Chapter 10: The Court of Miracles and Frollo's Trap

Natalie's POV

Once the lights came back on, we were all surrounded by gypsies from above. They jumped down and pulled me away from Quasi as they tied us up and tore off our cloaks. Then Clopin showed up and asked,

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"

Two of them shouted, "Trespassers! Spies!"

Phoebus said, "We're not spies!" But they gagged him.

Quasi tried to say, "You've got to listen-" But they gagged him as well.

I tried to say, "You're lives are at risk-" But I was immediately gagged before I could finish.

Then Clopin says,

"Don't interrupt me! You're very clever to have found our hideaway. Unfortunately, you won't live to tell the tale."

Then he and the other gypsies began to sing;

Maybe you've heard of a terrible place
Where the scoundrels of Paris collect in a lair
Maybe you've heard of that mythical place
Called the Court of Miracles
Hello, you're there!

As they showed us who they were and Clopin tormented us with skulls. They continued to sing;

Where the lame can walk
And the blind can see
But the dead don't talk
So you won't be around
To reveal what you've found!

As they continued to show us who they were, and Clopin cut off the heads of skeletons, and we were tossed onto their shoulders and they carried us off. They continued to sing;

We have a method for spies and intruders
Rather like hornets protecting their hive
Here in the Court of Miracles
Where it's a miracle if you get out alive!

Clopin yells out to everybody as the other gypsies forced us up to the gallows and wrapped a noose around Quasi and Phoebus,

"Gather around everybody, there's good noose tonight! It's a triple header, a couple of Frollo's spies!"

Three gypsy women booed at us in response. Then Clopin said mocking us,

"And not just any spies, his captain of the guard, his loyal bell ringing henchman, and the hunchback's little lady."

Then he looked the three of us, at the two nooses, then back at me.

He said as he grabbed me and pushed me closer to the edge of the gallows,

"Oh darn, there are three people and only two nooses. I guess she won't be hung after all."

All of the gypsies began to complain and boo until Clopin said,

"Oh, but wait. Since we can't hang her, I'll leave it up to you guys! After all, like they always say, ladies first!"

One man said holding up a torch, "I say, let's burn her!"

One woman said pulling out two knifes, "No, let's cut her!"

Another man chimed in, "Let's rip her apart!"

I stood on in horror as all of the gypsies began arguing about how to kill me. Then a gypsy man ran up to the gallows, grabbed me and shouted,

"You all want her? Well now you've got her!"

And he threw me into the crowd as my gag flew off and I began screaming for my life as they began to rip me apart.

Quasimodo's POV

As I rubbed off my gag, I saw Natalie get thrown into the crowd by a gypsy and I shouted,

"Natalie!" As she began to scream.

When I saw her getting ripped apart, a rage flew right into me. They were going to hurt my friend. The one that has accepted me right from when we first met. I grew so angry that I ripped off the ropes that enabled me, and I pushed off the gypsy that threw her into the crowd when he tried to stop me.

Then I jumped off of the gallows and went into the crowd to search for Natalie. Once I spotted her, I saw her hair getting pulled by one of the gypsies as she screamed in pain. I ran to them, I grabbed Natalie by her ropes and pulled her off of the gypsy that had her and pushed him away when he tried to grab her. I pulled her up and she looked completely disheveled.

I ripped the ropes off of her and picked her up and said as she clung to me tightly,

"You're alright, Natalie. I got you."

Then I began to run through the crowd, carrying Natalie to safety. I got out of the crowd, and I climbed back up to the gallows as Clopin tried to calm down the crowd. As the whole crowd began to riot, all of a sudden, we heard someone shout out,

"STOP!"

Natalie's POV

Then we saw Esmeralda after she made her way through the crowd. Me, Quasi, and a still tied up and gagged Phoebus called to her "Esmeralda!"

She jumped up to the gallows and said to Clopin,

"Don't you see, they're our friends."

Clopin asked, "Well, why didn't they say so?"

Me, Quasi, and Phoebus said as Phoebus' gag came off, "We did say so!"

Esmeralda explained as she untied Phoebus,

"Phoebus is the soldier that saved the miller's family, Natalie defended me from Frollo, and Quasimodo helped me escape the cathedral."

Once Phoebus was untied, he went to the edge of the gallows and said to the crowd,

"We came to warn you! Frollo's coming, he says he knows where you're hiding and he's attacking at dawn with a thousand men."

Everyone started to gasp and freak out. Then Esmeralda said,

"Then let's waste no time, we must leave immediately." And with that, all of the gypsies began preparing to leave.

Quasi set me down and climbed down the ladder of the gallows. Then Clopin came over to me and said,

"I'm terribly sorry mademoiselle, I didn't mean for all of this to get out of hand."

I said, "It's alright, all of it just caught me by surprise, literally." He nodded in response and dashed off to get ready to leave.

Esmeralda said to Phoebus as I was climbing down the ladder,

"You three took a terrible risk coming here. We may not exactly show it, but we're grateful." And she hugged him.

Then he looked over to me and Quasi as we looked awkwardly at each other. He pulled me and Quasi over to them and said,

"Don't thank me, thank Quasimodo and Natalie. Without their help, I would never have found my way here." We all smiled at each other in response.

All of a sudden, we heard a gruff voice say, "And nor would I."

We looked and saw Frollo at the top with his soldiers rushing over to us. They surrounded me, Quasi, Esmeralda, Phoebus, and all of the other gypsies. I should've known that was coming. Damn it! He said as the guards seized us,

"After twenty years of searching, the Court of Miracles is mine at last. Dear Quasimodo, I always knew you'd be of use to me."

And he stroked his head while Quasi said in disbelief,

"No!"

I angrily yelled out, "You get away from him you spineless creep!" Frollo walked over to me and said, "Foolish child! you were right about not going inside, and yet you did."

I said angrily in realization, "I knew it was you at the cemetery!"

Then he evilly grinned and said,

"And thanks to you, I finally caught the gypsy witch and the traitor. You say I'm spineless? Hmm, I say you're crazy."

That did it! I lost my temper and I knocked away the two guards that were holding me and I pummeled Frollo to the ground. As I was pounding him, I shouted,

"You wanna see crazy?! I'll show you crazy! I'll show you crazy!" Then five guards came and subdued me.

Frollo got up and said,

"There will be a little bonfire in the square tomorrow, and you're all invited to attend. Lock them up."

As they were about to take us away, Quasi got on his knees and begged,

"No, please master!"

All Frollo did was glare at him in cold dead silence. Quasi fell in grief and said,

"No! No!"

Then Frollo said to the guards,

"Take Quasimodo and this Juvenile delinquent to the bell tower, and make sure they stay there."

Then Frollo grabbed my face and sneered,

"We will discuss your fate after the bonfire."

I tried to kick him, but the guards pulled me away before I could. As me and Quasi were being dragged away, I shouted angrily and disgusted as I was struggling against the guards,

"Assassins! ASSASSINS!"