Sekhmet

Chapter 12

Chapter 12
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Judith

Judith woke to Robin tapping her shoulder, noise leaked through into the carriage from the windows. Sounds of distant voices and busy city streets came with the sound of the carriage rolling over stone, Judith could assume they were nearing Lavern the capital.

The pale white carriage shined in the summer sunlight and kicked up dust as the horses chugged along the dirt road. Robin smiled as Judith sat up, they were looking out the window. He closed it before dust could get in "we're almost there" they explained, Robin's wearing a tight green suit coat that button up to his neck, white pants and riding shoes. He wore the earrings they bought from the festival, the gold wire poking out from his long hair.

"Nervous?" He asked crossing one leg over the other, Judith shrugged she knew it was obvious on her face.

She smoothed out her blue dress, her favourite colour "excited to see Linae again?" Robin's face brightened at her name "dying to, hopefully she'll be there when we arrive."

Judith leaned forward to look out the window, they were now on one of the main roads just along the outskirts of the city. They are to meet Atticus and the guards before entering and publicly ride in, Judith wasn't so sure about it, but it was a little late to back out now. Blank, Viresa, and Wyatt all rode outside of the carriage and Robin would soon have too as well.

"Do you think they'll hate me?" She asked suddenly, Robin stared at her as the carriage rocked them gently.

"Who?" They questioned, "the people, I've left them for over a year now" Robin shook his head "no, Atticus had it handled I don't think they'll hate you"

Judith sighed "that's the point. Atticus and his family have been running this place. What kind of Queen turns up a year later looking like she's here to steal credit?"

"But you're not" Robin reasoned "I know I'm not!" Judith yelled almost standing up in the carriage "but do they?" Robin fell silent and Judith sat back.

It was a minute or two before Robin responded, "the empress said it would be hard, you'll have to prove yourself in ways other rulers have never had to. The war, your sex, your father. All of these are things you have to overcome yet carry with yourself because loosing that means losing yourself"

Judith remained silently staring at the window till the carriage came to a stop and Robin leaned forward to open the door "have faith in them your highness and they'll have faith in you" they stepped out onto the path. Robin hesitated before twirling around "you're not alone."

Judith gave him a small smile that he returned before closing the door and letting the carriage pull forward again. Judith spent the rest of the short ride adjusting her dress and trying to look presentable based on her reflection in the window. Judith's mind ran wild with many thoughts, her anxiety only worsened when the voices outside grew louder, thicker, clearer.

They must be within the city now and she would soon have to face her people after a year of hiding away. No, not a year. Years. Years worth of hiding. Since she was little Judith has been hiding behind her father's shadow, fearful of the people outside because that what he told her to feel.

Hidden in her books, piles worth of words she read and reread, knowledge she would later find useless when faced with the responsibilities of her father's betrayal.

"You cannot rule a kingdom based on words between pages, you cannot rule a country that doesn't know you" the Empress told her whenever Judith brought up a certain quote from a text or a sentence from a page. It felt demeaning, hot shame and humiliation would burn Judith at night. The realisation that she knew nothing, that she has known nothing eating her alive every class.