Chapter 32: The Reunion

Esmeralda couldn't believe her eyes. It was impossible. He couldn't be here.

But it was him, the man whom Esmeralda had fallen for and barely had a chance to kiss.

She sported the largest smile that had crossed her face in years.

"Phoebus!"

Esmeralda immediately threw her arms around him, her head slamming against his chest.

"Oh, it is so good to see you!" She cried.

He hugged her back.

"It's good to see you too, Esmeralda." Phoebus said gladly.

He pulled her off of him to look at her face.

"Are you alright?" He asked nervously, inspecting her. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine." Esmeralda assured. "Much better than fine, actually!"

Phoebus smiled weakly. It wasn't the kind of smile that Esmeralda expected, one of someone who was ecstatic to see her. It was sad. Phoebus looked as if he was secretly disappointed. But Esmeralda dismissed it, chalking it up to meeting in such an awkward setting.

"How did you get here?" She asked. "You went back to war!"

"I never got there." Phoebus corrected. "The Army let me go."

"Really? Why?"

Phoebus frowned, lifting his right arm in front of his body. Esmeralda gasped. She realized that he lacked a hand on that arm.

"I was sent away with a military escort." Phoebus explained. "But there weren't enough of us. Bandits attacked and the rest is history."

"That's horrible!" Esmeralda exclaimed. "Phoebus, I'm so sorry..."

"Don't worry about me." Phoebus said with a smirk.

He lowered his handless arm and, with his other arm, grasped the handle of a sword that was tied to his belt.

"Between you and me, I can fight just as well left-handed."

Esmeralda smiled. It was a relief to see Phoebus in good humor as usual, even after being maimed.

"But never mind that." He brushed off. "I need to help you, now. What are you doing up here? I expected to find you in the dungeon."

The dungeon? Of course... Phoebus didn't know why Frollo had hunted her down. It wasn't something the judge would have advertised. Esmeralda had only suspected the reason due to Frollo's comments after trapping her in the church. And it had only been confirmed when he'd ordered her to choose him or the fire.

"You don't know, do you?" Esmeralda asked.

"Know what?"

"Why he insisted on finding me..."

"What do you mean? I thought he just had a grudge against you! Because of the festival!"

"It was more than that..."

"What?"

Esmeralda couldn't find a way to say it, knowing that Phoebus would be livid and disappointed. But as he looked at her and his expression changed, she saw that he was putting the pieces together.

"No..." He said in disbelief. "Frollo... You..."

"We're married." Esmeralda finally let out.

Phoebus nearly choked on his own breath. He looked from Esmeralda to the floor, gaping.

"Oh God..." He muttered. "Esmeralda, I... Well, don't worry! I'm getting you out of here! First I'll slit Frollo's throat, and then-"

"NO!" Esmeralda interjected.

Phoebus stared at her, bewildered.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

"I won't let you hurt him!" Esmeralda insisted.

"But, Esmeralda... Look at what he's done! He deserves it!"

"No, he doesn't! He's not like that anymore! He's changed!"

"Changed?! What on earth do you mean by that?"

"He's sorry for all of it! I know that's hard to believe, but he really is! He apologized to me, and to Quasimodo. He's trying to make amends. I'm not being held here. I came here tonight by choice!"

Phoebus struggled to acknowledge what he was hearing. The idea of Frollo trying to make amends was ridiculous, but Esmeralda wouldn't say it if it wasn't true.

"I don't understand..." Phoebus gasped. "Why would he just change?"

"It's a long story." Esmeralda replied. "But I was there for every part of it. He really has set out to make things right. You have to believe me!"

"I..." Phoebus attempted. "I trust you, Esmeralda. If you say he's changed then I suppose I believe you. But I'm confused. I would have thought that you'd run away and never look back if he allowed you to."

"That's what he thought too." Esmeralda reminisced.

"So what are you doing here?" Phoebus asked. "Don't tell me you've already forgiven him!"

"I wouldn't say that. But I don't hate him anymore. In fact... I care about him."

"What?! Esmeralda... What happened to you? You don't have to care about him just because he apologized!"

"I cared about him before that."

"What?! Why?"

"I... got to know him. He's just a normal person. And he's in pain. I couldn't help caring, even though I hated him."

"He's in pain? What do you mean by that?"

"Don't ask, it's complicated. But I'm serious about this."

Phoebus shook his head in shock.

"This is... hard to wrap my head around." He expressed.

"I understand." Esmeralda said with a frown.

She didn't expect Phoebus to understand this. He didn't know Claude like she did. And even if he'd had her experiences, he likely wouldn't have been able to do as Esmeralda had done, to care for someone whom she truly hated.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Phoebus asked.

Esmeralda's heart sank.

"Yes..." She replied.

Phoebus waited, his attention grasped by the apologetic sorrow in Esmeralda's eyes.

"Phoebus... I slept with him."

"Well, that's not your fault!" Phoebus defended. "You were forced!"

"It wasn't like that." Esmeralda said ashamedly. "I... wanted to."

Phoebus stared at her silently for what seemed like an hour. This was the most shocking thing he had heard yet.

"You... What?"

Esmeralda sighed.

"I'm not the angel you think I am." She said disappointedly. "I'm just a girl. A girl who has desires..."

"But... Frollo?"

"I didn't want it with him specifically. He was the LAST person I wanted! But... I had urges, and no one else to fulfill them."

Phoebus touched his hand to his forehead, still gaping.

"You slept with Frollo..." He muttered.

"Phoebus, please..." Esmeralda begged. "I did it because I thought I would never see you again. It doesn't mean I want to be with him! I want to be with you!"

Phoebus looked at Esmeralda with a serious expression.

"Esmeralda..." He said sadly. "I have something to tell you too."

Esmeralda waited, unsure of what this could mean. What secret could Phoebus possibly have to tell her?

"I'm in love..." He revealed. "...With someone else."

"What?!" Esmeralda cried.

He was in love? With someone else? How could this be?!

"After I lost my hand," Phoebus started. "I had to go to a hospital. There was a nurse who tended to me. She was very sweet. We talked a lot and got to know each other, and she didn't mind that I was one-handed. I came to love her and... I've asked her to marry me."

Esmeralda felt tears begin to form in her eyes. She'd expected Phoebus not to want her, but not for this reason. She'd never imagined that the man she loved could have fallen in love with someone else.

"She said yes." Phoebus clarified.

"But...But..." Esmeralda stuttered. "You've only been gone a few weeks..."

"Esmeralda..." Phoebus sighed. "I only knew you for a few days."

Esmeralda felt the reality of their relationship sink in. Of course he didn't love her that much. They'd only had a total of three conversations. They'd only kissed one time. Whatever there had been between them had not had an opportunity to last.

Not for Phoebus, at least. It had lasted for Esmeralda. She'd only assumed that Phoebus wanted her as much as she wanted him...

"...Why are you here, then?" Esmeralda asked as a tear slipped out of her eye. "Why did you come for me if you love someone else?"

"What do you mean?" Phoebus asked. "I still care about you! I couldn't just leave you to suffer!"

"And what about your fiancée?" Esmeralda asked.

"She knows about you." Phoebus replied. "I told her everything. I came here with her full blessing."

Esmeralda looked at the floor, unable to face Phoebus. She was too hurt by his loss of interest.

"I came here to save you." Phoebus told her. "But... if you don't need saving, I suppose I'll be on my way."

"I really wanted us to be together..." Esmeralda mourned.

Phoebus looked at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry..." He said sincerely. "Please... Don't think this means anything bad about you. You're wonderful. I just... found someone else."

Esmeralda felt pathetic, both for being passed up and for thinking Phoebus would only want her. All she could hope for now was that she might not lose him completely.

"Are we still friends?" She asked.

"Of course." Phoebus assured. "I'll always be your friend."

Esmeralda barely smiled. It was a minor relief, but not enough.

Phoebus took her in a comforting hug and kissed her cheek. Esmeralda was heartbroken by the knowledge that he would never touch her more than this.

"I'll come to your wedding." She promised. "If I'm invited."

"Absolutely, you are." Phoebus confirmed. "I'll reach out to you about it one of these days."

"Thank you." Esmeralda said gratefully.

They said goodbye. Phoebus left the room and disappeared down the hallway. When she thought he was far enough away, Esmeralda collapsed to her knees, crying profusely.