Chapter 20: Éloïse

Only when you know how it feels to lose something you can truly appreciate what you got. I lost my house and everything that comes with it. My home was nothing but ruins. I had nowhere to go. To go back to live with Francis was something I couldn't do. Not now when I now what true freedom felt like.
Magda was so kind to let me and Greece live with her while we figured out what to do. But her brother, Gilbert was also living with her so it was four persons in a house for two so it was quite crowded. Too many times I had walked into someone while going to the bathroom. And someone was either Greece or Gilbert and they didn't wore shirts in the mornings so it had been some awkward situations.
We had to come up with a solution and that would have to be soon or else I would probably murder someone if I couldn't get at least one moment alone.

At least I had Magda's bedroom all by myself for the day since she had plans with Spain. They had been out on a few dates and it didn't come as a shock when she came home one evening, smiling like an idiot and revealed that he had asked her to be his girlfriend. Even since then she had been in her own bubble of happiness. She didn't even worry about the way Germany looked at her and Spain every time they were together. As they are sitting beside each other at every meeting it have been many of those looks. Not only from Germany but other countries.
Many wasn't too thrilled to see them together. Mostly because they saw her as a part of the allies since she was Germany's younger sister. Most of them forgot the detail that she was Prussia's sister as well.

I found it quite romantic, although almost as annoying. Especially when Magda would talk late at night with him. The biggest reason I would have against their relationship would be because I was single. I didn't have anyone to talk to all night long, or someone to spend hours just staring into their eyes in a weird lovesick way.
I had hoped that Greece would have been my pair of eyes to gaze into, but that was just not to be. Then I had also made a promise to myself to not let any boy or man affect me again. This time I would not let my whole world crumble if he wasn't interested. Not that I had any in mind. My heart was still getting over Greece and I just wanted to enjoy being a free woman. There was still that little thing that happened with Denmark. Now afterwards I can see how foolish I acted. I had clearly drunken too much and acted so stupid. Worst of all was that Denmark used my tipsy behaviour caused by the alcohol. So in order to show him that what he did was completely unacceptable I had ignored him.

That day I would go to another world meeting and I knew that he would approach me and try to talk about what happened. However, I will not give in to him. It was stupid. I wasn't even sure that I felt something for him and at the moment it was something I didn't want to think about. I had so much on my plate.
I knew that the main topic of the meeting would be my house. The most important thing was if the fire was planned and if that is the case who did it. There was still a few question marks about that night. Since it was dark it was highly unlikely that something had caught fire because of the sun and Greece had told me that he hadn't lit the fireplace that night. So it must have been planned.
The thought was terrifying. Who would want to do something like that? What I knew I had no enemies if they wasn't after my brother and then there was a tiny chance that Greece was the person's target. Whoever it was it was a clear threat to the fragile peace.

"Lois, why are you standing here?" Francis said. I had been standing at the entrance for twenty minutes. Too afraid to face everyone. This would be my first meeting since it happened and I couldn't take all the looks.
"Don't call me that," I told him.
"Ma petite sœur, I'm worried about you," he said.
"You don't have to worry. I'm fine," I assured him. Although a part of me wanted to hug him and cry like I did when I was little and had a nightmare. But I didn't. I was an independent country and I didn't need my brother anymore.
"Is that why you have been standing here staring at the door?" he asked.
"Laissez-moi," I snapped and went inside. It had been harsh, I knew that. But I think I had a good enough reason to not be in a good mood. I was after all broke and homeless.

Almost all the other countries had arrived. What I could see America was the only one not in present. Everyone looked at me when I entered. They all looked at me in pity. Which made it a lot worse and I just wanted the entire meeting to be over. I went to sit down on my usual seat between Brazil and Italy.
"Ciao bella", Italy greeted and I gave him a weak smile. He was probably one of the few that could cheer me up today. I looked over at where Magda was sitting and she was currently having a very intimate conversation with Spain and didn't pay attention to the world around them.
"What a terrible thing that happened to your house," Italy said. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Not much I can do about it now."
Do you know who did it?" he asked me, this time in a whisper so no one but me could hear it.
"I'm not even sure anyone did," I replied.
"Do you know who I think it was?" he asked. I shook my head. Instead of answering he just turned his head to the place where Russia sat.
"Lui mi saventa," he said. I had no idea what it meant but suspected that it had something to do with his fear of Russia. Everyone seemed to be scared of Russia. Even America could be a bit reluctant to start a discussion with him. I hadn't seen why and since the time he helped me I couldn't see him in the same way others did. He was misunderstood.
"I don't think so," I said. "Why would he?"
"He does a lot of stuff with no reason," Italy explained.
"I just don't believe that he would burn my house," I said. "He doesn't even know me."
"Si dovrebbe essere cauti. You should be careful," he said to me. "Russia is dangerous." I was glad that Monaco entered the middle so that I didn't have to talk to Italy more. Something told me that it would end with me making him cry and I didn't want to be known as the girl who made Italy cry. Not that was difficult, I had seen him cry over a picture of an abandoned kitten.

"Welcome to the world meeting", she began. "Today we have a very tragic matter to discuss. One that proves that the end of the war was just the beginning of something bigger." I had forgotten how good speaker she could be. Sometimes I got jealous because she was so good. It was difficult to believe that we were related.
"My cousin's house burnt down and all the evidence prove that someone burnt it down." Never before had the room be filled with such serious silence. No one dared to look anyone in the eye. I wanted to point out that no one had found any evidence because the entire thing burnt down and no one had found anything except ruins of what used to be my home.
"She was kind enough to take Greece in but now they both stand without a home," she said. "They need someone that are willing to let them stay with them until they get back on their feet." A long minute of silence passed and no one seemed eager to help us out. Then Ukraine stood up.
"I can let one of them stay with me," she said. Then Hungary stood up and offered the same thing. Monaco thanked them both and it was decided that I would go with Ukraine and Greece with Hungary.

Then we spent the rest of the meeting discussing what we would do if the fire had been planned and if one of the guilty was in this room. Not that I think anyone would admit doing it in front of everyone and I had a hard time to believe that anyone would threat the peace that they had worked so hard to achieve.
Before I went to go with Ukraine to her house I went to Magda who was sitting and talking to Finland. At least she wasn't too busy gazing into Spain's eyes.
"Éloïse," she said when I came up to them. Finland looked like I had just interrupted a very important conversation. His crush on her was kind of sweet but I felt bad for him as she wasn't interested in him. He must feel like I feel about Greece, I thought.
"So you're moving out," she said. "I'm going to miss you."
"Je vais vous manquer aussi," I said and smiled at her.
"What does that mean?" Finland asked.
"Just that she's going to miss me too," Magda explained and we shared a hug.
"I'll come over tomorrow," I said and waved at her before joining Ukraine.

Ukraine was one of the few people I hadn't greeted at least once. Mostly because she always seemed so scared all the time. She had lost the most in the war. Not only had she been scarred but she also lost her brother and sister. Not in the way I did but in a much worse way. The quarrel between Ukraine and Russia was what started the war in the first place.
"My name's Yekaterina Braginskaya," she said and reached out her hand.
"Éloïse Bonnefoy", I said and shook her hand.

I might not know a lot about Ukraine, other than that she is the sister of Russia and she was the reason the war began. She seemed nice and was the only one that wanted to take me in so I was forever grateful. The future looked a bit brighter now. There was still hope.