Chapter 29: Judith's Tale Begins
"Took you long enough…"
Peter clutched the vase of flowers he held to his chest before they could tumble to the floor. He expected Judith to still be asleep and he made a great effort to push the door open so slowly that it wouldn't make the slightest of sounds. But to his surprise, Judith was awake, clean and dressed, and with enough energy to heartily laugh at how she startled him.
"Well, it's hard to slip away from everyone in the castle. I took to hiding behind draperies every time I heard footsteps." Peter explained, closing the door. "I wasn't that long, was I?"
Her smile widened. "It's scandalous for you to be here, isn't it?"
"I suppose it is," he laughed, placing the vase down on the vanity and sitting on the bench. "It is most improper for a gentlemen such as myself to be sneaking off into a Lady's bedchamber."
"It's not the first time, though," she said pointing at the vase. "White orchids this time?"
"I thought you'd like them…"
"Oh, I do," she sighed gently as she approached him.
Peter leaned forward and touched her cheek to examine her face. "It's good to see you've got a little color back, although you're still carrying some bags under your eyes."
"I'm fine," she insisted, averting her eyes nervously.
Sensing her discomfort, he drew back his hand. "Are you all right?"
Pausing at the question, Judith then opened the vanity drawer beside him and pulled out a large spool of silk ribbon. Peter watched her curiously, waiting for a reply. With the ribbon tucked under her arm, she pulled the orchids out of the vase, and then sat on the bed with the skirt of her gown draped around her. Flower by flower, she bent the stems, wrapping them in ribbon and weaving them together, her fingers intermingling with the materials and occupying her hands. And keeping her eyes down at the task, she took a trembling breath.
"So, you really want to know everything?"
oOo
Judith rested her hand on the weathered wood of the wagon's frame as she peered through the shutters of the rickety vardo, watching Cair Paravel shrink along the horizon and disappear through the thickness of forest branches. The pounding footsteps of the burly escorts walking alongside sounded like the thunder of a hammer driving spikes into a railroad cross tie and with each rhythmic crash, Judith felt her entire being fading away into spell that engulfed all of her senses. She retreated so far into herself that she felt nothing but the relentless sloshing of the torment that swam through every last one of her thoughts: It was a bad idea to go along with Fernes. Possibly the worst idea that ever popped into her head. But it was too late to take it back. Much too late.
Suddenly, a sharp pain perked her from the trance and she pulled her hand from the ledge quickly. A large splinter had burrowed itself under her skin, and while normally she would have cursed the sliver of wood, she found herself welcoming the agony. The truth was that she was happy to feel something—even pain. But unfortunately, the satisfaction was short-lived, as her reanimation enabled her to feel the fiery sear of Fernes' ominous stare. He sat across from her with a grin-like-snarl, tapping the hilt of his sabre, each of his bony fingertips clacking against the metal with a menacing pulse. She knew he didn't trust her. But she also knew that he wanted to.
Driving the sharp splinter further into her palm, she put on a sinister smile and played a part that would shadow her name from then on. She despised herself as she began feeding Fernes information about the Narnian military, hoping he would let down his guard. And while he listened intensely, he still remained wary.
"And what of your dearest Peter?" he asked mockingly, drawing a line to see if she would cross.
"Weak, My Cousin," she replied icily. "He relishes in the stories that exaggerate the greatness of his rule as though they were truths—and the kingdom celebrates his legend, ignoring his incompetence."
"But what of his strategies? They are quite clever. Not the product of an incompetent King…"
"They are the Scribe's ideas—his closest confidant and advisor. It is from his lips that I have learned these great secrets, as only an ambitious woman can," Judith answered, the words like venom dripping from her lips.
Fernes lapped it all up greedily and by the time that she convinced him that she was on his side, the splinter was bored so far into her flesh that there was no way of digging it out again. Her hand throbbed, but the pain was nothing compared to the sharp sting in the pit of her stomach.
Finally, her betrayal was rewarded. Fernes told her how he followed his map and in the eye of the Amphisbaena, he and his scouts fell through a sinkhole in the desert, emerging in the Narnian Western Woods. He told her about his years of travel in the new world and how he learned of their Telmarine ancestry. He told her about the rise and fall of their people's dynasty, and the Narnian legends that gave them the gifts they used to thicken the trees and cover their tracks. And then he told her how he made a deal with a hag to become invincible, although he seemed to stop himself before she could learn any more. Judith often wondered what bargain he made for his immortality, but she dared not ever ask.
The Treacherous Them made camp in the deepest recesses of the woods. Despite her excellent sense of direction, the path was so dark and convoluted that she couldn't place where they were. Upon their arrival, Judith was met by an army of unfamiliar, snarling faces. The crowd parted as Fernes sauntered through, pushing aside clumsy men that didn't move from his path quickly enough. Judith followed him closely, afraid of getting lost within the mass of unruly men that growled as she passed.
It became clear that the men had not seen a clean and delicate woman in quite some time, and she did her best to ignore their torment, certain that if she kept on Fernes' heels and didn't make eye contact, they would leave her be. Despite her efforts, one man couldn't resist and grabbed her hungrily, ripping at her gown. She let out a shriek as she forcefully kicked him off, crawling along the ground to free herself from his grip.
Fernes' ears perked at the commotion and he swiftly scooped Judith up from the dirt. Hardly making an expression, he pulled a dagger from his frock and forcefully thrust it into the assailant's groin. The crowd grew silent as the man fell to the ground, holding himself with a pathetic whimper. Fernes plucked his blade from the man's flesh and then handed the bloody dagger to Judith as though nothing had transpired. Judith took a large gulp as the crowd of eyes looked up at her.
"Go on," Fernes prodded her. "They're just like animals…they'll never learn unless you set the boundaries."
Stepping forward, Judith kicked the injured man and roared over the crowd. "The next time I'm met with disrespect, I'll see to it that you all share a similar fate!"
Fernes rolled his eyes and pulled Judith close. "Kill him."
"I…can't," she stuttered.
"Then you're not fit to lead these men," he groaned, swiping the knife from her shaking hands.
Judith wanted to turn away, but she was frozen in place, watching her cousin slit the man's throat. Fernes cleaned the blade on the man's shirt and when he walked away, the others began to strip the dead body of anything valuable.
"You'll have to prove yourself if you expect to rule by my side," Fernes whispered in her ear as he passed. "Come with me now. We have some business to attend to."
It was then that Judith realized that the only way to survive amongst the Treacherous Them was to be heartless. There were no friends, no confidants, and no allies—there was only the untouchable leader and his disposable followers. Judith knew that if she didn't take her place in the hierarchy she would die, Peter would die, and all of Narnia would perish.
"I will not disappoint you next time, My Cousin."
