A/N Here is the first chapter! Hope you enjoy and that the prologue makes a bit more sense now. I'm sorry if there's any spelling mistakes,I just wanted to get this chapter written before I went to bed or fell asleep!
As the sun rose above the currently quiet French city, only two people could be seen walking around. One male and one female. Both of a very different class. He was rich. His clothes were of a vibrant colour, he was well fed, but not fat, he was currently attending university and could look forward to a long and wealthy life.
She on the other hand was in a very different situation. Her clothes were old rags that had long since helped keep their wearer warm and were only worn to cover up, her hair came down to her waist, it was dark and matted and covered in dirt, clearly not have been shown any care for several years. She was extremely skinny, from not eating enough and her skin was covered in bruises given to her from her father and other men who only saw her as a rat who could be sent out to do their dirty work.
Little did they know that they were both walking the same way and thee next few minutes would ultimately affect their lives depending on what happened.
The young man paused for a second. He had only decided to get out his house as his friend was sleeping over. Well more like passed out. He had spent yet another night at the café trying to figure out what he was going to do to achieve what he wanted; to over throw the monarchy. While he was there this friend had yet again gotten very drunk, and rather than let him go home by himself and either fall in the river, get mugged and possibly killed or end up passing out in the middle of the street he had decided, very stupidly he now thought, to let him stay at his house that night. Needless to say he had very little sleep. His friend had spent most of the night drinking more and more while slurring the lyrics to old French songs before eventually passing out and snoring very loudly.
She like him had also had no sleep that night. However, this was for an entirely different reason. For about ten years she had been mastering the art of appeasing her father, giving him what he wanted, when he wanted in the hope that things would go back to the way they used to be, before they had to sell the inn and he no longer saw her as the little girl who would flutter her eyelashes at customers to make them pay the extortionate prices he had set to stay at the inn. Instead of doing this, she had taken on a different type of work. Her father didn't care who it was she took home, just so long the man paid up and she gave the money to him. Some nights she would take more than one man in the hope that she may have some money just to try and buy one meal, which she normally ended up sharing with her brother anyway.
As different as their lives were, they did have many things in common, At that one moment it was that they were both walking down the same path at sunrise, both having got no sleep the previous night.
The man carried on walking and stopped when he came to the bridge. Walking over to the side he leaned against the stone and looked out onto the river in a daze.
The woman, like him also carried on walking pausing when she came to the same bridge at the opposite side. She stood there unaware that a man stood on the opposite side, also completely oblivious to the fact that he had company.
After what seemed like a long time the man stood up and carried on walking, seeing the young woman he bowed his head and said "morning" before carrying on his walk.
She looked up to see the person who had spoken to her, all she saw was a mass of curly blonde hair and a bright crimson jacket. She smiled and carried on her walk, waiting for the population of Paris to awaken so she could pickpocket her way through the day.
Their future had not altered, she was to die saving the man she loved and he was to die trying to save the country he loved. Both never knowing what life could have in store for them.
*Change*
The man carried on walking and stopped when he came to the bridge. Walking over to the side he leaned against the stone and looked out onto the river in a daze.
The woman, like him also carried on walking pausing when she came to the same bridge at the opposite side. She stood there unaware that a man stood on the opposite side, also completely oblivious to the fact that he had company.
Lost in a daydream the man began to think of a better future for everyone in Paris, where the rich and the poor were treated as equals and all had the same rights, the same respect and the same living conditions.
Suddenly a loud sneeze shook him from his daydreams. He looked over to see a woman who must have been the same age as him. She clearly was from the lower class in Paris, the people he hoped to fight for in the upcoming months.
Realising she was being looked at she turned around to see who was looking at her. Seeing who it was she instantly recognised the man she saw as the man who gave speeches at the café that she was dragged along to listen to by her brother and her best friend. She gave a brief nod and smiled at him before leaving where she was stood and walking away.
The man smiled back, realising that her recognised from somewhere.
"Wait" he called out, "do I know you, it's just that I recognise your face".
"Yes, I often listen to your speeches that you give at the café. I'm Gavroche's older sister"
He could see it now; they both had the same eyes, filled with determination and stubbornness.
"Oh yes, and you always come in with Marius, pardon me, but are you two together?"
"Oh no" she replied blushing, "just friends".
"Oh right, sorry. I'm Enjolras"
"Eponine"
It was at that moment everything was changed, their future was to change forever, all because of one sneeze.