Swear By The Stars

Chapter Four

Sylvia tensed with discomfort as she heard the shouts of the rallies ahead of them, but she noticed that Patria was intrigued by the crowd, nearly eager to see what the fuss was about. That held no surprise to Sylvia, Patria lived up to the name she had been given, she was a revolutionary at heart, but the female body she was given would most likely hold her back from something as outlandish as a revolution.

"I don't think it's safe here, Patria, let's go."

Just as Sylvia suspected, Patria was drawn in by the immense energy of the crowd. She rose to the balls of her feet to see the contents of the crowd before her. Her eyes glistened with curiosity.

"I want to listen! Come with me!" She tugged at Sylvia's sleeve, but Sylvia resisted and pulled herself away, the material left wrinkled from Patria's clutching grip.

"No! You can stay and listen if you'd like, but I'm going to look at ribbons." Sylvia felt that she had been harsh and she turned to apologize to Patria, but Patria was already working her way into the depths of the crowd.

Sylvia bit her lip nervously, the crowd's fierceness seemed to exude a sense of risk and ferocity. Inside her remained a sense of guilt for not being brave enough to face the group of spectators. She had no interest in politics, but it stunned her how passionate the people involved were. She edged closer towards the crowd, her stomach turning with nausea at the idea of being in such a suffocatingly small area with others crowded around her. If something were to happen, she could easily get shoved over.

"Always one for the cautious route, aren't I?" She whispered to herself in shame. Her head heated and she backed carefully away, her steps quickening and she whirled around to continue in her venture of meandering towards the ribbon shop, but as she turned, she accidentally ran into a young man that had been running to join into the rally and they both were knocked to the ground.

"Oh, mademoiselle! Je suis très désolé!" Sylvia raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun so she could examine the man she had run into. He was practically a boy, with dark blonde hair and a clear shaven chin. He wore a blue overcoat with a black waistcoat, a red floral cravat, and a beaten up pair of shoes. Sylvia blushed as he stood gracefully and offered a hand to help her up.

She had nearly forgotten the embarrassing collision as she met his innocent and shining blue eyes. His eyes widened slightly as if he recognized her. "You must think me quite a bumpkin, I apologize for the trouble."

"I, er-" Sylvia stammered, unsure of what to say. A gentleman had never paid her regard before. Normally, if she were tossed about in the street then a man would gruffly tell her to get out of the way. "The fault is equally mine, Monsieur-"

He interjected. "Prouvaire. Jean Prouvaire." He opened his mouth as if he wished to say more but he was silent for a moment and then laughed nervously and pulled her up. An excited feeling tingled through her palm and his hand held onto hers, warm and invigorating.

"My name is Sylvia." She said gently, offering him a kind smile.

"Sylvia," he said softly, letting the name linger on his tongue like a sweet candy. There was a pause and the he realized he had not let go of her hand. He released her hand and shoved his own hand into his blue pocket, his cheeks turning a brighter red than his cravat "Mademoiselle, if you don't mind my asking, are you a part of the Paris Opera Ballet?"

Sylvia was nearly shocked that someone recognized her, considering that Patria was the glimmering prima ballerina. "Indeed, Monsieur, I am surprised that you would recognize me."

Still caught in a deep blush, Jean added "It would not take much to remember a beautiful face such as yours." Sylvia smiled and blushed, euphoria streamed through her. This boy thought she was beautiful! She! She tugged at her golden braid and looked up at the smiling gentleman. A whistle sounded in both their ears and the crowd began to dispense wildly. Sylvia gasped in shock.

"Mademoiselle, we'd best move out of the way, hurry." She quickly followed after him to escape the courtyard and its bystanders. She had forgotten about Patria, her thoughts were now occupied by this new Monsieur Prouvaire.