Genesis Chronicorum β1: Hellfire

Chapter 31: Esmeralda

"It's the bellringer from Notre Dame!" said a civilian, everyone looked at Quasi in horror, he covered his face. Clopin tried his best to cheer the people of Notre Dame claiming Quasimodo was the new king of fools. Claude felt like burning the whole place from what everyone was doing, Quasimodo would think Frollo was wrong about the city and the world. Claude called out his lieutenant, and ordered him to make fun of the new king, his plan was for the others to have fun as well, which was the point of this whole event. They started throwing food at him, tying him down and spinning him. Claude looked away when Quasimodo begged for his help, he thought he needed such punishment.

When Pheobus asked permission to help Quasimodo, Claude felt like everything froze when the gypsy girl known as Esmeralda approached Quasimodo to comfort and free him. "You! Gypsy girl! Get down there at once!" commanded Claude to her, she didn't obey him, she took a knife and cut the ropes. "You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people! You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help!" Screamed Esmeralda, enraging Claude in a lecture he would have said to his father.

Claude: Silence!

Esmeralda: Justice!

Claude: Mark my words, gypsy. You will pay for this insolence!

Esmeralda: Then it appears we've crowned the wrong fool. The only fool I see is you!

Claude snapped when Esmeralda took the jester crown and threw it at him. He ordered Pheobus to arrest her, she was surrounded and later disappeared, making Claude think she was wicked and evil. Claude though it was Maria, alive again to take Claude with her. He thought she was mocking him when she made his guards drop his tent on him. She disappeared when he stood up and away from the tent. Claude approached Pheobus "Find her captain. I want her alive!" He got on his horse to confront Quasimodo, he was furious. He saw when Quasi walked back into the cathedral and canceled the rest of the festival, it started raining.

Claude saw when Pheobus entered the cathedral, as if he knew something. He followed him in and spotted the girl talking with the captain. He ordered Pheobus to take her outside and arrest her, however Pheobus notified him she claimed sanctuary. Claude didn't care for such claims, he insisted and stopped by his brother. Jehan reminded him to respect the rules and traditions of the church, Esmeralda was untouchable as long as she was inside the cathedral. Claude, angry and hating Jehan, dismissed his guards and turned away, he decided to hide. He wanted to speak to Esmeralda if she was to be alone. When she was, he quickly grabbed her wrist, and held her in place. She struggled, wanting to let her go free.

Claude: You think you've outwitted me, but I am a patient man, and gypsies don't do well inside stone walls.

Esmeralda: What are you doing?

Claude: I was imagining a rope around that beautiful neck.

Esmeralda: I know what you're imagining...

Claude: Such a clever which. So typical of your kind to twist the truth to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts. Well, no matter. You've chosen a magnificent prison, but it is a prison nonetheless. Set one foot outside and you are mine!

He swore he smelled Maria's scent when he smelled Esmeralda's hair, he wanted to deny his strange feelings. She was bewitching him, thinking she was Maria so he could be hurt again. At one part, he missed her, he missed how good she smelled, like flowers and good spirits, a womanly perfume. He enjoyed how he showed dominance to her, perhaps Maria could've stay if he would've done that before. When he left the cathedral, he immediately head back to the palace of Justice, when he got on his horse he remembered he still had her shawl. A memento and early gift from someone who will soon join him, he thought it was the perfect plan to stop this madness once and for all. He would have to summon and speak with the siblings if he needed advice on how to get what was rightfully his.