A/N: Sorry for the massive delay. If it's any consolation, I have another story that I should be working on as well, but you guys won. :) Anyway, I hope you like this update.

It was a busy day in Paris. Although, when wasn't it a busy day in Paris? Riya followed Camille very closely as they made their way through the crowds. Soon, they were in an area with a decent traffic flow that didn't result in Riya's feet getting stepped on every five seconds. Camille set up shop right there, laying out her assortment of clothing made for Parisians, specifically the lower class that would spare her a coin. In the meantime, Riya walked up to other gypsies that sat at different corners to ask if they would be interested in a babysitter to watch their children in the Court of Miracles.

After many rude rejections and a few polite ones, Riya finally found a mother and father of three who sold food along a busier area than Camille's. Agreeing on a price, Riya returned to the Court of Miracles to find the three boys, who were described by their parents as "a bit rambunctious". Riya soon learned that "a bit" was a very big understatement.

Clopin honestly couldn't stop himself from laughing. After a long day of entertaining the children for coins, it was good to get some humor out of the Court of Miracles today. Currently, Riya was trying to control three unruly boys who were insistent on tearing each other apart. Removing his mask, Clopin jingled his way over to where the distressed babysitter and the misbehaving boys were. "Riya, would you like some help," Clopin offered with a smile.

Riya lifted her head from helping up the youngest of the boys and fixed Clopin with an offended look. "No, thank you," she growled out. Clopin held up his hands in a mocking form of surrender, but Riya was too focused on the boys to take notice of his humor. Muttering something unintelligible under her breath, Riya resumed in trying to dust off the youngest while trying to separate the two eldest boys.

Shrugging, Clopin walked away. After all, if a woman was going to be angry with him over trying to be helpful, who was he to fight? "Don't think anything of her behavior, Rom Baro," Nikhil called over to Clopin. The gypsy king approached Nikhil, who sat calmly watching as Riya obviously struggled with the three boys.

"Nikhil, she needs help with them," Clopin reasoned, gesturing to Riya.

"Just because she needs the help, does not mean she will accept it," Nikhil replied. A yellowed smile appeared in the wiry, white curls of his beard. "Riya is a stubborn woman. No matter how much she is failing, she will not give up on something that easily. To her, you offering your help suggests she can't do this on her own, which is offensive to her," he explained simply.

Clopin leaned on one foot while listening to Nikhil, one hand on his face as he pondered this. "Should I apologize, then?"

Nikhil shook his head, his smile fading. "Not right now. She is fairly preoccupied, if you haven't noticed." Clopin chuckled a little and invited Nikhil over for some dinner, which the old man thanked him exceedingly for.

The two leaders sat over their dinners outside of Clopin's tent, preferring to keep watch over their people. They pointed out some individuals who were "good for" this and "good for" that. Clopin pointed out Camille coming home from her job. "Camille is pretty good with a needle. She actually made this," he said, motioning to his performance garb. "Other than that, though, she is very useless." He then ducked as a wooden bowl was thrown at his head at a surprisingly fast speed. "She's a lousy shot, too," Clopin laughed, dodging an assortment of utensils being thrown like darts.

Camille snorted as a response. "I can't help it if throwing at you is like throwing at a straw of hay." She then walked away from the two in order to retrieve her items.

"Oh, I'm skinny. Is that really all you have to offer, Camille?" Clopin challenged.
Camille glared at him. "Look, your excellency," she started with a calmness to her tone, "some of us actually have to work for a living," she motioned to herself, "while others just have to behave like lunatics. So, forgive me for not coming up with better insults because I actually had a pretty difficult day."

Clopin raised an eyebrow. "Wow. What did I do to deserve that rant?"

"Oh, you just have to be your special self, mon chéri," Camille replied, patting his hat-covered head. Camille then returned into her tent to prepare her own supper.

Nikhil smiled at Clopin. "With the way you two joke, I presume you have a strong friendship?"

Clopin laughed a little. "Yes, I suppose you could call it that. We've been friends since we were young. I don't really know how we became friends, but we did, and that's all that matters." Nikhil nodded in agreement and the two continued to comment on the random passers-by. A few were stopped in their walking to greet and talk to the other leader, but, other than that, the conversation remained consistent.

Just as Clopin figured their conversation was coming to a close, Nikhil surprised him by a very new topic. "So, Clopin," he started, gaining the gypsy's attention since he was starting to get up, but quickly sat back down, "have you ever married?"

If Camille were out of her tent, she probably would have laughed herself silly at just how surprised Clopin looked at that moment. Nikhil would have laughed himself if he weren't being completely serious or if he were younger. Clopin, however, quickly tried to break his confusion by shaking his head. "Um, no, Nikhil. I have, shall we say, had my way with some women, but I have never found someone to risk the marriage jug on, I suppose," he replied, his eyes soon meeting the ground.

In all honesty, Clopin wasn't sure why he hadn't married yet. The majority of the Court of Miracles was curious as well. He was surely aging out of his prime, as he was soon to be reaching thirty. His hairline was beginning to recede early on, a Trouillefou curse, and his choice of women was also diminishing.

"I am only asking because I have brought many available women with me, and I encourage you to continue looking," Nikhil replied with a hopeful smile to the saddened leader, who quickly perked up a bit.

Clopin collected their dishes and was about to walk into his tent when he caught sight of a little boy running at a high speed through the tents and heading his way. Sure enough, it was one of the three boys he had offered to help watch. Setting the dishes down momentarily, Clopin stepped in the little boy's way and scooped him up, throwing him over his shoulder like a bale of hay. "Come on, Erec, back to Riya with you."

"Aw, but Clopin, she's so boring! She won't let us have any fun," Erec complained, seeming to sulk, as he became dead weight on Clopin's shoulder. Despite Clopin's scrawny build, a curse more from his mother's side than the Trouillefou's, he was able to support the boy's weight. Granted, as a gypsy child, Erec wasn't exactly a plump child, but he was heavy enough that most wouldn't throw him on their shoulder without a bit of a struggle.

"Well, I'll talk to her for you, okay?" Clopin suggested and only received a frustrated sigh. Clopin then picked up speed to a full out sprint, making Erec get frightened and then thrilled with this sense of danger. The two were stopped abruptly as a very peeved Riya stepped in their way.

Erec began to squirm since Clopin stopped running. "Clopin, why did you," he began to ask, but was soon brought off of his leader's shoulder and turned to see Riya. The child dipped his head and held onto Clopin's leg, trying to hide behind him. Riya cleared her throat, giving Erec a look that would likely haunt him later that night. Erec, realizing he was in trouble and Clopin was unlikely to save him, walked with shame over to his brothers.

Clopin watched Erec walk away in shame, wished his best for the kid in his head, and turned on his heel to return to Nikhil. "Excuse me, Clopin. I'm not finished with you just yet," Riya spoke, interrupting the leader's steps. Turning back to Riya, Clopin noticed her demeanor had changed for the worse, her light brown eyes narrowing with a look that could kill.

A/N: Clopin's in trouble. :P I'll be honest, I probably won't be able to update at all this upcoming week, but after that there may be an update. Reviews are always welcomed and I love them! No flames, please, but criticisms are great :)