Jehanpunzel: A Les Mis AU

Once Upon a Time

Long ago in a faraway kingdom, lived a king and queen who happily ruled over their kingdom. Eventually the pair decided to have a baby. But the queen, being very weak, struggled in having the baby. She was running out of time to be saved, so the royal guards were all sent to look for something to help.

There was a common legend in the land, of a magical flower that could heal the sick and injured, and make the old young again. But this flower was safely guarded by Madame Thenardier, who was a very old woman, but using the flower's magic, had retained a youthful appearance.

Soon, a royal guard noticed the glowing flower, and alerted his fellows, and they brought the flower to the castle, where it was brewed into a tea that was given to the queen. The healing power worked, and soon the royals had a healthy baby son, who they named Jehan. He had bright eyes and pretty blond hair, much unlike his mother and father's darker blonde. To celebrate the successful birth of their son, the royals launched a flying lantern into the air.
But their joy was short-lived. Madame Thenardier had received the news bitterly. Without the flower, her youth was fading fast. There was only one thing to do.

She snuck into the royal chambers swiftly and silently, past the king and queen. There, in the cradle, slept tiny baby Jehan. But before stealing the child, she had to know the powers were still of use.

Very quietly, as to not wake the family, she began to chant an odd poem that worked like a spell, channeling the magic. The sleeping child's hair began to glow with a radiating light as Madame lifted him out of his bed. She could already feel the healing powers fixing her as she slipped away into the night.

In the morning, the king and queen were devastated that their only son had been stolen. They searched everywhere, but they couldn't find little Jehan. Eventually they were forced to give up their search. They had to content themselves with flying lanterns much like the one they launched on Jehan's first birthday every year on the same day.

Jehan was locked away into a tower in the woods, with only Madame Thenardier for company, where she raised him as her own. Anytime she need to be rejuvenated, she only had to ask him, and he would always consent to saying the chant.

"Madame," he asked one day as she brushed his long hair, which it turned out couldn't be cut otherwise losing its power, "Why can't I go outside?"

"The world, my Flower," Madame said, running her fingers through the pretty blond hair, "Is full of dangerous people who would try to cut off your hair, and you'd have no powers left in the world. Do you understand?"

Little Jehan looked out the window sadly, feeling no other purpose but his hair, and responded quietly, "Yes, Madame."