Ballet Shoes, Angel's Hair and Revolution (A Les Misérables fanfiction)

Chapter 40

The whole palace was in the midst of final preparation for the ball. The guests were given rooms to stay and to get ready. Enjolras was led to the left wing, in which the royal family prepared chambers of male visitors, and I was lucky enough to be placed in my old apartments in the private north wing of the castle. Enjolras, of course was not aware of the fact, because the male visitors were not told in which part of the castle the chambers of the ladies were. This again allowed me to not tell him who I was. Nevertheless, I was still nervous that something might go wrong and he would find out. And that, would be catastrophic.

When I entered my apartments, I felt the ghost of past sweep through my bones. Everything was so familiar and yet so different. The room did not change, as if it was preserved in the same state that I have left it two summers ago, when I was so abruptly sent away. It had the same glided wooden furniture, even the bedding was the same, in the warmest shade of rose gold. The only thing that suggested that someone has visited the room in the past two years was the lack of dust and the multiple bouquets of flowers set around the room. My favorite flowers to be exact, lily of the valley and pink peonies. I knew that it was all my sisters' doing. We had a tradition of gifting each other with flower decorations on the occasions of birthdays and other grand celebrations.

I took a deep breath and inhaled the familiar scent of wood, clean cotton and fresh flowers. Without my brain registering, I began strolling around the room and touching the familiar furniture. I came up to the old wooden wardrobe and opened it. I sighed with astonishment. The best of my gowns, which I had no use in taking with me when I moved out, were still there. I would expect them to be covered by dust, but someone made sure they were kept clean. I buried my face in a silver brocade of one of my dresses. It smelled refreshingly clean.

I was home at last, even though home was no longer the same as it used to be. But I could close my eyes, clear my mind and for a very short moment forget... It could almost be as if I have never left home. I sighed and closing the wardrobe, I promised myself I would wear one of these dresses the next morning to see if they still fit.

I came up to the old vanity table, with all the toiletries still waiting for me to use them. I was shocked that my step mother did not rearranged the room after I was sent away. After all she was always the one to promote the efficient use of the chambers.

I looked at myself in the mirror. At the first glance, I seemed unchanged. The same green eyes, identical light brown hair and freckles, nothing too beautiful in comparison to my sisters. However, when I looked at myself for a longer time, I could notice that there was in fac something different about me. I have never noticed it before, as if I could only spot the change in my Versailles' mirror. Did the two years actually mean so much? Was I now a different person?

I tried to remember myself from the time before I left. But I couldn't bring myself, as if the period before 1830 was hidden behind a thick veil.

I heard knocking on the door, and I snapped out of my pensiveness to turn myself towards the glided door and speak calmly,

"Come in!"

As if commanded by me, two of my sisters jumped inside the room in a way that could hardly be called princess-like. I did not have time to record how they looked before they reached me and screamed in unison,

"Victorie! Happy birthday!" They encircled me in their arms, hugging me closely. My nostrils were filled with their sweet perfumes and their golden lock tickled my face. I suddenly felt so safe and loved, it was the feeling that I missed so dearly.

"Louise! Marie!" I squealed pulling away from the two girls to take a better look at them, "Oh how I've missed you! I have seen Louise, but Marie! You've changed so much! How tall have you got!" I exclaimed, and the younger girl's face was suddenly covered with an adorable blush.