In the Dark of the Night
They had finished on a bright happy note, with all of them playing a hand of cards and laughing in the library. By the next morning, Enjolras was feeling close to optimistic. He and Melodie spent the morning wandering the garden, speaking quietly about inconsequential matters. As their walk went on though, he could feel a dark cloud settling over her mind. Every now and then he could sense her attention shift from their conversation to the sounds of passing carriages and horses outside.
At these times he would merely take her hand and she would instantly come back to him. He eventually gave up dropping it and decided to hold on to it for the remainder of their walk. As they made their way back to the house, he bent his head to her ear so that his words would be for her and her alone.
"No fear. Just hope Melodie." She gave a jerky little nod and attempted to smile at him, but her eyes still were cloudy with wariness and anxiety. Enjolras guided them into what Madame Arielle affectionately called the "Gaiety Drawing Room". It's walls, festooned with bright yellows, whites, and images of frolicking baby animals, were not exactly to his taste but he knew the position of the room in the house would allow them to be close enough to the entrance that Melodie wouldn't be up pacing every second. Instead she took a place before the bay window, carefully keeping her eyes on the garden.
It also helped that the light that came into this room caught Melodie's hair perfectly and outlined the graceful curve of her neck.
Enjolras swallowed hard and bit his tongue, resisting the urge to ask her to sit by him.
Last night had been torture after their dance in the music room. His dreams had been overrun with images of the two of them wrapped in positions that belonged only in the bedroom. He'd awoken more than once, hard and sweating with want of Melodie. By the time dawn had rolled in, he'd made a promise to himself that if they were to receive the death sentence, he would come to her and give them what he suspected they'd both been wanting for a very long time.
From out of nowhere, the pounding of the front door echoed throughout the house. As he heard what he expected to be Madame Arielle's footsteps passing, Melodie whipped around, her face paler than the moon.
They moved simultaneously to the middle of the room, facing the drawing room doors. Before a minute had passed, Arielle was ushering a blue uniformed messenger inside. The man did not speak but motioned for the door to be closed. Arielle did so, while sending them a timid, worried smile. As soon as the door clicked closed, the messenger cleared his throat and unrolled a short parchment. Enjolras could see what he suspected was the official royal seal pressed firmly to the bottom. He cast a quick glance to Melodie.
Her entire person had changed. She stood straighter than the soldier, her shoulders thrown back and her gaze steady as a general's. Enjolras felt a surge of pride in her, recognizing that she had thrown off her fear and was ready to face the future, whatever that might be. He turned his gaze back to the messenger and gave him a nod to signal he could begin. The man cleared his throat again and began to read.
"To Mademoiselle Melodie Aceline Croyance and Monsieur Alexander Denis Enjolras, from their Royal Majesties, the King and Queen of France."
The man paused to clear his throat.
"In response to the act of rebellion raised by your persons against the monarchy of France, there has been a long and hard debate. After much consideration, it has been decided that your lives will be spared, thanks only to the lingering love felt for the person Melodie Aceline Croyance from their Royal Majesties."
Enjolras felt Melodie sway into him, relief rolling off her. He held his breath though, as it seemed there was more to come.
"However, punishment must be exacted, as no act of rebellion can be looked upon with favor by the monarchy. To prevent such acts occurring within the nation again, you are both hereby exiled from France. You will be required to meet with their Majesties once more before your departure, which must occur before this month's end. Failure to meet will result in you being hunted down and put to the executioner's block. His Eminence, Hyacinthe Louis de Quelen, will continue to act as messenger between both parties. Wishing you both well in the times to come, their Royal Majesties."
The messenger rolled up the parchment, bowed to them, and then left the room.
Silence reigned supreme.
Enjolras felt like someone had stabbed him in the back. His vision tunneled briefly as panic swept through him. He broke away from Melodie and walked to lean his head against the opposite wall. His breath came in uneven gasps as he tried to regain control of his emotions.
"Exile. Exile from France." He forced himself to whisper the words.
"Enjolras?" Melodie's shaky voice snapped something inside him.
He slammed his hands against the wall, anguish and anger sweeping through him. In the corner of his eyes he saw Melodie jump and a spark of fear register on her face. It was fleeting though, as soon she was crossing to put a hand on his back.
"I'm sorry Enjolras," She murmured. "But at least we have our lives."
Enjolras whipped around to face her, causing Melodie to step back rapidly. She frowned at him and it only ignited his anger further.
"Don't you get it? We are exiled, to be torn from la patrie. I would rather die than never be on French soil again!" He shouted at her.
Melodie's face had gone cold, her eyes dancing dangerously. This should have been the first warning, but Enjolras ignored it, instead giving into his hate and anger. It was all too much. None of this would have happened if it had all ended at the barricade.
"This is your fault!" He raged. "If you hadn't brought us here, we would never have been given over to the government. If you hadn't brought us here, maybe we could have met with some people who supported us, supported our cause. Now we are to be torn from the very thing that gave us reason. I hate this, I hate all of it. God damn it Melodie, I'm close to hating you!"
He was out of breath at the end of his tirade. His eyes, which had glazed over with a gray haze, cleared and he glared at Melodie.
Her face had become blank, a smooth mask that revealed nothing. She almost looked dead. She stared at him for a minute. Then, she merely took a step back and sank into a low curtsey. Melodie then turned her back on him and left the room without a word.
As the door clicked closed behind her, Enjolras felt himself sink to the floor. Before he could stop himself, the tears began to pour. The anger and the despair were the only things to keep him company.
He didn't pay attention to how long he spent on the floor. No one came to disturb him, so he assumed Melodie had warned people away from the room. Before long, the sky began to shift in color, the setting sun making the room dance with reds and purples. As he watched the sky change, he realized just how hollow he felt.
But it wasn't from the verdict that had been delivered. With a sinking heart he realized that he had just astronomically hurt the one person who meant so much to him.
Meant more to him than France he realized with a start.
Enjolras bit back a curse and scrambled to his feet. He had to find Melodie and apologize. If he lost her because of his own stupidity, he would never forgive himself.
He raced up the stairs and straight toward her room. As he neared the door, he took a calming breath and knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again.
Still no answer.
Enjolras felt a thread of panic enter his system and he began to pound on the door.
"Damn it Melodie, open up! Please, I need to speak with you!" He shouted at the wood.
"I think you did enough "speaking" earlier." A voice spoke from his right. He turned to see Arielle glowering at him from a few paces away. Shame washed through him as he understood she had heard his diatribe from earlier.
"I know, believe me. I need to speak with her though. I have to apologize, even if it means getting down on my knees and begging her forgiveness."
"Oh, believe me Monsieur, it will. I will make you do it even if she doesn't." Arielle growled as she took her keys from her pocket. Enjolras breathed a sigh of relief as she unlocked the door and swung it open for him.
And then stood in shock as he took in the scene before him.
Nothing. There was absolutely no one in the room. The bed was made and Melodie's book sat neatly on the vanity, but nothing. No Melodie.
Arielle was frowning and turned quickly from the room. She began shouting through the house for her sister, Enjolras following in her wake. The spent an hour searching for her, but found nothing to indicate her whereabouts.
True dread was beginning to enter Enjolras's heart and he could see it was settling on Arielle as well. It was now dark out, the Paris sky black and foreboding.
"Where could she be?" Arielle muttered. A maid, who looked slightly pale came forward hesitantly.
"Mademoiselle Melodie is not in the house." She whispered. Arielle frowned at the maid.
"Then, where is she?" She questioned. The maid looked away and bit her lip.
"Answer me girl." Arielle's voice had taken on a steely edge.
"She left the house this morning after her and Monsieur's conversation."
"We're under house arrest, how could you let her leave?" Enjolras demanded. The maid scowled at him.
"Fresh air is what a woman needs when her heart is practically broken sir. I let her go because I have been in her shoes before."
Enjolras took a step back, feeling as though the maid had socked him in the gut.
"Did she say where she was going?" Arielle asked worriedly, barely glancing at him.
"No ma'am." The maid shook her head. Arielle waved the girl off and began to pace.
"Where could she have gone, she should have been back by now!" She muttered frantically.
"We have to search for her. Any ideas where in the city she would have gone." Enjolras put out an arm to stop the pacing.
Arielle shook her head, golden eyes brimming with worry.
"I just don't know."
"Let's think logically." Enjolras attempted to keep his voice calm, but his own distress at the situation was beginning to take over.
"She wouldn't go back to the Mussain, I know that." Arielle said as she bit her lip. Enjolras glanced sharply at her and she shrugged. "The place holds too many memories for her, she wouldn't want to lose more control than she already has."
Enjolras nodded and continued to think. Images slowly came to his mind of the past. Whenever they had gotten word of something wrong in the city or something not well with their friends, the members of Les Amis tended to band together in little groups to discuss tactics and pain. Melodie had always tended to group with Eponine, Jehan, and Marius …
"The cemetery." He murmured. Arielle's eyes swung to his, trying to follow his train of thought. He roughly cleared his throat.
"She would have gone to Jehan for advice. Especially when it came to me. I'd also go see Marius as well. She's still furious with him but seemed to connect with Cosette on a certain level."
Arielle nodded.
"Right, I'll send word to Fabian to have the cemetery searched, while you go speak with Monsieur Marius. I'll stay here just in case she comes back." She turned quickly and took off down the stairs to get started on her errand. Enjolras followed her, calling for his coat and racing to the front door. Before he left the entrance, he turned back to give Arielle a parting comfort.
"We'll find her and she'll be fine Madame. Melodie is nothing if not practically indestructible as Grantaire always said."
The stare Arielle leveled at him was fierce.
"For your sake Monsieur, you'd better hope so. A word to the wise, my sister is not the only good shot in our family."
Swallowing nervously, Enjolras nodded and took off for the carriage.
The ride to Marius's home was the longest in his life.
He practically flew into the drawing room that Marius and Cosette had been waiting in, barking out whether they had seen Melodie at all that day. Both had looked taken aback at his abruptness and before he could begin interrogating them, Marius had held up a hand for peace.
"Yes, she was here a number of hours ago. She came to inform us of the verdict of your case." Marius's eyes held compassion and he seemed about to express his sorrow for the situation but Enjolras waved it away.
"What else did she say and when did she leave?" He knew his voice was sharp but he couldn't bring himself to care. Marius frowned at him.
"She only said she was going to speak to his Eminence. She left for Notre Dame maybe four hours ago. Why?"
Enjolras groaned and sank into a nearby chair. Haltingly, he told them all that had occurred. When he reached the end of the tale, he looked up at them. Marius looked thunderstruck, as though he had never considered Enjolras could act so rashly. Cosette however, was shaking in rage.
"Enjolras, you damned fool!" She shouted. Cosette stamped her foot and stalked from the room. Neither he or Marius could think of thing to say in response to her proclamation. Before long, Cosette was stomping back into the room, her arms full of dark purple cloak, men's gloves, and a couple of pistols. She tossed the cloak at Enjolras and shoved the other pieces into her fiancé's arms.
They both stared at her dumbfounded, uncertain as to how to react to the new, not-so-docile Cosette. She threw her arms up in agitation as they continued to stare at her.
"Well? What are you waiting for? GO AFTER HER NOW! SOMETHING HAS PROBABLY GONE TERRIBLY WRONG!"
Finding truth in her words, he and Marius rushed into action.
They took the Pontemercy carriage, sending back the Charmant vehicle to bring Fabian to their assistance.
The road to Notre Dame from this part of city was well lit, but the shadow the street lamps cast looked menacing to Enjolras's wary eyes. As the cathedral drew in sight, he felt himself praying fervently that whatever he found in there, it would not include him having to order a grave dug next to Jehan for Melodie and his own heart.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Melodie groaned as her eyes tried to adjust to the minimal light of room she was in. The back of her head ached something fierce and the small pin pricks of light dancing at the edge of her vision had her concluding that she must have hit her head on something particularly hard.
A shuffling noise caught her attention as a pair of slippered feet came into her line of sight. Her eyes traveled upward to rest on the visage of a young woman. She was of medium height, with mousy brown hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose. Eyes, which should have been innocent in their roundness and chocolate color, were hard and teeming with barely suppressed madness. Melodie felt wariness creep into her soul. Her heart froze when her eyes finally caught sight of the gun in the young woman's hands. She forced her gaze back up to meet that insane stare squarely.
Melodie shifted into comfortable kneeling position, noting now that her hands were bound, though not expertly, behind her back. Her memories were foggy and the area she was in was not well lit at all. It had all the darkness and stillness of … of a church at night. The thought caused something to niggle in the back of her mind. Why in the world would she be in a church at this hour? A cold chill swept over her as the realization came crashing down.
Notre Dame.
The Cardinal.
Telling him the outcome of the royal decision.
Enjolras.
Enjolras and his anger and her desperate need to cry in front of God and God alone who wouldn't judge.
But that still didn't explain why in the hell this mad young woman would knock her out and then brandish a weapon at her. Melodie decided a bit of an explanation was in order at the very least.
She smiled up at the young woman who seemed to be her captor.
"Mademoiselle, to what do I owe this … err … pleasure? I'm afraid we haven't had an introduction or if we have, the blow I'm guessing you dealt to the back of my head has rendered such a meeting a blank in my memory."
The young woman sneered down at her, the gun never wavering.
"This isn't about your pleasure, this is about mine." The voice, which Melodie had expected to sound gruff considering the lunacy shinning from those cold eyes, was surprisingly musical. Almost … innocent. She shrugged and raised her eyebrows at the gun.
"I'll assume then that your pleasure has something to do with the end of my life." Melodie replied carelessly. A thin smile was the only response. Melodie shrugged again, hoping that the woman wouldn't notice that each shift loosened her bonds a bit.
"Well before you go wasting bullets, may I at least have an explanation as to why you want me dead? I'm afraid I've offended a great number of people in my relatively short life and would like to at least categorize you somewhere in that mix."
Silence greeted her. The hand holding the gun though, began to tremble. Melodie didn't let her gaze waver, even in the sight of the pure hatred that was coming from her captor.
"You killed my father."
Well that was unexpected.
"I've only ever fired my weapon in self-defense," She replied cautiously, "which means he must have been among the militia at the barricade?"
The woman sneered again.
"He was at the barricade yes, but he wasn't some dirty militia man. My father was Inspector Luc Javert."
"Ahh."
Merde.
Melodie took a calming breath, feeling suddenly as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. This woman had obviously been distraught at her father's passing. The fact that it had been ruled a suicide seemed to have made the situation worse. Melodie felt torn. She still felt a hatred in her heart for what the Inspector had done, yet his death had also caused pity to blossom in her chest. Pity for Javert and the darkness that she could only assume had surrounded him in his final choice. Pity for his daughter, who had evidently idolized her father.
And suddenly she felt pity for Enjolras, herself, and their friends. Pity that they had been forced into this life because the ways of men were greedy. Pity because she, like her friends, would mostly likely lose her life standing up for what she believed in.
"You father took his own life. He made his own choice that night by the river. I'm not a murderer because he couldn't face his own shadows. I regret that you have suffered, even though I don't even know you. But I will never regret that night. We made history that night, my boys and I, and I will not regret the stand we made. They will live on the memory of everyone in France."
"Yes, but you won't." The young woman growled. Melodie nodded sagely.
"No, I won't. I'll fade into the mists, just like your father. But I'll at least die knowing I've done everything I can for those I love. Can you say the same for him?"
The young woman hissed as though Melodie had dealt her a physical blow.
"You deserve worse than death …" She seethed as she cocked the gun. Melodie closed her eyes in preparation. She expected to see the black of death or perhaps that charming light so many spoke of, but instead all she could see was Enjolras's face. Not the fury he had faced her with hours ago, but the tender longing that she had come to know. She would have given anything to see him now.
"No mademoiselle, but after tonight you surely will."
Melodie's eyes sprang open. It took her a moment to put the scene before her together, but she decided that what she was seeing had to be real, because nothing had ever been more real than the anger that seeped from Enjolras in that moment.
He stood behind Javert's daughter, his own pistol aimed at the back of her head. His eyes never left his mark, but his voice softened when he spoke to her.
"Melodie, can you stand?"
"Stand yes, use my hands no. Give me half a minute and I'll have these loosened."
"Or I can help." Melodie felt gentle hands begin to work at the knot and crained her head to see who it was. Marius gave her a faint smile as the ropes fell. She rubbed her wrists and nodded at him before shifting her attention back to the others. She couldn't help but notice that the gun in the woman's hands had followed her as they stood. Marius obviously had noticed too as he pulled out his own weapon.
"Drop you weapon. Now." He said as he cocked the gun.
"She killed my father." Javert's daughter whispered harshly.
"No, the only person that killed Luc Javert was himself." A new voice pronounced. Melodie felt a huge wave of relief flood her system as she heard the gendarmeries filing in behind her brother-in-law.
"Seize her. Monsieur Enjolras, Monsieur Pontmercy, please stand aside."
Two policemen soon had Mademoiselle Javert between the two of them, her gun in Fabian's hands. As she was led away, Marius and Enjolras lowered their weapons and stepped to stand on either side of her. She turned to Marius. His face was sad and contemplative.
"Devil take us all." She muttered. She then threw her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. He stumbled back a second before his arms came around her hesitantly. She pulled back and then punched him in the shoulder.
"Oww!" He rubbed the sore spot. He glared at her a minute before smiling hopefully. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"
She grinned and nodded.
"Oui, for everything. I can't be angry that there is love in this world."
"Or that you're not dead." Marius volleyed back with a mischievous grin. She snickered and turned to Enjolras. His body was tense, his eyes frantically scanning her person. He caught site of her wrists, still raw from her time being bound and reached for them. Before he could touch her though, Fabian was making his way toward them.
"Melodie, we need a statement. Then we can all go home."
She blew out her breath in frustration and nodded.
"I was here originally to see his Eminence, but he was called away on an errand when I arrived. Father Blanc as well. I decided to wait here for them. I remember kneeling by the Rose Window to pray. I couldn't have been there more than three minutes before something hard hit me in the back of the head." Enjolras let something out that sounded like a growl, but moved behind to examine her skull before she could shush him. His prodding caused her to wince and reach around behind to bat his hands way. He sighed and stepped back to her side.
"I've seen worse." He murmured.
"And I've had worse." She snapped. Her emotions were rising steadily in he presence and she knew she needed to end this interview quickly before she either exploded at him or fell into his arms crying.
"As I was saying, she seems to have knocked me out. I'm guessing she wanted to see the light leave my eyes otherwise she would have killed me immediately. We spoke briefly before your arrival. She told me she blamed me for killing her father and I told her to basically go to hell." She heard Enjolras groan beside her and couldn't help but smile wickedly.
"Then you all arrived, and the rest is history."
Fabian sighed and finished writing his notes.
"Very well. She'll probably stand trial but you both will be long gone before that happens. You can give a written testimony tomorrow and go home now to rest. I'll see you both there."
As Fabian walked away, Marius followed him.
"I'd best go inform Cosette of what has occurred. Goodnight all." He shook hands with Enjolras and squeezed Melodie's hand in farewell. Melodie smiled gently and waved.
"Tell Cosette I'll see her in a few days." Marius waved over his shoulder as he exited.
Silence fell around them as Marius exited. Melodie sighed and rubbed her wrists. She could feel Enjolras's eyes boring into her. The silence extended till she felt his hand on her elbow.
"Melodie, I – "
"Not now Enjolras. Not here. Let's … let's just get home. I want a bath and a strong cup of tea before I do any more talking tonight."
His hand fell away and she caught sight of his shoulders slumping from the corner of her eye.
"As you wish." He murmured.
They walked out into the cool night air. Gendarmeries were still loitering outside the cathedral and there seemed to still be tension in the air. No doubt arresting the daughter of one of their own sat ill at ease with some of them, especially as the man was dead. Melodie pushed the thought from her mind and walked towards the Charmant carriage. She once more felt Enjolras's hand reach out and, against her better judgement, allowed him to begin handing her into the vehicle. As she stepped on the bottom rung, she turned to offer him a quiet thank you but was distracted by a commotion near the goaler's vehicle.
Before she could get a word out, Javert's daughter had broken away from her captors with one of their weapons in her hands. The woman fumbled to raise the weapon to point it at Melodie's head, except … Enjolras's own head was in the way.
Time seemed to come to a stand still around her. Almost without thinking, she wrenched Enjolras's pistol from his pocket and readied it to fire. As she swung the gun into position, her mind flashed back to all those weeks ago when another wanted to end his life and their revolution. This was just another enemy and just another battle for freedom. Freedom from her past and freedom to face her future.
"Enjolras, down!" She shouted. And just like that day, Enjolras's eyes went wide and he hit the ground. As soon as her line of sight was clear, she fired. Javert's daughter did the same and the shots broke out through the night like bricks through a window.
Melodie watched as a look of confusion swept over the young woman's face. Then her eyes grew dark with fear, as the gun tumbled from her hands and they went to clutch her chest. With barely a whisper of sound, Javert's daughter crumpled to ground, blood staining her hands, and her eyes shut in death.
Melodie heard some take in a rattling breath and then realized it was her own. The hand with the pistol fell limply to her side as Fabian and the gendarmeries came rushing to her. Enjolras was also making his way to his feet. She knew he was trying to speak to her but for some reason she couldn't hear him. All that she could hear was the buzzing of what sounded like a thousand angry bees.
Perhaps she could try reading his lips?
But as her eyes made their way to his face, they instead caught sight of the still smoking bullet hole in the carriage wall. It was less then a hand's breath from her head. She took another shuttering breath and forced the now useless weapon into Fabian's hands.
She felt two warm palms cup her face and force her to look into two frantic, stormy blue eyes.
"For Christ's sake Melodie, speak to me!" Enjolras's voice finally broke the buzzing noise in her head.
"For having an inspector as a father, he obviously should have worked on improving her shot." She muttered. Enjolras stared at her dumb founded, his hands still on her face. She patted them and turned her head slightly to look at Fabian, who was shaking his head in wonder.
"Put that damn thing away somewhere where none of us will ever see it again. I'll give you a statement on this occurrence tomorrow. Tonight, I am going home. No more talking, please."
Fabian nodded and turned to lead the gendarmeries away. Melodie removed Enjolras's hands from her face but kept a hold on them as she directed them both into the carriage. As soon as they were settled, she knocked on the roof to set the vehicle in motion. As the carriage turned away from Notre Dame, Enjolras opened his mouth to say something. She threw a hand up in between them to silence him.
"I meant what I said Enjolras, no more talking tonight. Please."
Enjolras snapped his jaw shut as she brought her hand back to her lap. Melodie felt exhaustion and sorrow begin to sweep over her. Without looking at her companion she leaned her head back against the seat and tried to focus on breathing normally with her eyes closed. It was proving rather difficult and before long she could feel the tell-tale-wetness of tears sliding down her cheek. In between faltering breaths, she felt Enjolras rise and settle next to her on the opposite seat. His arms wound tightly around her, and his hands gently brought her head to his shoulder. Melodie felt his breath on her ear and shuddered against her will. He only held her tighter.
"Let it go Melodie. Let it out." Those words broke the flood gates and she began to cry in earnest against him. As her tears dampened his coat, she swore she could feel some of his own in her hair. The drive back to the Charmant house was slow going and peaceful. Exhaustion finally began to win out and she felt herself falling asleep against Enjolras, who was muttering something into her hair.
As she shifted to be more comfortable and the darkness of sleep closed in on her, she finally heard his mutterings.
"I'm sorry Melodie, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. Forgive me, please." Melodie sighed and sank further into his embrace. She didn't want to think right now, much less muster up the emotion to work through everything that had happened today. She tilted her head so he could hear her.
"Hush, that's enough now. I promise we'll speak in the morning." And, because no matter how angry or sad or tired she was, she couldn't deny him some sort of comfort and so she softly kissed his cheek. She felt him grow still beside her and frowned sleepily. No longer willing to fight off Morpheus's call, she relaxed against his side completely. As the lights outside the carriage faded, she felt him hug her even more tightly and felt his lips press against her hair.
And then she knew no more.
