Lexa stood by the window of her quarters, the warm hues of the setting sun casting a golden light across her face. You entered, holding a map of the nearby territories.

“Another border dispute,”

You sighed, placing the map on the table.

“Do they ever stop fighting for five minutes?”

Lexa gave you a faint smile.

“You know as well as I do, Clarke. Peace is always a fragile thing.”

Before you could respond, a knock at the door echoed through the room.

“Enter,”

Lexa commanded, her voice steady but laced with authority.

The door creaked open, revealing a hooded figure flanked by two guards. The guards looked uneasy, glancing between Lexa and their charge.

“Who is this?”

You asked, your tone sharp with suspicion.

The figure removed their hood, revealing a face that stopped Lexa in her tracks. You immediately noticed the shift in Lexa’s demeanor—the softness in her expression, the way her breath hitched ever so slightly.

“Costia,”

Lexa whispered, the name barely audible.

Your heart sank. The name had haunted your ever since you‘d first heard it—Lexa’s first love, a woman who’d been killed as a warning to the Commander.

But here she was, alive.

“It’s been a long time, Heda,”

Costia said, her voice calm yet filled with unspoken emotion.

“Too long.”

Lexa took a step forward, as if to touch her, but hesitated.

“You’re… alive? How?”

“I had to make them believe I was dead,”

Costia explained, her gaze steady on Lexa.

“It was the only way to complete my mission and protect you. I’ve been working undercover in Azgeda, gathering information, undermining their leaders. I didn’t have a choice.”

You felt like an intruder in the room, but your voice cut through the tension.

“You should have told her. She deserved that much.”

Costia turned to you, her sharp green eyes locking with yours.

“You must be Clarke. Lexa’s… ally?”

You bristled at the word but kept your composure.

“I’m more than that.”

A flicker of recognition crossed Costia’s face.

“I see.”