Gypsy, Tramp, & Thief
Not much to say about this except, enjoy! During & post-Hunchback, follows the Disney version.
Arriving
It wasn't long driving from my estate in the country to the great city of Paris. Sevrin looked out thee window and looked to me, I haven't spoken to him at all on the trip, unless you count the small formalities as soon as I got in. Of course, my governess Charlotte had fallen asleep along the ride as well. So much for a chaperone, I thought sardonically. I suppose I came in at a wrong time, you really don't know what's going on so I'll start over...
My name is Chiana Amaud and the man across from me is my fiance', Sevrin Laurent. I use the term loosely, we've only met a few months ago and we barely speak to each other, this "marriage" is just out of necessity and duty. We were travelling to Paris for business, for Sevrin's business, you see he was a respected lawyer just returning from the season. I didn't want to leave the country, but mother and father had insisted that we might grow to like each other. Yes, I hardly know if the man sitting across from me even likes me. I have a feeling of contempt for him and I'd like to keep it that way. Sevrin was... stiff, strict, proper, a real gentleman. My family insists that I will learn to like him or to love him. And why shouldn't I? My own family's marriage was arranged and they are very happy. However, I am not my mother and I believed that love could not be taught.
"Ah, here we are," Sevrin piped up as we approached a grand building right next to the Palace of Justice.
I sighed in resignition, of course he had to live in a dreary part of the city as well. Sevrin stepped out of the carriage and helped me out onto the street. I looked around me as I heard the sounds of people and music, Many smells and sights and sounds reached out to me and all I wanted to do was follow them. My eyes alighted on a girl dancing and a goat. I smiled and walked a bit closer. Sevrin grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward him. "Be careful, Madmoiselle, some people will take advantage of an innocent girl like you," he said, but gave me a warm smile.
I couldn't blame him for trying, but it only made me resent him more. What made him think I was so innocent? I probably knew more about sex than he did! Well, I couldn't prove that, but still I wasn't so innocent as he made me out to be. I only gave a polite smile, but kept my eyes on the performers. "I just want to watch," I said and kept walking toward them.
Sevrin groaned softly and hovered over me like the overprotective shadow he was. I laughed a bit as the goat pranced around the girl and I sighed at the girl's beauty. Her wild hair, her dark skin, her piercing green eyes. I would never look like that, my hair always being kept out of my face and out of everyone else's sight. It was dull blonde anyway, not the exotic raven black hair that the woman had. My pale skin reflecting in the sunlight & even worse in the moonlight. My grey-blue eyes just looked so plain. Yet many men claimed that I was beautiful. I suddenly turned to Sevrin, his eyes had strayed to the woman, but his expression was that of disdain and contempt. I turned away and furrowed my brow, it was such a conundrum, the way that men thought. "Come on, I've seen enough of this," Sevrin growled and took me by the elbow again.
I wrenched away from him and sighed before walking up to the hat on the ground, I searched my coin purse for a few gold pieces before dropping them into the hat. I curtsied to the woman and strode right passed Sevrin with my head held high.