Chapter 3- Sacrifice

It was beginning to snow when Jocelyna began to come around, but only slightly. She had been lying on the stone steps unconscious for only a couple of minutes when she felt a warm touch on her shoulder followed by a voice which she instantly recognised rooted just a few yards away.

"This is an unholy demon, I'm sending it back to hell where it belongs!" came that easily recognisable voice which she knew, if she survived tonight, would haunt her forever.

A voice coming from someone closest to her replied, "See there the innocent blood you have spilled on the steps of Notre Dame. You knew she was guiltless yet you pursued in chasing her!"

She then felt that warm touch on her back which brought her off the ground- she was being carried by someone.

That gentle voice sounding closest to her spoke again, "you will look after the child as payment for killing this innocent woman," though she could have sworn the gentle-voiced man had given a slight gasp when she had stirred slightly in his arms only moments ago.

Jocelyna was now beginning to be more aware of her surroundings as she slowly opened her eyes. The last few minutes was now a blur and Jocelyna could barely remember anything but before she could at least try to recollect she felt that familiar rush of dizziness consume her once again and bring her to faint again in those warm arms protecting her.

"Miss...Miss? Are you awake? Can you hear me?" came the words from that gentle voice she recognised from in front of the Cathedral only moments ago.

Jocelyna gave a small groan in response before finding the strength to open her eyes once more. Once her eyes had adjusted she recognised that she was no longer in the bitter freezing wind but in a small room decorated with four lit candles placed in each corner.

It really was a small room. She noticed one very old chair supported against the wall in front of her and what looked like a small table with a Bible lying on top against the other wall. She also became aware of what she was lying on. It seemed, to her, a bed of some sort though it felt incredibly hard on her fragile bony back. She then concluded it was more a wooden table than a bed.

That kind voice sounded again, "Miss?"

This time she noticed a rather small man with grey hair, wearing white, expensive-looking robes and sandals, sitting in a small chair next to her.

"Is there anything I can get you?" came that voice once she had fluttered her eyes several times to signal that she was alive and awake. She weakly brought her hand behind her to support her weight as she gradually lifted her head and positioned her whole body so that she was sitting on the table and facing the man whose face looked as gentle as his voice. She had not spoken for a while so her voice felt very small and quiet but she had to say something to this man for rescuing her from the cruel minister.

The man, now aware that she was awake, was obviously sitting anxiously, though trying to appear patient, waiting for a proper response.

"No, I'm fine thank you," she said, opening and closing her eyes several times to adjust to the new light better. She knew she looked comical but the kind-looking man didn't smirk.

"Tell me sir, where am I? Last thing I knew I was outside the cathedral and..." She motioned her hand vaguely in front of her, "and I was being... carried."

The man smiled at her, "I was the one you carried you and brought you here. You are in Notre Dame Cathedral herself."

She now realised this man must be the Cathedral's archdeacon; the important-looking robes said it all.

It now all began to come back to Jocelyna. The events outside the Cathedral and before then- the capture, the running, the falling... she suddenly remembered, "WHERE'S RHAYEDER? WHERE'S MY SON?" she suddenly yelled.

The man was slightly taken back by the young woman's sudden outburst but relaxed and adjusted himself in his seat, as though in preparation to hear some big news.

"My dear, I don't know how I can bring myself to tell you this. Well, you see, your son was taken by Minister Frollo..." Jocelyna's eyes suddenly widened and she looked as though she was going to pounce on the man, until he put his hand up just in time. "No, it isn't what it seems. I told Minister Frollo to care for the child, not kill it, to make up for killing... well Frollo doesn't know you're alive... and he doesn't need to."

"B-b-but, but, I-I don't..." was all the stunned gypsy could utter. "I don't understand, he's my son! Can't you just get him back from Frollo? He's my son!"

The Archdeacon looked remorsefully at the woman, "I know this is incredibly, incredibly hard and not what any mother wants to hear so I give my deepest, deepest apologies for what I am about to tell you. You see... I want Minister Frollo to take care of the child." Jocelyna stared at the Archdeacon, obviously expecting him to crack up and explain what he just said to be a joke, but no trace of a smile was on the man's lips.

He continued. "I have seen Frollo do the most cold-blooded, inhuman, monstrous things to innocent people and it is only because of the anger inside him that leads him to carry out these things. I have prayed and prayed to God to change the error of his ways and I feel your son might just be the answer to my prayer. I believe Frollo raising your son as his own will be the making of him and would allow him to finally feel compassion and love, not anger and cruelty that cause him to murder so often. I can't imagine what you must be going through right now and it pains me that I am taking away the most precious and beautiful thing in your life but he has destroyed so many innocent lives and will continue to if he doesn't learn compassion and kindness which I believe your son, Rhayeder will give him. I didn't realise you were even alive but then Frollo already... knew about your son. If I had asked him to give your son back to you after realising you were alive, he would have murdered him as well as you instead; he wants to rid anything in the world that isn't his definition of 'perfect'. Frollo has assured me that he will keep Rhayeder in a safe place, the bell tower of this Cathedral in which he will soon become the bell ringer, where he has promised to bring food to him regularly and visit him often in order to entertain and spend time with the boy. But Frollo has ordered him to be locked away in that tower which, I'm afraid, means you won't be able to visit him."

Jocelyna gave a cry of outrage but the Archdeacon ignored her and continued. "It really is the only way your life, the boy's life and the life of everyone else can be saved."

The Archdeacon sat back in his chair to signal he had finished talking, leaving Jocelyna hunched into a ball on the table, tears now streaming down her face. She knew what that cruel man was capable of doing to people, particularly the gypsies, from the stories she had heard from many of her friends back at the camp. She couldn't bear more innocent people being murdered for goodness knows what stupid reasons Frollo thought of. The image of her brother, Lucentio and Gramio being led up the mound on the docks to what awful fate awaited them came into her head and it was wondering what Frollo did to them that made her incredibly angry. She understood why the Archdeacon was doing this. She just had to sacrifice him, for the sake of her people, especially her brother, and every other mortal soul out there.

After a couple of hours in that small room in the Cathedral, after the Archdeacon had consoled Jocelyna and assured her that, though she wouldn't be allowed to visit Rhayeder up in the bell tower, tonight wouldn't be the last time she would see her son, the two emerged and began walking slowly to the Oak doors of the Cathedral.

Jocelyna only realised it was daytime when the Archdeacon pulled back the doors, with the help of Jocelyna, to allow a brilliant stream of sunlight to thrust its way into the Cathedral, temporarily blinding the gypsy.

"Do you have a place to stay?" enquired the kind Archdeacon softly as he stepped aside to let the young woman out. Jocelyna nodded after remembering the Court of Miracles, the Paris gypsy camp her brother, Gramio, Rhayeder and herself were supposed to have been heading to.

The Archdeacon abruptly pulled Jocelyna into a tight hug which she very much needed and appreciated and waved a small goodbye, gradually closing the oak door and leaving Jocelyna on the steps. She walked a few paces forward to allow herself to be soaked up by the sun and looked up at the Cathedral's bell tower situated high above her, muttering a small prayer for her son.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: :'(

I didn't have much control when writing the character of Jocelyna, she just writes herself! I can't imagine what she must be feeling, having to give up her son to save a bunch of innocent people from being murdered. This plan of the Archdeacon's better work!

Soooo, as always, keep reviewing, it would mean a lot :-D