PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE AUTHORS NOTE BEFORE READING THE CHAPTER! IF I GET QUESTIONS ABOUT THINGS THAT I'VE ALREADY ANSWERED IN THIS LONG PARAGRAPH, I'LL GO CRAZY! AND BE SURE TO READ THE ONE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER TOO!!

A/N: This is one of my longer chapters. Also, please be advised that the POV will be changing quite a bit throughout the chapter. They'll be marked by those kick butt lines :) As for my fanfic reccomendation, its Ransom Notes and Puppet Shows by theaterChick1794. Also, for those who were wondering who my cousin was last chapter, its one of my most dedicated fans: eXsTorDiNaRiLy InViSiBlE!!!!! LOVE YA COUSIN!! And I've kind of messed up how long Brielle's been in the Court. She's been there since January but I guess it's steadily gone into March-April since Clopin mentions how long she's stayed! Please be aware that some of the battle scenes are described explicitly but briefly. So if you get squeamish easily, you've been warned!

People screamed as the soldiers closed in. They slashed their swords out, slaying everyone in their path.

"Everyone take cover!" Clopin cried as he was lowered to the ground gently. A gypsy made to pull him away from the battle, but Clopin refused.

"Save yourself!" Clopin ordered. But the gypsy had no sooner run away from the King that he was shot with an arrow. Clopin looked up in fear as he saw a troop push Fabiana's flaming body onto the crowd. The stench of burning flesh, oil, and blood filled his nostrils. "Disgusting," he muttered. He pulled the arrow out of his shoulder, wincing as he did so. Suddenly, a burly shoulder grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

"You be the leader?" he sneered.

"Yes," Clopin hissed.

He was dragged back to where Claude and the other archeries were hanging back.

"We've got the King!" the soldier exclaimed.

"Excellent, tie him up. And make sure he can't see it."

He made a small nod to Brielle, who tried to peer around Joe's back.

"Quit your squirming!" Joe ordered, readjusting his grip. But Brielle was too quick. She smacked her tied ankles into his nose.

"OW!" he hollered.

She was dropped unceremoniously onto the ground.

"Clopin! Clopin!" she tried to call. But the gag muffled her cries, and Clopin was now blindfolded.

"Who goes there?" Clopin asked.

"BRIELLE! IT'S A TRAP! COLETTE BETRAYED US!" she screamed through her gag. However, the amount of cloth blocking her mouth merely made her words jumbled.

"Speak clearer!" Clopin ordered. But before she could force her gag off, Claude grabbed Brielle by her hair and held a dagger to her throat.

"One more word, and he'll be bleeding like a stuck pig!" Claude hissed, staring at Clopin.

"Esmeralda, come on!" Phoebus said, pulling her through the crowd.

"What about Brielle?" Quasimodo asked as he picked up Djahli.

"We'll find her later, Quasi, just run!" Phoebus commanded.

"I've got to find Brielle!"

(A/N: Quasi reminds me of Forest in Forest Gump when they're in Vietnam and he can't find Bubba, or should I say "Brielle")

He made his way through the crowd, pushing past soldiers and gypsies alike. Trying to ignore the cries as those around him were slaughtered, he finally spotted Colette being hauled away by a beefy soldier.

"Get off her!"

He dropped Djahli and threw the soldier in the air. As the body connected with the wall, a sickening crunch told Quasi that he was dead.

"Colette! Have you seen Brielle?" he asked, grabbing Colette by the soldiers.

For a moment, she stared into his green eyes. She longed to tell him everything.

"I haven't seen her since-" she began.

Suddenly, a soldier wrapped his elbow around Colette's neck and pulled her away.

"No!"

Quasi lunged for the soldier, but he was tackled by several others. The more he struggled, the tighter they tied him up. The ropes scratched his wrists as they were twisted behind his crooked hump.

In a separate part of the Court, Phoebus and Esmeralda were having struggles of their own.

"You're a traitor to all of France!" Boris snarled, swinging his sword. He had previously been second lieutenant to Phoebus, but that all changed when Frollo dismissed him.

"You're the traitor! You call the slaying of innocent people justice?" Phoebus sneered.

"You can't dodge me forever!" Boris challenged. As Esmeralda stood behind her husband, she spotted a sword, lying unused in a dead soldier's hand.

"Take this!" she cried, picking it up and striking Boris's blade.

"Um, honey?" Phoebus asked weakly, who had smartly edged away from the fight.

"I can take care of myself!" she replied defensively, fighting Boris with ease. Suddenly, Djahli came up behind them, bleating fearfully. Phoebus eyed the goat worridley. That could only mean that Quasimodo had been captured! Or worse...

He literally shook his head, trying not to picture Quasi dead. Esmeralda noticed her pet too, and was caught off guard. Boris took the opportunity to hit her sword away and kick her in the stomach, knocking her backward.

"The baby!" they cried in unison.

"Oh, two for the price of one then!" Boris cackled. He was about to deliver the fatal blow when Phoebus tackled him, knocking his sword away.

"Honey! Run!" Phoebus pleaded, trying to stab Boris.

She didn't need to be told twice. As she ran back to where most of the commotion was happening, a horrible sight met her eyes. Countless bloody bodies lay in front of her. Fabiana's burnt corpse had spread to other victims. The tents were ripped to shreds, and tapestries that had once decorated the walls were crumpled and covered in blood. Unable to take in her surroundings, she sank to her knees and wept. Djahli knelt beside her and brushed her arm comfortingly.

"Weeping won't save you now, gyspy," said a voice from behind her. Spinning around, she saw Boris, holding Phoebus at bay with a sword. Her husband struggled futilessly, for his hands were now tied and a dirty rag was stuffed in his mouth.

"You bastard! Do you realize what you've done?" She was about to lunge for him when a soldier grabbed her arm.

"Let's go, gypsy," he said, putting shackles on her wrists.

Claude smiled evilly. In nearly an hour, over half the Court had been killed. His uncle would've been so proud! And he'd still be alive too if it weren't for her. He gave Brielle an icy stare, as if it were all her fault.

"C'mon gents, lets greet the survivors," Claude exclaimed, "That is, if there are any left."

Joe cut the bonds that forbid Brielle to walk. However, he didn't remove the chains or gag in her mouth.

"Walk, missy. And don't make any sudden moves," he said, placing the tip of his sword by her back. Brielle looked down at a shoulder, remembering the last time a blade was pierced through her. Not wanting to experience it again, she walked onward.

"Well, well. Not so great to be attacked twice in about two months?" Claude asked as he stood in front of the captives.

No one spoke. Quasi, Phoebus, Esmeralda, and Colette avoided his gaze as they stood before him.

"It's quite a shame that my Uncle couldn't finish you off to my caliber," he said, picking his fingernails lazily as he paced in front of them.

"You mean you're my Master's nephew?" Quasi asked in disbelief. Phoebus let out a roar that was muffled by his gag.

"Yes I am, dear Quasimodo. It was I who attacked your wife many weeks ago. I even tried to kill her a few days ago. But no matter! As pesky as she was, she did provide me with a bit of useful information."

He snapped his fingers and Joe shoved Brielle forward, who was close to tears.

"No," Quasi whispered in anguish. Claude took his dagger and sliced off her gag.

"Care to tell everyone how we met a few hours ago? How you snuck out during the vigil and told me everything?" Claude asked, feigning curiosity.

"What?" Esmeralda asked in shock.

"You're lying!" Brielle spat at Claude.

"What's going on here?" Clopin asked, who was still blindfolded.

"I think it's time we let him see what's happened to his 'kingdom'," Claude said, taking off Clopin's blindfold. He blinked several times, and his wide eyes grew even wider. He tried to take in the destruction without showing any weakness. But Brielle could spot tears threatening to spill.

"Why did you do this?" Clopin asked Claude, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Mere hatred. Boredom. Trying to fulfill my Uncle's dreams? Those definitely were taken into consideration when we attacked you. But it was also do to the help from a little friend," said Claude, grinning at Clopin's shocked expression when he saw Brielle.

"You brought this upon us?" Clopin asked Brielle. She looked Clopin in the eyes, sensing no warmth. Instead, he looked as cold-hearted he did on the night he nearly executed Phoebus and Quasimodo.

"No. But I won't deny I was out. Colette snuck out during the vigil! She's one who betrayed us Clopin, not me!" Brielle insisted, "Why would I betray you when I've lived here for so long?"

"Four months is not long enough. And there you go again, blaming Colette for everything. Just because she's everything you're not, doesn't mean you have to take it out on her!" Clopin spat. Brielle was stunned that her leader would say such a thing, but she held her tongue.

"Maybe you're right. You said she's everything I'm not! And one of those happens to be a traitor!" Brielle turned her head and faced Colette, who refused to look her in the eye.

"Colette, did you leave the vigil tonight?" she asked. Colette remained stone-faced, not making eye contact.

"Answer me!" Brielle screamed.

"Yes, deary, why don't you answer the question?" Claude said, giving his sister a threatening glare. Colette was trembling now, her eyes sparkling with tears.

"No. I never left the Court," she lied.

Brielle could hardly believe her ears. Claude was right, she was a coward. She couldn't face the consequences. It had taken her so long to gain people's trust, so why shatter it now? Instead of taking responsibility for her actions, she was willing to blame an innocent person.

"Esmeralda? You believe me, right?" Brielle asked hopefully.

Her friend looked as though she'd been slapped across the face.

"By the time everyone woke up, you were gone. Colette was here," she admitted truthfully.

"Wait a minute, you weren't sleeping during the vigil, were you?" Clopin asked suspiciously. Everyone avoided his gaze.

"Well, now that that's settled, I feel that we should get on to the Palace!" said Claude.

"Wait, where's my goat?" Esmeralda asked, looking around for her pet.

"Let's just say he'll be butchered to my expecations," Claude said, giving her a wink.

Esmeralda looked horrified as Djahli was being led away on a rope leash. The other gypsies looked forlorn as they were shackled together.

"If any of you try to escape, I won't hesitate to have you killed. But dying now is going to be far better than what I have in store for you," warned Claude.

Joe shoved Brielle in between Clopin and Colette. Compared to Brielle, Colette barely looked like she was a prisoner. A rope had been tied around her wrists, but it was barely tight at all. Brielle glanced briefly at Clopin, but he avoided her gaze. Instead, Brielle whispered into Colette's ear. Knowing that Colette probably felt no guilt about what she'd done, she made sure that what she was saying sounded malicious:

"I swear, Colette. If I don't die in prison, I'll kill you."

A/N: Please review peeps! Some of the lines I can't take credit for, since they were in other movies, so I'm gonna cite them now. They may not be verbatim, but it's pretty close:

"I'm gonna bleed you like a stuck pig,"---Taken out of context from LOTR: Return of the King. Used to describe how Clopin would die if Brielle didn't shut up.

"Two? For the price of one? This must be my lucky day!"--- Taken out of context from Quest for Camelot. Used to describe how Boris would be killing both Esmeralda and her baby. But looking back on the quote, it can be taken the wrong way ---winks--

"I've gotta find Bubba!"---Taken out of Forest Gump. Used it when Quasi was looking for Brielle.

By the way, do you know any decent actors who could pass off for Clopin, Brielle, Esmeralda, Quasi, and Phoebus? Because I'm planning to make a list of who would play their parts. So far, I got Cillian Murphy for Claude and Eva Green for Colette!