Julia.

Count Kingston, Andrew Banksy Kingston fell in love. he fell in love with none other than the sister of the newly assigned noble, Baron Robinson, he was a mere Baron to the nobles but he hold the most authority as he is one of the Queen closest aides when she ascended the throne and her right hand man she trusts the most, the count married his love his life and they had a beautiful girl, that girl was Julia.

However, due Julia mother weak body she couldn't give birth again. She couldn't give her husband a heir and failed as his wife, she still had his love though. She thought everything would work out if he still loves her, that if they try she might give him a son that he wishes for.

The count was nothing but a disappointment for Julia who turned 5 years, he brought a pregnant woman from an unknown place and made her give birth to a child within the mansion. Julia mother whose health has deteriorated so terribly since birth spat blood and died the night the count illegitimate son was born.

"Julia, you must do as you please. Don't lose your youth being what you are not. You must live as free as a bird on the sky!" she said to Julia as she took her last breath.

The count was overwhelmed with the birth of his son and didn't realize his wife's death till the next morning. Julia wanted her father to cry for his wife death but he said nothing and ordered for a simple funeral with no ounce of respect to her.

Julia loathed her father a lot. She hated more the woman who took her mother place and the child. Nevertheless, when her little half brother sleeping soundly on his crib looked so innocent, he did not deserve her hate, he is just so precious to hate.

Gladly that child didn't grow to hate her but was the younger brother Julia always wished to have. Even as their parents continuously attempted to break them apart Julia always found her way to Anderson and played with him.

William.

"You don't have to be perfect, don't listen to them!" Caroline told her son William as she closed his ears. "If you want to cry, cry. Mommy won't let anyone hurt you."

He could see the tears on his mother eyes! All he could think about was why his father died in such an unfortunate way?

William has always been the child for his better, like it was any other family a family of three living their life till his father died when he was 12, William couldn't cry, he was the second successor for the throne after the prince, and they expected nothing but perfection from the duke and the queen sister son.

Caroline loved her husband and son dearly but the time her husband died was the turning events for her. Of course for William as well. He grew to be an emotionless brick to other but he is always the cool boy that his mother and close friends.

He started carrying his duties as the Duke when he turned 17 after returning from university, of course he was nothing but a perfect person who walked on earth, however that person showed no interests on anything and till he turned 23 he hasn't found his match in life yet.

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"My goodness!! My Lady, please slow down or you will get hurt!" Mary shouted worriedly at Julia.

Mary is the only family for Julia, she was her nanny since her first breath and first step. She is there solely to raise Julia into an adult with love and care that Julia didn't encounter after her mother died.

"I will be back soon, Mary!" Julia exclaimed not hearing her own voice.

Julia loved doing new things, she is a curious and optimistic person whose sometimes mature for her age and sometime immature.

Her joy in life was discovering this very field.

She was around 7 when she got lost in the town to only find this empty field with zero care. "Who would leave such a treasure untouched?" she thought to herself. She later brought Mary over and since then she would always come here, when happy when sad when tired when excited, the whole time this place was closest to her mother embrace, always making her feel better with just a simple glance at the greenery scene with one single tree up a hill.

The tree looked older than her father, but it was standing strong not budgeting from soil so stubbornly. It was just like Julia when she set her mind something.

Julia loved using guns and riding her horse, she loved cooking and painting, as well as playing the piano, she loved many things and wanted to try everything. However, her requests were never heard on her own house, an ignorant father and a mean stepmother a rude butler and servants giving her a pitiful looks, other than Mary and Anderson at the house she had no one to rely on.

With a tiny budget her father left for her Julia managed to buy a pony and raised it, the pony was black from head to toe, she looked a fierce predator more than a horse. Julia loved riding on her.

Going around the mansion Julia found a room contented of many weapons, of course, from swords to guns, the history of their kingdom was huge and remarkable. Julia snatched one of the guns and would always practice with it on the field.

Julia rode on her horse wildly around the field, the horse wanted to trot and she wanted that too, both of them seemed to enjoy the cold winter breath slapping their faces, their hair running strips through the air, her horse moving her muscles in an impatient rythem around the wet grass, she ended injuring her thigh by a tree and she lost control and Julia saw her life flashbacks behind her eyes.

William was with his friends, Lord Alexander Hamilton Winston and Lord Maximilian Twist Dorian. Each was riding a horse and a gun on the belt.

"I will be the winner today, Will, Max." Alexander declared.

"Oh let us see about that, Alex." Maximilian dared competitively.

They were boys in adults bodies when they were alone, they are all on their early 20s, they have powerful families responsibility on their shoulders, families with wealth authority part of their kingdom's history. However when these boys are alone, they turned to children on their teen days where everyone and everything lit fire on their competitivity.

As children they competed on who to be married first? Or who would have a child first? Who will take the family head position first? Who would be the strongest? Who would be the most famous among girls? Who would this, and who would that. That was entirely the reason why William returned after graduating early came and took the responsibility of the family head. Alexander was the first to marry and Maximilian was the most famous among girls.

William laughed a sinister smile, "you think you can actually win?" he asked, he put his hand on chest with a thumb sound "when I am here none of you can win!" he said proudly.

The two lords couldn't say anything about that, that was true, William was far more talented than them with handling weapons.

"Move out of the way!!" a girl cry between the trees of the forest they were at.

They peacefully made way for her. It was Julia. Her horse passed between their horses so peacefully. The three men were surprised.

Who is this girl wearing a trousers like men rushing this way with her horse in a dangerous speed!? The three of them didn't move for a moment and William was the first to move his horse towards her direction.

Julia naturally learned how to drive on her horse alone with no training, and such thing didn't occur before because she was always at a safe speed but even that safe speed injured her mare and it lost reasoning.

"Give me your hand!" William said offering his hand.

He followed her with his horse and now trotting the same speed as her horse. Julia did not budge. How could she jump from one horse to another like it is just a difference between two stair steps? She was so scared that she will fall and break something and if that happened, it will be the worse to her.

William frowned, he closed the distance between the two horses just by an inch then extended his hand, with his bodily strength William grabbed Julia hand and pulled her entire body to his horse. He accidentally lose the grip on the horse and both of them rolled down the horses.

Julia opened her eyes when she felt the rolling stop, his hands were around her body protectively, she looked at him and noticed he wasn't responding to her movement.

"Is he dead?" she asked, she broke free from his hands like a burger sliding off a bread. She moved him slightly but he still did not respond.

"Sir? Are you dead?" she asked worriedly expecting an answer. "Did he hit his head somewhere? All because of me?" she started crying and sniffing.

William stood up scratching his head in pain. Julia hugged him happily "thank you for not dying!" she said.

He was surprised, usually girls avoid him but now she is throwing herself at him.

"You would think someone would die because of such role down?" he asked offended. she thinks he weak.

Julia felt his steady breath in the middle of her head and his heartbeat beating a bit fast that it was. It made her face feel heat. She looked at him and blood flowed from under his long hair. His hair was up to the beginning of his back, slightly under the neck, styled messily, he was wearing comfortable cloth opposite the kind of cloth the nobles would wear. She thought he is either a hunter or just a weird noble.

That was quite offensive to her life saver but her opinion was hers, it is not like he can hear her thoughts or anything. And it was certainly not the time for this, he is hurt, because he saved her from the fall.

Julia took a handkerchief, got closer to his face, she put the handkerchief on his head as it was bleeding. He looked down at her as her face too close, since he found dealing with women foreign to him, he was quite anxious at the close distance.

"Does it hurt? Shall we go see a doctor, I hope it is not deep!" She said worriedly.

"It is not serious." He said as he held the handkerchief from her hand.

He stood up then she grabbed his hand worriedly, her hand pulled his hand made him hiss in pain. Julia stood up directly.

"We must fetch a doctor! let us go!" Julia grabbed his shirt in a small grip worriedly.

Now he is looking closer at her, she was so beautiful, no beautiful wasn't enough of a word to describe her beauty. Her dark blue eyes like that of night sky and hair hair that was golden blonde like the sun rays kissed her hair made her look like she was an actual shinning sun walking on land.

He was mesmerized.

Julia found him quite attractive, those light honey like eyes and dark brownish hair, he was a lot bigger than hers and it seemed strong built and muscular, she now gets how he came out partially hurt. His sharp eyes and jaws so attractive. In this town, he is far the most handsome man among all she has seen through her life. And he was nice enough to save her as well catch the fall from her.

She directly knew that it was love at first sight.

Alexander shouted "hey, are you okay out there?"

Julia noticed two other men and the horses behind them. They went out of the forest to the field and Mary came running.

"Good gracious! My Lady! Are you hurt anywhere? Look at the dirty!! Didn't I tell you to not go so fast now see what happened." Mary shouted angrily.

She hit Julia back angrily. Julia cried "nanny, I am fine! These gentlemen saved me!"

Mary looked at them, despite their simple wear they were clean off and seemed noble clean and elegant. Faces she never encountered living in the west for 20 years. The only faces foreign to the people are tourists and the Duke face, they hear he come from time to time to stay at his territory manor that is right behind the forest. Those people might he the noblest men in the west at the moment and she knew this field belonged to the dukedom, now he knows that they trespassed his lands on his absence he will definitely punish them.

Mary knew all along that this field is owned by the Duke but everytime Julia came here her mind felt at ease and she was happy, Mary did not wish to brake that happiness so she hid the fact that the land was owned and always came here. Now the landlord stands by her knowing they touched his assets without permission. They will be punished.

Mary knelt to the ground and apologized "I am sorry Your Grace!!"

Julia was surprised. She looked at the three men and she knew just by looking who is the one with most authority here is.

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"You used this land?" William asked.

Mary flinched. "I apologize, Your Grace!"

Julia anger rose to the clouds, Mary is kneeling down. How could he make Mary, an old lady on her 50s to kneel down, has he got no shame? Julia was furious.

"Mary, stand up!" Julia ordered angrily.

Mary did not move then said "My Lady, if you don't apologize we will be punished for trespassing!"

"I will apologize since I came here and Mary won't have to kneel down." She glared at William "so stand up in this instant."

Julia take pride on her actions and decisions, most importantly she takes pride on her peoples, and it is Mary, she was mad, she didn't like her only family to kneel down.

She glared at him with eyes asking "how dare you made her kneel?" And he returned a glare as well and expression answering "did I tell her to?" They both quite stared at each other silently.

Mary stood up and held Julia shoulder "that is Duke, My Lady, please show proper attitude." She whispered to Julia.

But Julia thought if she moved her eyes away she would lose, that was unreasonable, despite that, he felt the same too.

"I have found this place since I was young and I have been coming here as no one stopped me i thought the land had no owner. I apologize if that hurt you because I have caused no sort of damaging to the place." Julia apologized.

It was not close to be a sincere apology, empty of remorse for her mistake, William did not like that, but she glared at him so adorably and he wanted to gaze into her more and more so her face will be carved into his mind.

"It is my land. You trespassed my lands, you should show an apologetic tone and remorse for your mistake. I might take legal actions." He told her.

Well, his friends in the back were confused, he is not like that. He would just ask her to not come again, simple, but he want to take legal actions, so not like him. Why? Because he is lazy, he would prefer to lay down in bed than having such a conversation at the moment they dragged him off bed with all their might earlier to compete.

"I said sorry!" Julia exclaimed.

"Not enough!" He said back.

Julia walked away. "You know what I will come tomorrow and the day after." She declared.

Mary couldn't understand what her master was spouting, Julia is a prideful person but when she knows she made a mistake she would apologize sincerely. Now she is behaving abnormally, especially in front of someone like the Duke.

Suddenly he grabbed her hand. Julia turned to him in surprise. Why did he hold her? Why did he stop her? Julia felt his gigantic hand around her elbow, his calloused palm on Julia elbow made her jolt in surprise.

"You can come," he said "I will not stop you."

He lost. He gave up on his prideful act as a duke and let her do. It was kind of stupid to begin with. Why put an act if he simply desired to see her again.

"However, I am kind of hurt that you are not thanking me for saving your life earlier." He added with a smile.

Julia eyes moved from her elbow that was engulfed by his hand to his face. She couldn't help but smile looking at his face. He is not just breathtakingly handsome, he is nice enough to let her come here again, he is playfully trying to make her look into him.

"Then what shall I do so i can show you i am grateful. I doubt just a thank you will be enough." She told him.

William let her elbow go and put his hand on his chin thinking of a suitable payment he would love to receive from her. But his dirty mind is not thinking about anything other than grabbing her closer to him and kiss her.

He shook his head continuously, how could he do such a thing to someone, this is a dishonorable act for both of them.

"I will think about it!" He added as he was the first to walk away his friends followed him thinking he might pass out because of fever. They were certain he was sick. Julia held her horse rope and they left.

Each went on their way back home. William and Julia were left with the beautiful memory of their first meeting.

"You will turn 18 the next month, it is time to find a spouse for you." Julia father muttered during dinner.

She was called for dinner for the first time in years, she was happy that her father called for her, he finally remembered he has a daughter. She had no idea that he has already planned her future when he never acted her father, he had the audacity to decide her fate for her.

"My Lady." Mary said in a low sad voice holding a candle holder at night, Julia was sobbing mess at the horses stables and her horse neck around her small body covering her like it was covering her child.

Mary hugged Julia then tried to stop her tears by erased them with her sleeves. Julia cannot stop those tears, not when her father voice still echoing inside her ears.

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