Alright people! I'm on a roll! I've got another chapter for everyone! I know right? This is like the third one in two days! How long I can keep this up? I have no clue. But while my muse is working with me, I'm gonna keep crunching out chapters for as long as I can. Here we go with Chapter Eleven!

Chapter Eleven

Enter the Captain of the King's Archers

Third person

Sophia's POV

Not wanting a repeat of what happened in the square, Sophia pulled Quasi and herself behind one the massive stone pillars and hoped to the Lord in heaven that neither Frollo or his men would spot them. She peered around the edge of the stone structure so that she could at least get some glimpse of the scene playing out between Esmeralda and Frollo. The ebony haired woman stood proudly, her back straight and her head held high. She made it perfectly clear with her posture that she wasn't going to let the judge intimidate her. Frollo began to march towards her, anger and something else glinted in his eyes; something that made Sophia feel very dirty. She tried to repress the shiver that traveled violently down her spine but could not hide it entirely.

"Are you alright?" Quasi's gentle, whispering tone had a slight vibration in it, as if someone had tapped a very small bell.

As quick as the ugly feeling and shiver had come, it was gone the moment he spoke. How did he do it? How did the very sound of his voice erase all worries, all sad and horrible feelings from her? How did he always make her feel safe, even from her own mind?

"I'm fine," She whispered back, her focus still on Esmeralda. "What do we do Quasi? She helped us. We have to do something!"

Frollo reached Esmeralda and seized her by the upper arm, twisting it just so that it was now pinned behind her while his other hand took hold of her opposite wrist. The judge placed himself full behind her so as to avoid her kicking out at him. In response, Sophia felt Quasi stiffened beside her in anger. Reacting quickly, she drew herself back behind the pillar and took hold of his forearms, pressing him hard against the pillar.

"No Quasi!" She hissed up at him, trying to keep her voice from drawing any attention. "Charging out there will not help her! You are already in enough trouble as it is; you'll only make matters for her worse!"

He glared down at her, which in itself was intimidating, but Sophia would not be phased by his aggression. His blue eyes flashed with some emotion she couldn't place. Anger? Concern? Desperation?

"I cannot just stand here and do nothing!" He growled lightly, his voice trembling with emotion. Which, she was not sure. "She risked her life for me! I can't just-"

"Just what?!" She retorted in hushed tones, her voice sharp. "Risk your life in return? Then what Quasi? It will just be an endless cycle of rescuing and sacrifice. Do you think she wants that? In any case, Frollo will . . ." She paused, not wanting to finish. "Frollo will punish you in the worst way possible if you do."

The last sentence left her as barely audible, so quiet that even Quasi had trouble hearing it. She let her head fall against the middle of his chest, her hands still gripping his forearms in a deathlike grasp. She didn't want to see him in any more pain. As much as she knew she owed the gypsy woman, she couldn't let her friend, the person she loved the most, risk his life for her. She knew she was being selfish, that it was a very self-centered wish on her part, but she couldn't allow Quasi to directly oppose Frollo. It would only result in more pain for him and she was not about to place him in even more hot water than he already was.

Then, an idea suddenly came to her.

"Quasi," This time her voice was stronger, firmer. "Promise me something?"

The question was enough to throw him of guard and distract him, but just in case, she didn't remove the pressure from his forearms.

"Yes?" He replied, his voice returning to its normal gentle pitch. Though, a hint of questioning and confusion remained.

"Don't leave the shadows." She could only hope that he would listen to her.

"What?!" There was no masking the surprise and downright shock in his voice, but she had to make sure.

"Promise me!" She hissed insistently, looking up and meeting his eyes head on.

His eyes widened at her solid and serious gaze. Her eyes burned with a look of dead serious he had never seen before. A look that made him want to shrink away from the hard gaze she was piercing him with. However, his back was firmly placed against the stone of the pillar; he could not pull away.

"I-I promise." He agreed, though she could tell abet reluctantly.

She nodded in response. He had promised, now was the time to see if he would honor it. She closed her eyes for a moment, leaned her brow against his chest, took a deep breath, and then bolted from the safety of the stone pillar. As her body began to move away, Quasi reached out and tried to stop her. As her right hand trailed the rest of the way down his arm, he opened his hand to catch her wrist and drag her back. But it was too late. Her hand past over his own and just as he closed his fingers in the hope of trapping her, he found all he had caught was empty air. She was gone.

"Let her go Frollo!" Sophia warned as she stepped towards the judge.

Frollo violently jerked his head away from Esmeralda's hair as if he had been burned. She inwardly shuddered in disgust, so that was part of the reason he wanted her captured. A tiny part of her felt insulted. What was she? Pig slop? Then remembering the fact that it was Frollo, that small part of her disappeared. No one would want him, could want him. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had to get Esmeralda out of this. But how?

"You," He sneered, the corner of his lip curling upwards as if he smelled something rotten.

Now that she had his full attention, Sophia wasn't sure what to do next and fear began to bubble in the pit of her stomach. The only good thing that came so far from her interference was that Frollo had released Esmeralda from his claw-like hands and shoved her away from him. She caught him like a child with his hands in the honey pot, but that was of little comfort now.

"You were the girl who spoke against me." Frollo's face darken, as if a shadow had suddenly fell over him. "For what purpose?"

It was a command. A demand. An order. An expectation. One which Sophia actually wanted to answer.

"Because what you were doing to him was cruel and unjust," She retorted, keeping her voice cool and emotionless. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her anger riled. "Even after he pleaded with you to end it, to save him. You did nothing to stop it."

"A lesson-" Frollo began, his voice rising in anger but she cut him off.

Deep down she knew she was going to regret her words but she couldn't stop herself. This was her chance, her chance to tell this cruel, unkind, shell of a man what she really thought of him. It was too late to stop now.

She stalked up to him, her anger steadily rising. "You left him up on that platform for all of Paris to humiliate and torture. You used him as an example of what happens when someone disobeys you. He is nothing but a tool to you!"

"Enough!" The judge bellowed, his steel gray eyes flashing with unmeasured rage. "You go to far girl!"

Quicker than she thought possible, Frollo covered the rest of the distance between them, roughly six feet, and backhanded the young redhead across the cheek. The razor sharp edges of his rings cut cleanly into the soft flesh as they made contact. Sophia cried out in pain and surprise, falling to the black and white checkered title beneath her feet. She raised a shaky hand to the right side of her face were she could feel the sticky wetness of what had to be blood. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes but she held them at bay. She would not allow him to see her cry.

Third Person

Quasi's POV

In all the years he had known his master, he never would have believed that he would strike out against a woman. Shocking disbelief hit him harder than any of the heavy, iron bells he missed catching in his early years as bell ringer. He knew his master had a temper and at times, would act on it; mostly at him. But seeing Sophia laying on the ground, clutching her cheek in pain and seeing his master standing over her prepared to strike again . . .

He felt so torn! Sophia was his friend, his confidante, someone who he could share his small world with! She meant so much to him! More than he could ever hope to describe and yet, and yet Frollo was his master! He saved him when he was only a babe. He gave him a home, an education, food and water, and faith! If not for him he would be dead, but . . seeing her fall at the hands of the man who raised him caused such conflict to surface within him! He didn't know what to do! How to act!

He wanted to come out of hiding and run to her side. He didn't want his master to hit her ever again! As much as he owed himself to the judge, he couldn't let Sophia undergo physical punishment! No, never that! He would rather be beaten than for Frollo to ever, ever lay a hand against her! He never meant for this to happen to her. Never! But, what could he do? He promised. He gave her his word he would not leave the shadows of the pillar and never once in his life did he break an oath. At least, when that oath was to her.

She opened his life to new possibilities and wonders. She shone him what he could do when he really focused and put his heart into it. She made him feel alive! Deep in his heart, she was the one who had truly saved him. Ever since their friendship began ten years ago, there wasn't a day that went by when he felt alone. Because he knew she would be there! She would stand at the door to his tower and allow light to enter his dark world! Now, that light who had grown so close to his heart, lay on the cold tile of Notre Dame, clutching her now swollen and cut cheek.

His own master had struck out against her and done her physical harm. His nightmare had come true. For the past five years, Quasi had horrible nightmares envisioning Frollo finding out his secret. They always ended the same, Frollo striking a blow against her and dragging her down into darkness while he watched. He was always powerless to stop it because he couldn't move or speak. No matter what he tried he just couldn't move! Then, he would wake up drenched in a cold sweat and tears would be streaking down his face. Afterward, he couldn't go back to sleep for fear that he would have to witness the dream all over again. Now, that dream was playing out right before him.

A small, quiet sob escaped his lips and he buried his face in his hands. He wanted to pull her away! He wanted to take her back to the bell tower and hide her away from his master! He wanted her safe!

Third Person

Sophia's POV

A dark shadow moved over Sophia, blocking out the multicolored sunlight that shone through the rose window. Frollo stood over her, prepared to launch another blow at her face, his jeweled hand raised accordingly. Just as his hand swings out, a blur of purple and white suddenly blocked her vision and a resounding smack echoed through the cathedral. She froze in shock as Esmeralda's face snapped sideways, but she did not fall. The ebony haired woman remained standing, everything about her speaking of defiance and rage.

"What judge executes a sentence before a trial is carried out?" Esmeralda barked angrily through clenched teeth, clearly ignoring the welt that was beginning to form upon her right cheek. "What law has this girl committed to warrant such a blow? None that I can see, Your Honor."

The young gypsy spat the title back at Frollo as if it was something foul she had eaten. His face contorted into a mask of pure rage, his eyes ablaze with a fire so dark that Sophia, who was still laying on the tile floor, scrambled as far away from him as she could before getting to her feet again. The way his hair curled at that moment, his gray fiery eyes, his thin lips . . . he looked like a devil from hell! True fear now clung to her like a second skin, a fear like she had never felt before in her life. This was a different fear than the one she'd felt for Quasi in the square. This was fear of something evil. Pure evil.

"The two of you will live to regret this offense." Frollo glowered at them, his baritone lowered to an even darker tone. He narrowed his gaze at them before turning and calling out, "Captain!"

Both women whirled about to see a man in his late twenties, early thirties approaching them from a group of guards roughly fifteen feet from them. He wore armor made of gold, stood roughly about six feet tall, his equally golden locks fell into eyes from underneath his helm, and he wore a longsword on his left side indicating he was right handed. His stride spoke confidence, but he seemed to strut like a proud rooster. This made him appear way too full of himself.

"Sir," The Captain saluted Frollo before falling into a stance of at ease.

"Bring these two to the Palace of Justice," The judge pointed a thin, jeweled finger at Sophia and Esmeralda.

The Captain nodded in understanding but did not move from his spot. "On what charges Sir?"

Frollo looked taken aback at the inquiry, but quickly recovered. "For disruption Captain, I would have thought it obvious. The gypsy clearly made quite scene at the festival and this one," he shifted his arm to point out the small redhead. "This girl challenged authority, she was beginning to disrupt the parishioners."

Again the Captain nodded, "I understand Sir."

He turned and faced Sophia who moved to stand closer to Esmeralda. There was a pitying look in his eyes that made her feel confused. It was as if he really didn't want to take them in, but had no other choice. Frollo stepped forward and began the long trek towards the great oak doors, leaving the Captain behind.

"The two of you are to come with me." He announced calmly, moving forward to take Esmeralda's arm.

The young gypsy glared at him before dodging his movements, "We're not going anywhere."

The man sighed in frustration, rubbing his brow as if it would help alleviate the tension there. "See here, I don't want to take you in but I don't have a choice."

"There is always a choice," Esmeralda retorted in kind, her green eyes flashing in the dim light.

Her little white goat, who had been hiding at the time, came up beside her and he too threw the man a glare. Sophia could have sworn she saw the goat roll its eyes.

"Will you come quietly?" The Captain asked tiredly, resting a cheek on his right fist and looking bored. "Because I really don't want to use force. The two of you are far too pretty."

His last comment caught her so off guard, Sophia, who was in mid-step at the time, slipped and fell backwards. Strong arms caught her around the shoulders and suddenly leaning over her was the Captain himself. He offered her a large smile, his hazel eyes shining, then placed her back on her feet, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders just in case she fell again.

"That was close," The man laughed, a light joking tone in his voice. "I never took you for being clumsy."

Sophia blushed furiously, she didn't appreciate the fact that he voiced it out loud. At least Quasi knew not to mention it. He would always tell her to be careful next time or to hold onto the rail. He never pointed it out and laughed about it! She hated the fact she wasn't graceful; she was always falling over herself. Quasi would just tell her he liked that part of her, that it made her unique. Though, sometimes she wondered if he liked being able to catch her when she fell.

"Appearances are not always what they seem." Sophia retorted coldly, crossing her arms over her chest.

The Captain frowned, his laughter dying in his throat. "You're right, they aren't."

She reeled in surprise. She wasn't expecting this soldier to agree with her! This man was very different from the rest of Frollo's minions. He didn't blindly accept an order without understanding it fully and the fact he was being thoroughly honest with them was also intriguing.

"You're not at all like the other soldiers." Esmeralda commented, a look of wonder on her face.

"Thank you," The Captain bowed his head in her direction, a smile on his face. "My name is Phoebus. Phoebus de Chateaupers. And the two of you are . . .?"

"Esmeralda," The ebony haired woman answered simply. Though in Sophia's opinion, she seemed quite impressed by him.

"I am Sophia," The young redhead replied politely, but still unsure of this Phoebus. "Sophia Chevalier."

"Both beautiful names," Praised Phoebus, a genuine smile returning to his face. "Much better than Phoebus anyway."

Sophia wanted to snort, but instead raised an eyebrow at him incredulously. He seemed very much a flirt and she had enough experience with Thomas to know. Thomas was the one she pushed into the Seine last year because he wouldn't stop flirting with her. She really didn't care for men who tried so hard to get a woman's attention. It seemed all too forced in her opinion.

Suddenly Phoebus's face lit up and he had a strange grin one his face.

'Oh no. That doesn't look encouraging at all.' Sophia thought to herself, now suspicious of what was going through that head of his.

"I may have an idea of how to get you out of this mess." He grinned, moving closer to them before glancing back towards the doors where Frollo was now waiting for them. "Trust me?"

Trust him? Just like that? Her gaze flickered over to Frollo and the rest of his mangy gang of mindless bastards. In all honesty, they didn't have much of a choice.

"Alright, what's the plan?"

Well, whatcha think of Phoebus? I kinda want to explore him a little more because he really isn't explored enough in the movie and yes, I will be taking SOME of his character from the book. Don't freak on me, he isn't going to turn evil on us or become a total pervert, but some of his characteristics will be from the book. Only a little though! Cause in the book he was a total perv and a bad guy.

Anyway, so I'm going to work on Phoebus and I think I'm more or less making this a combination of the book and movie. Sort of, this thing now has a complete mind of its own and I'm just going with it. I wanted to throw in Phoebus' last name from the book cause it gives him more depth. Oh! And in this story Phoebus is going to have much more screen time! He'll be much more involved and in some ways that may shock you. Ooooo!

I hope this chapter pleased you and please leave me a nice review in the box below! Much thanks!