Francis

I was doomed.

I knew it the moment I was put into this disgusting cell! And it was because of Arthur's insubordination that it happened! How dare he leave me to starve and die? Oh, when I get my hands on his skinny, little neck, I will kill him!

"So, how do you want to die tomorrow morning?" a guard taunted. "Perhaps a carriage accident like your family?"

"Tch!" I scoffed, glaring at him. "No, thank you. My friends will save me before I even get the death sentence."

"You were sleeping with another man," a second guard stated. "That is against both the law and the Church."

"He tricked me!" I snarled. "He used witchcraft to turn himself into a beautiful woman!"

"So you say," the first guard huffed. "Anyway, no one is coming down here to stop your execution tomorrow. You are going to rot in Hell for what you have done."

"But it was not my fault!" I repeated.

However, they did not listen to me. I sighed softly, laying down on the cold, hard, and dirty floor of the cell in which I was imprisoned. I felt my eyes get heavy and close, my body relaxing as I began to sleep.

Unfortunately, my rest was interrupted by a lot of yelling and the clanking of swords meeting each other.

"Do not let him get away!"

"AAAHHH!"

Soon, though, it ended. I tried to sleep again, but I eventually stood up to see what all of the silence was about.

"H-hello?" I called out, hearing only the echo of my voice before the sound of feet rushing towards my cell.

"Francis?" a peasant with green eyes, messy blonde hair, and pale skin wondered, standing in front of me with their sword dripping with blood.

Wonderful.

This guy.

"I have a lot of words to say to you!" I angrily shouted at him.

"Oh, thank the Heavens!" Arthur sighed with relief, breaking open the door to my cell. "Let us get out of here, before more guards realize what I have done!"

"What did you do?" I questioned, seeing that his face, hair, and clothes were also covered in blood.

"Oh, just...simple protection," Arthur explained. "A sword stab here, a sword stab there-"

"You killed people?" I interrupted him. "You are already wanted for being in my bed, Arthur! Do you want to be charged for murder as well?"

"Did you want to be free or not?" Arthur inquired, and I could only nod in agreement as he led me out of the Palace and into the forest.

Guards wanted to stop us, of course, but we were too fast for them, I realized. Oh, my legs and lungs already started to hurt, but Arthur kept pulling me along behind him.

~~~~~~

After an hour or so we stopped running in a clearing deep in the forest. I collapsed to the ground, and I was surprised to see that Arthur was still standing.

"We need food, shelter, water, and rest," Arthur told me. "We leave for the next town in the morning."

"Y-you are joking, right?" I panted, sitting up to glare at his back. "The next town is miles away from here! News of our crimes must have reached across the entire country by now! We do not have time to run away! My army will catch us, Arthur! I should know because I trained them myself!"

"Well, do you have money on you to pay for a boat ride to someplace?"

When I did not answer, Arthur looked at me.

"How much?"

I reluctantly handed him some of the silver coins that were in my belt pocket, hoping to trick Arthur in the same way that he had tricked me. Arthur held them in his hand, counting it to see if we had enough.

He then held out his other hand towards me, making me scowl.

"All of it."

"You could ask nicely, you know," I sneered, handing him the rest of the coins I had in my belt pocket. "I cannot trick you for revenge, can I?"

"You really think that would make me trust you?" Arthur replied. "I am not so gullible as you, Your Grace."

I rolled my eyes as I stood up, dusting myself off.

"How did you sneak into the Palace, anyway?"

"I made a plan for myself, and I followed it."

"And the battle techniques?"

"Part of my training," Arthur stated. "Now, let us go. We do not have time to waste. We need to flee now if we want to survive."

"Who said I wanted to survive?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Oh?" Arthur raised a brow, looking at me. "Do you wish for me to kill you?"

"And have you rob me?" I questioned, harshly taking my money out of his hand. "No, thank you."

I started walking ahead of him in the hopes of leaving him behind, only to have him follow close behind me.

~~~~~

D

amn, he was so irritating! How was it possible for Arthur to be so silent for an entire night? I wanted to start a conversation with him, actually, but my hate towards him overruled my will to talk.

"I am sorry," Arthur suddenly spoke up, and I had to look at him to understand what he said.

"Pardon?"

"I said," Arthur repeated, "I am sorry. I am sorry for using witchcraft to trick you like I did, I am sorry for making you fall in love with me against your will, I am sorry for abandoning you, and I am sorry for-"

"I forgive you," I interrupted him. "Really, I do. I...can even understand why you did it. You were protecting your sister, the only family you have left, from getting married to someone who would have hurt her. Believe me, Arthur, were our roles reversed, I would have done the same."

"That is still no excuse for my actions," Arthur replied. "No one deserves to be deceived, not even the Prince of France."

I chuckled softly, looking at him with a kinder look, now.

"You are as wise as you are smart."

"I wish I could say the same for you in return, Your Grace~"

"Was that an insult?"

"No, merely just the truth."

We laughed at that, then, making our surprisingly merry way to the docks so that we could make our grand escape from France.