Chapter Dieux – The Dancer and the Demigod
A/N: IMPORTANT: First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH REVIEWERS! Rose7 – your feedback helped immensely: I hate when romance is rushed (and it was in this fic) so I am changing things around a bit. Also I have made some structural changes, I hope the story is easier to read now. Chapters 2 through 4 have changed quite a bit and I have changed the overall plot around a tad. Please continue to review. The reviews help me so much! .:*:.PrimRose.:*:.
Clopin walked Skye around the Court, introducing her to gypsies as he saw fit. Finally, Clopin stopped in front of a multicolored tent, not so far from his own quarters, overlooking the hustle and bustle. He tapped on the side of the tent, and a beautiful raven-haired, emerald-eyed woman stepped out.
"Skye," said Clopin, "allow me to introduce you to La Esmeralda. I'm sure you've seen her before." The Clopin and Esmeralda laughed at his nonchalant reference to her near fatal run on with Frollo a few months prior. Skye started become nervous.
"Bonjour," Esmeralda said. "It's a pleasure to meet you I hope we can become friends." She finished, cringing at her proper dialogue.
Though Esmeralda was usually friendly and welcoming, Skye could tell that the beauty before her wasn't so sincere. The eyes of Esmeralda and Skye locked; both belles glared at each other, though neither could comprehend why they were doing so. As the two lost their scowls, Skye felt more than a twinge of envy towards Esmeralda. There was just something about the dancer that Skye felt she lacked. Though Skye seemed to be benevolent and good-hearted, jealousy was one of her most hated vices. Before allotting the new one a chance to reply, Esmeralda bolted.
Hurrying towards the exit of Court, with her loyal Billy goat cantering beside her, she yelled, "I'll see you later Clopin I've got places to be."
"Odd," thought Clopin. There was something funny about Esmeralda lately and he knew it had something to do with a certain golden haired 'sun god.'
Brushing the thought from his mind, Clopin took Skye back to his tent. Normally, at this point newcomers to the clan would have already been assigned to a tent, given a job, and tested for talents, but Clopin didn't want to rush Skye into anything. In fact, he hoped that she would be comfortable staying in his tent. He liked this one, and he wouldn't give her a chance to reject him. Not realizing the favoritism he was already demonstrating, Clopin began to plan out Skye's gypsy life. Hand in hand, as Clopin led her back into the tent, Skye was oblivious to the affection Clopin was showing her. She wasn't too thrilled with any feelings involving men; she had seen how filthy even the self proclaimed "cleanest" were.
Walking back to Clopin's tent, Skye trembled at the two nooses hung over the platform, amidst tapestries and wooden carts. Clopin sensed Skye's discomfort and began to explain the gallows to her.
"We don't much like intruders," he gestured slyly. Skye nervously giggled hoping that her neck would never become familiar with the rope.
"Don't worry, I am the judge in all cases and you will never have to face trial," Clopin assured suavely before adding, "If you are lucky," while pulling back his tent drapes.
After situating themselves in the rather spacious tent, Clopin began explaining the gypsy lifestyle to Skye.
"We all either have jobs or talents that we do to earn our keep," began Clopin. "I puppeteer, some dance and play instruments, others weave baskets. I don't want to rush you into anything, you being sick and all, but in order to be accepted here you must take on a craft," explained the king.
"I'm not sick!" debated Skye; she hated when people told her how she felt.
Ignoring her attempt to contradict the king, Clopin continued, "While you think about what you might want to pursue for a couple weeks, why don't you assist me, I don't necessarily need help but I'd like it," he hinted. Sensing that his statement was more of a command, not an offer, Skye hesitated but sheepishly agreed, he did technically save her after all.
As Skye softly smiled at the king, her throat became dry, and a violent fit of coughs attacked her. After what seemed like forever the coughing ceased and Clopin went to hold her.
"Instead of giving you your own tent, I think it would be best if you stayed with me for awhile," started Clopin with the Skye in his arms. He certainly was debonair. Taken aback by his comment, Skye's cheeks turned a brilliant red. As much as she wanted decline his generous offer, she couldn't refuse. Clopin had been the only gypsy who welcomed Skye, and she was hesitant to branch out her friendships.
"I'll take care of you Mademoiselle," exclaimed Clopin knowing he had made an impact on her, as Skye perched herself on the bed. It was only mid- day, and though Skye felt as if she was intruding, her weak body couldn't resist a warm resting place. Clopin helped her lay down and tucked the sheets around her. Skye wished she hadn't felt so terrible, because she didn't want to appear to be helpless, but her lungs made her think otherwise, and with the king sitting next to her, Skye drifted off into a peaceful slumber. The last things she gazed at were his eyes.
Clopin sat next to Skye, until he was sure she would be all right. After silently slipping out of his tent as not to disturb Skye, Clopin headed off to the center of the court. He knew he needed to call a meeting with his people to be sure they all wanted to keep Skye stay with them. Subconsciously, Clopin realized that even if the gypsies weren't comfortable with Skye, he wouldn't reject her. As he headed to the Court's platform, shaking the tambourine that signaled the gypsies to join him, he was surprised to see that the gypsies came at once, as if they had been waiting for the call. Like an enormous colony of bees, they were buzzing about the girl.
"I've called you together, to discuss our newcomer. She will be staying with me until she is better, and no one will have a problem with that! If you give her any trouble then be prepared to deal with me!" Discrepancy never was Clopin's strong suit, and though brief, Clopin felt that his speech was complete, and to the point.
Clopin capered off the platform smiling and made his way back to his tent. Though many of the gypsies concluded that Clopin possessed a liking towards Skye, the king merely was thrilled to have a new resident gypsy. Things had been merely humdrum lately and Skye was a favorable addition that would surely mix things up a bit.
***
Esmeralda stood patiently at the door concealing the quarters of the Captain of the Guard. After Frollo's ordeal, Phoebus' position had been rightfully restored. Djali butted his head against the wooden door once more, after which the booming voice of Phoebus half heartily bellowed, "Come in." Sprawled on the uncomfortable cot that served as bed, Phoebus pondered who waited behind the door, while Esmeralda struggled to open the massive door. The Captain hadn't been expecting any visitors, but when he saw the slender figure of his love slide through the now opened door, he sprung up from his resting place to greet her with a gentle kiss.
Reluctantly releasing her lips from his, Esmeralda embraced Phoebus, placing her head on one of his broad shoulders.
"I've missed you," she whispered as Phoebus took her hands and squeezed them softly. It had been six months since the couple had first shared their feelings for one another in the very cathedral, which brought them together. Neither one of them could envision life without the other. Six months the two had steadily courted each other without fail.
"Please sit down, love," Phoebus motioned, breaking the abnormal silence. Ordinarily, the two would be buzzing with news for each other, but now the room was hushed. Finally shutting the bulky door, Esmeralda plopped down on one of Phoebus' three-legged chair of timber. As she sat, she suspired out of contentment. Blankly, she focused on the bare wall ahead of her, not noticing that she had taken her mind away, once again. Esmeralda had been a little offbeat and distant after, what was currently referred to as, 'the incident;' nevertheless, Phoebus loved her more than he ever had before and ignored her unbalanced behavior.
"Esmeralda," Phoebus began, patting his breast pocket, "I want to show you something..." The sunny-haired soldier scooped up his gypsy in his brawny arms and kicked the door open.
He meandered around the city, Esmeralda still in arms, until he came to an abandoned bridge, located over the Seine, in a desolate meadow. As he began trudging into the familiar waters of the rushing river, Esmeralda bucked in his arms.
"What are you doing?" she inquired with a confused grin on her bronzed face.
"We've reached our stop my fair lady," Phoebus answered as he released a reluctant Esmeralda into the flowing river. She splashed and kicked and laughed as she played in the numbing water. While Esmeralda distracted herself, Phoebus recalled his brush with mortality when he was last in the same waters. Making sure the gypsy wasn't looking, the soldier kneeled in the water directly under the bridge and began to speak solemnly.
"Esme, this was the same spot where you first acknowledged your feelings for me, and this is the spot where I want to make our love permanent." Esmeralda slowly rose from her spot and skitted over to Phoebus in a trance. Taking her hands in his Phoebus continued with a question the two had been waiting for, "Will you marry me?"
***
Skye awoke to the sweet smell of lilacs. As her eyes opened she noticed that Clopin had redecorated his tent. Flowers filled up the room like pastries filled up a baker's shop. As Skye examined the cheery tent, Clopin strolled in, pleasantly surprised to see that Skye was awake.
"Bonjour Mademoiselle, so happy to see you awake. Did you sleep well?" inquired Clopin.
"Yes, merci," answered Skye.
"I would hope so," began Clopin, "you've been dozing on it for three days now.
"Three days!" exclaimed Skye. She had never been able to sleep more than a few hours at a time, for fear of what could happen to her during her slumber. She must be getting more comfortable with her new lifestyle. At the sound of the morning bells Clopin began to jump. He was late for his morning puppet show.
"Up, up, up Cherie! I don't mean to rush you, but we best be going, to catch the morning crowds," commented Clopin anxiously. He was always prompt and never kept the children waiting for his shows.
"Oh of course, I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Skye responded.
Skye and Clopin paraded down the Court as they made there way to the exit. Clopin had planned on leaving early so that Skye would escape the stares and scrutiny of the gypsies. She was still an object of awe to them, and there was no doubt in Clopin's mind that his beloved children would not be the only audience in front of his puppet stand that morning. Luckily, the Court was still empty, and Clopin and Skye left with ease. Once they reached Clopin's colorful cart, which was adjacent to the grand cathedral, Skye began to get excited. It seemed like this was the first day of her new life.
Sitting on a bench Clopin had set up for her, Skye watched the puppeteer amuse the young crowd. He was so gentle and affectionate towards the little ones, and they all adored him in return.
"He's going to be a wonderful father," Skye decided, before hastily removing the thought from her mind. After Clopin had satisfied the children's entertainment needs, he led Skye over to the cathedral steps, located directly behind his cart. Together they sat watching the commotion of Paris. Skye appeared to be in a trance as she gazed at the people. Noticing her silence, Clopin got up and began to demonstrate his enthusiasm and acrobatic skills to Skye. As he flipped and cart wheeled and tumbled the surrounding gypsies began to gather around their effervescent king. Flute and fiddle players added a tune to the movement and the best of the street dancers joined in their king's act. Skye laughed as she got on her feet to cheer the king on; he was so spontaneous. Clopin leaped over to where Skye was sitting and dragged her into the dance. The excitement heightened as Skye freely moved around, her steps bewitching. During her dance, Skye felt invigorated. She finally belonged.
"Break it up, break it up," the soldiers instructed as they moved through the gypsy circle. They didn't seem angry or agitated; they were just trying to keep the crowd under control. By that point, Clopin's stunt had gone a little too far, every gypsy in town had joined in; the singing was now a roar and the dance a delirium. The temperate attitudes of the guards stunned the gypsies. If they hadn't been so thrilled with the tolerance, the gypsies might have suspected that something was odd. Under Frollo's rule they were malicious, unscrupulous, ruthless brutes, who beat every gypsy in sight. Clopin, like everyone one else, noticed the change and instead of wondering about the eerie behavior he thanked Quasimodo for ridding the city of the disease known as Dom Claude Frollo.
"Alright fair subjects, get back to your stations, there is easy money to made," Clopin ordered in a singsong voice, as he bowed with a grin on his oval-shaped face. The Romas followed their king's orders without protest, they had had enough fun to fill their whole week and the sun had barely even risen! As the gypsies dawdled back to their jobs, Clopin searched the crowd for Skye. He found her in front of Notre Dame.
As Skye looked up at the bell tower, Clopin snuck up behind her and rested his head on hers. Because Skye only stood five feet tall, Clopin was well over a foot taller than her.
"You sure are fascinated with her aren't you little one," Clopin mused. Skye spun around, looked up at his eyes and smiled her irresistible smile. Her long lashes framed her charcoal eyes and her lopsided grin made Clopin melt.
"Clopin," began Skye, breaking the silence.
"Yes," answered the king.
"Can you take me to the bell tower? Ever since I can remember looking at Notre Dame cheered my dismal heart. It would always be there, even if my parents were not," Skye explained. Linking her arm with his in a friendly manner, Clopin said nothing but led the girl to the cathedral.
"Close your eyes," instructed Clopin. Skye did as she was told, reluctantly, but quickly glanced at her surroundings.
"No peeking," he laughed. Skye again tightly shut her eyes while Clopin guided her through the cathedral. After climbing flights of stairs, Clopin finally had reached their destination. Before letting Skye open her eyes, Clopin looked around for his hunchback friend. Quasimodo was nowhere to be found; ever since he had obtained his freedom, he made sure he got good use of it. Freedom was certainly not something to take for granted, especially for someone like Quasi. Clopin brought Skye out to the balcony and allowed her to open her eyes.
Skye couldn't speak as she gazed down at the city. The sun was just beginning to rise and painted a beautiful picture in the distance. The clouds were lustrous and silver lined, the sky a dazzling blue, but nothing could be compared to the sun. It glistened and sparkled as it lit up the morning sky, and as it cast it brilliance upon Skye's face, she too became radiant, like an angel-on-earth.
"Well what do you think?" smiled Clopin. Skye couldn't speak; never had she seen such an abundance of beauty.
A/N Chapter 3: Bells of Her Heart *revised* Chapter 4: Indecent Proposal Chapter 5: Troubled Two Chapter 6: Of Love and Hatred Chapter 7: Longing For Acceptance Chapter 8: Unheard of Truths
Part II: Cold as Winter Chapter 9: Ring of Light
COMING SOON! What do you think of the titles?
A/N: IMPORTANT: First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH REVIEWERS! Rose7 – your feedback helped immensely: I hate when romance is rushed (and it was in this fic) so I am changing things around a bit. Also I have made some structural changes, I hope the story is easier to read now. Chapters 2 through 4 have changed quite a bit and I have changed the overall plot around a tad. Please continue to review. The reviews help me so much! .:*:.PrimRose.:*:.
Clopin walked Skye around the Court, introducing her to gypsies as he saw fit. Finally, Clopin stopped in front of a multicolored tent, not so far from his own quarters, overlooking the hustle and bustle. He tapped on the side of the tent, and a beautiful raven-haired, emerald-eyed woman stepped out.
"Skye," said Clopin, "allow me to introduce you to La Esmeralda. I'm sure you've seen her before." The Clopin and Esmeralda laughed at his nonchalant reference to her near fatal run on with Frollo a few months prior. Skye started become nervous.
"Bonjour," Esmeralda said. "It's a pleasure to meet you I hope we can become friends." She finished, cringing at her proper dialogue.
Though Esmeralda was usually friendly and welcoming, Skye could tell that the beauty before her wasn't so sincere. The eyes of Esmeralda and Skye locked; both belles glared at each other, though neither could comprehend why they were doing so. As the two lost their scowls, Skye felt more than a twinge of envy towards Esmeralda. There was just something about the dancer that Skye felt she lacked. Though Skye seemed to be benevolent and good-hearted, jealousy was one of her most hated vices. Before allotting the new one a chance to reply, Esmeralda bolted.
Hurrying towards the exit of Court, with her loyal Billy goat cantering beside her, she yelled, "I'll see you later Clopin I've got places to be."
"Odd," thought Clopin. There was something funny about Esmeralda lately and he knew it had something to do with a certain golden haired 'sun god.'
Brushing the thought from his mind, Clopin took Skye back to his tent. Normally, at this point newcomers to the clan would have already been assigned to a tent, given a job, and tested for talents, but Clopin didn't want to rush Skye into anything. In fact, he hoped that she would be comfortable staying in his tent. He liked this one, and he wouldn't give her a chance to reject him. Not realizing the favoritism he was already demonstrating, Clopin began to plan out Skye's gypsy life. Hand in hand, as Clopin led her back into the tent, Skye was oblivious to the affection Clopin was showing her. She wasn't too thrilled with any feelings involving men; she had seen how filthy even the self proclaimed "cleanest" were.
Walking back to Clopin's tent, Skye trembled at the two nooses hung over the platform, amidst tapestries and wooden carts. Clopin sensed Skye's discomfort and began to explain the gallows to her.
"We don't much like intruders," he gestured slyly. Skye nervously giggled hoping that her neck would never become familiar with the rope.
"Don't worry, I am the judge in all cases and you will never have to face trial," Clopin assured suavely before adding, "If you are lucky," while pulling back his tent drapes.
After situating themselves in the rather spacious tent, Clopin began explaining the gypsy lifestyle to Skye.
"We all either have jobs or talents that we do to earn our keep," began Clopin. "I puppeteer, some dance and play instruments, others weave baskets. I don't want to rush you into anything, you being sick and all, but in order to be accepted here you must take on a craft," explained the king.
"I'm not sick!" debated Skye; she hated when people told her how she felt.
Ignoring her attempt to contradict the king, Clopin continued, "While you think about what you might want to pursue for a couple weeks, why don't you assist me, I don't necessarily need help but I'd like it," he hinted. Sensing that his statement was more of a command, not an offer, Skye hesitated but sheepishly agreed, he did technically save her after all.
As Skye softly smiled at the king, her throat became dry, and a violent fit of coughs attacked her. After what seemed like forever the coughing ceased and Clopin went to hold her.
"Instead of giving you your own tent, I think it would be best if you stayed with me for awhile," started Clopin with the Skye in his arms. He certainly was debonair. Taken aback by his comment, Skye's cheeks turned a brilliant red. As much as she wanted decline his generous offer, she couldn't refuse. Clopin had been the only gypsy who welcomed Skye, and she was hesitant to branch out her friendships.
"I'll take care of you Mademoiselle," exclaimed Clopin knowing he had made an impact on her, as Skye perched herself on the bed. It was only mid- day, and though Skye felt as if she was intruding, her weak body couldn't resist a warm resting place. Clopin helped her lay down and tucked the sheets around her. Skye wished she hadn't felt so terrible, because she didn't want to appear to be helpless, but her lungs made her think otherwise, and with the king sitting next to her, Skye drifted off into a peaceful slumber. The last things she gazed at were his eyes.
Clopin sat next to Skye, until he was sure she would be all right. After silently slipping out of his tent as not to disturb Skye, Clopin headed off to the center of the court. He knew he needed to call a meeting with his people to be sure they all wanted to keep Skye stay with them. Subconsciously, Clopin realized that even if the gypsies weren't comfortable with Skye, he wouldn't reject her. As he headed to the Court's platform, shaking the tambourine that signaled the gypsies to join him, he was surprised to see that the gypsies came at once, as if they had been waiting for the call. Like an enormous colony of bees, they were buzzing about the girl.
"I've called you together, to discuss our newcomer. She will be staying with me until she is better, and no one will have a problem with that! If you give her any trouble then be prepared to deal with me!" Discrepancy never was Clopin's strong suit, and though brief, Clopin felt that his speech was complete, and to the point.
Clopin capered off the platform smiling and made his way back to his tent. Though many of the gypsies concluded that Clopin possessed a liking towards Skye, the king merely was thrilled to have a new resident gypsy. Things had been merely humdrum lately and Skye was a favorable addition that would surely mix things up a bit.
***
Esmeralda stood patiently at the door concealing the quarters of the Captain of the Guard. After Frollo's ordeal, Phoebus' position had been rightfully restored. Djali butted his head against the wooden door once more, after which the booming voice of Phoebus half heartily bellowed, "Come in." Sprawled on the uncomfortable cot that served as bed, Phoebus pondered who waited behind the door, while Esmeralda struggled to open the massive door. The Captain hadn't been expecting any visitors, but when he saw the slender figure of his love slide through the now opened door, he sprung up from his resting place to greet her with a gentle kiss.
Reluctantly releasing her lips from his, Esmeralda embraced Phoebus, placing her head on one of his broad shoulders.
"I've missed you," she whispered as Phoebus took her hands and squeezed them softly. It had been six months since the couple had first shared their feelings for one another in the very cathedral, which brought them together. Neither one of them could envision life without the other. Six months the two had steadily courted each other without fail.
"Please sit down, love," Phoebus motioned, breaking the abnormal silence. Ordinarily, the two would be buzzing with news for each other, but now the room was hushed. Finally shutting the bulky door, Esmeralda plopped down on one of Phoebus' three-legged chair of timber. As she sat, she suspired out of contentment. Blankly, she focused on the bare wall ahead of her, not noticing that she had taken her mind away, once again. Esmeralda had been a little offbeat and distant after, what was currently referred to as, 'the incident;' nevertheless, Phoebus loved her more than he ever had before and ignored her unbalanced behavior.
"Esmeralda," Phoebus began, patting his breast pocket, "I want to show you something..." The sunny-haired soldier scooped up his gypsy in his brawny arms and kicked the door open.
He meandered around the city, Esmeralda still in arms, until he came to an abandoned bridge, located over the Seine, in a desolate meadow. As he began trudging into the familiar waters of the rushing river, Esmeralda bucked in his arms.
"What are you doing?" she inquired with a confused grin on her bronzed face.
"We've reached our stop my fair lady," Phoebus answered as he released a reluctant Esmeralda into the flowing river. She splashed and kicked and laughed as she played in the numbing water. While Esmeralda distracted herself, Phoebus recalled his brush with mortality when he was last in the same waters. Making sure the gypsy wasn't looking, the soldier kneeled in the water directly under the bridge and began to speak solemnly.
"Esme, this was the same spot where you first acknowledged your feelings for me, and this is the spot where I want to make our love permanent." Esmeralda slowly rose from her spot and skitted over to Phoebus in a trance. Taking her hands in his Phoebus continued with a question the two had been waiting for, "Will you marry me?"
***
Skye awoke to the sweet smell of lilacs. As her eyes opened she noticed that Clopin had redecorated his tent. Flowers filled up the room like pastries filled up a baker's shop. As Skye examined the cheery tent, Clopin strolled in, pleasantly surprised to see that Skye was awake.
"Bonjour Mademoiselle, so happy to see you awake. Did you sleep well?" inquired Clopin.
"Yes, merci," answered Skye.
"I would hope so," began Clopin, "you've been dozing on it for three days now.
"Three days!" exclaimed Skye. She had never been able to sleep more than a few hours at a time, for fear of what could happen to her during her slumber. She must be getting more comfortable with her new lifestyle. At the sound of the morning bells Clopin began to jump. He was late for his morning puppet show.
"Up, up, up Cherie! I don't mean to rush you, but we best be going, to catch the morning crowds," commented Clopin anxiously. He was always prompt and never kept the children waiting for his shows.
"Oh of course, I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Skye responded.
Skye and Clopin paraded down the Court as they made there way to the exit. Clopin had planned on leaving early so that Skye would escape the stares and scrutiny of the gypsies. She was still an object of awe to them, and there was no doubt in Clopin's mind that his beloved children would not be the only audience in front of his puppet stand that morning. Luckily, the Court was still empty, and Clopin and Skye left with ease. Once they reached Clopin's colorful cart, which was adjacent to the grand cathedral, Skye began to get excited. It seemed like this was the first day of her new life.
Sitting on a bench Clopin had set up for her, Skye watched the puppeteer amuse the young crowd. He was so gentle and affectionate towards the little ones, and they all adored him in return.
"He's going to be a wonderful father," Skye decided, before hastily removing the thought from her mind. After Clopin had satisfied the children's entertainment needs, he led Skye over to the cathedral steps, located directly behind his cart. Together they sat watching the commotion of Paris. Skye appeared to be in a trance as she gazed at the people. Noticing her silence, Clopin got up and began to demonstrate his enthusiasm and acrobatic skills to Skye. As he flipped and cart wheeled and tumbled the surrounding gypsies began to gather around their effervescent king. Flute and fiddle players added a tune to the movement and the best of the street dancers joined in their king's act. Skye laughed as she got on her feet to cheer the king on; he was so spontaneous. Clopin leaped over to where Skye was sitting and dragged her into the dance. The excitement heightened as Skye freely moved around, her steps bewitching. During her dance, Skye felt invigorated. She finally belonged.
"Break it up, break it up," the soldiers instructed as they moved through the gypsy circle. They didn't seem angry or agitated; they were just trying to keep the crowd under control. By that point, Clopin's stunt had gone a little too far, every gypsy in town had joined in; the singing was now a roar and the dance a delirium. The temperate attitudes of the guards stunned the gypsies. If they hadn't been so thrilled with the tolerance, the gypsies might have suspected that something was odd. Under Frollo's rule they were malicious, unscrupulous, ruthless brutes, who beat every gypsy in sight. Clopin, like everyone one else, noticed the change and instead of wondering about the eerie behavior he thanked Quasimodo for ridding the city of the disease known as Dom Claude Frollo.
"Alright fair subjects, get back to your stations, there is easy money to made," Clopin ordered in a singsong voice, as he bowed with a grin on his oval-shaped face. The Romas followed their king's orders without protest, they had had enough fun to fill their whole week and the sun had barely even risen! As the gypsies dawdled back to their jobs, Clopin searched the crowd for Skye. He found her in front of Notre Dame.
As Skye looked up at the bell tower, Clopin snuck up behind her and rested his head on hers. Because Skye only stood five feet tall, Clopin was well over a foot taller than her.
"You sure are fascinated with her aren't you little one," Clopin mused. Skye spun around, looked up at his eyes and smiled her irresistible smile. Her long lashes framed her charcoal eyes and her lopsided grin made Clopin melt.
"Clopin," began Skye, breaking the silence.
"Yes," answered the king.
"Can you take me to the bell tower? Ever since I can remember looking at Notre Dame cheered my dismal heart. It would always be there, even if my parents were not," Skye explained. Linking her arm with his in a friendly manner, Clopin said nothing but led the girl to the cathedral.
"Close your eyes," instructed Clopin. Skye did as she was told, reluctantly, but quickly glanced at her surroundings.
"No peeking," he laughed. Skye again tightly shut her eyes while Clopin guided her through the cathedral. After climbing flights of stairs, Clopin finally had reached their destination. Before letting Skye open her eyes, Clopin looked around for his hunchback friend. Quasimodo was nowhere to be found; ever since he had obtained his freedom, he made sure he got good use of it. Freedom was certainly not something to take for granted, especially for someone like Quasi. Clopin brought Skye out to the balcony and allowed her to open her eyes.
Skye couldn't speak as she gazed down at the city. The sun was just beginning to rise and painted a beautiful picture in the distance. The clouds were lustrous and silver lined, the sky a dazzling blue, but nothing could be compared to the sun. It glistened and sparkled as it lit up the morning sky, and as it cast it brilliance upon Skye's face, she too became radiant, like an angel-on-earth.
"Well what do you think?" smiled Clopin. Skye couldn't speak; never had she seen such an abundance of beauty.
A/N Chapter 3: Bells of Her Heart *revised* Chapter 4: Indecent Proposal Chapter 5: Troubled Two Chapter 6: Of Love and Hatred Chapter 7: Longing For Acceptance Chapter 8: Unheard of Truths
Part II: Cold as Winter Chapter 9: Ring of Light
COMING SOON! What do you think of the titles?
