Music was playing by the time Claude arrived at the Festival of Fools, he didn't seem to stomach any second he was there. His heart grew colder and crueler with each step the horse moving the carriage took. All of Notre Dame attended the festival, all except the church, like him, Jehan didn't like that sort of event but supported the people having a fun relaxing time when they can get entertained as long as they don't sin. Once the doors to his carriage opened he walked straight to his chair near the stage, he stood in the shadows not wanting to be the center of attention and become a fool for everyone to see. He noticed a grown up Clopin, a boy poor and unemployed, dedicated to waste his life making a fool of himself instead of helping people, like Claude and Jehan, bringing order to Notre Dame.
Clopin approached him, announcing a new entertainer. Claude felt disgusted by everything this new festival had, he wanted to suspend the event and for years to come. As soon as Clopin disappeared into nothing, both Claude and Phoebus saw a girl in a red dress, gold tiara holding a purple shawl. "Look at that disgusting display!" Said Claude, Phoebus seemed to enjoy it. As Claude saw the girl, he started feeling odd, he felt like he was going sick, or maybe he was just tired. As he saw her, he saw Maria. It couldn't have been her, she was gone. The girl called Esmeralda looked a lot like her.
Claude felt like it was a new opportunity made from the Triplets, a chance to start life again. They reincarnated Maria into a better person, a chance to love again. Perhaps he was finally losing it, perhaps he was admitting he needed someone by his side. Perhaps he can try to fix her, he remembered his father, how he chose his mother and turned her from gypsy to citizen. Claude could do the same and finally had something who was refused to him. He thought all those things as Esmeralda approached him, flirting and entertaining later to make a fool out of him. Her shawl on his hand, made him believe there was a connection. It was when his dark schemes started to build, slowly, spreading, thoughts of her plaguing his mind like a virus. Claude seemed to enjoy her show, yet he didn't show any emotion. He made sure to be strict enough like his role has to be, he kept the shawl hidden behind his robes.
Clopin gathered masked men to participate as the new King of Fools, it's when he noticed Quasimodo among them. He knew he disobeyed and now he feared Quasi might have to pay the price when Esmeralda tried to unmask him only for the people of Notre Dame to see the bellringer was among them. Claude was but much disappointed.
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Genesis Chronicorum β1: Hellfire
Historical FictionThe first book of my Genesis Chronicles. Before Claude Frollo became Judge and the most feared man in all of Paris, before his hatred for Gypsies, Frollo was but a young man who just wanted to live with the love of his life. Unfortunately, that neve...
