Broken, but Not Defeated

Chapter 5 (Juliana)

I let out a little moan and open my eyes. I feel like I hit my head on a rock. I look around, my best friend Lady Anya is talking to the doctor. All of a sudden it comes flooding back. WILLIAM!! Oh my, please no! I start to sob again. It can't be true. I feel a hand on my arm.

"Julia, is everything okay?" Anya asks softly. I look at the doctor who has made his way over to me. "Doctor, you are dismissed."

"But my lady, I must make sure everything is okay."

I take a deep breath, it's okay Juliana you got this. "Aside from a small headache doctor, I am fine. You may leave," I say, trying to sound okay.

"Yes, my lady. It is just my job."

"I understand," Anya butts in, "but if Lady Juliana has a headache then you should probably leave." She adds a smile to be nice, but I could tell she wants him to leave more than I want him to.

The doctor grabs his bag and heads for the door.

"Oh, and one more thing doctor," I inwardly groan. Anya just let him leave! "Every servant and every guard is sworn to secrecy. So as a doctor in our most gracious lord's palace, you are also sworn to secrecy, do you understand?" Oh yeah, I didn't think about that.

"Yes, Lady Anya."

"Good, so no telling any friends or relatives,"

"Of course my lady.

"So when I go into the city in a few days, people won't be gossiping about Lady Juliana's supposed illness?"

At that, his face went white. He sputtered out. "Oh of cccourse not my lady."

"Good! Dismissed." Once the door is closed behind him, Anya turns towards me. "Spill now! You have never done that at all. In all the years I have known you, you have never fainted on me." I drop my eyes onto the necklace Will had given me before he had left.

"Oh, my word!" Anya whispers. "Is everything okay with William?"

My shoulders start to shake and my eyes fill with tears. "Promise not to tell Wesley."

"I promise."

"I was writing in my journal when I look up and there is a wolf not more than four feet away. I was just about to scream when a hand clamped on my mouth."

"Oh no!"

I give Anya a look and she pretends to lock her lips with a key. I shake my head smiling. "Anyway, the witch told me not to scream or I lose my throat. Yes, it was a witch! A very beautiful witch at that. I quickly did as she said. She then proceeded to tell me that Will was going to be a blood sacrifice to the red moon or something like that. After that, I started to cry and I even think I started screaming but I'm not sure." At that, I burst into tears. Anya hugs me close.

"It's okay, Jules. Everything will be okay."

I close my eyes remembering the first time I had met William. It was four years ago. I was writing in my journal and munching on some treats when I looked up and not more than two feet away sitting in a tree was a dirty, ragged young man. He kept looking from the apple in my hand to the basket of sweet bread on the ground.

"E-x-x-excuse me miss but are you going to eat those?" He stutters.

I gave him one of my most award-winning smiles and said, "No I am not. You may have them."

He dropped to the ground and walked over.

"I'm Anya, what's your name?"

"I-I-I'm William of the stables, ma'am." He quickly bowed. I pushed the basket near him.

"You don't have to call me ma'am, I am younger than you are."

A knock on my door breaks me out of my daydreaming. Anya looks at me. I nod my head, let him in. She gets up and walks over to the door. When she opens it, she quickly drops into a curtsy.

"Lord Wesley, please come in."

"Please, Lady Anya, you don't have to curtsy."

"Of course, my lord, it's just out of habit I guess." They both were staring into each other's eyes. Okay then. I clear my throat, and they both whip their heads towards me. Both their faces are the colors of bright red tomatoes.

"Oh, um, Juliana are you okay?" Wesley sputters, his face getting even redder.

"I think I will just go ahead and leave you two alone," Anya says a bit too fast. She hurries out the door and smacks right into her brother. I'm having a really hard time keeping myself from laughing. But I don't do too well because I let out a chuckle. Making all three of them look at me. Oops, welp.

Wesley quickly shuts the door and takes a deep breath. "Are you okay?" he asks softly.

"Yeah, I just got scared by a wolf."

"A wolf!" He shouts, making my head pound even more.

"Yes, Wesley, a wolf. Now don't shout," I exclaim.

"Geez Julia, what did it look like?" He asks excitedly.

"It was a big black wolf with a scar above its left eye."

"WOW!!"

"Wesley," I say softly.

"What?" He questions exuberantly, then his smile quickly vanishes.

"William is—" I say, my voice catching.

Wesley moves to sit on my bed next to me.

"William is dead," I say, tears spilling down my face.

Wesley wraps his arms around me. "It's okay, Julia. Everything will be okay. We'll find a way."

"I know," I take a deep breath. "Why did you look like a thundercloud when Lady Anya opened the door?"