Second Chance

Dinner With The Family

After spending the rest of the afternoon in the library reading through several selves of energy cultivation, she began to understand why the nation put so much importance on energy cultivation. It was a nation that pitted the strong against the strong and the weak suffered. As the sun started to set, Julianna felt the presence of Pop pop slowly approach her from behind and felt a light touch on her left shoulder. Turning around Pop pop rubbed his stomach as if he was hungry and pointed towards the door. Understanding what he wanted Julianna nods and follows him out of the room and down the stairs as they head off to the dining room where a man with dark brown hair and sharp features sat at the head of the table waiting for them. As they sat down, in their respective seats, her Uncle did not greet nor did he acknowledge them. His cold personally towards them told Julianna how mad he was with her. Julianna wouldn't of minded eating in silence, however there was an uncomfortable stuffy feeling next to her chest that did not disappear. Not wanting to go through dinner in this state, Julianna searched through her memories with her Uncle to see how she could thaw his cold demeanor.

Her Uncle Jude had always doted on Jemma. Giving into her every whim and desires. From the time she moved into the wing from the main house, Uncle Jude had watched out for her and protected her. Slowly, but surly, Uncle Jude became more of a father to her than her own biological father. She knew if she explain to Uncle Jude her feelings, he would forgive her for her past mistakes.

"Uncle," Julianna said quietly, "How was your day today?"

"My day? I was coming up with many plans on how to kill that young Prince of yours. I couldn't decide if I should kill him before he marries my other niece or should I kill him after the wedding and make her a widow."

Julianna, who was not expecting her Uncle to go to this extreme, stopped eating and started choking on the food in her mouth. Her Uncle sighs and starts to pat her back. Once the food passed through her mouth Julianna looks at her Uncle and starts laughing.

"So how are we going to do it? Are we going to kill him nice and slow or hard and fast?" Julianna grins. "Any thing that makes my Uncle less displeased would make amends for all the wrong he made you feel."

"All the wrong that he made me feel? Don't you mean yourself?"

"No," Julianna shakes her head from side to side. "Truthfully, I'm quite happy for the rescind marriage agreement. It made me feel relieved when he announced it last night."

"But didn't you love him?" Her Uncle questioned her. "Just last week, all you ever talked about was Prince Ivan and how perfect he was. What changed from then until now?"

"How did you guys ever lived with me if all I talked about was how perfect Prince Ivan was?" Julianna said under her breath. Pop pop snorted and looked at Julianna shaking his head.

"What's changed?" Her Uncle asked her again. "What happened that made you change your mind about him?"

"I don't know when it started," Julianna said slowly searching Jemma's memories. "But I slowly started noticing some things about him that made me feel as if he wasn't worthy of me. It started with some statements he made about people, then it slowly progressed to how he acted and treated them, then slowly he started changing when he was around me. He did not treat me like how he used to. He started to lose interest in me and then Maria would show up every time we met up. I did not think anything of it at the time because Maria was my sister and Prince Ivan was my fiancée. I did not think that Prince Ivan would betray the arranged marriage agreement and engage himself to Maria."

"I'm sorry, Jemma. I'm sorry you have to go through this."

"Don't be Uncle. It's a lesson learned and besides, isn't there a saying about if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger, right?"