A Chance at Love - Francis Valois

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"On guard." Francis said pointing a two-pointed stick towards Charles. He laughed and Charles copied him. He started playfully battling with his little brother as he Astraea along with Elliot came into the room.

Charles pointed the two-pointed stick up at him as Francis grunted. "It's not a toy, Charles. It's an instrument of diplomacy."

"What's diplomacy?" Elliot asked tugging on Astraea's arm. Francis turned towards the two of them looking as Astraea bent down to Elliot's eye-level and looked at him with a smile, a smile he so dearly missed.

"It's a skill of handling affairs between nations. Like Father does with other kingdoms." She explained to him. He nodded making Astraea smile bigger and kissing his cheek before standing up.

Francis looked as she walked towards him and Charles with Elliot. Her strapless light-blue coloured gown with golden flower embroidery flowing perfectly around her feet. Her beautiful brown hair curled into perfection as a single small golden hair piece decorated it.

"Astri?" Elliot asked looking at her, bringing Francis back from his trance as well. She looked down at him and hummed in acknowledgement. "Can I go play with Charles and Henry before we leave?"

"Sure," she nodded to the nanny as she took Elliot and Charles out of the room.

Before Astraea could say anything, Francis showed her the two-pointed stick. "My mother's fault. She's forcing everyone to learn how to use these things. Forks." He shook his head with an amused smile on his face.

Astraea didn't show any emotions. She had totally equipped herself from showing any of her feelings to Francis, somehow whenever Francis and she were in the same room she always kept a blank face.

"A Neapolitan count is coming. She doesn't want us to look like barbarians before a fellow Italian. That's why Father asked me to stay. He must be greeted by the King or Dauphin or else it's an insult."

"Well, at least you have more time to spend with Olivia." Astraea said in a calm voice.

"Rae, I didn't mean to hurt you," he tried to reach for her hand but she stepped back. Francis sighed. "I just needed to forget you... for a while. To forget that I can't have you. That you didn't want me. But I swear to you, I haven't laid an eye on her after that night."

"So, very generous of you." she scoffed before shaking her head and masking her emotions once again. "I don't think I owe you an explanation but Amelia forced me to come here."

"Explanation to what?"

"I'm leaving." She said slowly, as if giving him time to get his head around the fact.

Francis furrowed his brows in confusion. "Leaving for where? Are you going on a trip?"

"Something like that," she shrugged. "it's just that, it's a one-way trip. One I won't be returning here from." He raised an eyebrow making Astraea sighed. "I'm going back to Poland."

"What?" he asked in a small voice. "Why?"

"You already know the answer to that." She spoke still not looking in his eyes. "My siblings and I will be leaving French court after meeting the count. He is an old friend of my father's so to pay my respects I'll stay until his arrival."

"Rae..." he looked at her trying to find the correct words.

Astraea took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "Francis, we have to stay away from one another, for our own sanity." She sighed and walked in the direction the nanny took Elliot and Charles.