The western garden was just as it had been the last time Julian walked through it; The fountain bubbled happily under the hot sun.
He didn’t know why, but every time he’d gone for a walk by himself, he’d found his way back to this fountain.
In the North, Julian rarely had time to himself.
Living in a fortress, patrolling, leading his party, defending the border, dungeon delving… there was always something to do. Any spare time he had, he would write letters to his mother and little sister.
Julia’s replies back were scattered at best, absent for months at worst. When she did write to him, it was always full of recounting her adventures. The most recent ones being that time she saved a mushfolk village from angry griffins in the Dark Enchanted Forest, a dungeon delve in Peldeep where she found a treasure chest full of enchanted-to-keep-warm socks, and notably, Chloe's proposal.
His mother wrote routinely, with subtle and not-so-subtle hints that she would like him to come home.
Julian had a goal in the North - more so than simply preventing the Ice Fields dungeon break monsters from storming across the border, he wanted to find and conquer the dungeon itself and stop the threat altogether.
And until that happened, being home made him feel restless.
He’d been taking a lot of walks since his return. The comfort and ease with which he resumed his duties irked him. The familiar routine wore away at him. He needed to leave soon, before he got too comfortable… before he started having second thoughts about leaving.
“Oh good, I found you.”
Julian turned around to see Gerda softly close the palace door and hurry over to his side. She was carrying a scarf, but instead of putting it on, she moved it into her storage.
“So you have.” He raised his eyebrows at the troll. She was nervous, glancing back over her shoulder as if she were being followed.
“I've come to ask for a favour–” She started.
“Alright.” He interrupted. “What is the favour?”
She eyed him. “Shouldn’t you have heard what the favour was before you agreed?”
“You expect me to deny you? After today?” He crossed his arms.
“Well, yes. I do.” She replied. “But if that’s the way of things I'm going to think better on my favour.”
“What is there to think about?” Julian took a step to the side and sat down on the bench, staring up at the troll.
The sun reflected in her soft brown eyes and she had to move slightly to escape the glare. “That was before I knew you’d say yes to whatever I asked for.”
“What were you going to ask for?” He was genuinely curious.
Gerda stood there with her finger tapping her chin. Since he was seated, she had to look down to meet his eyes, and one of her green braids fell forward. She blew it away from her nose and said off-handedly. “An escort.”
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That startled him.
Julian leaned back and found himself looking the troll over. Her long braids reminded him of polished dark malachite where sun caught and highlighted lighter strands that fell over her left shoulder and trailed down to her waist. She was strong, and her well-toned muscles could rival any martial class. She was wearing a lighter purple than he was, but they almost matched.
After seeing Julia and Chloe coordinate outfits, and Henrietta and Keith do the same, he couldn’t unsee the similarities between them now.
He didn’t have a partner for the Masquerade Ball. He’d never stayed long enough at any of his mother’s events to warrant needing a partner. Leaving early was one thing, but abandoning someone he was in charge of escorting was another thing entirely.
And if it were anyone else, he’d have politely refused.
But not now. Oddly enough, the idea pleased him - he enjoyed her company.
“Alright.” He nodded. "When and where should I pick you up?"
Previous Masquerades had started with an hour social where everyone was afforded the opportunity to mingle in costume and enjoy the illusion of anonymity. Because this year's event was going to act as Julia’s reception, there was also going to be a welcome speech and a few games included. A toast. Dancing. And then the unmasking later.
Gerda stopped tapping her chin and smiled down at him. “I can be ready any time. Are you sure you won’t regret this? After today, there’s probably going to be a target on my head.”
“That is the role of escort, is it not?” He teased, “I need to see you safely there and back again?”
"Alright," She nodded, "But I might ask for more privileges as we go - since you so kindly said I could."
"Just let me know in advance so I can prepare," Julian replied. He might pre-emptively place one of John's shadows on her, to make sure she was unbothered during the ball. And he could keep one of the resting rooms locked for her to escape to if she needed it. He tried to think of other things she might ask of him tomorrow.
"I guess there are some nice things about being Madame Potts." Gerda said.
“I want you to know I would have said yes even if you weren’t Madame Potts.” He coughed. Realising the implications of his statement, Julian hurried to add, “Whether you are Madame Potts or Gerda the Bridge Troll or anyone - you were the one who saved my sister and I owe you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Gerda nodded at Julian’s shadow. “I couldn’t have done it without John.”
“He’s actually off right now.” Julian commented, waving his arm so that the sun cast a shadow on the ground in front of him. There was no unnatural fluctuation or movement.
“I thought John was always with you?” She scrunched her nose, once more speaking about him in a familiar manner.
Just like the first night they’d met. She had thrown him off because it’d felt strange talking to someone who sounded so intimately sure of him and his ways… but now he knew why. If his bridge troll could see other people’s future, then she probably knew a great deal about Julian - more than he knew himself.
“John is at home with his family. He left after our meeting.” Almost all of the man’s shadow’s were gone too, leaving only one behind that was hanging around the luncheon in case of an emergency.
She nodded and then stared up at the West Wing. “I have some things to do, so I’ll be going. Just let me know what I need, and if I don’t have it yet I can go out and buy things tomorrow morning.”
Her mind was elsewhere, he could tell, and he resisted the urge to keep her here. He wanted to talk longer. He wanted to spend the entire afternoon talking. She was interesting company.
“Then why don’t we meet here thirty minutes before the Masquerade?” Julian stood to leave as well.
“Before the Masquerade?” The troll whipped her head around to face him, her braids swaying from the force. There was a long silence as Gerda stared at him, confused.
Finally, Julian walked over the troll, standing about arms length away and staring straight into her uncertain eyes.
“Ah,” He realised his mistake. “Did you want to go to the tea party together?”