Hello everyone! How're you all? Fine, I guess? Here remains my new work: A TalaXJulia two-shot.

This story is based on a historical event of Islam. By different poet and authors, this incident has taken different forms. However, I made a few changes since all the versions of the actual story aren't same in every scene and every aspect. Some see it as a sin, some see it as pure love. Quite a debated story it is throughout the world. Anyways, let's not brainstorm anymore and focus on the story.

Pairing: TalaXJulia.

Rating: T+ (This chapter is rated T, the next chapter will contain slightly adult themes. At first, I didn't want to write them since the month is holy, then I thought, "If it can actually make some positive sense along with showing some virtues, there will be no problem". So, here they go :D).

Genre: Romance, Spiritual, Fantasy.

So..shall we start? :P

Since the last two hours, the eight-year-old scarlet-haired Russian was lying in the dark, bottomless, abandoned well which didn't have a single droplet of water inside. The old spider webs were clinging to the stony surface, the eight-legged creatures were crawling the walls. It was very cold inside; his hands and feet were freezing though he was in his warm cloths. The opening of the well was a bit broad, of course but since it was present in a deep forest, the sunlight couldn't enter. Moreover, in the region, the sight of the sun could hardly be seen in the sky. That's why, it was obscurity all over the pit of the unknown depth. Dense, hovering silence in the air was trying to frighten the little boy, having no mercy on him.

He breathed heavily as there was lack of enough oxygen in his lungs. He was thirsty; his throat was drying like a scorching desert. He wanted only a sole bead of water but the pit was more arid than his vocal cord. While having the fall, he might have received a few cuts and scrapes on his skin too but he couldn't bother much about them. A bit of warmth could be felt around his leg; blood it was, he could say. However, the rest of his body was shivering violently from the lack of heat; his teeth clattered together. Sitting up somehow, the kid curled himself into a ball, gulping as a futile attempt to extinguish his unquenchable thirst.

Wrapping his arms around his knees, he tucked his head amidst them. He was feeling to cry, splitting his vocal cord. But since his childhood, he'd always been taught not to shed a blob of tears even though how hurt he'd been. Not only he, but also all his step-brothers and cousins had learnt the same thing. They'd been grown up under the same roof, they'd used to have meals together, study together, play together-even they had always slept with one another, in the same room at most of the nights. Then why? Why could they have done this to him? Still, the redhead was struggling hard to believe it.

He remembered three familiar faces. A lilac-haired, a blonde and a purplette. They were…no no, once upon a time his beloved brothers, his companion of games, sports and pranks. There hadn't been any night when they had slept without him. But…after the day when he'd shared his dream with his father, they'd started avoiding him.

A simple dream he'd dreamt. There had been six stars in the dark sky. He'd been watching them with a pair of eyes, filled with surprise and appreciation for the nocturnal environment. Owls had been gawking at him from the branches of the trees. Beside him, a narrow creek had been flowing under the starry blue. When he'd been lost in the divinity of the nature, all of a sudden, those six stars had landed from the sky, in a smooth, gentle way and kissed his bare toes. He'd been speechless, touched at the action.

Next day, he'd told his father about it. Listening each and every word of him, his father had warned him not to share it with anyone, not even with his brothers. But a toddler he was; of course, he'd forgotten the warning of his father. Result? The dark, silent, cold, waterless well and an endless waiting for death.

'Bryan, Ian, Spencer….' He shuddered, 'You know, I really trusted you three a lot. Why did you do this? What did you want from me? Why did you hate me? What did I do?'

He knew that he might never get the answers to these questions in his life. But he had never learnt to accept his defeat. Gathering all the energy left in his vocal cord, he screamed which echoed, springing from the bottom of the well and spreading all over the woods:

"Is anyone here?!"

None in this world replied, his own voice hit his ears badly. Quaking, he remembered Kai, his favorite brother. No, he hadn't been among the haters. Rather, he'd always supported him though there'd always been a particular distance between them. While leaving for the forest for playing, he'd warned him too, not accompanying them but the redhead hadn't listened to the dual-haired toddler. He regretted his decision of ignoring his silent warning and putting his faith on his brothers who had been the closest to him. Everyone in this world knows it that the closest people are the most dangerous always but he was too young to realize it. Now what would he do except waiting and waiting until all his limbs got icy along with the last beat of his heart?

'I'm sorry, Kai….' He bit his lips which were on the verge of getting blue in ruthless coldness, 'You cared for me the most. But...I…I never cared of your opinions. Now what will happen to me, Kai? Won't I…get a single chance to apologize to you in my life?'

"From here!"

Out of the pit, someone's voice entered his ears like a ray of hope in the darkness of his frustration and giving up. His half-lidded eyes shot open, tympanic membranes caught the following footsteps which were proceeding right towards the well. Once again, not caring that his vocal cord was draining, he screamed, gritting his fists, "I'm here, in the well! Help me!"

That worked. The footsteps came closer. Within a few moments, Tala saw someone peeping in the well. He furiously waved at the stranger, not stopping yelling. Soon, the unfamiliar person threw a tight rope inside. The red-haired Russian was weak, traumatized, hungry, thirsty-yet, he clutched the twine tightly with his petite fingers. His palms went red but he kept climbing, placing his feet on the rocky surface of the pit. The sudden amount of light blinded his vision but he didn't leave the cord. Bit by bit, he reached the outer world, taking a sharp breath and fulfilling the lack of oxygen in his lungs.

"Thanks, Sir…." He huffed.

"No problem, child…" The anonymous guy gave him a water bottle made of leather, "But….how did you reach the well?"

"Well…" Tala was about to disclose the actual thing but kept it as a secret at the last minute, realizing that it would only create questions and hamper his safety as well as self-respect. Clearing his throat, he rephrased his answer, "I have no one, except the Almighty. I was playing here and suddenly fell down."

"Kids these days…." The rescuer facepalmed, "Anyways, do you want to come with me?"

Tala frowned, "Where?"

"You have no one, right?" The guy explained, "It means…you may not have any permanent and proper residence here. Come with me, I'll manage a home and a family for you."

The redhead thought for a while. He was lying, of course. He couldn't trust the unknown guy fully. But where should he go by the way? His own brothers had deserted him. Surely, he could go his own home and complain against them but he didn't want to have any grudge against them, knowing that it would only increase the hatred. Besides, if he could start a new life, free from his toxic family members, free from all kinds of worries and fears, what would be the loss in it? Tilting his head right and sighing, he agreed, "Okay, I'm ready."

"Wow!"

The ocean-blue eyes of the redhead glimmered in excitement as he discovered the unbelievable, immense beauty of the royal castle of Madrid. The marble floors were so transparent that he could see his own image there. Walls made of gypsum were shining as bright as the surface. Silver longswords and shields were attached to the barriers and composite pillars. Quartz chandeliers were hanging from the roof, illuminating all the rooms and corridors. Even the sun was getting embarrassed before the dazzling luminosity. Varieties of roses were arranged in crystal vases on limestone stands. Tala fell in perplexities. Where did he reach? Was it the world? Or the heaven?

"Where…" He asked, "Where are we, Sir?"

"This is the royal castle of Spain, boy," His rescuer answered, "The king of Spain lives here along with his children. The queen died before a few years when the prince and the princess were infants. The king has a brother named Romero Fernandez. Wait a bit, he'll come here soon."

Right then, a blonde Spaniard entered there with marching steps of his knee-length boots, dressed in the outfits of a matador and holding a naked, shiny rapier. Bowing towards him, the messenger informed, "Greetings, your Highness."

"Greetings, Alexander," He spoke, "Have you brought the boy?"

"Yes, Sir!" He saluted, pointing at the red-haired Russian who also bent his head to honor the blonde, "Tala Valkov will be one of the best trainees. I've examined his physical and mental strength. He'll surely be the brightest gem in the troop of the royal soldiers of Spain."

"Sounds good…but," Romero said, "He'll only have to work as the companion of princess Fernandez. I think you knew it."

"Ooh…yes, princess Fernandez," Alexander nodded, "Speaking of which, where are they?"

"Raul! You cannot catch me! Hahaha!"

Before Romero could reply, the mellifluous, vibrant laughter of a young girl chimed in the ears of the Russian. He flinched a bit and shivered. In their house, it was forbidden to laugh so loudly, considering it to be an ill manner. Following that carefree exultation of the unknown female toddler, her trajectories lightly smacked his tympanic membranes, silver-bell anklets being her messengers. Pushing the curtains, the dual-haired princess entered the lobby, her orange bangs and chocolate-brown extension dancing in equal zeal. The lemon-colored pupils weren't also less active. Pearly teeth flashed through the gap of her soft, squishy tangerine lips. Of course, she was wearing precious cloths and jewelries as a princess but they couldn't draw the attention of the Russian. He was looking at the fierce, vibrant girl-not having any idea whether a girl could be so lively ever.

"Wait for me, sis…" Another boy around her age stepped in the corridor, having almost the same look like her except the blood-red bangs covering his forehead. He didn't need to tell her to wait because the dual-haired princess had halted already. Her eyes were fixed on the anonymous scarlet-haired, eight-year-old Russian. Though he was not seeming any royal child by his dress-up, he was surely spreading that vibe with his mannerism. He was so brave that he wasn't shrinking even in the presence of the prince and the princess. However, the girl felt a bit irritated at this. Pouting, she put her hands on her hip, "Hey? Do you know who I am?"

"Julia Fernandez, the princess of Spain," Tala boldly replied, giving a bow, "Nice to meet you."

Julia's temper decreased a bit, she found the redhead charming and friendly. Soften expression borrowed a light smile. Alexander smirked; he had informed the redhead about the princess and the prince right before reaching Spain. Romero cleared his throat, "Raul, Julia, he is Tala Valkov. From today onwards, he'll stay with you, being your companion."

"That's so good, Sir Alexander," Raul beamed, "Come with me, Tala. Let me show you the castle."

The Spanish prince almost dragged the little boy by his wrist. Before leaving with Raul, Tala glanced at Julia as the latter grinned at him, nodding. Both they understood that it was the starting of a beautiful bond between them.

However, only at the age of eight, Julia was feeling more.

Like the streams of a cataract, twelve years flowed in their own direction, much to the unawareness of the common people. Both our scarlet-haired Russian and the dual-haired princess of Spain grew up. The beauty of Julia used to sparkle everywhere in the castle. Wherever she went, wherever she stepped, the place seemed bright all of a sudden. As for Tala, with his intelligence, bravery and immense physical strength, he became one of the most trustworthy persons in the castle, promoted to the bodyguard of the princess as Romero used to trust him a lot for his own virtues. Because Julia had grown up into a beautiful, admirable, appealing, royal young lady, proposals started coming for her from all the directions of the world. Nonetheless, she kept rejecting all of them.

But why?

The reason was: Tala Valkov.

Before twelve years, when they'd exchanged their first sight to each other, she'd fallen for her-even without knowing the name of the feeling. But now, she knew it. Love it was called though she didn't know which form of love it was. Every time she saw him doing sword-fight under the soft sunshine of the dawn for which his bare skin shimmered, her heart skipped a beat. His well-built neck-dent, toned biceps, triceps and chest used to let butterflies roam in her stomach. Whenever he held her hand in order to teach her swordfight, she went redder than a tomato. People in the palace knew that she didn't learn to blush and behave like a woman. But deep inside-she used to do it, only for her man.

Every morning, she used to rise earlier than the sun. Somehow taking a bath, she would reach the training arena where Tala would be practicing warfare. She would keep gazing at him without a single blink. Her bright emeralds occupied his reflection as it travelled through the lanes of her heart. While learning archery, their bodies used to get so close; her neck felt tickled, receiving his warm exhalations. Her heart would pound heavily, breaths became unstable. That's why, sometimes, she couldn't concentrate. As a result, Tala felt annoyed and lectured her but she didn't mind. Even his chiding sounded honeyed to her ears always.

However, Tala didn't use to feel the same for her-at least his behavior and words used to say so. He was dedicated to his duty, protecting the princess and teaching her warfare. A man made of ice he was, too hard to melt. Yet, Julia was also the rising, rampaging flames, determined to turn the scarlet-haired Russian into water with the warmth of her love and affection one day. She kept trying to impress him with her skills and words. She didn't know whether he would be impressed with her or not but whenever she earnt a single smile from his face, it would make her entire day.

Little by little-the circumstance worsened. Julia couldn't think about a single day without the company of the scarlet-haired Russian. To her, he had already become a strong potion of drug. Except him, she would feel restless, lost, stranded, alone, endangered. Her eyes always kept searching for him like a desperate and determined hunter, chasing a fearless, gorgeous wolf. She let herself get intoxicated each and every moment by guzzling his sight, his words, the conversations, the touches in the battle arena-without even trying to know whether he would feel the same for her or not. At nights, she remained sleepless, keeping her eyes open and daydreaming about him even at the darkest hours of the world. No, it was only mere love.

Obsession it was: The most dangerous form of love.

"You're a princess-and you love a mere court worker?"

"Only for the pearls, you're abandoning the diamonds?"

"This is insane, your Highness."

Often, her attendants and friends used to tease her, taunting about her feelings for him. She ignored them and kept exercising her obsession, not trying to get rid of it by any means. But it didn't stop the taunts of her friends. Giving up, one day, she invited them in a lunch party in her square. They heartily accepted it, dressed and bejeweled in the most gorgeous ways possible. Julia decorated the dining room in the best way possible, arranging the most delicious dishes and drinks for the guests. Even the invitees became astonished at the hospitality of their princess. While serving, the servants gave everyone a ripe lemon along with a sharp silver knife so that they could cut the fruits and mix their juice with the beverage items. When they lifted the scalpel and the citrus fruit, right then, the redhead entered the hall, according to the plan of princess Julia Fernandez.

The girls lifted their eyes-and couldn't bring them down so soon. His snowflake complexion dazzled their eyes. Sapphires placed at his eye sockets just matched his skin tone like a diamond necklace studded with an aquamarine. Deep red hair crossing his neck just bloomed like droplets of blood in a pot of milk. He was dressed in navy-blue with dark-orange linings. The silver breastplate, armguards and wristcuffs added heroic charm to his appearance along with the sword hanging from his waistbelt. His marching was straight, vision was elevated, neck was erected. The faint red line of beard was visible around his chin. He was spreading a unique divineness with his appearance. His attractive personality raised the body temperature of all the ladies present in the room.

"Girls," Julia turned to the guests, "Start having your meal."

Wheeling to Tala, she pretended to talk to him. The redhead couldn't understand the trick of the princess; he simply joined the conversation with her. Befuddled, bewitched, lost-the invitees lifted the knives and the lemons, intending to cut them-

"Ah!"

Tala flinched as he heard the sudden combined screams of the guests gathered around the lunch table. Smirking, the dual-haired princess turned to the women. Yes, her assumption came out right. The knives had surely cut something-but not the lemons. The bleeding fingers of the guests were still holding the yellow fruits, they were staring at the blood-stained scalpels, not able to understand what actually happened to them all of a sudden. Of course, they were in pain-but they were still mesmerized. It surpassed the bleeding inflammation. Embarrassed, Tala cleared his throat and strode out of the room, not bothering to look back at Julia. Despite being satisfied, this act of the redhead irritated the Latina princess. She kept staring at the trajectory of the redhead like a hawk, aiming for its prey standing on the peak of a high mountain.

'You cannot ignore me forever, Valkov…' She pondered, 'Sooner or later, you'll have to be mine, at any cost!'

So...how's it been? Good or bad? I hope everyone is in character. Actually, there were so less TalaXJulia stories in this site, I was missing this hot-headed and spicy couple a lot. That's why, being a firefly, I wrote this, trying to produce a bit of light in the darkness of the absence of TalaXJulia xD.

Anyways, do read and review. Pardon the grammatical and spelling errors. Take care and stay safe :D

-Misty ^_^ ^_^