Love in a roundabout way

Chapter 1

The bells of Notre Dame echoed again as she walked across the forecourt with her father and sister and again spotted the puppeteer who was there as he was every day.

She found him fascinating, but her father and sister always looked at him and the others with disgust and hatred, somehow she hoped inside that he didn't think she was like them.

Clopin had caught sight of her and when their eyes crossed he gave her a smile and a wink, whereupon she blushed but also gave him a smile and a quick wave.

Antoine turned to her and looked at Clopin. "Stay away from that pack and remember, even if he is at war, you have a fiancé, so act like it" he admonished her sternly and pulled her roughly behind him.

Clopin scowled after him, he hadn't done anything, neither had she, he just didn't understand people, he felt a little sorry for her somehow, even though he didn't know her name, even though they had "known" each other for so long.

He usually saw her in the company of her father or sister and she didn't really look happy, well if she was lucky her fiancé would fall in the war, but would that really be luck? Her father would probably choose the next one.

Another day he actually saw her alone briefly and had sneaked up on her.

"All alone on the road Mademoiselle?" he asked her whereupon she whirled around and blushed again.

"Yes" she replied quietly, "Your father allows this?" he asked with a grin, which caused her to look to the ground.

"I have to go on" she said wanting to go on, he hadn't really meant to do that. "I didn't mean that, you often seem unhappy in his presence" he confessed to her.

"You are mistaken" she only replied and continued walking, yet he followed her which she noticed. "If you don't want my father to see you, you'd best leave" she advised him.

"Is that a threat?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously, which made her realise her mistake.

"N-no, I just don't want him to set the soldiers on you" she answered him immediately. This now made him look up and smile.

"Is that so?" he asked and immediately bowed, "Y-yes" she answered him and suddenly heard footsteps.

"Go away" she asked him softly with a pleading look. Clopin nodded but took her bracelet as he kissed her hand.

"You'll get it next time we meet" he promised and winked at her before disappearing and not a moment too soon.

"Did you get everything?" her sister asked, causing Victoire to nod immediately, "Good" came only the reply and they continued walking.

"Don't even think about it" her sister Emilie admonished her as she noticed Victoire looking at the stalls for the feast. "Sorry," she murmured and immediately followed her.

When they arrived home, her father nodded when he saw the shopping, "Where is your bracelet? "I must have forgotten it this morning, father," she replied quietly.

"Or did they steal it from you?" he probed further and had grabbed her wrist roughly, "W-what? No, of course not" she replied, he narrowed his eyes and slapped her across the face.

She lifted her hand to her cheek and noticed the tell-tale burning in her eyes. "I thought this was important to you, your mother left it for you for a reason, but you would trample on her legacy like that" he said contemptuously.

Then suddenly there was a knock and Emilie opened the door, "Phoebus" she said delightedly, "Hello" he greeted her with a smile.

Antoine grabbed his younger daughter by the arm and whispered to her, "I'll warn you if he notices anything," Victoire nodded intimidated, he didn't have to say the threat, of course Phoebus hadn't missed it.

"Antoine" he greeted him and shook his hand, "Phoebus, I see you have returned a splendid war hero" he said with a smile.

"Yes, you could say that" he said with a smile. "Victoire" he said delightedly and immediately embraced her, which she was only too happy to return.

"Phoebus, it's so good to see you" she said delightedly and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm glad to be here again too" he said softly, stroking her cheek gently. "Would you like to go for a walk?" he asked her, at which she looked first to her father, who nodded.

"Of course" she answered him and he held out his arm which she was only too happy to take and they left the house.

Victoire took a deep breath when they were outside, she felt she could breathe properly again.

"I seem to have arrived just in time, haven't I?" he asked her, to which she nodded. "Achilles" she called delightedly and immediately stroked the stallion, this made Phoebus smile.

Clopin looked at the two of them and his expression darkened, especially when he saw her cheek redden.

But he noticed that she seemed a lot more relaxed, so maybe he wasn't the one who had hit her. "Oh yes, it's about my mother's bracelet" she replied, this made Clopin look up and Phoebus also looked at her in surprise.

"Did you lose it?" he immediately inquired, to which she shook her head. "It wasn't stolen either, I wrote to you about the puppeteer" she explained.

Phoebus began to smile knowingly, "Yes I remember, don't tell me he has it, have you at least been able to find out his name by now?" he asked her.

"Y-Yes he took it with him as a promise that he would give it back to me when we met again" she confessed.

Phoebus sighed, "Please don't let your father hear this, I hope he actually gives it back to you, after all it's the last thing you have left of your mother" he reminded her.

She nodded and looked down at the floor, "Don't hang your head little one" he said softly, which made her look at him again with a slight smile.

Clopin looked at the bracelet in his hand, he had messed up big time, should he risk it now? He didn't know the Captain so it wouldn't be very smart, he hoped she would come to the feast later and disappeared.

"I have a little question Phoebus," she said softly, which made him look up because he could hear the uncertainty.

I hope you enjoyed it, see you soon~