R E D || Enjolras

In The Beginning

1820   -   Paris, France

   "Vive La France!"

  Young and un-afraid I stood in the corner of the cobble stone street, watching my parents chant with a rally of people. Being as young as I, I didn't take interest in the speech roaring through the streets. Men and women of all ages shouting about the Dukes Of Berry and the assassination of the Kings nephew . 

  Suddenly, all too soon, I felt the hooves of the soldiers horses approaching quickly 

"Papa!"

I screamed out to my parents, the soldiers closing in on the rally.

The crowd started to disperse rapidly, causing me to loose sight of my parents. Men on horses started pushing and shoving the protesters, wounding some and taking more in. The ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte, was no better than the man before him. At least, that's what mama and papa think. 

"Marie!"  

"Monsieur, please! We have a child!"

My head snaps over to the sound of my mother crying for me as her and father are being dragged away.

I run and reach for them, though I am not fast enough to catch up to the men dragging them away from me.

1832 Current Day   -   Paris, France 

  "Marie Labbe," 

My head snaps up, I come out of my thoughts of my parents and come face-to-face with Babet who gives me a lewd smirk.

  I grunt in his direction and he nods over to Eponine, hiding behind a wall and staring at something off into the distance. I stood up, brushing my rags as straight as they could be and running my hands through my chest length dark brown hair, slowly leaning back on the wall next to Babet to watch.

  Babet was a member of Thenardier's gang of thieves. He was physically frail, lean, and cunning.  Though I was not a part of the posse, I was well acquainted with few of them since growing up on the streets.  I even went as far as helping them out on certain procedures if it involved the need of reading, but I would never admit that to anyone. 

 Ma and Papa were taken in and executed under Napoleons rule back in 1820, right before the emperor himself passed. I hadn't known of their death until a few years later when the Bishop I was taking shelter with had found out the dreadful news. Since the Bishop passed in 1825, I have been living on the streets. Luckily, I was 10 when he had passed and had more wit to me than I did when I was first orphaned. 

When living with the Bishop I learned to read and write, quite well in fact. I quickly became enthralled with the history of France at a young age, and kept that passion till this day. When I started living on the streets I still tried to visit a library as often as I could, pulling out everything from France's ancient archives. 

"Oi, getchya' head on straight Marie."

Babet elbowed me and threw his head over to 'Ponine once again. 

Ol' 'Ponine was now closely following a young man, around our age, through the streets. He seemed well educated and dressed nicely; chestnut hair swept up and his coat straight as a plank, seemingly starched. What caught my eye though, was the Cockade Rosette pinned to his over coat bearing the french flag.  At this sight my eyebrow raised.