March 8th, 1800

Laura arrived at the Hospital two days after Prosper's death, accompanied by her personal bodyguard, Achille. The woman looked and felt very distressed. She desperately searched for her husband in every corner of that darned place, eventually finding him on a tiny bed of the second floor, at the end of a small room.

He was pale as a ghost, had one eye covered in gauzes, and his whole torso was wrapped up in cloths. His skin was dirty with mud and dry blood, his hair was matted, and he was still drowning in sweat. The doctors and nurses clearly hadn't had the proper time to clean him up, being as understaffed as they were, in a hospital that was overcrowded by injured soldiers of all kinds.

So, she took the decision to transfer him from the bed to her carriage, and take him to Lievre.

He was so out of it during the journey, that he barely could remember bits and pieces of it. By the time he fully woke up, and realized he was back home, days had already passed.

—Hey you... —Laura spoke to him, as he blinked and looked around the room, finally out of his dazed state—. How are you feeling?

The former Duchess was sitting on the edge of their bed, by the side of his legs, and was staring at him with a mixture of concern and adoration.

—Y-You came for me...

—Of course I did —she smiled softly and grabbed one of his hands.

It was then when he noticed that, somehow, while he went in and out of consciousness, she had washed him up and redone all of his dressings. He no longer felt disgusting and sticky, only pained and tired.

—Where's Camille?

—He went back to Les Oiseaux and took care of Bautzen. The general is dead.

—What?...

—Exactly what you heard. Monsieur Laupin killed him, to avenge you and your men.

—And where is he now?

—He's at Auprax, resting. I received a letter from him today. He'll be back here tomorrow, if it all goes according to plan. Monsieur Obermann allowed him to travel north, after hearing of his achievement, and of your injuries. He knows you two are close.

—So, if Bautzen's dead...

—The war is about to end, yes. Also, while you were sleeping, some interesting things happened.

—Tell me all about them.

—Well... The Staeltorn Kingdom has paid their dues for breaking their treaty with us, and has publicly announced their plans to remove themselves from our waters. Which means that they have withdrawn from the war, and our coast is at last safe. The Ruhm empire has lost Athrasis to the Karranites, and has also requested peace between us. So our international conflicts are, finally, officially over.

Francis released a sigh of relief he didn't even know he had been holding in, for the last two years or so.

—And Alphonse?

—The last thing I've heard from him is that he still is exiled across the sea, living with his extended family. He's far, far away from us.

—How are you so sure about that?

—I have contacts in the Staeltorn Kingdom. You know that.

—I do, but...

—There's nothing to fear, love —Laura stopped him before his anxiety grew in size and intensity. – We are safe. The country is secure. And the war is nearly over. The only royalist settlement still standing is located near Silat. But both the south, the center and the north are once again republican. All of the old generals that were loyal to the King are jailed. And those who aren't, have died. Freedom is ours, at last.

—Is it really? —he whispered in awe, as his eyes filled with tears.

—It is —her smile widened, and she shifted her position on the bed, to lean forward and kiss him. – We can at last live the life we've always wanted...

As Laura's face became tender and happy, Francis' turned sour and tense.

—But I... I'm not the m-man you fell in love with —he shook his head, and felt his shame and guilt take control over him—. Look at what I've become... —his voice came out like a whisper—. Look at all the horrible things I've done...

—I still love you.

—But you shouldn't...

—I still love you —she held his face between her hands, and kissed his forehead, before tasting his lips once again—. And we both aren't the same people of back then. We have seen enough, gone through enough, to know that is the case. We have changed, but so has the world. We have changed, but we still have each other. And we've both done and been evil, for the sake of something good. We've both played with cards that weren't fair, weren't kind, weren't right... But we did what we could to win the game, didn't we?... And it worked. We are here. Alive, together, after facing the end of society as we knew it, and watching the rebirth of our nation with fear and with wonder. We are here, despite our many faults. And we won. The republic is safe. We are too. That's what matters the most.

—But h-how will I wash my hands clean of all the blood that I've spilled? How will I live with my conscience now that I've ruined it forever with my guilt and my regret?

—By making sure that your surviving enemies are shown the mercy they didn't extend towards you. By caring for the family of those whom you were forced to hurt, for the greater good. By doing what the King and his court never did for you and your mother; by showing kindness and empathy for the descendants of the royalists you've killed.

—You sound as if you've had time to think about this.

—I have —she nodded—. You're not the only one who feels remorseful. I do too.

—But you haven't done anything wrong...

—Francis, I was a Duchess. I owned slaves. I underpaid my servants. I allowed my husband to be the devil on earth.

—That's not fair to say. Alphonse is responsible for all of those crimes.

—I was his wife.

—Wife which he abused and beat every single day, without a glimpse of regret. He never allowed you to voice an opinion. He never allowed you to complain about anything. You were part of a system that men like him created; you aren't to blame for anything.

—Still... I could have tried to do something with my power, and I didn't. So I won't run away from my responsibility. And yes, I am responsible as well. Hiding behind his cruelty isn't fair. I shouldn't have complied with him —she insisted, and her joyfulness faded—. Besides, I still feel terribly guilty about what happened to the Suzannets. I feel as if they died because of me, although I know it's not true. So, to reiterate, you aren't the only one who feels guilty. I do as well. But we have to keep moving forward. We have no other choice... —she caressed his cheek with her thumb and looked deep into his eyes—. Because our child needs us to.

This last sentence stole Francis' breath away, made his brows unfurrow and his mouth drop open.

Had she really said what he thought she said?

—W-What?...

—I'm pregnant... And I-I know we said we couldn't have any children, but...

—You're... —the general spoke over her, in awe.

The woman, releasing a short exhale, nodded, and patiently waited for his reaction.

It wasn't at all what she had been fearing it would be. Francis laughed, then cried some more, and using all of the strength that he didn't have, pushed himself up from the bed and hugged her. It had been a long, long time since she'd seen him so ecstatic and full of joy. Since she'd witnessed his happiness and glee take over his body and soul. But now... things had changed. Now, he would be a father. And he couldn't be any more delighted than he already was.

—I'm so happy I came home... —he said with a watery voice, clinging to her with a desperation that left Laura in tears—. I'm so... so happy. And I love you both so much!... God! I'm so glad I'm home! I'm... I...

—We love you too —she replied, kissing the side of his head—. So much.

The couple held each other in that tight embrace for nearly ten minutes. Francis didn't care about the pain he still felt, puncturing his side. Laura didn't care about the weird position her body was in. They were together, at last, alive, and they were going to be parents. They couldn't be merrier.

—So... does that mean I'll finally get to call you my wife in public? —the general pulled away slightly, to stare lovingly at her face—. I'll finally be able to marry you? I mean... Alphonse is technically dead and gone. Although he isn't... —she laughed, and he continued:— But my point is, we could get engaged, since you're legally a widow now.

—We could —Laura grinned, and stole another kiss from him—. But you haven't asked me yet, have you?

—Marry me.

—That wasn't a question.

—You're right, it was a demand.

The former Duchess chuckled once more.

—Alright, you win... I'll marry you, general. Officially, this time.