The Bells of Notre Dame
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The movie of course. But I do own Catherine.
Catherine is a lovely girl of nineteen. She has a kind personality and a heart of gold. She comes to the city of Paris to meet the one she was promised to, Claude Frollo. He hates the gypsys, but she loves them for their frivolity. He takes her to the belltower where she meets the bellringer Quasimodo. The young man is struck by her beauty and kindness and makes her a wooden doll that resembled her greatly. Catherine stays in the city and as the days pass, Quasimodo begins to realize that he is falling in love with the beautiful girl. Even Catherine is falling for the bellringer! What happens when nobility and a gypsy's son fall in love with each other. This is the story of Catherine and Quasimodo and of how she meets the kindly bellringer and a romance blossoms.
Chapter One: Catherine
Nineteen-year old Catherine stepped out of the gilded carriage to meet the black eyes of the Judge Claude Frollo, the man who was her promised husband. He was old, with wrinkly skin, small black beady eyes and gray hair. He was of high personage like Catherine. Her mother had promised her to Frollo. Frollo took her hand and kissed it, looking at her all the time.
"Dearest Catherine, it is a pleasure to look upon a face as lovely as yours," he said, his voice deep.
"And to you too, Judge Frollo," she said.
Catherine looked up to the towers of Notre Dame and could've sworn, with her eyes, that she saw someone with fiery red hair looking down at her and Frollo. Shaking it out of her mind, she looked back to Frollo.
"Would you like to come with me into Notre Dame Cathedral and meet someone?" he asked, his eyes pleading.
Catherine smiled, her cheeks glowing rosy pink. "Yes, I would love that very much."
As they walked up a winding staircase, Catherine saw rats and shuddered a little. Then Frollo led her to a balcony that led to the belltower and she saw the whole of France. She leaned over the stone, seeing them like a mile away from earth. She felt a little lightheaded and ran to catch up with Frollo.
"Here we are." Frollo pointed to a wooden staircase. He took her hand and led her up into a beautiful room. It was pretty wellkept. There was a table in the middle with a miniature form of Paris and a bunch of little wooden dolls on the table.
"My goodness, this is beautiful!" Catherine breathed as she touched the little multicolored glass pieces hanging from the ceiling.
"Thank you." A different voice rang out. Catherine turned around to see the same person with fiery red hair standing behind her. She gasped softly and backed towards Frollo. "Wh-what is that?" she said.
"He is my adoptive son, Quasimodo," Frollo said, sending a tiny smile at the deformed bellringer.
"I apologize if I scared you." Quasimodo sounded a little upset.
"It's quite okay. You just gave me a little scare," Catherine said. A sunny smile was upon her lips as she approached Quasimodo without any fear whatsoever. She crouched down to stare him in the eyes. A shiver ran down his spine as her hand came up and touched the lump above his eye.
"You poor baby. It must be hard to look like this," she said, stroking his hair.
"Catherine, I think now is a good time to leave," Frollo said, taking the crook of her arm in his. "Yes, I think that would be good. Mother will be worrying," she said, then she turned back to the hunchback, "It was a pleasure meeting you, ummmm...pray tell me your name."
"My name is Quasimodo. It was nice to meet you too, Catherine," he said bowing. She stopped him. "Please don't do that. I am not royalty."
He nodded and she allowed herself to be led out by Frollo.
Quasimodo stared after Catherine's retreating back with awe. That woman had just touched him and was not disgusted! He was beginning to like her already. She was a kind and loving girl and he could see that she had a good heart. He turned to his table, took a rectangular piece of wood and a knife and started cutting it, shaping it into the form of Catherine. He even added the little features like her necklace to the doll. The hair became a brown color, the eyes a vivid blue, and the dress white and blue with gold and silver designs. When it was finished, he did a strange thing. He put the doll next to his in the cathedral. It looked strange to see a ugly doll and a pretty doll together. Looking up, he got up and went to the ledge, looking out. He saw Catherine and Frollo talking at the steps of the cathedral.
"What is your answer to my proposal?" Frollo asked as he took Catherine's hands in his. A smile came upon her face.
"I'm not sure. Mother did promise me to you, but...I'm not sure. Mother just thinks I'm a trinket to barter. She thinks I have no mind, just beautiful looks to wile men. I'll think about it," she said. She reached up and kissed his cheek lightly before turning and leaving.
Okay, that's it. R/R please please please.