PROLOGUE: The Three Kingdoms
Liberté, Égalité, and Fraternité are the three major kingdoms of western Europe. Two of these three are currently under a republic, and have been for a number of years. The last kingdom, the kingdom of Brotherhood, is ruled by King Gillenormand, and his throne will eventually be inherited by a young man, his grandson, who goes by the name of Prince Marius Pontmercy.
It has not always been like this; there had been kings and queens of Liberty and Equality not so long ago, before they had fallen, or abdicated, or whatever else monarchs did to lose power. There are two legends surrounding these risen republics, but none is more famous than that of the lost princess Rapunzel.
Her mother had been the queen; the last of her line and the sole ruler of Égalité. Queen Fantine was everything the people could desire in a leader: kind, gentle, compassionate. Her rule was beloved and treasured, she was always assured her reign would be remembered; her legend sung in the voices of the people; her story told for years to come.
And yet her life was not wholly complete: it could not be, without love. With this in mind, Fantine sought companionship, and found herself awfully betrayed. She had one daughter, born in the midst of this terrible scandal. Sired by a poor man, a scoundrel - the daughter was a bastards' child. The nobles of her land were furious. They demanded she immediately dispose of the child. They could not allow tainted blood to inherit the throne. The queen was in a state of distress, for she already loved her child deeply and would do anything for her, but there was nothing to be done in the minds of the nobles short of murder.
Queen Fantine had other ideas. She sought the aid of a witch to protect her child from those who sought to harm her. Clutching the child to her bosom, she rode her steed deep, deep into the woods. The small, homely hut bode no danger, it seemed. Fantine entered, and paid a queen's ransom to save her daughter to the young witch who had, of course, a small child of her own, older by only a few years. They could be friends, perhaps, thought Fantine. The spell was cast just as the noble's armies breached the woods and surrounded them. After the commotion was cleared and the dust was settled, three things were known.
Firstly, Fantine was dead, splayed across the dirt floor in her finery, tear tracks and shock visible on her immobile face. Secondly, the witch was also dead, and her young son was left motherless and traumatized in his bed. Thirdly, the newborn princess was gone, the only clue left behind a strand of long, shiny hair.
AN: The title roughly translates to 'lost and found'. This is a thing I've been working on for a while, I hope it's interesting enough for you all. (: Please review! Follow and favourite for updates!