Lexa and her army returned to Polis and were welcomed back as heroes. People chanted "Heda" in the streets when they rode by. Lexa should have taken great joy from such a victory, but she didn't. She just felt hollow. That night, Lexa couldn't even sleep in her bed. All she could see was Costia's head laying there. She curled up in the floor and only slept because she was too exhausted to stay awake any longer. The next day, Lexa summoned Titus. "You called for me, Heda?" "Yes," Lexa began. "I have a task for you. I have played the events over and over again in my mind and it is no accident that Nia knew about Costia, nor that her spies were able to make it all the way to my chambers and back out undetected. We have a traitor in our midst. You will find this person and bring them to me." Titus felt sick. He had not foreseen this, and he recognized now that he should have. Lexa was smart. He had much work to do to cover up what he had done. And, he reminded himself once again that he did it all for Lexa, to make her better, to make her stronger. "It would be my honor to do this for you," Titus replied. Next, Lexa summoned five of her best scouts and assembled them in her throne room. They eagerly awaited her words.

"I have a task for you," Lexa said. "You will find Roan of Azgeda and you will bring him here to me, unharmed." The scouts shifted nervously, cutting their eyes at one another. Roan was an accomplished warrior. He would not come easily. Lexa sensed their reluctance. "Perhaps I'm not making myself clear. You will not come back until you have found Prince Roan. You will do this or die trying," she rephrased. "You leave at dawn. Dismissed." The scouts shuffled out. Lexa knew she should have felt badly for speaking to them so harshly, but she didn't. And, she needed to find Roan. He was important to her agenda. He may hate her, but she would make things right. Three days later Titus presented his victim. Lexa and Gustus were both in the throne room when Titus entered with a bound and gagged man. Lexa recognized him as a member of her guard. "What is this?" She asked Titus. "This is the man who betrayed you, Heda. He confessed it to me. Nia offered him money." Titus threw a bag of coins down. The man was shaking his head vigorously. "Let him speak." Titus removed the gag from his mouth. The man looked terrified. "What do you have to say?" Lexa asked, completely unmoved by the man's obvious fear. "Heda, please! I didn't do this! He's lying!" "Titus, do you swear that this is the man?" "I swear it, Heda." "Very well then." She turned to the man. "I sentence you to death by 49 cuts." "No! Please! No! I swear it wasn't me!" "Silence! I will hear no more of your lies," Lexa said. She turned to Gustus, who was visibly struggling to contain his anger. "You may cut him, but the kill is mine. Do you understand?" "Thank you, Heda," Gustus said, drawing his knife. Lexa watched passively while Gustus did his worst. Gustus was enraged. The man's screams could be heard throughout the tower. But no one would dare come to his aid. Finally, Lexa stopped him. "Enough," she said, drawing her own sword. She walked over to the man and Gustus moved out of her way. She faced her betrayer head on. "Jus drein jus daun," she said. Then she plunged her sword into his heart. But she felt nothing. No release. No satisfaction. Nothin