Chapter Three: “Our first official date”

Resena sat quietly in the car as Julius drove to their destination. They were headed to a place called "The Sun-Berry Bloom," a restaurant known for its pastas and sweets. Silently driving, Julius decided to speak first. 

"Would you like for me to play some music? The drive is a little long." 

The Sun-Berry Bloom was about an hour away in the neighboring city of Dunway. Though a little far, this restaurant was well worth the trip. Specializing in a different variety of pastas and sweets, its specialty was a lemon cherry tart topped with whipped cream and honey crusted crumbles. Julius had chosen this place after he'd realized Resena took a liking to sweets. He'd noticed it at the Mango and then again in the park as they were eating ice cream. He was excited to see how she would like this restaurant. 

"Yes! I would love that!" 

"Some more contemporary?" 

"Yes. It's so beautiful today, a perfect day of spring. I think contemporary would be fitting, don't you?" 

As Resena spoke, Julius could feel something inside of him that he'd never felt before. "What is this feeling I get every time I'm near her, I feel as if it's getting stronger with every meeting." He couldn't yet identify with whatever he was feeling but he'd hope it was a feeling that wouldn't fade. He realized he loved spending time with this very unusual yet extraordinary girl. Though foreign, Julius felt himself hoping that whatever he was feeling, Resena was also experiencing the same thing. 

"So, do you mind if I ask where we're going?" Resena had been more than excited about her outing today. That morning, with the help of Carla, Resena picked an outfit she thought for sure would match the spring sky. Of course, Carla did most of the work. She'd made a mental note to thank her in some way for all her help! 

"Actually, I'd like to keep it a surprise for a little while longer if you don't mind?" 

A surprise! Resena could feel a jolt of excitement streak through her body! How long had it been since she received a surprise? Resena wasn't sure what she'd done, but if the heavens had sent Julius to her after so many years of pain and anguish, she was surely beyond appreciative. She wanted to make sure she did everything possible to continue to earn this grace. 

Through smiles and blushes seen even through her makeup, Resena simply replied with an "okay." 

"Resena, I don't know if I've had the chance to tell you, but you look absolutely beautiful." 

Julius turned his head to look at Resena, she had that same smile that always made his heart skip a beat, this was the first time he had been able to compliment her, and she completely accepted it. Yes, Julius would definitely have a debt owed to Grace. 

"Thank you. I truly owe Carla a great deal, she was the one that helped me this morning. I was starting to feel a little overwhelmed, I do not know much about makeup and high-end fashion. Carla was like a gifted angel, but then, she had always seemed that way to me." 

"Carla? Was she the young lady that announced you? 

"Yes, that's her. She's always been so kind. There was another maid just like her named Ella. When I was younger, she would often sneak me food to eat as well as aid me whenever I got sick. When my aunt found out, she fired her immediately, shortly after, my uncle sent a mass message informing all the staff that if they interfered with my aunt's 'parenting,' they would suffer the same fate. From that point on, all of the servants would barely even look at me, but not Carla. Every morning, she would always greet me with the most beautiful smile, she'd ask me how I was feeling, if I ever needed help. Even after many of the servants tried to warn her that such behavior could cost her, Carla never let it sway her. I don't know where I would have been without her." 

The smile on Resena's face reflected that of appreciation and gratitude. Julius had already learned a great deal about what was going on in the Lansters' estate from none other than Ella Su'Chris. Raymon had been able to track her down in the small village of Tellar. When they met, she was overjoyed that someone had finally taken interest in wanting to help Resena. 

"Oh, my goodness! So, you've seen Ms. Resena? How is she? Is she still at that house with those awful people? I haven't been able to see her since she was eleven. That wretched woman fired me after I helped her when she became gravely ill." 

Ella gave a great deal of insight regarding the Lansters, she explained how Larna Lanster held strong resentment for the girl due to unresolved issues with her younger sister. He hadn't known about Carla though; she must've come after Ella was fired. He made a mental note to find a way to repay her for the kindness and bravery she'd shown for Resena. "Maybe I should plan a reunion for Resena and Ella, I'm sure she would love to see her again." Julius made yet another mental note to set up that visit. 

"Well, Carla did an amazing job, you look breathtaking. And Resena…thank you for sharing that with me. I know it's difficult to speak of such unpleasantry, I appreciate you're trusting me." 

All Resena could do was blush, she didn't know how to respond to that. Was trust what she was beginning to feel? For some reason, that word, although true, didn't quite fit her emotions. While it was true Resena had gained a great deal of trust in Julius, she wasn't sure if THAT was the unidentified emotion she felt in the pit of her stomach. Wanting to change the subject, Resena decided to ask Julius a little more about himself. 

"Well let's see. As you know, my father Jamison is a Duke in the imperial capital. He and my mother met when he served in the imperial army; at the time, my mother was a midwife for many of the soldiers' wives. (Chuckling), I guess you could say it was 'love at first sight' for the two of them. Honestly, the way they display their affections can be somewhat embarrassing at times, even still, I do aspire to be like them one day." 

I wonder if me and Julius could ever…. Resena stopped herself in the middle of her thinking, the mere thought of displaying affection made her feel embarrassed beyond compare. Julius continued speaking of his family and upbrings. 

"I have three little sisters, Savanna, Darlena, and Victoria: the youngest. They all have the personalities of bubbles and enthusiasm. They're very much like my parents. (Chuckling), sometimes, I think I got all the 'adult' personality traits my parents were supposed to have as I've always been rather the opposite." 

Somehow, this seemed to make sense to Resena. She imagined Julius as a young boy, probably always serious and dutiful. He had a natural quality to protect and provide, probably traits he'd picked up as an older brother of three little sisters. Just then, Resena had a thought. 

"Do you think your family will like me?" 

Huh?!  

"It's just, I'm not very refined and I don't have a lot of etiquette training. When I moved into my aunt and uncle's home, they'd stopped me from going to school. I don't really have much to offer as a wi…" 

Just then, Julius interrupted Resena as she spoke. 

"Stop that!" 

GASP! 

"Resena, you have no idea how valuable you are! You have to stop putting yourself down. You're literally one of the bravest people I know. You've endured so much and yet you never let it waver or make you bitter and angry. Anyone would be blessed from the heavens themselves to be with you!" 

Resena sat in shock. She could hardly believe her ears. Was that truly how Julius saw her? 

Julius realized he may have been a little too rambunctious, he hadn't wanted to frighten Resena, but he couldn't allow her to think so little of herself. Still, he didn't want to throw the mood off, so he looked at her once more and smiled. 

"And yes, to answer your question, my family will love you." 

Blushing. 

"Really? Are you sure they won't hate me.?" 

"Of course not, I would never allow it anyway. Besides, I'm sure my sisters will love the idea of having a big sister." Suddenly, Julius got a quick tinge of annoyance; he was most certainly sure his three sisters would no doubt be overly excited at the thought of a new sister. He could hear their shrieking now. "Ugghh, my family really can be a handful, thank goodness they're all in Mandalin for vacation. I'll have to give them all pep talks before I introduce her to them." 

"(Smiling), Then I believe you." The rest of the ride was filled with chatter, Julius told Resena more about his family and what he was like as a child, most of which matched what she had already suspected. In return, Resena told him more about her parents. 

"My mother and Father, if patience and caring was a human form, it would be them. Being their only child, I was constantly showered in all of their love. Any and everything I wanted to do was met with nothing but the upmost support." 

Much of what Resena said mirrored the reports Raymon gathered on Lucena and Marlow Blackwell. Marlow Blackwell was a well-renowned doctor throughout the imperial kingdom. Often referred to as the "The Gifted Hands," it was said that he could cure even the deadliest of diseases. While Lucena, known as "The Golden Saint," was said to be one of the most beautiful and kind women of the imperial capitol. She constantly campaigned for the civil rights of all and often helped anyone in need. Resena did not remember much about her grandparents, but it was said the Westmores,' although nobles, were pure souls, Lucena had clearly inherited that quality and trait. "I wonder what went wrong with that other one?" Julius wondered as Resena continued to speak about her childhood. To his surprise he learned Resena could dance. 

"Dance? Really? As in Ballet?" 

"More contemporary than ballet but of course I had to learn to that first." 

"I see. So that's why you love that type of music so much?" 

"It's certainly one of the main reasons. Contemporary has just always made me feel so free." 

"Do you still practice?" 

In a smile that was slightly sorrowful, Resena looked down. 

"Not professionally of course, but sometimes I would sneak into the backyard in an area not often used and dance. I never wanted to forget it, you know. It was one of the last things my parents saw me do." 

"Hmm. I'd like to see that one day. When you're comfortable of course." 

Shocked, Resena wasn't sure how to respond to that request. No one had seen her dance since her parents, Larna, had it so that if she even moved wrong, she would be punished. Sneaking out was her only way to continue, it was the one thing she had been rebellious about. Still, she wasn't sure if her skill was worthy of being seen by someone of Julius' caliber. 

"Don't fret yourself, it's something you'll do when you're ready." 

Julius could tell the request had been troubling her, just then, an idea came to mind, "Perhaps I could make one the rooms on the estate a little studio for her. That way she can practice on an actual dance floor. I'll have to make some modifications though. I'll call my remodeler and interior decorator first thing tomorrow." 

As they grew closer to their destination, Julius decided now would be a suitable time to tell Resena where they were going. 

"Resena, have you ever heard of The Sun-Berry Bloom?" 

"Is that the bistro that specializes in sweets!?" 

Julius looked over at Resena in concern, he noticed her voice went up one octave, at first, he thought it was out of fear, he began to panic thinking he'd made a mistake in choosing this location. But when he looked at her face, Resena had an expression that resembled that of a child in the candy store. He couldn't help but laugh out loud, so he'd been right all along, Resena had a weakness for sweets. 

"Oh Julius! I've heard of this place for years! The servants used to tell stories about it! I heard it specializes in a variety of sweets!" 

"Indeed, it does, it's also known for its pas…" 

As he continued to give more details, Julius realized Resena was no longer listening. Her face had this gleeful yet greedy look on it. It was as if she were plotting a great scheme, one of which would allow her to steal all the sweets perhaps. Yes, this was certainly right choice. Pleased with himself, Julius began to get excited, he couldn't wait to see her reaction once they arrived. 

As they pulled up to the restaurant's entrance, Resena could suddenly smell the sweet scent of chocolate. Her heart began to race with anticipation, FINALLY! After years of hearing about this fairytale, Resena had finally made it to The Sun-Berry Bloom! 

"Good afternoon, Sir, welcome to the Sun-Berry Bloom, my name is Peter and I'll be your valet for the day. Allow me to park your car." 

Julius handed his keys over to the valet as well as providing him with what looked to be a hefty tip. He then took Resena by the hand and led her to the entrance. The smell was becoming intoxicating! Resena could feel her stomach beginning to rumble as they grew closer to the entrance. As they walked through the door, Resena could hardly believe her eyes! The Sun-Berry Bloom was absolutely beautiful! The walls were covered in beautiful art designs of flowers, pastries, and pastas. There were gold brims wrapped around each corner from wall to wall. The high ceiling displayed beautiful gold trim as well as paintings of orchids. The tables were gold with glass toppers. The chairs, also gold, had cushioned seating with velvet covers in assorted colors. The floor was a beautiful marble with an inner lining of gold dancing through. In various places lay bakery glass cases filled with different desserts and treats! It was magical! Resena could feel her soul levitating from her body, had she died and gone to heaven! If so, she'd wish to never leave! As they made their way to the hostess counter, Resena's anticipation began to boil over. 

"Welcome to The Sun-Berry, my name is Allison, I'll be your hostess for today. May I have the name under the reservation?" 

"Yes, thank you. Our reservation is under Julius Spencer." 

"OH! Mr. Spencer! Welcome! Our manager has asked us to take great care of you and your guest! Please, right this way." 

The hostess led Julius and Resena to a private room, the walls were the colors of deep purple with beautiful gold pictures of different kitchen items. After they were seated, the hostess, Allison left to retrieve their waiting team. 

"Did you make special reservations?" 

Huh? "Special?" 

"Well, I noticed we were in a more intimate room." 

Ah. "Are you uncomfortable?" 

"No! Not at all! It's just…well…I'm just super excited!" 

Smiling. "As am I." 

Suddenly both Resena and Julius found themselves blushing shyly. Thank goodness the waiting team arrived. 

"Good afternoon! Thank you so much for dining at the Sun-Berry, my name is Edward, I'll be your head waiter for today. I promise both my team and I will ensure your experience is magical. Now, can we start you off with something to drink?" 

"Thank you very much for the warm welcome, yes, I'd like to see a list of your tea-berry wines." 

"Excellent choice sir!" 

The waiter handed Julius a menu filled with different varieties of wines. Tea-Berry wines were a specialty brew, which included an infusion of teas and fruits; they were an expensive and rare drink. Resena did not know much about these wines, but she had always wanted to try them. 

"Resena, would you like to pick one for us to start with?" 

Gasp! "Huh! Me?! Um, Julius, I don't know much about tea-berry wines." 

"That's okay. Here you go, have a look at the wine list. I assure you they're all delicious so there's no wrong answer. Pick which ever one you desire." 

Julius handed Resena the list of wines, as she scanned through them, she realized they all sound delicious! There were flavors like "Blueberry-Honey, Raspberry-Treat, Apple cinnamon cider." But the one that immediately caught her attention… 

"What about this one?!" 

Resena pointed to a flavor named Strawberry Passion Kiss. She wasn't sure why, but this flavor seemed appropriate for the occasion. Julius smiled and nodded his head in agreement. Handing the menu back to the waitress. 

"Excellent choice! The Strawberry Passion is among our most popular! You'll surely appreciate it's sweet and seductive taste!" 

For some reason, hearing seductive made Resena blush. Was she trying to seduce Julius? Embarrassed, she suddenly grabbed her cheeks. 

"Resena? Are you alright?" 

"Oh, yes! I'm fine." 

As the head waiter walked away to retrieve the wine, another waitress walked forward. 

"Hello, my name is Mina, I'll be your appetizers waitress for today! Would you like to look at our menu?" 

"Yes, please and thank you." 

As Julius read through the menu, Resena noted how thoughtful and kind Julius always was. His manners were so special, always giving the perfect amounts of sincerity. Yet another quality she grew to love. For the appetizers, Julius selected a variety that consisted of caramel clustered chocolate turtles, cinnamon sweet sugar doughnut puffs, mozzarella stuffed mini shells, tiny-toasted ravioli filled with cream cheese and chicken, and fried calamari. As they awaited their appetizers, the head waiter arrived back with their wine. 

"Would you like for me to open and pour your drinks sir?" 

"No thank you. I'd like to do that if it's alright?" 

"Absolutely, while you await your appetizers, allow us to give you some privacy." 

"Greatly appreciated." 

As the head waiter ordered everyone to clear the room, Resena could hear some of the whispers from the staff. 

"I guess the rumors are true! Lord Spencer is engaged!" 

"She's quite beautiful!" 

Resena couldn't help but blush in shock. "Beautiful?! Me?!" The thought of this was almost absurd. Though many thought this when she was child, it had been a long time since Resena was thought of as beautiful. She'd been severely malnourished while under the care of her aunt, her skin was often pasty and her hair dull. She'd been grossly underweight, and her eyes always covered in bags. Yet three times now, Julius had also called her beautiful. Maybe she had started looking better, even healthier. Resena wasn't sure. That morning, after Carla helped with her clothing and makeup, she asked Resena if she would like to see herself in the mirror, afraid of the results, however, Resena declined. 

"Well, shall we enjoy a glass?" 

Julius held a glass halfway filled with wine. Resena smiled, eager to try the rare beverage. She took the glass and smelled the drink. 

"Oh my! It smells so good! The strawberry aroma is intoxicating!" 

"It is. Shall we have a taste? Remember to slip slowly so that you may savor the taste." 

Both Resena and Julius took a sip of their wine. 

"It's delicious!! Oh, my goodness! I see now why it's so popular!" 

Resena sipped her wine again, the taste was sweet with hints of bitterness to offset. The strawberry flavor and tea aroma was exquisite. Never had she tasted anything so divine. 

"See, I told you, no wrong answers. Although, I must say, this is one of the better choices. Very good Resena." 

Resena smiled as she continued to sip her wine. Just then, the most extraordinary aromas filled her nose. The appetizer waitress along with assistance had entered the room. Resena could feel her mouth begin to water. 

"Alright! Here are your appetizers." 

One by one, Mina sat a tray of food onto the table. Resena began to get excited, she didn't know where to begin! Everything smelled so delicious! 

"(Smiling) You look like you're having an issue deciding where to start." 

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. Everything smells and looks so good!" 

"Mind if I make a suggestion?" 

"Yes, please do!" 

"Start with the ravioli, then try the stuffed shell, after that, try the calamari. Let the puffs and turtles be last. That way, you can savor the taste of each one, without overloading your tastebuds." 

Resena did as she was instructed, one by one, she tried each appetizer in the order suggested. Julius was correct! Trying each appetizer in this order allowed Resena to savor each food. Everything was so delicious, Resena felt as if she were floating on air. But her favorite dishes were indeed the turtles and the puffs. Resena grabbed her cheeks with glee. This was indeed heaven, nothing else seemed to make sense! Julius watched on in humor. 

"You've certainly got an appreciation for sweets." 

"Oh! I'm sorry! I must be unbecoming." 

"Not at all. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, please, eat to your heart's desire." 

Suddenly, Resena began to laugh. 

"Don't say that. I may just eat them all!" 

Both Resena and Julius burst into laughter. The servants couldn't help but smile, the two of them seemed so adorable. 

"Hello, my name is Christoph, I'm glad to see you're enjoying your time so far! May I hand you your entrée menus?" 

Before Julius could answer, Resena spoke first. 

"Yes please!" 

This made Julius smile, finally she was getting more comfortable. The waiter handed each of them their entrée menus and informed them to call upon him when ready to order. After about 5 minutes both were ready to order. Resena settled on the Chicken Florentine Pasta, while Julius ordered the Tempeh & Broccoli Rade Orecchiette. 

As Resena and Julius ate their lunch, they enjoyed more conversation. Resena told him of her favorite desserts including vanilla ice cream. 

"I'd noticed a tinge of excitement that day in the park." 

"It's one of my favorites! I absolutely adore the vanilla flavor." 

Once Resena and Julius finished with their meal, Resena was so full she felt like she'd gained one hundred pounds. As Julius thanked the team of waiters and waitresses and gave each of them a hefty tip, the waitress Mina pulled Resena to the side. 

"Ma'am, I just wanted to say, both you and your husband were two of the best guests we've ever had! Normally guests that can afford our private rooms are very rude and demanding, they hardly ever tip and treat us as if we're their personal servants. I just wanted to say thank you for being different!" 

Hearing those words from Mina made Resena feel beyond good! She couldn't imagine how others could be anything but kind to the staff, then again, her own firsthand experiences taught her that people can be beyond cruel. 

"Oh! And another thing! That young Mr. Spencer must love you a great deal! Make sure you pay him back!" Wink. Wink. 

Resena wasn't quite sure what the waitress was referring to by paying him back but for some reason she felt instantly embarrassed. As they headed to the front of the restaurant, Resena spotted something that stopped her in her tracks. 

To the right of her, lay a bakery counter featuring a variety of desserts. Resena's eyes became instantly huge, and she slowly began to walk toward the counter. Julius turned to notice what caught her attention. 

"(Smiling), Resena, would you like to take home a dessert?" 

As if in a trance, Resena shook her head to snap back to reality. Though the idea of taking a dessert home sounded delightful, she didn't want to come off as greedy. Who knows how much Julius had already spent on this wonderful lunch. 

"Resena?" 

"Oh, no that's…" 

Before Resena could finish her sentence, Julius grabbed her hand and led her over to the counter. 

"I can't let you leave without trying their specialty dessert. Come, let's see what else they have." 

No way was Resena about to protest! Her stomach was already singing a harmony of joy! Julius purchased two lemon-cherry tarts for both he and Resena to enjoy immediately, in addition, he purchased four dozen variety assorted desserts, one dozen for the Lanster staff, and three for his own. "Over 36 staff, I wonder how large his estate is." As Julius and Resena waited for their valet, Resena couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt. In addition to her own personal dessert, she had leftovers from her lunch as well as the appetizers. "What a glutton I turned out to be today." Sulking, Resena was now feeling bad about how much she'd eaten and how much Julius had spent. Sensing something was off, Julius turned and looked down at Resena. 

"Is something the matter? You look a little sadden." 

"No, everything was simply wonderful. It's just that…well…I feel like maybe I over did it." 

"Over did what?" 

Holding up the food bags, Resena looked at Julius as if to explain. Suddenly, Julius let out a loud laugh. 

"Why would you think that?" 

"I mean, look at all this food! Not to mention the desserts, it's no telling how much you've spent today. So even though I had a great…no, an AMAZING time, I feel like it really came at your expense." 

This was one of the qualities Julius loved about Resena, she wasn't spoiled or entitled, demanding or uncaring. She always put the feelings of others above her own happiness. That being said, it was time he reassured her. Grabbing both of her hands, Julius began to speak. 

"Resena, while I appreciate your concern, I assure you there's no need. For one, I'm the one that chose this restaurant. Second, I'm glad you enjoyed all of the food, which was always my intention. I knew this would be a place you would love. I'm glad my hunch was correct. Lastly, and this may be the most important of them all, (whispering into Resena's ear), your fiancé is extremely rich, so not to worry, this didn't cost too much in the slightest." 

As Julius stood back straight, Resena could feel her cheeks burning, "He was so close!" Resena grabbed her cheeks, just then the valet returned with their car. 

"Thank you so much for visiting the Sun-Berry Bloom, it was a pleasure to serve you both." 

Both, "Thank you!" 

"So, did you enjoy yourself today?" 

"Oh my gosh! Yes!! I had the absolute greatest day! Everything was so amazing! This has truly been the best day of my life!"  

"(Smiling), Mine as well. I have no experience with this so I'm glad I was able to pull off a good first date. Now, shall we listen to some music on our ride back?" 

"What did he mean by no experience." Resena didn't quite understand. Surely this wasn't the first time Julius courted a woman, while it was true he had never been engaged, Resena just assumed he was at least experienced in the world of dating. He was after all one of Laguard's if not the entire imperial's most eligible bachelors. Still, she would be lying if she said she didn't like the idea of her being his first real relationship. "That could be something else we share in common." Smiling at the thought of that, Resena looked at Julius to answer his question. 

"Yes please!" 

The ride back home felt different than the ride to the restaurant, although the distance was the same, the atmosphere was warmer. Each of them had spent those hours getting to know each other over beautiful music and great food! If this were what her life was going to be like moving forward, Resena could not wait to marry Julius! "Our first date, a great day indeed." Resena thought as they drove home.