The couple sat down in a classy-looking restaurant.

"Will this spot be okay for you, ma chérie?"

"Yes, thank you. And my name is Eva."

"That's a lovely name, ma chérie," he purred.

Slovakia rolled her eyes.

"You really like mocking others, don't you?"

"Think so?" He put his hand to his heart in a strangely playful manner. "It is a lovely name. Especially fitting for a temptress."

"I'm afraid I'm not that kind of Eva." The girl looked away, a tad uneasy.

"Really. Please don't try to convince me you don't feel them."

"Feel what?" she asked, puzzled.

"Those looks, of course!" he exclaimed. "At least half of the men in this restaurant are currently imagining you naked and will probably dream of doing this and that with you later tonight. And there's nothing you can do about it."

For the third time that day, Eva went red.

"Why did you have to tell me?!" she growled. "Now I just want to hide under the table or something."

"Now, now, ma chérie. You'll learn to enjoy that," he reassured her, doing a lousy job hiding his amusement. "How about a drink to relax a bit?" He gestured to the waiter who came over and handed them the menus.

Eva pretended to be making a choice while secretly observing her new friend. He had his flaws, but wasn't as withdrawn and resentful as most men she'd known. She felt like she was starting to understand him. Today was all about me. I should at least try to be nice. Even though when I see him, all I want is to hit him in the face with something heavy and… Now, calm down, Eva. Nice. Be nice.

France caught her peeking and she gave him her best smile. The atmosphere loosened up a little.

"Have you made your choice?"

"No. But I have an expert on the matter in front of me," she cooed.

"Is that so?" The Frenchman seemed pleased. "I suppose you're having wine, then?"

"I'd love to. But I don't really know what to pick."

"Let's see." He thought for a while, caressing his beard. "I think there might be something you would enjoy. A bottle of Macon Village 1990, s'il vous plait," he told the waiter.

Eva was looking forward to getting her drink. Her place was mostly famous for beer and spirits, her lands not being suitable for wine grapes. The wines Hungary and Austria made were much better, but still, she preferred to stick with her own liquors. Everything changed when she tasted French wine a few days ago. It was different from anything else she'd experienced so far. Drinking it was like listening to a story, each bottle having its own, unique one. Borovička* might have taken over her body, but French wine touched her heart.

The bottle arrived and they clinked glasses.

"Na zdravie!"

"Santé! I hope you'll enjoy it."

Eva briefly inhaled the scent of the liquid and took a gulp. A split second later, the world around her disappeared.

She was ten again, lying on a sun-lit meadow with Hynek.

Everything smelled of spring, the light scent of flowers cheering the air. They collected some and he helped her vow them into a crown, placing it over her hair.

"My little princess." He smiled at her as he dozed off on the grass.

Silence, just the rustling of the leaves and birds singing.

Eva removed her crown and put it on his chestnut locks. He let her do that, pretending he was still asleep.

"I've got a surprise for you," the teenager said later. "It's from my boss's kitchen." He handed her a slice of something yellow. "It's called a pineapple."

Eva took a bite. It tasted delicious.

They went to the forest to collect some honey and ate it with wild apples and nuts.

"Will you stay with me forever and ever?" She gave him a questioning look.

"Well." He smiled, "Maybe not that long. I'll stay with you until you grow up and get yourself a husband. Then you won't need me anymore," he said and mussed her hair.

"I will always need you!" she cried.

Always, Eva caressed her empty glass, slowly getting back to the real world.

"It's like a state of art," she breathed.

"Wait until you try the food." Francis smiled, pleased with himself once again.

-END OF CHAPTER 3-

Translations:

S'il vous plait (French) = Please
Na zdravie! (Slovak) = Santé (French) = Cheers

Borovička = typical Slovak alcohol, the best way to make sure you don't remember anything from your trip to Slovakia :D