Not Too Late

Arrival

Yn's POV

My hands reach the big iron doors. I push on them with all my strength and limp on through. With every step I take pain shoots through my leg while having blood drip onto the grand floor. My breath is heavy as I stop in front of the throne. "I presume you succeeded?" I look up to see him sitting on his golden throne ever so royally. "yes.. I will prepare the boat for tonight to sail to Kiev, your highness" "I have already prepared them for you Yn, there is no need to do everything yourself"

I just nod at his sudden interest in helping me. "Go freshen up my mother will attend to your wounds I shall expect you in several days" it wasn't a question it was more of a statement. "Yes you shall King Alfred" "off you go then" He always treated me like I was only an object to him. But then again I was only known as a weapon not actually a warrior. I start limping off to the room just off of the throne room. I see Judith and a smile seems to appear on my face.

She takes my arm and leads me gently to the bed. She lays me down and a groan escapes my lips as the pain courses through me. I end up laying fully on my back before Judith starts tending to my wounds. "I do not understand you Yn" I groan in pain at the alcohol seeping through my open wounds. "What is there to not understand queen Judith?" "You have every opportunity to run and hide, yet you come back as if you were being pulled by a piece of rope" I attempt to chuckle but a groan comes out instead. "I have accepted my fate and my gods have never let me down. Queen Judith I will for as long as I live believe and trust in them with everything that I have"

She guides me to lift my back up slightly so she can wrap me up. "And yet here you are all bruised and torn to shreds" I attempt to sigh but a groan continues to slip from my lips. "It's better than dying, Queen Judith" "please formalities aren't necessary when we are alone" I suck in a breath as she clips the bandage together. "If I give such disrespect for a royal, I may pay the price for those who over hear it" "Very Well then" Judith pushes down on a bruise accidentally and I slap her hand away with force.

She jumps at the sudden action. "I apologize" She nods and continues to work on my wounds. "I don't think you should go to Kiev in this condition" "you know the rules just as clearly as I do, if I am able to stay here I have to fight your battles, no exceptions" I start to get up slowly and sit in a sitting position on the bed.  "Then I will speak with Alfred and King Oleg and make them see that they're killing you"

"Why would they care for such a stranger? All they could care about is that I eliminate the enemy before they have a chance to attack. Queen Judith that is all they care about so please enough discussion about it and let me rest for the night ahead" Judith lifts my chin up so my eyes meet hers. Her other hand starts tracing the scars on my face. "You are like the daughter I wished I had ... And yet you did not come from me. I care for you and your safety even if Alfred does not"

"And I appreciate your concern but I will be better with some rest" Judith nods and places a soft kiss on my forehead. I give her a lop sided smile and lay back down.

Judith's POV

I leave yn's room and head off to the throne room. I stand in front of Alfredo with anger written all over my face. "What is the matter?" "The matter is that, that girl in there has been working none stop for you and you can't even give her a day off" He takes a sip of his wine. "Battles wait for no man or woman" "She is barely holding herself together!" I barely recognized that I yelled until he stands up. "Do you not think that I know that? What am I supposed to tell King Oleg? That his weapon is badly injured, and that she can not make the travel this evening?"

"Yes!" "Mother, you have not met King Oleg he is not a reasonable man they call him the prophet for a reason" I give him a death stare. "Then he shall know that you are telling the truth" "it is too much of a risk!" I step back at his aggressive tone. "When she comes back I need her to set sail once again" I walk up to him. "She spends more time on that battlefield and in her boat then actually living her young youthful life" "I change anything" I grab his cup of wine. "You can change your ways"

I start walking down the few steps before sipping his wine. "What?" "When she stays here don't make her fight, she can just be the messenger" I hold the cup in my hand and swirl the wine around. "Then our battles that need to be won?" "Defeat your enemies, yourself" Alfred dramatically plops himself on his throne and sighs. He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. "The whole point of her being here is she fights to live here" "I know that But-" "But nothing mother, I am the king and what I say goes and she will not get a day off. She will rest when she travels and that's it"

I grip the cup in anger and down the rest of the wine. I throw the cup on the ground and stomp off.