Hello all! Welcome to Chapter 4! The story shall take a sharp turn here. I hope you're all ready ;DI do not own Hetalia or The Song of Jeanne d'Arc. The former belongs to Himaruya and the latter belongs to Christine de Pisan

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"Rosa? Rosa, where are you?"

The morning sun wrapped it's light around the city of Paris, welcoming a new day. Orange, pink and yellow filled the sky, the light seeping through the clouds. It was cool out, the leaves on the ground running away from the soft breeze pushing them forward. Jeanne stood alone early in the morning in the middle of a clearing in a quiet forest, pacing back and forth to try to find the right words to say. And so far, she wasn't getting anywhere, only as far as fighting back a panic attack.

Francis had woken up a few moments after she had left. When he saw Rosa was gone leaving only her letter, he didn't hesitate to go find her.

Francis walked through the large forest in confusion, wanting to try to understand her. He didn't fail to notice the strange addition to her name in the note.

'Rosa(?)'

"Rosa!" He called again worriedly, soon reaching the clearing in the trees with the early light seeping through and illuminating the said woman quietly. Her brown hair seemed to turn golden in the light and her green eyes looked downcast. Like she was deep in thought.

And she was. Jeanne looked at her hands, playing with them nervously. She hated that she didn't write down a few notes and then printed them back at her house, so she wouldn't be able to release this jumbled mess of words she was about to say. She didn't hear his cries, she was too busy thinking about what she would say first. " 'I've been lying' ...no that sounds really bad. 'I'm not who I say I am'… that sounds even worse!" She didn't realize she was saying all of this a little too loudly.

"Rosa!" Her head shot up when she saw Francis right across from her, in shock. She covered her mouth instantly in fear. "H-How much did you hear?"

Francis only took slow steps towards her, afraid to even assume it. "Enough…Rosa, what's wrong? And why did you add a question mark after your name?" Did she lie to him? She was not who she said she was? He began to think really hard. Rosa, through all the time he had known her, seemed really familiar to him. She herself had even accidentally spoken out loud more information that supported his suspicions. If he put two and two together…

...no way.

Jeanne took tentative steps towards him. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest. Her eyes were tearing up and her pupils were shrinking again. Bravely, she shook her head and looked at him seriously, hiding her emotions. This wasn't the time to be soft. "Francis, I have something important to tell you."

Francis was now stunned. Now, his heart was beating fast in his chest. But unlike Rosa, he hid it. Was it...really her? He pressed his lips together and gulped. He didn't want to get his hopes up. Maybe this was about her health. Well, he hoped it wasn't, he wanted her to be okay, of course! But still, the accusation was irrational, he knew. Years and years he had wished for Jeanne to return, even after he had long accepted the fact she was gone. She was burned at the stake thrice right before his eyes, he saw it. He believed that she would never come back, fate didn't operate that way. There was no way she would ever return. None.

But somewhere, deep inside himself, he felt that it wasn't true. That even though her ashes were spread in the Seine River never to return, for hundreds of years he had a faint, but strong feeling in his heart… that she would return. He couldn't explain why, though. Maybe that's why this scared him. He looked at her carefully, not judging her scared expression, but looking in her soul to try to see for himself. "What...is it?"

This was the moment of truth. Jeanne took a deep breath and looked into his eyes and went for it. "Francis, my name is not actually Rosalina. While that is my legal name, that's not my birth name."

Mon dieu.

At that moment, Jeanne was shocked when she was pushed back a few steps as she felt Francis' hands on her cheeks, lifting her head up to meet his. Her eyes were wide as they were directly staring at deep blue orbs that were just as wide, their foreheads touching. Francis' voice was soft, childlike, and below a whisper. "Who are you?"

Jeanne knew then there was no more hiding. No more lies, or keeping silent. In a meek, quiet voice, she didn't give him an answer, but rather, a song. In her career, she had sung many operatic songs that she loved, but this was different. It was a song she had no pride in, one that made her feel grim.

"Jeanne, seigneur est ton oeuvre splendide. Un cœr de feu, un âme de guerrier, Tu les donnas à la vierge timide, Que tu voulais couronner de laurier…"

Both of their faces were now heating up and their eyes were leaking tears hurriedly down each other's faces. Francis' breathing became more apparent and heavier as the reality of the situation hit him. His heart was shattering and being pieced back together at the same time. He didn't know what to say or how to say it. All he did was hold Jeanne's cheeks tentatively and carefully, afraid he would break her as he realized the truth. The other continued to sing slowly, voice breaking as she tried not to bawl.

"Sainte Jeanne de France,

Notre espérance repose en vous.

Sainte Jeanne de France,

Priez, priez pour nous."

Jeanne covered her mouth after she sang. She wanted to run. She wanted to run away from here-from him- and never return where he was. Jeanne just wished to hide away, but from Francis' tight, but gentle grip on her cheeks, she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. "J...Jeanne?!" He breathed out, holding back a heavy sob, gritting his teeth. She was here, here, she was here. The other nodded, a small hiccup filling her throat.

Jeanne was surprised at first. She didn't hear any yelling, cursing, or downright screaming from the man. That's what she expected, and with good reason. She even expected a slap, if anything else! What she didn't expect, was to feel his arms wrap around her in a hug. The way he handled her with such care, how he buried his face in her shoulder and sobbed earnestly… it was too much for her to take, so she couldn't help but return his actions, crying silently in a soundless sob.

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"...Paradise is beautiful, but it gets lonely. I rarely spoke to anyone there. But I've heard many names..."

"Napoleon too?" Came the innocent response.

A nod. "Napoleon too…"

It was hours later after the emotional disclosure. The reunited star-crossed lovers sat underneath a tree in the clearing, the morning sun now presents and the skies blue. Francis' head was buried into the woman's lap, Jeanne gently stroking his hair, pulling it out of its small ponytail before combing it out of knots. Her cheeks were still tearstained, but she composed herself better than the man beneath her.

"Is...Is it scary?"

She raised her eyebrow. "What is?"

"Heaven…" Francis felt bad for asking, in his opinion, stupid questions. But he couldn't help himself! Jeanne, his Jeanne, was back! She was actually back! All of these years he had wished for her to return, but he knew that it was in vain. That made him so confused. Why was she here? Hasn't her purpose been served on earth? Not that he was complaining. Good God, no! But… mortals didn't operate that way. Not even the most powerful man or woman would ever return to earth, with their memories even! And Jeanne, being reincarnated into a different body, with her memories as well? It didn't make sense.

A chuckle came from Jeanne. "No, it's not. On the contrary, hardly anything is scary in Paradise." Francis looked up at him, confusion in his reddened eyes from the previous tears. "Paradise?" She only smiled warmly at him. "Paradise is the afterlife's way to say 'Heaven'. Humans called it the latter, but they learn to refer to it as such when they pass on." Francis mainly disregarded that and sat up to look at her, slightly standing, desperately. "Please, Please Jeanne...why are you here?" He sniffled, holding her cheeks. "I've wished...all this time… you'd come back...my wish has been granted. But...why?"

Now for the hard part.

A sigh came from her mouth. "Remember in my note? How I said you might want to sit down?" Francis nodded, and fully sat down, ready to listen to what she had to say. He just needed clarity, closure even. Jeanne fiddled with the beads of the bracelet around her hand before beginning. "It all began around 19 years ago. I was currently assigned the job of being a General of Paradise's troops." Francis' eyes widened. Jeanne, a General! Not that he was surprised. He always imagined she would have a large role like that. "But I thought you said nothing was ever scary in...Paradise. Nothing bad must happen, right?" She looked down. "Just because Paradise is peaceful doesn't mean it's secure. We had to be on guard, considering there are creatures from Hell who want to trespass. And that is exactly how we say it: Hell."

Francis shivered and looked down. Leading a heavenly army against creatures of hell? How much has his lover seen? She quickly snapped him out of his thoughts by speaking again. "Anyway, I had received a report from a messenger that I needed to meet with God and the Council of Angels urgently. The look on his face was in sheer worry, so I had to go see what was going on." Francis already had so many questions, as he didn't know how Paradise operated - he probably wouldn't any time soon- but he didn't want to interrupt her. "When I had arrived, God had spoken to me about a danger has been lingering in the universe." Francis had to bite his lip. He had never seen God's face, but if he ever did, he felt like screaming at him. He had already taken so much away from him, all these years…he would probably take her. Again.

Jeanne held his hand in comfort, looking sympathetic when she had mentioned the name of the Lord. "I'm sorry…" He shook his head and looked at her seriously, getting back on track. "Tell me about this danger." With hesitance, she continued. "His name is...Malix." At the sound of his name, Francis felt a weird sting in his heart. He had heard that name somewhere before. But he didn't know where, and he couldn't mark the time period either. In all his years of being a nation, he had never heard of a "Malix". Jeanne tilted her head. "What's wrong?" Francis looked at her reassuringly while sighing. "Nothing! I just feel like I know that name. Continue." He said, a little frantically. Nodding once more, she continued. "Well, he rules a large land called Stellaria. It's nowhere on earth, but it's far in the galaxies, past those even. I was told if you'd look in the corner of the universe, you'd find it."

At that, he was shocked. Another land, in the stars? It reminded him of those sci-fi movies that Alfred held so dear to his heart, except it was real. He began to think it was a joke, but then again, it was Jeanne. Crazy things like this were a daily routine for her. Besides, if she was in heaven, then her schizophrenia might have been temporarily cured or nullified. She wasn't joking about this at all. After all, if she had been joking about her past visions, his country wouldn't have been saved back then. "Malix is a tyrannical ruler in the kingdom. He refuses to let his subjects leave the kingdom to neighboring solar systems, he forces them to see him as a godly ruler, and even, at times, scares them into giving the kingdom a good name." Francis had to bite his lip at that. He knew all too well of that, and it reminded him of another issue. "Stellaria sounds like a terrible place to live, then…" Jeanne looked to the side in regret. "It...It wasn't always terrible." At this, he peaked up in attentiveness. "Before Malix ever took over, there was the Golden Era of Stars. Stellaria was said to be very prosperous then. Its neighbors had called it the 'Kingdom of the Arts'. It's people invented the art of singing, dancing, painting...the list could go on. I was even told parades and celebrations happened more often than here on Earth. Many queens ruled the kingdom, of different ethnicities and backgrounds. They saw them all as goddesses, not because they were forced to- in fact, the idea was unprecedented then- but because of their kind hearts, just rulership, and beautiful voices. But of course, they were like the Stellarians. They would come down to shake hands with their people and even sit down to have conversations with them."

Francis was amazed at all of this. But the more he heard it, the more familiar this all seemed to him. "Jeanne, why are you telling me all of this?" "I'm getting there…" she said, a little nervously. "The queens all had wonderful children, all heirs to the throne. And they would take the throne one day, but-"

"-Malix." Francis finished for her.

Jeanne nodded seriously. "Precisely. I do not know all the details, but it is said that the queens had sent their children to Earth for their safety. Stellaria fell that terrible night and the rest you already know. What happened to the queens is… uncertain. Some say they had died or vanished…" Francis figured that there was more to this story that had nothing to do with him. In the short time he had known her, she always had a reason behind everything. So why was she telling him? "...Jeanne, tell me what's really going on." He said a little sternly. There was a gnawing silence before Jeanne spoke again, this time, meekly. "Please don't laugh…" He shook his head. "Jeanne, why would I laugh, when I don't understand this? I don't even understand why you are here! I won't unless you tell me…" He looked at her with pleading eyes, wanting an answer from his long lost love. She then took his hands in hers, looking at straight at him, unreadable. "Francis, the heirs to the throne of Stellaria were hidden on Earth for their own protection. They were many children, destined for greatness. And one of those heirs… is you."

He couldn't exit a word out of his mouth before speaking again. "...I beg your pardon?!" He asked in a whisper scream. She didn't drop her gaze before releasing the daunting words that changed his lie of a life.

"Francis Bonnefoy, tu es un prince de Stellaria."

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Yes, I know i'm evil! :D Let me know what your thoughts on this chapter.Jeanne, seigneur est ton oeuvre splendideUn cœr de feu, un âme de guerrier,Tu les donnas à la vierge timide,Que tu voulais couronner de laurier… : Lord, Jeanne is your splendid work,A heart of fire, a warrior's soul.

You gave them to the timid virgin

Whom you wished to crown with laurels

Sainte Jeanne de France,Notre espérance repose en vous.

Sainte Jeanne de France

Priez, priez pour nous.:

Saint Jeanne of France,

Our hope rests in you

Saint Jeanne of France

Pray, pray for us

Francis Bonnefoy, tu es un prince de Stellaria: Francis Bonnefoy, you are a prince of Stellaria