Marianne Enjolras glanced around nervously, thinking. Why had they ordered her here, of all places?

Why
did it have to be this cafe? Why did it have to be her brother she had to betray? She paused outside the
door of the Musain. Her brother, Sebastian (shortened to astian a!ongst friends" Enjolras, the one person
she adored above all others having never been graced #ith a boyfriend. She had to do this. She had to, or
her parents #ould be killed, the village they looked after destroyed, burnt to the ground. ut if she #ent
ahead, she$d sign her brothers$ death #arrant. Maybe she could... H!!. She #asn$t going to be observed.
%f that she #as certain. Maybe she could #arn hi!... as #ell as betraying hi!, #hich she had been sent to
do. y delivering hi! one fatal !essage. Sighing, she pushed the door open. She had to see hi! once !ore,
just once. Even though this one ti!e she sa# hi! could kill hi!. &nside the roo!, a young blonde haired,
blue eyed gentle!an #as speaking to an attentive cro#d, all around his age. He shone in the cro#d. 'ike a
beacon. Enjolras had inherited their !other$s colouring. 'ong #avy blonde hair, al!ost golden, and bright,
forget(!e(not blue eyes, surrounded by long golden lashes, al!ost like a girls$. His pale alabaster
co!ple)ion appeared even paler #hen he #as #earing black, as he #as that night, bar his #hite shirt, open
at the neck #ith his cravat loose and dangling do#n, dra#ing attention to his !uscular shoulders. His long
golden hair #as tied back #ith a ribbon of the sa!e black as his cravat. Marianne looked !ore like their
father, long, straight dark bro#n hair, light ha*el eyes that sho#ed so !uch e!otion and a lightly tanned
co!ple)ion. She #as sli! #ithout being frail, and radiated an inner strength that so !any people try and
fail to e!it. +ressed as she #as, in a grey go#n #ith scarlet and lavender e!broidery thickly on the bodice
and around the top of the skirt, for!ing arabes,ues and curves, she looked nothing like hi!. Enjolras
spotted her, and e)cused hi!self. He ,uietly !ade his #ay over to her, ignoring the curious glances of the
-!is.
.Sister?/ He asked, shocked. 0rantaire, #ho had overheard his ,uestion, sniggered drunkenly and couldn$t
stop his tongue before it #as too late.
.-pollo has a sister? She looks nothing like you, Enjolras. Sure your !other #asn$t a #hore? ut &$ll shut up
if this fair lady.../ Here, he staggered to his feet and bo#ed clu!sily, but ending up face(planting the floor,
.Would consent to allo# !e to take her to dinner, and !aybe !ore.../ he !u!bled fro! the floor, #iggling
his eyebro#s suggestively. Marianne blushed and Enjolras sco#led.
.1hat$s enough 0rantaire./ Enjolras said tersely. 1o Marianne he said urgently, .We can$t talk here./
.&$! being #atched/ she #hispered ,uietly. .& #as ordered to.../ Marianne broke off and bit her lip
nervously, not #anting to tell hi! she$d co!e to betray hi!. Enjolras guessed.
.2ou can$t hide anything fro! !e petite./ He told her gently. .2ou #ere hopeless at lying before as you are
no#. 1hey$ve got the!, haven$t they? -nd the village...?/
.2es,/ she confir!ed, .-nd they$ve sent !e lure you into a trap. &f you don$t co!e to the !ain s,uare
outside the palace to!orro# !orning at nine o$clock, our parents die, the village destroyed, and &.../ she
shuddered, not #anting hi! to #orry over her fate. He nodded.
.& understand. -nd & #ill go, to save you, our parents and the village./
.31 2%3$'' E E4E531E+666/ she shouted. .-nd & can$t face that. & couldn$t #atch you die... kno#ing it #as
!y fault.../ 1he -!is looked at the pair in alar!. Enjolras raised his eyebro# and she lo#ered her voice. .&
don$t kno# #hat to do./
.5o!beferre #ill save !e./ Enjolras said confidently. She still looked #orried.
.& have to go./ She said regretfully. .&f & don$t go back soon, !y punish!ent #ill be severe./
.Where are you staying, that they can treat you, a 'ady, a daughter of a lando#ner like that? Even though &
don$t approve of the title, you are 'ady Marianne Enjolras./ He asked.
.&n the palace, #ell guarded. &$! scared, !on chere frere, scared. ut & can$t escape.../ He hugged her close.
.2ou$re an Enjolras. Stay strong. 7e t$ai!e sister, je t$ai!e./ She bo#ed her head for his blessing. He laid his
hand on her head for a second. 5urtsying to the rest of the -!is, she left, kno#ing she$d done all she could
to save hi!. Her brother sighed and #atched her go, before taking his for!er place and continued #ith his
speech, but his heart #asn$t in it. +is!issing the -!is, he pulled 5o!beferre to the side and #hispered
urgently. 5o!beferres eyes #idened behind his spectacles, but he nodded all the sa!e.
.&$ll be there./ 8ro!ised 5o!beferre. Enjolras s!iled faintly.
.&$! going to send you !y papers. 1he house #ill be searched./ 5o!beferre nodded again, at a loss for
#ords. .0odspeed, !y friend./ Enjolras blessed hi! and took his leave. 5o!beferre #aited a fe# !o!ents
!ore, checking on 0rantaire #ho had passed out in his nor!al corner before also leaving.
1he ne)t !orning, Marianne #as escorted fro! her roo! in chains. She had been betrayed by the 9ing. She
#as no# to be the bait for her brother. &nsurance. -nd she #ould certainly die. 1o hurt her fa!ily. 1o stop
her brother. -s she sat ,uietly, a#aiting her fate, her eyes stole over to #here the 9ing #as sitting, eating
his breakfast as if nothing #as #rong, scanning the docu!ents his chancellor #as passing hi!. He didn$t
spare a glance for the terrified girl #ho #as living her last fe# hours in chains. Marianne #as given nothing.
-fter a #hile, the 9ing #aved the! a#ay, not even sparing her a glance. 1re!bling, Marianne #as led out
into the !ain s,uare. Her steps faltered as she sa# the !an in black, #aiting by the guillotine. Was this ho#
her life #ould end? - traitor$s death for her brother? Her fa!ily? Her brothers$ actions? Her !ind fle# back
to the previous night, the night she$d been betrayed, falsely accused by the 9ing. -fter seeing her brother,
she had gone back to the palace as ordered. 1he 9ing #as hosting a dinner that night. -s the only free
representative of her village, the si)teen year old girl #as co!!anded to attend. 1he !eal passed #ithout
incident until the coffee #as served. 1he 9ing, rather drunk, hiccuped.
.&n the na!e of !y reign/ he slurred, .We have so!eone here #ho #ill betray !e. &ndeed, & believe she
already has./ Here, he paused and Marianne started to tre!ble #ithout kno#ing #hy. Surely the 9ing #as
drunk(talking. :othing #ould be taken seriously, surely... .1hat girl/ he continued, slurring his #ords even
!ore, .'ady Marianne Enjolras #ill betray !e to her brother, #ho #ants to overthro# !e. & cannot allo#
this. So, !y people, #hy don$t #e use her as bait and rid ourselves of both rebellious offspring of the
Enjolras fa!ily in one s#oop?/ 1he gathered dignitaries jeered, one 'ord grabbing Marianne roughly around
the #aist, thro#ing her to another. 1his $ga!e$ carried on for a fe# !inutes before the original 'ord
grabbed her by her hair, forcing her to her knees, dragging her to the #aiting grenadiers like a dog. Since
then, Marianne had been beaten and guarded, #eighed do#n #ith chains. She feared for her brothers life.
Her life. -t the sound of dru!beats she #as roughly pulled fro! her thoughts as the guards dragged her to
the scaffold.
.&$! innocent6 &$! nothing6/ She protested as the chains #ere re!oved and her hands #ere bound behind
her #ith a coarse rope. She #as forced to her knees ne)t to the guillotine, the e)ecutioner$s glasses #inking
behind his hood as the early sunlight caught the!. 1he ti!e #as nine o$clock. 1he s,uare #as filled #ith
people. -t that precise !o!ent she #as pushed do#n, her brother #alked into the s,uare and stopped
dead.
.-S1&-:666/ she screa!ed. .;un6 &t$s a trap6 7ust run for 0od$s sake6/ Seeing hi! not !ove, she started
sobbing. Enjolras looked at her sadly. 1here #as his sister, his o#n flesh and blood, kneeling by the
guillotine, crying, a#aiting her death. So!e of the cro#d #ere looking at her #ith pity, the poor,
conde!ned girl, others at the brother, #ho stood petrified. - runner fro! the scaffold ran up to hi!,
parting the cro#d as he #ent, handing Enjolras a piece of parch!ent sealed #ith the royal seal. Enjolras
opened it hesitantly.
Lord Sebastian John Enjolras III,
If you are reading this, then you know your sister, Lady Marianne Enjolras, is about to die. Your parents, on
hearing about your traitorous ways, allowed me to hath a plot to rid myself of you. !hey ha"e ast you out,
but admit you retain your title. #s it is yours by birth. #s is hers. $ot that it will be useful to you or her in the
world beyond this one. $aturally, the Lady Marianne will also die, as she resisted the marriage her parents
proposed. $amely her marriage to me. # snub against my person, my soul and my position. I ha"e no doubt
you were instrumental in helping her esape and gi"ing her ideas. %er disobediene and your traitorous
ways ondemn her. You annot sa"e her...
Enjolras paused and looked up fro! the letter in terror to his sister. His eye #as dra#n to a scuffle on the
scaffold. 5o!beferre had figured out the trap #ith his logical !ind even before Enjolras had realised that
there #as a trap. Marianne had #arned hi! of a trap, but he$d paid her no heed. 5o!beferre #as acting in
the #ay Enjolras #ould have e)pected hi! to. y disguising hi!self as the e)ecutioner, (Enjolras having no
idea #hat happened to the real e)ecutioner. 1he author can reveal that at that !o!ent in ti!e, he #as
sleeping, due to the effect of a tran,uilli*er 5o!beferre had slipped into his drink that !orning." and helped
her. 3nder the prete)t of adjusting Marianne$s position to easily sever her head fro! her body, 5o!beferre
pulled her to safety. -s soon as Enjolras sa# his sister safe, he s#ung into action. efore the stunned cro#d,
he fled, avoiding the shouts of the guards, the cocking of rifles. He still held the note. He had to sho#
Marianne. He had to sho# her the proof of their parents treachery. He paused at the door of the Musain.
So!eone, 5o!beferre no doubt, had used soot to !ark an arro# on the #all. Enjolras kne# #hat it !eant.
Wiping the soot off the #all to confuse his pursuers, he ran. Enjolras didn$t stop running until he reached
;ue ;ivoli.
5o!beferre #as in the bakery along the street, cutting Marianne$s bonds, careful to not cause her any !ore
distress. Enjolras appeared, panting, in the door#ay. 8ulling a#ay fro! 5o!beferre, she hardly let Enjolras
into the bakery before flinging her ar!s around hi! and clinging tightly.
.&$! sorry6 &$! so so so sorry6/ she breathed into his jacket. Her breath caught in her throat, starting to sob.
Enjolras kept his ar! around her co!fortingly, but disentangled hi!self fro! her e!brace.
.Sister. We need to flee./ He states cal!ly.
.ack to the village? 1o #arn the!?/ she asked #ith the na<ve innocence of the child she still #as. Enjolras
sighed.
.:o./ He sho#ed her the letter. Marianne took it and read silently.
.%h astian.../ she #hispered, horrified. .&ollowing your sister's death, you will undoubtedly be in agony
o"er her fate. (e at peae, as you will soon join her again. )itory is sweet, is it not* My perfet "itory. #
weed spreads through the parents. #nd we must ulti"ate the ideal strains, and kill the others. Your sister
hose her own fate. You hoose yours. +ie like a gentleman, a Lord that you are, or die a traitor. )i"e le ,e-/
(AN: Translation roughly Long Live the King) Enjolras nodded.
.2ou !ust !arry. 1o save yourself./ He infor!ed her sadly, not #anting to let her go. .-s only your husband
can protect you. -s it is, you could be pronounced a #hore, shunned. 2ou$ll be #orse than a cri!inal. :o
one #ill #ant anything to do #ith you. - traitorous #hore is #orse. 2ou must !arry so!eone. -s vile as the
idea can be./
.&.../ tre!bled Marianne, fearing !arriage #ould trap her, her spirit, once !ore in chains, albeit silken
chains of co!fort and ease. She couldn$t give herself to any !an. She #ouldn$t. Her spirit, her #ild spirit
restrained her. 5o!beferre coughed a#k#ardly, and Enjolras looked at hi! curiously. S!iling sheepishly,
5o!beferre pulled hi! aside, speaking so ,uietly so Marianne couldn$t hear.
.Enjolras, !on -!i, & ad!ire her. Maybe even love her, even though & thought & could never love, it being
illogical. ut & love her !ore than & can say. She is a strong lady. & sa# that today, even today, #hen she faced
death, she #as unafraid for herself, !ore for you. & #ish to !arry her, for you, for yours, and your fa!ilies,
sake./
.My fa!ily caused this6/ Enjolras hissed. 5o!beferre inclined his head.
.My apologies Enjolras. ut & #ant to be by her side, forever. +o you per!it it?/ Enjolras s!iled at his
friend.
.&f she per!its./ He said si!ply. 5o!beferre s!iled back at hi!, before going back to Marianne. 9neeling
before her, 5o!beferre took her hands in his and looked deep into her soft ha*el eyes #ith his steely grey
eyes.
.'ady Marianne Enjolras, & #ant to protect you. & never #ant to see you in a situation like today again. 2ou
don$t deserve it. & love you, your strength, your refusal to sub!it, your beauty... Will you !arry !e?/
Marianne gasped in shock. She had not e)pected this. 'ooking over at Enjolras, she sa# hi! give a #ry
s!ile. 'ooking back at 5o!beferre she s!iled, nervously it is true, kno#ing this ans#er #ould change her
life.
.& #ill./ She ans#ered softly. 5o!beferre stood and took her in his ar!s, kissing her chastely on the lips,
gently, softly, not #anting to scare her. Marianne kissed hi! back a little fir!er, #rapping her ar!s around
hi!, taking co!fort in his presence. Enjolras s!iled slightly at the pair.
.2ou$re safe no#. -nd al#ays #ill be. =or the rest of !y life./ 5o!beferre pro!ised sole!nly.
.Will #e still have to run?/ she asked hi!, including Enjolras in the ,uestion.
.Maybe./ shrugged Enjolras, unconcerned. .%r #e$ll just keep a lo# profile. My apart!ent #ill surely be
#atched. 5o!beferre can stay at his place. We can take a roo! so!e#here, so!e#here ,uiet, out of the
#ay, but still in the city. My #ork is to i!portant./ 5o!beferre pulled Enjolras aside again.
.& #ant to get her so!ething./ 5o!beferre stated. .& can listen for ne#s at the sa!e ti!e. 0iven both of you
escaped, 8aris !ay not be safe./ Enjolras nodded.
.-lright. We$ll stay here./ He pro!ised. 5o!beferre shook his head.
.&f it gets too dangerous for her here, take her a#ay. 0et her to safety. 1hey$ll take her as a #o!an. 1hey$ll
capture her. -nd this ti!e she$ll die alone. & have a roo! in the 0orbeau House. & never use it. &t$s in the
na!e of regan./ 5o!beferre passed a key to Enjolras. .2ou$ll be safe if you$re not discovered./ Enjolras
nodded again. 5o!beferre kissed Marianne ,uickly and tenderly, before taking his leave, and slipping out
the bakery like a shado#.
Enjolras scrutinised his sister carefully. She #as so young still... too young to be !arried. 1oo young to be
held as a traitor. 1oo young to have been betrayed, too young to be as concerned as she #as. Hesitantly, he
broached the ,uestion that he had been too scared to ask before. .What did they do to you?/ He asked,
concerned. Marianne looked at hi!, sorro# sinking deep into her eyes.
.-part fro! a ga!e of $pass and grope the traitor$?/ she asked. .7ust a flogging./ astian started violently.
.May... !ay & see?/ He asked. 0lancing around, Marianne #ithdre# into a dark corner. 1rying to reach
around her back to release the cords of her dress, she #hi!pered.
.5an you help !e get out of this?/ she #hispered. .1he guards forced it on !e. Supposed to be suitable for
a #itch burning, so & #as honoured/ she co!!ented dryly. Enjolras tugged at the cords holding the rag at
the back, slightly preserving her !odesty. 'etting the rag slip fro! her shoulders, Enjolras #as able to take
into account the full a!ount of har! his sister had suffered for hi!. Her belly and breasts #ere covered in
red #elts fro! the cat o$nine tails flogger. .1hat$s nothing./ Marianne told Enjolras ,uietly. 1urning a#ay
fro! hi!, the light caught her back. &t had been #hipped ra#. Ho# she survived #as a !ystery to Enjolras.
5uts and #elts !arred her skin. So!e had been done by the flat of a s#ord he #as sure. -#are of her
!odesty, and her vulnerability, Enjolras ,uickly pulled the rags over her shoulders and fastened the cords.
Silence fell bet#een the brother and sister, one in shock, one filled #ith drea!s and ideas of love.
- little #hile later, a set of footsteps #as heard approaching the bakery. 8ushing Marianne behind hi!,
Enjolras grabbed hold of a chair, ready to use it against any intruders. 5o!beferres$ head poked around the
door slightly. .%nly !e/ he said. Marianne ca!e fro! her hiding place. 5o!beferre #as putting a couple of
packages on one of the tables. -fter he$d finished this task, he took the girl$s hand again in his. 8ulling a
little s,uare bo) out of his pocket, he knelt before her again. .& kno# you$ve said yes before. ut & #ant to
do this properly. 'ady Marianne Enjolras, sister of 'ord Sebastian 7ohn Enjolras &&&, #ill you !arry !e?/
Marianne s!iled.
.%f course./ 5o!beferre slipped the solitaire dia!ond onto her finger, kissing her hand as he did.
.& also brought clothes for you and your brother./ 8ointing to the larger of the t#o packages, Marianne took
his direction and retired to the back to change. .&t$s bad, Enjolras./ 5o!beferre reported sadly. .2ou !ust
get out of 8aris for a #hile. 0o to !y parents in 'yon. 1ake !y fianc>e, introduce her. &t$s natural, and it$ll
keep her safe. & can start so!ething that #ill take their !inds off you./
.ut the -!is.../ Enjolras protested.
.& can look after the -!is. 1rust !e, it #on$t be long before they$re looking for so!eone else. & just need to
confir! !y suspicions, and then they$ll be chasing a ne# thief./ s!irked 5o!beferre. Enjolras laughed
slightly.
.& trust you, 5o!beferre. Send #ord as soon as #e !ay return./
.& #ill./ 7ust then, the door behind the! opened. 1here, her face clean, hair co!bed and a ne# go#n that
e!phasised her beauty, stood Marianne. Even Enjolras, seeing his sister bathed in the light of her ne#(
found splendour, struggled to recognise her. 'ove changes people. Marianne #as shining in its light. -s she
stepped into the roo!, the aura around her disappeared, and she #as once again herself, just shining in a
pale blue silken go#n.
.5o!beferre... thank you./ She breathed. 5o!beferre blushed.
.8lease, call !e 'uc. %nes fianc>e should kno# their fianc>e?s na!e. -nd it$s nothing. My parents #ould
e)pect !y bride to be noble./ Enjolras stiffened.
.ourgeois, & take it?/ He half(snarled to 5o!beferre.
.Sadly yes,/ replied 5o!beferre, .ut they accept !y need to be different. 1o do #hat & #ant #ith !y life.
1o !arry #ho! & #ish. Even if her brother is a rebel. %r their son.../ Enjolras sighed.
.Maybe it #ill be safe then./
.What do you !ean?/ Marianne asked, confused.
.We have to go for a #hile. 1o 'yon./ astian ans#ered her. Sighing, Marianne consented.
- fe# hours later, 5o!beferre #aved the! off as they #ent a#ay in a little carriage, looking for all the
#orld like a perfect couple. 1he perfect fa!ily. He turned a#ay and started !aking his o#n plans.
5o!beferres$ plan #as co!plete #ithin a !onth. 1he police #ere chasing different cri!inals, the Enjolras
parents banished fro! court for allo#ing their children to escape and evade detection, !eaning that the
na!e of Enjolras #as forgotten. Marianne and Enjolras had not been idle #hile they #ere a#ay.
5o!beferres$ parents #ere !ore than happy to have a noble 'ady as a daughter(in(la#. -s such, they had
sho#ered her #ith attention and affection. Marianne had been carefully tutored in the fa!ily tree, and her
appearance had changed slightly. She #as still the sa!e beauty as before, but no#, #ith proper fe!ale
guidance and dressing, she #as !aking the !ost of herself. Enjolras #as also transfor!ed, and his respect
for his lieutenants$ fa!ily gre#, even if they #ere bourgeois. ut even in his e)ile, he #as #orking on his
plans. -nd it broke Marianne$s heart.
- fe# days after their return, Marianne and 5o!beferre !arried in a si!ple cere!ony, but attended by the
people that !eant so !uch to the! both. Marianne$s parents #ere forgotten.
1his idyll couldn$t last, ho#ever. - little over a year after the #edding, 0eneral 'a!ar,ue died of cholera.
5o!beferre, his place, as al#ays, at Enjolras$ side, fell beside hi!, #ith the rest of the students. Marianne, a
young #ido#, #as left alone. Her parents betrayed her. Her brother #as dead, her husband beside hi!. Her
position i!possible. 'ater that night, that fateful night of @ 7une ABCD, she #alked along the Seine, clutching
a locket to her throat, tre!bling slightly. -t the edge of the bridge, she paused and sa# a figure step off the
side of the bridge. :o doubt it #as so!e other poor soul #ho had lost her husband or lover to the 5ause. -
fe# feet a#ay fro! the place #here the figure stepped off, Marianne cli!bed over the railings and held
herself there, graceful, a proud figurehead on a ship. She s!iled up at the stars, seeing her husband and her
brother looking at her, kno#ing she$d be joining the!.
-nd then she let go.