- Esmeralda! - Clopin screamed, instantly dropping his puppets and gracefully jumping out of his colorful puppeteer caravan.
She gave him a weak smile as he ran towards her and hugged her so tight he lifted her feet off the ground.
- What are you doing here? - he asked, immediately concerned and grabbing her arm to pull her into the nearest dark alley.
- Relax, it's okay. - Esmeralda reassured him, gently removing his hand from her arm. - Frollo let me go.
- He did? - Clopin said in utter disbelief.
- Yes. It's a long story… - she confirmed vaguely. - I just… it's so good to see you again. - she concluded, unexpectedly hugging the man again.
Clopin frowned over her shoulder, getting worried at her unusual display of affection.
- Are you okay? - he asked, softly pushing her away to be able to look her in the eye. - Did that bastard hurt you?
Ha. You have no idea.
- I'm alright. - she answered, shaking her head. - I'm just tired. I wanna go home. - her voice trembled while pronouncing those words, for only when they left her lips she realized that the home she was longing for wasn't the Court of Miracles.
But that's where Clopin took her, of course. He explained that ever since Frollo's ambush, they had been looking for a different place to stay, but they had concluded that any other spot in the city would leave them much more exposed than the catacombs. However, they had explored the catacombs further, and they had found an unknown tunnel that lead to a hidden exit on the north-east side of the city. So they had moved the camp closer to the tunnel entrance, and they kept a shift system to always have someone guarding the old main entrance, so if Frollo's soldiers ever returned, they could warn them with enough time to escape through the newfound tunnel.
Esmeralda heard all of this and nodded absently. She didn't care about the new security system, for she knew that Frollo wouldn't be coming for them anytime soon. In fact, he was probably planning on staying as far away as possible from the catacombs, the gypsies, and anything remotely connected to her.
When they got to the main camp underground, everyone raced to greet them, to welcome her back and bomb her with a ton of questions. She gave the same answers over and over again, before throwing Clopin a meaningful look. He quickly dismissed the multitude, claiming she needed to get some rest after everything she had been through.
He escorted her to his own tent, and offered his hay mattress so she could lay down until they fixed her a tent of her own. Esmeralda sat down, feeling the cold humid floor beneath the thin layer of hay. She sighed, reminiscing about her bed at the palace. Clopin misunderstood her sigh as a sign of relief.
- You're home now, little sister. You're safe. He won't find you here. - he assured her with a warm smile.
Esmeralda did her best to smile back, but the man could see the pain behind her eyes. He kneeled before her, placing a gentle hand on her forearm.
- Whatever happened back there… You can tell me about it, you know. - he whispered, so no one around could eavesdrop into their conversation.
She considered it for a second. She imagined herself trying to find the words to explain to her adoptive brother what had actually happened between her and Frollo, the man that had almost executed all of them just a couple weeks ago. There was no way Clopin would ever understand. She herself couldn't understand. He would just think she had lost her mind due to the imprisonment, or worse, he would judge her as a traitor.
No. This would remain her secret, her embarrassing unforgivable secret, forever. She would never bring it up, and the sooner she started to leave it behind, the better.
- Nothing happened. You know Frollo. He's an asshole. - that part was honest. - But he knows the limit, he wouldn't risk his reputation for me. So when he saw I wouldn't give into his desires, he let me go. - Okay, that part was a blatant lie. It had actually been him who rejected you, remember?
Clopin knew there had to be more to the story. It simply made no sense. But he figured she wasn't ready to talk about it yet, so he nodded, and with a swift kiss to her forehead, he left her to rest.
She curled up in the floor, with Djali next to her. She was uncomfortable, cold, and the sound of so many voices just a piece of cloth away made it impossible to relax. She wondered how she could have slept like that her entire life. She felt ungrateful. "I should be feeling happy to be here, to be with them again" she repeated herself. But she wasn't happy, at all. Even if only a couple weeks had passed, she felt as if she was returning to a past life, something familiar but where she no longer belonged. But Frollo had made it clear that she didn't belong at the Palace either. So maybe she didn't belong anywhere anymore. She felt lost, and for the first time since he had walked into her chamber that morning, she gave herself permission to fully cry.
Claude Frollo couldn't move. He was still standing at the exact spot she had left him, as if he had been nailed to the floor. He felt as if whatever step he could take now would be in the wrong direction.
He also had this weird feeling, as if somehow standing still could preserve the atmosphere of the room, preserve her essence that still lingered there, with her scent floating in the air. He didn't even dare to breathe deeply, though maybe that had more to do with the sharp pain he was feeling in his chest, between his lungs.
He had never felt such pain. Not even when his parents had died. For then he was a young lad and the feelings of concern, fear and responsibility took over the grief.
But now there was no fear, or concern. No responsibilities to hide into. Not even anger, for he couldn't be angry when he had been the one to make the choice.
And that left him with just pain. Sinking, relentless pain coming from the million pieces his heart had turned into once she closed the door behind her.
She was gone. She was really gone. Oh God, what had he done.
His knees started trembling. He hated himself for his weakness. He had made his choice, and he was sure it was the right one. Going down the path of uncertainty and vulnerability was just not an option for a man like himself. That would have swallowed him alive and spat him back destroyed. Her mere presence summoned such powerful forces inside of him that he knew he didn't stand a chance against them. The last time he had let himself get carried away by such forces, it had almost brought them all to perdition.
Mercifully, God had sent him that warning, foretelling dream, in an attempt to rescue him and everyone else from himself. But what had he done right afterwards? He had brought the cause of his temptation home, and he had dared to dream of having a life by her side. Only to unleash all those powerful, dangerous energies again.
He had to put an end to it, once and for all. And that's why he had made the choice of letting her go. It was the best for everyone.
But then… why did it hurt so much?
He resolved he'd turn to prayer. That's what had helped him get through the worst times of his life. Since he would be visiting the cathedral every day to check up with Quasimodo, he figured he would ask the archdeacon for his help, maybe he had some religious advice to spare.
God had placed this test on his path, and He had asked him to do the right thing. So the least He owed him was a little support and reassurance.
Frollo inhaled slowly. He took a last glance around the room. He would have everything cleaned up thoroughly, to eliminate any trace of her existence there. And then, he would start over, a new chapter of his life, free from her consuming influence.
Yes. That's what he would do.
This resolution finally gave him the strength to move again. He walked decidedly to the door, and with a final look at the chamber, he too left it behind.