Hungry For Justice: A Hero For Lvneel Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Stabbed Through The Heart
Cosette rubbed her belly, staring at the window. It had already been five months since that fateful day.  Her father had moved her quarters to the tower, which overlooked the river. The windows were specially made so that she could watch the rebels being drowned in the river. It made her heart ache, and it made her angry. Yet, there was nothing to do. Guards were posted around the clock in front of her door. Another one came if Paris had to leave.
Her mother sometimes visited her, although her father told her not to. He wanted to punish her by giving her silence, and the queen was to lead his example. Queen Charlotte no longer wanted to take orders, and so she kept her daughter company, just as a mother should. She supported Cosette and gave tips on how to manage pregnancy. Their relationship became closer during those months.
The king, however, gave true to his threat. In all of her days, Cosette never got any visits from His Majesty; there were only a few letters instructing what to do for the day. Hell, they weren’t even letters. They were short, imperative orders, like, “Stay out of sight” or “Don’t even try running”.
Paris still attended Cosette, yet the two grew slightly apart. Paris couldn’t help but feel sorry for the princess, but Cosette thought otherwise. She did not her friend to pity her. They communicated more in actions than in words. The maid always sat next to her in a rocking chair, knitting adorable clothes for the baby. Sometimes it was a neon bib, or a soft onesie. On every Sunday, Paris would create a hat with matching mittens and socks, and would hold them for Cosette’s inspection. She would smile, then nod, and Paris would neatly fold them and place them in a little drawer that the women had no use for. The drawer was eventually filled with many assortments of colour, texture, and sizes.
It happened on a clear Sunday afternoon. Luckily, no criminals were being killed today. Although they were running out of space to add another of Paris’ wonderful creations, the maid had gone on ahead and started to create a pale gray hat. She had already finished the socks.
Cosette received a tap on the shoulder, which she knew meant that Paris wanted her inspection. Putting down the book she was reading, she put a smile on her face and turned towards her friend, then let out a shriek.
Paris seemed to be frozen. She was holding out the cap, with her eyes halfway closed. The ball of yarn she had used was still, not yet reaching the floor. The grin stayed stretching on Paris’ face, and it was unnerving.
She heard footsteps. Cosette was going to prepare to fight, but remembered now she was with child. Biting back a curse, she sat back down on her bed, and took her pillows, ready to aim and fire.
The door swung wide open in an arc. The princess automatically attacked, and threw her main pillow at the intruder.
The man fell down with a thud, and muttered, “Thanks for the welcome back.”
He picked up the pillow, giving Cosette a good view of his face. Instantly recognizing him, she hissed, and held another pillow.
“You,” she growled. “What are you doing here?” Hurt registered across the marine’s features, but was replaced with annoyance.
“Did I catch you at the mood swing stage?” he asked.
Another pillow hit the face.
Cosette was less angry, and was blushing. She guarded a third pillow across her chest. “That seriously has to be the first bloody thing that comes out of your mouth,” she states.
“It’s better than just a hiss and a pillow,” Rosinante countered back. He went and sat next to her, but Cosette made no move to stop him.
His eyes grew serious. “I better start speaking. Oliver can’t hold out much longer with this.”
Cosette remembered that the maid was frozen. She peered out the doorway, and noticed the palace workers were in the same position.  
“Oliver never told me he could do this,” she whined, crossing her arms.
“Cosette, we need to talk.”
“Talk about what?”
“Please don’t act like that; you know what I’m talking about.”
“Either way, you’ll leave me.”
Cosette replayed that very conversation in her head. She shook her head, trying to stop.
She stared at her boyfriend. “Well, you’re back now. I suppose your mission is complete.” The princess went to cuddle against the commander, but the commander gently separated from her. Cosette stiffened at the rejection.
“It isn’t simple as that. Sengoku wouldn’t let me investigate. He said I was too young, and that if I really wanted to go, I would have to complete a series of missions.” Rosinante scratched the back of his head. “I’m betting that he’s just putting me on a wild goose chase. That man doesn’t want me having to associate…with him ever again.”
“Then why don’t you just listen to Sengoku?” Cosette asked. She already knew the answer, but in vain she wanted to try.
As she suspected, Rosinante shook his head, and sighed. “You know I can’t do that. He’s my responsibility after all…he’s my brother.”
Cosette tried to cry. She blamed the stupid hormones. “You’ll get killed,” she whispered.
Rosinante took something from his pocket, and gave her a blue box wrapped with a violet ribbon. “For you,” he murmured, looking away. The marine too felt upset.
Cosette took a quick peek inside. It was a beautiful hair pin studded with blue gems. The note tucked inside read, “For my heart.
Cosette put the present aside, wrapped herself around the marine, and wept on his shoulder. She felt her shoulder getting moist too. The princess had an idea.
“Take me with you.”
Rosinante immediately unwrapped himself from her. He stared in bewilderment at the princess. “What?! I can’t do that! It’s too dangerous, for you…and the baby.”
Cosette scowled. “First of all, this is your child. Second, I know Father has a plan up his sleeve for it, and it sure isn’t letting it live with me. He still expects me to marry that creep as soon as he’s born.” She blinked back a few tears. “I want the baby to know its parents, to know that it’s loved.”
Rosinante was currently shaking his head in disagreement. “No, Cosette, I can’t. You’re the freaking next in line to rule Lvneel! I doubt there’s anyone else to take your place. What if your fiancé decides to take over this place when you’re gone, and punishes the people?”
Cosette scoffed at the idea. “Please, I hardly doubt he wants to leave his island of Paradise, where he has everything, to just bring havoc to some random kingdom because of a girl he was once engaged to.” But even she had her worries. Alphonse did make his threat pretty good. She stared at the ruby necklace on her dresser. She made a note to hurl it into the river when she had the chance.
The marine commander took her hands, then let go. “I want the baby to know that it has a kind, loving mother, who must be the most beautiful woman on earth,” he said with a smile. Then he frowned. “But the baby must never know his father. It’s too dangerous Cosette. The last thing I need is Doffy trying to hurt you guys, too.” He rose from the bed, debating whether or not to hug Cosette. “Oliver can’t hold out this power for this much longer,” he simply stated, trying not to be affected by Cosette’s heartbroken tears. “I must get going.”
Cosette wept, and before Rosinante closed the door, he took one last look at his love. “Even though you hate me now and won’t ever say it, I will. I’ll love you always, and forever. Soon, he shut the door.
Paris looked at Cosette to ask for her thoughts. She was confused to see the princess bawling, and wondered why the tears never seemed to stop flowing down her face.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The time had come.
As usual, King Francois had no interest in his grandchild. Luckily for Cosette, Dr. Boris, Paris, and Queen Charlotte were present at the birth.
None of them knew, not even Paris. Despite her anger towards him, Paris did not want Rosinante getting trouble at her expense. The least she could do for him was keeping the paternal information a secret.
“It’s a boy!!!”
The baby wailed, and Paris handed the doctor one of her knitted blankets. Carefully swaddling the newborn, the ecstatic doctor handed the baby over to his exhausted mother.
Cosette took a quick glance at the clock, and felt sad. It was three o’ clock, the time when the royal guards went to collect taxes from the people. She looked at her child. He seemed to be calm now. The infant stared at his mother with his intense greyish-blue eyes, which mirrored her own.
The child had beautiful blond hair, which the doctor quickly took note of. “It’s so bright, and I think it’s going to look like His Majesty’s hair!” The queen stared at her grandson. “No one has blond hair in these parts, could it be…” she pondered in her thoughts.
As they admired the baby, a servant slammed the door open. “The king wishes, um, orders the audience of the queen, the maid, and the royal doctor immediately!” he said in a panicked voice.
The queen was suspicious. What could he want at this hour? Wasn’t he busy waiting upon the taxes that would arrive?
“I’ll see you when I’m done talking to your father,” she assured her daughter. The doctor smiled warmly. “It looks like you’re healthy, but if anything happens, the guards can alarm us,” he said.
The three adults left, leaving Cosette alone with the baby.
He started to coo, and Cosette smiled sadly. “I don’t think your mean grand daddy will let me keep you any further. I suppose this is in fact the conversation’s topic,” she mused. She rocked the baby in her arms.
“I shouldn’t sound so negative in the first hours of your life. Perhaps he did let me keep you, my child.” She glanced again at the clock, then looked down out of the open window, viewing the river below. An idea popped into her head.
“I shall name you Sanji. Your birth was at three o’clock, when your mean grand daddy collects the taxes.” She shook her head slightly. “Those cruel guards always insult the people, saying, ‘let them eat cake’, when there is none to share with the people.”
She stared at the child, and  hopeful gleam sparkled in her eyes. “Father says that the people serve the king, but that’s wrong. If our royal power is truly is ordained by God, then we have to be more responsible with our power. He chose us for the role, so we are the ones who are supposed to be serving the people. It is our fate to nourish and create a haven where everyone is happy in this kingdom.”
Cosette rocked the baby, who yawned. “One day, when I rule Lvneel, supposing your grand daddy doesn’t ship me off with that monster, you and I will protect our people. We will be able to feed everyone food, and no one will longer die. When you are king, your job will be delivering a giant frosted cake to the kingdom, and we’ll all have a party.” She giggled amusingly to herself. “I’m talking in a craze, aren’t I? I have to be dead for you to be king. Oh well, I suppose I could be enjoying the view from the clouds, amusing I do go to heaven. I’ll teach you, my loving Sanji, how to be a true royal, one who will do anything for the good of the kingdom and for everyone in it. It has nothing to do with covering from ceiling to floor gemstones.”
The baby opened his eyes. Cosette smiled, and a tear slid from her eye. “I know we can do it Sanji, after all…you are my little prince.”
She brought the baby closer. Cosette kissed Baby Sanji’s forehead, and cuddled him, humming a song only they would know.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
King Francois was in a panic.
He had just received news that a ship from Marejois just docked, and it didn’t take a wild guess to guess who was on it.
He summoned his doctor, the maid, and his queen to come immediately, for minor details.
“How is Cosette?” he asked his wife.
“She’s doing really well with the baby, he has your-“ Queen Charlotte started.
“Maid, does Cosette look normal to you, like she can pass off as a single girl?” he questioned Paris.
“Um, she is still, pleasing, to look upon, with the eyes,” Paris stumbled, trying to find the right words to describe her friend.
“Doctor, do you think she will be up and moving by tomorrow?” he demanded.
“Cosette-hime is doing far better than I expected, despite the fact that she is very young-“ the poor doctor began.
“That’s all I need to hear.” The king waved his hand for silence. He marched across the hall, and out of the throne room and the three followed suit. He paused in front of Cosette’s room. The ruler eyed the four royal guards, as if to say, “You know what to do.”  The men gulped, but they opened the door, startling the mother and her baby.
“His Greatness, St. Alphonse, is here to claim you as his bride,” the king said casually. His daughter stared at him in horror and fright.
Without looking at the infant in her arms, the bastard he refused to acknowledge as his grandson, he pointed at it. “It needs to go. Now.”
Queen Charlotte went to stand in front of him, her eyes wild with rage and confusion. “Husband, I thought we agreed to-“ She was apprehended by one of the guards. Two others went to restraint the maid and the princess.
“As I, the ruler of Lvneel, I declare that this child has committed a crime, the crime of his existence.” Cosette screamed, but the guard covered her mouth with his metal glove. “Punishment will follow: Drowning at the river.” He glared at the final guard, who hesitated to remove a screaming Sanji. “Well? What are you waiting for?!”
Muttering a pathetic apology, the guard snatched the baby, and without looking, hurled the crying infant out of the window. A sickening splash was heard from below.
“NO!” screamed Cosette.
The guard closed the window shut, and the king motioned the other three to let go of the women.
“Prepare yourself, Cosette. Your husband to be will be waiting for you,” he reminded, and slipped out of the room with the quad of guards.
The maid and queen tried to comfort the weeping mother, but she shook them off. After several attempts, they gave up. They too left the room, thinking it was best to leave her alone temporarily.
She had to act fast. Quickly springing me from the bed, she hastily scribbled on a piece of parchment, signing it dutifully with “Cosette”.
The princess looked for something in the room that was sharp. No scissors, no pins, definitely no daggers...then she remembered.
She scrambled  under the pillow, and took out the gift: the last one from Rosinante. She opened it, and examined the beautiful, sharp hairpin.
Tears sprang in her eyes. “Thank you Rosinante, thank you.” She glanced at the ceiling, wishing to join her son.
She held the hairpin high, and struck it down.
It lodged right through her heart.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In an undisclosed location…
For my fanfiction readers: You had it coming. You knew she was going to die, especially if you read the summary of it on the other websites I’ve posted it on…
*dodges fireballs* THOSE DON”T EFFECT MEH. I’m a phantom fox, remember?
Joking aside, it was seriously hard  to kill Cosette. She is my favourite OC. I am probably going to be crying my eyes off as soon as this is published.
I really need to work on my original story (too many behind) so I might not update this next week. Please forgive me.
Hope you enjoyed, um, understood this chapter. *cries* R.I.P. Cosette Pâquerette
~Kurama Kaitou