The ink hadn't entirely dried yet. I ran out of the house, not stopping before I caught up with her. The second she noticed me, she panicked and picked up pace. It was quite a performance, but no match for a former mercenary. Soon enough, I grabbed her and we both went falling to the ground where I pinned her down, involuntarily rubbing her face in the dirt. I didn't like it in the slightest, but I had no choice. And she twisted and turned, trying to break free with all she had. Poor girl.

"E-Eva," I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "What the hell? Explain yourself."

"I'm leaving," she spat. "To build my own home."

Just like many times before and after, I felt clueless.

"Wh-why?" I finally managed. "What's wrong?"

"Everything's wrong! Your people intimidate mine. I'm doing all the dirty work while you get all the perks. I don't want to put up with you anymore. I'm so much better on my own," Eva barked, never stopping in her futile resistance.

I tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't have any of it.

"Sweetheart, I know it's diffi-"

"Shut up!" she shouted. "You're a freeloader. A womanizer. And a jerk. Who would want to live with you anyway?!"

Her words, sharp as a battle axe, cut right through me. No one had ever caused me so much pain. For a second, I let down my guard. She was waiting for that; the very same second, she slipped from my arms. As she did so, as if in slow motion, I caught a glimpse of her face. Covered in filth and tears, lower lip chewed bloody.

I outran her again and this time, I grabbed her waist, determined to hold her until she was worn out. She went on fighting, kicking and scratching, she even tried to bite me (have I ever told you she was tenacious?), all that while shouting how much she hated me until her voice turned husky and her body limp, except for an occasional sob. Only then did I lay her back on the ground, hugging her tight.

"And now you'll tell me what's really going on, okay?" I requested in a soft voice. She shook her head and tried to escape me once again, but didn't have enough force left. So she just sobbed.

"I can't. If they see us together…"

"Who? And why?" I went on holding her close, stroking her shaking back.

A while later she calmed down, then rummaged in her bag until she retrieved a pile of letters. I ran over them, doing my best to hide my consternation. I didn't have Eva's gift for languages, but considering my past, my German level was more than good. Definitely good enough to grasp the essence - that if she didn't separate from me, I would get badly hurt. I finally understood why she acted so strange during the last few weeks - she wasn't sulking, she was suffering in silence. She always suffered in silence.

"You get it now?" she breathed, wiping her eyes with a sleeve. "I must go. It's better this way."

I sprang up and took a firm hold of her hand. She turned around, intrigued.

"Darling, don't you see? Don't you see what they are after? They'll attack us anyway. Except that if we separate, we'll be conquered more easily."

For a while, she kept on looking at me, then glancing away, as if second-guessing herself. Her lip was so scarred she couldn't chew on it anymore, though I knew for sure that if she could, she would.

"Eva, please. I need you. Společně jsme silnější. Together, we're stronger."

I let go off her hand. A second later, she interlaced her fingers with mine, half-smiling.

She let me put the ring back on. She insisted I kiss her to bless the newly found union, but I couldn't - her mouth looked so bruised and fragile. So I just pecked her cheek. And that was how we sealed our second marriage. It only lasted a few months.

I guess she was right about the kiss.

As soon as I could, I went to see western superpowers. Or, the way I've been calling them ever since - Lord Eyebrows and the pervert.

"I don't see what's the problem," Eyebrows said as he put away the letters I'd brought as evidence. "All they are asking for is a teeny-weeny bit of your territory. And we've already told them it was okay. Just give them what they want."

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. Was he doing it on purpose?

"They already took over Austria. Now they want some of my lands, too. What makes you think that once I oblige, they won't ask for more?"

England rolled his eyes.

"Listen, I don't know who you think you are -"

"Czechoslovak Republic, I've already told you."

"Whatever. I don't care. We're not starting a war for some people far, far away whom we'll probably never meet."

"You are meeting me right now," I commented matter-of-factly even though, inside, I felt like hyperventilating.

"For crying out loud," he half-shouted, rubbing his temples. "Just take one for the team."

I opened my mouth, but all I managed was a frustrated sigh.

"See? Peace in our time." Eyebrows turned to the other guy who hadn't spoken much so far. I turned to look at him as well.

"What do you think?" I asked, eyeing the Frenchie.

"Mmmm, je sais pas," he muttered, stroking his beard. "I might help. But it won't be for free."

Good. There's still hope.

"I'm doing pretty good at the moment. I've got money."

He chuckled, his laugh flirtatious and carefree.

"Oh, I'm not asking for money."

I was starting to have a bad feeling about the whole thing.

"What do you want then?"

One of his eyebrows shot up, followed by a devious smile.

"Well, how shall I put this… What I'd like is your femme."

"My f… what?" I was having a hard time understanding his gibberish since the very beginning. Now I didn't understand at all.

"He wants to fuck your wife, wanker," England explained, rolling his eyes again and snorting. To support his words, France smiled even wider. And all I could think of was how much I wanted to hit them in the face with something heavy. Repeatedly.

"There's no way I'm letting someone like you near her," I replied coldly.

"Then I'll take you, mon chéri." He winked. I said 'Not in a million years' and left. But I felt like I'd just got fucked anyway.

-END OF CHAPTER 10-

(A/N: Germany was mainly interested in conquering Czech lands because many Germans lived there. At that time, England and France were Czechoslovakia's allies. Nevertheless, in order to avoid a war, they chose not to fulfill their commitments and let Czechoslovakia to Germany's mercy. The concept is known as 'Western betrayal'.)