Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Django was wiping down the counter at the Round Table while letting his mind wander. He was startled by Sonia bursting through the door.

“SHE’S HERE!”

“And who would that be?”

Sonia rolled her eyes. “Duh! The new builder!”

Ah, Django had heard that a new builder was coming to town. She was to take up her father’s former workshop. He was happy to have a new builder around. It meant that he could finally stop buttering up Higgins just to get him to do a simple repair.

“-And Antoine heard from Presley and then Antoine told me!”

Django smiled at her. “I’m sorry, dear Sonia, my mind seems to have wandered. What did you say?”

“Ugh, pay attention! They said the new builder is a hottie! Well, Presley said she was “a nice looking young lady” but Antoine saw her and said she’s GORGEOUS.”

“Remember, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, and shows the true beauty of one’s soul.”

Sonia frowned. “That’s nice and all but I care about what she looks like on the outside- I wanna know if I have competition!”

She turned and looked out the window. “Look look look! There she is!”

Django’s curiosity got the better of him and he walked over to the window by Sonia. After all, he needed to know what this new face looked like in case she ventured in to the round table.

Antoine had apparently not exaggerated her beauty. She was tall and wonderfully curvy. Her raven colored hair flowed down her back in soft waves, nearly down to her waist. She had delicate, pixie-like features and bangs that framed her face. She was standing by the fountain, looking intently at a list. Her eyes flicked upwards and met Django’s. She had piercing green eyes that caused a stirring in his stomach that he hadn’t felt in years. She gave him a polite smile and began walking towards the restaurant.

“Oh my god, I think she’s gonna come in!” Sonia squealed. Django went back behind the counter to finish his task.

The new builder opened the door and appeared nervous. “Um, hello there. My name is Juliette. I’m the new builder in town. Presley suggested I meet the local business owners?”

“HIIIIII! Oh my gosh it’s so nice to meet you! I’m Sonia, I waitress here. Thats’s Django, this is his restaurant! It’s usually crazy busy in here, but you stopped in before the lunch rush!” Sonia was enthusiastically shaking her hand.

Juliette turned to Django and stuck out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Django.” He couldn’t believe that her delicate hands belonged to a builder.

He took her hand and gently bowed. “The pleasure is all mine. Please, have a seat. You must have had a long journey. I’ll fix you some lunch.”

Juliette shyly smiled at him. “That’s very kind of you, but you don’t have to do that.”

Django returned her smile. “Please, I insist. Take a look at the menu.”

While Juliette looked at the menu, Sonia wiggled her eyebrows at Django and mouthed “she’s a cutie!”

Juliette smiled at Django. “The seafood paella sounds lovely.”

“Ah! A woman after my own heart. One of my favorite dishes to prepare, and to eat. Please excuse me.” He disappeared into the kitchen.

“Soooooo Juliette! Tell me about yourself! You’re a builder, huh? That’s neat!”

Juliette blushed. “There’s not much to tell. My father sent me a letter telling me he’d left his workshop to me. I didn’t like living in Barnarock, so I decided to take a chance and move to Portia.”

“So have you built things before?”

Juliette looked at the floor. “A few things here and there. One of my instructors said I was quite talented at it, but it’s not my passion.”

“Oooh, what’s your passion?”

Juliette blushed again. “Poetry, actually. I’m into the arts. Writing, painting, dancing, even cooking.”

Django had returned just in time to hear the last part. Sonia wiggled her eyebrows again.

“Did you hear that Django? Juliette loves to cook!”

“Ah, then I’m eager to hear the opinion of a fellow chef.” He placed the dish in front of her with a flourish.

Juliette smiled and dug her fork into the dish. As soon as the paella touched her tongue, she closed her eyes and smiled. Django found himself more eager to hear her opinion than he had expected.

Juliette opened her eyes. “This is fantastic! It has a wonderful, earthy flavor. Am I tasting saffron?”

Django’s face lit up in a grin! “You are correct, madam! You must have a refined palette!”

“My aunt was one of the finest chefs in Barnarock. I’m afraid I grew up quite spoiled by her cooking.”
Juliette took another bite. “And I mean this sincerely, your dish could rival hers.”

Django felt a sense of pride blooming in his chest, as well as a blush forming on his cheeks, which did not go unnoticed by Sonia.

“Sooooo Juliette, did you leave any broken hearts behind in Barnarock?”

“Sonia! Do not pester the poor girl with such personal questions. She just arrived.” Django scolded her, though he was rather curious to know the answer.

“It’s fine, really. I’ve been told to expect this since I’m new in town. I don’t mind.” Juliette smiled. “There was someone for awhile, but he tired of me and moved on to my best friend. Unfortunately, he moved on to her before telling me.”

“That boy, dear Juliette, sounds like the biggest fool in all of Barnarock.”

Juliette gave him a shy smile. “It took awhile, but I’m inclined to agree with you.” Her green eyes met his and he felt that fluttering in his stomach again. “Django, Sonia, thank you for your hospitality. I really must be going. Presley gave me a list of other citizens to meet, and it’s quite long. It was lovely to meet you both.” As she got up, she flipped her hair over her shoulder to get her bag, sending a whiff of Jasmine up Django’s nose. It was a lovely, refined scent that he’d never smelled in Portia.

He watched her go with a slight smile on his face. There was something special about Juliette.

“Look at you, Mr. Smooth!” Sonia elbowed him in the side, bringing him back from his dreamy state.

“I’m afraid I don’t know to what you’re referring.”

“Oh please. “That boy sounds like the biggest fool in all of Barnarock.” I saw you checking her out!”

Django averted his gaze. “It was intended as a comforting statement, nothing more.”

“You don’t think we’ve been working together long enough that I can’t see through you? Please.” Sonia rolled her eyes again. “You can at least admit that she looks FINE!”

Django chuckled. “Alright, I concede, she is rather lovely. She’ll make a young Portian man very happy.”

“You talk like you’re an old man!”

“Compared to her, I am.”

“Please, you’re 40. She’s like, 25. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“It’s 15 years!”

“That’s nothing! Don’t count yourself out. I saw her eyeing you too.”

Django finally met her gaze, and upon seeing the smirk on her face, said “Alright, you’ve had your fun. Shouldn’t you be manning the drink stand outside?”

“Sure thing Bossman. But think about what I said.” Sonia exited the Round Table, leaving Django alone with his thoughts.

Chapter Text

It was the end of a long work day and Django was ready to relax. He grabbed the book he’d been reading and headed towards his usual spot on the bench next to A&G construction. He was surprised to see that it was already occupied. Juliette was resting on the bench and reading a book.

She looked up as Django approached and gave him a smile. He returned it, ignoring the butterflies that had appeared in his stomach. “Ah, hello young Juliette. And how was your first day in Portia?”

Juliette sighed and rested her book on her lap. “It was…alright. Very busy. It’s going to take me awhile to learn all of these names. And one of the citizens I met was a bear? Is that normal here?”

Django chuckled. “Ah, so you met Abu.”

Juliette looked confused. “Abu? Is there more than one bear? The one I met was named Papa Bear.”

“Abu is Papa Bear’s real name. But his adopted son, Oaks, just calls him Papa Bear, so everyone else does too.” He paused. “A little tip, if you ever want to get on his good side, he loves Royal Honey.”

Juliette nodded. “Duly noted, thank you.”

Django gave her a soft smile. “Well, I didn’t mean to disturb your reading. It’s what I intended to do myself.” He gestured at the book in his hand.

Juliette gasped. “Is that Emily Dickinson?”

Django looked surprised. “Why, yes it is. I didn’t realize that anyone else was familiar with her work. It’s a very old book, this one was actually retrieved from the ruins.”

Juliette smiled at him. “I’m nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody too?”

“Then there’s a pair of us! Don’t tell! They’d advertise, you know” Django continued.

“How dreary to be somebody, how public like a frog.” She smiled at him.

Django was grinning now. “To tell one’s name- the livelong June to an admiring bog!”

They both laughed. “You know, those are words I live by. How dreary to be somebody- it’s one of the reasons I left Barnarock.”

“Oh? And were you somebody in Barnarock?”

Juliette blushed and looked away. “Oh, um, I just meant figuratively. You know, everyone there is so concerned with appearances.”

Django felt that she was withholding something, but he wasn’t one to pry. He gave her a comforting smile and changed the subject. “And what are you reading, Miss Juliette?”

“It’s actually the book my father left me. It has his diagrams in it and some helpful tips. I need to study up, because somehow my first commission is a bridge.”

“A bridge? I say, they really threw you into the deep end.”

“I agree. Some man with red hair burst into the commerce center- Marlo? Something like that. And before I knew it I had agreed to build a bridge.”

“You’ve taken on quite a large project for yourself.”

Juliette chuckled. “Oh, you don’t have to tell me. But I’m not completely helpless. Some of my studies included building, nothing quite so large as a bridge, but I have a pretty firm grasp on the basics. Besides.” She held up the book “he left pretty detailed instructions. I think I’ll be ok.”

Django gave her a warm smile. “I think so too.”

Juliette stifled a yawn. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head off to bed. It’s been quite the long day.”

“Of course, Miss Juliette. I hope that you sleep well.”

She smiled at him. “Django, please drop the formalities, just Juliette is fine.” She stood up to leave. “Know a good place to get some lunch tomorrow?”

Django chuckled. “I might know a place.”

“Goodnight, Django.”

“Goodnight, dear Juliette.”

He watched Juliette walk away and knew that he was in trouble. Juliette was unlike any woman he’d met. He would have to be very careful going forward.

The next day, Django was preparing for the lunch rush when Juliette came through the door. She looked a little worse for wear, with soot on her face and her raven hair in a loose braid that was coming apart. She sat at the counter and sighed.

“Good afternoon Miss- Forgive me, good afternoon Juliette.”

“Good afternoon, Django. And please forgive my disheveled appearance. I began my work on the bridge today.”

He thought that she looked absolutely adorable, dressed more casually than the day before in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

He handed her a menu and picked up a clean towel. “May I?” He gestured at her face. She nodded.

Django did his best to keep his hand steady as he wiped the smudge from her cheek. Her emerald green eyes were locked onto his. As he cleared away the soot, he couldn’t help but notice the golden flecks around the edge of her iris. His hand lingered a bit longer than necessary, and he quickly pulled away and averted his eyes. The moment had been far more intimate than he intended.

“And what will you be having for lunch?”

Juliette blushed. Perhaps the intimacy of the moment had struck her, too. Or perhaps she’d seen through him and was embarrassed for him. Either way she smiled, and said “I think I’ll let the chef decide for me today.”

This pleased Django greatly. He rarely got to prepare the dishes he loved, as most of his customers preferred the simpler dishes like bacon fish rolls.

“Allow me to prepare you a local dish, something I doubt you would have encountered in Barnarock. I’ll be back.”

When he returned some time later, Juliette had a book in front of her. He set the dish down in front of her. “This is Bamboo Papaya and seafood with rice. The bamboo papaya is a local fruit that is very popular.”

Juliette studied the dish before digging in. Her eyes lit up. “Delicious! The bamboo papaya brings a wonderful sweetness to the dish. I’ve never tasted anything quite like it!”

Django beamed. “High praise! I thank you, dear Juliette.”

“Thank you!” She smiled. “Oh!” She put her fork down and held up a book. “Since you’re a fellow lover of poetry, I thought you might enjoy this book. It’s one of my favorites.” She held the book out to him.

“Leaves in the Grass by Walt Whitman! I’m intrigued!” He flipped open to a random page.

“A noiseless, patient spider,
I mark’d, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated;
Mark’d how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;
Ever unreeling them—ever tirelessly speeding them.
And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.”

Django grinned. “Wow.” He contemplated the poem while Juliette continued her meal. “Our own souls, much like the spider’s web, are constantly exploring and seeking connections.”

Juliette smiled widely. “Exactly! You have very good insight into poetry.”

“I have been a lifelong reader and lover of poetry. Thank you for sharing this with me.” He tried to hand the book back to her.

“Oh please, borrow it and read it. I’d love the opportunity to discuss it with a fellow poet.”

Django smiled. “And how did you know that I was a poet?”

“It was a hunch. Besides, to love poetry means that it becomes a part of your soul, and that in itself makes you a poet.”

“Then I thank you for this.”

“And I thank you for this! This dish was wonderful.” She pulled out a small notebook and jotted something down. Noticing Django watching her, she looked up and smiled. “I wrote down the name of the dish and some key words. Sweet, salty, comforting. It’s a bit silly I know, but it’s a way of capturing memories. In this case, how the dish made me feel while eating it.”

“I don’t think that’s silly at all. I think that’s a wonderful idea.” He smiled warmly at her. The sound of the door opening made them both jump.

Sonia had come in from working the drink stand outside and was smiling coyly. “Hi Jules! I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

Juliette blushed. “Hello Sonia. I was actually just on my way out. I’ve got a bridge to build.” She turned to Django. “Please let me know what you think of the book.”

“Of course.” He smiled as he watched her leave.

“OOOOOOOOOH!”

“Hush, Sonia.”

“You two were looking awfully friendly! I hated to interrupt but the lunch rush is about to start. She brought you a book?”

Django smiled. “Juliette and I share a love of poetry. She brought me one of her favorites to read. Here, take a look at this wonderful passage.” He slid the book across the counter to Sonia.

She picked it up and immediately wrinkled her nose. “Ew, this is really wordy. Is this even English?”

Django chuckled. “It’s English from a long time ago. This poem is about the soul, constantly searching for connections.”

Huh, I thought it was about a spider.” She shrugged. “Speaking of searching for connections, you two certainly seem to have one!”

“We simply share a love of the written word.”

Sonia rolled her eyes. “You can keep denying it all you want, but I can read you better than that book. What are you afraid of?”

“A knight’s burden is a curse of loneliness, Sonia.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means that a knight lives to protect and serve others, and his great love is his job. There is room for no other.”

Sonia frowned. “Well that’s just dumb. And right now, you’re a chef, not a knight. And everyone needs love. Stop hiding behind fancy words and your past.” She walked into the back, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Chapter Text

Django was distracted the rest of the day by the book Juliette had given him, so much that he burned several dishes and even started a small fire. He knew he was being careless, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from the poetry book. It was like a window into Juliette’s soul. The book was well worn and well loved. Several passages were underlined and notes were scrawled in the margin in delicate handwriting.

Finally, the Round Table was closing! He tucked the book under his arm and tried not to run to the bench where he had sat with Juliette the night before.

He was disappointed to find that she wasn’t there. It was alright, he supposed that a young woman like herself might have evening plans. He sighed to himself and walked home alone.

The next morning, he was doing his usual sword training with Toby when he felt someone watching him. He turned to see Juliette leaning against a tree and smiling.

“Ah, young Toby, have you met our newest citizen, Juliette?”

Toby smiled up at her. “Hi there!”

Juliette smiled back. “Pleasure to meet you, Toby. My, you were doing just wonderful with that sword!”

Toby looked shy. “Django’s training me to be a knight like him!”

She looked up at Django. “A knight, huh? You know, I’ve never fought a knight. Do you think I could borrow your sword, Toby!”

Toby looked at her, wide-eyed. “Sure, but no one has ever beaten Django! He’s amazing!” He handed over his wooden practice sword.

Django raised his eyebrows at Juliette. “You don’t seem like the type of girl to go around getting in fights.”

Juliette pulled her hair into a ponytail. “Well, I may not be the one to start the fights, but I do my best to end them. En garde!” She held her sword out to Django, waiting for his cue to start.

Django chuckled and decided that he’d go easy on her. He lazily swung his sword at her and was surprised at how effortlessly she deflected it. Then she was swinging a flurry of blows at him, twirling and dodging so gracefully that she made it look like a dance. This was a side of her he had not seen yet, and he found it…really attractive.

Unfortunately, he was caught off guard, and in one swift move, she was able to disarm him, and swept her foot out and knocked him to the ground. Her sword was pointed at his throat, a smug smile on her face.

Both his and Toby’s mouths were gaping open. It was clear that the soft-spoken builder was a skilled swordsman, or rather, swordswoman.

“I…welll….” He chuckled. “Forgive me, that was rather unexpected, and very impressive. You’ve clearly had some training.”

She smiled and stuck her hand out to him to help him up. He gripped her soft hand and it sent electricity through his body.

“I’ve had a sword in my hand from the time I could walk. We were all trained in self-defense.”

“All?” Django asked.

“I have seven brothers and sisters.”

“That’s a LOT!” Toby said in wonder.

“You’re telling me!” She grinned at him. “I was the second youngest.”

“Were your brothers and sisters sad when you left home?” Toby asked with a frown.

Juliette gave him a tight smile. “I don’t think any of them noticed that I was gone. Except my baby sister, Bella. We were close in age, and the best of friends. She didn’t want me to leave, but understood that I had to.”

“Well why’d you have to?”

Django interjected “Toby, it’s not polite to ask a lot of questions.”

“It’s ok, really.” She turned to Toby. “I wasn’t living the life I wanted to live. I wanted a life of adventure and freedom. I wasn’t allowed to have that in Barnarock.”

Toby puffed his chest out. “I’m gonna be an adventurer some day!”

Juliette ruffled his hair. “And I bet you’ll be a fine one, especially with Django training you.”

“Could YOU train me some time? That was so cool!”

She gave him a sweet smile. “I don’t think there’s anything I could teach you that Django couldn’t! He’s a very good fighter.”

The words came out before he could stop himself. “We train every morning through the week if you’d like to attend. I could show young Toby how to defend himself against an attack.”

Juliette smiled. “I just might take you up on that.”

“PLEASE train with us, Juliette! It’d be soooo cool!”

“Thank you, Toby. And please, call me Jules if you’d prefer. It seems to be the nickname I’ve taken up since I arrived.”

“Sure thing Jules!”

“Now run along to school, young squire.” Django said.

“Yes sir! Bye Django! Bye Jules!”

Juliette smiled as Toby dashed off to school. “He’s adorable. Is he yours?”

Django laughed. “Heavens, no! I have no children. I am unattached.” He noticed Juliette’s eyebrow raise slightly. “Toby is the son of Martha, the woman who owns the bakery down the street. His father passed away some time ago.

“There’s another boy about his age, are they brothers? I’ve seen them together.”

“That’s Jack. He came here as a refugee with his sister, Alice. She runs the flower shop here in town, you probably met her.”

“Oh yes! Lovely woman, a bit shy. You say they’re refugees?”

“Yes, it’s terrible. They’re from Lucien, the same country that Remington is from. Remington is the green haired fellow from the civil corp. Poor Alice has had to take over the role of mother to the poor boy. The rest of the family did not survive the attacks on Lucien by Duvos.”

Juliette looked sad. “It’s a terrible war. We sent some of our best troops to Lucien, but it wasn’t enough.”

“Our?” Django asked.

A look of panic came over her face. “Ours as in Barnarock. That’s what I meant.”

“You know, I’ve only known you for a few days, but I already know that you’re a terrible liar. You’re one of the royals, aren’t you?”

Juliette’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “What? I’m not…there’s no way…fine. You got me. But please, keep it to yourself.” she sighed.

“Would you like to come into the Round Table for some coffee? Sonia won’t be arriving for an hour or so.”

“Thank you, I’d like that.”

After the coffee was brewed, Django prepared two cups and brought them to one of the booths. He slid in across from Juliette. She averted his gaze and stirred her coffee with a spoon.

“So, what gave it away?”

“Nearly everything, really. The way you speak, the way you carry yourself. You have extensive education only available to the elite in Barnarock. But mostly, it was the “nobody” poem, when you mentioned how you hated being somebody. I figured you were somewhere in the upper class of Barnarock, but then when I saw you with that sword, I knew you were one of the royal family. Some of the world’s finest swordsman are from Barnarock.” He sipped his coffee while Juliette stared at him. “But don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. And I’m the only other person in town who has spent extensive time in Barnarock.”

“You’ve spent time there?”

“Oh yes, I was sent there in the early days of my knighthood. Luckily back then, the conflict with Duvos wasn’t active, so mostly I spent a lot of time around the court.”

Juliette looked surprised. “Wait, you were actually a knight? I thought that maybe Toby just thought that.”

He chuckled and gave her a smile. “I was a knight for many years. Specially trained from a young age and began my duties when I was 16. I served for 16 more years after that. And now, I am happily retired from knighthood. My true calling has always been cooking and brewing. But alas, I come from a family of knights, so my fate was chosen for me. A sentiment which I believe you’ll agree with.” He sipped his coffee and looked at her.

She was nervously fidgeting with the coffee spoon. “I couldn’t stand all the formality of being a princess. Always having to play dress up, and suck up to other snobby people. I wanted to be an adventurer, to explore and see the world, or at least see something besides Barnarock. It’s a terribly ugly country, you know. All rocks and sand and heat. But I was a lady and couldn’t do any of those things. Luckily I enjoyed the artisitic hobbies, and that was considered proper enough. I badgered my mother relentlessly until she allowed me to train with a swordsman.”

She looked at the table, downcast. “I was the black sheep of the family, the disappointment. But it’s alright, I don’t mind being the disappointment if it means I’m free to do what I want.” She gave a sad smile and sipped her coffee. Django felt that she wasn’t being truthful again, but left it alone.

“I didn’t tell anyone that I was leaving, except my sister Bella. She was the only one that really understood me. She promised to stay in contact with me here, discreetly. I’m afraid if my mother found out, she’d send the royal army to retrieve me. Wouldn’t the gossip hounds love that?” She chuckled.

Django contemplated his next question before asking it. “I don’t mean to pry, but how does your father fit into this? Was he royal as well?”

“Ah, the other black sheep of the family. To answer your question, yes and no. My mother caused quite a stir when she married a commoner. He stuck around as long as he could stand it, I suppose. He gave it all up and left when I was quite young. But he knew, even back then, that the royal life wasn’t for me either. I suppose that’s why he sent me that letter. Even though I’m a bit angry at him for leaving, I was grateful for a ticket out of Barnarock.”

“Do you fear that enemies of Barnarock will track you down?”

She contemplated this with a frown. “Not really. It’s not like I was next in line for the throne. And to be honest, I’m not sure my mother would care.”

Django detected a hitch in her voice at the last part. Without thinking, he placed his hand over hers and smiled. “I’m sure that’s not true. You’re her child.”

Juliette gave him a cheeky grin. “Yeah, but she’s got 7 others to spare!”

“But none like you.” He smiled at her, and their eyes met.

“I suppose my mother is probably grateful for that.” She suddenly looked self-conscious and pulled her hand away. Django hoped it was not because of him.

“Thank you for listening to my story. I trust that you’ll keep this between us?”

“I swear, on my knighthood.”

“Thank you.” Juliette stood up. She suddenly chuckled to herself. “How funny. A princess and a knight, swapping stories at a place called the Round Table.”

Django grinned at her. “It is rather ironic, isn’t it?”

They both laughed. “Thank you again. It’s nice to have a trusted friend here in Portia. You’ve made me feel so welcome. Now, off to my new job- bridge building!”

And then she was out the door, raven hair and the scent of jasmine disappearing with her.

Chapter Text

Juliette was becoming a regular part of Django’s day. She often attended his and Toby’s training lessons in the mornings, and ate dinner at the round table most evenings. Usually, she sat at the bar and chatted with Django, but this evening he saw that she was not alone.
It was Emily’s birthday, and she had brought Juliette and Antoine to celebrate with her. Sonia joined the table when business was slow, but would often have to get up to serve customers.
Django tried not to eavesdrop, but they had picked the booth closest to him and his eyes often wandered to Juliette on their own.

He thought that Juliette looked stunning even in her work clothes, but tonight she looked radiant. Her hair was plaited neatly down her back. She wore a light blue shirt that was neatly tucked into a black skirt. She had black leather boots on that Django was having a very difficult time ignoring, as they came up to Juliette’s knees and drew the eye naturally to her exposed leg.

“Think I could get another drink, mate?” Albert called from the bar, jerking Django from his thoughts.

“Of course, forgive me. I was...distracted.”

“And what a pretty little distraction it is!” Albert laughed as Django refilled his drink.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Django averted his gaze.

“The new builder. I saw you looking her way. She sure is something. Hey, Django! You get all the gossip about town. Is she seeing anyone?”
Django tried to keep the pained expression off his face. He must have succeeded, as Albert didn’t comment on it. “Not that I am aware of. Though I’m sure it won’t be long, she is a lovely young woman.”

Albert grinned. “Sounds like I better make my move while I’ve got the chance then! Pour me another one of these, I’m going to take it over to her.”

Django obliged, wishing he had kept his mouth shut. He silently slid the glass over to Albert, who nodded a thank you and started walking towards Juliette. He wanted to look away, but he also wanted to see how she reacted.

“Happy Birthday, Emily! Antoine, good to see you. Juliette, especially good to see you.” He said with a wink. Juliette blushed and looked at the table. “Thought Portia’s newest citizen could use a drink!” He slid it towards her and invited himself to sit across from her, next to Emily.

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her hand out to him.

Django tried not to laugh as Albert’s face fell. “We’ve actually met. I run A&G construction with Gust, the stand-offish blonde guy.”

“Oh, my apologies. Nice to see you again, Alfred.” Django was in pain from holding in his laughter. He finally had to go into the kitchen to let it out.

“And what are you laughing at, bossman?” Sonia asked as she picked up a tray of food.

“Oh, I’m just watching Albert try and fail to flirt with Miss Juliette.” Django chuckled.

“He better not be! He’s going out with ME after my shift ends!” Sonia fumed. She stormed off with the tray in her hand.

Django finally recovered from his fit of laughter and came back out into the restaurant. Albert was back at the bar looking sheepish while Sonia was still fuming.

“Stay away from Albert, Jules. Sonia’s got her sights set on him.” Antoine chuckled. “Speaking of, is there anyone in town that’s caught your eye? And it better not be Dr. Xu!”

“Yeah, there’s lots of eligible bachelors here in town! Interested in any of them?” Emily asked excitedly.

Juliette blushed. “Oh, um, not really, I’m still so new here.” Django felt a twinge of disappointment.

“You lie!” Antoine poked her. “That blush on your face says otherwise. Who is it? Arlo? He’s definitely a cutie!”

“Ooooh what about Gust? He’s pretty to look at.” said Emily.

“If you don’t mind someone a little wild, Oaks is a hottie too.” Antoine chimed in.

“Isn’t that the bear guy? Does he...like people?” Juliette asked.

“Ha! Yes, that’s the bear guy.” Emily answered. “And he’s a real sweetie. But you know what, I’m calling dibs.”

“That’s fine with me.” Juliette said and took a sip of her drink.

“There’s gotta be SOMEONE you’re attracted to! Oh, maybe you’re into girls! Ginger is a cutie, but you’d have to go through Gust.” Antoine said.

“I’m not into girls. Can we just drop it?” Juliette was still blushing.

“Fine, fine! But girl, you need to go on a date! Get your feet wet! Among other things...” Antoine wiggled his eyebrows. Juliette smacked him.

“Fine, you know what? It IS Dr. Xu. I’m gonna go ask him out right now.” Juliette gave Antoine a wicked grin.

He gasped. “Don’t you dare!”

“Then drop the subject, or I will!”

“Fine, I concede. For now.”

Django was about to look away when he saw Juliette’s emerald eyes flash up at him. She gave him a quick smile and looked away again, a blush forming across her cheeks. He felt his stomach flip. He chastised himself for feeling that way, the girl had clearly stated that she wasn’t interested in anyone. She especially wouldn’t be interested in someone like him.

Even after Juliette’s friends departed, she stayed at the Round Table. She was reading a book once again. It was a quiet night, most had gone home already. The round table closed in an hour, but since it was so dead, he turned to Sonia. “Sonia, dear, why don’t you go ahead and head home? It’s pretty quiet.”

Sonia smiled at him. “I won’t turn that offer down! Even though I think it’s because you wanna be alone with Juliette.” She winked at him and untied her apron. Before he could scold her, she was out the door.

Juliette looked up at the sound of the bell. “Oh, Django, I’m so sorry! Is it closing time already?”

He smiled at her warmly. “No, dear Juliette. Sonia had plans she was eager to attend. It’s a slow evening, so it should be fine.” He was wiping down the counters when she picked up her book and stood. He felt a hint of disappointment, thinking she was leaving, but instead she came and sat at the counter.

“And what are you reading today?” He asked, attempting to focus on his task.

“Oh, it’s another poetry collection.” She blushed. “Love poems.”

“Oh?” He asked and raised an eyebrow. “Is love in the air for you? Perhaps with Mr.Albert?”

Juliette laughed. “Oh, nothing like that. And definitely not Albert. I just think they’re some of the most beautiful poems. For instance, listen to this one-“

If you were coming in the Fall,
I'd brush the Summer by
With half a smile, and half a spurn,
As Housewives do, a Fly.

If I could see you in a year,
I'd wind the months in balls---
And put them each in separate Drawers,
For fear the numbers fuse---

If only Centuries, delayed,
I'd count them on my Hand,
Subtracting, til my fingers dropped
Into Van Dieman's Land,

If certain, when this life was out---
That yours and mine, should be
I'd toss it yonder, like a Rind,
And take Eternity---

But, now, uncertain of the length
Of this, that is between,
It goads me, like the Goblin Bee---
That will not state--- its sting.

Django thought that that poem was the most beautiful one in the world coming from her mouth. He smiled widely at her. “Miss Dickinson!”

She matched his smile. “Yes! I think it’s just beautiful. Have you ever felt that way? That you loved someone so much that you’d do anything to be with them?”

Django locked eyes with her. He had to answer very carefully, to not give away his true feelings. “Only once…”

She smiled at him. “And what happened? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry.”

“Unrequited, I suppose.”

She frowned. “You don’t know?”

Django gave a sad smile. “I didn’t tell her.”

“Then you don’t know that it was unrequited, then. Women aren’t mind readers. You have to tell us these things!”

Django chuckled. “You make it sound so easy.”

“If you don’t take risks, you’ll never reap the rewards.”

Django smiled. “Maybe I’ll tell her eventually.” He was eager to change the subject. “I finished the book that you loaned me. It was wonderful!”

Juliette grinned widely. “I thought you’d enjoy it!” She paused in thought. “I’d love to discuss it with you sometime, if you’d like to, that is.”

Django thought about what she’d said about taking risks. “Are you free this evening, after I close up the Round Table?”

She grinned widely. “Of course!”

Django smiled. “Excellent. Shall I swing by your workshop? There’s a lovely spot not far from there where we could discuss it.”

“I’d like that a lot.” She grinned sheepishly. “I’ll get out of your hair for now. I’ll see you later!” She headed towards the door and turned and smiled at him one last time before leaving.
Django sighed. He wasn’t making things easier on himself. But at least he would be spending more time with Juliette.

Chapter Text

Django was nervously pacing, watching the minutes tick by. He was startled at the sound of the door opening.

“Hey Bossman, I forgot my-“ she stopped mid sentence. “What’s wrong?”

Django finally stopped pacing. “Nothing. It’s fine.”

Sonia rolled her eyes. “Please, no one ever means that when they say it. Talk to me.” She seated herself at the bar.

Django looked like he was in pain. “I will require your discretion, of course.”

“Oh my GOD, Django, just tell me!”

He took a deep breath. “I have made plans with Juliette this evening to take a walk and discuss a book we both enjoyed.”

Sonia’s squeal was ear piercing. She came behind the counter and wrapped Django in a hug.

“Oh my god, I’m so excited! This is amazing! So why are you acting all weird.”

“Because…and the knight in me hates to admit this…I’m scared.” He looked at the floor.

Sonia reached out and took his hand. “Hey, it’s ok. Feelings are scary. Love is scary.”

Django sighed. “I’m just so afraid of ruining our friendship.”

“How did this come up? Tell me exactly what she said and how.”

Django filled her in on their discussion and she listened intently.

“Oh yeah. She’s got the hots for you.”

Django blushed. “You don’t know that.”

“Uh, yeah I do! I’m a girl! She was sending you all these little hints. So you need to act on it!”

“I have no intention of acting on it. This is just two friends discussing poetry.”

“While taking a romantic moon- lit stroll! Come on!”

Django sighed again. “I just wish I knew how to prepare.”

“Ok first off, is that what you’re wearing?”

He frowned. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Sonia gaped at him. “Uh, it’s basically your work uniform. What do you wear when you’re not working?”

Django looked down at his clothes. “This!”

“God you’re helpless. Come on, close up shop. I’m going to raid your closet.”

“Don’t you have your own plans with Albert this evening?”

She shrugged. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to him. Let’s go!”

A half hour later, Sonia had declared him a terrible dresser and had suggested he burn most of his clothes. She had managed to dig out a red sweater that Django didn’t even know he had. He paired it with black pants and ushered Sonia out of the room so that he could change. He stepped out into his living room and said “well?”

Sonia smiled. “Not half bad! Ok, now go be the smooth, romantic knight you are on the inside. And I want to hear EVERYTHING tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you for helping me, Sonia.”

“You’re welcome, now go pick up your daaaate!”

He grabbed the poetry book and headed towards Juliette’s home.

He braced himself before knocking on the door. Juliette opened it with a smile. She looked stunning. She’d kept the light blue top but swapped the skirt for black jeans. She’d undone the elaborate braid from earlier and her hair now cascaded down her shoulders in waves.

“Hello, Django! I love your sweater!”

Django felt the heat rise in his cheeks. “Thank you, Juliette. You look lovely. Are you ready to go?”

“I am! Where did you want to go?”

“If you don’t mind a short walk, there’s a lovely spot near the waterfall.”

She smiled at him. “That sounds great!”

They chatted easily as they walked and Django felt his nerves settling down. Every once in awhile, their shoulders would brush together and send an electric shock through his body.

They finally reached the spot by the waterfall. It was stunning at night. The moon reflected on the water and the fireflies floated like magic lanterns. There was a tree that was full of white flowers.

“Oh, Django! This is beautiful!” Juliette looked around in wonder. He watched her with a smile on his face. He plucked a flower from the tree and held it out to her. She took it with a blush and tucked it behind her ear.

Django took a seat under the tree and Juliette did the same.
She looked at him and smiled. He took a deep breath and figured it was now or never.
“I wanted to read to you a poem that really struck me from this book.” He flipped to the marked page and opened it.

“ARE you the new person drawn toward me?
To begin with, take warning—I am surely far different from what you suppose;
Do you suppose you will find in me your ideal?
Do you think it so easy to have me become your lover?
Do you think the friendship of me would be unalloy’d satisfaction?
Do you think I am trusty and faithful?
Do you see no further than this façade—this smooth and tolerant manner of me?
Do you suppose yourself advancing on real ground toward a real heroic man?
Have you no thought, O dreamer, that it may be all maya, illusion?”

He looked up and found Juliette staring intently into his eyes. She cautiously reached over and touched his hand. He felt his arm break out in goosebumps.

“I don’t think that you’re a different person. I think you’re a wonderful, warm, loving person.”

His breath hitched. Was this really happening? “Juliette, I must say something to you.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “In our short time of knowing each other, I have become quite fond of you. I apologize if this makes you uncomfortable, if it does, we can do our best to forget that it ever happened. I care for you deeply, and I needed you to know my true feelings.” He tentatively looked up to see how she reacted. She didn’t recoil in disgust, or look uncomfortable or upset. She was smiling, and squeezed his hand tighter.

“I feel the same way about you.”

He felt like his heart had stopped then and there. “You do?”

She smiled coyly. “I have for a while. But I thought, why would he be interested in me?”

Django gaped at her. “What? Why wouldn’t I be? You’re beautiful, you’re graceful, you’re intelligent, and you’re the only person to disarm me in a sword fight.”

She blushed. “But I’m a mess. I ran away from home to try to figure out who I really was and I still don’t know it yet.”

He brushed his hand against her cheek. “I’d like to figure it out with you.” She smiled at him and he felt his heart melt. “I figured you wouldn’t have any interest in this old knight. My life is quite boring now, and I’m so much older than you.”

She playfully swatted him on the arm. “You’re not boring, and you’re not that much older than me. Django, do you want to be with me?”

He grinned at her. “I most certainly do.”

She squeezed his hand and smiled. “That’s what I want, too.” She gently pulled him closer to her, and before he knew it, her lips were pressing into his, and he was certain that this was what heaven felt like. After they broke the kiss, they rested their foreheads against each other and smiled.

“I was hoping that book of love poems would give you a push in my direction.” Django laughed and pulled her to his chest.

“Darling, I was already so enamored with you that I started a fire while lost in my thoughts of you.”

Juliette laughed and moved herself closer to him to rest up against him. They stayed like this and read poems until it was too dark to see the words on the pages. They walked back to Juliette’s home, hand-in-hand, drunk on the feeling of new love. They exchanged a passionate kiss at her door, her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands on her waist. They pulled away and smiled at each other.

“Goodnight, dearest Juliette.”

“Goodnight, Django.” She smiled at him once more before disappearing into her home. Django gave a sigh of contentment. He felt like he was walking on clouds all the way home.

Chapter Text

The next several weeks passed in a blur. Django spent nearly all his free time with Juliette and was happier than he had been in years. They spent their time reading poetry together, taking walks and enjoying the scenery, and getting to know each other. Django decided that it was time to make things official with Juliette. Before the Round Table opened, he decided to go speak with Alice at her flower stand.
“Ah, good morning, Alice! What a lovely selection you have today.”

Alice beamed. “Thank you, Django! What can I get you today?”

Occasionally, when business was really booming, Django bought centerpieces from Alice to decorate his tables. He smiled at her warmly and said “I’m afraid I’m not here for your flowers today, but something much more special. Dear Alice, I’d like to purchase one of your heart knots.”

Alice’s face lit up. “Oh, Django! That’s wonderful! Would this be for a certain dark haired builder you’ve been spending quite a bit of time with?”

Django blushed. “I suppose nothing goes unnoticed here in Portia. Yes, it is. We’ve grown quite fond of each other, and I’d like to make this official gesture to show her what she means to me.”

“Luckily I have one already made up. I insist you take it, no charge. You’ve bought enough flowers from me to keep me in business and been a wonderful friend to me and Jack.”

Django smiled. “Thank you for your generosity. But, I insist on purchasing this from you, and your finest bouquet of roses as well.” He handed Alice a small mound of Gols before she could protest further. She handed over the heart knot and a large bouquet of roses.

“Congratulations, Django.”

Django laughed. “Don’t congratulate me yet, Alice. She has to accept it.”
With that, Django began the short walk to Juliette’s workshop, smiling all the way. As he approached, he saw her standing by her mailbox reading a letter.
“Good morning, darling Juliette!” He called to her with a smile. His smile fell when she turned and he saw her face. It was drained of color and she looked very upset. He tossed the roses aside and rushed to her, holding her in his arms. “Juliette? What’s wrong?”

She wordlessly handed him the letter. It had a royal seal imprinted on the upper righthand corner.

“Adelaide,

I suppose you thought yourself quite clever, leaving in the middle of the night, moving to that awful little town, and changing your name. Did you really think that you could just leave your life and your duties behind? You are one of my heirs and you will behave as such. Your hand was promised to Prince Revaz of Duvos as a symbol of unity between our nations. You have two weeks from the date of this letter to return, or I shall send someone to retrieve you. You have always been my most stubborn and headstrong child, so I will ask you to consider this: don’t come back for me. Come back for the safety and peace of Barnarock. Count Revaz is very unhappy that you have broken this arrangement, and has alluded that if you do not become his bride, Barnarock will suffer.

I await your return.
Mother”

Django was speechless. Juliette began crying and he gathered her in his arms and held her to his chest. “Come now, let’s go inside and discuss this.”

He led her inside as she began to sob and the sound broke his heart. He sat her on the couch and sat next to her and held her as she cried. Through her tears she said “I’m so sorry Django.”

He was confused. “Sorry? What are you apologizing to me for?”

“Because…I…” she sniffed and another sob escaped. He stroked her hair and waited for her to continue. “I left…even though it put…my people in danger…like a COWARD!” At the last word she collapsed into sobs again.

He gently tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “Darling Juliette. That’s not true at all. Duvos is a powerful enemy, do you really think your marriage to Prince Revaz would keep them from going to war? The Duvos empire won’t stop until it’s conquered the world, that’s what they say, anyway. What you did was brave. Prince Revaz is a tyrant, everyone knows that. He would have been cruel to you. You did what you had to do.”

Juliette sniffed and sat up. She grabbed Django’s hands as a tear rolled down her cheek. “Django, I’m sorry for the situation I’ve put us all in. And maybe I shouldn’t say it, but I have to. I love you, Django. And I’m sorry I have to leave you like this.” She stood up and walked towards her bedroom.

“Leave? Juliette, you can’t be serious!” Django followed her and grabbed her hand. She turned to face him and looked utterly heartbroken.

“I have to. My marriage to Revaz is unavoidable. I can either go there peacefully, or have them come here and let Portia suffer. I can’t do that.”

“Juliette, you cannot do this! Please!” Django had tears running down his cheeks as he searched her face for any sign that she changed her mind. “Juliette, I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. You cannot throw your life away.”

Anger flashed in her eyes. “Don’t you see, it’s not my life I’m throwing away! If I don’t do this, I’m throwing away the lives of everyone else!”

“Juliette…please…” he whispered. She tugged her hands free from his grip and looked at the floor.

“If you’re not going to support my decision, then I have to ask you to leave.”

“Is that what you really want?”

“No, none of this is what I want! But it’s beyond what I want, don’t you see that? Please, you’re just making this harder. Just go.” She still couldn’t look at him.

Django’s heart was broken. He pulled the heart knot out of his pocket and placed it on her nightstand. “Goodbye, Juliette.” He whispered as he left. His heart broke more with every step he took away from her.

Django hadn’t slept all night, for his heart was aching. He hadn’t even looked at the time when he heard a knock on the door. He suddenly realized it was daylight. He staggered over to the door and opened it.

“Woah, were you out partying all night, bossman? You look like you had a rough night.” Sonia chuckled. When Django met her eyes and she saw the hurt on his face. “What’s wrong?”

He tried his best to force a smile. “Nothing, dear Sonia, just a bit under the weather. Thank you for checking on me.” He began to shut the door, but Sonia pushed her way through. He was too tired to fight her.

“Bullshit. You didn’t open the restaurant this morning AND you missed your lesson with Toby. The plague wouldn’t stop you from doing that. Now sit down.” She said it so forcefully that Django obliged.

She went into his kitchen and began making him some tea. Within a few minutes, she returned with a cup in her hand and shoved it at him forcefully. He nodded his thanks and took a sip. “You’re quite good at this, someone ought to hire you as a waitress.”

“Don’t change the subject. What happened with Juliette?”

He looked at her in surprise. “How did you know it was about Juliette?”

“Because I can’t think of another thing that would have you moping like this. I could burn down the restaurant and you’d just shrug and rebuild.” She fixed him with a firm look. “I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”

Django sighed and put his cup on the coffee table. “Juliette is leaving.”

“WHAT? Why?!”

“I…can’t go into details, but she has to return home very urgently.”

“So why don’t you go with her, or try long distance or something?”

Django sighed. “It’s much more complicated than that. She’s betrothed to someone.”

“Wait, WHAT? She was engaged while she was dating you?”

“Sonia, please, it’s more complicated than that. She didn’t have a choice in the matter.”

“What, was this some kind of arranged marriage thing?” Sonia asked.

“In a way.”

“Then why doesn’t she just say no and that she wants to stay with you?”

“Because she can’t, Sonia! It’s an important marriage.”

Sonia huffed. “I don’t see what marriage could be so important that she has to ditch you and go do it.”

Django sighed. “If I explain, can you swear to me that it never leaves this room?”

Sonia was intrigued. “Ok, I swear.”

“I mean it! Not one word to Antoine or any of your friends. Don’t even do so much as write it in your diary. It could ruin Juliette’s life.”

“Damn, Django! I promise! Now what’s the big secret?”

Django took a deep breath, already regretting his decision to tell Sonia. “Juliette is a member of the royal family of Barnarock and she’s betrothed to Prince Revaz of Duvos.”

There was a moment of silence before Sonia burst into laughter. Django glared at her. “What on earth are you laughing at?”

Sonia was laughing so hard that she was wiping away tears. “Come on, you CAN’T be serious. A princess living in Portia and engaged to the prince of Duvos?”

She was still laughing as Django slid the letter across the table. She was still giggling as she picked it up, but soon stopped as she read the letter.

Her mouth was gaping open. “Holy shit. HOLY SHIT.”

“Please, Sonia, calm down.”

“I WAS FRIENDS WITH A REAL PRINCESS? OH MY GAWD, DJANGO! Do you think she’ll introduce me to some of her royal friends? Maybe I can be a princess too! Or maybe-” Sonia was suddenly silent. “Oh, Django. I’m so sorry.”

“I tried to convince her to stay, but she insisted she had to go.”

Sonia was silent for a while while she contemplated something. After a few moments she looked up at him and said “What if you fight for her hand?”

Django blinked at her. “What?”

Sonia rolled her eyes. “You’d think you’d know these things since you’re a knight. You can challenge the prince to a fight for her hand in marriage. It’s like, a thing. It’s official. Where’s your stupid book about knighthood you’re always quoting from?”

She got up and began searching his shelves. She grabbed the book she was looking for and began flipping through it. “Here!” She handed it to him.

Django read the passage and then read it again to make sure that he understood. “Sonia, how did you know about this?”

“Uh, hello, it’s in like a hundred romance novels.”

Django grabbed Sonia and pulled her in for a tight hug. “Thank you, Sonia! I’ve got to go to Barnarock at once!” He released her and began frantically looking for a bag to pack his belongings in. “Oh dear, the Round Table.”

“Relax, I’ll take care of it while you’re gone. That robot guy is a chef. I bet he can help me out. Now go fight for your lady!” She grinned at him. She turned towards the door to leave and paused.
“And Django?”

“Yes, dear Sonia?”

“Please don’t die.” Worry flashed across her face before she exited. She left Django to his packing.

Chapter Text

Juliette stood stiffly, her hands clasping the rail of the balcony as she looked blankly in the distance. It had been one week since she had fled Portia in the middle of the night. She had sent Presley a hastily written letter explaining that she had to leave, and thanked him for his kindness. No further explanation was needed, as Presley had been friends with her father and read between the lines of her letter.
Her journey home had taken 5 days, and she’d spent most of them crying over Django. As soon as she reached the gates of Barnarock, she had been whisked away to the castle and brought to her mother.

“Oh good, you made the right decision. It would have been such a waste of money and resources to send someone to retrieve you.”

“Hello, mother, I missed you too.” Juliette said dryly as she crossed her arms.

“Come now, no need for attitude. You’re the one who abandoned the family, remember?” Her mother arched one of her black eyebrows. Juliette chuckled to herself. Her mother had always reminded her of the evil queens in fairy tales. In fact, she’d had one book as a child that she swore had a drawing of her mother in it. She and her favorite sister, Bella, had giggled over the book so much that one of the servants came to see what they were laughing about. The servant began laughing too. Unfortunately for all of them, her mother had been walking by at that exact moment and caught them all. The book was destroyed, the servant was fired, and the girls had been punished harshly.

“And WHAT is that you’re wearing? You look like a commoner!”

Juliette snorted. “Coming from the woman who married a commoner.”

Her mother’s eyes flashed with anger. “Don’t you ever mention that man!” She quickly composed herself. “We’ll have to make you much more presentable before the prince arrives. I’ll send word that you’ve returned. And it goes without saying that you’d better be on your best behavior, and apologize for leaving.”

And that’s where Juliette was now, waiting for the prince to arrive. She was in an elaborate purple dress with a corset that she swore was cutting off her air supply. Her hair had been put in an elaborate up-do and a tiara sat on top of it. Not only was she uncomfortable, she was miserable. She missed Django, and Portia, so much that it hurt, though the corset was contributing to that pain as well.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of trumpets announcing the arrival of the prince. Juliette felt her stomach churn. She’d met Prince Revaz only once before, and she hated the man. He thought himself to be a ladie’s man, and that he was devastatingly handsome and no woman could resist him. He was like Albert, Juliette thought to herself, if Albert was merciless and cruel. Her chest ached again as she thought of Portia.

“Adelaide!” The sound of her mother’s voice jerked her from her thoughts. She sighed. She had forgotten that here she was Adelaide. Even though she’d only been Juliette for a short time, it felt much more comfortable and real to her than Adelaide.
“You’d best wipe that sad look from your face before the Prince sees it. You are to be courteous, apologetic, and grateful that he has still chosen to marry you even though you fled.”

So basically, suck up to him. Adelaide rolled her eyes and did her best to put on the smiling face she’d been raised to put on, masking any of her real feelings. She took one last look at herself in the mirror, wishing more than anything to see the smudge of grease or her bulky coveralls. She looked away before she began to cry and made her way down the stairs.

She was commanded to kneel before the Prince as he entered. She did so willingly, glad to look at anything but him.

“Ah, there’s my runaway bride!” The sound of his voice grated on her ears. “You may rise.”

She stood, and she couldn’t avert her gaze any longer. She looked up at him and forced a smile onto her face. “Prince Revaz, my sincerest-”

“Did I say you could speak?”

It took every ounce of willpower she had not to punch him in the face. Instead, she averted her gaze and ground her teeth. He chuckled, clearly noting her submission.

“Though you do owe me an apology, so I suppose you may do that. Go on, on your knees again.”

She got on her knees and looked up at him, hopefully giving him what looked like a sincere smile. “Prince Revaz, I sincerely apologize for my foolishness. I hope that you can find it in your generous heart to forgive me, and that you will accept me as your bride.”

He smirked at her. “Laying it on a bit thick, are we? Come on, get up then.” His guards dragged her to her feet. “You can make it up to me tonight, after our engagement dinner.” He gave her a disgusting smile that made her skin crawl. He strolled up to her, leaned close and whispered in her ear. “And you’ll have to work very hard to make it up to me.”

Her fists were balled at her sides. “To the gardens, then! I want to take a stroll with my bride.” He grabbed her by the arm and she followed him silently. Once they got out to the garden he tightened his grip and pulled her closer.

“Stop acting like a submissive little waif. I like it better when you fight me.” He grinned at her while she glared at him. “I know you have no desire to marry me. That’s what makes it fun for me. I’ll have my own little plaything to torture any time I want.”

Without a second thought, she slapped him hard across the face. He merely grinned in return. “That’s more like it. But do that again in front of the guards, and I’ll have them deal with you. And they’re not as kind as me.” He turned his back to her and strolled away from her. “In public, you will be the perfect wife. You will always be smiling, and you will obey my every whim. You’ll rave about what a wonderful ruler I am, and a wonderful lover if the moment arises.” He winked at her and she balled her fists again. “In private, you will be bound to your room unless I call for you. Gotta make an heir, you know. Besides, you’re a pretty little thing. Not as nice to look at as me, but who is?”
He turned to face her. “Well? Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, am I permitted to speak now?” She rolled her eyes at him.

He walked up to her and placed one hand on her bottom and squeezed. “It turns me on when you rebel against me. I like a woman with a little spunk.” He pulled her in and forced his tongue into her mouth. It took everything in her not to gag. She shoved him away and he slapped her across the face. “Not that much spunk, my dear. Know your limit.”

She held her face and a tear rolled down her cheek against her will. He walked up to her and licked it off her face. “Delicious. Now be gone, I have no need for you until this evening. Go do whatever it is you sand people do.” And with that, he finally left Adelaide. When he was out of sight, she finally allowed herself to cry.

“Aidie?” She turned her head at the sound of her sister’s voice. “Bella!” The sisters ran toward each other and embraced.

“Aidie, I’m so sorry! The guards intercepted one of my letters. They figured it all out. I begged Mother to just let you go and told her I’d marry Revaz in your place.”

Adelaide looked at her sweet sister. They looked the most alike in the family, raven black hair and jade green eyes. “Bella, you’re 16. And I’d never want you to marry that disgusting man. I was foolish to think that I could just run away.” She squeezed Bella’s hand. “I wish I could’ve taken you with me.”

Bella smiled sadly at her. “What’s done, is done. But I do want to hear of your time in Portia! In your last letter, you mentioned that you had fallen in love, but hadn’t told him yet. Tell me about it!”

Adelaide began to cry. “Oh Aidie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She gave Bella a sad smile. “Bella, I loved him so much. And he loved me for me. Not for my title or my crown, or status.” She filled Bella in on everything that had happened with Django, the moonlight stroll and their confessions to each other. Bella was hooked on every word.

“Did you tell him why you had to go?”

“I did. He already had figured out who I was. He was a knight.

Bella gasped. “A knight! Aidie, do you think he’ll come to rescue you?”

Adelaide gave her a sad smile. “Life isn’t like a story book, Bells. Not everyone gets a happy ending.” She blinked away her tears and stood up. “I have to move on. This is my life now and I have to accept it. The less I can think about Django, the better.” The sisters embraced one more. Adelaide sniffed. “Come on, let’s go to our room. I want to hear about what you’ve been doing.”

If the purple dress from this morning had been miserable, this one was just plain torture. “You know, Mother, women don’t have to wear these torture devices anymore.” She said as one of the servants yanked on the string tightening the corset.

“Yes, I know dear, but it makes quite the statement, doesn’t it? It’s a good way to remind the common people that we’re better than them.”

Adelaide rolled her eyes and remained silent. “Besides, this dress was chosen by Prince Revaz himself.”

“Ah, that’s why it’s so miserable then.” The servant gave one last tug to tighten the strings before tying it in place. Adelaide smiled at the girl. “Thank you, Vanessa. And how is your mother doing?”

Vanessa opened her mouth to reply when the queen held out her hand to stop her. “That will be all, servant.”

Vanessa bowed quietly and left the room. “Would it kill you to talk to them like they’re people?”

“They’re not people, darling. They’re the help. You’re far too friendly with them.”

Adelaide wheeled around to face her mother. “You know why I ran away to Portia? Not just to get away from Revaz. It was to get away from you.”

Her mother usually had no reaction to her outbursts but she looked shocked. “What happened to the woman that married father? He was a commoner. I think you’d spit on someone like him now.”

“I told you not to mention that man!” Her mother roared at her.

“He’s my father and I will not pretend that he doesn’t exist because he didn’t want to put up with your bullshit!” Her mother looked like she had slapped her. She momentarily felt a pang of guilt in her chest before continuing. “I remember how you were when he was here. You were kind. You cared about people. Now all you do is sneer down at them. Did you ever even care about my father or was he just a pawn to you?”

“I LOVED YOUR FATHER!” She screamed at Adelaide. Adelaide was stunned into silence. “I gave up so much to be with him. My own mother practically disowned me. But I didn’t care. I loved him.” Tears were flowing down her mother’s face. “He broke my heart when he left. And do you know why he left?”

Adelaide looked at her in silence. “Because he hated being settled down. He hated being married and having kids. Not because he didn’t love you. But because he couldn’t stand to stay in one spot. He begged me to leave with him, to give up everything and take all of you off to God knows where just to satisfy his wanderlust. I told him that no matter how much I loved him, I would not uproot you all from your life and your friends for him. Here, you could get a fine education. You could have wonderful opportunities. But that didn’t matter to him. He left and he broke my heart.”

Adelaide was shocked. “Mother…I didn’t know…I’m so sorry.”

Her mother sniffed. “And I wish more than anything that you didn’t have to marry that asshole downstairs, but life doesn’t always go how we want it to.”

“Mom! I’ve never heard you swear.”

Her mother smiled. “There’s a lot that you don’t know about me. Part of this job, Adelaide, is wearing a mask. You’re a public face. You can’t let anyone know the real you or they will use it.”

“But why didn’t you ever tell us why Father left?”

“Because it was easier for you to be angry with me than to be disappointed with him. I didn’t want you to feel like you weren’t good enough for him.”

Adelaide pulled her mother into a hug. “I’m so sorry for being so angry at you. I’m sorry I ran away. But I had to. You understand, right?”

Her mother held her hands and sniffed. “I do. And I’m sorry that it worked out this way.” She straightened herself up. “Come now, let’s do something about those puffy eyes.”

Django rode his horse (given to him by Macdonald before he left Portia, with insistence that he bring Juliette back with him) as quickly as he could up to the gate. He’d barely slept, making the journey in three days instead of five. As he approached the gate, two guards held up their hands to him.

“Halt. State your business.”

“I urgently need to speak with someone at the palace.”

The guard on the left laughed. “I’d like to speak with someone at the palace too, and ask them for more money. But unless you have a valid reason, you’re not getting in.”

“Django?” said the guard from the right.

“John! How wonderful to see you after all these years!”

John turned to the guard to his left. “Django is the Storm Knight.”

The guard’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t think they were real!”

“They are, and I am the Storm Knight, and I urgently need to get in.”

“I wish I could let you, mate, but there’s a big event going on tonight. It’s Princess Adelaide’s engagement dinner. She’s marrying that prick from Duvos.”

“That’s exactly why I need in, John. I’m in love with her and I’m here to fight for her hand.”

“Sounds good enough reason to me. Go on then, go get your woman!” The guards stepped aside and let him through the gate. He looked up at the palace situated on the cliff above him. He quickly tied up his horse, grabbed his bag, and rushed to change into his armor. It was now or never.

“PRESENTING PRINCE REVAZ OF DUVOS, AND HIS BRIDE, PRINCESS ADELAIDE OF BARNAROCK!”

Revaz held on to Adelaide’s arm as they descended the stairs into the great hall.

“You look ravishing in that dress.” He whispered to her. “I can’t wait to rip it off of you later.”

Adelaide had a smile plastered to her face as she leaned over and whispered “do that and I’ll choke you with the fabric.” before facing back forwards, smiling and waving at the crowd. Revaz tightened his grip on her arm and dug his nails into her. She winced, but kept smiling. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, the door to the hall was flung open. Everyone gasped and turned to see who had entered.

“Prince Revaz of Duvos! I, Django, the Storm Knight, challenge you for the hand of the princess.”

Chapter Text

Juliette, or Adelaide here in Barnarock, felt her heart leap at the sound of his voice. “Django!” She called out. Their eyes met and they smiled.

“I hate to break up a happy reunion, but I’m not going to accept your challenge. Adelaide is my bride. Guards?” He gestured for them to go after Django but Django held out his hand.

“When a knight challenges you for the hand of a lady, you are required to accept, regardless of status or power. It’s a law for all the kingdoms.”

“Well that’s a stupid rule! I reject it.” Revaz pouted. One of his royal advisors came forward and whispered something to him. He smirked and looked at Django. “Very well. I accept your challenge. But the law also states that I can select someone to fight in my place. And I will select one of my guards. You, the big bulky one.” He pointed at one of the guards. The guard pointed to himself and looked confused. “Yes, you. Go on then, fight him.”

“My prince, you wish for the duel to start now, here?” the advisor asked him nervously.

“That's what I said, isn’t it? Go on, shove those tables out of the way. Let’s get this over with so that I can go back to my feast with MY bride.”

Juliette looked at Django with pleading eyes. His heart ached to see her like this, even though she was stunning. She was in a black corseted dress with a flowing skirt. Her hair was in an elaborate braid with her crown perched on top of her head. He wanted so badly to dash across the room and pull her into his arms and tell her everything would be alright. But he had to put those thoughts aside, as he now had to fight for her.

When the tables were cleared and the guests crammed off to the sides, Django and the large guard stepped into the middle.

Django looked him in the eyes. “I take no pleasure in doing this. If it weren’t for the woman I love, I would not harm a hair on your head. Please know this.”

The guard just smirked at him. “I’m hoping they’ll let me keep your head after I remove it. It’d make a nice trophy to take back to Duvos.”

All in all, the fight was uneventful. Juliette watched with bated breath as the battle began. Blows were exchanged, but it was a matter of minutes before Django’s sword drove through the chest of his opponent. Juliette had to look away. When she finally looked back up, she smiled widely at Django. It was over. He had won.

She was prepared to rush towards him when Revaz tightly gripped her arm and yanked her back. “Did you really think I was going to give you up because of some silly law? When I marry you, I’ll be the king, and that law will be abolished. Guards?”

Juliette looked at Django and screamed as she saw a guard come up behind him and shove a sword into his abdomen. She collapsed to her knees and screamed as he slumped to the ground. Revaz finally loosened his grip on her and she ran to his side. She grabbed his face in her hands. “Django! Django! Look at me! You have to stay alive!”

He reached his hand up and stroked her face. “Juliette. Fight. Save yourself. I’m sorry that I could not do it for you.” A tear ran down his cheek. “The princess has to save herself. Go.”

She reluctantly let go of his hand and he smiled up at her. She grabbed a sword from a nearby guard and held it out. “Revaz! I will not be your bride. I will not submit to you. And I will fight whoever you want me to fight, but know this. I will pile the bodies high if it means I can get away from you.”

Revaz frowned at her. “Ah, Adelaide. You would’ve made a wonderful trophy wife. The most beautiful of all your siblings.” He sneered and pulled a sword from its sheath on his hip.”But now you’ll just be a beautiful corpse, because I’m going to kill you myself.”

He twirled his sword as he came towards her with a cocky laugh.

“Juliette!” Django called from the ground. “Use my sword!”

She quickly picked it up off the ground as Revaz came toward her. It was heavier than she was used to, but the weight felt good in her hands. Suddenly, Revaz charged towards her. She gracefully dodged, sending him stumbling. He quickly wheeled around and began advancing again. Steel clashed against steel as she fought for her life against the repulsive prince. Django groaned and she temporarily averted her gaze from Revaz, who used the opportunity to slice towards her. He caught the fabric of her dress and ripped it. Juliette shifted her focus back towards him and used the torn fabric as an opportunity to rip a layer of the constricting dress off.

“Now THIS I like!” Revaz leered at her. She dashed forward, slashing and stabbing with all her might. Her blows were evenly matched, with Revaz sneering at her the whole time.

She looked at this man and thought of the pain he had caused to millions. By his orders, Duvos had invaded countries around the world and killed a countless number of innocent citizens in his insane attempt to control the entire world. She thought of Alice and Jack, left orphaned by the war. She thought of Remington, who had injured his knee and lost his best friend defending his country. She thought of the man she loved more than anything, dying on the floor because of this shriveled soul of a man in front of her. She swung at him with all her fury, and the fury of everyone affected by the war.

Lightning shot out of the sword as it connected with Revaz’s shoulder. He shrieked and dropped his weapon, clutching his arm. Juliette looked at the blade in shock. The room was in stunned silence, except for the sounds of Revaz crying and groaning on the floor. She walked over to him and kicked his blade away from him. He looked up at her, and for the first time, she saw genuine fear in his eyes.

“Go on, do it then, don’t drag it out.” He spat at her.

“No.”

She heard the shocked sounds of the people in the room. “You may think that I’m being merciful by not killing you, but in reality, death would be too swift an end for you. You have caused pain to people all over the world, and you will pay for your crimes. Guards?”

The guards rushed forward. “Put him in a prison cell. Make sure he’s secured tightly until the other leaders can arrive and we can decide a fitting punishment.” She turned to the Duvos guards. “I know that many of you fought in this war against your will. You are now freed of this service, and no charges will be brought against you. I’m sorry for the pain you suffered at the hands of your leader. You may go.”

Once the Duvos guards filed out, she rushed to Django’s side. “Django? Are you still hanging on?”

He smiled up at her. “Takes a lot more than that to kill a knight, my love. Besides, my armor caught the brunt of it.” He winked at her and sat up, removing the blade from his back with a wince.

“You were fine the whole time?!” She shoved him.

“Ouch! Mostly fine, really. The blade did pierce me a bit, but nothing I can’t handle. But I knew the only way this all would end is if Revaz was killed, or in this case, defeated.”

“How did you know that I wouldn’t be killed?”

“My dear, you disarmed me in the first fight we ever had. I had no doubt in my mind that you would wipe the floor with him.”

She grabbed the front of his armor and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. The room filled with cheers and applause. Juliette blushed. She had forgotten that they were in a room full of party guests.

After they broke the kiss, Django took her hand. “Perhaps my timing may be inappropriate, but Juliette, would you marry me?”

“Of course I’ll marry you!” She pulled him into an embrace and he winced again. “First things first, let’s get you checked out. Medics?”

The medical crew rushed forward and began inspecting Django’s wound. Juliette turned around and saw her mother smiling proudly at her. “Adelaide. I’m so proud of you. I’m sorry for all the times I seemed cruel and uncaring to you. I wish that I could make up for lost time, but I hope that you’ll accept me as a part of your life now.”

Juliette smiled widely and took her mother’s hands. “Of course. But one thing. Can you please call me Juliette? I’ve always hated the name Adelaide.”

Her mother smiled coyly. “To be honest, I didn’t care for it either, but your father picked it.”

Juliette smiled sadly. “Well, he abandoned us, so I’m abandoning the name.”

Her mother squeezed her hands. “Come on now, let’s get you out of that shredded dress.”

One month later

“And do you, Django of Portia, take Juliette to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.” He smiled widely at her.

“And do you, Juliette of Portia, take Django to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.” She grinned.

“By the power vested in me, I declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Django pulled her in for a long, romantic kiss as the crowd cheered. Sonia blew her nose and wiped tears from her eyes as she cried for two of her best friends. Albert wrapped a comforting arm around her and she smiled at him.

Juliette’s mother smiled proudly at her. Maybe some people do get happy endings.

The alliance of the free cities had decided that Revaz would be imprisoned for life. He begged them to just kill him, but they declined and said more blood would not be shed. The war with Duvos was officially over. There were a few Revaz supporters who popped up every now and then, but the country was eager to keep the peace and took care of them.

Juliette had given up her crown and title and had settled permanently in Portia. While the town had originally been shocked that she was a former princess, they quickly settled back down when the next hot piece of gossip came along. Juliette loved being a builder, and spent her free time cooking with Django at the Round Table. Django had never been happier in his life, and often wondered how he had been so lucky.

Juliette’s sister, Bella, promised to visit often, and sometimes her mother came as well. The queen was much friendlier and easygoing than she had been, since the weight of carrying the truth about Juliette’s father had been lifted from her shoulders. She and the other leaders worked hard to keep the peace among their nations, and swore to never have another war like the one Duvos had started. There had been no one else to take the throne in Duvos, so the monarchy was annihilated and the citizens elected people as their leaders.

Sometimes people do get happily ever afters. And this was the case for Juliette and Django.