Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Ball

The next three days came and went, Julia spent as much time as she could with her family. The best thing was that her mother miraculously recovered enough to get out of bed and have meals together. Which was wonderful for everyone. When Julia was not with her family, she and her father would train. True to his word, he was very helpful to her, seeing as a rapier for fencing is quite different from a normal sword in this time period.

But tonight was different, tonight was the ball to honor Ian for his accomplishments in the previous war. Even though he had to leave the front early due to Ingrid's condition and his injuries, his plans and strategies were helpful. The ball was to take place in the imperial royal palace, in the very same room where the wedding of the imperial prince and Julia will be held when the two come of age. The major surprise to the royal family will be Ingrid's attendance, seeing as her condition is good enough to make an appearance at an important event for her husband.

Inside Julia’s room were a few maids fluttering around to make sure her appearance was up to the family's standards and to the standard of an empress-to-be. Julia’s dress had long sleeves and a tight bodice that flared out to a semi-poofy skirt, it was colored a deep shade of blue, the color of the family crest, with trimming and details in gold thread. Her hair was curled into long flowing waves. Her face was framed by a pair of gorgeous gold sapphire earrings with a matching simple necklace. Lastly, she chose not to wear her engagement ring. Julia thought of it as her subtle act of defiance to the story and Laurence. When she looked in the mirror, she smiled, making all the maids sigh a sigh of relief since, in the past, Julia was difficult with her outfits.

When Julia went downstairs to meet up with her family, she saw her father scolding Tobias for messing with the collar of his shirt over and over. When he saw his daughter, he smiled.

“Julia, you just look perfect. Spitting image of you mother, just with my eyes and hair,” he chuckled as he pulled her into a small hug.

“That can’t be comfy, sis,” Tobias commented.

“It’s really not, but oh well. Also, thank you father, you look nice,” Julia responded.

Ian's outfit was much different than a standard suit like Tobias was wearing. While yes, he was wearing a suit, his was decorated with all of his previous metals from old wars and skirmishes he had done with the emperor. As well as having a large cape that was lined with black fur at the top and the same blue as Julia was wearing was the rest of the material.

Ian glances at the large grandfather clock near the door, “Now, just where is your mother? We are almost going to be late-,” he’s cut off.

“Now we can’t have that, darling,” Ingrid was the one to cut him off. She stood smiling at her husband. Who was now staring in awe at his beautiful wife.

Her dark blue hair was pulled into a curly bun showing off dangling sapphire earrings and a matching necklace. Her dress was much like Julias except it was tighter to show off her figure. The color was the same dark blue, but there were small golden dots all about to make her dress look as if it were the night sky itself.

She gracefully went down the stairs taking her husband's arm, “Ready to go children?”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and the family of four made their way into their carriage and headed for the ball.

The carriage ride to the ball was pleasant; everyone passed the time with jokes and fun conversation. Ingrid and Ian lovingly clung to each other the whole ride to the palace. Julia was enjoying the ride with her family, but there was one thing she had bothering her at the back of her mind.

This ball was going to be hosted by the royal family, and Laurence would be there. The thought of seeing him made Julia uncomfortable. He was the man who killed her after all.

With the bustling palace in sight, Tobias piped up, “Hey, dad, do you know what you’re going to ask his majesty for?”

Julia snapped her head over to look at her father.

“I’m not so sure yet, but I have until the end of the night to decide. Thanks for reminding me, Tobi,” Ian reaches out to pat his son's head.

“I mean, a new horse would be nice. We could go riding like we used to, darling,” Ingrid giggled.

Ian only blushed at the thought; whatever memory he had associated with horses and his wife. The idea was not something that Julia and Tobias wanted to learn about.

Once the family arrived, the sound of guards and arriving crowds cheered as they entered. From the start, Julia was accosted by the loud sounds of music and people talking. They were stopped at a small balcony overlooking the whole room, they were high above the rest of the crowd. The announcer being the one who stopped them. Banged his cane against the white marble floors, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

“THE GUESTS OF HONOR, SIR IAN AND THE REVENTÓS DUCHY,” a man broadcasted to everyone.

Ingrid raised her hand to the man and continued to the party, both children following close behind her.

The room was bathed in golden light from the many beautiful chandeliers hanging about. The color scheme of everything and everyone seemed to be a mix of white and gold. The only ones who were allowed to stand out would be the emperor’s family and the Raventós. 

Julia couldn’t help from looking at everything with intrigue and joy. The events in her old life were nowhere near as fun as these. At least no one looked like they were going to attend a funeral.

Tobias leans into Julia, “Hey, I think we are heading to the big guy now, so uh, I guess be on your best behavior,” Tobias shrugged.

“Oh, don’t worry, I will,” Julia smiles.

Sure enough, Ian and Ingrid were heading towards the emperor, who was accompanied by his many knights and, worst of all, his only son, Laurence. Emperor Gareth Vildimir is a towering creature, much taller than all his knights and Ian. The cold gaze from his bright blue eyes caught Julia’s attention. Even though the smile behind his large black beard seemed inviting to his old friends, Julia knew that those weren't his true feelings. 

Just his eyes alone can send a shiver down someone’s spine.

“Ian! Ingrid! My dear friends! How are you?” He proudly proclaimed as he brought Ian and Ingrid into a tight hug.

“I’m, ack! Your majesty! Can you let me go?” Ian coughs.

“Yes please,” Ingrid breathlessly adds 

The emperor lets out a loud laugh as he lets them go.

“I’m so glad you both were well enough to join us. I mean, what would we do without our guests of honor?” The emperor remarks.

“We could have just sent Julia to take out place,” Ingrid answers, placing a hand on Julia’s shoulder.

“Yes! As our empress-to-be, she should be more than capable of handling important events, am I correct?” He made eye contact with Julia when the finished his question. 

Julia could sense that same cold, almost antagonizing expression on his face, “Of course, our majesty, you are so quick to doubt my abilities; I am shocked,” Julia teased.

The adults all look at each other and let out a huge laugh, it seemed like they found her comment hilarious or stupid, but all Julia should assume was that they didn’t see her as stupid. At this point in the conversation, Julia saw that Tobias was starting to become bored and had walked off to the snack table. By this point, Julia was also bored and was on her way to talk to her brother, but the adults had stopped her. 

Ingrid, without breaking eye contact with the emperor, “Say Gareth, how about Laurence and Julia have a dance together? It could be a good way for them to socialize,” Ingrid said with a sweet smile.

“HA! What a wonderful idea, Laurence, dance with your fiancee and try to sweep her off her feet,” the emperor agreeably pats Laurence on the back, making him jump.

Laurence steadied himself and clears his throat, “Lady Julia, may I have this dance?” He offers his hand to her.

“I accept your request, your highness,” Julia took his hand as he led her to the dance floor.

 Right on cue, the music changed from a piece of bright and cheery conversation music to something akin to a waltz, even Ian and Ingrid went to the dance floor. Regardless of what Julia wanted, she knew she had to dance with him. But Laurence was confused at her sudden change in demeanor as they walked together. This is his first time meeting Julia since her reincarnation. He was weary of the fact she didn’t jump at the opportunity to become close to him. 

Once they made their place upon the dance floor, Laurence wrapped his arm around her waist, then took his other hand to hers.  

While dancing, Laurence spoke up, “So, what changed with you, my lady? You don’t seem like your usual preppy self?” He asked.

Julia smiled at him, “Well, I thought my little act got boring after a while, right Laurence?” She responded. “I mean, after a few years, me chasing you up and down the hall bothered you, right?”

Laurence raised his eyebrow, “So it was all an act?”

“You could say that vying for the attention of the person you are going to spend the rest of your life with got boring when I was the only one trying,” Julia dropped her mocking smile to one that better suited her annoyance towards him.

As the music started to fade to the end, Laurence dipped Julia to the final beat and asked, “is that why you aren’t wearing your engagement ring?”

“No,” Julia says before coming back up.

“Then why? He asked as he brought her back up as the music ended.

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“It didn’t go with my outfit,” Julia bowed as she left to enjoy the rest of the party.

Just beyond the dance floor lies the snack table which little Tobias was watching over like a hawk.

“Hey Tobi, what are you doing,” Julia asked.

“I'm waiting for those tiny sandwiches, they ran out before I could get some,” Tobias said.

Julia gave him a confused look, “Why would you want those when you can ask for them at home.”

“Because sometimes I wanna feel fancy sis, that’s why,” Tobias now turned to face her and looked over her shoulder to see Laurence still frozen in the middle of the dance floor. “Hey what did you say to pretty boy? You have got him just standing there dumbfounded.”

Julia now looked a Laurence, the sight made her giggle at his dumb expression, “I didn’t say anything,” she said in confidence.

Tobias rolled his eyes, “Yeah sure you didn’t. Anywho, do you know when dad is going to be presented with his ‘wish’ or something?”

Julia shook her head, “I have no idea when its happening, but what do you think dad is going to wish for?”

“Nothing, I mean he did say in the carriage he was happy with how his life turned out. He was a humble knight turned the husband of the second most important family in the empire and his daughter will be the next empress. He’s got all he ever wished for, why?”

“No reason, I just wanted to know in case he doesn’t.”

“No, you’re lying, what do want to do?”

“Nothing!”

Tobias leaned in close, “Julia, you’re hiding something from me… and as your brother, you have to tell me.”

“Fine!” Julia cried, “Just get out of my face please.”

Tobias jumped back into his original position, “Cool, glad the intimidation tactic worked, now spill the beans I’m all ears.”

“I want access to the uncensored libraries,” Julia sighed.

“That’s it? We have one at home… why not use that?” Tobias asked.

“I already do, but I need more information so I need to get inside the palace one and the churches,” Julia explained.

“Well I know for a fact we have access to the palace one due to moms standing with mister big guy over there, but I’m not so sure about the chur-“ Tobias cut himself off due to the delivery of the fresh batch of tiny sandwiches.

“Hey what do you mean about the church?” Julia asked.

Tobias turned to her with a plate full of sandwiches, “They are so cute and tiny and delicious.”

Julia snapped her fingers in his face, “Tobias focus, what about the church!” 

Tobias snapped out of his sandwich-induced trance, “Ah! Oh yeah, the church. They don’t really follow the emperor’s orders and do their own thing, only members of the church get access to the library. But if it helps they do owe him a favor he hasn’t cashed in yet,” Tobias said in-between sandwiches, “Hey these are really good are you sure you don’t want one?”

“I'm sure, but how do you know he has a favor?”

“I've got my sources, but why do you want to get in the church?”

“I want a divine beast…” Julia said nonchalantly.

Julia just stated she want the most powerful thing in their world. Divine beasts are a type of summoning that is primarily controlled by the church. In the original novel, Laurence would get his hands on his family's divine beast, the powerful lion. one way to tell if a person had control of one was a marking on their skin in the shape of the beast. For Julia, her mark took the form of the serpent around her neck, but that was her curse because the beast who picked her was corrupt and evil at that point in time.

Tobias froze in his place, “you want a divine beast? I mean how! The church has a claim on most all of them and we have none to our family name.”

Before Julia could answer his question the emperor clinked his glass to get everyone's attention. Ian and Ingrid beckoned for their children to join them at their side.

“I’ll tell you later Tobi, but for now it's showtime,” Julia said before walking back to her parents.

Everyone in the room gathered around the emperor to hear what he had to say. 

“Thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate our honored guest Sir Ian and his family the Reventós. Now I am sure you have all heard about his great exploits in the past, seeing as he was my right-hand man for many years until his little injury,” the emperor joked as he gestured to Ian’s cane. “We are here to celebrate him, he won us our war even though he was locked in the confines of a desk his plans and strategies gave us the win for the empire so I am here to present him with a gift,” the crowd clapped and gasped at the idea of the emperor giving a gift to a mere soldier. “I haven’t even explained the gift and everyone’s clapping how funny,” he joked. “Today I am giving you the gift of anything you want Ian, a wish so to speak.”

Ian approached the emperor and got down on one knee to honor the emperor, “Your majesty, you have given me everything. I was just a humble orphan boy until you found me and gave me a new life as your solider, then I met Ingrid,” Ian looked ar his wife with love in his heart, “You allowed our love to grow, and with that love spawned two darling children, and one of those children is to become the future empress of this glorious empire,” Ian got up to face the emperor, “I have all that I could wish for and then some, I owe everything to you sire and I have no wish.”

The crowd was all a flutter with what Ian had just said. The most powerful person offered the keys to the empire and Ian refused it.

Julia took note of all that was happening and thought this was a good of time as any to make her move.

“Sire! If my father has no wish, then I would like to make one,” she proclaimed. 

“What are you doing?” Ingrid whispered to Julia.

Julia ignored her and walked to where her father was. Ingrid tried to hold her back but was stopped by Tobias.

“Just let it happen mom, just let it happen,” Tobias calmly said.

Julia approached the emperor and the crowd was almost silent while waiting for what she had to say.

The emperor in all this just laughed, “Hahah! Now little one what would be your wish, if it alright with Ian?”

Julia looked at Ian, who already was confused at what was going on, “Why not, go on sweetheart.”

Julia curtsied, “Thank you, father. Now, in place of my father, I would like access to the uncensored libraries. The palace one and the church’s one.”

The crowd really was taken aback by her wish and so was the emperor, of all things he never thought she would ask for that!

“Now, why would you ask for that in particular?”

Julia held herself up high with her confidence and straightened back, “As the future empress of this glorious empire it is my duty to know the ins and outs of this place, even if it means learning about the ways of the holy church.”

The emperor looked at his son who looked just as confused as the crowd, “I see, lady Julia as you are going to be our empress in future years I grant you access to my library and I think now is a good a time an any to cash in my favor with the church,” he chuckled. “So as this whole party as our witness you shall have access to the libraries!”

Julia gave a happy look to Tobias, who was just shocked that she managed to get what she wanted. 

 

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