Julianna decided to meet with Canien and his sister the next day to put their 'plan' in motion. She drove her carriage to the Liere Frontal Palace, which was usually used by the common folk and the tourists for visiting purposes.
Of course she hadn't thought that Lily's plan would involve them going public with the idea of someone else hosting the holy Annual ceremony which had been something passed down the Duke's families like a ritual. Lily had promised that she wouldn't do anything much today but why they were here now was to filter out people who would be in favour of the plan and who would oppose it.
The three of them had gathered round in the small library in the Manor after the talk in the gardens. Julie was happy when Canien handed over the plate of chocolate sticks even though he was the winner.
"The Church of course, would be the first ones to sue us", Lily muttered pulling out a list. "Then we have the Duke Family heads, Especially in case of the Alentia Family, if I remember correctly their elder is still an 80 year old man", Canien reported holding another scroll.
"Conservatives", Lily muttered with distaste and Canien nodded.
"Of course one way of making this happen is to get atleast one of the Royal family on our side. That makes it The emperor, the queen and the crown prince", Julie added wincing.
The three of them weren't great choices. Especially the queen who had shut herself from the world after there was an attempt to take her life last Fall festival.
"I'd say the crown prince would be more happy to persuade. It'll be a good turn for him if this manages to gain the people's attention.", Lily murmured.
"But then again we need to get to the people first before the Temple does", Canien pointed out. "Make sure to target the aristocrats first, they say lower the hierarchy, higher is their devotion. The common folk's opinion may prove unstable for us but the aristocrats, if promised a good way for their business to proposer may hold out on our plan"
"I think I'm more worried that they'll try to make their way to overthrow the trade rules since we won't be there to look after them", Julie murmured biting a chocolate stick.
"Which is precisely why we need to make sure that the Ceremony goes well in our absence", Canien answered peering through the scroll like that would solve all his life problems.
"We need successors unless we don't want to be branded with the term 'traitors who commited treason'
"Aren't we the original successors of our family?"
"Yeah..."
"Maybe we could do a Marquess round, where they hold the ceremony this year?", Lily asked earnestly.
"Too risky. The Dukes have their own pride. They wouldn't just allow the three Duchies to stay laid back in this matter"
"Unless ....", Julie muttered biting her finger.
"Unless?"
"Unless the Temple decides to get involved in our matter"
"But as I said, the church might not like it when we tell them about the Duke family's plan to abort the hosting.", Lily whined.
"Or maybe we can use their fear to our benefit", Julie murmured lost in thought.
"How are you going to do that?"
"Wait and watch"
**********************************************
Then the three of them were in front of the royal church again seeking out the Oracle.
"Here's what we'll do. My family has close connections with the second one hand of the Bishop. "I'll have him read our oracle."
"And that's going to make the Temple believe in us?", Lily asked arrogantly.
Canien nodded at Julie. Of course the only ones who knew about the destruction that was going to occur during the ceremony was the two of them.
And if the Temple gets to know about the mass destruction about to take place...
"Should we two get ours checked out, you know we could provide your prophecy with backward support, just in case", Canien asked peering around the Temple.
Lily looked at the two of them with a confused face. "I don't know what's going on. But this will help us right?"
Julie nodded and moved towards the Temple entrance. The Temples in this country didn't hold that much power as the three great figures did. But as Canien spectacled earlier, they sure we're influential amoung the common folk.
If word gets out that the noble associate families were in danger, and a mass massacre was in due, they might get involved and persuade the Royals.
Besides, they were the only people influential enough to stand upto the three great powers.
Julie took the staircase leading to the upper sanctum where the priest affiliated with her family worked. At the top of the staircase, she saw someone with light brown coloured hair dressed in knight's clothes.
It was the young general who came from the Reeland family. But somehow his gait and face seemed to remind Julie of someone...
"Rex!?", Julie shouted excitedly, climbing the staircase three at a time.
The man at the top of the staircase was startled and he looked at Julie with a horrified expression on his face.
"Lady Julianna, your dress", he warned.
But it was too late as Julie fell face first onto the last step. She fell down hard on her nose and hitting her knee sharply in the process. Strong hands immediately grabbed her shoulders and made her stand up.
Julie came face to face with a tall, well built man with hair the lightest brown in colour and eyes the colour of blue green sea.
Her nose was probably bleeding but she had to confirm that this man standing before her was Rex.
"What was the name of the bar we first met?"
" Lady Julianna-
"Every year, who brings firecrackers for Caine's birthday?", she rapid fired again rubbing her nose.
"Shushh, just listen-
Julie could see his eyes widen at the last question. One more-
"Lastly, what is my favourite colour?"
"A fruit-", he began and then shut his mouth when someone behind him coughed loudly.
Julie peered over Rex's tall shoulder and immediately wished she had just stayed back home.
Because right behind her was the very same Crown Prince with whom she had that unfortunate first meeting yesterday.
"I didn't know that Sir Reynolds and Lady Julianna knew each other so well", he purred, a wicked smile on his face.
"Soo well that she started asking him questions in code the moment he came back from the border "
Wait a minute. He came back from the border?
"It isn't code", Julie said correcting him like he was a child.
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow.
"We were just greeting each other", she said aloud, which was technically the truth.
Still she wished her heart would just stop hammering.
Why? Just why does she mess things in front of the hasty executioner?
Rex looked at her with a worried look on his face.
"Don't you have somewhere to be, Lady Julianna?"
"Ah yes, if you will please excuse me, Lord Reeland.....And your highness", she hastily added before walking past them quickly before she said something more stupid.
As she left them behind, she heard the Crown Prince ask,
"Did she call you Rex?"
**********************************************
Lord Warrel was reading the holy book when Julie arrived.
"Julianna", he mused. "Here for another prayer for your love life?"
Julie grimaced. Julianna had a rather.....queer love life. One that involved a list of crying lovers.
"I was here for a reading "
"When for?"
"The Annual Ceremony this year"
Lord Warrel looked at her curiously, one of his eyebrows arched up.
"Why the sudden need to see what happens at the ceremony now? It's a few months away"
"Ominous feeling. I need a divine perception too.", she answered hoping that he won't ask too many questions.
The Lord's eyes narrowed. "This isn't like you"
"Are you willing to read or not?", Julie asked hoping to sound like Julianna.
The lord still had a wary look on his face as he asked her to step in the middle if the enchanted circle.
Julie did as he told her to and the Lord began his prayer.
She could feel the magic surge through her body, seeking for answers she yet didn't know of.
"Tell your name", Warrel commanded.
"Julianna Emore"
And the moment the answer left her lips, the world went black.
She was in the middle of a black hole one moment and suddenly there was light and she fell down on the ground.
"How about a smooth landing next time?", she yelled knowing that Warrel was watching her.
She got up and peered around.
It was the day of the Annual Ceremony. The posters and flags hanging around the arena made it pretty clear. She was standing in the open arena where they welcomed the Witch and the Dragon and they were currently seated at the thornes each next to the Emperor.
The three of them were busy chatting with watch other. Apparently they had been lifelong friends before going their separate ways. The emperor seemed happy and giddy which was a sight one could see only on this day.
Julie watched as the procession moved and spotted her future self amoung them. She was wearing ceremonial clothes and holding a touch with red flame, the phoenix's flame. Rex, or Sir Reynolds was leading the procession, the torch in his hand twice the size Julie was holding.
The procession was moving from her house to the arena ground by foot and the sun was burning overhead them.Julie wondered how they managed to bear the afternoon heat. She was only in spirit form, watching the scene and it felt exhausting.
The procession would move in front of the three great powers before handing the torch over to the emperor who along with the rest would use the power of the flame to light the eternal lamp in the Royal Palace.
The lamp was an ancient relic that had been burning for centuries and the phoenix's flame was added to it every year to strengthen the flames.
Just like every year, Reynold handed the torch over to the Emperor and the Emperor moved towards the lamp to add the torch to the burning mass.
The lamp's flames danced higher as the torches went in, one by one Julie watched as her future self threw her torch into the flame which was getting higher minute by minute.
Goosebumps rose on her skin. She had read about this ritual in the novel. But to see it happen was an entirely different feeling. Fear crept inside her, making knots in her stomach.
The people surrounding the stadium watched it in awe as the Emperor, the witch and the dragon stood at the the front of the lamp holding their hands, their heads bowed in prayer.
The flame rose till the top of the arch, it's light shining all over the arena and the seats where the performers all stopped and stood in their positions, the onlooking crowd too had stood up to watch it touch the tall arch.
Then it suddenly went out.