Chapter 10: Whispers of the Past

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Please enjoy this chapter! It'll show how Emelia, her late husband, Clopin, and his past lover are connected.

(Three years prior)

Clopin and Fleur went out to the Palace of Justice to resolve a dispute Frollo had for two gypsy children. As king and queen, it was their responsibility to resolve the problems and take care of their people. Two dozen soldiers surrounded the gypsies, but they made no acknowledgement towards them. Intimidating and severe, Frollo came out in his judicial outfit and gave the gypsies a stern look but they weren't afraid of him. They both have seen worse things.

"What are you doing here, gypsy scum?" he demanded coldly, gazing at them with utter contempt.

"We came here to resolve a dispute between those two children," explained Clopin in a tone just as cold as Frollo's, his glare unwavering. "According to the two, they bumped into you and you ordered them to come here. However, we came in their stead. They're my people and I won't let anyone hurt them." Clopin's onyx eyes looked as if they burned like coals in a fire and it made him look positively frightening.

"The children will be whipped for punishment," informed Frollo darkly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You two cannot change that."

Fleur's blue eyes hardened like sapphires and she shouted to him in a voice full of disgust and hatred. "You horrible bastard! They are only children and you're giving them a whipping!"

Clopin gave his wife an anxious look, trying to calm her, but she reacted like an angry mother. She launched herself at Frollo and tried to slap, kick, punch, and scratch him but the guards detained her. They held her to the ground and one guard knocked her in the back of the head with his sword to disable her. She finally fell unconscious. Clopin's heart jumped in his chest and he ran to aid his wife, but they overwhelmed him and made him drop to the ground, unconscious.

…

A little later, the two woke in separate cells but could see each other through the bars. They slipped their hands through the bars and twined their fingers together like a prayer. It was dark and cold but Clopin remained hopeful at the fact that God would rescue them from their cells. The husband and wife sat close to the bars, hands still twined, but said nothing. There were no words that were needed to be said for now. Suddenly, the door to the dungeon opened and a man wordlessly went to Fleur's cage and unlocked it. Fear made Clopin's blood freeze. What was happening?

"Where are you taking my wife?" demanded Clopin in a ferocious tone, glaring daggers at the man who put Fleur in shackles.

"Frollo requests her company," answered the man gruffly, not revealing any more but enough to make Clopin's heart stop.

He had a horrible feeling in his stomach that something bad would happen, but he managed to yell to her. "Don't worry, Fleur! Just behave and stay out of trouble, okay?" The fear and helplessness in his voice was evident as tears welled up in his eyes

She didn't get the chance to respond because the door slammed shut on him and he was left along in the darkness with his thoughts. He gazed out of the barred windows to look at the stars and moon and a song from his heart came out.

"Come out moon,

Come out wishing star,

Come out, come out,

Wherever you are.

I'm out here in the dark,

All alone and wide-awake,

Come and find me.

I'm empty and I'm cold,

And my heart's about to break,

Come and find me.

I need you to come here and find me,

Cuz without you I'm totally lost.

I've hung a wish on every star,

It hasn't done much good so far,

I can only dream of you,

Wherever you are…"

…

Lucas Allen, husband of Emelia, worked for Frollo but something didn't feel right when he heard of the orders to bring the gypsy woman to the judge. Quietly, he crept to his uncle-in-law's quarters and heard a woman crying. Feeling dread in his chest, he pushed the door open and saw, to his disgust and shock, the blonde-haired gypsy woman from earlier lying on the ground, naked, sobbing, and bleeding. There was no doubt that she was raped, but why would his wife's uncle do it? He thought that Frollo was a man of virtue and resolve. Swallowing the bile down, Luke went up to her and laid a gentle hand on the woman's bare shoulder. She recoiled from him and tried to get away from him, so he took off his cloak and wrapped it around her body, so she could get warm.

"Don't be afraid," he said gently, making sure his expression was benign. "I'm not going to hurt you. Come on, I'll get you out of here."

She looked up at him with tear-filled frightened blue eyes but he seemed to be trustworthy, so she stood up slowly and allowed him to support her to the dungeon where her husband was. Luke knew what he had to do even though it would probably kill him. He wouldn't let those two gypsies get punished for nothing. He had to let them go. Looking around for other guards, he grabbed the dungeon keys off the nail on the wall and opened the door. He approached the other gypsy's cell and unlocked the door. The man looked up at him defiantly, but Luke diffused the situation by showing the gypsy he meant no harm.

"I'm getting you out of here," he whispered to the gypsy, unlocking his ankle chain.

"What happened to my wife?" hissed Clopin, glaring daggers at the soldier.

"She got violated by Frollo," answered Luke quietly, truly contrite. "I found her in his room and decided to break both of you out. Come with me before the other guards show up."

"Why are you doing this?" asked Clopin suspiciously as he walked towards Luke cautiously.

"I'm doing what's right," replied Luke firmly, surprising the gypsy with a look of resolution. "Imprisoning and raping someone is not right. It is a crime to rape, as far as I'm concerned. Come with me quickly. I need to get you both out of here."

He passed Fleur over to Clopin and led them out of the cold, dark dungeon to freedom.

…

"Take this," said Luke in a hushed tone, giving Clopin a dagger. "You need it more than I do. Now, hurry, before the guards arrive."

"Thank you," said Clopin sincerely before rushing off with his unconscious wife, leaving Luke in their wake.

Luke smiled proudly as he watched the couple escape. For once, he did something right. Suddenly, the butt of a sword knocked him on the back of the head and he fell to the ground. He looked up to see another guard and Frollo himself standing there, looking furious, but Luke wasn't afraid.

"The punishment for insubordination is death," growled Frollo, pulling out his sword. "Such a pity. You threw away a good career."

"Consider it my highest honor, sir," sneered Luke hatefully, glaring at Frollo.

Luke closed his eyes, thinking of his wife and unborn child, and then the world went black. There was no pain, but he got welcomed into the gates of heaven like a hero.

…

A few days later, Clopin was laying on his bed, sobbing grievously. His wife, his one and only love, was dead. He found her tangled in a crudely-made noose that morning, dead. Her beautiful golden hair lost its luster and her skin was paler than snow. He had cut her down and cradled her to his chest, sobbing and howling out his grief. The other gypsies arrived upon hearing the noise and gave her a proper Christian burial but Clopin could bring himself to attend it. He hid in his tent the whole time and drank himself into a stupor. He knew it was bad to drink to excess, but he wanted the pain to stop. He wanted it all to go away. He wanted it all to end.

It felt as though his body was numb and his heart was broken. His chest actually hurt and tears rolled down his cheeks without stopping. He felt like he could never live again. He wanted to cut out his heart just so it would stop hurting. He didn't want to see anyone. He didn't eat, sleep, or do anything because he was so distraught. Esmeralda, his only cousin, tried to talk to him but he pushed her away like she was nothing more than a pest. More tears poured from his eyes as the song from his broken heart came out.

"I'll hear you laugh,

I'll see you smile,

I'll be with you just for a while.

But when the morning comes and the sun begins to rise,

I will lose you,

Because it's just a dream,

When I open up my eyes, I will lose you,

I used to believe in forever,

But forever's too good to be true.

I've hung a wish on every star,

It hasn't done much good so far,

I don't know what else to do,

Except to try and dream of you.

I wonder if you're dreaming too,

Wherever you are…"

Clopin cried himself to sleep, dreaming of his loving wife and happier times, wishing to go back to that. All he wanted was to have his wife back. He would trade his own heart to have his beloved Fleur back in his arms again. Little did he know, that another married person was mourning the death of her loved one.

…

Emelia had gone to her husband's funeral, but it didn't heal the hole in her heart. It only made it worse. The poor pregnant woman had laid in bed for the whole day and cried out her sorrows. She got comforted by Nana, her old nursemaid, but it wasn't the same. Her husband was gone and nothing could heal the hole that was in her heart. The sorrow made her sing a song that was in her broken heart.

"How will I start,

Tomorrow without you here?

Whose heart will guide me,

When all the answers disappear?

Is it too late,

Are you too far gone to stay,

This one's forever?

Should never have to go away.

What will I do?

You know I'm only half without you,

How will I make it through?

If only tears could bring you back to me,

If only love could find a way,

What I would do, what I would give,

If you returned to me,

Somehow, someway,

If my tears could bring you back to me…"

Emelia collapsed in a torrent of tears during the song she sang but she finally fell asleep when she was done. She hadn't slept for a few days now and she finally fell asleep even if it meant crying her eyes out. How would she go on to raise her child by herself? She would do anything to have her husband back even if it was for a day. She dreamt of her husband and what her future would have been if he didn't die.

If only tears could bring you back to me, both she and a gypsy far away thought about their dead spouses.

A/N: And that's that! Yes, it is very sad, but I have a reason to write it like that! I feel like a total bitch for doing this, but it had to be done. I know it's horrible. I'm sorry for making anyone cry. Sorry for this. I hope you all can forgive me for being a horrible person.