Hi guys - this is the penultimate chapter (second-to-last)!
The next day at dusk, I scrambled through the crowd and managed to get in front. Clopin was still chained up, and there were three guardsmen accompanying him. One was holding the chain; one with a rope to tie my lover to the post; and another holding a torch.
Clopin caught sight of me and whispered something to the guard with the chain. He paused, thinking it over, and nodded curtly. He and Clopin walked to the edge and Clopin knelt down close to my face.
He said softly so no one could hear but me, "My Marie… if the plan doesn't work, don't remember me by night, but by those stolen hours when your siblings, by our kisses and embraces, and remember that I'll always love you." He slowly reached up towards his head and plucked off his large purple hat, placing it on my head, and tenderly kissed my cheek.
The guard suddenly yanked on the chain, abruptly pulling Clopin away. I started to cry.
No. It had to work. The plan simply had to go right.
The rope guard tied Clopin to the pole surrounded by branches and other flammable objects as an official read off a scroll.
"… as a sentence for practicing unholy sorcery, you, Clopin Trouillefou -"
"For the last time, that was simply an exploding smoke…"
His angry protest was silenced by an orange light and crackling of branches.
The torch guard had lit the pyre.
I looked up nervously towards the bell tower. Where was Quasimodo?
Precious seconds passed, and Clopin began to cough violently as the smoke and fire became dangerously closer. Sparks flew in his face, nearly making his beard catch fire.
Come on, Quasimodo…
Come on…
Finally, I saw Quasimodo fly our of the bell tower on a rope and land on the pyre. I heard a guard call out "Oh, come on! Is he going to do this every time there's a burning?!"
Quasimodo paid him no attention, but quickly untied a now limp Clopin, and swung back to the tower. I pushed my way out of the crowd, and ran to the church. I saw the official, of course accompanied by my father, chasing me. I opened the church door.
"SANCTUARY!!!!!"
I slammed the door shut in there faces and immediately ran up the long stairway to the bell tower. The very long stairway.
When I finally reached the top, I saw that Quasimodo's forehead rested on his hand like he was distressed. I barely noticed this. He saw me and stood up suddenly.
"Marie -"
I interrupted him by practically drowning the bell ringer in an enormous hug.
"Quasimodo - thank you so much… thank you!"
He slowly pushed me away and said. "Don't thank me yet, Mademoiselle Marie. I, um, I think I waited to long."
"What?"
Quasimodo hesitated, then took my hand and led me to a different room. It must've been his bedroom, for there was a nightstand, a burning candle, and a bed, but what made Quasimodo so sad was what was on the bed.
Clopin.
His face was expressionless. He wasn't breathing.
I again felt tears rush to my eyes.
"NO!"
I ran to his side and fell to my knees, crying into his sooty chest. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder. Assuming it was Quasimodo, I started babbling incoherently about how he couldn't be dead. Imagine how outraged and surprised I was when a voice, much deeper and uncaring than Quasimodo's said:
"Don't worry. You'll get over this… puppy love, sooner than you think. This gypsy was nothing."
I snapped up.
"Father!"
I was so ANGRY.
Puppy love?!
He led me out of the room and when he closed the door, I started yelling, "Puppy love?! How can you SAY that, after what he did for me? Clopin was willing to die for me, Father"- I spat the word at him- "and now, because of you that is just what happened!"
We both yelled at each other for a while, until in mid-yell, I distinctly heard a cough from the other side of the door.
We both quieted. Father had heard it too. The coughing continued, growing stronger and stronger.
Clopin!
I yanked the door open. He was sitting up, bent over, and very nearly coughing up a lung.
My eyes widened in joy. My father's - in shock.
Clopin finally stopped coughing, took a deep breath, and looked up.
"Marie!"
"Clopin!"
He stood and I ran into his arms. He held me close, stroking my brown hair. He smelled awful, like smoke and perspiration, but obviously, I didn't care.
Clopin looked up and in a flash, pulled the sword from its sheath on my waist and pushed me to the floor.
My father had pulled a hideous dagger from underneath his cloak, and now its sharp tip was mere centimeters from Clopin's throat.
Clopin pushed it away and kicked Father in the stomach, just hard enough to get him away. He held up the sword, and the two men engaged in swordfight. Clopin swung the sword expertly, blocking a thrust of the dagger. The iron clanged together menacingly each time the weapons met. I had no idea that Clopin was so skilled in combat. Soon, in a twist of the wrist that nearly blurred in my vision, he sent the dagger flying out of Father's hand, where it fell safely several yards away. Clopin held the the sword to the tip of Father's chin.
He went cross-eyed, trying to keep it in his view. He held his arms up - a sign of defeat.
Clopin lowered the sword. I stood up at last, and, after giving me the sword, I put it back in its sheath as Father continued to stare in disbelief.
He lowered his hands and said, "Give me one good reason I should believe you wouldn't let her starve, gypsy."
Clopin smiled, but said seriously, "Monsieur Cousteau - do you remember when you first hired me?"
Father nodded.
"I do believe I made a promise to you that your children would be safe with me."
Father was speechless. He probably didn't think Clopin could've come up with a good answer. He sighed, now knowing fully well there was no way to stop us. But then, he suddenly thought of something important.
"What will you tell La Frenzo?"
We froze.
Clopin's eyes lit up and he began to pace back and forth across the room.
Father stared. "What are you doing?"
"Thinking, of course… maybe…"
"What?" I said.
"He's such a drunkard… if someone could get him drunk enough to simply sign a piece of paper, we could forge his name onto a contract that cancelled half the debt, and you could pay it off!"
Father was defeated. He pursed his lips, then finally said, "Fine. I can't stop you two for the life of me, so you might as well run along and get…" he grimaced. "Married. I suppose I have other children who can marry into nobility."
Our mouths opened with a pop. My father, a noble, stubborn duke, was actually going to allow his oldest daughter to marry a gypsy?
I screeched, "Do you really mean that?!"
He glared. "Don't make me say it again."
Clopin and I glanced at each other and we shared a joyful embrace. I started crying yet again - I think it was the third time in the last hour.
I suddenly heard cheering. The three of us turned, and there was Quasimodo, whooping like a madman.
Clopin and I burst out laughing when Quasi saw us and blushed. Even Father cracked a small smile.
As Clopin led me back down the large flight of stairs, with Father in front and Quasimodo behind, I couldn't help but thinking about how I had just had the most peculiar day in my lifetime. I looked up at Clopin, I could tell by his dazed expression that was what he was thinking too.
I felt Clopin's hand twitch a bit in mine, and he stopped. He looked exactly like he had just remembered something quite important.
I whispered "Clopin - are you all right? You seem odd."
He stammered out, "Yes, I'm fine… c-can I speak with you in private?"
"Yes…" What was wrong?
When the four of us reached the base of Notre Dame, Clopin quickly said, "I need to speak with Marie privately - Quasi, please make sure Monsieur Cousteau doesn't spy on us.
I stifled a giggle at my father's offended look as Clopin pulled me into an enclosed room.
"Marie," he started. "there's something important about me that I must tell you. I wanted to wait to tell you until there was a time we could be together forever, and I didn't know when that would be."
He stopped, looking for the right words to use. In that pause, I panicked and assumed the worst.
"Clopin - you not already… married or anything, right?!"
"NO! No, no, no! Of course not!" he said hurriedly.
"Then what?"
He didn't hesitate this time. "About five years ago, I was named King of the Gypsies."
My eyebrows lifted and my jaw dropped.
"That's why, for the last five years, I've led the Feast of Fools and Le Jour de Amore. That's why I once told you I felt a responsibility towards the people I love. It's my duty to protect them, at least make sure no one starves to death. And, marrying me will make you our Queen."
Well…
What in the world are you supposed to say to that?!
I had no idea, so I simply said, "Clopin… I really don't know what to say!"
He laughed, and we both walked back to Quasimodo and Father, with Clopin's arm around my shoulder and mine around his waist.
Everything was perfect.
R/R!
P.S. If anyone can tell me why this story gets an average of 70 hits and my other stories get about 10 (per month), please enlighten me!!! I don't know!!!