That night, the ten travelers sat around a campfire and regaled Enjolras with the adventure they had been on so far. Grantaire mostly talked about his curse and how Enjolras could break the spell, to which Enjolras only smiled politely, and briefly mentioned how Marius came to free him from his stepmother and stepsisters. When Enjolras seemed unimpressed, Grantaire launched into a detailed and exaggerated oratory about their exploits against the dragon that guarded Bossuet's tower.

From there, however, the rest of the princesses told their tale: Joly and Bossuet meeting and falling in love, Combeferre's successful exploits in convincing a beastly prince to change his kingdom to a republic peacefully, Courfeyrac's collection and his intention to bring a republic to his own kingdom someday, Jehan's village, Bahorel's successful coup, and Marius turning into a frog.

Enjolras smiled. "It sounds like quite the eventful trip, and with many successes to bring a republic around to all the suffering people! Hopefully we may do the same with Marius's kingdom."

Marius had no idea how to respond to that, so he didn't.

"Enjolras, would you like me to trim your hair?" asked Feuilly. "Excuse my bluntness, but it is a little sloppy. I have worked for a time in a barber shop."

"I can do it!" Grantaire volunteered. Marius was sure he was the only one who heard him. Her.

"Of course, Feuilly," said Enjolras with a smile.

Grantaire pouted. Marius patted her on the back gently.

The travel home was all too long and yet too short for Marius. He dreaded the events to come: what did the princesses intend? Did his father's advisor know that this was going to happen? How did he know about the princesses to begin with?

But the group stayed lively. Joly and Bossuet were more in love than ever. Courfeyrac, Bahorel, Grantaire, and Bossuet made sure there was never a quiet moment. Enjolras, Combeferre, and Courfeyrac engaged in conversation about the republic they wanted to form. Combeferre and Joly talked matters that Marius could not comprehend. Enjolras and Feuilly often conversed about Feuilly's hometown, among other things. Jehan nearly frolicked among the trees. And when Grantaire wasn't trying to impress Enjolras, he ogled him instead.

One night, after everyone had gone to sleep, Marius quietly asked Grantaire, "I don't understand. Why have you not kissed Enjolras yet if he's your one true love? Don't you want the spell to be broken?"

"Alas," said Grantaire so loudly Marius feared the others would wake, "not all happily ever afters can come as easily as Joly and Bossuet's! It appears that I must also win him over. I wonder what a man like him would ever want with a man like me, but he is my one true love. I will do whatever is necessary to prove myself to him!"

And so Marius dropped it.

Finally, they arrived at Marius's home, where the revolution still raged like wildfire. Though it was Marius's kingdom, he did not know the streets like Feuilly knew streets, and so it was Feuilly who safely led the group to the castle.

Combeferre declared it a necessity to meet the king's advisor and perhaps meet with the king himself, though it was likely too late for that. The advisor was the one who sent Marius on this errand, and surely he knew the course of action that they were to take.

"But you want to start a republic," Marius whispered as they entered the castle and searched for the advisor. "How do you know that his goals are aligned with yours?"

"We are Les Amis de l'ABC," said Enjolras. "He knew of us enough to give you direction on how to find us. He is either going to have us executed on sight, or he will aide us."

"And what if it is execution?"

"It won't be. For your father's advisor is Robespierre, is he not?"

"Well, yes—"

"Ah, my boy!" cried Marius's father, and Marius stared in shock at the sight in the advisor's office. There were many armed guards around, and Robespierre's head sat bloody on the desk. "You have come at last, and with the nine that are destined to overthrow our rule. Guards, arrest them and have them executed at once!"

"What? NO!"

"Don't be a fool, Marius! They would see both of us dead!"

"Your crimes will not go unanswered!" declared Enjolras, but before he could draw his weapon, Combeferre placed a hand on his shoulder and the nine Amis disappeared.

The king was furious. "After them!"

As the guards made haste, Marius stared agape at his father.

"Father, how could you—"

"Robespierre wanted to see us gone! You will see, boy. With the deaths of Les Amis, the tide of revolution will cease, and peace will reign again in the kingdom!"

That night, Marius sat at the dinner table and played with his soup, lost in thought. He hoped his friends fared well. There was no shouts about any beheading, so he knew that the guards had not caught them. He wondered if he should have run with them, but he wondered if he could turn his back on his father, even if he murdered his advisor, even if his people had found need to turn against him.

A young servant boy approached Marius to bring him his next course, and Marius noticed that the child was much too skinny and sickly. His eyes were sad, and he trembled as he set the plate on the table.

Marius's heart went out to the boy. He dug his hand into his pockets to pull out candy he had bought from Feuilly's hometown.

"Here you are," said Marius with a grin. "It's really good. I think you'd like it."

The boy began to smile, but the king appeared then and snatched the candy out of the boy's hands. "Back into the kitchen!"

Marius was horrified. "Father!"

"Son, you are above dallying with kitchen boys!"

"No, I am not, and neither are you! We are all people, the same as they are!"

The king matched Marius's expression. "What have the Amis done to you?"

"Enough!" said Marius, and he, too, fled the castle to find his lost companions, hoping that they would forgive him.

His dash through the streets was stopped short by the sight of a huge wall of furniture. In front of it were the king's men. Behind it, Marius somehow knew, were his friends, the princesses.

He quickly turned into an alleyway to try and find a way around. That was when he bumped into Jehan and Bahorel.

"Marius! There you are! We were worried about you!" cried Jehan.

Marius could scarcely believe it. "You… were?"

"Of course! We thought you were right behind us. Imagine our disdain when you were not! But we could not go back, not right away. We needed to aid the people, and so Feuilly designed and erected this barricade! Is it not simply amazing? But, come! We do not need to launch this rescue effort after all! Bahorel and I were sent to fetch you. Let us go back!"

And so they did, where the nine princesses eagerly welcomed Marius back.

"You were right, Enjolras, Courfeyrac, Combeferre, everyone," said Marius. "The king must be stopped. We can only bring peace with revolution when we see to the needs of the people. I fight with you!"

Pleased, Enjolras and Combeferre invited Marius to join the circle of strategic planning. All of the princesses were there, ready for battle, except for Grantaire, who was drunk. He was also a woman, as it was past sunset, but he seemed content enough staying by Enjolras's side.

"I have learned through my studies that the king fears us because it is through our rescues and our stories that his power can be taken away," said Combeferre. "Once this happens, he will be easily defeated. Why this has not occurred yet, however, is a mystery. All of us are assembled. We have played out our roles.

"I have met and befriended the Beast. Enjolras has seen to Mother Gothel's demise and escaped the tower. Courfeyrac—"

"I have had my magic lamp rubbed quite a few times," said Courfeyrac with a grin.

Combeferre shot him a glare. "Feuilly has kissed the frog prince, Bossuet is no longer in eternal slumber, Joly is no longer a merman captive of the sea, Bahorel has rescued his people, Jehan brought peace between his people and ourselves, and Grantaire has fit his foot into the glass slippers."

"But he is still under a spell," Marius pointed out.

"That spell is not part of his story. It is nowhere in the writings. Courfeyrac, do you perhaps have a magic lamp? A real lamp, and not your penis?"

Courfeyrac mocked disappointment. "Alas, but I do. The genie had already granted my wishes, however, and he will no longer answer to me."

Marius decided he did not want to know what those wishes were.

"Very well. Now, Jehan—"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," slurred Grantaire wickedly. "Is your story not about falling in love with the Beast, Combeferre? A friendship cannot be enough!"

"It will suffice."

"No, it has not!"

"We do not have the time to travel back to Combeferre's hometown to see to it that a romance blossoms between him and the beast," interjected Enjolras. "If we cannot find what else might be holding us back from breaking the king's power, then we must rely on the power of the people."

Marius made a face. "The king's advisor told me that I had to, well…" He cringed. "He told me I had to kiss all of you. I… have not done that. Perhaps that is the missing piece."

"Oh, alas, Marius, but Jehan and I will be so jealous if you were to kiss the others," mocked Courfeyrac happily. "But I suppose if you must, you must."

When no one else objected (though Marius was met with a couple of scowls), he closed his eyes to prepare himself. It should not be so difficult. After all, he had already kissed Grantaire, Bossuet, Courfeyrac, Jehan, and Feuilly. That was more than half! And there was no Beast to eat him for kissing Combeferre this time. He felt guilty at the prospect of kissing Enjolras, however, especially when—

"GRANTAIRE!"

Marius's eyes flew open and saw the Amis in a frenzy, hastily grabbing their weapons as Grantaire fell into Enjolras's arms, an arrow through his chest. Marius gasped and turned his head to the top of the barricade, where he saw his father with a bow in his hands and a wicked smirk on his face.

"All nine of you must be alive, and now one of you is dead," said the king. "My power shall never be taken away from me now!"

"Father, how could you?!"

"Marius, you have disappointed me, but I will give you one last chance. You have one hour to join my ranks and be my son once more. Think carefully, my boy. With only eight Amis, the revolution is doomed to fail, and I will see no mercy to any traitor, not even you."

And then the king was gone.

As Marius turned to the dying Grantaire, his heart sunk into a deep despair, but not for the omens the king had spoken. It could not end this way! It could not!

"Grantaire, stay with us," said Enjolras softly. Combeferre and Joly rushed to his side, but one look and they knew it was no use.

And then she—he was gone. Silence fell over the barricade. Marius felt his eyes brim with tears.

Enjolras first kissed Grantaire's forehead, and then he kissed her lightly on the lips.

And then Grantaire was enveloped in a bright light.

When the light vanished, she was no longer a she but a he, the same man they all knew him as, and he smiled up at Enjolras with a large, ecstatic smile.

Enjolras matched the smile, and everyone rejoiced.

Later, they discovered that Combeferre was right: that still was not enough to break the king's power, and Marius's time was up, and the attack had begun. As more and more people on their side of the barricade took wounds or were killed, Marius began to grow desperate.

Finally, he did the only thing left for him to do.

First he went to Joly. With an apologetic look to Bossuet, he kissed him.

Next, he went to Combeferre, who looked as though he did not know which he despised more: the distraction or the kiss.

Then he approached Bahorel, who, when they met eyes, knew what Marius was up to and took a few seconds to prepare himself. Then Bahorel was the one who kissed Marius, but Marius figured it counted.

Finally, he saw to Enjolras who grimly nodded. They both looked to Grantaire, who did not look pleased but raised his wine bottle anyway.

After that, the king lost his power. The guards began to fall. Some even turned against the king and each other.

Before much longer, the day was won.

And they lived happily ever after.