The Lady Knight

Chapter XXXIX: Birthdays and Bashes

Her gaze was permanently fixed on her timepiece now.

The moment those women moved away, Julie hauled me forward towards Tori before anyone else could come up to her to chat.

"It is time we left, Tori," Julie sighed, smiling for the first time in a few hours.

A secret signal seemed to pass between the women's eyes, and Tori grinned gleefully as if she knew something consequential that I did not.

"Indeed, it is time you did," Tori's lips twitched, glancing at her own timepiece, "I am certain Gabriel would have wanted to say goodbye, but he is asleep now." She held the blue bundle in which Gabriel rested slightly towards us.

Before I could move, Julie had stepped towards Tori, and beamed as she touched the baby's forehead gently, gazing down at him with such undisguised adoration that left me almost breathless from simply looking at her.

"Hopefully, I will see you soon when I visit your Mama again in a few months' time," she whispered softly, "until then, all the best, Gabe. I have to go now." She bent down to press a kiss to his temple, before she withdrew and gave Tori a brief side hug.

"Take care of yourself and your boy," she smiled at her, "when I come next, it will be with good news from the Court of the Lady Justice."

I frowned, bewildered. What good news? Since when did anyone leaving the Justice Court ever leave happily?

However, Tori seemed to understand, for her brown eyes began to glow. "You too, Jules."

Shaking my head, I walked towards her, and briefly brushed my lips across the sleeping child's forehead, taking in Lucien's features in that tiny face one more time.

"Farewell, Tori. Do come to Court whenever you have the time. I should like to see the lad more often," I smiled fondly.

She grinned. "Of course, Nick."

"By any chance, are you aware of where Julie is dragging me to? The suspense is too much for me," I jested, pretending to look faint.

Tori laughed in amusement, as Julie rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I am aware, but I am not telling you," Tori chuckled, as she pushed the both me and Julie away from her, "now leave. It is time."

Julie nodded, shooting her a smile that bordered on anxiety, before she began to walk towards the exit of the Manor, weaving her way through the guests easily. On the other hand, it was not so easy for me, as I struggled to keep my eyes on the tiny woman in her army attire.

When we reached outside, slapped well and hard by the cold, night air, Julie turned to me with a slightly sincerer smile, teetering on mischievous, but I could still see her anxiety clearly.

"Ready to go?"

I tilted my head at her. "Do I have a choice?"

"Nay, you do not. And I am afraid I am going to have to blindfold you now."

******

"Is this truly necessary, Julie?"

From what I could hear, sense and feel, we had travelled on a carriage for a long time, to the extent that I had fallen asleep once or twice. We had then dismounted somewhere extremely quiet, and we had been walking aimlessly since.

The darkness that surrounded me as a result of being blindfolded was beginning to wear me out. The only assurance that I had that Julie was walking next to me was her tiny hand that rested on my back, pushing me forward in a direction I knew not.