Chapter 70

In the morning, the sunlight bathed the scenery, revealing a magnificent weather. The sky, as blue as a cloudless sea, displayed all its beauty. Jeanne, asleep in Rémy's arms, began to furrow her brow, shaking her face from side to side. The restless movements awakened Rémy from his peaceful sleep. He found Jeanne's face covered in sweat, her expression revealing anguish. Concerned, Rémy stroked her forehead, searching for any signs of fever, but her body temperature was normal. Perhaps it was just a nightmare tormenting her.

"Jeanne!" Restlessness took over Rémy. He shook her forcefully, determined to rescue her from this nightmare. Jeanne abruptly opened her eyes, her frightened gaze scanning the surroundings. "I'm here. I'm here," Rémy whispered, embracing her tightly, while his fingers slid through her hair, trying to calm her agitation. Jeanne was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly under the weight of her accelerated breath. However, Rémy's touch on her hair and his loving voice began to calm her.

"What happened?" Rémy held Jeanne's face in his hands, looking deeply into her eyes, which now reflected less fear. "I don't know... I only remember a voice saying 'no!'... But it wasn't my lord's voice. It was similar but different." Jeanne felt uncertain, recognizing the voice as something extremely familiar, like God's voice, but something made it unique. It wasn't the first time this had happened; the first time was during her command in Orleans. Rémy noticed the evident confusion in Jeanne's eyes. He also wondered about the identity of this being, but he had no deductions other than God. However, Jeanne mentioned that the voice was similar but not exactly the same. Rémy began to suspect who it could be.

"And what did you see in this nightmare? Do you remember?" Rémy longed for more information because the last time Jeanne recounted the incident, he inquired about what she had seen, but Jeanne claimed not to remember anything. "I saw... I can't remember again," Jeanne began to say, but frustratingly, her memory seemed to have dissipated, just like the last time. This loss of memory left her helpless because with the recollection, she could have some understanding of the meaning behind that "no" uttered by the voice.

"Alright. Let's have breakfast, but before that, we need to take a shower," Remy lifted Jeanne as if she were a princess, surprising her and causing her to hold onto him. A smile appeared on Remy's face. As they prepared to leave, a persistent knock sounded at the door of the house. Remy paused, wondering who it could be. With Jeanne on the floor, fixing her disheveled clothes due to Remy's actions, he approached the door and opened it. "Étienne." A powerful voice resonated, revealing the visitor. Remy had already granted entry and, upon seeing Étienne, he noticed his appearance, visibly tired as if he hadn't slept. "It's great to see you, Sir Remy. It seems you've grown a little more this year?" Étienne expressed surprise at Remy's growth. "Sir Étienne! What a joy to see you, my friend!" Remy exclaimed, embracing Étienne warmly, which he promptly returned. "What brings you here? If it's for cows, I'm sorry to say I won't give you any, hahaha," Remy joked, holding Étienne's shoulder. This surprise at seeing Étienne present was immense for him. "Unfortunately, I didn't come for cows. The king sent this letter for Miss Jeanne." Étienne hoped it was to ask for a cow, but he noticed the change in Remy's face, sensing his reluctance to get involved. Étienne lamented the couple's situation but knew he couldn't do anything about it.

"Hello, Étienne," greeted Jeanne with a grateful smile. "Thank you so much for bringing the letter. You seem exhausted. Why don't you rest for a while?" Concerned for her friend, she tried to convince him to rest, but before he could refuse, Remy intervened, pulling him inside the house. "Come in, Étienne. You need some rest," Remy said gently, guiding him to a chair so he could sit.

As Étienne settled down, Remy approached him with a concerned yet slightly shaken voice. "Would you like something to eat? Maybe some fruit?" His uneasiness was evident, as he hadn't liked the content of the letter sent by the king, even without reading it. It was probably a request for both of them to prepare for a new battle. Remy, who had hoped that after the last battle, he and Jeanne could finally live in peace, felt disappointed. Luckily, the deadline for Jeanne to be captured, according to the story, had already passed, bringing some relief to Remy. However, Jeanne noticed Remy's dissatisfaction, noting his expression. With a mix of curiosity and irony, she opened the letter, and an ironic smile appeared on her face. Étienne, troubled by having brought that letter and disturbing the couple's tranquility, felt guilty.

When Remy returned to the room to put on his armor, Étienne commented, observing the closed door, "I think he didn't like it very much." Jeanne, already prepared and wearing her usual armor but with a new detail, an elegant cape covering her chest, nodded in agreement. "Yes, he's discontent. Excuse me." Jeanne left the house towards where she kept her own armor.

Meanwhile, Étienne decided to rest for a while, resting his head on the table. Almost instantly, he fell into a deep sleep, like a satisfied baby. "He seems really exhausted," observed Remy as he exited the room, now wearing an imposing white armor with red details. "It seems he hasn't had a minute of rest," added Jeanne, standing beside Remy. Fully prepared, she walked past Étienne, whose peaceful breathing betrayed a restful sleep, and mounted her horse. Remy, who had recently cut his hair, abandoning the long locks he once had, approached his own horse positioned next to the house.

As they mounted their horses, Remy turned to Jeanne, eager to know the destination of the journey they were about to undertake. "Where are we going?" he asked, his eyes fixed on hers. Jeanne held her banner firmly, feeling a slight headache that quickly passed. "We are going to the city of Rouen," she replied determinedly. The anticipation of the impending battle throbbed in her chest, but her commitment to Remy and the desire to build a peaceful life by his side were even stronger. "Let's let Étienne rest," Remy suggested, referring to their sleeping friend with his head on the table. Jeanne agreed, understanding the importance of well-deserved rest for Étienne, even if he might be upset about not participating in this new endeavor. "Yes, he put in a lot of effort to bring that letter," Jeanne concurred with a grateful look at Étienne. "Let's let him rest while we depart." And so, mounted on their horses, the couple set off towards the city of Rouen, determination in Jeanne's gaze and Remy's loyalty permeating every step they took.

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"Are they taking too long to arrive?" On the road leading to the city of Rouen, three men anxiously awaited someone's arrival. Griffin impatiently scratched the ground with a stick. "Could you be any more patient? They're already coming," Guillaume reprimanded, as some time had passed since they started waiting. François, silent, played with his bow. He didn't comment on what Griffin said, remaining rather reserved.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves approached, and Remy and Jeanne appeared on their horses, heading towards the soldiers. Guillaume, upon noticing their approach, ran towards Remy. "Sir Remy, it's been so long! It's great to see you again," exclaimed Guillaume, brimming with joy. "Indeed, it's been a long time, Guillaume. I see that you're doing well. And it's also been a while since I last saw you, François and Griffin," greeted Remy, acknowledging everyone present.

"A pleasure to see you again, Sir Remy," the two soldiers responded simultaneously. "Good morning, everyone," Jeanne greeted, scanning each face. She noticed significant changes in their appearances, primarily physical. However, regarding their mental transformations, she had no way of knowing since she hadn't spent time with them. "Good morning to you too, Miss Jeanne," said Griffin, being the first to greet her. His gesture was somewhat awkward, considering his guilt over Antoine's death. Embarrassed, he scratched his head, evoking that painful memory.

Jeanne noticed that François was notably quiet, even more reserved than usual. She also observed the growing seriousness in Griffin, a stark contrast to his previous personality. It seemed that the past few years had left their marks on him. On the other hand, Guillaume remained true to the image she held of him, unchanged. Except for François, Jeanne didn't pay much attention, assuming he might be in a bad mood. Thus, she didn't dwell on it.

"Well, the conversation is great, but we need to move on," joked Remy, urging his horse forward with a gentle touch. The horse protested with a neigh. "It was just a joke, don't mind," Remy soothed, lightly caressing the horse's head.

"So, François, how was your year? Did you spend a lot of time with your wife and daughter?" Remy asked, visibly curious. He remembered how eager François was to see his family again.

"Oh, yes! It was a wonderful year, I truly enjoyed every moment," François replied. However, his eyes avoided eye contact with Remy, and he nervously scratched his arm.

"Actually, I had the pleasure of accompanying him to meet his wife and daughter. They're amazing people, I really enjoyed being with them," Guillaume interjected, with a smile, although his eyes showed seriousness. He gently held François' hand to prevent excessive scratching. "Be careful, you might hurt your skin by scratching like that."

"Sorry, it's a habit I've acquired," François said, ceasing to scratch his arm. His gaze became serious and hesitant as he stared ahead at the road. His tense body revealed a certain nervousness.

"François, are you okay?" Griffin inquired, displaying great concern. He had always been one of the closest people to François, even though Pierre had temporarily taken on that role. François' expression turned despondent, reflecting his internal emotions.

"I'm fine, just thinking about something here in my head. It's silly, nothing important," François spoke up to reassure them. Guillaume patted his shoulder as a form of encouragement, and he smiled. François looked at him with a strange look. Guillaume briefly glanced at Remy's back. Remy's spear is on his back. Then he looked ahead with a smile on his face. They were approaching a place with plenty of trees, as well as tall grass.

"Miss Jeanne, may I go ahead to check for any imminent danger?" Griffin pleaded, eager to uncover any hidden threats. After all, it was quite common for enemy soldiers to camouflage themselves, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush their unsuspecting opponents.

"Yes, you may, but I will accompany you," Jeanne replied firmly. She would not allow any of her brave soldiers to face uncertainty alone. She would tolerate no further losses under her command. Although the landscape ahead appeared empty, Jeanne knew that only destiny held the hidden secrets that might reside there.

"It's not necessary..." Griffin muttered, wishing to proceed alone. However, before he could even articulate his words fully, Jeanne had already overtaken him on her majestic mare. The gleam in Griffin's eyes revealed their mutual understanding. He realized that Jeanne shared the weight of every life under her command. With a smile filled with gratitude, he followed her, determined, aware of Jeanne's profound desire to avoid any additional loss.

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