[Countryhumans FrUK] Till death do us part

#85.3: [FrUK] To the forgotten star

The seasons went by. Winter had come.

The young prince felt the cold coming from outside the window. There were no more leaves on the branch, the birds were nowhere to be seen either. Sometimes the sky was grey and dark.

His health did not get better, it got worse. As time passed, he could sense it everyday: how his body broke bit by bit.

His end was coming.

British Empire sent as many letters as he could, his brothers also paid a visit once a month. They often stayed from 3 days to a week. Their conversation was much better than the one he shared with his father due to generation gap and difference in their ways of thinking.

Still, United Kingdom had never been sincere.

The truth was he was used to smiling and lying.

He had endured them for all his life so a few more days would be nothing.

How he looked forward to end his suffering.

- Here, try touching it.

United Kingdom's small finger moved to touch the snow in France's hand.

When France came in and hope to ignite any conversation, United Kingdom said that he never felt the snow. So France stretched his hand out of the window and waited for a short time before coming in with a bit of snow covered in his palm.

It was cold, indeed. And it broke the minute he touched it to melt into water.

- You want to feel it again?

- No, it is enough.

France nodded as he sat back on the chair.

- Are you cold?

- I am fine, thanks.

United Kingdom was about to open his book again when France posed a strange question:

- What do you think about adoption?

The young prince was taken by surprise as he opened his eyes wide to lool at France. The latter was serious. France did not look away, he looked straight into United Kingdom's eyes.

- What do you mean?

- Um, you see. With your current situation, it is best we don't do it. So I think about adopting a child.

- An adopted child will only bring harm to your reputation, won't they?

For once United Kingdom really questioned France's intelligence level. He was near the end of his life and his partner asked for a child. He knew the importamce of an heir but he was about to die which he repeatedly emphasized, how could he give birth right now?

It was worse than what the late queen did.

- I don't care about it. If you want a child, we will adopt a child.

- I- I want?

France's facial expression changed and it seemed that he was confused and questioning, as well as United Kingdom at this moment.

- Last week you said you wanted to have a child. You said you wanted to be a mother.

As United Kingdom tried to remember, a memory stirred up in his mind. Last week France asked him about the book he was reading - France always asked what he read, United Kingdom showed him the book. He did say something about the child and mother stuff.

- I- What I meant was being a mother and having a child sounded like a wonderful life-long experience. I did not say I wanted.

He had long stopped dreaming about that future since his health deteriorated. Before, he once thought that even if his child was a result of his loveless marriage and only an heir to the French throne, he would love still love them with all his heart and raised them right.