True Love Never Comes at First Sight
The day went be quickly after that. Juliana met with Captain Duvall and had the same thought as Ramon when he heard her story and just who her blood cousin was, that it would be best of her to gain his protection, that he would arrange for them to meet.
Just as the sun was setting on the warm summer day with clouds that said it just might rain, Juliana sat out side in the courtyard of Musketeer head quarters. She had put Olivia to bed and Ramon was watching her now, when the last man she thought would ask her to do anything came up to her.
"Salutation ,Siroc," Juliana greeted him as he came up to her.
"Bonjour, señorita a, this may seem a bit bold of me, but would you care to go for a walk?" Siroc asked.
"Si' I would love that." Juliana answered as got up. "Let me go get my shawl and I'll right back!" She said as ran in to the Captian's quarters.
"Where are you off to sister or more should I ask with whom?" Ramon asked from his chair.
"I am going for a walk with Siroc," Juliana answered as picked up her shawl as Ramon mumbled, "When I said get out more, I didn't mean with my sister."
"What was that?" Juliana asked him.
"Nothing I hope you enjoy yourself. Will Olivia sleep?" Ramon said to her.
"Yes, it takes a storm to wake that child," Juliana said as she left.
"Shall we?" Juliana said to Siroc as closed the door.
"Oui' let's." Siroc said as offered her his arm and Juliana took his arm.
They walked the streets of Paris, not really going anywhere, strolling through Paris many twists and turns for almost half an hour without saying a word.
"You know that I almost didn't recognize you yesterday?" Juliana said when she could not take the silence anymore. (I sound like ninny) she thought as they walked.
"Really, why?" Siroc asked her said with a little sadness in his voice.
"Well without that shaggy sad excuse for a beard and a very dirty face, though I bet that you still have wagon grease permanently embedded under your finger nails, how do expect me to recognize with such a change in your appearance?" Juliana said with humor in her voice.
"Very well you win that argument," Siroc said with a laugh.
"Did you recognize me?" Juliana asked.
"Yes, I did." Siroc answered her simply.
"How?" Juliana asked.
Siroc stopped and turned to face Juliana before he answered her. "How could I forget the face of creamy golden ivory skin, eyes of dark charcoal gray, and most of all the lips that are soft like rose petals and shade darker then crimson that have haunted me for the last four years?"
"At least I wasn't the only possessed by a memory," Juliana said as Siroc placed his gloved hand on her cheek. Juliana could feel her heart racing from his touch and her breath quicken when she knew he was going to kiss her. "Before you do, I must know why is it you are called Siroc here and when we first met you went by Giovanni?" she asked as she pulled away from him.
"The man who sold me in the first place is in great power here in France and if I were to go by the name that my family called me, he would find me, " Siroc answered her right away because he could not lie to her.
"You told me once that you hated to go by anything but your real name, so I can only assume that Siroc it is part of your name. When was I in Sicily, I heard the name Cirocco change the "C" to a "S" it sounds the same but it looks more French and shorten it to Siroc, am I close?" Juliana asked him.
"Too close, but I know I can trust you and you will not leave me be if I don't tell you, for your safety I can not give you my last name, but the name my mother gave me is Cirocco Giovanni." He answered before he kissed her.
The kiss was everything Siroc had dreamed of every time he closed his eyes; her lips were like heaven. (You can do it tell her that you have loved since you first saw her in Spain… No, don't she might regect you… She kissing you back she'll, what does that say…. Nothing it say nothing… You let fear rule you once and you loosed her then don't loss her again, tell her you love her.) Siroc fought the thoughts that kept coming to his mind but he knew had to say those words, the hardest words any man can say 'I love You'.
In that kiss Juliana knew, that she had loved this man for years and that there could never be any man of this earth ever in her heart like he is now. (Tell him! … No, weight till he says something! … Tell him! …No, weight.) She thought as Siroc let go of her lips and took hold of her hands.
"I don't know how to start this, I wanted to tell the last time we saw each other, but I couldn't get it out, I was so scared that you wouldn't care for me as I cared for you. What I am trying to say is that I have loved you for years." Siroc said as he looked deep in to her eyes.
(Say something that's what you wanted to hear, but I can't yet.) Juliana thought but before she could even say a thing the rain started to come down and Siroc grabbed her hand as they ran in into the church that was across the street.
They entered the church and slipped into a quiet back pew as the evening mass was starting.
"My sweet Giovanni, I want to give the answer, that you want hear, but I can't now, just know my heart is in the same place as yours." Juliana said quietly to him, as she gently made him look at her, with her hand.
"I understand." Siroc answered
"No, you don't, but thank you for trying." Juliana said to him as she ran her finger over the cleft of his strong jaw.
"Juliana…" Siroc started.
"Shh… please just kiss me again, " Juliana whispered huskily to him.
"Oui, my lady, " he answered as he joyfully took hold of her lips again.
High in a dark corner of the choir loft stood Father Montoya.
(I knew I had seen that man before that's the slave Giovanni she helped escaped four years ago.) Montoya thought as he watch watched the passion flow from the lovers below him
"If I can't have you no one will." Montoya said to himself as he plotted a plan.
Back at Musketeers headquarters, the storm came down hard.
Ramon sat in the Captian's quarters waiting for Juliana and Siroc to come back from their walk.
What Ramon could not understand was that Siroc had never showed instinct in any women before, not that he had not found any attractive, but he more instinct in his work. Why his sister and why now?
There came a huge flash of lighting and then a crack of thunder from the storm, which broke his train of thought as he heard scurrying from the bedroom. Then came a new Flash…Crack… Bang... of thunder and a small head of ebony curls came running out the bedroom.
Ramon went over to his only child and asked her in Spanish. "Are you alright Olivia?"
"Si'" Olivia answered.
Flash…Crack… Bang…
Olivia ran and grabded ahold of Ramon's leg.
"Are you scared of the storm?" He asked her thou he knew the answer.
"Maybe a little." Olivia answered.
"Do you want to stay in here with me?" Ramon asked as picked up Olivia as she nodded yes and he went to sit back down.
Flash…Crack… Bang…
Olivia held tight to her father
"Could you tell me a story Papa',
that's what tia does?" Olivia asked.
"I am not very good at telling stories, but how bout a poem just for you? " Ramon asked with smile.
"Si'" She answered.
"High in the sky you sit watching the night
With a bright iner fire you shine so bright
Oh child of the night
My star, my sweet little star
My child of the night
Never loss you fire light
Never forget your Father's love
Sweet child of the night
Your mother has pasted the pearly gates
But your Father is here and will care for you
And loves you so
Sweet child of the night
My star, my sweet little star
My child of the night
Never loss you fire light
Never forget your Father's love
Sweet child of the night" Ramon came up with just for his little girl.
"That was pretty Papa'." Olivia answered. "Am I your little star?"
"Si' you're my little star," he answered.
Within an hour Ramon and Olivia had fallen asleep and the dream came to Ramon again, as it always did when his eyes closed. It was of her with skin the color of coffee with a touch of cream, eyes with flex of copper and lip as red as wine. Only difference is that he held his daughter with ebony curls like her mother.
"She has your eyes," Suelita said as stood by the fire.
"Ahh… but she has your nose," Ramon told her.
"You know the worst part about being dead is that I can't hold her," Suelita said as she walked over to Ramon.
"I hurt your memory,"Ramon said to her.
"No, you didn't my precious rhapsodist, you were lonely and she got you out of your shell. Just remember that true love never comes at first sight it takes time, I was the bride of your youth, you will find a woman to grow old with and you will find it again in the oddest place," Suelita said as touched his cheek.
"How can you say that!" Ramon asked.
"Because you can't hide any more, you have to live for Olivia and to let Juliana live her own life so she can grow in her love for her own soulmate. So my precious rhapsodist live for them," Suelita said as placed a kiss on Ramon's lips and then…. Ramon woke up.
The bells chimed eleven the storm had ended and Ramon put Olivia back in bed, when he heard the first night watch of D 'artangan and Jacques come in and something more. Ramon went out in the courtyard to find Captain Duvall talking to Priest with Siroc and Juliana looking guilty.
"Captain Duvall what is going on?" Ramon asked knowing that Juliana was involved.
"Ahh… Ramon, this the lady's brother and he can speak for her," Captain Duvall said the Priest.
"What's going on?" Ramon asked as came up to the four.
"Well this young man held this lady in a… a passionate embarrass in the middle of mass in my church and desecrated it," The Priest told him.
"Is this true, Juliana?" Ramon asked her.
"Yes, but it was just a kiss that's all, a very good kiss, a very,very good kiss, but that's all," Juliana defended.
"Do you wish for me to marry them?" The Priest asked Ramon and when he saw the look on sister's and friend's faces almost begging him not make them marry; it was not for lack of love more that they were not ready.
"No, I don't think that will be needed, " Ramon answered him.
"Very well, I will be going now," The Preist said and turned and left.
" You desecrated a church, Siroc, I could believe D 'artangan or even Ramon, but you," Captain Duvall said the musketeer. "I believe the dungeons are in need of a good cleaning," The Captain went on.
"It's late, I should be off to bed, now," Juliana voiced. "I know you, me, morning talk right," She said to Ramon as he nodded. "Good night Siroc, I enjoyed our venture very much," Juliana said as she kissed Siroc on the cheek and went in to the Captian's quarters.
"I should kill you right now," Ramon said to his friend, but before Siroc could say anything Juliana came running back outside.
"Olivia, she's gone. She been kidnapped," she shouted.