I had to stay in bed for a few more days. I felt so weak and drained. Although my heart wanted to get back to Quasimodo as quickly as possible, my condition was too bad to realize that. After staring at the wall depressed for the first 3 days and being completely absent most of the time, I didn't even know how I had eaten anything at all. On the fourth day, Raphael brought me a bowl of soup and handed it to me.
"Shall I?" he then asked as he grabbed the spoon and slipped it into the soup. He probably wanted to feed me! I was in such bad shape that he had to feed me. I turned my head away.
"Not hungry?" Raphael asked and I gave him the most angry look I could give him.
"Oh, that's fine... then eat yourself if you want," he said.
I took the spoon and raised it to my mouth. My hand shook a little, but I managed to eat the soup without making a mess.
"You seem to be doing better.", Raphael said.
I gave him a nod and continued eating.
"You haven't said a word in the past few days. I can't blame you...", said Raphael and sighed deeply, "But I would have liked to at least have known your name. I find it very impersonal to address you only as Madame."
"Regina," I murmured between my meals.
"Regina, well, I am at your service.", Raphael said and bowed.
"Notre Dame." I mumbled and continued eating.
"Yes, I know. But taking you there now would not be very wise. They are looking for you all over Paris," said Raphael.
"What?" I said, startled, dropping the spoon. He fell back into the bowl with a loud smack and we both got some of the soup in our faces.
Raphael wiped my face with a cloth, then he did the same to himself.
"Obviously your disappearance from the Bastille is proof that you are a witch," Raphael explained.
Nice shit. What was I getting caught up in again... I'm screwed. If I take just one step onto the street, I end up back in the Bastille. What should I do?
Raphael left Regina alone, she seemed to need time to organize her thoughts. Meanwhile, Raphael was thinking about what to do with Regina. She couldn't step out the door without risking arrest. He had taken care of her in a touching manner over the past few days, helping her with everything he could. He didn't mind. He'd seen far worse as a mercenary. It was clear to him that Regina would need more time to be able to get up at all. Then it occurred to him that the bell ringer would surely be looking for his wife.
. he decided to go to Notre Dame to inform Quasimodo. He didn't want to send a note because there was a high risk that it would fall into the wrong hands and Regina's whereabouts would be revealed. His efforts would have been in vain. Raphael wasted no time in leaving what would be today's rue Castex to head immediately west to Notre Dame. It took him less than 10 minutes to reach the cathedral and enter it. He looked around, maybe he was lucky, and the bell ringer was hanging around down here. Then he didn't have to climb the 400 or so steps into the tower. But he didn't see anyone remotely resembling the Hunchback, which wasn't particularly difficult with Quasimodo. Raphael sighed deeply when he realized that Quasimodo wasn't to be found down here. So he climbed the ca 400 steps. The whole number of steps had bothered him the first time. He had had to take breaks from time to time in order to be able to reach the top with some air in his lungs. It was the same this time. But when he was halfway there, a slight vibration went through the steps below and the bells rang. Halfway there they were damn loud and Raphael's ears hurt. He sat down on the steps and decided to wait for the bells to stop before moving on.
He stuck both forefingers in his ears to muffle the noise a little, but that didn't work. When the bells slowly fell silent, Raphael got up 5 minutes later and continued walking. He reached the upper gallery what felt like an hour later and went exactly where he had met Regina the first time. In the north tower.
He entered the tower and heard someone wailing.
"Regina... Where are you?" Said the voice that could only belong to the bell ringer.
Raphael had heard that the Hunchback had trouble speaking and hearing, so he cautiously stepped further into the tower and looked up, expecting to see the Hunchback somewhere there. After all, he had just rung. But Quasimodo hid behind him in the shadows. Raphael suddenly heard heavy breathing behind him, but even as he turned around, the hunchback stormed at Raphael: "Who are you?!" the hunchback said angrily as he almost easily threw the mercenary to the ground and threw himself over him placed.
"Wait, wait!" cried Raphael, raising his hands above his head as the hunchback raised his fist threateningly.
The bell ringer paused and stared at the man below.
"I know where your wife is," Raphael said.
Quasimodo dropped his fist and asked, "Where?"
"You have to come with me. It's too dangerous otherwise.", Raphael said.
The bell ringer rose and offered his hand to help Raphael up. When the mercenary stood in front of the hunchback, who was only half his height, Raphael was amazed at how this dwarf had managed to knock him over. He nodded to Quasimodo and gestured to follow him. Luckily the way down the stairs was less difficult than up, and when they left the cathedral they headed south, back to the house where Raphael had left Regina. Now it took him 15 minutes because the bell ringer was a bit slow with his limping gait.
When they reached Rue Castex, Raphael made for the house and climbed the steps to the first floor where he had his room. He knocked and a "Come in!" sounded from Regina.
"I brought you someone," Raphael said, then stepped aside to reveal Quasimodo. When the bell ringer saw his wife, his face beamed in a strange way. Quasimodo stormed towards the bed and hugged his wife warmly. She gasped in surprise at the stormy greeting. Raphael discreetly withdrew, leaving the couple alone. He was totally uncomfortable with the matter... He wanted to help Regina in every possible way and he had become so used to the thought that Regina had somehow grown dear to him. He couldn't explain how and why. But he would never have done this crazy curse from the Bastille before. As a soldier, he had always obeyed orders. But after the fate of the gypsy, he seemed to have changed his mind. Much wrong was done in the name of the law or in the name of God. However... He couldn't stop it, he knew that. But Raphael could help if he could. Did he feel sorry for Regina? Naturally. She had been through a lot and had a lot to process. She now had to tell the bell ringer about the fate of her child. Raphael sincerely hoped that the bell ringer wouldn't throw himself on him in his rage to kill him after all. After all, Raphael was partly responsible for the loss of her child. Raphael was convinced of that. He sat down on the last step and waited...
