Colour of Desire {Enjonine}

Chapter 22

*Enjolras POV*

"Enjolras? Wake up!" I sat up quickly in bed, drenched in sweat. Eponine was sitting beside me, looking worried.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You had another nightmare." She replied.

"I'm sorry I woke you up. I just keep on having these horrible dreams about the barricade." I explained, lying back against the pillows.

"I know. Joly said that these dreams will never leave you. You've been scarred by this in more ways than one." She said.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"It's about eight in the morning." She replied.

"I think I'll get up and get ready. The funeral starts at nine." I said, grabbing my cane and getting out of bed.

"Alright. I'll get Gavroche dressed." She said, walking out of the room.

I limped slowly over to the wardrobe and got my funeral jacket and shirt out.

Eponine had informed me that the Les Amis who had been killed were going to be burned outside the Bastille, with no funeral. I had immediately informed their families to come to Paris for a proper funeral. Marius, Joly and I had then hired a number of flat, wooden trailer's and brought them all back to house, where we planned to have a proper funeral procession for them with all of their families and anyone else who wished to pay their respects.

It was very hard to get dressed with only one avaliable arm,as my other was trapped in a sling. I was still attempting to button up my jacket when Eponine returned, dressed entirely in black from head to toe.

"Here, let me help you." She said, doing up the buttons.

"You shouldn't have to help me. I must learn to do these things by myself." I said.

"Enjolras, no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to tie a tie with only one hand." She said, fastening the bow tie in place around my neck.

"Thank you." I said. She nodded and wrapped her arms around my waist. I hugged her back, combing my hands through her hair.

"Enjolras? It's time to go. Joly is already outside waiting for you." Gavroche said, walking into the room. Eponine and I broke apart and walked outside with him.

"Here's your hat, Enjolras. Gavroche, can you please get Mamas ashes?" Eponine said, handing me my black top hat.

There was suddenly a knock on the door, just as Gavroche came back with the large, mahogany box.

"Cosette, Marius. Thank you for coming." Eponine said, answering the door.

"We had to come. Those men were like family to me." Marius said.

"Eponine,everyone is waiting outside." Cosette said. We all walked back out and greeted the families. Most of them had turned up but a few were too ashamed of their sons going against the king. Joly was standing with Musichetta near the carriages holding the dead. A few of the poorest people had turned up too.

"Thank you all for coming today. We are just going to walk through the main streets of Paris and then you may take your son's home and bury them properly if you wish. Any man left here will be buried in a graveyard not far from here." I explained. Everyone murmured in reply and soon the men had climbed into the carriages and began to make their way through the streets with the rest of us following behind.

Eponine looped her arm through my sling as we walked along. Someone was standing at the front of the procession playing a slow song on a violin. The noise must have caused other people to notice and soon the streets were filling up with onlookers, probably wondering what this was all about.

Unfortunately, the beautiful moment was destroyed when the National Guard turned up.

"Halt all of you!" One of the guards shouted. "You are all to leave these bodies immediately. These men committed a crime and are to be burned outside the Bastille."

"These men are heroes to the people and we shall not back down." Eponine said.

"These men tried to kill the king. They do not deserve a funeral procession." The guard said.

"Yes, they tried to kill the king but did not succeed. Instead, they were all killed." Eponine replied.

"Well, they also killed and wounded many soldiers on the battlefield." The guard spluttered.

"And your soldiers killed and wounded all of our men and yet they were not burned outside the prison." Eponine said. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a funeral to attend."

We turned our backs on the guards and began to walk down the road again.

"You are amazing." I whispered in her ear.

"I hate it when people, like the guards, immediately assume the worst of everyone. The Les Amis were like a family to everyone here and they deserve a proper funeral. They are still people, after all." She replied.

"You couldn't be more right."

"So how have you been keeping?" Marius asked, as we sat in the drawing room after the funeral.

"I've been better." I replied. Marius nodded.

"I'm the same." He said.

"Well, we have something for you and Eponine." Cosette said, handing us a letter.

"What is it?" Eponine asked.

"It's an invitation to our wedding. It's in three weeks." Marius said.

"Why so soon?" I said, looking over the invite.

"My grandfather wanted us married as soon as possible. He's only allowed to give his house to a married heir and unfortunately, he doesn't think he'll last the year." Marius sighed.

"Oh, Marius. I'm so sorry." Eponine said.

"Don't apologise. I didn't know him very well. I only lived with him because my parents sent me to school here in Paris but we were never very close."

"Well, I'm sure we can attend your wedding. We would be more than happy to come." Eponine said.

"Thank you." Cosette said. "We should get going though. We have to be back at think the house in think for dinner."

"Could you wait in the carriage for a minute. I have to speak with Enjolras. I won't be long." Marius said. Cosette nodded and walked outside with Eponine.

"What wrong?" I asked.

"You remember Cosettes father, don't you?" He said.

"Monsiour Madalaine?"

"Yes. Well, he told me something about himself the other day. He made me promise not to tell Cosette."

"What did he tell you?"

"He was a prisoner many years ago, working out in a dock yard. He was imprisoned for nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread." Marius said quietly.

"Nineteen years?" I said, surprised.

"Yes. Anyway, he was freed from this slavery after nineteen years and was put on parole. However, one day he broke his parole and went on the run. He changed his name to Monsiour Madalaine and the has how he met Cosettes mother. Her name was Fantine and she worked in his factory and had one daughter who lived with the Thenardiers. One day, the foreman fired her and she..."

"What? What happened to her?" I asked.

"She started to work in the docks." He whispered.

"Oh." I said.

"Apparently, she was incredibly ill when he found her again. He brought her to the hospital and promised to take care of her child. She died moments later. Javert found out his real identity and he went on the run again." Marius said.

"So, who was Cosettes real father?" I asked.

"A man called Felix Tholomyes. He abandoned them when Cosette was two."

"And what was Monsiour Madalaines real name?" I asked finally.

"His name was Jean Valjean."