setting afternoon sun. She didn't want to admit that this was the end of life as she knew it; she didn't want to admit that it was perfectly possible to never see Clarke again, or the fact that she might even die in the following week or two due to her injuries.
But there she was, living in the moment, remembering what is and what was and what could've been. Her one true love sentenced to an eternity of heartache. Another tear fell from Lexa's eyes, her bottom lip now too starting to quiver.
"I love you." Is the last thing Lexa mouths before feeling an assortment of heavy shots connecting with her body all over again. Perhaps she wouldn't even reach this lifetime of suffering she was promised, maybe death will overtake her sooner than she anticipates. And the worst part is that she didn't fear it; death was trivial and almost welcomed at this point. When darkness overtakes her, a sudden bright light appears in front of her eyes and she sees Clarke walking at her side with a valiant smile coating her lips.
Clarke was the beginning and she was the end.
My Clarke, my Empress, my greatest passion, I will always love you.