A/N: As a student studying vocal performance, classical music literature is the majority of what I'm being exposed to in my major classes. I've been educating myself outside the classroom as well, and I believe I have found the gateway opera: Carmen by Georges Bizet. The music is iconic and I am almost positive you have heard some of it before! If you don't believe me, just look for it on Youtube or Spotify. If you love music of all kinds, you might get as hooked on it as I am!
As is typical of me, I found parallels with Carmen and Babette, but mostly in Carmen's first aria, the Habanera. Listening to the tune and reading the lyrics, it just screamed "Babette" to me! So here we are.
To assist this Disney/Carmen mash-up are Adam, Belle, and some of our favorite charismatic men from Beauty and the Beast, Princess and the Frog, and Tangled. The idea of adding characters outside of the BatB universe was in part due to a B&S birthday prompt. (Thanks, Ari, and Happy Birthday!)
Translations for lyrics are at the bottom for reference.
I hope you enjoy!
The blazing sun hid behind Giralda Tower, spreading shadows across the plazas and streets of Seville. Men carrying long torches took to lighting lanterns along them as the townspeople, from apprentices to bankers, began flooding the cobblestones, their nights having only begun.
At the city's crusty edges, a set of sentries patrolled a nondescript square where the only buildings of note were a tavern and a cigarette factory. By this time of the day, they were chatting, gambling, and playing cards over upturned barrels while they waited for the next regiment to take over their shift, including the lieutenant.
With a smug smile, a soldier laid down a winning hand and scooped the pile of silver reales into his hands and pockets. His comrades sputtered curses as bugles and fifes rang throughout the plaza. The players resigned to their losses quickly as they gathered their hats and swords in preparation to finally go home for the night. The sentries managed to get themselves in proper order as the new regiment entered the square.
Villagers milling around moved aside and watched them approach. One of the bystanders, a young brunette beauty, scanned the marching regiment for a familiar face. Her fiancé's distinctive reddish blonde hair was not in sight, but she saw a friend of his along the front lines.
The lieutenants of both regiments saluted each other, and the old guard, still sorely scrounging their now empty pockets, sidled out of the plaza. As the newly appointed sentries got themselves settled, the girl swiftly made her way through the uniformed men to the soldier she knew was a dear friend of her beloved.
"Good evening, corporal," she greeted with a grin.
The slender gentleman with medium blonde hair in a cue to whom she was addressing looked up, but so did a comrade next him, a man with dark wavy locks, olive skin, and a strong jaw.
His dark eyes lit up as he gave her a dazzling smile, his gaze sweeping her. "And to you as well, señorita," he replied in a smooth, masculine tone.
Her fiancé's friend backhanded the soldier's arm with a chastising eyebrow raised, though he wore half a smirk. Humor was in his eyes as his comrade jumped at the slap. "I believe the lady meant to address me." He took her hand and kissed it before smiling at her sincerely. "A pleasure to see you again, Belle."
"It's nice to see you too, Lumière."
"How is your father? In better health, I hope?"
Belle's expression brightened. "Yes, he is! His fever has gone down, and he's back to toying with his inventions again."
Lumière placed a hand over his heart. "That is quite a relief to hear!"
"I am just glad he's back to his old self again," Belle confessed. "The doctor was a great help."
He gave her his famous one-sided smile. "I am more than sure the credit to his well-being goes entirely to you."
She found herself flattered, but attempted to politely shrug it off. "I only did what he had advised."
The other corporal cleared his throat ostentatiously. "Excuse me, Lumière, would you be so kind as to introduce me to this charming woman? That is, of course, if you do not mind," he added with a snip of sarcasm.
Lumière rolled his eyes, but only so much that Belle was the only one that saw. She stifled a laugh.
"Belle, this is Naveen Campos. Naveen, this is Adam's fiancée," Lumière pointedly emphasized.
Realization dawned on Naveen's features. "Ah, yes, I recognize the name now! So this is the beautiful goddess of wisdom Adam has described." He nodded as though to confirm it as true. "He has said much of you," Naveen nonchalantly informed Belle, who was blushing despite herself.
"I imagine he is the one you intended to find, no?" Lumière offered with a knowing expression.
"Truthfully, yes," Belle confirmed as she shrugged apologetically. She glanced around the guard again but still couldn't spot him. "Where is he? He hasn't been moved to another regiment, has he?" she asked with growing concern.
"No, no, not at all," Lumière soothed with a smile. "He was held back by a new recruit struggling with his horse. He should not be too long."
"You are welcome to wait with us," Naveen proposed with a friendly generosity. "I admit, though I do not know you well, I already know you would be much better company than our… associates." He waved a careless hand to the guffawing soldiers behind him practicing their expectorating talents into a nearby tin.
Belle gave an empathetic smile. "I wish I could, but I can't stay. I still have to make dinner for Papa." She referred to her covered basket of vegetables, herbs, and bread. "I was hoping to run into his shift change while I was running errands."
"Your timing would have been perfect if not for the Private," Lumière noted to Belle with a smirk at Naveen.
Naveen laughed at the inside joke. "I have never seen a horse glare before, but that is what it did! And somehow, because it is him, I am not surprised!"
Shaking his head, Lumière laughed with him. Though Belle was curious to ask about this Private that was keeping Adam preoccupied, she really had to make her way home.
"Lumière," she called, and he immediately looked to her as Naveen continued to chuckle. "Could you let Adam know I came by? And that I'll see him after his shift is over?"
"Of course, mademoiselle," he promised. "He will be sorry he missed you."
She inclined her head in thanks bittersweetly before heading back the way she came.
Before they established themselves at a couple of abandoned crates, Naveen watched her depart and sighed. "Adam is luckier than I had originally guessed."
"I would not normally agree, but… she is definitely a special girl," Lumière concurred, but he soon furrowed his brow at Naveen. "Did you not say you were engaged?"
Naveen looked to him in surprise. "Did I really?"
"Yes, now that I think on it more… It was definitely after we had shared a few drinks." Lumière gripped his forehead, dredging the depths of his drunken memories. "Was it… back in Madrid?"
Now bewildered, Naveen stared at Lumière for a whole other reason. "We each drank an entire bottle of wine that night! How do you recall even an iota of what we spoke about?"
"A tolerance to cheap wine, mon ami," Lumière stated with a smirk. "Nothing more, nothing less."
Naveen let out a laugh. "No wonder! I have been bred on only the expensive kind." He exhaled longingly. "How I miss the life I led."
He felt a friendly pat on his back and turned to see that Adam had finally arrived. "Don't we all," he agreed.
"Ah! Good to see both of you made it in one piece!" Lumière teased, glancing behind his friend. "Especially you, Private."
"Private" glared at him with a grumpy frown. "Is that really necessary?" he whined. "Please call me something with more dignity, like—I don't know—my name, for example?"
"He's just teasing, Eugene," Adam reminded with a reassuring smile.
"Yes, you can lighten up now that your horse is no longer able to buck you off," Naveen joked with good nature.
"Ugghhh," Eugene groaned, rolling his head up to the sky. "It's not funny!" he repeated as his buddies started to snicker at him. "That thing is out for me, I swear it! Every other horse is pleasantly accommodating, and I get the one who actually gives me the stink-eye when I'm around."
"Didn't you claim to have a horse who despised you from your home kingdom?" Naveen inquired. "Coron-?"
"Ssh-ssh-ssh!" Eugene sprung to cover Naveen's mouth, fearfully looking at the surrounding officers to make sure they weren't paying them any mind. "Are you crazy? Do you want to blow my cover?"
Naveen bitterly pushed Eugene's hand away. "My apologies. It slipped my mind."
"Oh, right, I forgot, it's not your life that's at stake here, so naturally it would 'slip your mind.' I get it, Tall, Dark, and Narcissistic. Don't worry about it."
Setting his brow, Naveen stood to tower over Eugene, who was about half a head shorter, but who still maintained his ground.
"Let it go, you two," Adam intervened from his seat. "We all know neither of you are going to throw a punch."
"Agreed," Lumière annexed with a grin. "It will sooner be a staring contest than a fist fight."
As the old friends chuckled together, both broke their glares to stare at them almost pleadingly. "I can throw a punch!" they complained simultaneously before they eyed each other with uncertainty.
"When instincts arise, both of you would flee rather than fight," Lumière declared. "And I am willing to bet on it, too."
"Oh really?" Eugene challenged. "Isn't that a bit of the pot calling the kettle black?"
Lumière shrugged. "I am not ashamed to admit that I value my life over honor."
Eugene nodded, confirming his thoughts, before he took a seat. "I knew I liked you for some reason."
As Naveen placed himself next to Eugene, Lumière looked to Adam. "Your lady love was looking for you mere minutes before you arrived."
Adam immediately perked up. "Belle? She was here?"
"Ooh, the Belle?" Eugene checked, giving Adam a sympathetic look. "Tough break, buddy. I would have liked to meet her."
"She is every bit as lovely as Adam has described," Naveen verified appreciatively.
Ignoring the other two, Adam eagerly questioned Lumière, "Well? What did she say?"
His friend smirked. "She is eager to see you. What else?" he informed. "I would recommend heading to her home after your shift, mon ami. She just might have a surprise for you."
Adam's eyes widened, but he remained skeptical. "Is that really what she said?"
"He exaggerates," Naveen clarified, but wore a mischievous smirk of his own. "She did say she would see you later tonight, but that could certainly imply something else."
Adam rolled his eyes at them as they started to laugh. "Both of you are impossible. Belle isn't like that."
"Hmm," Eugene began to wonder as he eyed the giggling corporals. "Did either of you happen to eat some sour grapes for lunch today?"
Lumière's laughter was renewed as he watched Eugene with newfound respect, but Naveen found himself quieted at the question. "I do not know what you mean," he tried to defend, though his self-consciousness showed.
"I cannot be jealous of what I do not want," Lumière disproved with ease.
Eugene nodded his chin to him. "Like the uncommitted life, huh?"
Lumière spread his hands, unabashed. "Life is a buffet, and I have a vast palate to satisfy."
"That's fair," the private granted with a small smirk.
Lumière turned to Naveen with a glint in his eye. "Now, what were you saying, Monsieur Fiancé?"
"Whoa, hold up," Eugene refereed with his hands. "You're engaged?" he cried as Adam mimicked the same question.
Naveen exhaled a long sigh, admitting defeat. "Yes, in all of the politically correct terms… I am promised to another."
Eugene and Adam stared at him expectantly, and Eugene prompted, "Aaaaand you never said anything because…"
"It is an arranged marriage," Naveen muttered to the ground.
The other three visibly shrunk away, grimacing at the confession. "Yikes." "I'm… sorry to hear that." "Oui, that is unfortunate."
"Wait a minute," Adam halted, and the group faced him curiously. "Wasn't there a girl you met a few weeks ago, in the country…?"
Dimples appeared on Naveen's cheeks. "At one of the villages. An ambitious belleza with eyes full of fire… She stole my heart within a night." He felt at his chest as though covering the hole his heart had been.
"You've never talked about her either!" Eugene objected, acting betrayed.
"What was her name?" Adam asked.
Naveen dismissed it with a hand. "It doesn't matter. I will probably never see her again. After all, I am only in the service to avoid my betrothal. I am buying myself time, at best."
"See, this is why I'm a thie—I mean, adventurer," Eugene had to comment. "High-risk job, low-risk relationships; everyone's happy!"
Rather eager to change the subject, and noticing the darkening colors of the sky, Naveen began eyeing the doors of the cigarette factory. "When do the girls get off from work?"
Eugene furrowed his brow as Lumière glanced at a nearby clock tower. "What girls?" Eugene asked.
"The girls from the tobacco factory," Adam clarified with ill-concealed exasperation, but it wasn't directed at Eugene.
"Strange," Lumière noted with a frown. "It is past eight. What could be keeping them?"
"They will probably be out any moment," Naveen said to sound reassuring though he anticipated the welcome distraction.
"Um, still confused here," Eugene announced as he raised his hand.
"The cigarette girls are Seville's hidden gems," Lumière explained with debonair finesse. "It is rare to find a larger group of women who possess such charm and wit. All sentries wish and pray for these night shifts if only to be in their presence."
"So… a bunch of girls who smoke," Eugene simplified as he eyed Lumière doubtfully.
Naveen grimaced. "You make them seem so dirty!"
"That would depend on your personal definition of the word," Lumière corrected, his smirk making Adam face-palm himself and Eugene's eyebrows fly into his hairline. "Truly, I have never met so many girls in one place who present such a challenge, despite any of their habits."
Eugene shrugged off the innuendos. "Eh, they don't sound like my type; I never cared for the smell of cigarettes."
As if on cue, the tobacco factory doors opened wide, and cloud of pale smoke was released into the plaza, its tendrils floating towards the stars. All of the sentries as well as the townsmen looked eagerly in the factory's direction, stilling almost instantly and tensing with anticipation.
Eugene froze, his only movement the nervous glances he made around the square. "Why does this seem like this was choreographed?" he whispered.
"It might as well be," Adam murmured back, appearing unphased by the smoke effects as he began polishing his sword.
Admiring Adam, Eugene leaned his chin on a hand. "Wow, you are the epitome of not caring!" He slapped a knee in resolution. "That's it. I want to be like you someday."
As Adam grinned and jokingly shoved Eugene's shoulder, a violent "Ssh!" came from behind them. Eugene spun around for the source of the voice, but was soon taken in by the vision of over a dozen scantily dressed girls in long skirts and thin white tops holding cigarettes between their fingers.
And they were all beautiful.
"Huh," Eugene admitted. He turned to express his change of opinion, he realized Lumière and Naveen were gone. The men around him and Adam were moving forward, wearing stupid, excited smiles while their eyes remained fixed on the cigarette factory entrance.
A circle developed from the gathering of soldiers and villagers with the cigarette girls at its center, dancing between the men they decided to bestow their graces upon. Lumière made his way to the front, and some of the girls noticeably ended their games of hard-to-get with other men they had been distracting themselves with to flock to him. Naveen was close behind, and soon found himself with a redhead on his left arm and a brunette on his right.
The men who couldn't keep the attentions of any of the girls started calling out, "Dónda está La Francesita?"
"Sí, La Francesita!"
A chorus of shouts morphed into a rhythmic cheer. "Fran-ce-si-ta, Fran-ce-si-ta!"
Eugene's curiosity got the best of him, and he started to tug on Adam's arm. "Come on, Captain Brooding, let's actually jump on a bandwagon for once."
"I thought you wanted to not care!" Adam insisted, trying to resist Eugene's grip.
"I can aspire for that ambition later," Eugene conceded with a shrug.
Adam groaned with annoyance as Eugene dragged him to Lumière and Naveen's location.
Rising from the smokescreen like an apparition, an exotic brunette in a red skirt and low-cut blouse wore a beguiling smile on her scarlet lips as she flicked away her used cigarette. Blue eyes glittered under long lashes like gems embedded in porcelain. Although her heart-shaped face kept those in rapt attention when they were faced with her, all men found their gazes drawn to her extraordinary hourglass figure.
At her commanding presence, the townsmen who had been calling for her swarmed around the brunette.
Opposite the Francesita's throng of admirers, Eugene found the casanovas stunned silent.
Adam, who had been mentally grumbling, looked on the Francesita with confusion mingled with surprise. "I haven't seen her before."
"Really? I wouldn't have guessed," Eugene replied with effortless sarcasm as he jerked a thumb at Naveen and Lumière, whose jaws were dangling.
The Francesita scurried from her circle of men, teasing and giggling at the ones on their knees. Pleas for her love followed her as she individually greeted the men at her leisure. One brazen boy offered her a red rose. As she made a motion to take it, he raised it out of her reach, asking for a kiss in return. She smiled and seemed about to yield to his demands, but as their lips neared to a hair's breadth apart, the boy had unknowingly lowered his arm, and she snatched at the rose, grabbing only the head.
She brought it to her nose. "Gracias, mon chéri," she murmured before lightly pushing the boy away, who was hardly aware of his own rejection.
She placed the rose amidst the loose curls falling from her messy bun before her enigmatic gaze swept each of the men and boys in turn, smirking all the while as she silently bid them to listen.
"She's going to burst into song right now. Isn't she," Eugene muttered with chagrin.
The faint sounds of a cello were heard above the quieting crowd, and the Francesita began gliding to its rhythm.
Regretting his decision already, Eugene turned to exit the ring, but Naveen spun him back around without taking his eyes off of the brunette. The private crossed his arms and morosely settled to stand and wait for her song to be over.
As the Francesita opened her mouth to sing, they all became completely captivated. No one seemed to expect such rich, dark, and supple tones to escape from her.
"L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser,
Et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle,
S'il lui convient de refuser."
Her song and dance was entrancing to all but one. Adam's eye and heart was for Belle, and Belle alone. Perhaps other men could be so easily impressed, even those who already had a woman in their lives, but he could not find himself further from temptation. This girl was a gypsy, a free-roaming spirit that played with the hearts and minds of the men at her disposal.
Hm. Sounds familiar, Adam thought. He glanced over at Lumière staring agog as the Francesita approached him.
"Tout autour de toi, vite, vite,
Il vient, s'en va, puis il revient;
Tu crois le tenir, il t'évite;
Tu crois l'éviter, il te tient!"
During her verse, the gypsy circled Lumière, tracing his shoulders with her fingertips. She paused before him and brought his hands to wrap around her waist, speaking low as though to him alone, before turning her back to him while in his arms, gripping his hands tightly. Before Lumière could properly revel in her, she spun out of his grasp, repeating the chant, "L'amour… L'amour…"
The guys watched Lumière, who was wide-eyed and breathless, the beginnings of a grin showing on his mouth.
"Ashidanza," Naveen murmured, becoming more impressed by the moment. "She is fearless."
"She is perfection," Lumière affirmed in an absolute tone not even Adam had heard before, especially about a woman.
Eugene nudged Adam, turning his head so the other two didn't hear. "She really isn't bad," he had to concede.
At Adam's incredulous look, Eugene immediately faced the gypsy again and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, deciding to zip his lip until the end.
So Adam was the only one not taken with her. He suddenly became eager to depart the provocative performance, but the gypsy caught him in her gaze. Her eyes burned with a desire that flickered and appeared unstable, and he realized his own uncertainty and fear of her. He could only stand transfixed at her words.
"L'amour est enfant de Bohême,
Il n'a jamais, jamais connu de loi.
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime;
Si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!"
On her last phrase, she plucked the rose from her hair, and tossed it playfully to Adam. He caught it to his chest before staring dumbfounded at her as irritation boiled inside him.
She ended her final note with flair, swishing her skirt to bow. Upon looking up, she gave him a subtle wink and mischievous smirk before twirling on her heel to dance away, bidding the men to try to catch her. The villagers ran after her, but the soldiers stayed put, grumbling at her departure, and went to return to their posts.
Lumière made a motion to follow after her, but Naveen and Eugene held him in place. "Okay, lover boy, show's over," Eugene notified with a few pats on Lumière's shoulder.
Lumière stared after her as if he were just endowed with the gift of sight. "I must learn her name."
Naveen seemed to pity him. "I… think you need to rest."
"Yeah, let's sit you down here," Eugene agreed as they both lowered the love-struck corporal on a nearby crate.
Adam scrutinized the rose in his hand, deep in thought. The irritation he had felt at her bold move to purposely single him out… Was it really directed at her for her actions, or at himself for feeling a wave of… want?
He absentmindedly sniffed at the flower.
"Here." Naveen searched the inside of his coat, pulled out a flask, and handed it to Lumière. "I believe you need this more than I do."
Lumière didn't hesitate to take it and swing a few gulps down.
"Hey!" Eugene protested. "How come you've never offered me any?"
Shrugging, Naveen gave him an innocent half-smile. "You have said it yourself: I do not like to share."
While Eugene was giving Naveen a deadpan glare, Lumière sighed as the flask left his lips, the majority of the spell broken. "I must know her name," he repeated determinedly.
"But you heard it," Eugene insisted. "La Francis—uh, Francisca?"
"Francesita," Naveen corrected nicely in his charming accent.
"That was not her name," Lumière replied matter-of-factly. "That was their nickname for her. A rather affectionate one, too."
"What does it mean?" Eugene inquired.
Lumière offered a meek shrug. "It cannot be translated literally, but it is a form of the Spanish word for 'French'."
Eugene gave that a moment of thought before snapping his fingers at the lightbulb that went off. "Like the Spanish version of 'Frenchie'!"
Lumière discreetly pinched the bridge of his nose as Naveen burst out laughing. He waved a finger at Eugene. "Oh, you are secretly funny!"
Eugene glanced between them, sincerely confused. "What? What did I say?"
Coming out of his resolved reverie, Adam tossed the rose onto Lumière's lap.
Lumière opened his eyes and held the flower in his palm, looking to Adam. "Was this…?"
"Yeah," Adam answered with a small smile. "I think it was meant for you, anyway."
His friend appeared dubious, which was another rarity in his case. "Are you sure?"
"Take it," Adam assured, letting out a laugh. "I already have a mademoiselle in my life, remember?"
Lumière grinned. "True." He spun the head of the rose on his fingertips before lifting it to his nose. His smile broadened. "Her intoxicating scent… It still carries it."
"Will that tide you over for a couple of nights?" Adam asked.
"Until our next night shift?" Lumière gave a firm nod. "I will be counting the minutes, but… this will do very well. Thank you."
Adam mirrored the smile before Eugene returned shuffling an abandoned deck of cards. "All right, gentlemen, who wants to try and win back their earnings?"
THE END
A/N: Here are translations for the lyrics.
"Love is a bird rebellious
That no one can tame,
And it is in vain that we call him,
If it suits him to refuse."
"All around you, quickly, quickly,
It comes, goes, then it comes back.
You think to hold it, it avoids you;
You think to avoid it, it holds you!"
"Love is Bohemia's child,
It has never, never known any law.
If you do not love me, I love you;
If I love you, beware!"