Chapter 85: The Forgiveness

It wasn't comfortable to start travelling at such an early hour, but Phoebus heard no objection from his friends when he said it was urgent. If anything, they seemed happy with the prospect of getting home sooner.

The thought of Esmeralda kept Claude happy in spite of his still painful injuries. He couldn't wait to give her a hug and tell her the news he was so dying to share. How wonderful it would be to finally solve the problem he'd created and make her happy.

After finally arriving in the next town, Claude was able to see a doctor and have his injuries properly tended to. As promised, Phoebus then bought him a drink at the local tavern, luckily early enough in the day that it was relatively quiet.

"Here's to a successful mission!" Phoebus said with a relieved smile, taking a long sip of his own drink.

"I'm sorry for getting you into that mess." Claude apologized. "I should have known Clopin wouldn't believe me without seeing Esmeralda."

"It wasn't nearly as bad for me as it was for you." Phoebus assured. "I'm sorry I didn't immediately rush in there when they attacked you."

"You were a serious help in the end, so I can look past that."

"Thanks, I really wasn't proud of it."

Claude wished it had taken less humiliation on his part for Phoebus to finally stop hating him, but the end result was ultimately worth it. He wasn't sure if this peace meant that anything like a friendship was possible, but it at least meant that Esmeralda would not again be hurt that someone dear to her was viewed hostilely by someone else she cared about. And needless to say, there was little that Claude was not willing to go through if it would make her life better.

"Well, I sure am looking forward to getting home." Phoebus said, smiling. "I've really been missing Annette. I'm sure you miss Esmeralda too."

"Of course." Claude admitted. "Frankly, I didn't know I was capable of being so attached to someone."

"The feeling is definitely mutual. She's crazy about you, you know."

Claude wondered at times if he was dreaming. That was what it felt like when he remembered that someone was in love with him. Someone extraordinarily wonderful, at that. Even at his most arrogant, Claude hadn't expected love from anyone. The loss of that arrogance and the realization of his wrongdoings had made him feel especially undeserving of love, and yet Esmeralda of all people had come to love him. Claude felt that Esmeralda was too good for him, not just because she was young and beautiful, but because she was a hero to him. He couldn't think of anyone so brave and unrelenting in the face of injustice, or someone else who would so easily give up everything for those they loved and even show kindness to someone they hated. Claude didn't feel worthy of the affection of someone like that. He probably never would.

"Sometimes I think I'm dreaming about that." He confessed. "It feels too good to be true."

"She always says great things about you." Phoebus shared. "I wish I listened more."

"What has she said?"

"That you mean a lot to her. That you treat her well. That she loves you."

Claude stared into the liquid in his cup. Although this seemed like something he should be happy with, hearing Esmeralda's sweet words about him made him sentimental. As wonderful as it was to be loved, being loved romantically without the possibility of a romantic relationship was a bittersweet feeling to say the least.

"She's very loyal too." Phoebus added.

Claude became curious. He already knew Esmeralda was loyal, but what was the context for Phoebus to observe this?

"What do you mean?"

Phoebus hesitated.

"I asked her about what was... Going on with you. She wouldn't tell me, though. She assured me there was a good explanation, but on your account she couldn't say what it was. That's just the kind of person she is. You can trust her with anything."

Claude wasn't surprised by that. He knew that Esmeralda wasn't the type of person who would go around telling his secrets. But while it was meaningful to know that someone could be trusted, seeing extra evidence of that made it even more meaningful.

"I... I'm sorry." Phoebus stuttered. "I shouldn't have tried to pry out information..."

"I don't blame you for being curious." Claude said honestly. "You walked into a baffling scenario."

He drained the rest of his cup.

"We should be going." He said, changing the subject. "I want to get home as soon as possible."

Phoebus nodded and finished his own drink. But just as they started on the road again, he made another comment.

"I think things will work out." He assured. "Between you and Esmeralda, I mean."

Claude hoped that was true. He hoped that he'd finally done what was necessary to make it possible for Esmeralda to fully forgive him, but he tried not to expect too much. He wouldn't know whether that problem was solved until he spoke to her.

"I'm sure they'll be back soon." Annette assured.

Esmeralda sighed.

Annette had been trying to calm her down for a few days now, ever since Esmeralda had paid her a visit to ask if she by chance knew where Claude and Phoebus had gone (not that it would have changed much, given that going after them wasn't terribly realistic even with a general area in mind). As it happened, Annette had not received this information because Phoebus had been dreading the journey in the days leading up to it and firmly avoided talking to her about it. But after realizing how distressed Esmeralda was over the situation, Annette had tried to offer as much comfort as possible. She'd been making visits to keep Esmeralda company and reassure her, which Esmeralda needed more than she admitted. She did have Quasimodo to talk to, but she wasn't seeing him as much as she normally would because she didn't want to interfere with his time with Elaine. Annette was still good company, although easing Esmeralda's concerns proved to be quite difficult.

It was apparent by now that Annette had not understood the danger of what Claude and Phoebus were doing when she'd encouraged it, just as they likely hadn't fully grasped the danger themselves. Her worries had certainly increased after finding out what her husband was getting into, but her trust in Phoebus had given her some comfort. Esmeralda tried to take comfort in the idea that seeing Phoebus would prevent Clopin from hurting Claude, but it really wasn't enough to stop her fears.

"I've been trying to think positive about it." Esmeralda said disappointedly. "But I'm so worried..."

"I have faith." Annette said confidently. "Even if something terrible happened, I know they'd do anything they could to get back to us."

Esmeralda had to agree with that. She didn't know much about Phoebus and Annette's relationship, but she knew it was a loving one. And when it came to Claude... Well, the extent of what he was willing to do for her was no mystery.

"Well, you're right about that." Esmeralda admitted. "I'm sure Phoebus would do anything for you. And I know Claude would do anything for me..."

Annette looked at Esmeralda caringly.

"If you don't mind me asking," She began. "Why is it that you and Claude still aren't together? To my understanding, the circumstances have improved."

Esmeralda remembered that she'd only told Annette half the reason for her current relationship with Claude. She'd previously named issues with friends (Quasimodo in particular) as the reason. But those circumstances had indeed improved, leaving the other reason to blame for how things currently were...

"There was another reason it didn't work out with us..." Esmeralda said sadly. "I'd rather not talk about it..."

"Oh, I see..." Annette acknowledged. "Do you think... it could be resolved?"

"Maybe. I don't really know..."

"Well, I do hope it works out. You know how I feel about love."

Esmeralda found herself wondering about Annette and Phoebus. She hadn't asked much about their relationship when she'd first heard of it because at the time it had been too emotionally difficult. But after getting over Phoebus and becoming more friendly with his wife, Esmeralda was interested in knowing how those two had gotten together.

"Out of curiosity," Esmeralda started. "How did you and Phoebus end up together?"

Annette smiled dreamily.

"Oh, it was a very happy experience. Although, it did start out rather unhappily. The first time I saw Phoebus, he was being carried into the hospital only a day after losing his hand. He was miserable then, but he was immediately placed under my care. I did everything I could to nurse him through the injury, then I helped him practice doing everything with one hand. It wasn't easy, he was awfully pessimistic, to tell the truth. Phoebus thought at first that he'd be useless if he wasn't full bodied, but I'd seen enough amputations to know that he was completely wrong, so I never gave up on him. We really bonded during that time, and eventually Phoebus said he felt more loved and believed in with me than he'd ever felt. He asked me to marry him then. I was surprised, but it was a very good surprise. I felt exactly the same way about him, so we agreed to get married and he left the Army."

Esmeralda had originally been shocked to find out that Phoebus had fallen in love with someone else, but it made more sense now. Annette had been willing to work with him through the difficult adjustment of losing his hand, a change that many would not have wanted to deal with. Most women wouldn't have wanted a one-handed husband, one who was presumably less capable of working and visibly set apart from others. It must have been such a hard time for Phoebus, feeling like he'd lost so much of his value along with his hand. It would have been quite meaningful for someone to still see his value and be willing to put in the effort to help him adjust to the change. It was no wonder he had fallen in love with Annette.

But something in Annette's words stood out to Esmeralda. Something odd.

"Hold on," Esmeralda said curiously. "Did you just say he left the Army?"

Annette looked confused.

"Yes. What about it?"

"That's not what he told me. He said the Army let him go because he lost his hand..."

"Did he not tell you? Phoebus didn't have to leave the Army. That would usually be the case with someone in his position, but Phoebus was different. He was still capable of fighting with one hand, and he had a reputation for being a good leader. The Army would have taken him back, but he insisted that he wasn't able to go back to war with one hand."

"Why?" Esmeralda questioned. "He must have been a soldier for such a long time. Why would he want to leave after all those years?"

"So we could settle down." Annette replied. "Phoebus couldn't stand the idea of leaving me, and I couldn't stand the idea of him being hurt or killed. I was married once before, and my first husband died in the war. I couldn't possibly handle losing Phoebus that way..."

This was Esmeralda's first time hearing that Annette had been married before. Not that it was hard to believe, as Annette did appear to be older than her, at least by five years. She was old enough that only recently getting married for the first time would be considered unusual for someone of her age. The same could be said about Phoebus, who was at least in his mid thirties judging by the likely period of time he'd spent in the Army (military life was probably the only thing that had kept him from marrying sooner).

"I didn't know you lost your husband..." Esmeralda said in shock. "I'm so sorry..."

"It was a horrible thing to go through..." Annette admitted. "Even though it wasn't the same with him as with Phoebus. I wasn't really in love with my first husband. We were friends, but we got married for the sake of convenience. It's so hard to get by as a single woman, as I'm sure you know. I did miss him when he died, but the marriage itself didn't feel like much of a loss. When I found a place for myself at the hospital, I didn't think I would ever get married again. It just seemed to me that marrying for actual love was more than I could ask for. Until I met Phoebus, anyway! I was really so fortunate to find him, not everyone gets the chance to be with someone they really love. That's why I feel so strongly that people who love each other should be together. I hope you and Claude can have that."

Esmeralda suddenly realized the rareness of what she had with Claude. In this society, ending up with someone you truly loved was not a given. Marriage was usually considered a necessity, something that had to be done whether you were in love or not. Men needed wives if they wanted to have children and continue their bloodlines. The pressure was even greater for women, who had few opportunities to make a living without a husband. There was also the issue of sex, which the church insisted was to be reserved for marriage. Anyone who wanted sex without guilt felt a need to marry.

The pressure to marry was so great that love was sometimes forgotten about. People worried about marrying someone who could meet their needs more than marrying someone they loved. The best thing one could usually hope for was to meet someone they liked who just so happened to be a good candidate for marriage, and end up sincerely falling for that person after they were married. Most people didn't even have time to fall in love before being married, unless they were wealthy enough that the manual labor of peasant life didn't take up the time that could be used to properly get to know someone.

Esmeralda wondered how she'd overlooked this. She had something with Claude that some people went their whole lives without. Falling intimately in love was far from a guarantee in life. To know someone the way Esmeralda and Claude knew each other was not a common experience...

Suddenly, those sentimental thoughts were halted. The sound of the front door opening just down the hallway got Esmeralda's attention. No one was expected at the Palace of Justice. This could only mean one thing!

Annette noticed it too, so she and Esmeralda both ran down the corridor to get to the main hall.

Claude was limping his way inside, looking seriously hurt. Phoebus, who was partially holding him up, was somewhat bruised himself. Still, they both smiled at the sight of Esmeralda and Annette.

"We're home!" Phoebus said unnecessarily.

"Not too soon, I hope?" Claude jested.

Esmeralda felt joyful tears well up in her eyes. With a wide smile, she rushed to Claude and put her arms around him while Annette ran up to her own husband.

"It's so good to see you!" Esmeralda cried.

She stepped back a little to better look at Claude, looking over him worriedly.

"What happened to you?" She asked.

Claude and Phoebus looked at her guiltily.

"Uh..." Phoebus struggled.

"Please tell the truth." Annette begged, putting a hand on Phoebus' shoulder. "Esmeralda already knows where you've been."

"You told her?!" Phoebus asked in shock.

"No." Esmeralda said firmly.

She looked at Claude sternly, folding her arms.

"I found the letter." She informed.

Claude stared at her, flushing with shock at her sudden anger.

"Esmeralda..." He pleaded. "I didn't tell you because-"

"Because you were afraid of disappointing me?!" Esmeralda interjected. "You could have been killed! Do you think that would have been better?! I couldn't take it if anything happened to you!"

She turned to Phoebus.

"Or you!" She added. "Why did you agree to this?!"

"I really thought it would be safe!" Phoebus insisted. "We thought since you introduced me, Clopin would see me as a friend and everything would be fine. I really didn't think this would happen, but he didn't believe us when we tried to tell him what was going on. It all happened so fast, we-"

"Wait..." Esmeralda interrupted.

Her angry expression had turned to one of shock.

"You really found Clopin?"

Esmeralda had assumed from the injuries that Claude and Phoebus had encountered people who had left Paris, maybe even people she personally knew. But she hadn't assumed that they'd met Clopin himself, both because he was hard to track down and because it was hard to imagine that Claude could get away from him alive, or at least without more severe injuries.

"We did." Claude confirmed. "He... misses you quite a lot."

Esmeralda was fully gaping. After all this time, she was finally hearing news about Clopin. This meant he wasn't out of her life for good. There was somewhere he could be found, and he was thinking of her...

"I'll tell you everything." Claude promised. "But... Could we do it somewhere else? I should probably sit..."

Esmeralda was sorry when she realized that Claude hadn't even been able to sit before she'd started questioning him. She remembered that he was struggling to stand and Phoebus was holding him up.

"Oh, of course!" Esmeralda blurted out. "I'm so sorry!"

They went into another room, where Phoebus helped Claude into a chair.

"How are you feeling?" Phoebus asked.

"Well enough." Claude replied. "Thanks to your help."

Phoebus nodded respectfully.

Esmeralda questioned what she was seeing. Since when did Phoebus have any concern for Claude?

"I think Annette and I should get going." Phoebus announced. "We'll meet again soon, but I think the two of you could use a little space to catch up."

There were things Esmeralda wanted to speak to Phoebus about. She wanted to know why he was being more respectful now. She also wanted to ask why he'd lied about being kicked out of the Army. But Annette had been without her husband for long enough, so it was probably best to let them have some time alone. Esmeralda could talk to Phoebus later. Right now she would talk to Claude, who clearly had a lot to tell her.

"Alright." Esmeralda accepted. "I'll see you both soon. Thanks for coming over, Annette."

"Of course." Annette said with a smile.

When the couple left, Esmeralda turned her attention to Claude. She couldn't believe how pained he looked. It made her sorry for yelling at him.

"Claude... What happened to you?"

She walked up to him, putting her hands on his shoulders. But Claude winced and grabbed the hand that touched his injured shoulder.

"Be careful!" He warned, moving her hand off him.

He pulled back the neckline of his shirt to show part of the bandage covering that area. Esmeralda looked at it in terror.

"Did Clopin do that to you?..." She asked.

"Yes." Claude replied, recovering his shoulder. "That was the worst of it, though. I'm really not too hurt."

"You're hardly walking!" Esmeralda reminded.

"I did take a bit of a beating." Claude admitted. "And stepped on a broken bottle that some careless fool dropped... But other than that-"

Claude was interrupted by Esmeralda kneeling down and pulling his boots off, finding his injured foot and examining it.

"It really isn't that bad." Claude insisted.

"It must have been painful, though..." Esmeralda said worriedly, taking the thorough bandaging into account.

"Don't worry, please." Claude begged. "It was all rather a fright, but I'm fine now."

He meant it. The pain was a nuisance, but he really was fine as long as he was here. This was a safe place, and Esmeralda was with him. Claude was where he wanted to be.

Esmeralda stood up, looking into Claude's eyes.

"What happened?" She asked. "Tell me everything."

Claude told her the story of the journey, from start to finish. Each new detail was more surprising than the last. Esmeralda was amazed to find out that Phoebus had finally come to understand Claude, and even more amazed that Claude had found peace and closure over his first love. Despite the pain the journey had put him through, it seemed to have done him much good.

"It sounds like this trip was a pretty good thing for you." Esmeralda observed, starting to smile.

"Yes, I suppose it was." Claude agreed. "But more importantly, I know where your brother is. I can take you to him."

Esmeralda smiled even more. Claude was very happy to see that. This was exactly what he'd been hoping for. Nothing could be as wonderful at this moment as seeing Esmeralda truly happy.

"I really am sorry that I didn't tell you." Claude apologized. "I thought it was best for you, but I should have realized how Clopin would take this..."

"Don't worry about it now." Esmeralda said reassuringly.

She cupped her hand against his face, smiling with happy tears in her eyes.

"You're forgiven." She told him. "For everything."

Claude struggled to react. Everything? Did this mean what he thought it meant?

"Everything?" He asked in disbelief. "You mean..."

"Everything." Esmeralda repeated, her smile showing that she meant exactly that.

Claude took a moment to absorb it, but when he did he was overjoyed. His expression soon matched hers and he pulled her into a tight hug. They hugged for a long minute, crying tears of joy.

"Thank you!" Claude practically sobbed. "I'm so glad..."

"So am I." Esmeralda returned happily.

Claude pulled away from her when he remembered what he'd brought back. He quickly opened the satchel he'd been carrying and pulled out the book, handing it to Esmeralda.

"I brought you a gift." Claude said proudly.

"I thought you didn't like Chaucer." Esmeralda brought up after reading the cover.

"I didn't. But that was at a very different time. I know you'll enjoy this book, and I suspect you could help me enjoy it."

Claude looked at Esmeralda with a playful smirk. She returned the look.

"I would love to." She said excitedly. "After I find out how things end for Sir Gawain!"

"But of course." Claude assured.

They looked into each other's eyes, smiling sweetly, lovingly...

To Claude's surprise, Esmeralda put the book down and put her hands on his head, leaning down toward him and kissing him. Claude kissed her back eagerly, enjoying it more than he'd ever been able to enjoy a kiss.

Finally, everything was okay between them.

That took a while, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I have a few more coming to wrap up the story, so stay tuned! Thanks so much for your continued patience and interest in my story!