Hello everyone! Another update coming your way. I change POVS in the middle of the chapter, so don't get thrown off by it. I'm introducing another OC (this will be a common occurence as there are tons of Gypsies hanging around). Speaking of which, I relaized I forgot tov do a disclaimer. Here it is...
I don't own Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Disney, or anything related, other than my OCs. Please don't sue me for failing to mention this sooner. XD
When he could speak again, he said quietly, "I suppose I should leave you alone for awhile. I'll be back before sunset, and we can talk again."
"I have nothing to say to you," she replied, her head still in her hands.
With a sad nod, he walked out of the tent, breaking into a dead run, just to get away.
To get away from his own mistakes.
She lay there, crying until she could cry no more. She finally lifted her head from the colorful pillows she had flopped onto. They were soaked, and she hoped they'd stay that way, even if to provide a little discomfort for the monster she had thought was a good man.
She looked through red-rimmed eyes around the tent. It seemed to match Clopin's caravan, with bright ornaments and tapestries hanging everywhere. Unlike before, she now hated the cheery colors with a passion. She hated him with a passion.
He had tricked her. He had betrayed her. And now he was taking it all back with an apology that made her want to believe him. And she hated him for it.
The thought sent her into another crying fit, which only lasted a short while until her eyes ran dry again. She decided she would be brave. She's try to escape or get caught trying.
She poked her head out of the tent, and screamed when she saw a massive woman standing in front of her. Shrieking loudly, she fell back into the tent, and the woman came in. She was obviously advanced in her years, her hands grizzled but with a kind face.
"Hello dearie, I am La Juliette. And you are..?" she said in a robust voice. Colette stared at her, wondering if she was mad and deciding not to answer.
"Well, no matter. I already know your name. You're Colette am I right?" Colette's eyes went wide. How had she known?
"I am a fortune teller my dear. I make it my business to know everyone's name," La Juliette said matter-of-factly. "Now, am correct to say you are the kind woman who saved Clopin, our King?"
"Yes, and I fervently wish I hadn't!" Colette muttered disrespectfully. This did not deter the imposing woman.
"First, let me thank you for that. You did us all a kindness by taking him in. And may I just say, he has a good taste in women to choose one such as you for his bride." Colette winced visibly.
"That—that's just to make a fool of me right? He's not really going to marry me?" she asked hopefully.
La Juliette laughed. "No, I'm afraid our customs are quite serious. Not even the King can escape the law."
A wail rose up from Colette's throat. "No! No, I'd rather die than be married to that wretch!" she sobbed. She drew her knees up and tried to calm down.
The massive woman sat down next to Colette and put a comforting arm around her. "Dearie, I don't think you mean that and I think you'll find that Clopin is very sorry for all this trouble. I also know that you'll find, if you give each other a chance, you could come to love him, and he you. It may not seem like it, but Clopin made a great sacrifice today, saving you. He is very serious about our traditions, and intends to tie himself to you. That means a great deal of his personal freedoms will be lost, and he is a free spirit, that man. I think you should count yourself lucky to have a man as dedicated as Clopin," she told Colette.
"Lucky!" Colette scoffed. "But, what makes you think I could ever love him?" she asked angrily.
La Juliette looked her dead in the eye and said in a gravely voice, "Because I have seen it. It is in your destiny."
With that, she stood, and hobbled her way over to the opening of the tent, leaving a speechless Colette still on the ground. "I'll leave you alone to think. Just remember, wicked tongues get everyone into trouble. Try to be civil to each other."
She disappeared and Colette was left to her own thoughts.
"She's wrong. I'll never love him. I loved one person, and you can't find love twice. She thought spitefully.
But, somewhere in the back of her mind, she hoped with the barest of hopes, that La Juliette was right.
The sun was setting behind the horizon, and shadows were descending on the city. Clopin wandered back to the Court absentmindedly. On his way out, a foot had stuck out and tripped him. Scowling, he righted himself and looked to see the perpetrator. It was La Juliette, his most trusted advisor and fortune teller. While most people here passed off as mystical fortune tellers, La Juliette was a true name of her trade
"Oh, sorry Clopin. I didn't realize it was you," she said with a grin that told him otherwise.
Sighing, he knew she wanted to talk to him. "What is it?" he asked brusquely.
"I just wanted to ask permission to see Colette after you leave. She seems to need some comforting," she replied knowingly.
Clopin's eyes were like saucers. "How the devil did you know it was Colette?" What a stupid question. This woman knew everything.
"Oh, I asked the spirits about her. You know, the usual," she said casually. "Anyways I just thought I might offer you a word of advice before you go."
He waited warily, and when he made no protest, she continued, "You know better than anyone my powers. And you know that what I say usually comes to pass. Your future can very well be a happy one indeed—if you put a lot of effort into it. I would cool off, then go back to your tent and talk to your bride-to-be." He winced. "So my advice to you is…don't botch it this time."
She chuckled at his bewildered look and walked off still chuckling.
In a daze, he had left the Court and went to a secluded section of town that he liked to think in. He thought about what La Juliette said, wondering what she had seen in her visions.
She had said his future could be happy if he was willing to work. What did that mean? Would Colette forgive him and they could be friends once again? Or was it going to be as more than friends?
The thought made him shiver. More than friends? He had never really loved anyone. Never commited himself to any one person. And how could he? He had dedicated himself to an entire people. He didn't have time for any one individual.
But now he would have to.
He knew it would be hard, but wouldn't it be worth it, even if they didn't fall in love, to regain her trust and friendship. Even if they couldn't be friends, he still owed her his life, and therefore would do anything he could to ease that debt.
As the sun got lower in the sky and the bells rang, he remembered his promise to Colette that he'd be back to talk by sunset. He prayed to whoever was in charge of this situation that she would have calmed down enough to talk without trying to kill him again.
He tried to exude confidence as he walked back to his private quarters, but he didn't even fool himself. He peeked meekly into his tent, somewhat relieved to find Colette asleep on his bed, exhausted from the day's emotional encounters.
He sat down by her to wait out the sleep, vowing that he would not sleep until they had talked. He stared at her for a long time before she stirred.
Her eyes blinked sleepily, until she caught sight of him staring at her; she sat straight up.
They watched each other, each wondering who would break the tense silence.
It was Clopin this time.
"Colette, I know you don't want to listen, and I know it sounds awful coming from me, but please let me apologize once again for my deplorable behavior. I am more sorry than you can understand. I didn't want this for you, but I'm afraid I had no choice. I'm not trying to defend myself, but please know that I could do nothing else to save you. And after what you did for me, well, I couldn't just let you die," he said sincerely, and his eyes shone with sympathy for her plight.
She seemed to mull this over for a long time. Clopin counted to two hundred in his head before she spoke.
"I…don't know if I can accept your apology. You have to understand, I don't want to accept your apology." He nodded solemnly, and she continued, "But, I'm afraid I may have to. I can tell you're being truthful, and I suppose this is…better…than hanging from the gallows."
"Why did you follow me?" he asked suddenly.
She sighed, and replied, "I don't know. I guess because I was happy to see a familiar face. For all the people I have in acquaintance, I don't have many friends. I keep to myself most of the time."
He understood the feeling. Out of the entire Court, he had only Esmeralda and Phoebus as friends, and an uneasy friendship with Quasimodo. That pretty much summed up his social life, though he had thousands of aquaintences.
"So, I guess I was hoping to see you again so we could still be friends," she concluded.
He nodded again, sighing at all the trouble he had caused her.
'I'm sorry," he mumbled. She hesitated a few moments, and then took his hand in hers. His head snapped up, looking at her small smile with surprise.
"But I suppose I will forgive you, for now, and we can get back on track. Shall we start again?" she asked hopefully.
After a hesitation of shock, he replied, "Yes, yes I believe we can."
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