CHAPTER 11 — WHERE IS JULIE?

Aries went back to the palace.
"You shouldn't have let your anger ride you" King Agripus countered.
"What is it this time?" Aries asked angrily.
"Would you be calm and behave like a son should do when his father speaks?" King Agripus affirmed. Aries stood motionless.
"You left Derila in sadness and tears. For god's sake, she is your future wife!" King Agripus alarmed.
"Father, I have always loved you as a father, don't make me change. You know fully well that it is custom for me to choose my bride, but you clearly want to deprive me of that!" Aries pointed out.
King Agripus felt stroked by that affectionate pleading voice. True, Aries had the fullest right to choose a bride for himself, more so as a Prince.
He shook his head as if he was just been revived of an existing truth.
"True, so true son. But I thought Derila would be perfect for you" King Agripus tried to make himself understood.
"Yes father you thought, and that's what every father thinks, but that doesn't mean it will always work out. Derila and I are not perfect for each other. We have irreconcilable differences. She would be the perfect fit for Lord Rodrigo. Father let me make my choice and be responsible for it. I have seen my match." Aries said moving towards the window of the great hall.
"That lady?" King Agripus shrugged.
"What lady?" Aries said.
"Of course I know it's Julian!" The king protested.
"Julie, father" Aries corrected gently.
"Yes, her!" The king said now worn out.
"Yes father, her" Aries said patting his father's shoulder. "Go and take a rest father" Aries went off.
Derila lingered behind one of the great pillars, just at a distance where she heard their conversation.
"Julie? Who is she?" She planned to find out.
"Nesa!" She called to one of her trusted maids when she got to her chamber. There was whispering between them. Nesa left as Derila grinned wickedly with jealousy all over her head.

"Still the gyroscope wouldn't work?" Michael complained.
"It's been one month and a few days now!" Andrew notified.
"Yes. I really can't understand why?" Julie said.
"I feel I'm the one causing this obstacle" She added.
"I have been waiting for you to say that" Alrodes strolled in with roasted beef. The rest popped out their eyes in question.
"Your fortune lies here Julie. Until you unveil it, I fear the gyroscope wouldn't work, and you know how bad we need to get to Homerlus" Alrodes said.
Julie stood there as puzzled as a game. What was she to find out? She couldn't tell yet, but she feels her soul communicate to… "Aah" She gasps, Aries? That couldn't be. Aries was engaged.
"Oh I guess I know," Julie said uncertainly.
"It's Aries, the king's son, part of me communicates to part of him" Julie blurted out.
"She has a great communicative mind. What took you days to tell us, finally?" Alrodes began.
"Wasn't sure, and still not sure?" Julie said.
"Everything would be clear soon" Alrodes encouraged. There was a tense relief in their heart at that moment but that didn't cover up their fears.
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"Julie is missing!" Andrew alarmed. Julie would always be at home in the noon communicating to Fadarela at this hour, but she wasn't in.
"Search for her," Alrodes said.
"Find her, we must!" Michael jeered Andrew out for a search.
"Julie can't be missing now that it felt great relying on her communicative skills" Alrodes thought.
Michael and Andrew searched for Julie. Michael's heart was at the burst, he felt he wouldn't ever breathe, there was the strongest connection tying him to her.
"Don't hurt yourself, whatever happens we will find Julie" Andrew consoled as they were tired and heading home.
"We didn't find her" Michael broke into tears.
"Oh dearest, don't cry. It hurts me too" Andrew held out to him.
"Crying isn't the solution, let's think something out. Julie couldn't have gone like that. Someone must be behind this, I sense it." Alrodes said.
"Let's get some sleep, it is night already."
Barnabas and a few of his friends went west pole, and the North Pole but didn't find her.
"Tomorrow we will get something done" Alrodes reassured them into sleeping.