1828- Paris, France
Emily Plater was her name. Small in structure, the fire inside her for Poland was enough to light up the entire sky. Plater had a very turbulent childhood, her father divorced her mother when Emily was very young, and she did not recall much about him as a person. When she was in her early 20s Emily went on a tour of Europe like many young wealthy Europeans did. Plater came to France on the tour in 1828, and it was there our story begins.
Riding with her brother Michael, the year was 1828- Plater steered out the windows to the streets of Paris "can we get out here?" she asked. Michael shruggled his shoulders, "I suppose so..." Walking down the street the pair found a cafe "we can stop here to eat" Michael said, Emily followed.
Emily felt it, the strange steering pain in her chest, as though a bullet had shot her. She needed to find a quiet place fast, for quiet she believed would re-leave her body. "Michael, I have to go now!" Michael looked at her "why?"
"Don't ask, the condition is back. Remember what the doctor said back in Lithuania- seek quiet as soon as possible."
Michael let her go. Emily was heading to the back of the cafe, when she found the staircase "perhaps down here there will be some darkness?"
Emily stumbled down the stairs, darkness eventually closed in on her. Eyes closed, Plater lay in a heap at the bottom of the staircase.
"Ugh! watch yourself getting knocked out again Grantaire!" Enjolras brushed a strand of hair away from his eyebrows as he stumbled over the heap "now is not the time for playing games, Grantaire..." Enjolras looked down at the bundle, this was not Grantaire.
Enjolras stepped away, females were not allowed in the backroom- but what was this woman doing on the floor passed out? Enjolras stooped over towards her "citoyenne?" the girl looked around 5' tall if one was to use the American system, and had long dark blond hair.
Joly came from the backroom "what have we here?"
"to be honest, I do not know" Enjolras said "she was here just laying down."
Joly and Combeferre picked up the bundle of Plater, and brought her into the backroom.
Eyes stirring Plater woke up "where am I? why are you holding me?" she said with her thick Polish accent, her voice was loud and somewhat nasal sounding.
Annoyance crawled up in Enjolras, the amis were being kind to this woman, they even allowed her in the backroom and the least she could do was be grateful.
"You were unconscious at the bottom of the staircase, we helped you up" Combeferre replied a bit taken back.
"And what is this down here?" Plater looked at the map of France and the copy of the Social Contract, reaching over to Enjolras' Social Contract she started reading; Man is born free and everywhere is in chains. "this sounds like my homeland- Poland, seems everywhere we are in chains..."
"Poland?" Feuilly perked his head up, "it can't be"
"Yes, Poland."
"Why, I have been fascinated by Polish culture since I was a child. My actual last name is Feuilzsckski, my parents immigrated from Poland after the partitioning. They changed their last name to the more French looking 'Feuilly' after they arrived, and I would always hear stories about how the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was once a great powerful nation, and now lives partitioned but..."
"Poland has not perished yet" Plater completed the sentence with a smile, his grey eyes sparkling.
Feuilly smiled "and it shall rise again"
Plater's blue eyes glistened "the people must rise with her though..."
"Mademoiselle, I'm sorry I did not ask your name" Joly interrupted
"Emily Plater, well in Polish its Emilia, and when I'm in Lithuania its Emilija but..."
"Plater would do fine, I could not figure out the cause of your passing out"
Plater laughed "nothing to worry about, I'm sure it is weak lungs or something. It does not bother me, although it causes me to pass out. My mother has a disease that keeps coming and going, I briefly contracted it and was sent to a sanitarium and had to sea bathe in the Baltic, but Poland has my ambitions, more so than my fragile health!"
Feuilly felt something sink inside, his parents both perished from Consumption. He also had something that resembled Consumption, he was not supposed to live but against all odds he survived. Feuilly knew all too well what it was to have a lung disease.
"It could be my heart also" Plater remarked "but either way, I do not care much for my own health. It is the health of Poland that concerns me most."
Enjolras felt a chill up his spine, the revolution was so near- would the people of France have the same energy as this intruder does?
Plater looked around at this group, a young redhead in the corner smiling as he was writing what appeared to be poetry, a muscular man who had a few brushes, two what appeared to be medical students- as they had medical textbooks by them, a jolly bold man, a friendly looking man with curly brown hair, a man with black hair who appeared to be drinking, what appeared to be the leader of the group who had pale skin and straight blond hair, and of course- Feuilly.
Combeferre "I think you should go upstairs now mademoiselle, this is no place for you" he gently said. As much as the Les Amis wanted to believe this girl was a true Polish patriot, they had to be extra cautious that she was not a spy or somehow intruding on their plans.
" I was thinking about the future" Enjolras' voice caused all the amis to turn "there are some nights I sit and contemplate the future- what shall it be like? Liberty, is the first and most important right. All of us have liberty, what is this? Liberty is the rule of myself over myself without an authority telling me what I can't believe- we should all be allowed to believe what we want, to think and say what we want, however- our liberty ends where another man's liberty begins after all, for where is true liberty without a check?
Equality- we all have the right to be treated equally under the law. These are two of the most basic rights- and when the government disrespects those rights a revolution is in place, what is this revolution? it is a revolution of the truth. We may die in this fight- but what is living without liberty? a republic where all voices have the right to be heard?" Enjolras paused, all Feuilly could think of was Poland
"I know what life is without liberty" Feuilly interjected, "life without liberty is what Mademoiselle Plater puts up with every day in Poland"
"Feuilly, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but we do not even know if this Plater woman is real or a spy?" Joly said
"I have faith she is real, that look in her eyes, and that sadness in her voice."
"This is why we must fight for a republic, so we do not land up in Poland's situation. A Czar who bends the people in whatever way he wishes" Enjolras remarked softly.
The lights faded on the Musain, as the boys went back to maps, discussions and plans about the bright future to come.
As he walked up the stairs Enjolras noticed Plater on the staircase
"Citoyenne?"
"I liked the speech" she said with a smile
"This is a private meeting and women aren't"
Plater took out a paper and handed it to Enjolras "I've been planning my own rebellion in Poland, I suppose I can trust you."
Enjolras took the paper, and felt a hint of pride for this young Pole who stood only about 5 foot tall.
"the fight for freedom does not stop at France, reminds me of Feuilly"
"freedom is for everybody, right?"
"why, yes- in the future someday all this misery shall be gone, and the future reborn."
Plater smiled "and with that I bid you goodnight Citizen Enjolras." and she turned up the stairs.
It was morning, as Emily and Michael were about to return to Poland. Emily was walking outside to enjoy the fresh spring air, as she bumped into Feuilly "Emilia? is that you?"
Emily smiled "Yes, and i'm afraid I will be returning to Poland. Good luck with the revolution."
"What?" Feuilly was shocked that Plater knew about it
"I was in the Musain that night, I saw the Social Contract and the maps. There is no fooling me, I know what you are up to- overthrowing the monarchy! as I was supposed to be gone I stayed by the staircase and heard Enjolras' speech, I agree with every word of it!"
Feuilly quieted Plater "you must not talk about such things in public"
"Why not?" Plater indignantly spoke up
"these are dangerous times, the police"
"yet we should not be afraid of freedom- proclaim it!"
Feuilly smiled, he admired Emily's courage, even though she did annoy the amis that night by barging in.