CROWN PRINCE | LES MISÉRABLES

76.

He was dead. His life had been a tragic one already, now it ended just a tragic as it has begun. A young man, barely older than 32, was shot by an army. He quickly vanished, was not able to be saved in the hospital.

When his parents found out about it, it was ruled as suicide. The man, who shot him, stayed silent and watched the grief-stricken parents of him mourn over the death of their only child.

Not only his parents grieved. His son, not even 6 years old, had to watch his father break down in front of him until this tragic and sudden end.

The only person who wasn't grieving was his ex-wife. A terrible woman, who only wanted one thing: power. And now that he was gone, she knew that power was beyond her reach.

I had taken a mission on me: I would keep his legacy alive by publishing his story. People should not forget what a lovely and kind person he was. I found his many notebooks. I appeared in them oftentimes. Sometimes in words, sometimes in drawings. I had realized that Bastien was the source of our son's amazing talent.

I was grieving, not speaking to anyone. I haven't said a word since he died. Timothy moved to my father. Maybe I was a bad mother, but I could not look into my son's face without seeing Bastien. It broke my heart. I couldn't do this to him. We celebrated his 6th birthday. When Timothy grew older, I would give him the memoir I wrote of his father. I used his name.

After all, I was still Annelise Allard.

I was in mourning clothes for the last three weeks. He was buried next to my mother. It's what I wanted. I refused any other place. He was part of my family. His mother was alright with him being buried beside mine.

I would keep it clean and made sure fresh flowers would be there every week. I would never leave his side like I had promised him on our wedding day. January 31st, 1839. A beautiful day.

Who would've known that I would be a widow so soon? I for sure didn't. I refused to eat, drink, sleep. I would eventually die and be with him until eternity. If it wasn't for the baby in me and Timothy. They were the only ones that I kept fighting for.

This crushed my heart. I would never be able to love another man as I loved him. It all started on us the balcony 11 years ago when he first kissed me. Our first conversation on his balcony in 1823, when I was 10 years old.

Then he came to see me in the Café in 1829. He told me he loved me 10 years ago. We've been a couple ever since. We did everything together. We shared the rough patches as much as the happy things.

And now he was supposed to be gone?

I returned to Timothy and told him everything. He was crying but I told him that his Papa was now an Angel and took care of him and his sibling from heaven.

We went back into our house. We decided to live here. It was hard but I could not leave this house. So many memories and pictures were taken. The last one being taken just two days before he was killed. He looked majestic. No wonder, he was the Crown Prince.

Timothy would study to become just like his father. I would do everything in my power to raise our children. I will not give up. I will never forget him. And I will make sure that no one ever will.