you stood at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, your eyes narrowed as you watched lexa instruct madi in the center of the training field. sweat glistened on madi’s brow as she struggled to keep up with lexa’s relentless pace. Her small body was exhausted, but she refused to quit, determination shining in her eyes as she tried to mimic lexa’s swift movements.

“madi, again,”

lexa commanded, her voice cold and firm, as if she were speaking to a warrior, not a six-year-old child. madi stumbled but immediately got back into position, raising her tiny wooden practice sword.

your jaw clenched. you had trusted lexa to teach madi how to defend herself, but this…this was too much. madi was just a little girl, and öexa was treating her like one of her warriors.

“lexa,”

you called, your tone sharp, cutting through the air. lexa glanced briefly in your direction but returned her attention to madi.

“Again,”

she said to the girl, ignoring your presence.

you felt your anger rise, and before you could stop yourself, you stormed onto the training field. you stepped between madi and lexa, grabbing the wooden sword from madi’s hands and tossing it aside.

“Enough, lexa!”

you snapped, turning to face her.

“She’s six years old! You can’t push her like this.”

madi, panting, looked up at you with wide eyes, unsure of what to do. Lexa’s expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—defensiveness, perhaps.

“She needs to learn,”

lexa replied, her voice steady but laced with quiet conviction.

“The world is harsh, clarke. She has to be ready. She must be strong.”

as madi ran off to get water, you turned back to lexa.

“I know you want to protect her,”

you said, your voice softer now,

“but she’s not one of your warriors. She’s not like the others, she’s my daughter. I know someday she’ll become the commander and has to fight and lead, but not yet. she needs her childhood.“

“I know,”

lexa said quietly.

“But I don’t want her to suffer like we did.”