A few maids begin to mindless pour into Julia’s room, but then stop as they see Julia just standing in front of her mirror. A sight they aren’t used to from the looks of it.

“Oh- my lady what are you doing up so early?” One of the maids asked.

Julia turned to face them, “I simply woke up earlier than expected, that’s all.”

“Well then let's get you dressed for breakfast, your father is waiting downstairs.”

The maids begin swarming around Julia helping her into her dress. They did her hair, change her out of her nightgown, and into her chemise, they put her corset on tight. One maid came out with a beautiful white dress shirt and a long green skit overall and a little bow to tie around her shirt. The silks felt soft compared to the old hospital gowns Beth was used to. This was the biggest upgrade she could have ever gotten.

Once the maid were done with getting her dressed for the day they escorted her to the dining room. Julia's father, Ian, and her brother, Tobias, already were seated. The room itself had the same marble walls like Julia’s room. But there were more windows with large curtains pulled back to let in the sun. The table was long and it was made of a white wood with beautiful chairs to match, padded with rich velvet, of course. 

As Julia goes to take her seat, Ian, her father speaks up “Good morning Julia, did you sleep well?”

“I did sleep well, thank you father,” Julia lied, she feared if she said the full truth they would think she was crazy.

“Well I am glad to hear, so, are you excited for the ball?” Ian asked.

“Ball? What ball?” Julia looked confused, this is her first day there and already there is a bug event that she had no knowledge about.

Tobias spoke up “What? How can you not remember the ball! There going to be-“ Tobias looked so shocked that his sister didn’t remember but then he cut himself off once he saw his father gently raise his hand.

“Tobias, calm down. The ball is in three days and I will be getting an award from the emperor for my service in the previous war, that is the short of it,” Ian stated.

“Oh how fun! I cannot believe I have forgotten such an important event for us,” Julia giggled. It was a decent cover up for the fact that she really had no idea about it.

“Strange, you’ve been excited for this event since it has been announced. I remember that you were very excited for a certain someone to be in attendance,” Ian said.

“Oh, right Laurence,” Julia sighed before taking the first bite of her breakfast.

“Is something wrong?” Ian inquired.

“Not really, just been thinking I guess,” Julia responded.

“That’s dangerous,” Tobias spoke up, making Julia giggle a little bit

“Haha, I don’t think its dangerous per say, just winding if mom will be well enough to go to the part. I mean we all were invited right?” Julia trailed off a little bit.

Julia comment made both of the boys stop and look at her astonished at the comment she made.

“Ahem, what bought this on sweetheart?”Ian cleared his throat.

“Just winding I guess, it would be nice to see mom in a healthy condition” Julia smiled.

“You could go and see her you know? I’ve seen her a few time and she’s asked for you, maybe today might be day?” Tobias interjected.

“That sounds like a good idea, I’ve got nothing else to do today,” Julia looked out the window becoming lost in thought. 

She knew that her mother, Ingrid, had grown up inside the imperial palace, even though she wasn’t in the direct line. But for only being a duchess she was treated like a princess. In her prime that Ingrid was the smartest woman in the empire, smarter than the emperor himself. So if Julia wanted to know where anything was in that palace it was her mother that she needed to talk to. But one problem. Julia and Ingrid's relationship has been very strained, right from the start. It had only gotten worse with her sickness. Julia would just avoid her mother outright because she was convinced that her mother was just weak.Julia thought more about her predicament, and how could she manage to rebuild her relationship with her mother.

Julia now lost in thought, mindlessly ate her food in quiet until her father spoke up, “Julia, are you actually going to see your mother?” He asks.

Julia snapped back to reality, “Oh- uh- yes I believe so, but I must stop by the study for some books and stationery. I need to work on something.”

“Working on what? A new love poem for Laurence?” Tobias joked with his mouth full.

“Nope, im bored of him. Just trying to learn some new things, might as well since I am going to be duchess someday,” Julia said so confidently, the boys just looked at each other shocked for the second time in ten minutes. 

Julia saying she was bored with the man she has been obsessing over for all her life, brought them so much relief and concern for her mental health, but yet here she was, calmer than ever. Not a care in the world for the prince. Just them wondering what’s become of their Julia.

Julia doesn’t catch on to what they are thinking and gets up from the table with no hesitation. The only thing in her mind was finding her mothers room in this large mansion. 

***

Walking through the long and gorgeous halls of her mansion Julia past some gossiping maids who fell silent at the sight of their mistress. Not that she minded what the ladies were talking about, but when they stopped talking each time they past her bothered her. Even though it wasn’t this version of Julia they were talking about, it still bothered her. She could feel like her heart pounding and her breathing becoming heavy. She knew it shouldn’t bother her but they couldn’t stop the tears from forming and all she wanted was to run away to the first room she could find Which she did, she came to a room at the end of the hall that seemed to be abandoned for a while. 

The entrance didn’t look like the rest of the house, it was made of a much darker wood and clashed with the rest of the house. When she opened the door it let out a loud creak. The hinges were old and hadn’t been used in a few years. The room itself was also a little worse for wear, it had only been a few years beer Julia could tell that the maids don’t even take the time to clean this poor room. Julia looked around at the furniture of this room, it looked like it was her mother’s study. It was really the main study of all the Raventós matriarchs as the crest was hanging on the wall behind the desk. The Raventós family has always been run by the mothers, sisters, and daughters. If there was an absence of girls in that generation it would pass to the son and so forth. But the boys were always well taken care of, more often or not they would become vassals for the large amount of land the family-controlled. In this generation's case because Ingrid is not in a state to run the duchy her duties have fallen to her husband, the duke. 

Julia walked to the desk, she saw all the papers scattered about the surface and the smell of old ink was faint but there. Clearly, the desk was just left as is. Th only other thing Julia could think to do was find any information to help meant her relationship with her mother. The novel didn’t touch on Julias mother too much aside for the information of her being sick and had a close friendship with the emperor and the two acted like brother and sister and she was much smarter then him.

Julia opened up many of the drawers only to find nothing of a personal note, all just papers on finances and stuff on the people well being. Nothing of any interest to Julia. She had searched around for a little while longer but nothing of value came up. Then she turned her attention to the bookshelves in the room. She made a quick glance at all the books, a few were novels and others records. Julia at that point was a little annoyed and tired. She slunk down onto the floor leaning on one of the bookshelves. As soon as her back leaned up against the bookshelf she heard a little click and a large drawer in the self opened itself up.

Julia sprung up from her spot and rushed over to see the contents. It was all Ingrid’s personal letters to Ian, dated about 20 years ago. While Ian was still a knight. From the looks of it they had been secretly courting for a while, all the letters were all so polite and sweet on Ian’s side while Ingrid was wilder and teasing. They were all so sweet to read, it warmed Julia's heart when one of the letters stated that Ian would be coming back from his long campaign and would properly court her. But there was one letter that broke Julia’s heart. It was a letter from her mother to her now-husband while he was on another campaign for the empire.

To My Dearest Ian,

I am over the moon to announce to you that I am with child! I only just found out today and I am about five weeks along, now I know why I was sick a few weeks ago. Thank you for taking care of me darling. But I am so excited to meet our child! I cannot wait to see what it is, I don’t really care if it is a boy or girl I just know I am happy that we will be having a little family. I know we talked about names a while ago when we were joking. But I really do like the names Julia (named after my late mother) for a girl and Tobias (named after your late brother) for a boy! I know it's more likely that you won’t be home to meet it, and I know you can’t respond to these letters. But I love you very much my darling. I pray for a safe delivery and that our hearts won’t break again, this time I know with my whole heart our baby will make it. We are a family of fighters after all. I hope you are safe my love and can come home to the both of us.

~ With love, Ingrid.

Julia could feel her heartbreaking as she read the letter, but there was a whole stack more. She franticly went through the stack to find the next letter.

To My Love Ian,

I am so happy to tell you that in the middle of the night on September 17, we welcomed a beautiful baby girl! Julia Hera Raventós and she came out as healthy as an ox! She also had a full head of hair, now I know why I had so many heartburns. But she looks so much like you darling, her hair is a dark brown like yours. But I have a feeling it will lighten up. Oh, Ian I just love our little girl so much. I did have a rough delivery and it brought up some bad memories from long ago, but as soon as little Julia made her way into my arms all my worries just vanished. At first, it made me very worried when she didn’t cry but when she made her way to me her little movement was everything to me. Oh, I cannot wait until you come home and meet her. I am sure she will just love you!

~ With All Our Love, Ingrid and Julia

Julia's heart truly broke. All this time her mother had loved her and all this time she bore the pain of one-sided love. What could have happened for this to occur. All she do at this moment was cry, only just a little. Julia fell back down onto the floor again just weeping, the letters clutched tightly in her grasp. She let herself stay there for only a little while longer before getting up to leave. 

As she put the letters back into their spot she spotted a small children's book. It was not one with pictures, but a large one containing little fables for children. Julia traded out her letter for the book. As she picked it up it did have a smell. It wasn’t overpowering but only a faint scent of almonds. Julia wasn’t too concerned with the smell as she just chalked it up to being an old oil her mother must have left out, so she took her book and left the room to find her mother.

***

Julia once again found herself in the halls of her home, and still very much lost. The maids were still wary of her, which they have the right to be. In their eyes Julia back then was a ticking time bomb, one wrong step she would explode. Which made Julia self conscious on who to ask for directions, as she still has no idea where her mothers room was.

At this point Julia was already annoyed, so she went up to the first person she saw, “Good morning, can you tell me how to get to the lady of the house's room?” She asked.

The maid did not seem startled like the rest, “You mean your mothers room? Yes, I am on my way there right now to bring her some food, you may tag along.”

The maid begins to walk off, Julia just tailing behind her with her book still in hand. The maid seemed older than the rest, calmer and adjusted than the rest like she is used to the short-fused Julia and the other nasty sides of this family. Then it hit her, that woman is the head maid and a person to who Julia felt close. Well other than her personal maid who comes into the story much later. The two women just walk in silence, a common theme in this household. Julia just became lost in thought again but then was back to reality when the head maid opens the door to her mother's room.

“Go on Julia, she doesn’t bite, at least not anymore,” the head maid says as she begins to set out the food for Ingrid. 

Julia looks around the room for a chair in the darkness. Yes, the room was dark, the curtains were drawn back so that Ingrid could sleep in peace. Ingrid was rolled over on her side, all by herself in such a large bed, she only had kept to one side. Julia could only assume that this large room and a large bed had once been the room of both her parents, but such a time has been lost to her sickness. 

As Julia pulls up a chair, the maid begins to wake up Ingrid and place her food down next to her. 

“Rena, who else is here?” Ingrid asks weakly.

“Your daughter madam, she is in a good mood this time,” The head maid, Rena, said to her.

Ingrid sits herself up and turned to Julia who now sits in a chair reading the book of fables. Rena places her breakfast tray on Ingrid's lap and then leaves.

“Why are you here?” Ingrid asks weakly.

“To check up on you,” Julia responds without looking up from the book.

Ingrid just looks at her with a look of confusion but does nothing and eats in silence.

On the outside, Julia appears calm and exhibits no emotions, but in reality, she was freaking out. She found the silence to be very awkward and she doesn’t know what to do. Her mother was just sitting there, just eating and yet she couldn’t really find herself to talk to her. All she could do was peek at her and then quickly turn away when Ingrid caught her. Even while sick Ingrid looked so pretty, her light blue hair looked like sapphires to Julia. Tobias really did take after her, while Julia looks like her father with her brown hair and eyes.

After a while, Ingrid got sick of Julia quickly averting her eyes, “Is there something on my face Julia?” She just looked at her dead in the eyes.

Julia jumps a little “Uh no mother, it's nothing I’m sorry.”

“Mother?” Ingrid looks at Julia and then again at the book in her hands.

Julia could only sense that she may have done something bad, “I, I-“

“This is the first I’ve heard you call me mother in a long time.”

“Yes well-,” Julia struggled to get the words out.

“Where did you find that book?” Ingrid now noticed the title of the book.

“Uh, your office.”

Ingrid looks down at her cup of tea, “That book was hidden, how did you find it?”

“I stumbled on it while I was in your office, along with your letters…”

Ingrid just sat in silence while Julia continues on with her rambling.

“I saw all the letters between you and father, and I- I-, I think it much too late for me to say this… but I am sorry for how I acted towards you,” Julia apologized and started to cry. Ingrid only looked at her, and she knew it was genuine.

Ingrid moved ever so slightly towards her with open arms. Julia was hesitant to walk to her mother, but was given the courage when Ingrid spoke to her, “I was never mad at you my darling.” Ingrid’s words were hushed and nurturing, giving Julia a comforting feeling of warmth and love.

Julia then rushed to hug her mother back, now sobbing “Im sorry mom, im so sorry…,” she repeated over and over again.

Ingrid only rocked her daughter back and forth within her embrace, “Shh it's okay little one, my baby it’s alright mother is right here.”

This statement made Julia cry only harder. This is the first time she had ever been shown love, this is the first real mother she has ever had.

Once Julia stopped crying Ingrid still kept her close, reading the old book of fables as she had done many years prior. The two only held each other close until one of the maids came into the room carrying a tray of what looked like tea or medicine.

She looked at Julia, “My lady it is time for the Duchess’s medicine and rest.” She wasn’t the same maid the led Julia here, no she was much younger.

Julia tried to get herself out of her mother's bed but Ingrid only pulled her back down to give her a quick kiss on her forehead.

“My door is always open little one,” she said with a smile.

“Thank you mom, I’ll be back soon okay?” Julia responded.

The tray was set down as Julia collected her things. She was walking out the door before the smell of the medicine made her stop in her tracks, it had the same scent as the office…

Julia now a little concerned left her mother room. Once she left the room she took the time to look out the window and she was greeted with the sight of Tobias having a small picnic, enjoying a book, making Julia want to join in on the fun.