Tart Magica Chapter 15
The English and French forces are battling it out, swords clashing and men running everywhere. Jean Batard calls out to his men to keep pressing forward and cut through the English forces as the French army gains the upper hand. John Talbot for his part doesn't like how this battle is going but he realizes that the English's morale is low after Corbeau caused disease to spread across both armies and that it was Tart who ended up curing both armies as well, causing the English to reconsider attacking the French forces. He decides the only way to raise morale now is for a knight to make some kind of sacrifical assault on the enemy and decides it's up to him. He spurs his horse forward ready to attack but is cut off by Richemont, who has arrived with a large armada of his own to supplement the French troops. Richemont calls out to Talbot to surrounder, knowing he isn't the type to throw away lives wihtout good reason. Talbot realizes that his forces are at a disadvantage and his troops are on the verge of retreat, so he surrounders himself as a prisoner to the French so long as they are willing to allow the remain English forces to retreat. Jean Batard agrees to the terms and thus with this victory secured the French have finally obtained the road to Reims where the Dauphin Charles can be crowned king.
Out in the nearby woods Tart, Melissa, Riz and Elisa are just able to hear the cries of the troops and wonder what may be happening. Pernelle appears from behind a tree and informs the girls that the French has won a victory. Pernelle asks how Elisa is doing and whether or not she's been behaving since Kyubey ran away when she came to meet the girls. Elisa claims she hasn't done anything, she just doesn't trust Kyubey since he may have ulterior motives or hidden plans of his own. though for her part she doesn't trust alchemists either. Realizing she hasn't introduced herself to Riz or Melissa, Pernelle does so, calling herself both an alchemist and a magical girl. She asks how the weapons she created for Tart and Elisa held up, explaining she mixed quite a few different magics together in their making, and Tart thanks her since her sword wasn't stolen during the last battle. Pernelle warns Tart to not use drain the power of the sword too much, even if the sword prevents her from over-extering her magical powers. She should use her power only when the time is ripe as she mentions a prophesy that has been whispered by townspeople down through the ages. The prophesy says that a woman will cause France to be lost, and a virgin will save it. While Charles had the right to inherit the throne, it was a woman that sold that right to the King of England and now Tart has appeared and reclaimed Orleans, opening a path for Charles to be coronated. Thus far the prophesy is fulfilling itself. Elisa stamps her foot down, calling prophesies garbage and refusing to attribute their hard-won battles to something like that. She accuses Pernelle of spreading the rumor herself as Pernelle counters that no one wins an entire battle on their own. Tart agrees with Elisa, claiming she's no the only one fighting to save France; not just her and Riz but Melissa and Elisa as well as every French soldier out there fighting for his homeland. It is because of all these people who are fighting and risking their lives that they are able to win. As she realizes that she's been yelling and lecturing Pernelle, she stops and bows her head in forgiveness for speaking to her betters like that. Pernelle smiles and tells her to never hold back in saying what she feels from her heart. But she asks that Tart never forgets that, while a larger fate may be at work here, it is Tart who is at the center of that flow of fate. As she magically teleports away, she tells them to make their way to Reims where she may meet them again. As Elisa snorts at Pernelle, she tells Tart and Riz to not refer to her as Lady Elisa, despite Melissa's protests. She also informs them she's going to call La Pucelle "Tart" from now on since she let's Riz and Melissa do so. She turns to Tart and congratulates her on her performance today in battle especially since it didn't even compare to their sparring match from earlier, as well as her words to Pernelle. As much as she'd love a rematch with Tart, she'd rather finish her challenge with Melissa. As the girls chatter, Riz considers the words of the prophecy.
The repercussions of the victory at Patay were great. The towns of Auxerre, Troyes, and Chalons, which had supported England, pledged their allegiance to the Dauphin Charles, one by one. jThere was nothing keeping charles out of Reims now. And on July 16, 1429, Tart and her entourage arrived at Reims. Then on Sunday, July 17 the coronation of Charles was held. From time immemorial, the sacred ceremony of coronation was held only on Sundays. Since they didn't want to delay it for another week, it was held the day after their arrival. They say that at the time, the Grand Cathedral of Notre Dame in Reims, where the ceremony was held, was being remodeled, so long lengths of clothe were hanging from the outer walls. But still the people of Reims met the ceremony with great joy and wild enthusiasm. The Dauphin Charles, escorted by the clery and mounted knights, proceeded down the aisle with th hymn Te Deum echoing throughout the cathedral. The ceremony began with the annointing of the King with sacred oil said to have been brought by an angel and kept in the cathedral for such ceremonies. After he placed his right hand upon the Bible and made his vows, he was bestowed with the symbols of royalty: the crown, golden spurs, and scepter. However, he had to return them to the church's care for a time as he proceeded to the next part of the ceremony: being annointed with holy oil. Once annointed, he donned a blue mantle and the sword of his house and approached the alter. There he received the final ritual: the crowning. With this, the wishes of La Pucelle as well as the people of France were realized , and their king was crowned. And thus began the rule of his majesty, Charles VII, King of France.
Tart congratulates Charles on his taking his rightful place, as Charles recognizes that he has Tart to thank for it. Tart stammers that she hardly deserves his thanks, but Gilles interjects that it was all thanks to her and he has her to thank as well for having been part of the ceremony and being promoted to marshall. Both Jean Batard and La Hire also insists that thanks are in order for Tart after all the battles they've been through together as well as being able to save Orleans. Charles laughs and says it is very true that France was lost because of a woman and saved by a virgin. At this words, a hush falls across the congregation as people look away. Charles asks if he said something wrong since he thinks the French people would have come to acknowledge the fulfillment of a prophecy that has been spreading. He laughs once more at the thought of having been saved by a virgin despite France being sold off to England by his very own - but before he can finish his sentence the lights cut out, leaving the room plunged in total darkness. A scream is heard and as they turn towards the sound, a light can be seen. But this is no ordinary light, it is several women burning alive and screaming as between the flames Minou and another woman can be seen walking towards Charles. Riz and Tart quickly transform and stand ready to defend the king. They demand he run towards safety, but Charles stammers and looks like he is about to scream as he recognizes the smiling woman who stands before Minou. As he collapses to the ground, he demands to know what she is doing here. It is his mother, the woman who sold out France to the English, Isabeau de Baviere.