Captain Brissont held up the portrait, then looked back on the faux valet on the bench, then back to the portrait.
"Yes, that's him. Definitely," he said, voice grim and heavy. He put it down. "I'll trust you about his and wife and sister, Lieutenant. But we still don't know who these other two are."
"I told you, sir, we're simply travelers. We have no association with the royal family. Please let us be on our way."
"They're correct!" the king pleaded. "They...they saved my life from those highwaymen but I have no idea who they are!"
"We have no reason to trust your word, sire," Captain Brissont said. It was amazing how much things had changed, to see a soldier speak like that to the king. Just two years ago the royals seemed untouchable.
Brissont turned to Arno. "You two show up, armed to the teeth. Fight off six highwaymen. And I am to believe your presence is mere chance?"
"Monsieur, please!" the king protested. "If they were my protection, I would have at least given them soldier's uniforms! It might have scared off the bandits entirely."
Élise chortled bitterly. The old man had no idea the power arrayed against him.
The captain did not even seem to notice. He rested his hand on the nearby table and leaned towards the royal. "What were your intentions in leaving Paris?"
"The...fort to the west, Montmédy. My loyal men were stationed there and...I...I thought I would be safer there. I know you-"
"Enough," the officer said, putting his other hand up. He turned to Lieutenant Drout. "I'll talk to the General. I suspect we'll take all of them back to Paris, let the Legislative Assembly sort this out. In the meantime, escort them to a cell."
He disengaged from the planky table and turned, shaking his head in departure.
Élise looked back at the royals. Their kids were visibly horrified, though the adults tried to maintain a dignified poise.
The more junior officer picked up a jingly key ring. "Alright: royals, couple mystère, I'm going to see what cells we have available. My apologies for the harsh accommodations, but this should only be for a night."
They rose from the bench and followed the Lieutenant, the royals ahead of Élise and Arno. They walked through stern brick halls. It was surreal how the revolution had flipped things. She was walking side by side with the king and queen to a dirty cell. Had he even committed a crime? Was he of all people not entitled to move about France?
A rat scurried by their path. Rows of scruffy, ragged men sat and lied in misery. This was very different from what Louis and Marie were used to.
Making it to the end, the Lieutenant said, "Alright, this is our only cell, I'm afraid." He opened the rusty gate with a creak. "I'll go check how many mattresses we have left to spare."