Author's Note: Merde! It has been FAR too long since I last updated! Je suis trés desolé! Real life has been interfering and making me EXTREMELY busy! But I'm working on this again and I promise that more updates will be coming! I have not given up on this story! Don't give up on me!
Chapter 1: The Gypsies
Summer, 1482
17 years later…
Morning had already begun in Paris and the children could be heard running through the streets, all flocking to a large and colorful caravan located not too far away the grand structure of Notre Dame. As they gathered in the front, they pushed and shoved each other aside to get a good view of the show.
The caravan, as most of Paris knew, belongs to The King of the Gypsies, Clopin Trouillefou. Though none would think so upon first glance of the handsome man; his clothes were bright and colorful with its dark yellow/gold, blue, light burgundy and purple colors; topped off with his large blue hat, a yellow feather on the side and his dark pink mask which covered his face; he looked more like a common jester.
He was eccentric, never seemed to stay still, childish and a bright smile always seemed to be on his face. He was always accompanied by the small puppet on his hand which was a smaller version of himself and made it speak in a higher pitched voice. Because of this, the children simply adored him.
Just as they were settling down, the front window panes of the caravan swung open and two gypsy girls swung out and landed on each side of the caravan. One of them held a tambourine in their hand while the other held a mandolin. The children cheered as the girls began to dance and play their instruments. Their cheers became louder as Clopin came up, his arms outstretched and a large smile on his face. "Merci mes amies! Please applaud once again for my little sister Aimee!"
Right on cue, Aimee twirled her way to the front of the children as she danced in time to the bouncy and joyful melody of her mandolin. Her fingers were able to still strum and pick the strings and as her hips swayed, the small red and blue bells that lined the purple trim of her white top and long lavender skirt jingled joyfully along with the tune.
The sleeves of her white top were loose and were hardly ever on her shoulders and it was cut in half, exposing her stomach and leaving very little to the male imagination. She wore a belt that was studded with round blue coins; a wavy design etched into each of them that vaguely resembled the waves of the water. The only pieces of jewelry the young woman wore were the two silver bracelets on one of her wrists.
Her lips were tinged a deep red and she had lined her eyes with black kohl in a way that gave her deep blue eyes an almost cat-like effect. Her hair fell in ebony waves down to her waist, giving her an almost fragile appearance against her lighter skin.
She twirled her hair, giving a wink to a passing young man who instantly blushed at the sight. Aimee twirled her way back to her position and continued to play.
"And for one of my dearest friends, Tatianna!" Clopin said once again as he motioned towards the girl on his left.
Tatianna went for a more dramatic entrance as she front flipped into the front and posed with her arms poised above her head and her tan, red-tinged lips turn up into a confident smirk.
The children and even some people standing by were impressed and smiled at how confident the young woman seemed to be. Others, however, weren't quite as impressed and only regarded the gypsies with cold stares and disgusted sneers. Whether or not their looks affected her, it didn't show and nor did it take the fire and passion in her fluid movements.
She had the hourglass figure as was evident by the gold and black corset she wore around her middle. Her top was an emerald green shirt and the sleeves, like Aimee's, couldn't stay on her shoulders. The skirt of her dress was a dark, burgundy red with gold coins lining the hem of it. The scarf wrapped around her head was the same shade as the skirt and, it too, had gold coins lining it. When the sun hit it just right, it twinkled at all who gazed upon it.
But the twinkle of the gold was nothing in comparison to the fires that seemed to dance in her hazel eyes. It made her black hair seem like shadows or black smoke whipping about behind her.
Her ears adorned two large golden hoops and she wore a diamond shaped sapphire gem on a gold chain around her neck. She danced her way back to her spot as Clopin put his fingers to his lips to silence the children. They did as they were told and he began to sing:
Morning in Paris, the city awakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
The fisherman fishes, the baker man bakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
The girls joined in with him, their voices matching perfectly with the other. Aimee's alto voice matched perfectly with Clopin's baritone tone and Tatianna's soprano voice.
To the big bells as loud as the thunder
To the little bells soft as a psalm
And some say the soul of the city's the toll of the bells
The bells of Notre Dame
As the song ended, the girls went through the side doors of the caravan and ducked down to keep out of sight. They set their instruments to the side and prepared the puppets to help Clopin tell his story.
"Listen, they are beautiful, no? So many colors of sounds, so many changing moods." Clopin said as he pulled back a curtain to gaze admiringly up at the grand structure. "But you know," he continued, slowly reaching below with his right hand towards Aimee. She put the miniature puppet version of himself on his hand with a giggle. "They don't ring all by themselves."
"They don't?" He made the puppet say in a squeaky, higher-pitched form of his own voice.
"No silly boy!" He said, talking to his puppet self. Again he turned his attention towards the cathedral, making the puppet look as well. "Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bell ringer. Who is this creature?"
"Who?" The puppet asked the children.
"What is he?"
"What?"
"How did he come to be there?"
"How?"
Clopin smacked the puppet on the head with a small wooden stick, looking slightly annoyed." Hush."
The puppet whined and whimpered as he nurtured his head, making the children and even the two gypsies hidden in the caravan laugh.
He rolled his eyes at the puppet and leaned in towards the children, his eyes wide as if he were telling a great secret. "And Clopin will tell you. It is a tale, a tale of a man and a monster!"
Aimee and Tatianna set up the different sceneries and worked the puppets as Clopin sang the tale of the bell ringer. Aimee's eyes saddened at the tale, feeling pity and remorse for the fallen gypsy and the deformed child. She had heard this song so many times, but no matter how many times she heard it, she would always feel the same.
Tatianna, on the other hand, only had hatred in her eyes for the Judge; for the man who so coldly and mercilessly hunted down and murdered her people without so much as blinking. He was blinded by prejudice and was hell bent on wiping out the entirety of her people from their home. Her heart wept and cried out against the injustice of it all. Although, she did smirk when Clopin sang of Frollo's fear for his soul after killing the gypsy mother. One day, she thought to herself, he will tremble in fear as I hold my blade to his heart.
Clopin was close to wrapping up the story and the girls set down their puppets and picked up their instruments once again. This time they stayed inside the caravan and stood beside Clopin who put his arms around the two women's shoulders. The puppet was positioned to look like it was resting against Aimee's shoulder. Clopin was the first to sing:
Now here is a riddle to guess if you can
Sing the bells of Notre Dame
Who is the monster and who is the man?
Together the three of them swayed back and forth, singing happily and their voices heightening as they prepared for the big finish.
Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells, bells
Bells of Notre Dame!
The held out note could now barely be heard over the cheering and clapping of the young children as well as some of the adult bystanders. They ended their note and stretched out their arms, smiling as they took in their acceptance and their pride as performers grew.
Clopin flipped off his hat and held it out for them to drop coins into. He bowed his head each time. "Merci! Merci beaucoup everyone!" He closed up the caravan and walked out, a satisfied grin on his face as he stared down at the amount of coins in his hat. "Another job well done everyone!"
Aimee and Tatianna walked on either side of him as they made their way through the streets and back towards their safe haven. Aimee looked to her brother, a curious look on her face as she recalled at how detailed the story was. It had always nagged at her…just how in the world did Clopin know the story of Quasimodo?
"Clopin?"
"Hmmm?" He said in response as he counted the coins, placing them into a small red leather pouch.
"How is it you know the story of the bell ringer?" She asked, leaning in closely in case anyone else was listening.
This caused Tatianna to quirk her eyebrow for she, too, had wondered how her friend knew the story so well.
His lips upturned into a mischievous smirk as he tucked the pouch somewhere away underneath his tunic. "That is for Clopin to know and for mon petite soeur to find out on her own." He laughed and ruffled his sister's hair in an elderly brother way.
Aimee grumbled as she smacked her brother's hand away and fixed her hair with a slightly annoyed look on her face. Of course, this only made Clopin snicker some more and hug his sister to his side. "You know Clopin loves you dearly!"
"Lies and slander big brother…" She said, though couldn't help the small smile that ticked at the corner of her lips.
Tatianna laughed as she watched the siblings quarrel. It never ceased to entertain her…then again, how could one not be entertained whenever Clopin was near? She looked over at Aimee with her arms crossed against her chest. "You should have seen that coming MayMay." She said, using the childhood nick name they had all given her. "You should have just let it be."
Aimee rolled her eyes and looked back to Tatianna. "Is it a crime to be curious? And it's not as if you weren't curious as well TT."
The youngest of the group shrugged, "That is not the point."
Aimee looked to her brother and jabbed him in the chest with her finger. He yelped slightly and put his hand to his chest, but still that smirk remained. "Why won't you answer me?" She poked out her lower lip and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
He chuckled as he gently patted her cheek. "Because I just love to see you beg for the answer. Little Aimee is so adorable when she does so."
Already the trio was nearing the graveyard where the secret entrance to The Court of Miracles was hidden. Aimee growled and shoved his hat down to cover his eyes. "Cretin!" She leapt in front of him and blew a raspberry in his face before taking off laughing, knowing that he would chase after her.
Tatianna's mouth formed a small "o" and her eyes widened at what Aimee did. She clapped softly, once again finding herself very entertained.
Clopin grunted as he pushed his hat back up and a playful smile lit up his face. "Ooohh you've done it now Aimee! Get back here!" He hollered as he took off after her, easily leaping over bushes and smaller tombstones.
Tatianna quickly ran after them as well, not wanting to be left behind. "Hey! Wait for me!" She laughed happily and stuck her tongue out at Clopin as she ran past him. "You're too slow Cloppy!"
"Oy!" He urged his legs to go faster and growled in slight irritation, but it was instantly trumped by the child-like joy he felt in the chase.
"Hurry hurry!" Aimee said in between her pants and laughter, having already pushed the stone slab part of the way. Tatianna helped pushed it further and the duo descended into the catacombs.
Esmeralda let out another agitated sigh as she picked up yet another article of clothing from the floor in the large tent she shared with Clopin, Aimee and Tatianna. "For the love of – can't they at least pick up their own clothes from the floor?"
She looked to Djali for a response and her goat companion merely bleated in response. Esmeralda sighed and shook her head with a slight chuckle. "Didn't think so…"
The tent itself was a brilliant gold with purple trims and blue and red stars and crescents decorating it. Upon entering the tent, there is a large area where small tables, tarot cards, crystal balls and other forms of knick knacks laid strewn about. In the center was a medium sized hole that was used to make a fire and surrounding it were large and small plush multi-colored pillows that the four of them, and sometimes others, frequently sat on to sing and talk with one another.
It then branched off into four separate tents, each of them belonging to one of them. In order from left to right, it was Tatianna, Aimee, Clopin and then Esmeralda's. It truly would be quite a wonder to behold…if only the main area wasn't littered with clothes, and open and closed scrolls of parchment and fabric!
As she bent over to pick up some more clothes and scarves, she heard Djali chewing and turned with wide eyes as she realized that she was chewing on a skirt and had already managed to gnaw a hole right through it. "Djali no!" She exclaimed as she yanked it away from the goat's mouth.
Djali bleated with protest and leaped up, trying to get a hold of the fabric yet again. Esmeralda pulled it out of the way and held a stern finger to Djali's face. "You know better! You chew on anymore things around here no food for you missy." She scolded, using her best motherly voice. Djali's ears flattened against her furry head and she trotted off somewhere around the court.
Esmeralda shook her head and couldn't help but giggle when she recognized the skirt to belong to Tatianna. She rolled it up and tossed it into the basket beside her. "Maybe this time she'll think twice about leaving her clothes about."
She crouched down to roll up scrolls of parchment and fabric then tucked them safely under her arm. As she stood to put them away, she heard familiar laughter and squeals heading straight towards her. Her eyes widened as she saw Tatianna and Aimee running straight towards her. Before she could even react, they grabbed her arms and twirled her around in front of them to use as a shield. Esmeralda let out a surprised yelp and the items flew from her hands and back to the ground.
"Protect us Essie!" They exclaimed through their fits of squeals, giggles and panting. Esmeralda didn't even have to ask from whom since Clopin burst in and kept reaching for the two girls.
"Get over here! Clopin will have his revenge!" He cried out with laughter.
The girls kept squealing and moving Esmeralda in front of them, deaf to her protests, and knocked over the basket as well as some of the other things she had put away. She threw up her arms in frustration, "Okay okay enough!"
Clopin was the first to notice the irritated look on Esmeralda's face and immediately stopped. He frowned and backed away slightly, resting his hand on her shoulder. "La Essie? What's wrong?"
She flailed her arms about to the mess they had made. "Other than the fact that you three managed to make this place a horrible mess again, absolutely nothing!" She let out an agitated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to calm down.
Aimee and Tatianna frowned as they moved in front of her, and all of them felt guilty for what they had done. "We're sorry…we didn't mean to Essie." Aimee said as she bit her lower lip.
She looked up at them, sliding her hand down her face and raised her hand, as if she was going to smack them. The three of them braced for it, but instead of a smack, Essie tugged down Clopin's hat and ruffled Aimee's hair immensely. She laughed at their stunned faces and put her hands to her waist. "Now I feel better."
Clopin frowned at first as he pushed his hat back up, but smiled when he saw Esmeralda smiling at the three of them. "We truly are sorry. We'll clean this up; you have the word of Clopin!"
Aimee pouted as she pointed to Tatianna, "How come she had nothing done to her?"
Esmeralda only smirked and jabbed her thumb towards the crumpled skirt on the ground. Tatianna screamed as she saw it and picked it up, staring at the hole in it. "What happened to it?"
As if on cue, Djali came prancing in with a happy bleat and the other three laughed hard at the perfect timing. Tatianna, on the other hand, wasn't laughing as she took a step towards the goat. "Djali I'm going to get you for this!"
She bleated angrily back at the girl and Esmeralda held her finger to Tatianna's face. "Oh don't blame her! It's your fault for leaving it around the floor knowing full well that a hungry goat lives here as well."
Aimee laughed as she began to pick up her own clothes. "She has a point TT, though I really have no room to talk."
"No you don't so just be silent." Tatianna grumbled, still upset about her skirt.
"Oh you can easily fix that TT. Come; let's help clean up the mess we made." Clopin said, already rolling up the scrolls of fabrics that he used for making his puppets and tucking them away.
After half an hour or so, the living area was clean and organized well enough to satisfy Esmeralda and she nodded with approval. All of them agreed to save their own personal tents for another day. "See? Now was that so hard?" She asked as she plopped down onto the pile of pillows.
"Actually…it was a little fun." Aimee confessed, seating herself beside Esmeralda.
Clopin came out of his tent, his mask and hat now off and his full on features could be seen. He smiled apologetically as he crossed his ankles together and sat down on the ground, his legs crossed. "Sorry to leave you with all the mess Essie."
She waved it off and offered a smiled, "Oh it was nothing. I was bored and had really nothing to do. Besides, someone has to be the responsible one around here."
"Shouldn't our leader be the responsible one?" Aimee asked, stressing "leader" and crossed her arms, casting a meaningful look to Clopin.
Tatianna laughed as she sat down on the opposite side of Esmeralda and leaned back against the pillows. "You are quite right Aimee. But it seems that it is not so. Oh woe to the poor gypsies left in his care." The three girls giggled at that remark as Tatianna mocked a feeling of true pity and despair.
Clopin frowned and feigned hurt, putting his hand to his heart. "Oh how my girls wound my heart!" He cried out over-dramatically and even pretended to sob.
They rolled their eyes at him and he chuckled and brushed off the shoulder of his tunic. "Give me some credit…I had to assume my duties at 15 when Mama and Papa died."
A sad air took over as they gave a moment of silence for the two fallen gypsies. They had fallen ill when Clopin and Aimee where 14, Esmeralda 12 and Tatianna just about to turn 12. The former leaders had fought back as much as they could, but a little more than a year later, they died peacefully in their sleep and thus passing on the title of King of Gypsies to their only son, Clopin.
After a few minutes, Aimee turned to Esmeralda and asked her, "Have you eaten yet?" She wanted this sadness to go away before one of them let loose a tear. It was also very unnerving to see her brother with a sorrowful look on his face. It just about broke her heart when she saw it.
Before the young woman could answer, a loud rumble was heard from her stomach and her cheeks reddened slightly with embarrassment. That seemed to lift the sadness up as they all started to laugh at her. "Does that answer your question?" She asked as she rubbed the back of her neck.
"Loud and clear." Tatianna said, happy to feel the sadness slipping away.
Clopin wagged his finger at Esmeralda's face, clicking his tongue against the back of his teeth as he did so. "Now that just simply will not do." He stood to his feet and brushed his hair back. "We will not have our star dancer and finest girl in France starving to death! Clopin will not allow it!" He grabbed her hand and yanked her up to her feet, already ushering her out of the tent with Djali close behind. "We are going to the bakery and I will buy you a good breakfast!"
Esmeralda tried to protest as they walked away, but Clopin would hear none of it. Aimee shook her head with a smile as she slowly stood to her feet. "It's so obvious…why doesn't he just say it already?" She said out loud, giggling slightly.
It was no secret to the two of them, as well as the other gypsies, that Clopin was in love with Esmeralda. It was as plain as the hair on her head! The way he goes out of his way to make her happy, make her smile and how concerned he always seemed to be about her. But the most obvious sign of all was the light in his eyes every time he looked at her. It was as if someone lit a bonfire within them and his entire body seemed to glow.
Tatianna stood and walked to Aimee's side, cocking her hips to the side and crossing her arms as she watched Clopin make his puppet talk and kiss Esmeralda on the cheek. Her eyes narrowed, envious of the attention that Clopin was giving her. She managed a smirk and shrugged. "Because he's Clopin…even he doesn't fully realize it just yet."
Aimee laughed as she watch Esmeralda push the puppet back into his face and seemed to warn him to not do it again. She smiled though, which meant that she was only joking. "Esmeralda hasn't even realized it yet! How do you expect him to?" She said with a laugh.
Now that was a true mystery to the two of them. Esmeralda, as they knew very well, was a very sharp and intelligent woman. She didn't miss much and seemed to always know when someone was trying to sneak up behind her. She had proven that many times in their childhood whenever Aimee had tried to scare her. Evidently, when it came to affairs of the heart, Esmeralda was as blind as a bat. It was so frustrating that sometimes Aimee had fantasized about throwing the two of them into a locked room until he confessed to her how he felt.
To see her brother so in love and for it to not be returned…it made her sad and caused a feeling of extreme uneasiness inside of her.
On several occasions Aimee had asked Clopin how he truly felt about Esmeralda if only to confirm what she already knew; and every time she did she got the same answer. He would merely say that she was a dear friend to him and that was all.
Aimee was not fooled at all by his act. She had grown up with him since they were both roughly about 5 or so years old when his family found her wandering the streets of Paris. She saw the brief glimpse of longing and sorrow in his eyes and heard the slightest tone of sadness in his voice.
Seeing them together, she had to admit that they did look good together. They had been friends since Esmeralda was born and were indeed very close. Esmeralda made him smile like no other person could. As his sister, she was supposed to give him her full support in winning over Esmeralda's heart.
So why then…did the very slight feeling of envy sneak its way into her heart? Her brow furrowed with confusion and she shook that thought away. She reasoned that it was because she was his younger sister and he would dote on her immensely…unless Esmeralda appeared and then all attention went to her. It was only natural for him to do such…yes that was it; a sister's envy that her dear elder brother paid more attention to another woman.
She was about to suggest to Tatianna for them to follow, but stopped short when she saw the desperate look of longing on her friend's face. She put her hand to the girl's shoulder, being only an inch or so taller than Tatianna. "TT?" She asked the question and the concern obvious in her voice.
Tatianna was silent for a while as she watched Esmeralda and Clopin interact. Her grip on her arms tightened and she fought back the urge to tear. She bit her lower lip and let out a shaky sigh. "Aimee…"
"Yes?"
She looked to her friend and what she said made Aimee's eyes widen in shock and surprise. Tatianna's voice was soft, shaky yet was deadly serious. "I want Clopin's heart to belong to me."
It took a moment or two for Aimee to register what was just said, after which she shook her head and asked the first thing that came to her mind. "W-wait…what?"
As Tatianna was about to answer her question, Clopin chose this time to yell at them and waves his arm about. "If you two mademoisellesare done, we'd like to eat now!" He said with a mocking annoyed tone in his voice.
Tatianna laughed as she walked towards them, instantly masking her earlier looks before with a large smile. "Oh je suis très desolè monsieur! We thought that you would like to have Essie all to yourself." ending her comment with a giggle.
Without his mask on, the blush that appeared on Clopin's face was much easier to see. He tried to come up with the words to say, but the poor man could only stammer. Tatianna laughed at this as she tapped his nose. "Just kidding!" Her voice was in a sing-song manner, as though she was mocking him; which, of course, she was. She skipped over to Esmeralda and linked arms with her and walked ahead slightly.
"What was that about?" Esmeralda asked as she looked to Clopin who seemed to be glued to his spot.
Tatianna laughed as she waved it off. "Oh nothing. I was just teasing him." And the conversation carried out from then, with Esmeralda not knowing that Tatianna had teased Clopin about his affection for her.
Aimee shook her head and shut Clopin's mouth for him. "That's not very attractive brother." As he grumbled to himself, Aimee noticed that his cheeks were still noticeably red and giggled into the palm of her hand.
"What is so amusing?" He asked her, having to lean his head down a bit to look down at her. The two began to walk slowly, out of hearing distance of Esmeralda and Tatianna.
"You should have seen your face. I do believe a tomato would be envious of the shade of red that appeared." She laughed harder when she saw him turn away from her and curse silently to himself. "Really Clopin you are as transparent as glass. Why don't you just confess your love to Esmeralda already?"
No sooner had the words left her lips did those same conflicting and confusing emotions rise up within Aimee once again. Thankfully, Clopin was too busy gazing at Esmeralda to notice the slight pout in Aimee's lower lip and the look of utter confusion in her deep blue eyes.
"I told you that it was nothing like that Aimee. I love Esmeralda as only a dear friend, nothing more." He said softly, suddenly finding the pavement very interesting.
Aimee snapped out of her thoughts and became so frustrated with Clopin's denial that she smacked him upside the back of his head.
"Ow! What was that for?" He demanded, rubbing the sore spot.
Aimee only groaned and rolled her eyes, "Ooohh….men!" She ran up ahead to catch up with Tatianna and Esmeralda, leaving a very confused and dumbstruck Clopin lagging behind.
"What was that all about?" He asked himself before shrugging it off and catching up with his friends.
Breakfast at the bakery had been pleasant enough. The smell of freshly baked bread mixed with the sweetness of honey and butter made their stomachs grumble loudly. It had been so long since they had had a decent meal. Their conversation had been light and joyful mixed with the occasional teasing as they sat outside of the bakery. Djali ate the pieces that each of them would give her happily and at one point, even made her do tricks in order to earn them.
The happy atmosphere soon turned hostile, however, when two soldiers had appeared and began to harass the group. Clopin had to reach over and grip Tatianna's wrist at one point to keep her from going for the hidden dagger she had. Clopin, not wanting any unnecessary violence, convinced the group to leave the bakery and head towards the corner where Esmeralda would frequently dance. The walk had helped cool the temper of three of the gypsies…Tatianna had always been the short-tempered one of the group.
"You should've let me fight them Clopin! There were only two of them and I could have easily subdued them!" Her fists were clenched at her side and she couldn't stop pacing back and forth.
"Not without the risk of getting us arrested. You need to learn to control your temper Tatianna. Your recklessness could put us all in danger!" He snapped back, wagging his finger at her like a father would when scolding his child. "The soldiers will act like that and you should know this by now. In fact, you should be used to it."
She stopped pacing and looked to Clopin as she exclaimed, "It isn't right!"
"No it isn't and I don't like it either TT. But unless you want to stand on the pyre, I suggest you listen to Clopin." Aimee said as she ran her fingers through her long hair, as was her habit when agitated or nervous.
"We shouldn't be used to it. We're still human and our blood is red." Esmeralda's eyes narrowed angrily as she set down the worn out purple hat on the ground. "But there's nothing we can do to change that…sadly."
Djali seemed to frown as she nuzzled Esmeralda's hand in an attempt to comfort her. Esmeralda smiled as she ruffled the fur on her head and tapped her nose.
"Well there is one way…" Tatianna said, letting her words trail off, a deviant grin appearing on her face as she did so. "Take out the source."
Immediately the image of the feared and hated Judge Claude Frollo appeared in their minds. Gleams of anger and hatred sparked in their eyes and even sent a shudder down Esmeralda's spine. "Could we please not talk about that monster?"
"Agreed." Aimee said as she sat on the stone bench and tuned the strings of her mandolin.
Djali pranced around the hat and bleated at the remaining three tapping her front hoof on the pavement. Clopin chuckled at the animal's antics and patted her head. "Oh very well then." He sat beside Aimee and picked up the horn and looked expectantly at Esmeralda and Tatianna.
"Come on TT." Esmeralda said as she tossed a spare tambourine to her friend. "Dance with me. It will make you feel better." She shook her own tambourine and tapped it against her hip twice before tapping her barefoot on the ground just as Aimee and Clopin began to play.
Tatianna huffed and crossed her arms, turning away from them as she stubbornly refused to join in the dance. Esmeralda giggled as she danced and twirled around Tatianna, doing her best to coax her into joining the dance. "Don't fight it TT. Just give in!"
And still Tatianna fought, but found herself tapping her foot on the pavement. Aimee laughed, "Oh just give in already! You're only making it hard on yourself."
The comment had a smile tugging at the corner of Tatianna's lips and she rolled her eyes as Esmeralda twirled around her once again, ending it with a soft laugh before finally joining the dance.
"There's a good girl!" Esmeralda said with a laugh as she patted Tatianna on the head.
"I hate all of you right now." She said jokingly, Aimee and Esmeralda laughing along with her.
They performed well into the morning and were happy to see a fair amount of coins in the old hat. They tried not to sneer or frown when parents would pull their children back, afraid that the gypsies would cast a spell on them or rob them blind.
Djali bleated and pranced happily, the clanging of her bell impressively in time with the rhythm and beat of the music. Each time someone donated some coins, she would leap as high as she could to show her gratitude and even perform a back-flip every now and then.
A blonde soldier then appeared, holding the reigns of his white stallion and seemed a bit lost. He was highly impressed by the dancing goat but even more so by the dancing girls and dropped several coins into the hat. He looked up just in time to catch Esmeralda's eye and she gave him a sultry smirk, shaking and tapping her tambourine. His eyes widened and a smile slowly split his face as he watched the gypsy dance.
Tatianna recognized the emotions flitting in the man's blue eyes almost immediately. How could she not? It was one that most men would have when watching Esmeralda dance. Normally it wouldn't bother her, but when she saw the jealousy and irritation in Clopin's eyes it annoyed her quite a bit. Why was it only Esmeralda? She was dancing there as well!
She was about to dance into the man's view, but stopped when a sharp whistle alerted them and the music instantly stopped. The young boy pointed towards approaching soldiers and she sneered when she recognized them to be the ones from the bakery.
Their eyes widened in mild irritation as they hurried to gather their things and go. Clopin and Aimee were the first to get a few feet away, but stopped when they saw that Esmeralda and Tatianna were not beside them.
Djali grabbed the hat and started to take off but stopped short when some of the coins fell. Tatianna and Esmeralda ran back and quickly snatched up as much coins as they could to put back into the hat.
Clopin and Aimee stopped and waited for them, fear gripping their throats. "Hurry!" Aimee pleaded and her eyes widened more as the soldiers stopped before Tatianna and Esmeralda. Oh no…
The two girls looked up at the soldiers with eyes of contempt as Esmeralda held the hat close to her chest.
The first guard returned the look as he hauled Esmeralda up by her arm. "Alright gypsy, where did you get the money?" He demanded as he pulled her back against his chest.
"For your information I earned it!" Esmeralda replied angrily as she twisted free of his grip and stood before Tatianna, feeling a need to protect the girl she considered to be her younger sister.
The first guard scoffed and rolled his eyes as he put his fists to his waist. "Gypsies don't earn money." Tatianna felt her temper rise and clenched her fists at her sides while grinding her teeth together. She did her best to listen to Clopin and keep her temper in check, lest they get into further trouble.
"You steal it?" The second guard said as he tried to take the hat away from Esmeralda. Well that did it and Tatianna slammed her fist into the side of his jaw. The guard stumbled back; surprised that she had hit him.
"You'd know a lot about stealing." She said angrily as she glared at the guard who still had his hand to the spot where he was hit.
"Troublemaker!" The first guard yelled as he grabbed Esmeralda's shoulders from behind. She immediately reeled her head back and hit him straight in the nose.
The second guard grabbed Tatianna's wrists in an attempt to restrain her. "Maybe a day in the stocks will teach you a lesson!"
Clopin stepped forward preparing to fight back the guards, but Djali beat him to it. The faithful goat had head butted the second guard in the stomach and kicked the other guard back with her hind legs. Tatianna and Esmeralda looked down at the groaning guards with a smug smirk on their faces before taking off with Clopin and Aimee, Djali following close behind them.
Esmeralda glanced behind her to see if the guards were following, imagine her surprise when she saw the soldier had actually pulled his stallion in front of them and halt them in their path.
"Achilles, sit." The soldier said and the horse sat on the soldier!
"Oh I am so sorry! Naughty horse! Naughty!" He said, wagging his finger at his horse mockingly. "He's impossible really, I can't take him anywhere."
People who had witnessed the event laughed and Esmeralda bit her lower lip, giggling slightly at the sight before taking off to join her friends.
When they felt that they had ran far enough, they slowed to a stop and bent over panting heavily. Esmeralda looked over at Tatianna with a smirk. "Do you feel better now that you were able to punch one?"
Tatianna laughed as she straightened up, smoothing out her skirt and fixing her scarf before finally placing her hand on her waist. "Oh you have no idea."
"That was close…" Clopin panted as he straightened up to smooth out his tunic, his instrument clutched in his other hand.
Aimee smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but jolted at the sound of oncoming soldiers. "Hide!" She whispered fiercely and before she could think, she grabbed Clopin's hand and tugged him into a nearby narrow alley, sinking as far as she can into the shadows. Tatianna dove behind a low food stand and pressed her back against it, curling up her body as best as she could to keep out of sight.
With no where else to go, Esmeralda grabbed a dark blue cloak that was hung out to dry as well as a lit pipe that was left carelessly on the sill of an open window. Djali seemed to know exactly what she was thinking and leapt onto Esmeralda's back. The gypsy then wrapped the cloak around them both and sank into a corner and both of them bent their heads low so that the hood would cover their face. She put the pipe in Djali's mouth and left the hat in front of her, making her to look like an old beggar. She was able to do this just in time as the soldiers were now rounding the corner.
"Make way! Make way for the Captain!"
"Go on! Make way!"
Esmeralda curled up more as the Captain passed her, fear of being recognized made her heart pound madly in her chest. She did not, however, expect him to drop a few of the coins that had fallen back into the hat.
As soon as she was sure that he was a good distance away, she pulled off the hood and she and Djali stared after the man curiously. What in the world was that about?
Clopin, Aimee and Tatianna came out of their hiding place and walked to Esmeralda just as she was standing up and Djali jumped off.
"Do you think he knew it was you?" Aimee asked, truly perplexed by this newcomer's behavior.
Esmeralda put out the pipe and picked up the hat and rolled them both up in the cloak, making sure it was secure, then tucked it safely under her arm. "I honestly have no idea."
"If he did why didn't he expose you?" Tatianna asked as she put her hand to her chin in thought, the other resting on her hip.
"I don't trust him." Clopin said suddenly and with such a serious tone that all three girls had to look at him to make sure that it was truly him that spoke.
"Clopin?" Aimee put her hand to her his arm, a concerned tone in her voice. Rarely had she seen such a dark expression on his usually cheerful face. Could it be because that was the very man who was enchanted by Esmeralda not too long ago? No…no that couldn't be it. Other men have done the same and never did he regard them with such distrust.
"What do you mean?" Tatianna asked, also surprised by the distrust in Clopin's brown eyes. True the man was a soldier, the Captain at that! But she could already see that there was something quite different about this particular soldier.
Clopin seemed to be in some sort of trance as he watched the Captain leave, heading straight towards The Palace of Justice.
After a few moments of silence, Esmeralda spoke up. "Clopin?"
That seemed to have snapped him out of his trance-like state and he shook his head before looking to Esmeralda. "Hmm?"
"Why don't you trust him?" Tatianna asked again.
He let out a long sigh and shrugged as he ran his hand through his hair. "I can't explain it…his aura just seems very off-putting. I see him and I see trouble. I don't know how else to put it."
Esmeralda thought about that as she directed her attention back towards where the Captain had disappeared to. It was rare for her childhood friend to be so quick to judge someone, even if that "someone" was a soldier. Perhaps it was because he was the newly appointed Captain of the Guard? She shook her head, not wanting to think about it any longer. She turned towards her friends and smiled, "We still have time before we have to help with the Festival of Fools. Let's dance a little bit more."
To the girls' relief, Clopin smiled and nodded eagerly. "Yes let's!" With the wide grin back on his face, the girls smiled as he led them to another part of the city to set up their next stage.
As the music played and their bodies swayed to the music, the tension from earlier had slowly become forgotten. They managed to earn a few more coins before having to wrap up and get ready for the Festival. It wasn't until while she was getting dressed did Esmeralda realize that the blonde hair and blue eyes of the Captain had begun to dig up a long forgotten memory. She frowned in confusion, trying hard to bring that memory to light. But no matter what she did, she just could not grasp it.
She sighed as she brushed her hair out and spoke out loud, "Oh well. I'll find out eventually." And so she pushed it aside, and began preparing for the big show.
Well there it is! Not much of an edit but there were small errors I found that just ticked me off and I had to fix them. PLEASE REVIEW!