the stench of burnt flesh still clung to the air, a grim reminder of the massacre at the ridge. lexa surveyed the wounded, her face a mask of controlled fury.

three hundred of her warriors, reduced to charred corpses by skaikru fire. vengeance would be swift, but for now, her priority was the living.

"we need healers," indra said, her voice tight with urgency. "our own are stretched thin."

lexa's gaze swept over the captured skaikru, their faces etched with fear and defiance. "there is one among them who possesses the skill," she said, her voice cold. "bring her to me."

y/n was dragged before lexa, her hands bound, her eyes blazing with anger.

she was young, barely more than a girl, but there was a fire in her that lexa recognized. a fire that could be both a weapon and a shield.

"you are y/n," lexa said, her voice devoid of emotion. "i know of your skill with herbs and medicine. you will heal my warriors."

y/n spat on the ground at lexa's feet. "i would rather die."

lexa's jaw tightened, but she remained impassive. "you will die either way, skaikru. but if you heal my warriors, your death will be quick. if you refuse, it will be slow and agonizing."

y/n glared at lexa, her eyes filled with hatred. "i will not help you. you are murderers."

"and you are a pyromaniac," lexa retorted, her voice laced with steel. "you burned three hundred of my warriors alive. do not pretend to be innocent."

y/n flinched, but she held her ground. "they attacked us first."

"and you responded with fire," lexa said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "a fitting punishment, perhaps, but it does not change the fact that you are now my prisoner. and you will do as i command."

lexa leaned closer, her eyes locking with y/n's. "i do not enjoy this, skaikru.

but i will not allow my warriors to suffer. heal them, and i will consider sparing your life. refuse, and i will make you regret the day you were born."

the silence hung heavy between them, broken only by the groans of the wounded.

y/n stared at lexa, her face a mask of conflicting emotions. fear, anger, and… something else. something that lexa couldn't quite decipher.

finally, y/n spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "what guarantee do i have that you will keep your word?"

lexa met her gaze, her own unwavering. "my word is my bond, skaikru. but do not mistake my mercy for weakness. i will not hesitate to kill you if you betray me."