No subsequent attacks came from the Germanic regions, though likely because Gilbert was still too young to act as a nation. Belgium was a small country and ruled by Frisia's king; João had a feeling that the little girl was the tiny nation's personification.

Sea travel was too expensive and João was far too weak to travel by foot, so Teutonic warriors, said to be under Gilbert's command though the child was roughly ten by human standards, escorted them to Francia. During the trip João took sick from the weather and was relieved that the Frankish conditions were more temperate.

"Is that a man or a woman?" Antonio queried loudly, jabbing a finger in the direction of an approaching figure with long, golden curls. João felt his cheeks flame as their horse-drawn litter came to a rough stop. Clearly, it was a man coming their way…no, a boy. He was perhaps sixteen, short and lanky and dressed in fine blue clothing.

"Salûd!" He bowed swiftly and shook João's hand, smiling down at Antonio. "I am Francis Bonnefoy, otherwise known as the Frankish kingdom. You two would be… Portugal and Spain?"

João nodded silently, always shy around strangers. Francis did seem friendly, though, and his smile looked genuine. He was thankful he didn't hear Antonio's innocent but brash question. "The Carriedo brothers, João and Antonio."

Antonio giggled and jumped out of the litter, throwing his tiny arms around Francis' waist. "You're nice, let's be amigos~!" He hugged him happily and Francis rubbed his hair with an amused grin on his face.

"I would love to be your…amigo, that's how you say it? I've come to let you and your brother stay in my country and recover." He tried to lay a hand on the older Carriedo brother's forehead but João pushed it away.

"I'm fine, we don't need-" He was cut off by an unexpecting coughing fit, feeling dizzy and a little void of air. João didn't trust very easily, but it was probably best, in his condition, not to travel. "Obrigado, that would be good."

Francis chuckled. "I thought so. Ah, I see envoys have come from the Teutonic knights." He smiled at the tired, thirsty-looking men. "You too, you can all come to my home in Paris. You all seem to need refreshment." He noticed João's uneasiness and added quickly, "I am friends with Gilbert and his rulers. They won't harm you."

And, true to Francis' word, they didn't.

҉҉҉

Many years later in Madrid, Spain…

"Irmão, how do you explain this?" João demanded. He held a small turtle by the shell between his thumb and forefinger, using his other hand to rub his aching temples. He stood in one of his night shirts, trying to get into his bed only to find it full of the creatures.

"But hermanooo…" Antonio whined, biting his quivering lip. His voice creaked with adolescence and somehow that made it sound even more pitiful. "I was making a turtle farm…"

"In my bed?" João threw up his hands in exasperation. "I want you to put them all right back where you found them! Now, or you'll be in trouble!" It almost amazed him how much he sounded like their father.

Antonio sniffled, his big green eyes starting to well with tears. "B-but they were all going to be my pets… I'd be so happy if I could keep them all…" The floodgates open and the waterworks had begun. João felt a little pang in his chest and knew he had to stand strong.

He bent down a little to his brother's eye level and sighed. "Antonio… imagine if you were a turtle, happily living in your little pond with all your turtle friends, when suddenly some giant from out of nowhere takes you from your home and brings you into some strange, dry environment with no food you like."

This only made Antonio cry harder. "I-I'm a monster! I took them away from everything they've ever loved-"

"Hey, hey…" João hugged him close and sighed, running his fingers through his brother's thick, dark curls. "You didn't know better, but now you do, and you can make it right by bringing the turtles back home, okay?"

Antonio sniffled and nodded. "Okay."

And João and Antonio spent the rest of their night bringing twenty turtles back to their respective ponds, and João learned that when Antonio was being quiet for once, it was more suspicious than peaceful.