Burning Lilies: Chapter 14

Gilbert and Antonio came rushing into the grand doors of Francis's castle.
"Hey, you, shortie. Where's Franny?"
"Wh-who, monsieur?"
"Ah, a Mr. Bonnefoy, senor."
"Ah, it seems Monsieur Bonnefoy is...busy."
"Busy? What can that guy be doing at a time like his? I mean, he should at least be-"

Two delicate hands pushed the two men away. Maria came in between them, still in perfect condition considering the storm outside. The servant bowed quickly.
"Ah, Madame Madonna, I am so sorry for my insolence, I-"
"Hush, sweet brother. If his own best friends cannot see him at this moment, may I? They will accompany me, of course."
"Ah...yes, I suppose."

Maria was walking up the spiral stairs, Spain and Prussia right behind. A small voice was heard.
"I warn you, Madame Madonna, you will not be pleased with what you will see up there."
"No worries, I trust my Francis."
She made her way up the stairs, the two young men following behind.

----

They reached the Frenchman's room. There was no sounds from the room, then a clash, a bang, and then the door flung open. Instead of Francis, it was a small woman, half naked, stomping out of the room. Maria almost fainted. Prussia caught her, his jaw dropping, and Spain stared at the woman.

"The fool! How dare he! I came all the way from Bordeaux to dirty Paris to find that the client doesn't want to sleep with me? How dare he! HOW DARE HE! Stupid Pierre, he'll hear my mouth when I get back..."

She stomped down the staircase, the three visitors staring. They turned their heads to find a man sitting on the grand velvet red bed. His shirt collar was open, exposing a hairy chest. His trousers were messy, and it seem that someone was fumbling with it. The man looked up to find the visitors staring. His eyes were red, he had bags under his eyes, and his hair was a mess. Tears began to roll down Maria's eyes.

"Oh, my Francis!" She ran to France, embracing him and comforting his broken soul.
"Dear God, Fran, what happened to you! Get a hold of yourself!"
From the doorway, Spain whispered to Gilbert.
"Ah, but Gil, he has lost his corazon, he has nada mas la esperanza he once had when she lived."
"I guess your right..."

They watched as Maria tried to change Francis clothes. She washed up his face, fixed his hair, and tried to make him eat. As much as the three friends tried, it was to no prevail. He did not speak. As they sat at the dinner table, they all looked to see if their once cheery friend will talk.

"Ah, servant. Come."
"Francis, you talked! Oh, thank my sweet God!"
"Mi amigo, you're back!"
"Way to go, Franny!"
Francis ignored his friends, to their dismay. The servant came to the table nervously, fearing his master's wrath.
"Y-Yes master?"
"Send a message to Pierre. I want him to send his girl "Papillon" immediately."
"Ye-yes, monsieur."

Maria stood up at the table.
"Francis! You dare desecrate the bond you shared with Joan like this? Playing around with flimsy woman and becoming a dirty playboy? What happened to you, my France?"

"Maria, please, just quiet yourself for now. There is no reason for me to live anymore. I might as well live the rest of my days with no purpose, because there isn't any purpose. Not at all. Thank you for helping me, all three of you, but I rather live a meaningless life with other women than a good life without her. What can I do? What can I possibly do? There is no purpose. None at all. So just-"
"Just what, Francis? See you rot away? See you become nothing but flesh and bones and no soul? That is not the Francis that I remembered when I was growing up. Listen to me, and stop these acts."

She paused, and took out a piece of paper.

"This was signed by Arthur. It states that Jeanne d'Arc has received martyrdom and has been proclaimed a saint. Arthur has even paid to move her body to French territories! Doesn't that make your heart a little better?"

France stood abruptly and stared into the young Italian girl's emerald eyes.

"It doesn't bring her back to life, Maria, why can't you understand that!?"

Francis left the table. Gilbert darted after him, but Antonio held him back.
"This is something he must figure out himself, mi amigo."
"But he needs help! He's going to die a lonely man if we don't-"

"Hush, both of you. Just let him be. Even with his words, I know he listened to me."

All three left, the food untouched, and the wine unopened.

----

"Sissy, sissy! I got a letter! It's from big brother France!"
"Wow, it has been...3 weeks, hasn't it? I hope he's doing okay!"
"Please, what does that big pervert want from us?"
"Oh, Lovi, shh. Let's see..."

--

"Yo, Toni! Look what I got in the mail!"
"A letter from your lover, Elizaveta?"
"NO! And she's a good friend, nothing more. It's from France!"
"France? Hasn't it been 3 weeks?"
"I know! Let's check it out! I might be good news!"

--

Dear friends,

I have decided to live a life, and not to just exist. I know she would have wanted that. Arthur paid a visit to me to pay his condolences. As for you guys, I wanted to thank you. Thank you for helping me with these times. My heart will never heal, of course, but I know that she would want me to continue living. She had this "never look back" attitude, so I would do the same. She has claimed my heart, and I can never love again. For now, I have left the mainlands and started to travel west to see what lands there might be. I would not be back for a long time, but I would of course keep in touch! Thank you, very much, my very good friends. I trust in all of you, and I await for what the future holds. For now, my heart, though broken, still beats because Jeanne is always around. I feel her, and sometimes I even see her and her smile. Thank you, and I will come home soon. I have to think these things through, and it's better to do it alone.

Yours always,
Francis Bonnefoy

----

The sea air was crisp. The ship had been in the ocean for at least a week.
"Capitan! There seems to be land up there!"
"Up where, good man?"
"There! See it?"
"I...don't see anything..."
"IT'S RIGHT THERE."
"Ah, yes, now I see it....ah, monsieur, why so red? Are you aroused in some way?"
"I WILL NEVER WORK FOR YOU AGAIN, CAPITAN BONNEFOY."
"Ah, that's what you say now. Wait until you need to feed the family...oh hon hon...
"You, monsieur, are-"
"LAND HO!!"

France had become more cheery since his time on his ship. Though his crew seem....displeased with his behavior, they couldn't help but care for the man and his extremely good leadership skills. They were off to claim new territory, and the crew came to support their families. This man, by the name of Jacques Cartier, had come to help Francis, but he wasn't much of a good sport.

"Ah, Jacques, you get mad over every single thing..."
"But capitan, you continue to push my buttons! How are we to discover new lands if you are always drinking and dancing!"
"Isn't that a more creative way to discover new lands?"
"CAPITAN, YOU ARE A-"
"Handsome man, I know."

The flamboyant Frenchman walked away from his frustrated cohort. Francis stood at the front of his ship, heading towards the new found land. From the inside of his jacket, he took out what seem to be a flower. A lily. A white one. He held the stem and studied it, looking at it's intricate designs, the way the petals had bloomed, and how white and pure it was. He breathed it in, smelling every scent the flower could possibly give off. He whispered, as if he was talking to the flower itself.

"Tu possedes mon coeur, ma petite Jeanne. I will never forget. I promise."

He dropped the lily into the water and watched as it slowly floated away.