Martyr - Julian Devorak x Fan Apprentice Lirio Iturburua, Fan Fic!
Hello everyone!!! as promised this is the fan apprentice x Julian fanfic I had been . working on for the past couple of month. This takes place right after book ten ends on Julians route. I would like to say that I wrote this mainly because I needed something to coupe with while @thearcanagame developers were hard at work to give us book eleven, so I am fully aware that allot of these events/happenings may be very wrong or may become completely obsolete after book eleven is released. So please just bare with me as I try to provide you some good quality fluff and angst. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.
âJ-Julian?âŚâ my voiced trailed off.
âWhat is he doing? After  all weâve been through, after everything was said and done, why is he doing this?â
âJulian what are you doing?â demanding a reason for this sudden change of mind, my voice is laced with an incredulous tone.
âI thought he had found his answers back in the forest, he wasnât guilty, the restoration of his memories gave him a clear answer, he had such high hopes for his freedomâŚwhere did that all go?â
âGUARDS!!! Apprehend him!â Nadia beckons her guards.
âJulian, WHAT are you doing?â Emphasizing my presence and concern.
âI told you, I am not here to mingle with strangersâŚâ Julian answers back. A twinge of hurt makes its way to my face.
âStrangers?!â My eyes sting at his answer. As I prepare myself to confront him I feel a tug at my arm. I look back at the source and see Portia, tears staining her face.
âLetâs go Lirio, pleaseâŚâ All the previous victories we had were washed away by the defeat that now consumed her. All of her hopes of being able to help her brother for once in her life had been drained  at the sight of his presence. She pleaded once more: ââŚpleaseâŚitâs overâ. Her trembling voice caught in her throat. I trace my eyes over her hands holding on to me as disbelief turned to dread, which turned to anger
âWe did NOT come all this way just to give up now. Julian IS innocent and I will not allow them anyone to stand in the way of his freedom and our futureâŚnot even himselfâ.
I yank myself from Portiaâs grasp leaving her stunned by the sudden action. I walk, almost stomping my feet against the ground I confront the plague doctor.
âWe are NOT strangers Julian, how dare youâŚâ My breath hitches as a lump forms in my throat.  Thinking back to what was said between us in the dungeon, the future he envisioned beside me, standing in front of him the security I used to find in those words starts to dwindle away. âYou lied to me.â I expressed, thought gritted teeth and blurry eyes, tears burning my skin. âYou saidâŚâ My sentence is cut short when Nadia decides to give me an impromptu interrogation.
âDo youâŚdo you know him?â She asks incredulously scanning me for the answer that she does not want to hear. With the small amount of courage I have left I leave his gaze to lock my eyes on Nadia and begin to answer.
âI do, he and I areâŚâ Another interruption erupts only this time Julian grabs me by my arm and  whips me around to face him again. He digs his fingers slightly in to me and I can feel him trembling. We make eye contact as he slightly shakes me as if to get some sense into me. I search his eyes trying to find a reason but all I see is a man fueled by determination, different from before, itâs a desperate determination quiet and subdued yet ready to burst. It was less about him and more about me .
âDamnit Lirio, what the hell are you doing?, Iâm trying to save you!â
âSAVE me? From who, you?â I retort with a delirious look on my face.
âYES!!! Iâm not good for you LilyâŚplease for once just listen.â His last words laced with defeat, sleepless nights evident on his face, and his features have grown mature. His eyes fix on the ground, my hand reaches for his face cupping his chin to slightly lift it up and his gaze fixes on mine. His hands reach out to grab my head, cupping my face so delicately in his grasp and on instinct I bury my face in his warm grasp. My eyes flutter closed as I take in the warmth and comfort his touch gives me, the hands that bring me joy, peace, safety, pleasure, and every other fathomable feeling that could course through my body. He brings himself towards me as he places his forehead against mine lost in this moment only for a moment.
Nadia, needing no more explanations on our relationship status, beckons on the guards to once more obey her commands growing ever impatient.
âGUARDS!!! Get this murderer away from my sight, keep him in the dungeon until itâs time for justice to reign upon his head.â
At her command my eyes shot open pulling me from my trance like state. I see the guards coming towards us and my hands grab on to Julianâs forearms pulling him closer to me if it were even possible.
âRun away with me, please Julian, justâŚjustâŚâ My voice trails off in an almost breathless whisper and I close my eyes letting the tears fall freely taking their course over my cheeks. Julian pressed his lips against my forehead placing a kiss on it as he dug his face into my hair and my face rested on the crook of his neck. He breathed against my locks, committing my essence to memory.
âForgive me loveâŚplease forgive me.â I pull away, looking at him through blurry eyes, pressing my lips together to contain the sobs that threaten to come out as I shake my head letting him know:
âI could never be mad at you, I could never hate you Ilya.â
An apologetic smile graces his face as his last words come out as a sigh and seconds later Nadiaâs guards yank Julian from my embrace putting him in handcuffs and escorting him away. My reflexes kick in as my feet star to move forward and my arms stretch out reaching for the lapel of his coat. In that moment I feel Portiaâs hand grab my arm and pull me away turning me to face her.
âLirio, letâs go please, I donâtâŚI donât want to see thisâŚplease.â Her face buries itself against my shoulder, not being able to look me in the eyes as I feel her hot tears flow against the fabric of my blouse. The only view I have is the top of her head as I look down. I breath in and exhale a heavy sigh as I wipe my face with my sleeve putting on a brave face for her even though inside I'm crumbling. I look behind me one last time as I see Julian staring back at me as his figure disappears through the maze and into the dungeon. I focus back on Portia squeezing her shoulders to make her look at me.
âHey, câmon look at me, weâll find a way. I donât know how but weâll find a way, Iâll make sure it happens. Letâs go, we have no time to waste andâŚâ Nadia interrupts.
âWhere do you think you are going with my handmaid?â I freeze at the sudden coldness in her voice as she continue to speak. âWe still have someâŚâeventsâ to discuss that have taken place without my awareness.â
I look at my surroundings trying to find a way out to no avail. With heavily guarded exits of the garden , I let out a defeated sigh as the realization hits me, there is no escape from this. I turn from Portia to face the countess. Her face is still, a hint of hurt masked in her eyes as she stares me down.
âWhat do you want to know?â I retort back and the countessâs pursed lips form into a slight frown.
âLetâs review shall we. For starters you were invited into my palace to help me solve the murder of my dear Lucio, bring Dr. Devorak to justice, and bring peace back to Vesuvia but here I see what I can only assume is a conspiracy against me forged by my handmaiden, a murderer, and my once beloved guest.â I stare back at her give her the same intensity she gives me. âWell? Are my assumption true?â She finishes her accusation and I firmly plant my feet to the ground beneath me ready to expose her to the truth whether she likes it or not.
âYou came to me asking me to help you seek justice for the death of count Lucio, I did my job, I investigated every route available including going directly to your prime suspect and found nothing in his wake. Nothing to prove him guilty, however I did find more than enough evidence on your courtiers, they know more than they are leading you to believe and are showing you what they conveniently need you to see. So as far as Iâm concerned I. DID. MY. JOB.â Nadiaâs eyes widened in bewilderment, surprised that I actually responded.
âI CAME to you asking you to help me put Dr. Devorak to justice!!! He killed my Lucio!!!â She exclaimed.
âNo you came to me wanting someone to validate your bloodlust and simply agree with you on the murder of a man you didnât even care for.â The countess is stunned. âIf that is what you wanted then you came knocking at the wrong shop that night.â If it would've been possible smoke would've been emanating from her ears and her eyes would've grown several shades of red.
âSoâŚmy assumptions are partly true, youâve fallen in love with a criminalâ She relaxes her facial features as she said this, unrolling her fists with each syllable.
âHe is not a criminal! He is a kind, amazing, inspired man who wants nothing more than to make things right for the ones he loves; thats the man I have fallen in love with, not whatever assumption you've made him to be, besides, what would you know about love countess, remind me how long it took you to actually start a formal investigation on the matters of your âhusbandsâ death. Let me also preface that I donât like to repeat myself. If you want real answers ask your courtiers otherwise my âinvestigationâ is over.â Nadiaâs face contorts back into anger at my declaration.
âCareful miss Lirio.â She warns. âYou wouldn't want to cross me, I might just hold you liable for treason against VesuviaâŚâ For a moment my whole body jerks in place as fear takes over, the thought of facing capital punishment over something I wanted no part of to begin with consumes me as I lower my gaze.
âHow did I get here? All I did was forget to turn of a lamp outside of the shop and now Iâm standing in front of the countess facing possible charges Iâm nowhere near guilty of and loosing Julian. Ilya. Iâm so sorry my love, I promised you we would do this together and nowâŚâ
A lightbulb turns on. A plan is born and the corners of my mouth jerk up slightly into a knowing smirk. I lift up my face, facing Nadia one last time.
âFine, if thats what you desire, I wonât stop you. Put another innocent life to death, you seem to like that.â At the challenge of her authority Nadiaâs lips snarl. Portia stands stunned next to me as she squeezes my arm. âLirio, noâŚâ Is all she manages to say throw her still sobbing state. My hand reaches for hers squeezing it back  as I give her a reassuring smile knowing full well that this plan means the end of my life also.
âI, countess Nadia Satrinava, hereby sentence you, Lirio Iturburua, to death by hanging on accounts of treason against your countryâŚguards take her away.â Nadiaâs voice falters on her last words, not even she can believe the commands she has given. Two guards come from behind the countess as they proceed to grab me by my arms. Portia barely stands to the side shaking from each sob raking her body. I direct myself towards her.
âPortia. Itâs ok, we did everything we could. You did everything in your power to save Julian. You did enough so please do not beat yourself up for this alrightâŚpromise me.â Portia nods her head without looking at me. Before the guard escort me away I speak to Nadia.
âI only have two simple request before I go.â Nadia perks her head up, she was previously looking at the ground in a sort of melancholic trance.
âGo on.â Nadia replies dryly.
âDo not blame Portia for any of this, she was only trying to protect her brother. As a woman with siblings you should hopefully know the feeling..â
âI suppose.â The countessâs reply is short but more than enough for some of my burdens to ease away from me. With this I make my second request.
âMy other requestâŚâ As the thoughts of what I'm about to say cross my mind my throat becomes dry almost unbearably so. I close my eyes, refocus, and gulp some moisture back to my vocal cords. ââŚhang me before you hang Julian. I do not wish to see him in that state so pleaseâŚâ Nadia scans me, knowing this will be our last encounter until morrowâs day break. Her brows furrow, hurt established in her gaze and for a moment I believe she would say no. She shakes her head trying to focus on the task at hand as she finally replies.
âFine.â Her sentence now cemented the guards escort me through the foliage of the garden maze, through a back door of the palace where the setting sunâs light begins to disappear.
My eyes begin to adjust to the new lack of brightness as we walk down a set of stairs into the prison. Cold and damp we walk past several cells dimly light by the faint glows of the torches hanging on the stone walls. We finally stop and I realize we are in the deepest part of the dungeon, consumed by darkness with a small window in the corner of the cell that emanated the remaining light of the sun and welcomed in the faint glow of the moon. As one of the guards opens the cell I notice a tall figure stand to his feet and call my name.
âLirio?!?â My eyes widen as the figure emerged from the shadows walking closer to the cell door but I donât have to see him to know who it is.
âIlya!!!â I start to fight against my restraints, trying to break free from the remaining guards grasp just so I can wrap my arms around Julian.
âStop resisting!â The one guard calls out as the other finishes unlocking the cell door. As soon as itâs doors swung open the guards didnât even have to push me inside, they let go, I bolted crashing into Julians embrace. He received me with open arms ready to catch me as I flung my body towards him. Confusion wrapped in his stare, he instinctively wrapped his arms around my waist as I draped mine around his neck burying my face in the crook of his neck. Julian places one of his hands on the back of my head running it through my hair.
âLirioâŚwhat are you doing here?â He asked against the top of my head. I lift it up to meet his eyes, stormy, growing darker with concern.
âI promised you wouldnât go through this alone, I always keep my promises JulianâŚNadia sentenced me to death with you.â Julian lost it, he gripped my arms hands shaking, wild eyes staring back at me.
âWHAT?!? No, nononono, this canât be happening, this is not happening, Lily, please, PLEASE for the love of anything that is holy, please tell me this is a sick joke.â He doesnât let me respond as he turns away from me and centers his attention towards the cell door screaming at the guards. âHELLO YES FINE GENTLEMEN  THERE HAS BEEN A MISTAKE MâLADY HERE TELLS ME THAT THE KIND COUNTESS HAS SENTENCED HER TO DEATH, IS THIS TRUE?â The guards do not seem faced by his outburst and blatantly ignore him, Julian clings to the bars of the door. ââŚhelloâŚâ I reach out my hand touching his shoulder.
âJulianâŚitâsâŚitâs ok.â He turns to me, throwing away any sense of calm.
âHow? How is this okay Lily? You are not supposed to be in here. I am. You are not supposed to DIE tomorrow. I am. YouâŚyouâŚyou were supposed to live a long full life and itâs not fairâŚâ His voice breaks and so does he. At his last words Julian falls to his knees in front of me finally letting himself feel everything. His back shakes as the tears spill from his face. I kneel in front of him, my hands finding his face, cupping his cheeks and wiping away the tears. Lifting up his face to me.
âYou and I both know that none of those things would have happened without you Ilya, besides, how is it fair that I get to live without you.â He snorts at that, his hands mimicking my own touching my face , marking every curve and dot on it. He bends down to kiss my forehead, my temple, my eyes, cheeks, nose, and eventually my lips. Tasting the saltiness of his tears we linger there neither one wanting to part first. Eventually we separate but only enough to look at each other. We decide to settle in to the cobblestone floor below us, setting my head against his chest listening to his heartbeat lulling me to sleep. Before drifting into unconsciousness Julian breaths into my hair one final declaration.
âI love you Lirioâ Almost like a prayer, he hugs me ever tighter to his frame as I find my final resting place just beneath his chin, nuzzling my face into his neck.
âI love you Ilya.â I feel his chest heave in a sigh of relief as we both drift in to restless slumber.
At the first sign of light I hear keys struggling against the cell door and my body shoots up from its rest. Julian not following far behind me lifts himself up and gets to his feet as he helps me get to mine positioning me behind him with an arm protectively over me. The guard finally manages to open the cell door and swings it open revealing two pairs of handcuffs. I look at Julian who has his eyes set on the guard brow furrowed and lips pressed shut. I press my body closer to his waiting for the guards command, the only command that is left to say. I brace myself against Julian as he finds my arms giving it a hard comforting squeeze, then the guard opens his mouth.