CROWN PRINCE | LES MISÉRABLES

40.

Flashback:

My mother was gone to her favorite place in Greece. She could not stand the court but never thought of taking me with her.

I was a little boy, 8 years of age. I was raised by a governess after my mother had ended my military education. I was thankful as my head was dunked into a barrel of ice-cold water each morning. And when I cried, I was dunked in entirely.

My governess took care of me and educated me to the man I would once become.

"Bastien, one day, you will be king. You do not need a weak and soft education but rather a hard and challenging one."

I begged him for weeks, months even. But prayers weren't heard when I was sent back to the military education. That one night had changed even my father's thinking.

I was left in a zoo without them telling me that the hungry lions had broken out of their cages. My governess saved me before I was eaten by them.

When my mother came back, she brought me a small charm. It was a pendant with a portrait of her. It was the small gesture that made my small heart flutter. But then everything fell back into routine and my mother would lock herself back in her room. She would cry.

The nights were terrible. During the military education, I was woken up by gunshots. After I was taken out, I would cry at the slightest noise. I was afraid of loud noises. I would ask for my mother. But she would refuse to see me.

I was a strong boy in a bad world but even that made me scared. My governess would rock me back to sleep. She would often cry when she would hear stories of my childhood.

My mother and I were so similar and yet so different. When she looked at me, she often said she felt like looking into a mirror because we were so alike. After years, she was divorced and left the court. I've never heard from her ever since.

A letter. General Lamarque is dead. My only support was now gone. I ran into the Café. Everyone was there. I held the letter in my hand. I began to smile: my revolution would begin now.

"General Lamarque is dead. His death is the sign we await. On his funeral day, we will honor his name. With the light of rebellion ablaze in their eyes. With their candles of grief we will kindle our flame. On the tomb of Lamarque shall our barricade rise. The time is here! Let us welcome it gladly with courage and cheer. Let us take to the streets with no doubt in our hearts."

"But a jubilant shout.", Courfeyrac said.
"They will come one and all.", Combeferre added.
"They will come when we call!", the boys said in unison.

Now to the hard part: writing to Annelise and telling her to leave. I had a letter written for my grandmother already and I would give it to Annelise before her departure.

"I will be right back."
"Where are you going?"
"Protecting the one thing I love the most.", I said, running to my horse and get on it.

I rode faster than any man probably could. And I would deliver it to her personally. I got there, jumped off my horse, and knocked. Her small brother opened the door and walked past him, up to Annelise's room. I knew her father wasn't here and it was just them and their grandmother.

I knocked on her door.

"What are you doing here? I mean I'm happy to see you, but-."
"The Revolution, it has begun. I came to deliver this to you. Pack up, you and Delilah will travel to my grandmother."
"No. Not yet. My father is with your father at the moment. Tomorrow night, there is a music festival. We will perform there. Please, just another day.", she asked.

"Okay. I have this letter for you. The letter that is addressed to you, you open that one once you're in England. The other one is for my grandmother.", I said.

"Thank you. I must tell you something though."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Who else?", she said, tearing me inside her room.

I didn't know what it was, but it would shock and excite me at the same time.