CROWN PRINCE | LES MISÉRABLES

42.

Enjolras POV

The early morning hours had approached. The men were all sleeping, except for me. I wrote down everything in case I would die. If I died, Annelise would get a certain amount of money to take care of her and her family.

Sleep wasn't a bad idea, I just feared oversleeping. I had to be there and I had to roll the stone in. I got up and stretched. I put on my blood-red jacket. It symbolized the blood of angry men. Then I had the ring of Annelise close to my heart. I pulled it out and kissed it. My shirt still smelt like her.

I would flee with my men, in case we lost. We'd stay away from France until it has died down. They would give up looking for them after a while. I would travel to my grandmother, seeing Annelise again. But there was no time for thinking: I had to get ready.

I was nervous and in need of a black coffee. My hands were shaking, my eyes bloodshot. It was like I had cried the entirety of last night, which wasn't wrong.

Courfeyrac handed me a black coffee. I sipped it. It was a, too hot and b, very strong. But that was good. It was time to build the barricade.

But first: the funeral.

We woke up the sleepy men and made our way to the funeral. We waited. I took a deep breath, calming myself down. It was now or never.

"Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men? It is the music of the people, who will not be slaves again."

The crowd grew louder and louder until I waved my red flag. My father looked angered and left the ceremony. Probably to not acknowledge the problem. I jumped on top of the casket until we came to a hold.

It was silent. Gunshot.

A woman next to Combeferre falls. A woman around the of Annelise.

"Murderer!", Combeferre yelled.

The crowd grew hectic. Everyone ran.

"To the barricade!", I yelled, leading my boys back to the Café.

We build the barricade out of falling furniture. Table after table, chair after the chair was thrown out. Then the piano came crashing down on the cobblestone.

A majestic barricade stood in front of us. And then it was time to wait again.

***

Bullets flew around, causing members of mine to fall.
Feuilly fell, Joly fell, Bahorel fell. Men after men fell. We weren't going to surrender. Little Gav had also fallen. A small hero had gone too soon from us.

Then the bullet hit Courfeyrac. I stormed to him and pressed into his wound. It was a clean shot in his hip. He was moaning in pain.

"I.Hate.you.", he moaned.
"That's okay, but we need to get you out of here.", I said, pulling him away from the battlefield.

I put Combeferre on the duty of taking care of him in one of the backrooms.

"Give up now, surrender, and the King will show his mercy."

I had to make a choice. The boys were tired and if we continued, we'd all die. I would never give up. But would a good leader risk everything when he knows they have already lost?

"You have time till sunset.", the soldier said, retreating.

We walked inside. I gathered them all together. The bullet was already out of Courfeyracs hip.

"We will surrender."
"Enjolras, no."
"Yes. We have to. I cannot risk us all dying. You all have families. I can help you all out of your sentence."

"He's right.", Courf said.

He was still very much in pain.

"You are the leader. What do you suggest?", Combeferre asked.

***

We surrendered by sunset and were sentenced to a year in prison. I cut that down to 3 months. I took the blame on myself. I was on house arrest. Charlie was sent back to England, where he would sit his sentence.

Was I now considered a good leader or the coward that was too scared to die?