The Great Truth

2.

Previous- Judith is made Julian by the Duke. This is set after the prologue.

Judy was ten when she entered the Household. Her hands were rough, and a dagger peeked from her waist, her blonde hair mangled and dirty, cropped to her shoulders. It was a clear afternoon, sun shining but not scorching and the marketplace strewn apart with tents undone and people cheering, clapping, the sounds echoing in the air.

It was the victory procession over Artoiche.

The journey from Artoiche Empire to the Azure Kingdom was a long and treacherous one. After the royal family was massacred, the Duke had taken Julian in as his son and apprentice to the spearmen in deep turquoise blue tents, said "Teach this lad how to kill a beast. Then will he get to ascend the position as my son." At least that was how Julian remembered it, she might have added a little bit drama in though, because the Duke really had just picked her by the scruff and thrown her to the pits of hell, that is, when the spearmen were merrymaking with beer.

A spearman had taken one look at her crumpled form, sniffling uncrontollably and said, "This little guy can't even hold his own body straight"

The spearmen had burst out laughing and Julian had enough of it. "You murderers! You traitors!"
She bit the man's feet and wailed like a baby, hitting him with her tiny hands.

"Listen here kid. We won fair and square. I don't know who killed your parents but it certainly wasn't us."

She stood up, her neck bent down, "I will kill you one day."

The men chuckled again, and she felt their gazes etching into her, like she were just a pesky thing, a joke, patronizing, it strangled her until she wanted to scream and laugh and cry.

"Good." The man said crouching down, "When you do manage to kill us, it means you have bested us all."

And that's when Julian looked at the man in the eye, no, the man made Julian look at him, an invisible force nudging her chin up towards him. It was magic.

"You know magic?"

The spearmen chuckled again and she had no idea what was so funny about her.

A man ruffled her hair, "Know magic? You're talking to the Supreme Mage kid. He is the magic."

Julian nodded but she didn't understand anything, the night was heavy and wearing her down, her shoulder felt like seven tonnes of lead piled in a column pushing her down, down. But she was hungry and starving, Julian couldn't sleep with her tummy gurgling.

"I don't care. Give me food."

The man picked her up by the shoulders and dumped her on the wooden table by the tiny dark alcove.

"Give the kid some bread Ben."

She sulked as the sounds of glasses clinging and clicking played in the cold air, the armour didn't look as intimidating as it did before. The man settled himself next to her.

"What's your name?"

"No"

He roared with laughter, " You're lucky The Duke came when we were drunk, or you would have been hanged on the camp centre."

She widened her eyes a bit and scooted closer, drawing in her knees to her chest, "It's Judith."

"Hmm?What was that?"

She didn't repeat herself because her mouth was round and full, the bread already halfway through her stomach, the rest she scorfed down even faster.

"Easy there bud. " He took a sip from his glass, " I have a son your age."

"Papa? You're a papa?" But then Julian clamped her mouth shut just as fast because Rule no. two of princess etiquette was to never, which means never, ever call her father or anyone Papa in public. She could almost see Martha's angry glare in front of her as she remembered that lesson and shivered. Julian wondered if Martha was ok.

"You could say so." He paused, then added, "I suppose, have you met the princess?"

She froze and the gulped the rest of the bread down. Julian wasn't supposed to say anything, was she? But Nanny had told her nothing about disclosing her identity to anyone. If she told the man who she was could she go back to her home?

"Princess?"

"The Duke told us you worked there. Do you know your way around the Palace much?"

Julian nodded vigorously, "I know. I know everything."

The man turned to her, a determined look glazing his eyes,"Do you know where the Third Princess might be?"

Julian mentally counted the numbers on her head, wait, wasn't it her who was the third princess?

The man looked nice. Maybe he wasn't like the other spearmen. Julian didn't like it here, she didn't like the strange man that came, picked her up and dumped her here.

"Why?" She shifted near to him as if awaiting a grave answer.

"The princess has gone missing and we want to find her. To keep the princess safe."

"Really?

"Yes. Do you know where she might be?"

Julian nodded and opened her mouth to tell him, she wanted everything to go back to how it was, she wanted to play hide and seek with Mary and climb trees with Brother Zachary. She could do that again now, couldn't she? The magic man said he would keep her safe.

But then the entrance of the tent clapped open with a gust and a short, stubby looking boy in trousers whispered something in the man's ears. Magic man nodded,"You may announce this. I trust your comrade will guide me there?"

"Yes captain."the boy did a weird little salute as the man walked away. When he reached the door, he turned back and said, "Behave kid. I will be back."

Julian wanted to go after him, it was scary here and smelly too. But she stayed put.

The boy took a deep breath and screamed,

"Rejoice! The body of the last heir has been identified. Artoiche is now ours!"

Xxxxxxx

AN- the past will be in third person and the present will be in first person. The child arc will be on for a few chapters because time skips are confusing and I wanted to show how Julian evolved bc again, confusing. Ik it's about chaotic but bear with it. I'll edit it one day, I promise. Ik it's bad soo don't be afraid to criticize ok?

Bye,
Astra