The Lady and the Gypsy (Clopin x OC romance)

Disaster and Pain

Clopin and his father carefully crept through the streets of Paris, stopping at each corner to check for guards.

They made it to the river where they were supposed to meet the gypsy's and waited the shadows.

Clopin glanced up. It was a cloudless night and the moon shone down brightly. It's glow making the cobblestone streets shine. Were the situation less stressful Clopin might have paused to admire it. 

He was brought back from his musings by a nudge from his father. A boat carrying an a pregnant woman, her husband, and a young boy of around eight. All three looked terrified, especially the little boy.

Harodain signaled to Clopin and the two of them moved to the to the riverbank. 

"Welcome," said Harodain quietly. Clopin placed a small money pouch in the hand of the boatman. 

"For your silence," he told him. Clopin helped the heavily pregnant woman out of the boat.

"We must hurry," whispered Harodain. The husband nodded. 

The five of them began to head back as quickly as possible. Clopin helped the wife while her husband kept a grip on the child. The streets were silent for the most part. It seemed luck was on their side.

They were about halfway there when seemingly out of nowhere a patrol of soldiers appeared. They spotted the group of gypsies. Immediately the five of them began to run. The guards were in hot pursuit.

They ducked into a small alley and the guards ran past. His father had an intense look of concentration on his face and Clopin knew he was trying to find a way out. He looked at Clopin.

"I'll distract them while you run. They'll be back any second." Clopin felt fear rush through him.

"Let me go, I..." 

"No," said Harodain sharply. "You are me heir and far more valuable." His gaze softened for a moment. "A king must make sacrifices. Now get ready to run."

Before Clopin could argue further his father had jumped out of hiding and shouted to get the guards attention. Clopin's belief in God was shaky at best but he sent a prayer for his father's safety as he ushered the family through the streets. 

They made it back to the Court and walked through the sewers. Clopin's heart was heavy. When they reached the main part of the Court he heard murmuring.

New families were not a strange sight but the absence of their king was not. Orfeus walked up to him.

"Where is Harodain?" he asked.

"He used himself as a  distraction so we could get away," replied Clopin who felt numb.

"We'll send a patrol out to see what happened," suggested Orfeus but Clopin shook his head. 

"No, if he's caught then there is little we can do. We can't risk more of us being captured. We'll know by morning." It killed Clopin to say this but he had to do the responsible thing. That's what his father would want even if every fiber of his being wanted to run back. 

He walked back to his tent, not wanting to answer the questions that were sure to come. He sat down on his bed, the sense of foreboding returning. What was he to do?

HoND

As Clopin had suspected it didn't take long to learn his father's fate. By the following afternoon an announcement of the gypsy King's capture had been given out and gallows were quickly erected. 

Frollo was obviously excited to execute his prisoner. Clopin felt sick at the thought of his father chained up alone in a dark cell. A rescue was out of the questions as the Palace of Justice was nearly impregnable and there wasn't even time to try.

Dusk, the time of his father's execution came far too quickly. Clopin dressed in a dark cloak to cover his gypsy attire made his way to the gallows in front of the Palace of Justice. A fairly large crowd was there to watch. 

Harodain stood proud on the raised platform. His face was covered in bruises but he kept himd his hands tied behind his back. Clopin knew his father would not be allowed to speak. Common French criminals could have some last words  but not a gypsy. Clopin scowled double standard

The (false) charges were read off as a noose was placed around his father's neck. Suddenly Harodain caught Clopin's eye. He held his father's gaze until the trap door was pulled from under Harodain and his neck broke. The snap seemed to echo around the square. Or perhaps it was simply Clopin's imagination.

Slowly people began to depart now that the spectacle was over. Finally all that was left was one guard watching the body. Clopin snuck around behind the guard and slit his throat. Clopin didn't like killing but he wasn't about to allow the guard the chance to call for help or be able to identify his attackers. 

Meanwhile Orfeus had moved to cut Harodain loose from the noose and swung the body over his shoulder. They might not have been able to stop Frollo from killing his father but they would not let his body be desecrated by being hung like a sausage in a butcher's window for all to see.

HoND

Once back at the Court Harodain was given a proper funeral his body was wrapped in a shroud woven by some of the women in the Court, and his body buried in the graveyard that led to one of the Court entrances. Then everyone gathered together to tell stories about him as was tradition. 

Clopin however couldn't stand to hear all these stories about his father and the endless condolence's that would come. He knew people meant well, but it was simply too painful. It wasn't until his feet had carried him out of the Court and halfway to the Clement's house before he knew who.

Author's Note: Poor Clopin! Hopefully Madeleine can help. Special thanks to everyone who has commented I love hearing my readers thoughts and I'm so glad people are enjoying this. Please leave your thoughts in the comments!