Chapter 3 – Bells of Her Heart
A/N: This is so much more difficult than I thought, thanks to a cruel and dark place, aka the Real World. I am trying to get Part Une finished in two weeks. Again, thanks to reviewers the advice really helps, as I am a rookie fanfic writer. Without further ado, I present Chapter Three...
At the sound of footsteps Clopin and Skye halted their converstaion; Quasimodo must have returned. "Is that..." asked Skye, not being able to her inquiry as Notre Dame's most famous resident hobbled onto the balcony to join the pair.
"Clopin, so glad to see you again!" greeted Quasimodo with a friendly expression.
"Who is this lovely lady?" the hunchback asked still smiling. (Quasimodo wore smiles like others wear trousers; only when he was in despair did he ever let a frown appear upon his face.)
"My name is Skye, and I've wanted to meet you for the longest time," spoke the girl for herself, not letting Clopin answer for her.
"Pleasure to meet you Madame," Quasimodo responded. "Your welcome to join me anytime," he continued.
Clopin looked down upon the city and realized it was getting late; crowds of children were beginning to get antsy waiting for their beloved puppeteer and his mid-morning show.
"We must be going now," Clopin hinted to Skye.
"Oh yes! I'm sorry I forgot there were jobs to be done," she said hesitantly.
After gaining the courage to do so, Skye added, "Oh Clopin, can I please stay here, I'll only get in your way and cause you trouble." Clopin looked at the pleading girl and flourished his arm, indicating that he would allow her to stay. He sighed as she planted a meaningless kiss on his cheek. He shouldn't have let her stay, but how could he refuse those child-like eyes.
"Oh merci, highness!" Skye exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Clopin in delight. Subconsciously she realized that Clopin's had a soft spot for her, which she could use for her advantage, if necessary. Clopin trudged out of the tower as Skye awed over Quasimodo's detailed miniature city.
"It's the merchant and the snobby inn keeper, you portray her well," Skye mused.
"I've always watched them all from afar," mentioned Skye, wistfully to herself. "Never welcomed to stand in the sun with them, hiding in alley ways to avoid inevitable confrontation," she muttered.
"I understand," urged Quasimodo, though he didn't describe his injustices.
"Esmeralda, she looks so beautiful," Skye mentioned palming the carved figurine.
"She is one of my favorite additions," Quasimodo commented. At the mention of his gypsy friend, Quasimodo casually glanced around looking for Esmeralda. She said that she would visit him in the morning, and it was very rare case that she wasn't prompt. Quasimodo didn't put the lateness past her, however, he had realized her recent odd behaviors, though her manners were somewhat an anathema among the gypsies.
Despite the brief meeting, Quasimodo liked Skye. She was like him, unwanted by many, and loved by few. He gazed at her, she was tiny and was the stereotypical gypsy, dark haired, dark eyed, and dark skinned. Though she could never compare to Esmeralda, she possessed an odd beauty. An ordinary man would pass her by, but a special man would realize her allure.
"Oh no!" Skye gasped, realizing that she had selfishly abandoned her king. She hated that it was gypsy royalty who had brought her to safety, not an ordinary Roma, for Skye felt like turning down any of the king's offers would be insubordination.
"Farewell Quasimodo, I'll visit soon!" she called, fleeing the tower, to the hunchback's dismay.
***
As Clopin calmly tried to shuffle out of the cathedral, his head hung and eyes low, he was stopped by the cries of a euphonious voice.
"Clopin!" Skye called out of breathe from running. "I felt terrible about leaving you, since I promised to help out. After all, I want to prove to the others that I'm not useless," she informed brightly. Skye knew that the real reason that she left the tower was not to prove her worth, but to be with the one that made her heart sing, subconsciously of course. For Skye was not one who let silly crushes take over her whole being.
The two walked over to Clopin's puppet stand, where a group of excited children waited to watch their favorite morning puppet shows. Putting on his famed puppet, Clopin made the children squeal with delight. While Clopin entertained the crowd, Skye took a seat on an old crate, and watched her king in awe from afar, as she had done before. The multitudes of little ones watching the puppeteer were all so dear to Clopin. Over the years he had gotten to know each one of them as a unique individual and made them all feel loved and unique. Many of the darlings had parents who overlooked the joys in their children's lives like the ability to do a stable somersault or the findings of new four-legged friends, and the Parisian puppeteer was the glimmering sunshine peaking through the clouds in the midst of a rain shower.
***
The evening bells hadn't yet tolled as Skye walked down the Court on her way to Clopin's tent. She still camped with him due to lack of space in the Court. Stroking her nose with a coin, Skye meandered the cobble-stoned pathway until she reached the tent on the second tier of the Court. Voices could be heard a few feet away from the shelter and Clopin's wasn't alone; he was with a girl. Peering inside, Skye sighed when she realized whom the throaty female voice belonged to: Esmeralda.
"Clopin, just listen to me for once!" Esmeralda begged in a loud moan.
"I've heard enough! I can't believe you would do such a thing. I though you had more sense! Why Esme why?" Skye could hear Clopin complain.
"Because I love him Clopin, but you don't know what love is! All you know is instant gratification and because of that you will never have what Phoebus and I have! Esmeralda tried to explain, starting to tear up.
"Can't you just wait, figure out the details. Like where are you planning to live cherie have you thought of that? I know his quarters aren't big enough to hold the two of you." Clopin went on, ad nauseum.
"The gypsies love Phoebus, he saved us remember, they will have no complaints if he lived with me, in my quarters. And we don't need details we need are hearts, that is it. Why can't you except it?" the girl questioned looking up at her friend, and king, with her smoky eyes.
Listening to the argument, Skye felt a brief pity towards Esmeralda; how could Clopin not allow her to be with the only love she had ever known?
Skye didn't have to worry for too long, however, because after Esmeralda's last point Clopin outstretched his arms to welcome his friend in a warm embrace.
"I give you my permission love, though you never needed it. I will support you no matter what your decision," Clopin assured, Esmeralda resting her head on his shoulder, wet from her tears of joy. As Esmeralda's heart pounded, the chiming of Quasimodo's beloved bells could be heard in the distance. It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful day.
A/N: Sorry so short, Chapter Four should be up in a few days. Please review!
A/N: This is so much more difficult than I thought, thanks to a cruel and dark place, aka the Real World. I am trying to get Part Une finished in two weeks. Again, thanks to reviewers the advice really helps, as I am a rookie fanfic writer. Without further ado, I present Chapter Three...
At the sound of footsteps Clopin and Skye halted their converstaion; Quasimodo must have returned. "Is that..." asked Skye, not being able to her inquiry as Notre Dame's most famous resident hobbled onto the balcony to join the pair.
"Clopin, so glad to see you again!" greeted Quasimodo with a friendly expression.
"Who is this lovely lady?" the hunchback asked still smiling. (Quasimodo wore smiles like others wear trousers; only when he was in despair did he ever let a frown appear upon his face.)
"My name is Skye, and I've wanted to meet you for the longest time," spoke the girl for herself, not letting Clopin answer for her.
"Pleasure to meet you Madame," Quasimodo responded. "Your welcome to join me anytime," he continued.
Clopin looked down upon the city and realized it was getting late; crowds of children were beginning to get antsy waiting for their beloved puppeteer and his mid-morning show.
"We must be going now," Clopin hinted to Skye.
"Oh yes! I'm sorry I forgot there were jobs to be done," she said hesitantly.
After gaining the courage to do so, Skye added, "Oh Clopin, can I please stay here, I'll only get in your way and cause you trouble." Clopin looked at the pleading girl and flourished his arm, indicating that he would allow her to stay. He sighed as she planted a meaningless kiss on his cheek. He shouldn't have let her stay, but how could he refuse those child-like eyes.
"Oh merci, highness!" Skye exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Clopin in delight. Subconsciously she realized that Clopin's had a soft spot for her, which she could use for her advantage, if necessary. Clopin trudged out of the tower as Skye awed over Quasimodo's detailed miniature city.
"It's the merchant and the snobby inn keeper, you portray her well," Skye mused.
"I've always watched them all from afar," mentioned Skye, wistfully to herself. "Never welcomed to stand in the sun with them, hiding in alley ways to avoid inevitable confrontation," she muttered.
"I understand," urged Quasimodo, though he didn't describe his injustices.
"Esmeralda, she looks so beautiful," Skye mentioned palming the carved figurine.
"She is one of my favorite additions," Quasimodo commented. At the mention of his gypsy friend, Quasimodo casually glanced around looking for Esmeralda. She said that she would visit him in the morning, and it was very rare case that she wasn't prompt. Quasimodo didn't put the lateness past her, however, he had realized her recent odd behaviors, though her manners were somewhat an anathema among the gypsies.
Despite the brief meeting, Quasimodo liked Skye. She was like him, unwanted by many, and loved by few. He gazed at her, she was tiny and was the stereotypical gypsy, dark haired, dark eyed, and dark skinned. Though she could never compare to Esmeralda, she possessed an odd beauty. An ordinary man would pass her by, but a special man would realize her allure.
"Oh no!" Skye gasped, realizing that she had selfishly abandoned her king. She hated that it was gypsy royalty who had brought her to safety, not an ordinary Roma, for Skye felt like turning down any of the king's offers would be insubordination.
"Farewell Quasimodo, I'll visit soon!" she called, fleeing the tower, to the hunchback's dismay.
***
As Clopin calmly tried to shuffle out of the cathedral, his head hung and eyes low, he was stopped by the cries of a euphonious voice.
"Clopin!" Skye called out of breathe from running. "I felt terrible about leaving you, since I promised to help out. After all, I want to prove to the others that I'm not useless," she informed brightly. Skye knew that the real reason that she left the tower was not to prove her worth, but to be with the one that made her heart sing, subconsciously of course. For Skye was not one who let silly crushes take over her whole being.
The two walked over to Clopin's puppet stand, where a group of excited children waited to watch their favorite morning puppet shows. Putting on his famed puppet, Clopin made the children squeal with delight. While Clopin entertained the crowd, Skye took a seat on an old crate, and watched her king in awe from afar, as she had done before. The multitudes of little ones watching the puppeteer were all so dear to Clopin. Over the years he had gotten to know each one of them as a unique individual and made them all feel loved and unique. Many of the darlings had parents who overlooked the joys in their children's lives like the ability to do a stable somersault or the findings of new four-legged friends, and the Parisian puppeteer was the glimmering sunshine peaking through the clouds in the midst of a rain shower.
***
The evening bells hadn't yet tolled as Skye walked down the Court on her way to Clopin's tent. She still camped with him due to lack of space in the Court. Stroking her nose with a coin, Skye meandered the cobble-stoned pathway until she reached the tent on the second tier of the Court. Voices could be heard a few feet away from the shelter and Clopin's wasn't alone; he was with a girl. Peering inside, Skye sighed when she realized whom the throaty female voice belonged to: Esmeralda.
"Clopin, just listen to me for once!" Esmeralda begged in a loud moan.
"I've heard enough! I can't believe you would do such a thing. I though you had more sense! Why Esme why?" Skye could hear Clopin complain.
"Because I love him Clopin, but you don't know what love is! All you know is instant gratification and because of that you will never have what Phoebus and I have! Esmeralda tried to explain, starting to tear up.
"Can't you just wait, figure out the details. Like where are you planning to live cherie have you thought of that? I know his quarters aren't big enough to hold the two of you." Clopin went on, ad nauseum.
"The gypsies love Phoebus, he saved us remember, they will have no complaints if he lived with me, in my quarters. And we don't need details we need are hearts, that is it. Why can't you except it?" the girl questioned looking up at her friend, and king, with her smoky eyes.
Listening to the argument, Skye felt a brief pity towards Esmeralda; how could Clopin not allow her to be with the only love she had ever known?
Skye didn't have to worry for too long, however, because after Esmeralda's last point Clopin outstretched his arms to welcome his friend in a warm embrace.
"I give you my permission love, though you never needed it. I will support you no matter what your decision," Clopin assured, Esmeralda resting her head on his shoulder, wet from her tears of joy. As Esmeralda's heart pounded, the chiming of Quasimodo's beloved bells could be heard in the distance. It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful day.
A/N: Sorry so short, Chapter Four should be up in a few days. Please review!
