"Lazlo?" She called, her heart breaking at the sight of blood trickling down his neck. Her lip quivered as she bowed her head, her white locks falling in her face. A couple tears spilled down her cheeks as she clenched his shoulder. The Nilfgaardian's horse neighed, causing Juliana to shift her gaze upon the approaching soldier. Quickly pulling herself together, she unsheathed the sword that once belonged to Lazlo. "Ciri, I need you to run," she told her, her voice cracking slightly. Juliana stood from the ground, holding the sword up as the soldier edged closer towards them.
Ciri hesitated, causing Juliana to yell, "Go!" The Princess immediately took off in the direction of the gate, running as fast as her legs could take her. The soldier's horse came to a stop as Juliana stood in front of it. Her heart pounded against her chest as she felt his cold eyes bore into her. He swiftly got off of his horse, unsheathing his sword as well. "I won't let you take her," she told him, trying to sound tough. But he could see past her facade.
"We'll see about that," he replied, his voice sending chills down her spine. She tightly gripped the sword in her shaky hands as he began to stalk towards her. Feeling as if it was now or never, Juliana lunged at him, causing their swords to clash as he blocked her blow. Seeing an open opportunity, with one quick swipe, he slashed her arm open. Juliana winced whilst backing up a bit, grabbing her bleeding arm and looking to him with wide eyes. The stinging sensation of her wound left her arm aching.
The soldier raised a challenging brow as he readjusted his stance. Gritting her teeth, Juliana began swinging her sword mercilessly, desperately trying to cause any kind of damage to him. A gasp escaped her lips as he suddenly swept her feet out from under her, harshly sending her to the ground. The tip of his sword just barely rested at her throat, making her suck in a sharp breath. Her chest violently heaved up and down as she gulped, trying to slow down the beating of her heart.
At that moment, she could see his face clearly—and he could see hers. Juliana's eyes drank up his appearance like a cool glass of water. Some of his hair stuck out from his helmet, and his armor seemed to be in perfect condition. His lips were slightly plumped, glorifying the rest of his features perfectly. But his eyes were the part that caught her attention the most. His stunning blue orbs seemed to pierce right through hers, and she found it quite difficult to look anywhere else. Her white hair blew across her soot covered face, and her undeniable beauty almost seemed to hypnotize him.
Juliana's eyes teared up as she held his gaze. She didn't want to show emotion in front of him. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of killing her—but she couldn't help it. She gulped thickly, parting her pink lips as she closed her eyes. A tear trickled down her cheek, and right then, she accepted her fate. He stared at the woman before him, his eyebrows furrowing in the slightest. He wondered how she could be so openly inviting to death. Did she want to die? Clenching his jaw, he suddenly knocked her over the head with the back of his sword.
Her hair had scattered over her face as her head collided with the ground, her features just barely visible to his eyes. Whilst in the middle of staring at her, he almost forgot about Cirilla. He quickly hoisted Juliana from the ground with ease. Her arms dangled due to her unconscious state, and her head rolled inwards towards his chest. He didn't know what the hell he was doing, but then again, he never really knew. He, not so gently, laid her across the back of his horse before getting on himself. "Hyah!" The horse instantly took off in the direction Ciri had gone, and the soldier had his mind set on capturing her.
━━ . ⁀➷
A GROAN ESCAPED JULIANA'S LIPS AS SHE BEGAN TO STIR AWAKE. The familiar sound of hooves hitting the ground filled her ears. Her blue eyes slightly peered open, and she soon realized she was hanging over the back of a horse. Her white hair dangled in the air, dancing effortlessly with the wind. What she saw would forever be burned into her mind. Her home, Cintra, was crumbling before her eyes. The deadly flames had spread, and soon enough, all that would be left was rubble.
A bloodcurdling scream suddenly rippled through the air, causing the frightened horse to stand on its back legs. Juliana yelped as she tumbled off the horse, landing on the arm the Nilfgaard soldier had cut. When she looked up from the ground, her eyes landed on a familiar blonde-haired child. Ciri. Juliana smiled in relief, but it quickly faded as she saw him grab for Cirilla. "Get—Get back here, you little—" He was abruptly cut off as Ciri screamed again, forcing him to let go of his grip on her legs.
Juliana groaned as she held her ears, the screams feeling as if they were piercing straight through her eardrums. Cirilla immediately stopped as she realized she was hurting Juliana as well. Jules struggled to stand from the ground, trying her best to get to Ciri. Once she got to a certain distance, the princess screamed again, causing the stone tower beside them to violently shake. The soldier groaned in pain as he held his head, the ear-splitting screeches jumpstarting a major migraine for him. The more Ciri screamed, the more the tower shook.
Eventually, it began to tumble down. Juliana immediately pulled Cirilla into her arms, protectively shielding her as it hit the ground. The weight of the tower caused the soil to cave in from underneath it. The heavy stone began to sink into the earth, splitting the ground into two sections. Juliana gulped thickly as she met his gaze. It was like time was slowing down as their eyes met each other's. Even the sound seemed to drown out for a split second. Coming back to her senses, Juliana grabbed onto Ciri's hand.
"No—No!" The soldier yelled, watching the two run off together. His chest violently heaved as he angrily clenched his jaw. Kicking the ground with his foot, he let out another yell that was full of rage. They'd gotten away.
✧✧✧ author's note. omg it's happening!! my bb's met eeeee! i hope you enjoyed this chapter! don't forget to vote if you liked it! 🖤
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