Leila exhaled, "I...I haven't thought of it like that...And what about you and Perla?", and Juliet chuckled, "She said that we're a mix of best friend and karmic soulmate thing which made sense to me since we were only here to give each other lessons about family, friendship, and of course, love, but we're not true loves, so...", with a shrug, "Doesn't mean that I ain't going to leave my son or her, but we both have significant others out there somewhere.".
"You truly have grown into a spectacular young woman, Juliet...", Leila smiled softly, and Juliet smiled, "And I wouldn't give my wonderful life for anything else. Do you feel better now?", looking at her mama with a smile.
Leila nodded, "You know, surprisingly, I do feel much better.", before taking a deep breath, and reached into the satchels behind them in the cart, to pull out one of the compasses, holding it reverently, and asked clearly, "Do I have a significant other?".
There was a pause for a few moments. A bit longer than it had been in the past with allowed fear and doubt to start hitting both girls. Could Leila be wrong? Was she destined to be alone from now on, or run the risk of meeting someone who could turn out to be like her hateful ex?
The compass glowed blue, and Leila's heart raced, gasping softly, and whispered, "Is my significant other good and kind?".
Another blue glow, and Leila's smile grew, "Is my significant other a man?", and another blue glow came, and Leila asked, "Is he near?". A red glow. "Is he far?". A blue glow. "Is he on the Italy border?". A red glow. "Is he in France?". A blue glow. "Is he far away from Perla and Juliet's significant others?". A pink glow. "Is he far from Perla and Juliet's significant others?". A blue glow.
Juliet whistled, "Wow, you are really narrowing things down for the directions...I guess the stories about France is that there's different kingdoms are true.", and a blue glow came. Leila exhaled, "Can you show me where he is? Lead me to my significant other?".
The compass pointed straight east as they are sitting on the back of the cart that's heading north to the border, and Juliet replied, "My and Perla's significant others are a couple of degrees higher, so I suppose your significant other is living in a kingdom close to the sea, while my and Perla's significant others are living in a kingdom in the forest/mountains.", and the compass glowed blue.
Leila exhaled, "Can we...can we afford going that way?", biting her lip as she was worried that she could disrupt the journey like this...
Juliet went into deep thought for the moment. Obviously, she wanted to help her mother; especially considering that clearly their others were much further away. But... would it work well for them to divert from their original plans... would there perhaps still be time for their soulmates?
Juliet knew that her significant other is a normal human woman, and she would be fine as she's 21 herself, and her significant other is close to her age, younger than her. But then there's Perla's significant other...
Juliet gently took the compass from her mother, and asked softly, "Is Perla's significant other still under his curse?", and the compass glowed blue. "Is he in any present or near future danger?". A red glow.
She took a deep breath, and looked at her mother, "We're a family, we discuss this together, okay? I want you to have your chance at this...I want you to be happy.", and Leila smiled gently, kissing her daughter on the cheek.
With a call for a break to stop and rest for Arnaldo, their mule, the family discussed together in a patch of grass, while Carlo was playing with Figaro, with their cart off the road, in case if any other carts are on the road today, to allow easy access for them.
"Listen... I know that I'm asking a lot...", Leila began. "But... I do at least want to try... it certainly wouldn't hurt if we take a detour.".
"But who knows how long it could be.", Jiminy reminded. "Plus... we don't know if we'll be able to get settled even for a short time wherever it is."
"Could say the same about where we're heading to in the first place.", Juliet pointed out. Perla replied, "Good point there...I know our significant others live in the same region, if not the same kingdom, Juliet, but if your mother's significant other is on the seaside of France, in another kingdom, this road always has different directed roads to the border as Italy is practically bordered, like a boot in a way.".
Jiminy widened his eyes, "Are you saying that we split up?!", and Perla shook her head, "Not now, I swear, but later, we might. But sticking together, we can do that, and besides, Papa always said that adventures tend to have detours, and detours can have surprises around the corner, exciting or just tame.", with a little bittersweet smile as she remembers her father for a moment.
The others exhale, knowing that Geppetto had never been wrong in his spouts of advice, and Perla then replied, "And our significant others aren't in any danger right now or in the near future. So, if we go west on the route to the seaside of France after we find the road for that, we can then have a straight shot north sometime later to the others.".
Juliet replied, "That sounds simple enough to me. And besides, seaside ports have more variety of food and clothes. Carlo is going to grow up like a sprout sooner or later...", with a chuckle.
Leila's eyes sprung in tears, "So, it's a yes?", and Jiminy replied, "We could put our practice of the French language to good use.", with a smile. Leila shrieked excitedly, and hugged the trio, and they laughed heartily, happy to see her excited, realizing that they made the right decision.
Carlo is excited to see what the ocean looks like from the side of France, and so, with some stored food from the cart, the family set out to eat while gently urging Arnaldo to keep going, and with asking one of the compasses when they encountered three split roads near the border of Italy, the compass glowed blue for Seile, France, heading west.
And so, two and a half days later, they found the seaside town with the home of the king and his family, a tall, imposing, beautiful castle they could see for hours from a distance, which a few villages on the road talked about, with the family practically good at French so far from all the practice.
"Wow...Beautiful...", Leila whispered, canvassing the town, the docks, the farmlands, the few windmills, and manors dotted here and there, with the castle in the distance. Jiminy chuckled, "Sure is...Well, let's find a inn or something around here.".
Everybody nodded, and Carlo asked softly, "Can I make friends here?", and Perla smiled softly, "Of course. We are finally getting some real beds for a while.", and Carlo smiled widely as Arnaldo was urged on, with Figaro mewing curiously at all the smells.
Gratefully, they found a inn, inquiring where to settle Arnaldo, and unpacking some things, the family soon headed to the market, with Leila replying, "Stay close in sight, have Figaro with you, is that clear, Carlo?".
"Yes, Gramma.", Carlo nodded, and went to play with Figaro, doing a game that Juliet taught him, which is a ball under three boxes, giggling and smirking as Figaro lost at first, and then eventually got the hang of it, "That's it, Figaro!", before hearing a shy voice, "Can I play?", in French.
Carlo looked over to see a four year old girl with blonde hair and baby blue eyes, smiling brightly even with a couple of missing teeth. Carlo spoke with a nod, speaking French fairly, "Yeah. I Carlo, and this is Figaro.".
The girl smiled, "I'm Ella!", sitting near, "How do you play?", as Figaro sniffed her before purring, and Ella giggled, "Hi, Figaro! You're very cute! Can I pet you?", and Figaro purred, getting closer and purred louder as Ella petted him warmly.
Carlo smiles, "He likes you! And here's how you play the game.", showing her, and Ella giggled as she petted Figaro while playing with Carlo, starting to learn, when a dog came out of nowhere, barking and running at the children, with Figaro hissing and yowling in defense, protecting the children, but Figaro, even with claws, and the speed the dog's going, the dog would practically bowl the kids over, hurting them, only on prey of the cat.
Figaro regardless stood his ground as the dog kept charging but for a loud yell would cause the dog to stop, "Hey, you mangey cur! Back off!". An older man quickly approached and got in front of the children and Figaro, "Go chase another cat, why don't ya?! Not the one with kids near it!". The dog growled before he turned around and whimpered away. "Still don't know whose dog that is or if he's just a stray but he's a troublemaker, that one.".
Leila ran to Carlo, "Carlo, sweetie, are you alright?!", picking him up, looking him over, "That was scary, Gramma!", as Carlo whimpered, as Perla ran over, "My baby!".
"Mama!", Carlo reached out to her as Leila kissed Carlo's forehead, passing him over into Perla's arms, kissing him all over, "Thank the lord you're okay!".
Leila looked back, still speaking in Italian, as it was habit, "Thank you!", seeing the back of the man who is hugging the little blonde girl, looking her over, and at the sound of a foreign voice thanking him, he turned around, and all time seemed to slow down as they locked eyes.
Leila exhaled as the man was handsome, having well-groomed black hair with sideburns and a groomed mustache, having warm chocolate brown eyes, wearing well-off clothes. In turn, the man was surprised to see a set of beautiful hazel eyes in a lovely face, adorned by well-cared dark ginger red hair, clearly about the same age as him, in their early 30s.
"You're welcome...", the man told her, speaking in Italian as well. "Oh, you speak Italian?", Leila asked as the man nodded.
"Yes, I'm fairly fluent in it, after all, it's not too far away and there are those that live around here that speak it; mostly refugees from the wars that thought it would be safer in France than staying in its neighbors.", the man replied.
"Not quite the same for me and my family as we were looking for a new start in life, especially after my daughter in law's father passed away.", Leila replied with a soft smile, looking back at Perla looking over Carlo, with Jiminy and Juliet nearby.
The man didn't see a wedding ring anywhere on Leila's hand as she was distracted for a moment, and he wondered why such a beautiful woman like her could not be married.
As Leila looked back at him, "Oh, where's my manners? I'm Leila Charlotte Sienna Russo.", smiling gratefully at him, and the man took her hand politely, kissing her hand, "I'm honored to meet you, Miss Russo. Duke Jules Richard D'Artaque at your service.".
"A noble? Oh, my apologies.", Leila quickly curtsied as Jules chuckled. "Please, you don't need to do anything of the sort.", he said. "Maybe consider it a lesson I've taken to heart from a young age with all the violence of the recent past... but maybe it's not the best idea to act all high and mighty amongst the citizenries.".
Leila smiled softly, "True. Again, thank you for saving my grandson.", and Jules is starting to like her smile when he felt a tug at his coat, in French, "Papa, can I still play with Carlo?".
Jules chuckled softly, "Yes, of course. How about a lunch at the chateau, to get to know each other better, hmm, Ella?", and Ella smiled brightly, "Oh, yes, Papa!", with a skip in her feet.
"That is, if that's alright with you and your family, Miss Russo.", Jules turned his attention back to Leila with a warm smile, and Leila blushed a bit, barely noticeable as she looked back at her family, shocked that she's starting to be attracted to this handsome man who is clearly good and kind to his daughter, having saved her grandson of all things...
She couldn't never had expected such a noble to do such a thing...And to be invited is a huge honor in her perspective.
"Well, if you insist, sir.", Leila said. "To be honest, we are quite exhausted from our journey. Northern Italy isn't too far away but we haven't exactly been in any sort of rush coming to France.".
Jules smiled warmly, "I'd want to help with a lunch as I hate to see anybody down on their luck.", and Perla replied, "Thank you, sir. We'd appreciate it, though we have to come back to the inn later tonight.".
Jules nodded, "That's fair. Come, I have a carriage, and it should fit all of us, with a bit of configuration on the seating.", with a smile.
Jiminy smiled, "Makes sense.", and so the family followed Jules and Ella to their carriage, with orders to the driver to the chateau. After Jules went in with Ella first, Jiminy helped Juliet in, and then helped Perla in, holding Carlo, and then Leila.
"Quite the carriage, Duke.", Juliet admitted as Jules chuckled. "Yes; but it still might a bit cramped for everyone. Sir, are you alright?", he asked Jiminy.
Jiminy nodded, "I'm alright, and please call me Jiminy. I may not be a noble, but I'm still a gentleman.", and Jules smiled softly as he held Ella on his lap, "Ah, good.", as the carriage started to get going.
"If I'm permitted to ask, may I know of why you came here? Miss Russo said that you were coming to have a new start on life.", Jules asked. Leila and the others looked at Perla who took a deep breath as she held Carlo on her lap, "I'm Perla, and my father recently passed away...He still took me back after I was rumored to cause a scandal, having been in a relationship with a man named Romeo, but we had a drunk night together, yet we loved each other fairly equally. He died in a boating accident as he was apprenticing under a fisherman before I got to tell him that I was pregnant. Leila here is his and Juliet's mother, and Juliet is my best friend and sister-in-law, and Jiminy is my uncle, swearing to look after me after my father passed away. Carlo is binding us together as a family, and of course, Figaro here, he was my father's pet, and we couldn't leave him there as he adores Carlo, always by his side.".
"I see.", Jules looked to Leila. "You're a mother to her?", he pointed to Juliet. "I must say, if that's the case, then you certainly look very youthful for your age.", he smiled as Leila blushed. "Monsieur.", Leila chuckled.
Juliet and Perla shared a look, seeing that Leila is slowly becoming attracted by Jules, wondering if this is her significant other.
Jules chuckled softly, "I apologize if I am a bit forward as I haven't had much time to meet lovely ladies since I have been focused on my daughter...she's the apple of my eye and she takes after her late mother.", with a small smile as Ella was distracted by Figaro who has jumped into Jiminy's lap, purring as he was petted.
"It always hurts to lose one that was so close to you...", Leila sighed. "Not a day goes by that I don't miss Juliet and Romeo's father...".
Jules blinked softly before replying, "I am deeply sorry...If it's any consolation, I believe that the Lord welcomes everyone, no social class, no boundaries, and equality for all, so perhaps they are friends up there.".
Leila gave a smile, "I can believe that. At least nothing would hurt him...He died in the mines, leaving me a single mother to twins; Romeo and Juliet...I was heartbroken again when Romeo ran away a few years later after my second ex-husband abused him...It was a miracle when I got a letter from him up north, claiming that he had made a living, and met a wonderful woman in Perla...My ex-husband found out that I was leaving to reunite with my son, but my daughter Juliet and I, we injured him greatly, and left that night. I barely had a day with my son again before he went to work while I and Juliet was talking with Perla...I was examining her when she was saying that she couldn't keep food down for the past week, and I was excited when I found out that I was to be a grandmother, and Juliet here, she was exalted to be an aunt, and oh, Perla, she was beyond joy, excited to tell Romeo of the news. But when the boats returned to the docks in the afternoon, the happy day turned into an upsetting day...Romeo was dragging in a net of fish with his mentor when the weight was too much for the crane, and it crashed into the boat, and Romeo...he was such a kind, good boy...he saved his mentor, but he lost his life...".
Over the past week on the journey, they knew that their true story wouldn't stick easily with some things more reasonable and believable than other things, so they had to craft a story where they can make some white lies, not outright lying, as Romeo technically died when Juliet became herself.