December 18th, 1804

Paris, France

I sat at the small table in the bakery, the one usually reserved for customers who decided to eat in the shop, waiting for the man I knew as my father to return from the market. My fingers clutched my locket. 

The door opened and light flooded the shop. My father walked in. He was a round man, always laughing and smiling despite the dark world that swirled around him. He was different from my step-mother in every way possible. I could be leaving her soon. But I'd also be leaving him.

"Sophie," he cheered as he walked in. A sack of flour was slung over his shoulder.

"Papa," I said. "Can we speak?"

"Of course!" He did not seem to notice my dejected tone.

"Papa, this is serious," I said. He turned around, dropping the sack of flour.

"What is it?"

"A man came today. He said his name was Louis and that he was my brother," I said. His lips, once smiling, were pressed together in a tight line.

"He asked you to go with him, did he not?"

I nodded.

"Well, you better listen to him. Your brother is wiser than me," he said. The sack was back in his strong arms and he was back to work.

"Papa, how could you not have told me?"

"I was instructed not to! When the king comes to your shop and tells you to take his baby, you do it! If he tells you not to tell his daughter she's adopted, you do not do it!"

"I understand, papa," I said, even though I really didn't. Hearing him confirm Louis' claims made it all the more real.

"So you will be leaving us this evening?"

"Yes, I suppose I must if I'm in danger. I still don't understand what danger that is though. Why are you so okay with this?"

"I'm not," he said. "But I know my duty to my country or at least the country I used to know. Go pack up."

"You will be okay?" I asked.

"I am a grown man," he said. "I can survive without you, Sophie. But I will miss you."

"I'll miss you too, papa," I said. This had all happened so terribly fast. I stood from the table. It all felt like a dream. I was finally realizing what I was about to do. I was going to leave home with a man, claiming to be my brother, whom I barely knew.

The hand that clasped my locket was shaking, involuntarily.

I walked up the steps. I didn't own much. I bundled up my three dresses and placed my extra pair of slippers on top. I wrapped a cloak around me since the Parisian air was chilly in December.

I went back down the steep steps. Papa was placing a few loaves in the brick oven, finishing up the work I had neglected to do.

The door opened as my foot landed on the bottom step.

A flurry of snow entered before a man in a top hat did. He took it off with a large sweeping gesture.

"I'm looking for a Miss Sophie," he said. Papa looked at me. This man looked suspicious and dark with a regal air to him.

"I'm sorry, she's not in, good sir," Papa said. 

"Then who is this?" the man asked, gesturing to me.

"Her name is Aida," Papa said. "My wife's daughter."

My step-mother didn't have any children. 

"Your wife's daughter?" the man asked.

"Yes," Papa said. "And you are?"

"A government man," he said. "Are you sure you don't know a Sophie?"

"There's one down the street," I lied. "The tailor's shop."

The man nodded and slipped out the door.

"Go!" Papa said, shoving me out the back door. I stepped out into the back alley. Night was growing. Lights were being lit in the windows, illuminating the streets. I did not know where to go.

I walked out onto the main street. I could see the man walking down the street, quite a distance ahead.

"Sophie!" I turned around. Louis was walking down the street, towards me. I turned back and saw the man at the end of the street. I could see his smile from here. The man started walking towards me, pace faster than before.

"Sophie!" Louis called again. I ran towards Louis. The street beneath me was slippery from ice. I was losing my grip on the cobblestone. I slipped and fell, knees and elbows hitting the ice. I cried out and looked behind me. The man in the top hat was running towards me. Louis' hands grabbed my arms and dragged me up onto my feet.

He took my hand and we ran down the street. I could hear the man's footsteps behind us.

Louis turned a corner and quickly pulled me into an alley. He abruptly stopped and pushed us up against the brick wall.

We stayed quiet as the man's footsteps ran past us on the main road.

Seconds later, Louis pulled me farther into the alley. We ran through a maze of streets until we ended up in front of a massive house. We were in a rich part of Paris. Noblemen lived here.

He walked up the steps and knocked on the door.

A man in a butler's uniform answer the door.

"Hello, sir," the butler said, with a nod. "My lady." I looked at Louis for help.

"I was wondering if Henri was here this evening?" Louis asked.

"The whole family is present this evening," the butler said. He gestured to the multitude of coaches in front of the house. "But they are currently in dinner, followed by entertainment by Miss Cecile of Greece."

"Greece? Hm," Louis said, not pausing between sentences. "Would you mind if we came in and freshened up? And if you could inform Henri of our presence. We can wait in the sitting room."

"Of course," the butler said. He opened the door wider and let us in. The house was grand. The wood was all dark oak. Flower sat in vases, scattered throughout the entry hall. Directly before us was a grand staircase. There were two doors on each side of the hall.

The butler led us to the second door on the left. He opened it and ushered us inside. Couches and a piano were just the beginning of the grand furniture in the light green room.

"Who is accompanying you this evening, sir?" Louis turned back to look at the man.

"This is my sister, Sophie," he said.

"Shall I fetch her clothes? I'm sure Miss Cosette's dresses will fit," the servant said.

"That would be delightful, Edmund," Louis said. The butler left the room.

"Louis, who was that man in the bakery?" I asked, stepping closer to my brother.

"A bad man who wanted to kill you," Louis said.

"Why are we here?"

"Henri will be able to take care of you for awhile. I'm afraid I've called too much attention to myself. I'll be going back to the countryside."

"I'll be servant girl?" I had no experience in the home.

Louis laughed.

"Of course not," he said. "You'll be their guest. I'll leave you with money. You can trust them, Sophie."

"Are you sure?"

"The Baudin family has been sympathizers with the monarchy for ages. I am quite certain."

That sounded like rebellious talk. Was Louis trying to regain his throne?

The door opened and a maid entered.

"If I could take Miss Sophie to the guest room to change?"

Louis nodded and pushed me forward. I followed the lady out the door and up the stairs. We took a left once we got to the top. It was one long hallway, with windows at either end. You could see the city skyline.

"Beautiful," I observed.

"Miss?" I shook my head.

"Nothing," I said.

She opened a door to a grand, spacious room. A four-poster bed was the feature of the room. A wash basin and mirror sat to right and a panel to change behind was next to that.

The maid set the clothes on a bench and stepped behind me.

She began to untie my dress. I shied away.

"I can do it," I said. I grabbed the change of clothing and stepped behind the panel.

It hadn't even been twelve hours.