Les Misérables

Summary: After studying about the dark past of surrounding kingdoms, Tanya asks Cedric and Sofia if any other kingdom ever had the same level of darkness. This leads to a very unexpected story, filled with despair, hope, severed and forged bonds, and preventable demise. Read Me a Story format! (Takes place 5 years after my season 5 stories)

Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First. I own Corban and some other OCs mentioned here. MarionetteJ2X owns Tanya and Nana.

Chapter 10: Standing on Promises

The following evening, Master Merlin's followers met up and made a decision: they were going to fight against the corrupt powers-that-be of Zodia. During Merlin's public funeral, they would make their presence known, and they would shut down the city if needed. Whatever it took to have their voices heard, they would do it.

In the meantime, Roland was making final preparations for himself and Amber to go into hiding, but Amber had managed to sneak away from the house and locate Desmond near the café. She wore a long cloak to disguise her appearance so others wouldn't recognize her, lest her very blonde hair be a telltale sign of who she was and belonged to.

"Desmond," she whispered, immediately catching the student's attention. She gestured toward him, beckoning him over to her. She smiled when he approached her, looking excited. "My father has insisted we leave Zodia," she told him quietly, watching his smile immediately fall from his face. Her own smile turned sad, and she sighed. "I know… I don't want to leave, but I must go with him."

"Must you? You're old enough to make your own decisions, Amber. You could stay."

"I wish I could, Desmond…" She shook her head. "But I have no choice."

"What if I could go with you?" It was a desperate attempt to stay with Amber, and they both knew it, but Desmond didn't want to lose her. However, even he knew that wouldn't bode well for him, especially with how many people were relying on him right now… "Or… If you tell me where you're going, then maybe I can at least look for you later."

Amber nodded, withdrawing a few scraps of paper from her cloak. "I was hoping you'd mention that. These are some possible places we might go, although Daddy is being very secretive right now and won't tell me if I'm right…" She passed him the scraps of paper as he looked over them. "I wish I could be more definitive, but…"

"At least let me do this." He pocketed one of the papers but tore the bottom off the other one, removing his ballpoint pen from his coat pocket. He gestured gently toward her, helping her turn around, and he rested the paper against her left shoulder, eloquently penning his own address.

The blonde girl shivered silently at the feeling of the pen moving against her back through the paper. It was a strange but rather pleasant feeling, and Desmond's warm palm and fingers against her shoulder made it even more delightful. When he finished writing, she almost wished he hadn't stopped… She accepted his address as he pocketed the other scrap of paper and his pen once more. "Thank you. I will write to you to let you know a more definitive answer. Hopefully soon, so you don't go wandering off into the wrong cities… I wouldn't want to waste your time." She slid his address into her own cloak pocket for safe keeping.

Desmond shook his head. "Looking for you isn't a waste of time, Amber." He lifted his hand to the hood of her cloak and lowered it, his hand instantly finding her hair, gently tugging at a white ribbon she'd used to tie her golden locks back today. "I'd search the whole world to find you, even if I had no idea where to start. You're worth it…"

Amber felt her heart beating a little stronger, and she reached behind her, removing the ribbon from her hair and letting it fall down her back in the process. She tied the ribbon around his wrist, securing it in a taut bow, before reaching up and settling her hand on his neck. She pulled his head toward hers, pressing her lips to his and kissing him for the first time.

While the other two were lost in each other's embrace, Sofia was standing at a distance, peering behind the building, and her heart—what little was left of it—had completely shattered into a million pieces. Up until that moment, she'd had at least the tiniest shred of hope for having Desmond's love, but now? It was gone. He'd chosen. Her mind racing, she turned and hurried into an abandoned building across the street, up the broken stairwell, and into a room that she'd recently found. The door didn't lock properly, so she shoved a heavy armoire up against it before turning to face a full-length mirror.

Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she shed all of her clothing, some of it sticking to her dirty body as she did, until she was bare before her reflection. She threw the clothing into a box before moving over to the mattress that was a makeshift bed, and she withdrew a second set of clothing from behind a pillow. This clothing was just as worn as her old clothes, but the pieces were typically sewn for men. Next, she pulled some binding material from within a hat in the set of clothing, and she began the slow, arduous process of binding her chest.

It was painful at first, but eventually the pain dulled to almost nothing. Perhaps it was her mind numbing her from her most recent disappointment. When she'd finished, she turned, looking at her very thin frame in the mirror, noting that her shape was more of an adolescent male's now rather than a young female. Next, she tugged on a pair of undergarments, and then a long-sleeved button-up beige shirt with some loose brown pants, which she held up with suspenders wrapped over her shoulders. Before putting on the coat or hat, she took a look at her next issue: her hair.

It would be easy to just cut it off, since she'd managed to swipe a butcher's knife from a local restaurant. But…she liked her hair. Sure, Desmond liked it too, but for once, she was going to be selfish. It wasn't about Desmond anymore. This time, it was about her. And if nothing else, hanging around Desmond's friends had taught her a few key things: some useful, everyday spells.

She didn't have a wand, so she could only hope her fervent words would work. She lifted her hands to her messy hair bun and said, "Munda, pectere, textere, securus…" She waited for a few moments and was about to give up hope when she felt a small spark run through her hands, and even her veins were warming up. Startled but also delighted, she watched in the mirror as her hair untangled itself from the dirty updo, cleaned itself, combed itself, braided itself, and then tightly wrapped itself into a secure, flat bun against the crown of her head. Even hairpins had appeared out of nowhere and fastened the braided tresses into place.

"Wow," Sofia breathed, stepping up to the mirror, trying to observe her hair. That was the first time that magic had worked for her in such a way. If she could do that, then maybe…

She pushed the intrusive thoughts from her mind before slipping into the oversized coat, and then she placed the hat on her head, fastening it into place with a few more hairpins she'd located. Finally, she slid on some uncomfortable but protective boots, completing the look. She looked in the mirror one last time, sighing. At first glance, she did look like a boy, but anyone who stared at her long enough would realize the truth. Still, this would be enough to protect her.

Her parents had abandoned her, the love of her life didn't know she existed, and the world had turned its back on her. The only thing she had left was the noble cause the followers of Master Merlin were promoting, and it was something she herself believed in. So… Why not join them? Even if Desmond never returned her feelings, she could be part of something important, for once in her life.

She caught a glimpse of her wounded cheek in the mirror, which now looked worse than it did the previous night. It was swollen and bruised, since she had actually struck her face against the ground after her father had slapped her. That part hadn't been a lie… She didn't want to associate with either of her parents again. After all, besides Amber, they'd already previously lost another child for their careless ways, so why would losing her be any different? "At least he knew when to run," she muttered to herself, shaking her head. "He always does…"

After parting ways with Amber, Desmond began walking back to the café and to his friends, pondering over whether he should follow through with his plans to later pursue Amber, or if he should stay and help his friends with their cause. Amber had his heart, but his friends had his back and had for many years. Abandoning them at a time like this seemed heartless, but… He wanted desperately to follow his heart… His Amber…

Meanwhile, Baileywick was working with some other inspectors at the precinct, having heard about the followers of Merlin, who were growing more vocal each day. With the funeral fast approaching, there was no doubt Merlin's men would make themselves known, and it only made sense to stop them before they could do any damage.

"There are rumors of an uprising against us," a chief declared, eyeing all of his workers. "They may lack proper weaponry, but they have numbers on their side. However, we can't allow them to overtake this city. They're trying to reestablish the Zodia they once knew, which has long since passed. Whether they want to acknowledge it or not, poverty is on the mend, and they are making things worse by interfering."

Surprisingly, Baileywick found himself mentally disagreeing with his chief. After all, he'd seen the streets filled with homeless people each time he went out to settle some dispute or make an arrest. Hundreds of people… The chief was clearly either blind to the situation or was being intentionally difficult, either of which could be true… Still, Baileywick was a man of the law, and he liked to keep things in line. Strategy and order were the only things that made sense to him, and the only things he really cared about.

"We need someone to go undercover with the followers of Merlin," the chief declared. "We can uncover and foil their plans they might have, and we can bring them all to justice. Success would come with immediate promotion to commissioner."

"I'll volunteer," Baileywick said clearly, drawing the attention of his fellow inspectors. "I will bring swift justice after garnering their trust, and I will report all details straight to you."

The chief smirked, as if expecting this response. "I had no doubt about that, Inspector Baileywick. So be it."

Desmond trudged up the steps inside the café, to where all of his friends and the followers of Merlin were sitting and talking. He noticed the murmuring die down as he slowly walked toward Cedric, who held a very restricted look of hope on his visage. He realized almost immediately that almost everyone around him, both men and women, seemed to be armed with either a magical device or weapon of some sort. The reality of the serious situation was slowly dawning on him.

Lives were about to be put in danger. People would be lost. And all of it was for a good cause—perhaps the greatest cause… Equality, magical and personal freedom, and the end of poverty…

"Where do you stand, Desmond?" Cedric asked, his voice sounding like a sharp knife that cut through the tension. He was clearly on edge, but he also seemed exhausted. If the rasp in his voice didn't reveal it, the dark circles under his eyes did. When did this man even sleep? Did he?

Something clicked in Desmond's mind. These were his friends… His family. He'd only just met Amber, and while he was sure that she was quite possibly the love of his life, Zodia was his home. If Zodia and any surrounding areas were as corrupt and unsafe in the future as they were now, then what sort of future would they even have together? If for no other reason, that thought alone helped shape his decision.

Desmond walked up to Cedric, extending his hand toward the leader of the group. "I stand with you."

After what seemed like several moments, Cedric finally smiled for the first time in ages, and he accepted Desmond's hand, shaking it as the crowd around them cheered.

To be continued…

Next Chapter: In Too Deep