Chapter 37

Jeanne was kneeling at the place where the soldiers were buried, the gentle wind blowing her golden hair around her as she cried bitterly. Tears rolled down her face as she tried to control her pain and despair.

But despite everything, Jeanne was not going to give up. She knew her mission was too important to abandon now. She wiped away her tears and lifted her head, looking towards the horizon.

"I cannot give up," she said aloud, with determination in her voice. "I promised to free France from the English, and I will keep that promise, no matter what it costs."

She knew her soldiers had given their lives for her cause, and Jeanne felt a deep gratitude towards them. "I thank you for everything you have done for me," she said, her eyes shining with tears of admiration and respect. "You fought with courage and honor, and I will never forget the sacrifice you made."

Jeanne fell silent for a moment, remembering the faces of the soldiers who had died in the last battle. Then she stood up and looked up at the sky, as if seeking strength from the passing clouds.

"But now it is my turn to fight," she said, with renewed firmness. "I will continue this battle to the end, until France is free from the English and can live in peace."

With these words, Jeanne began to walk, leaving the field and painful memories behind. She knew she had a long road ahead, but she was determined to complete her mission and honor the soldiers who had fought with her.

Jeanne walked back to the camp with careful steps, looking around to make sure she was not being followed. Her heart raced in her chest as she took care not to be seen. As she approached a tree, a familiar voice made her stop abruptly. It was the voice of Rémy, her lover.

"Jeanne, are you okay?" Rémy asked, coming out from behind the tree.

Jeanne turned to face him, relieved to see him safe and sound. "Yes, I'm okay," she replied, although her expression was a little subdued.

Rémy didn't ask about what had happened, instead offering a ride. "Do you want to take a walk?" he asked, with a smile on his face.

Jeanne hesitated for a moment, worried about the danger of being seen. "I don't know if it's a good idea, we're in a dangerous place," she said.

Rémy ignored Jeanne's words, speaking confidently. "Don't worry, no one will see us," he said, pointing to himself with his finger.

Jeanne felt her heart race again, unsure if she should trust Rémy or not. However, the sense of security he conveyed made her give in. "All right, let's take a walk," she agreed, carried away by Rémy's smile.

Careful not to be seen by anyone, the two friends decided to leave the place they were in. Crouching down, they walked silently along one of the roads in Orleans, paying attention to every step to avoid any possible detection. Even though there seemed to be no one around, they knew that any carelessness could be fatal.

Watching Jeanne walking by his side, Rémy noticed that the subdued expression that had dominated his friend's face before seemed to have disappeared. Surprised, he couldn't help but comment:

"Jeanne, you don't seem as sad as before. Are you okay?"

With a shy smile, Jeanne replied, without giving too many details:

"I'm getting better, Rémy. Thank you for asking."

Although she didn't say much, the expression on Jeanne's face said enough. That discreet smile was a sign that she was slowly starting to feel better. Rémy, in turn, felt a huge relief in his heart, knowing that his friend was recovering from whatever was troubling her.

Rémy looked at Jeanne with a serious expression on his face and said, "You better get better." She was confused by this statement, not understanding what he meant. They continued walking, crouched down so as not to be seen by anyone. The tension between them was palpable until Rémy gave a mischievous smile and shouted loudly while running, making Jeanne jump in fright.

She stood still, not knowing what to do, as she watched Rémy running down the road without looking back. Her thoughts were confused, and she tried to understand what had just happened. Maybe Rémy was teasing her, or maybe he was trying to scare her.

Jeanne stood there, paralyzed for a few seconds, trying to recover from the shock. When she finally regained control, she realized that Rémy had disappeared from sight. She didn't know what to think, didn't know if he was joking or if something had happened. She tried calling him a few times but received no answer.

Determined to find Rémy, Jeanne began running down the road, looking around for her friend. That's when she saw him, standing on a corner, smiling at her. Jeanne felt relief at seeing him safe and sound, but also felt a certain irritation.

"Why did you do that, Rémy? You scared me!" she complained.

Rémy shrugged, still smiling. "Sorry, I couldn't resist," he said.

"Next time, let me know when you're going to start running out of nowhere." Jeanne laughed about what happened, but soon began to look around carefully to see if anyone was nearby. "You don't have to do that, there's no one. I guarantee it," Rémy said confidently, as if he knew they were alone on the road, just the two of them. "How do you know? Did you become a fortune teller?" Jeanne asked, more calmly. She trusted Rémy's word, so she completely relaxed and approached him with slow steps. "You're right. Now I can see the future. Do you want me to tell you what's going to happen next?" Rémy said with a mischievous smile. Jeanne realized right away that nothing good was coming, but still wanted to know what it was. "Please, your excellency," she bowed her upper body, placing her left arm on her chest and her right arm back, showing reverence as if she were speaking to someone very important socially or politically, even if her posture was a bit off.

Rémy walked in front of Jeanne with a confident and challenging look, and she felt his gaze fixed on her face. She tried to ignore Rémy's piercing gaze and focused her attention on her own empty hand. Jeanne was determined not to give Rémy the satisfaction of seeing her reaction to his provocations.

"I'm waiting for you to predict the future, but it seems like all you can do is talk," Jeanne said, trying to joke and relieve the tension she felt. Rémy smiled, carefully grabbed Jeanne's face, and made her look directly into his blue eyes. She was amazed by the depth and brightness of his eyes, even though she had seen those eyes many times before.

"As I said, I will predict the future, and the future I see is this," said Rémy, as he leaned his face towards hers. Jeanne was ready for the kiss, but a loud cricket sound interrupted the moment. Rémy abruptly stopped, pulling a spear from his back with his right hand.

Jeanne was confused by the sudden change in atmosphere, but she didn't stay still for long. She quickly grabbed the sword in her scabbard and looked in the direction that Rémy was staring at with his attentive eyes. The tension in the air was palpable as the two prepared for what was to come.

Soon a group of soldiers appeared, a tall man with hair that came down to his neck, mounted on a white horse, he is wearing a silver armor with the moonlight reflecting, he doesn't seem concerned if he will attract attention from the English if they are nearby. This man stopped after seeing Jeanne and Rémy on the dirt road, the man's gaze stopped at Jeanne as if he was evaluating or trying to remember someone. Rémy relaxed, but still remained alert, since he knows who this man on horseback is, since he played the game, of course Rémy doesn't know if this man is good, but he knows what his identity is, Rémy is not worried at all. As well as the man doesn't know him.

The man who was staring at Jeanne asked, "Who are you, young lady? Could you please answer me, if it's not too much trouble?" The man in the silver armor was polite when asking Jeanne's name, as he appeared to be a nobleman. Jeanne looked at Rémy, who seemed quite relaxed, since she noticed that he was not holding the spear tightly, but lightly, as if he didn't care about the man in the silver armor's question, nor about their safety. "My name is Jeanne d'Arc, also known as the Maid of Orleans." Upon mentioning her nickname, Jeanne felt her face blush a little, as it was Rémy who gave her that nickname.

"Jeanne d'Arc..." The man muttered her name and looked at her. By the rumors, her appearance really corresponded to the woman in front of him. This man might think she was an imposter, but looking into her firm and pure eyes, he couldn't help but believe that she was really Jeanne d'Arc. Furthermore, the man beside her corresponded to the description of the soldier who accompanied her, the Crimson Demon, known to some as the Divine Warrior who helped Jeanne in her mission to liberate France from the English.

"Jeanne d'Arc, would you honor me with accompanying you on your journey to liberate France?" The man in the silver armor got off his horse and, with a bow, asked Jeanne. This action not only surprised the soldiers who were with him, but also Jeanne, who wasn't expecting this kind of reaction from the man in the silver armor. "You're welcome. I will ensure your safety... At least I will try to," Jeanne looked sad, as she remembered the soldiers to whom she had said she wouldn't let anyone get hurt, but ended up not fulfilling what she had said.

"Welcome. My name is Rémy, nice to meet you," said Rémy as he approached the man who had dismounted his horse. Rémy noticed the concern on Jeanne's face, but he assured the man, Gilles de Rais, that she would recover with time. Gilles introduced himself and asked if Jeanne was alright. Rémy thanked Gilles for his concern, but assured him that Jeanne would recover on her own. Gilles offered to help them in any way he could, and his soldiers introduced themselves to Rémy and Jeanne.

Rémy interrupted the conversation, saying it was time for them to head back to their camp and prepare for what lay ahead. Gilles promised to return the next day with his soldiers to accompany Jeanne on her journey. Jeanne thanked him and said they would see each other soon.

Gilles and his soldiers rode off towards their own camp, while Jeanne and Rémy moved cautiously towards theirs, avoiding any potential patrols by the English.

Upon arriving at their camp, Jeanne's companions were relieved to see her and eager to hear how she was feeling. Jeanne reassured them that she was feeling better.

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