I will guide you, the Duchess whispers.

And she believes.

When Polly turns to look into the woods behind her, she smiles, because that simple movement has made her ecstatic; to know that even though they say they don't believe, they do.

I will lead you, the Duchess whispers.

And she believes.

They see the fortress. She slides down onto her knees, her hands pressed together so hard that she can feel the bones grinding against each other beneath skin, and she prays. She prays, not for guidance, because the Duchess has already told her what to do, but to give hope to the others; it is a small favor she asks of her Lady. And then she looks back at the fortress and knows that fate waits inside.

I will help you, the Duchess whispers.

And she believes.

They see the fortress. She slides down onto her knees, her hands pressed together so hard that she can feel the bones grinding against each other beneath skin, and she prays. She prays, not for guidance, because the Duchess has already told her what to do, but to give hope to the others; it is a small favor she asks of her Lady. And then she looks back at the fortress and knows that fate waits inside.

I will heal you, the Duchess whispers.

And she believes.

Never before has anyone smiled at her. But then she sees the picture of the Duchess, high on the wall, as she lies on the floor, unable to more from starvation and the beating that she just suffered, and her heart leaps. The woman in the portrait is smiling at her; at her. She wonders, and tries the movement out for herself. Later, when the nurse comes in, she shivers, to see the little girl, bruised and bloody and broken, smiling up at the ceiling through her tears.

I will martyr you, the Duchess whispers.

And she believes.

Even as she walks towards the pyre, with the stake ready for her and the wood waiting for burning, listening to the jeers of the crowd, she knows that the Duchess will be there, waiting for her beyond this place of noise and flame, and that in all that she has done, she has done it with a purpose, with a good. That is enough for her, even as she steps onto the platform, even as they bind her, even as she sees the flames begin to leap up; to know that she has changed enough and done enough good to be remembered.

I will be waiting for you, the Duchess whispers.

And, as the fires roars higher and higher, she believes.

1111111111

A/N:

Wazzer is one of my favorite characters in Monstrous Regiment for many reasons. I just had to get this out of my system.

If you are not familiar with the story of Jeanne d'Arc, then I will give you some pointers.

I know that this story may not be exactly like the book, but I paralleled it to Jeanne's story, since Wazzer is Discworld's Jeanne. Jeanne d'Arc lead the French to victory against the English by leading the French army. She was on a mission told to her by God, and even though she was a woman, she lead the army. However, before the war could finish, she was captured and burnt at the stake at age nineteen. More than four hundred years after her death, she was made a saint. That is the brief summary. VERY brief. But I hope it gives you an idea of the above story.