Classified by the Crown

This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/classified-by-the-crown. At an elite royalist celebration, prosecutor Villefort receives news of Edmond Dantès’ arrest and sees a chance to prove loyalty. Check more stories related to writing at: https://hackernoon.com/c/writing. You can also check exclusive content about #hackernoon-books, #astounding-stories, #astounding-stories-jan-1998, #count-of-monte-cristo, #english-literature, #science-fiction, #literary-fiction, #public-domain-sci-fi, and more. This story was written by: @astoundingstories. Learn more about this writer by checking @astoundingstories's about page, and for more stories, please visit hackernoon.com. While Dantès’ ruined wedding leaves loved ones in despair, another celebration unfolds among Marseille’s royalist elite at Villefort’s betrothal feast. Political conversations reveal fierce anti-Napoleonic sentiment and Villefort’s ambition to distance himself from his Bonapartist father. Mid-celebration, an anonymous accusation reaches him: Edmond Dantès is arrested as a suspected Bonapartist courier. Though urged to show mercy, Villefort views the case as both a duty and an opportunity to strengthen his political future.