"I'm sorry, your highness if I said something improper. I promise I won't ask my wife to leave her job again and she can do whatever she likes. I will even look after my children in her absence."
The man cried and Atarah succeeded in illustrating her juncture.
"You should admit guilt to your wife, not me."
Atarah said and the man promised he would do so.
"Well done Atarah, we didn't even need to start the case and proceedings for this man. You oversaw his case quite well but remember, this is royal court and this place does not work on emotions on feelings. You can't pass judgments based on sentiments. I am letting this one go because the man does not have any more conflicts ."
The queen told Atarah who was sad. This was the reason why she despised being at the royal court. Even when they all knew what was favorable and what was unfair, still no judgment could be upheld without having an ethical proceeding on the typical case.
"I realize mother."
Atarah asserted dishearted and even the queen was aware that Atarah didn't relish it.
"We shall embark with our next case."
Queen ordered and another man strode inside the courtroom but this time, Atarah was in no disposition to give attention to whatever he would say. She knew her mother won't let her say anything else on the law structure. She was still the Queen and it was her duty to procure justice. She let Atarah handle the one case because she needed to test her and now she could not let her do it anymore.
The hearings went on and Atarah felt drowsy throughout the session. She just wished to evade the place but that would be very defiant for the queen and she didn't want to do that. Her eyes fell upon prince Ambrose. He was gawking at her, scrutinizing her.
'What's wrong with him? Can't he even allow me to sit peacefully without being judged for some time?' Atarah questioned in her mind. She just grinned at the prince and he gave a slight smile as returning the gesture.
The court hearings stopped and finally, Atarah was permitted to go back to her room but instead, she chose to go to the gardens. She needed to revive her mind, she needed fresh air and her rabbits. In the garden, she settled on the bench under a tree and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun. She wished that Felizah wouldn't come and locate her, if she did she would drag her back to her room and ask her to behave like a lady usually does in front of the guests. 'But was that really true? A lady should only act like a lady? And what is that supposed to mean? Isn't one supposed to figure out in what way they want to behave or what exactly are they prying to do? There were so many questions rising in Atarah's head but there was no one to retort those.
"Can I have a seat, princess?"
Prince Ambrose questioned. He was the last person that Atarah has anticipated to meet in the gardens at this hour. She stood up.
"Yes please, sir."
She said and sat down once Ambrose was settled on the bench.
"You were quite ferocious in the court today. Why were you so irate about the matter?"
Ambrose inquired.
"Everything that man was asserting was so impolite towards the female race. How could one have beliefs like that?"
Atarah's question wasn't directed towards the prince instead it was for all those men who had the same psyche and same opinion for working women.
"Why do you speculate he was incorrect? Why would God prefer to give a woman the dignity of delivering a child if it meant that she doesn't need to raise them, to look after them? I think if they are honored with the ability to produce the child then they should be the ones to look after them."
Ambrose's terms took Atarah in awe. She had not foreseen this from the prince. She thought he too would favor her on the sentiment of equality.
"Is there only a female's sole contribution in producing a new life? No, it's the verdict of both mother and father, then why should a mother be the only one to feed, to pamper the child. It should be both of their duty."
Atarah was deduced to make her facts clear in front of the prince.
"You know what I think? That the kingdom should be run by the king instead of a queen. Like today, you affirmed your judgments impulsively and whatever you were saying was what you believed, they were your sentiments. You weren't thinking logically. This confirms that females most often inclined to think based on emotions, on the contrary, a man could take many reasonable decisions and think logically."
Ambrose alleged Atarah for speaking up the right in the court even when he knew that everything that Atarah said was true.
"Why do you reckon a woman could not think logically? And why do you think that emotions don't have logic?"
Atarah questioned his thoughts and his sick mentality towards women.
"You just demonstrated today Atarah that women don't think logically, they act upon feelings."
"And what about the other question I asked? Were my emotions irrational? Did I say anything bizarre and not good out of emotions or turmoil?"
Although Atarah wasn't supposed to talk to the royal guests this way but intentionally or unintentionally Ambrose was debating on one subject Atarah was prudent about. She couldn't tolerate someone speaks like that about a woman in front of her. She was sick of such psychology where women were contemplated only good for raising children. One thing she always questioned herself about was that the kingdom was run by the queen, a woman, and still, people had thought that women were only good for raising children and other household chores.