La Vie en Rose // FrUs

Versailles

"Welcome to Versailles!"

"Huh?" Alfred murmured, taking one last glance around at the shrubbery in an attempt to locate a palace amidst the hedges.

"Well- welcome to Francis Bonnefoy's secret back entrance to the palace of Versailles" Francis joked, looking over at the American, whose head was tilted in confusion as he tried to piece together what Francis what talking about.

"Where's the palace?" Alfred asked, looking over at Francis as he lifted the seat of the vespa and pulled out a picnic basket.

"Patience, patience" Francis cooed, taking the helmet out of Alfred's hand before placing it in the compartment under the seat and shutting it. Alfred rolled his eyes out of sight and watched on as Francis made sure the seat was locked before walking over towards Alfred and holding his hand out for Alfred to take. Alfred was a bit surprised at the gesture but quickly reciprocated by locking his fingers with Francis' as he led him towards a black gate that separated the hedges.

At the gate, Francis made sure to put a finger to his mouth to make sure Alfred kept quiet. Alfred obliged but watched on curiously as Francis let go of his hand and slid past the side of the gate through the hedges, successfully surpassing the gate that was intended to keep intruders out.

"What's the point of the gate if-" Alfred began loudly.

"Quiet!" Francis whispered assertively, shooting Alfred deadly stare as Alfred realized he risked getting them caught. Alfred looked over at him in an attempt at saying sorry with his eyes, but Francis just chuckled before opening the gate from the other side and letting Alfred through to the other side. 

On the other side was the continuation of a dirt path leading through more thick hedges. Alfred locked his fingers with Francis' once more before they continued their walk. They walked in silence for a while due to Alfred being afraid to open his mouth. It wasn't until they reached a clearing in the hedges that Alfred made any noise.

At the clearing of the hedges, Alfred let out a gasp as he realized where they were. Right in front of their eyes was the grand canal, which led to the palace of Versailles, which Alfred could see lit up in the darkness like a cluster of stars. The view was stunning. Alfred squinted his eyes in an attempt to see more from so far away, and he could vaguely make out the large fountain in front of the palace and the hundreds of twinkling lights illuminating the garden.

Alfred only zoned back into reality when he realized Francis had been staring at him with a warm smile on his face. Alfred didn't even care how much of a dork he looked like; he was standing at the far end of the garden of Versailles, and the historic palace was taking his breath away. When Alfred was finally done looking around and being utterly awestruck, he turned to face Francis in anticipation of what was to come.

"There's not a soul here, so we have the whole place to ourselves" Francis spoke, pulling Alfred with him as they started on the tree-lined trail that followed the canal towards the palace. Alfred felt enchanted, until he realized a major flaw in Francis' plan for a date.

"Isn't this illegal? What about security? Are there no cameras? What if we get caught? I'll get kicked out of the country!" Alfred blurted nervously, eliciting a smirk from Francis as they continued walking.

"The cameras are disabled. We're fine" Francis stated calmly, leaving Alfred with more questions than answers as they passed a marble statue of a woman with a water jug. Francis could tell his vague answer was driving Alfred crazy. "Don't worry about it."

Alfred let out a sigh as he realized he would never fully understand Francis and the multitudes of layers that surrounded his existence. Instead of worrying about his possible-deportation, Alfred focussed on the gorgeous shrubbery around them that was so regal it made him feel like he was dreaming. The canal looked beautiful, and it reflected the shimmering lights of the distant palace in a way that made it seem as if the surface were covered in gold.