Desmond had never met Francia, but he felt he knew the woman because of Leonor's stories of her.
When they were first together as teenagers, Leonor would talk about Francia above anyone else in her life besides her mother. He knew she was important to her.
Only when he was Desmond did he finally see Francia from afar at their wedding. It was clear it was her when Leonor gazed at her as she walked by while going to the altar. She was the only one to turn to Leonor and acknowledge the struggle she was experiencing at that moment.
It was at their wedding Desmond swore he would do anything to take such a wonderful woman away from a place like Count Mikael's manor.
They were in times of peace and Desmond sent a few of his soldiers to Burien on a strange mission to find the pâtissier who made desserts his wife liked and see if they could meet with Francia at Burien Manor.