chapter 32

Upon waking up, Rémy opened his eyes before Jeanne and watched her sleep peacefully. He couldn't resist and, gently, touched her nose, making her let out a soft sigh. "Jeanne, wake up, we need to leave early," he said, getting out of bed carefully so as not to disturb her sleep.

Jeanne woke up upon hearing Rémy's voice and slowly opened her eyes, admiring the beauty of the man who was beside her, skillfully and precisely putting on his armor. He picked up the spear that was in the corner of the wall and looked at her, who was still lying down, silently admiring him.

"So, are we going?" Rémy asked, taking Jeanne's armor that was thrown on the floor to her. "Yes, let's go," she replied with a smile on her face, still enchanted with the scene she had just witnessed.

She turned her back to Rémy, displaying her long blonde hair, and asked, "Could you braid my hair?" He approached her gently and skillfully began to braid her hair, making her feel protected and loved. When he finished, Jeanne got up quickly, put on her armor and placed the sword in the sheath next to her waist. She took her flag that was beside the wall and asked enthusiastically, "So, are we going?"

Rémy replied with a playful smile: "As far as I know, that was my line, but let's go." They left the house together.

It didn't take long for Jeanne's soldiers to arrive, as well as the new ones the king had given her. "Good morning, guys. This person next to me is Rémy, you must know him by name," Jeanne greeted the soldiers and introduced Rémy to the new soldiers she would command. "Good morning, Miss Jeanne, good morning, Mr. Rémy," all the soldiers spoke at the same time, even those who did not know Rémy personally, only by rumors.

"The fight to come will be tough, but I ask that you have faith in me and in Rémy. The greatest faith you must have is in God. He will help us in this fight. I know some of you have families, and I don't want those people to be saddened by the death of their loved ones who fought. So, I'm telling you now that I will protect each and every one of you with my life," Jeanne spoke loudly so that all the soldiers could hear her. The 400 soldiers who had been with Jeanne from the beginning believed in what she had just said, while the soldiers who had only met her the day before did not believe what she was saying, even though they had heard rumors that she could make a blessing from God so that they would not be hurt. Many thought this was just an illusion of hers to seem like a saint.

"Soldiers, hear me! Our lands have been invaded, our cities and towns razed, our brothers and sisters oppressed and subjugated by the invaders. But I tell you, today, now, is the time for us to rise up and fight for the freedom of France! We will not leave any corner of this country without liberation!

We will fight with all our might, with every drop of sweat that runs from our bodies, with every beat of our hearts pulsing for freedom. No matter how many battles we have to face, how many adversities we have to overcome, we will remain firm in our pursuit of victory.

We will fight for every living person in our lands, for every faith, for every culture, for every life that breathes in this nation. We will not leave a stone upon a stone of our cities without liberation. We will show the invaders that France is strong and courageous, and that we will never bow down to oppression!

So, raise your weapons and your flags, soldiers! Follow me, and together, we will march towards the freedom of France!"

Jeanne spoke with such passion and determination that her soldiers felt inspired and motivated to fight bravely for the liberation of their country.

"Yes!" Some soldiers still had doubts whether Jeanne's audacious strategy would work, but the excitement of that moment was palpable, and everyone shouted with the strength of their lungs.

Suddenly, Rémy whistled, and two majestic horses appeared, neighing vigorously. One was a handsome red horse, with a black mane that seemed to flicker in the wind, and the other a white mare, elegant and imposing. The soldiers watched, amazed, as Rémy mounted his red horse and Jeanne climbed onto her white mare.

The young leader brandished her sword, and the soldiers, ready for battle, beat their weapons against their shields, creating a deafening sound. The horses trotted towards the soldiers, who opened a path for the group to pass, excited by the courage of Jeanne and Rémy.

The city gate opened with a heavy creaking sound, as if it were resisting Rémy and Jeanne's departure and their army. The crowd of soldiers marched out, with their armor shining in the morning sun. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the empty roads as they headed east, towards Candes-Saint-Martin.

Jeanne rode ahead, her white armor shining like a beacon. Her blue eyes were fixed on the horizon, her expression determined. She seemed to know exactly where she was going, and Rémy couldn't help but look at her with a smile, of course he was on her side.

The path to Candes-Saint-Martin was relatively peaceful. The surrounding landscape was peaceful, with green fields and lush forests that stretched as far as the eye could see. The sun was shining in the blue sky, and the air was filled with the scent of wildflowers and freshly cut grass.

As they approached the city, Rémy could see the towers and walls that surrounded it, looming imposingly on the horizon. He could feel the tension rising in the air, knowing they were getting closer and closer to enemy territory. But Jeanne seemed completely at ease, as if there was nothing that could stop her.

Finally, they arrived at the city, and Jeanne led the army through the narrow streets to the central square. Rémy followed behind her, impressed with how well she seemed to know the city, even though she had never been there before. He knew she had planned everything carefully, but he was still amazed by her strategic intelligence.

As they walked, Rémy observed the faces of the local residents. Many looked scared and worried, fearing the arrival of the enemy army. But others looked at Jeanne with admiration and hope, as if she were the salvation they had been waiting for.

At the end of the square, Jeanne stopped in front of a small church, and Rémy realized that was the place she had planned to visit. He was curious to know what she planned to do next, but he knew he would have to wait to find out. In the meantime, he watched as Jeanne stood in front of the church, her face resolute and determined. He had no doubt that she was ready to do something at that moment.

"Citizens of this city, I Jeanne d'Arc, come to help you in this battle that is to come, I will not force anyone, even if the king supports me, I want people who want to fight for the homeland of this land!" Jeanne shouted, making her voice echo, she raised her flag in the air.

Jeanne stood in the center of the square, raising her voice so that everyone could hear her. Silence fell over the crowd as the local residents gathered around her, curious to hear what she had to say.

"Citizens of this city," began Jeanne, her voice firm and clear. "I am Jeanne d'Arc, and I have come here to offer my help in the upcoming battle. But let me be clear: I will not force anyone to follow me. I only want those who are willing to fight for the homeland of this land!"

Her words were met with murmurs of approval and admiration. Many of the local residents looked at her with awe, impressed by her courage and determination. They knew the battle that lay ahead would be difficult and dangerous, but Jeanne seemed ready to face any challenge.

She raised her flag in the air, the sunlight reflecting off the vibrant colors. It was an impressive sight, and many of the local residents felt inspired by her. They knew the flag represented something important, something worth fighting for.

Jeanne looked out at the crowd with a serious, yet hopeful expression. She knew it wouldn't be easy to convince people to join her, but she was determined to try. She believed in her cause, believed that she was fighting for something bigger than herself.

And so, she waited, her flag waving in the wind, as the local residents considered her offer. She knew their decision would be crucial to the success of her mission, and she was eager to see how they would respond.

The atmosphere was tense and charged with emotion as Jeanne waited for a group of citizens to express their desire for change and justice. She was an inspiring figure, attracting many people with her determination and courage.

But before any of the citizens could speak, an individual appeared, pushing the crowd violently. He seemed to be furious, and his presence was intimidating. Jeanne did not see the individual among the crowd.

Suddenly, without warning, the aggressor grabbed a stone and threw it towards Jeanne. She didn't have time to react, and the stone hit her face hard, causing sharp and excruciating pain. Rémy, who was next to her, was shocked and couldn't react in time to stop the attack.

Jeanne fell to the ground, bleeding and groaning in pain. The crowd was silent, shocked by what had just happened. The aggressor, in turn, stood still, looking at Jeanne with a mixture of anger and satisfaction.

Rémy was completely unresponsive. Jeanne's soldiers rushed to help her while he looked at her groaning in pain on the ground, hit hard by a stone that broke something inside him. He calmly picked up his spear and held it firmly, while the spear shone brightly, momentarily blinding everyone present. Rémy's expression slowly changed from calm to anger, his muscles tensed, and his veins bulged in his hand from the force he was exerting. "Why did they hurt you? What did you do to them? Nothing, but they still did this. To me, no one needs to live." Rémy continued muttering to himself: "I am useless, I couldn't even prevent you from getting hurt."

"Look! This light is from the devil, the witch is using the devil to save her, but we won't allow it! We will defeat the devil and save France from the witch and the English!" The citizen shouted with inspiration, as if he was doing what was right, regardless of Jeanne on the ground. To him, what she was doing was just a pretense, using the devil to pretend to be a saint.

Rémy, with an expression of uncontrollable anger, let out a sinister laugh upon hearing the citizen's words. "Devil, is that what you think I am?" he said, with a tone of sarcasm. "I'll show you the real devil now, and you'll never forget it."

With his spear firmly in hand, Rémy squeezed it so tightly that his fingers hurt. His slow and deliberate steps were like those of a predator approaching his prey, and the citizen was terrified to realize that he had nowhere to run.

With a quick and precise movement, Rémy raised his spear and pointed it at the citizen. The man tried to run, but the crowd prevented him from escaping. Everyone pushed and crowded in a frenzy of fear and desperation.

But for the citizen, time seemed to have slowed down, and each second seemed like an eternity. He knew that death was approaching rapidly.

The citizen's heart in front of Rémy began to beat erratically, as if it wanted to escape his chest. The tension in the air was palpable, and Rémy instinctively positioned himself with one leg forward, as if he were about to launch an attack. His fingers clenched around the spear he held firmly, and he raised it, ready to be thrown.

Rémy's eyes sparkled with anger as he aimed at the target, disregarding the possible collateral damage his action could cause. He was blinded by the desire for revenge, determined to eliminate that threat at any cost.

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