The Queen || ✔

Chapter 22: Queen's Arrival

Claudia

I looked out of the jet's window on my right and saw the brightest sun I'd ever seen rising above the horizon. It was going to be a warm morning for us.

Blade had already left to get our formalities settled and Hera was fast asleep in front of me. I was just waiting patiently for him to come back.

He came back in, stepping on the stairs in a haste and came to sit right next to me. He looked at me and for the first time during that whole flight, he took his shades off.

I saw his beautiful dark eyes and the eye bags underneath them. Those were my doing. He smiled sheepishly, obviously trying to comfort my nervous self, and I smiled back assuringly.

My stomach was in a knot when we landed. I didn't realise the tears streaming down my eyes, and I was close to a delirious state when he broke me out of my abysmal state to tell me that he was going to settle everything. I nodded at him and he wiped my tears to tell me that everything would be just fine. Now he was back to comfort me again.

"You're scared that they won't accept you?" He asked me while laying his hands on mine which were on my lap. I bowed down my head to hide my tears.

"Claudia... you are the strongest woman I know. Stronger than me even. You shouldn't have to worry about this. It has been more than twenty-five years."

"Exactly that. What if they have developed such a hate for me that through these twenty-five years, my name was forbidden amongst them." I wept, while trying my hardest to keep my tears in.

"Would any mother be able to do that? Especially yours. Remember, I know Sarah too. And I remember clearly that that night, she begged to die in your place. She swore to Luther that she'd never leave this earth without finding you. You could see the determination and blazing faith in her teary eyes, she scared me out of my mind. She stood up to Luther King, just to protect you and your sisters...."

I sighed in deeply, remembering that night. She wanted to kill Luther that night, it was in her eyes.

"... everytime you do something to protect your kids, I immediately remember Sarah. You shout like her, you demand respect like her. You have that look, that nail-biting, goosebumps giving and maliciously scary look in your eyes whenever you see your kids in danger. Just like her. Would you reject your child after not seeing her for twenty-five years?"

"But Blade..."

"... what if the same thing happened to Hera?"

I gasped and looked at him in shock with my hands cupping my mouth and my eyes widened.

"What if Hera had been gone and she finally came back to you, after years and years, as humble and as scared as a little lamb, hoping for some love and recognition. What if you turned your back on her, as her mother?"

"I'd never do that!" I cried out, banging my hand on my thigh. Then felt his hand wipe off the tear I had so desperately tried to hold back.

"Exactly my point. You and your mother are alike. Don't you, for one second, think that she'd abandon you. You are her Claudia. It wasn't your fault that all you wanted to do was protect them."

"But they saw me killing..."

"... and now they will see you apologising. They'll understand, Claudia, you were sixteen. You had no choice. It was either them... or him. Three lives over one. They know this. Please stay strong, everything will be ok."

"I trust that what you are telling me is true."

He nodded his head and helped me up from my seat. After I stood up, he carried Hera in his arms and we both got off of the jet, with me behind them, thinking about how I was going to approach them.

After a long car ride to the nearest five star hotel closest to their house, we arrived and went to our rooms. Mine was right next to Hera's, making sure that if ever she'd be any danger, I'd handle it.

"Please get some rest. I'll wake you up at around twelve so that we can get going." Blade said to me.

"You also have to rest. I'm giving you no choice, go rest. You need it more than I do."

"I will, I promise. Now please, rest. I'll go double-check that Hera is comfortable."

I nodded my head and he left my room. I stripped naked and walked into the shower, hoping that it will wash all of my worries away.

I let the water run down my body, not moving at all, just standing there. Lost in my thoughts, I trailed back to my past.

"Claudia get out of that shower!!!"

"Calm down Charlene, perfection takes time!" I screamed back.

"Mom, Claudia won't come out of the shower! And the bathroom!"

"Why are you so worried, you're not going anywhere?"

"Shut up and get out! Or else I'll call Cynthia!"

"And what will I do about it?" Cynthia's voice popped out of the blue.

"Your older sister won't come out of the shower, get her out!" Charlene sounded so frustrated.

"Hey, you're her older sister, she's supposed to be doing what you want her to do. And just because she won't, doesn't mean that you can use me as a pawn in your little battle!"

"You're just supposed to help me!"

"Can y'all tell me where the soap is?!" I said teasingly.

"You're still looking for the soap, Claudia, you've been in there for two hour!" Charlene cried out.

"Hey, you're supposed to tell me exactly why you think that by calling me, Claudia will suddenly come out of the bathroom? What do you think I would do if she didn't come out?!"

"What's going on here?!" My mother's voice boomed, making me close the water, grab a towel and open the door. She looked at all of us with eyes that screamed that she was annoyed.

"Nothing." We all said in unison and then scattered away from the situation. I went into my room across from Charlene's. Charlene locked herself in the bathroom and Cynthia ran down the stairs. The hallway looked deserted, leaving only my mother there, still angry as hell.

I realised that I'd been in the shower for so long, my toes and fingers were wrinkly. I stepped out and changed into my silk blue pyjamas and got into bed, at eight in the morning.

==*==

"Claudia..."