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The sounds of Soldiers stomping in their boots echoed through the walls . Much to her dismay the Gypsy girl's body shook violently wondering what they were up to at this hour . Esmeralda's eyes widened as her hand fell upon the sharp blade of her knife. She almost laughed out loud. Are Soldiers really this incompetent? How could they forget to confiscate her weapon? Then a million thoughts raced through her head . and she did not have control over any of them. There was a storm inside her building from the previous weeks of battling the Archdeacon.
Choose me or the fire
That was the option he had given her . An option she had the night to consider. It felt like there was no way to win ….but maybe there was one unexpected way. The girl looked down at her knife once more…. contemplating the unthinkable .
Could she really beat Frollo at his own game? Just like that ? In just a few short moments she could deprive that bastard of all his sick pleasure . The psychotic Archdeacon would not get the satisfaction of watching her die by his hand for rejecting his creepy lust. Instead she would die at her own hand. The ultimate victory to best her enemy once and for all. The only victory possible. Her one chance at escape and the knife stuck to her side called to her. A tear fell from the girl’s eye realizing there was no choice anymore . No, the Gypsy didn't want to die. She loved life…..before Frollo that was. Nobody loved life and was filled with Spirit more than Esmeralda. But enough was enough right ? Honestly death scared her. What she wanted didn't matter anymore. The life that could have been didn't matter. She had to do this didn't she ? All she could think about was what kind of life she would have, and what notion of a slave her enemy would force her to be for the rest of her life if she didn’t follow through. I must do this she thought. Death is by far better and certainly much sweeter than life as the Bastard’s toy. Esmeralda held the knife up to her throat. If she was going to do this she had to act now before it was too late.
Come on Esmeralda you can do this. Just a few moments of pain and you will be free from it all. It all will finally go away. You just have to keep deepening the blade.
The Gypsy closed her eyes as she tightened the pressure of the blade upon her neck even further.
Goodbye
When suddenly Esmeralda heard a loud bang cling across the hard stone floor. She realized all the pain and tension had disappeared from her neck. When the girl opened her eyes she found her blade on the floor and a concerned blonde Soldier boy looking at her. . But she wasn't thrilled to see him….not anymore. Certainly not with that terrifying scowl on his face. Not that she cared in the least, being much more focused on being caught. Her perfect plan was completely undone and ruined. Handing the victory to her enemy.
The Gypsy let out a horrific scream. “WHAT DID YOU DO?”
“Apparently I'm saving your ass from doing something stupid.” Phoebus scoffed in annoyance. “How stupid can you possibly be?” He barked as if talking to another Soldier . “Are you crazy on top of everything else ?!”
“I just wanted to die…..I wanted to die…..i had to get away from HIM. We both know he LIVES to see my people cower and fear at his hands of death it brings him SO much SICK joy.” The girl spat, her breathing becoming shallow as she went on frantically. “ I didn’t want to give him the opportunity to see me so weak so defenseless" Esmeralda said again and again in between violent sobs that left her entire body trembling. Finally letting out a tormented scream of anguish, filling the room with all the pain she carried for far too long.
The blonde rolled his eyes. “Not like this Esme…..not like this. What on earth are you thinking? “
The girl bowed her head in shame. Phoebus had changed in the coming weeks . It was evident that the war declared on Paris was weighing on him greatly and even had clouded his heart . Her beloved is not even recognizable anymore. And the love and respect he once showered her with even less recognizable. And though she couldn't admit it up till now even to herself, it was she that was suffering the consequences of his abrupt change and terrifying attitude. Day in and day out telling her the fires were her doing for weeks. While The Archdeacon burned the city to the ground, Esmeralda’s nights were full of scoldings for actions she never intended for Frollo to do to anyone . She traded a monster for another monster. The evilly hurtful words of Phoebus sucked all spirit and life out of the girl until there was almost nothing left. The Phoebus that stood before was not the Phoebus she knew and loved. A truth that she even hid from herself out of fear. But to see her beloved so harsh and cold towards her at such a time was a fate far more unpredictable and shocking than any afterlife she was about to seek just moments ago. This revealed the truth in the loneliness of her cell.
“You do realize this little Tantrum of yours has cost us everything? If we do manage to escape tomorrow with our lives I can't even offer you my help or my love anymore.”
“What?” the Gypsy gasped as she slowly pushed herself towards the wall. putting her knees up to her head the girl, curling into a ball sensing danger once again. the once sweet gentle voice she loved roared like thunder waging the most shocking of insults. She wouldn't even look at him… she couldn't. “He tried to sexually assault me and wants to kill us all you know…and you blame me?” Her voice was unsure and quiet like never before.
“Think about it Esmeralda none of us would be in this mess if it weren't for you.”
“Phoebus pleas– "
The Soldier stood up violently with two loud stomps drawing close to be towering over what he now chose as his prey. So forceful in fact the frightened girl let out a broken whimper. This only encouraged the now evil male to throw the blade towards the wall directly next to her. The violent act of a man who once was gentle elicited a shriek from the terrified Gypsy. “Everyone is dying because of you. Hell you rather save yourself than try to save any of us that are here because of you to begin with. And yet you are thought of as selfless.” he chuckled, making a mockery of everything about the girl. “You truly are pathetic and much weaker than j thought you were. This is what I sacrificed my status and job for? But you mark my words Darling this is the end. “
Esmeralda took a long unsteady breath and looked up at a man that was now nothing more than a Soldier to her . A transformation happened inside her. It just so happened She had changed as well.
Relief filled every inch of her body . Determination poured from her
Soldier boy was doing her favor and now it was time to take it and run with it
After all there was no greater pain than to be blamed for the suffering of others. And now she would no longer be burdened with it….never again .
The Gypsy spat with absolute disgust and resentment. “You're exactly right, this is the end, now GO.”
Phoebus bent down and approached her so close they were nose to nose. And still the strong girl managed to keep her body and fear at bay. She was not afraid anymore. The fear from moments ago melted into bravery. She had certainly seen worse days than heartbreak. “You will never be able to repair the damage you have done . Not to me …..not to Paris”. He headed for the gate of the cell and turned around one last time. “Have a nice life Esme Bumble Bee…oh wait that's right you're going to die in the morning like the scum you are.” Satisfied with the girls wince at such a farewell the Ex Captain went back to snatch her blade from the stone floor and left to go await his own fate.
Esmeralda was too exhausted to cry any longer. She had to live now. She realized then her fairytale was no fairytale at all and Esmeralda had no desire to see the Soldier ever again. She may not be free of Frollo yet, but she was free of the true Phoebus that had come to light in the last few weeks. Especially tonight…. A night when she needed comfort the most she received further unspeakable destruction from the man she once cared for. A man she had learned to trust. A man that betrayed her in the worst of ways. He betrayed her through intense emotional damage in means to control her now that he had her trust and the war was drawing near. She lied to herself for weeks now justifying his new version of him that only caused the girl nothing but distress with the deadly harshness of his words , and sudden lack of care for her in already hard enough times. After all it was an easy thing to justify and agree with the blonde's monstrous words for Esmeralda already was blaming herself for the tragedies of Paris enough on her own.
As she grieved a now toxic love that she always knew that was too good to be true. There was nothing left to do but hope her mere existence would haunt the dashing Soldier boy. The Gypsy's embarrassment in trusting a charmer soon faded. Her embarrassment in staying faithful to him and begging her former lover moments ago faded. Esmeralda was a changed woman and the past didn't matter now. Esmeralda wanted to live now . Whether it was in spite of the cruelty she had seen and faced or other motivation, the girl found a new determination to defeat all odds and not only live but live the life she dreamed of when she first came to Paris. The greatest revenge of all . The fight inside her was surprisingly reborn. That night would now be spent planning an escape from the pyre. She was going to live now. Yes if Esmeralda was going to live happily ever after she had to make it happen. And she was determined to do just that with her own happiness alone. When the knife left her cell with the toxin she had been carrying, so did her guilt. Nothing but relief and hope remained. And that determination would forever remain. It was time for Esmeralda to focus on Esmeralda.
“ I will escape the pyre. I will outsmart the stupid Archdeacon. And most importantly I will make my Someday come true “ the strong willed girl whispered strongly as ever into the night. For some way somehow the past would disappear with that night and when dawn came a new life filled with spirit would become hers. She would do better than survive, Esmeralda would thrive in her own strength.