It was a sunny in Paris, France. Lafayette was riding in his carriage to discuss strategy plans of the French revolution. Once he exited the carriage a girl dressed in revealing clothing and a shawl approached him.
"Sir! Sir! I can offer you my service!" She said and that's when Lafayette had a good look at her face.
She was young, 14 or 15. And the service she spoke of was quite obvious due to the red lipstick she wore.
"Madame, I am a man of honor! I will not!" He said simply and continued to walk off.
No matter how poor or helpless the people on Paris's streets were, this was a war.
Little did he know a police officer was approaching her.
"You tramp! Do you know who you just tried to seduce? That was Marquis de Lafayette! You dishonorable stupid girl!" He hissed and the girl, who's name was Isabelle, stared at him in horror.
"I-I am sorry, sir!" She apologized immediately.
"You will pay for what you did!" He yelled as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and picked up a log.
Isabelle put up her hand in defense, but failed as he hit her side with it.
He forcefully picked up the now weak Isabelle and hauled her off. Her screams were inaudible in the french alleyways because his hand was clasped over her mouth.

Lafayette was walking back, feeling guilt rise in him over the beggar girl from earlier. He figured the least he could do was get her a loaf of bread and a bottle of milk, so he got some and went to find her.
When she was nowhere insight he asked the people officer.
"My good monsieur! Have you seen a young beggar girl roaming these streets?" His eyes flickered with anger.
"The one trying to seduce you like a vixen? Why yes! I taught her a lesson good and well!" He stated.
Lafayette froze.
"Where is she?" Lafayette asked, worried.
"Locked up. Where—"
"—Just take me to her." Lafayette commanded and the man did so.

When they arrived, Lafayette's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the girl he had seen hours earlier.
She was lying on the floor, bare, covered in only a thin sheet. There were red lashes up and down her back and a whip laying beside being the only culprit for the cuts.
The floor was covered in the scarlet liquid and the trail led to her. Everything was so unsettling since she wasn't sobbing or whimpering. Just silent tears ran down her cheeks.
"May I take her?" Lafayette asked the man standing next to him and he looked appalled.
"Sir! I thought you had more honor than tha—"
"You fool! I don't want anything to do with such a young girl! Non, I have a wife and I will love her till the end of my days! Now allons-y!" Lafayette commanded and they all scrambled around and unlocked the cell for him to enter.
Lafayette's breath hitched as he stared down at the girl clutching onto a thin linen sheet as if it were her last shred of dignity. He knelt down and he watched her whimper and back herself up.
"Amour, I am not going to hurt you, okay? I want to help." Lafayette whispered sweetly and Isabelle relaxed.
"Yes, sir," She croaked out.
She slowly wrapped her frail arms around his neck and shivered.
"There we go," Lafayette said reassuringly.
He put his coat on her and carried her out of the cell, glaring at the men who did this to her. He took her to his carriage and told his driver to go. He laid her down to where her head was resting in his lap and he played with her hair, looking at her sun-kissed skin.
Once he arrived at the house he got out of the carriage and walked into his house. Adrienne came down and greeted him, but froze when she saw the young girl dressed in a bloody sheet and a coat in his arms.
"Gilbert...." Adrienne said as she walked up and brushed the hair out of her bruised face.
"Adrienne, she was punished for nothing... I feel responsible, though." Lafayette said as he clutched her a bit closer as Virginie, his daughter, walked in the room.
"Papa?" She questioned being equally curious as Adrienne.
"Ma chèri! Would you please go fetch Adeline to draw a bath?" Lafayette asked and Virginie immediately padded off. Lafayette brought Isabelle to his bed and laid her gently down on her stomach.
"Monsieur?" Isabelle croaked and Lafayette stroked her hair.
"Princesse, I'm going to care for those cuts, okay?" He kissed her cheek and wet a cloth and dabbed away the blood.
He rid of the bloody sheet and covered her up in warm blankets. Lafayette saw the young girl crying silent tears again so he pressed his forehead against her and helped her sit up so he could hug her.
"T-Thank you," She sobbed.
"Shh, I have you now, amour... deep breaths...." He gently stroked her hair.
Adrienne walked in and looked at Lafayette.
"I can get her cleaned up...." She said as she walked over and rubbed the girl's back.
Lafayette nodded and handed Isabelle into Adrienne's grip.
"What's your name?" Lafayette asked her.
"Isabelle," She answered weakly.
"A name that matches your beauty." He smiled a white smile.
Adrienne got her cleaned up, into a night gown, and her hair in a braid. She set her back down in Virginie's bed because she offered to sleep by the fireplace.
The young girl was already asleep so Adrienne kissed her forehead and let her rest. She went out to Lafayette and looked to him.
"Gilbert, I admire your kind nature. But where did this young girl come from?" She asked and Lafayette sighed.
"We crossed paths this morning... She was trying to seduce me. The war seemed to turn such an innocent girl to do dirty, disrespectful work for dirty, disrespectful men." He laced anger into his voice. "Apparently a man who thought he had enough power and honor to punish her because she approached he me, a man who's name has meaning, and therefore I mean more...." He was hunched over the couch, the years of wars and life showing, just barley, on his face and hair. "I just can't help but think what if Virginie was in that situation... or Anastasie or Henriette. Using their bodies just to get a meal? It sickens me, Adrienne." He had tears pricking his eyes as he hugged his wife.
"I understand, mon amour...." Adrienne whispered.
Little did they know where Isabelle's mind was wondering.

She walked on the streets in the midnight. The moonlight was hitting the red lines on her forearms that she claimed were scratches from an alley cat. Both of her parents were dead and she was seven.
In a flash she was thirteen and the red lines were gone because she learned that they led to nowhere. Dark shadowy tigers prowled around her in the night. She ran from them, knowing what they wanted. Their voices were as soft as thunder.
She was pinned to the ground and they robbed her of her childhood and innocence. Isabelle got up and dusted herself off, trying to forget the many mistakes she made just to feed herself. The scent of blood was thick in the air as the scenery changed again.
She had a note in her shaking hands in hopes that maybe someone would care enough to bury her body. The noose hanging from the tree looked promising as she looked up to the moon and her body trembled as she whispered to herself.
"One, two, three, go. Then it's all over."
The stool slipped out from under her and her last sight was the moon.
It's silvery light seeming promising that something laid ahead then the "world that wasn't meant for me."

Isabelle woke up screaming and sobbing. Death terrified her, but its whispers and screams seemed promising. Lafayette ran into the room in the middle of the night and embraced the young girl. She sobbed and cried into his chest and he whispered soft reassurances.
He stroked her hair and she shivered.
"I'm s-sorry...." She whimpered.
"Chèri, there is nothing to be sorry for."
"I'm not dead?" She asked softly.
Lafayette caught onto why she was so upset.
"Non, mon amour. You are alive and safe." He kissed the top of her head.
In the midst of her dark world, there was a small light shining in the fog for her.

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