Chapter: 3 Darkness comes from the cloth
Things seem to fly by from then till late that night. When Juliana had at last had gotten to sit down and to think, pray and study her small Bible that the same slave boy who took the blame for her rebelliousness when she was young, he gave her this book and she gave him science book.
Though in the last hours where she has met most of Musketeers and became acquainted with Ramon's friends and his brothers at arms. D"Artagon who seemed to put on a façade as a ladies man who was aragonite beyond belief, but seem he was in fact very reserved and keep his thoughts to him self and that he thinks thing through. Hiding whom you are with out just caucus was something she could not give honor too. Then there was "Jacques" who to the trained eye of healer midwife was not a man in any way but had to be a woman, but why was she dress as man to begin with, was what she wanted to know and was her reason have a just cause. Then there was Siroc, who just thinking of him and his dark kind eyes made her blush; Who was this man, who she knew that this was not first time they had met, but when and how was mystery to her.
She turned back to her bible to the book of Acts and story of Stephen.
(This is what its happening to me, just as did to Stephen fifteen hundred years ago. He could not be silent, just as I can not and was stoned for it. Just like I was burned two years ago only he went to the Father and my work was not done yet, He still has work for me. Lord give me faith like Stephen who would not stay quiet, let my be like that. Thank you for bringing Ramon and I back together. Aman)
She read and prayed for almost an hour, till she put Bible down and got in the small bathtub that sat in front of the fire. Though the water was cold now from when she bathed Olivia; it still felt good to get the grim and dust of the road off her body and out of her hair. She pulled a large blanket around her body and sat by the fire to dry. Juliana watch the flames die down as sat on small three-legged stool. She tried not to look at the flames as her hair dried, but her mind still went back to two years ago. When the scares on her legs and feet came from the flames of the stake and when she was branded with the "H" of heretic and the "W" of witch on her shoulder and almost burned at the stake by Father Montoya. If it was not for a friend, a gypsy man and his mother she would be dead and who knows what would have happened to Olivia. Lost in her thoughts of her own pain, she did not her him come in or feel the blanket fall off her shoulders leaving them bare showing her pale creamy ivory skin with hint of golden tan in it.
"OH! I'm sorry I didn't mean… I ii … I didn't know you were… aaamm… naked … I mean nude… your more beautiful then I remember!" Siroc said as he flush a bright shade of crimson as held wood for the fire.
"No, please forgive me I should have heard you come in!" Juliana said as turned around and pulled the blanket back over her shoulders, but not before Siroc saw the branding on her shoulder. "Is that wood for the fire." She asked as she blushed a shade pink herself.
"Yes, it is." Siroc said as he put it by the fire and with his back to her he asked. "When did it happen the branding?"
"Two years ago in Sicily, when Montoya tried seduce me and when I wouldn't be seduce, he trial and branded me. Tried to burn me at the stake, but a gypsy man and his mother saved me and Olivia from him." Juliana answered.
"Do you want me to stroke the fire for you." Siroc asked.
"If you wish. I know we have met before, but when and where did we met do not remember?" Juliana asked.
"Yes, we have, years ago." Siroc answered.
"It was you in Seville wasn't, you where the slave in the library weren't you. They thought you stole the book when I gave it to you and in return you gave me your Bible, then you were whipped and put in prison and I helped you…!" Juliana started but was cut off before she finshed.
"You don't need to say anymore, that time was hard both of us, but I am over joyed that you are now my sister in Christ. I think I should go before Ramon has a reason to call me out!" Siroc interrupted Juliana.
"Your right he would call you out. Goodnight Siroc and thank you for building up the fire." Juliana said as he walked the door.
"Your welcome, and goodnight Juliana." Siroc said before he left.
The night past quietly and all sleep well. When moon went sleep and sun arose to spread in glory on Paris, the city started to wake up. Juliana who was always up with the sun. She walked out courtyard Musketeer head quarters and though the air smelled of city it still felt good to feel some what safe. Just as she thought Ramon was up and most likely to talk, if her memory severed right it was like father like daughter and would in most cases would not be up for anther hour.
"Good morning sister, did you sleep well?" he greeted her in Spanish.
"Hello brother," she respond in greeting.
"We need to talk, and not yell at each other." Ramon said to her in Spanish and that told her that how he would like to continue in their native tongue.
"Will Olivia be alright if we went across the street," Ramon asked.
"Si', she should be fine, she won't be up for one more hour and if we're not back she go right out in her night dress and go up to the first person she knows and say's feed me! I'm hungry'," she told him.
That made Ramon laugh out loud at thought that his child was just like him when he was a boy."Well, I think we should be back before that happened."
He said to his sister. "Come you must try this new drink called coffee, it's made out of beans if you can believe it," he said as offered her his arm.
With in ten minuets they where seated at a table in that back of the café with to cups of coffee in front of them.
"So!" Ramon said Juliana.
"So, where do you want me to start?" she asked.
"The beginning would be best." Ramon replied.
"Well, after father found out that you were married to Suelita and that's was why you could not marry the Countess Martin and then Olivia was born and Suelita die from the birth and you would not disown Olivia and then father banished you. My natural father King Philip was planing to arrange a marriage between my self and the exiled King of England, I could not do it… I could not marry some one I did not love or had not even met for that mater. Father Montoya said he could get me out it, if I were to become his mistress and after what he did to that slave I knew if said no to him this time he might do something to me or even worse to Olivia. So I packed up ever thing I could caring and took Olivia who was six months by now and left Spain. I went to house in Naples and was there for six months, but Montoya came after me, so then went Sicily and that's' where Montoya he tried seduce then when I wouldn't be, he had prove that was a Protestant and that I was a healer. He clamed that I bewitch him and then put me on trial as witch and almost burned me at the stake, if was not for a friend, his mother and his aunt I would be dead now we traveled with for the last three years with them. Then Montoya found out about that and us when… he… tried to rape… me," Juliana said started to cry.
"Shhh… you don't need to say anymore!" Ramon said as took her hand.
"No, I am almost done I was in south of France two months ago. I ran in to of all people Countess Martin and you know that woman could never keep her mouth shut and she told me you had joined the King of France musketeers and knew I was not safe with my friends any more so came to Paris." Juliana finished.
"Juliana, I wish could offer you more, but all can give you is my blade. I think your best option is go and plea to your cousin Louis, I believe he will help you, but beware of Cardinal Mazarin." Ramon said as D 'artangan came in to the café.
"There you two are. Amm… we have a slight problem at head quarters, Olivia your daughter came…" but before he could finish Juliana was half way out the door.
"I guess this a common thing," D 'artangan said as Ramon left a coin on the table and went after his sister.
Juliana found Olivia just as had many times before, only this time she was with "Jacque".
"Olivia, go and get dress right now!" She told the child.
"But, I'm hungry and can't tighten my stays all by my self!" Olivia whined
"I know, but you can put on your under things and put on your stays, can you not," she told her nice.
"Si', I can," Olivia answered as went to the bedroom.
"Sorry, about that. This may seem very out of the blue and we are alone now, but may I ask you a question?" Juliana asked as leaned on the table.
"Oi, you may?" "Jacque" replied getting a little nervous, Julienne's tone.
"Why do you dress as a man?" Juliana asked.
"What, how did you figure it out?" "Jacque" queries.
"Oh you do half way good job in hiding it, but I am a midwife and a healer, in simple terms I know what a man looks like and I know what a woman looks like and you are no man." Juliana said as hoped up on to the table. "Why are you dressed like a man, did you do something wrong, like kill a man or are you a run away."
"I killed the man who murder my father, who was the captain of the Cardinal guard. Now what do you want with me?" "Jacque" asked.
"Well I would like to know your name?" Juliana inquired.
"Jacqueline." Jacqueline answered.
"Truly I only wish to be a friend, someone you can really talk to and may be even a teacher!" Juliana said as looked Jacqueline striate in the eye.
"What could you teach me?" Jacqueline asked unsure of weather or not could trust the small woman in front of her.
"How to be more like a man and how to be a lady. Thou it might be the last thing on your mind, you must know how to be a lady for the time will come when must go before the king and tell him your story and then you must be a gentlewoman." Juliana told her.
"I believe that know how to be a lady, but what do you know about men." Jacqueline questioned.
"I know that there are three tips of young lovers and that you spend most of your time with each tip. First there is Siroc, who is what we call a gentle lover. He is quiet in his pursuit, but diligent, he won't always know what to say, but will always means what he says and his kiss will put you in coma that all you want to do is dream of his kiss. Second there is Ramon he is a studious lover. He gets to know you and understand you, he'll watch with outers, see how you treat them. He is looking for someone who he can spend the rest of his life with and he's kiss will sweep you of your feet. Third isd 'Artangan, who is natural great lover. Women fall at his feet, but he is looking for the one who will not, he is amazing flirt, but when he finds the one he'll leave all of this behind and only peruse the one. His kiss will make your knees turn to jelly." Juliana finished as hoped off the table.
"So you do know about men, but can I trust to keep the fact that I am a woman a secret." Jacqueline asked.
"Si', you can," Juliana answered.