| �Second Chances�
by Christy Chapter 11 �Good morning Apollo. Time to get your chariot � Phoebus rolled over in bed and groggily opened one eye to find that he was staring up at the cheery face of Minerva, who was seated on the end of his bed, already wearing her finest blue dress. �Rise and shine � she said in her perky voice. �It�s time to begin the most important day of your life � �I don�t recall asking you to get me up,� mumbled Phoebus. �Well if I hadn�t, you would have slept through your own wedding �said Minerva. �What would Esmy have said?� �Perhaps she would have rejoiced because she wouldn�t have you for a sister-in-law.� �Oh, that was sweet,� scoffed Minerva. �I can tell you�re all happy and excited about the big day.� �I am when I�m ready,� muttered Phoebus, turning over and closing his eyes. �Come on,� Minerva said in a rather loud voice as she pulled the pillow out from under his head. �You know, you�re very bad at this groom thing. Don�t you know that the groom is supposed to be unable to sleep on the night before his wedding? He�s supposed to lie awake all night thinking about his bride � �For your information, I did,� growled Phoebus. �Well, that explains why you�re so cheerful this morning,� Minerva laughed. �Anyway, I�ll leave you to get dressed now. Maybe I�ll go pay a little visit to the best man.� She threw the pillow down on his head and scampered out of the room. �Fine, go pay a little visit to the best man,� Phoebus said as he struggled to get out from under the pillow. �Go plan another wedding. I don�t care.� He flipped the pillow back under his head and went back to sleep. Meanwhile, the bride could have no such luxury as sleeping late. Since the very first rays of dawn had appeared on the horizon, all the gypsies had been bustling about with wedding preparations. All age groups were busy, from the gypsy elders, who chanted out blessings for the marriage, to the children, who gathered flowers to be used as decorations, handing some of them to Esmeralda to be used in her bouquet. Esmeralda would kindly sniff each flower, pat the child who had given it to her on the head, and add it to her already large bouquet. Her bridesmaids told her that the flowers were becoming quite a large load, but she would only smile. Musicians could be heard in every direction as they practiced their instruments, creating a rather jumbled background sound for the preparations. In addition to the music, the decorations, the tables, and even the food were in their first stages of development. Throughout all the hustle, the bride and her maid of honor remained somewhat calm, or at least it seemed that way to their fellow gypsies. �Are you nervous?� Melenie asked as she rubbed Esmeralda�s shoulders. �The smell of flowers calms me down,� replied Esmeralda with her nose in her bouquet. Melenie eyed the flowers. �You know, you should probably get those in water so they�ll last until tonight.� Esmeralda nodded. �You�re right.� �I�ll get a jug and we can fetch some water at the river.� �Be sure it�s not the one we�re going to break tonight � joked Esmeralda. Melenie laughed as she ducked inside her tent. �How�s this one?� she asked as she emerged with a jug in her hand. �Perfect,� said Esmeralda. The two made their way to a small stream that flowed just outside the Gypsy camp and knelt down at the bank. Melenie dipped the jug into the stream, filling it with cool water. Esmeralda slipped her flowers into the jug. �Beautiful,� she murmured. �Beautiful like the bride,� said Melenie as she let one foot slip out from under her and dip into the stream. �Or beautiful like the bridesmaid,� said Esmeralda, also letting her feet slip into the stream, hoping the cool water would calm her nerves. �Which bridesmaid? You have four of them � said Melenie, dipping in her other foot. �The maid of honor, of course,� said Esmeralda as she leaned back to absorb the morning sunrays. It felt good to be able to relax for a moment before she�d have to hectically get herself ready for the wedding. The fish in the pond tickled her heals with their fins as they flicked past her. The light morning breeze cooled her face, helping her to resist the temptation to jump in the water. The thick odor of the daisies and carnations that grew around the stream filled her nostrils with sweetness. In this lingering moment, she for once wasn�t thinking about her husband to be, but simply absorbing the beauty of the place. �Esmeralda! Melenie! � The sound of Quasimodo�s voice brought her back to reality. �Quasimodo?� she called. Quasimodo ran up to the two gypsies, wearing a rather amused look on his face. �Soaking your feet for the party?� �Well...we were fetching water for Esmeralda�s bouquet, but we kind of...got distracted,� admitted Melenie. �Distracted by the relaxing water, I see,� said Quasimodo. �Anyway...Minerva � The women turned to find Minerva heading toward them, and she looked like she was already dressed for the wedding. �Quasi � she called. �What a coincidence - I was just coming to see you.� �Really? Well I was just coming to see your brother...� said Quasimodo, �...a-and you � he quickly added. �Ah, so the best man wanted to help the groom calm himself,� said Minerva. �You might say that,� said Quasimdo. Meanwhile Esmeralda and Melenie reluctantly took their feet out of the water and rose. Esmeralda picked up her jug of flowers, and the two gypsy girls walked away, barely being noticed by Quasimodo and Minerva. �Well, I can certainly see how this stream can distract you from your duties,� said Minerva, discreetly stepping out of her shoes. �Yes - you�re getting distracted yourself,� said Quasimodo, though his own feet were stepping out of his shoes as well. Minerva sat down on the bank and dipped her feet into the water. �Well, my current duty was to pay you a visit, and since you�re here, I�ve fulfilled that duty.� Quasimodo found himself sitting down next to her without really thinking. As he stuck his feet into the water, his head remained turned to the side, gazing at Minerva and how elegant she looked sitting among the flowers with her feet in the sparkling pond. �It�s...it�s lovely here,� he began. �Mmm-hmm,� Minerva replied lazily. Her right hand slowly slipped out from under her and gently plucked a carnation from its stem. Her left hand then reached over and wrapped its soft fingers around Quasimodo�s wrist. �Here,� she said, carefully opening Quasimodo�s fingers and dropping the flower into his palm, �the best man should have a flower in his lapel tonight.� Quasimodo was briefly at a loss for words as he felt the soft petals given to him by an even softer hand. He looked up at Minerva for a second, as though confused about what to do next. �Is something wrong?� asked Minerva. �Haven�t you ever been given a flower before?� �Actually...no,� said Quasimdo. �But I think when someone gives you a flower you�re supposed to thank them.� �Yes, that�s usually the way things go.� �Well then, thank you,� Quasimodo said awkwardly. He felt that a somehow a simple thank you wasn�t enough to show gratitude for this gift. It was a piece of nature, after all. No polite little thank you could repay it. After a moment or two, he stretched his hand out and plucked the biggest carnation within his reach. With a sweeping motion of his arm, he handed the flower to Minerva. �Here,� he said, � you should have something pretty for the wedding also.� Minerva gave another one of her extremely wide smiles as she took the flower. Dimples again appeared on her cheeks at the ends of her mouth. She held the flower up to her nose and deeply inhaled the sweet odor. �Thank you, Quasi,� she sighed as she braided the flower into her hair. Quasimodo continued gazing at her and admiring how the pink petals complemented her golden hair. And how the reflections of the pond�s ripples doing their hypnotic dance were so elegant on her face. And how her skirt spread over the grass creased just right. He knew he should be moving on with his duties and assisting with the wedding preparations, but movement seemed impossible. He was tranced by this moment of tranquility, and also, he was fiddling with a bit of confusion. He had previously thought that people only gave each other flowers if they were in love. �Quasi, how do I look?� �Phoebus, you look fine I�ve only told you that five times � �Oh Quasi, he can�t help it,� chided Minerva. �A man�s wedding day is the only time when he�ll spend hours in front of the mirror.� �Yes, but I don�t imagine it�s usually a mirror in the hallway of a boarding house.� The bellringer and the twins were standing in the boarding house hallway as they all awaited the carriage that would escort them to Notre Dame for the wedding. Phoebus had been spending most of the time pacing up and down the hall and fussing with his hair in a mirror on the wall. �Well, he can�t help it if there�s no mirror in his room,� said Minerva. �But, if you want me to calm him down, I can give it a try.� She walked over to Phoebus and stepped between him and the mirror. �Here,� she said, touching his shoulders. �Relax. I�d massage you, but you�re wearing hard armor, so you�ll just have to pretend I�m massaging you and relax by yourself.� �How helpful,� Phoebus said sarcastically. �Well, if you want me to be helpful, then I can offer you some advice,� quipped Minerva. �At the alter, be sure that you say �I do� and not �I don�t.� Don�t let the armor rattle - that would be very embarrassing. And also,� She gave a mischievous grin. �make sure the ring bearer doesn�t steal your rings � �If the ring bearer does steal the rings, I�ll blame you for teaching him � �Well if you find them in the cooking pot, you�ll have yourself to blame there � �Hey, you two,� interrupted Quasimodo, �I�m afraid I�ll have to interrupt your little sibling bicker - our ride is here.� �Ohmygod � exclaimed Phoebus. �Do I look all right??� �Yes, yes,� Quasimodo said quickly. �Now come on � The threesome scampered down the stairs and practically flew out the door. One by one, they piled into the carriage. �Quasi?� Phoebus said as the carriage began to move. �What?� �How do I look??� Quasimodo stood in the hall. He should be up in the tower, he knew that. The wedding would begin any minute now, and he had to ring the bells; he had no time to linger. He should be up in the tower...but his feet were frozen in place. She was there. Esmeralda stood a few feet away from Quasimodo, surrounded by her four bridesmaids. Her gorgeous black hair curled around her shoulders, contrasting with her white wedding gown. Her full red lips were curved upward into a content smile. Her beautiful, wonderful, marvelous emerald eyes shone like a bonfire on a winter�s night. Quasimodo gaped as she looked over at him and waved. He timidly waved back, mumbling something that sounded like, �Good luck, Esmeralda,� then he had to use all his willpower to turn away. How could he still be smitten after over a year? He�d asked himself this question numerous times before, and though it had been less frequently in recent weeks, the answer still eluded him, perhaps because he would not admit the answer to himself. He slowly started to walk away from her. �You loved her, didn�t you?� Quasimodo froze in shock, not simply because someone was watching him, but because he had just heard his greatest secret spoken aloud. After a moment or two, he gradually turned his head to face the speaker. �Minerva??� �You don�t need to deny it, Quasi,� said Minerva. �I can see it.� Quasimodo couldn�t speak. His mouth went dry, partly out of surprise and partly out of shame. Shame of his envy, shame of self-pity, and shame of being witnessed. How could he have gazed at an engaged woman like that - and on her wedding day no less What kind of weakling was he?? He felt especially shameful to have been caught by Minerva, whom he respected so deeply. It felt like he had insulted her by gaping at Esmeralda. He wanted to hide away, for he didn�t deserve to be looked at by Minerva�s royal blue eyes. What a worthless, disrespectful fool he was. But Minerva didn�t seem at all offended - or surprised. She gently placed a hand on Quasimodo�s shoulder. �Quasi...� she said, �...it�s all right.� Quasimodo still couldn�t bring himself to speak. �Love has a mind of its own, Quasi,� Minerva continued. �And you�re daft if you think you can control it. The reason why love strikes isn�t always clear.� She paused for a second anf raised a brow while slightly turning her head, as though she was trying to convey something else without saying it aloud. Quasimodo�s mouth hung open, but not a word came out. What words would be a suitable response? His head dipped down in shame. Minerva�s hand slipped off Quasimodo�s shoulder and lightly touched his chin, then she gently pushed his head up so that his eyes met hers. �I-I�m...I�m sorry,� he whispered. Minerva�s royal blue eyes gazed directly at his. �I fully understand, Quasimodo.� With that remark, her hand slipped off his chin and her body walked away. Quasimodo stared after her, ashamed of his behavior and puzzled by hers. What he wouldn�t give to be able to travel a few minutes back in time and walk away from Esmeralda. Why was he so weak, so foolish, so insensitive? Shame on him At this moment he realized that he had never before felt ashamed of his feelings for Esmeralda, though she had loved another for over a year. Until now, he had thought of himself as a poor, heartbroken victim of lost love. Now, suddenly, he felt like a cad. As he made his way up to the bells, the incident stayed inside his head despite efforts to drive it away, reminding Quasimodo of the true reality of his situation. Esmeralda would never be his. Up...down...up...down...Quasimodo feverously yanked on the bell rope to sound out the music of the wedding and announce the ceremony to the world. Many townspeople down below found the tone of the bells joyous, but a select few who were extremely familiar with his modes of bell-ringing heard a bit of an odd sound, like something was troubling the bell-ringer�s mind. In truth, something was indeed troubling the bell-ringer�s mind, which was hindering him from ringing the bells to the full potential. The incident with Esmeralda kept gnawing at his mind. He knew fully-well that this had to be the end of it. After today Esmeralda would be a married woman - he had to let her go completely. He now saw how useless his self-pity was. Since he could not win her, he was only making himself miserable by dwelling on it. He nodded slightly to himself. Yes...it was time to move on. Move on...it suddenly seemed so easy. Why hadn�t he done it before? Why had he lingered on these feelings for so long? And for what purpose? Now that he had decided to move on, all that time he had spent dwelling on it seemed foolish. He leapt off the bell rope and ran down the alter as quickly as he could, with expanded faith in the strength he knew he had. Notre Dame�s worship area seemed brighter than it had ever been before. Perhaps it was because of the large amount of candles that were lit, or perhaps it was simply because of the celebration that was taking place within it. The organ music echoed around the sanctuary, adding on to the already-heavenly feel of the place. Soon all eyes turned to Marie as she joyously skipped down the aisle, sprinkling flower petals on the floor to prepare for the coming of the bride. From his place at the alter next to Phoebus, Quasimodo grinned at the little girl, remembering how they had met, how she had led him to a new life of freedom. The four bridesmaids followed Marie down the aisle, all dressed in sparkling Gypsy attire, causing a few eyes to widen. Bringing up the rear was Melenie, the maid of honor, wearing a warm smile on her face, but seeming a bit hesitant in her walk, as though she too was feeling a hint of sadness from this wedding. Finally, the music intensified its volume, telling all present that the moment had come, causing all heads to anxiously turn to face the end of the aisle. After a moment or two, their looking was rewarded with the bride coming down the aisle in full splendor. She walked arm-in-arm with Clopin - the man who couldn�t be her father, but who was close enough to being her father to give her away. The bouquet of flowers in her hands was so large that it seemed to burry her hands, making them invisible to the spectators and giving the impression that the flowers were floating on their own. Behind her, her train was being carried by two young gypsy orphans of whom Esmeralda was fond. When Esmeralda arrived at the alter, the entire sanctuary was silenced, all absorbing the moment before the Archdeacon began his speech. �Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of this man and this woman in matrimony...� Quasimodo soon found that he was having difficulty paying attention to the Archdeacon�s words. His eyes kept drifting past the bride and groom to one of the pews. �Do you, Phoebus de Chateaupers�, take La Esmeralda to be your lawfully wedded wife...� The blonde head with the uneven waves seemed to be watching the happenings at the alter more intently than anyone else. The dimples that appeared when she smiled seemed to be permanently embedded in her cheeks. �...until death do you part?� �I do.� But this smile was oddly different from her usual smiles. It was more serene and relaxed. �Do you, La Esmeralda, take Phoebus de Chateaupers� to be your lawfully wedded husband...� Her eyes were firmly focused on the groom, with a calm, intense sparkle. �...until death do you part?� �I do.� With the blue of her dress and the pink carnation in her hair, she looked quite lovely. Maybe, just maybe, she almost rival Esmeralda for beauty. �If there be anyone present who can show cause why this couple should not be married, let him speak now or forever hold his peace.� It briefly passed through Quasimodo�s mind that this was his moment. If he wanted to, he could state his objection and confess his feelings for Esmeralda. Maybe if she knew, she would...no, he couldn�t think like that any longer. He would see the expression of total happiness on her face. That was worth more than his envy. �I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.� As the bride and groom kissed, Quasimodo�s eyes again drifted to where Minerva was seated. Her warm smile was still embedded in her face, and her lovely royal blue eyes were still serenely focused on the groom. No...wait, that couldn�t be right. Quasimodo realized that the groom had moved a bit to kiss his bride, but Minerva�s eyes were still focused in the same direction. Which meant... She wasn�t gazing at Phoebus. She was gazing at him. The wedding reception was held in full splendor. The combined melodies of flutes, drums, lutes and tambourines filled the air with music, enhancing the magic of the night as Melenie and the other three bridesmaids danced in a circle as a tribute to the bride and groom. Later on, when the bride cut the wedding cake, the guests whooped and cheered so loudly that she accidentally slid her knife through the slice. They continued their cheering as she fed the slice to her new husband, slightly smearing his face, but before the crowd could notice, she discreetly wiped his face with a napkin. Once the food had been served, Quasimodo took a seat at an empty table, where he was certain no one else would sit once they saw him there. Although most of the townspeople no longer treated him harshly, many were still uncomfortable close to him. He felt no anger or shame for it - he simply accepted it as a fact he couldn�t change. �Quasi, do you mind if I sit here?� No sooner did he think no one would want to sit with him than someone did want to sit with him. �Of course,� he said, �you�re more than welcome to sit here, Minerva.� Minerva slid into the bench across from him. Her eyes still had that same sparkle from the wedding, which made Quasimodo a bit nervous. �Uh...� He cleared his throat. �...the bride and groom are about to dance, right?� �Yes, I believe so,� said Minerva. �In fact, here they come right now.� They both turned to face the square, where Esmeralda and Phoebus stood before the cheering crowd. They gave a slight bow as the musicians began their song, then they placed their hands on each other and allowed the music to carry them into a romantic dance. Merely a second after they began to move, some of the gypsies started singing to enhance the atmosphere. �La la la la la, la la la Sing a wedding song tonight For the pretty bride to show her We�re sharing her glow The moon looks down in all her glory How she shines big and bright On this happy scene below her...� The spectators were all captivated by what they were witnessing. Though the bride clearly had more talent for dancing than the groom, they both had such energy that talent didn�t matter. All except the bride and groom were still as the gypsies� song echoed throughout the square. �Oh As long as there�s a moon, to wish on Oh As long as there�s a song, to croon We�ll throw The wedding jug to keep tradition And hope your love will last As long as there�s a moon� With that lyric, the singing momentarily stopped as Clopin entered the square with a large jug held above his head. �Gather �round everyone � Clopin shouted to the crowd. �This is the moment when we find out how long their marriage will last.� He sashayed up to the couple. �Are you two ready?� Esmeralda and Phoebus each placed their hands on the jug as the gypsies started chanting while waving their hands up and down. They held the jug in the air for a moment or two to build up suspense, and then they let it fall to the ground. It shattered upon impact. �One..two..three... a thousand pieces � Clopin counted. �That means your marriage will last a thousand years � The gypsies cheered. �And now,� continued Clopin, �we must have the joining of the hands Would our best man please do us the honors?� He waltzed up to the table where Quasimodo and Minerva were seated and pulled Quasimodo up. Quasimodo knew what was expected of him. He was supposed to join together the hands of the newlyweds, the same thing he had done in Notre Dame so long ago. After Clopin led him to the center of the square, he took the bride and groom by the wrist, in the same matter as he had done before. And yet...something was different. Last time it had been a struggle, an internal battle with himself. Now it was so easy. A secret smile of triumph spread across his face as he realized what was happening. He was truly able to let go. After the joining of the hands, all the guests rose from their seats and paired together for the next dance. The pairs ranged everywhere from long-married couples to strangers who hand just met. Yet no matter what amount of previous acquaintance there was, all the couples were swept into the moment as the gypsies sang. �Oh As long as there�s a moon, above us Oh As long as there�s a gypsy tune You know We all want someone to love us And I shall love you As long as there�s a moon� Quasimodo slowly sank back into his seat, alone again. The hard wood underneath him reminded him of the invisible wall that still stood between him and many of the people. Though they were now kind to him, they would never want to dance with him. �You were great up there, Quasi.� Quasimodo jerked his head up to where Minerva was still seated, quite surprised that she hadn�t been claimed by a partner. �Uh...thank you,� he responded, still a bit uneasy with her compliments. �Uh...aren�t you going to dance?� �Dearie me, I�m no dancer,� scoffed Minerva, throwing her golden blonde hair behind her shoulders. �Aside from that, my age scares away all potential partners.� Quasimodo bit his lip in order to resist the temptation to compare his appearance to her age. �So, can you dance?� asked Minerva. �Uh...I don�t know. I�ve never done it.� Minerva seemed shocked. �You�ve never danced??� �No,� said Quasimodo. �Frollo taught that it was a sin.� �Well,� Minerva growled in a disgusted voice, �we�ve got to do something about that.� Quasimodo stared at her for a moment. Was she really implying what she seemed to be implying? If she was, he would never gain the courage to do what she was expecting to happen next. He glanced over at the dancers. How happy they seemed to be...how enchanting the scene was...before he was even aware of what he was doing, an inviting message was coming from his mouth. �Minerva...� he said, �s-since you and I seem to be the only ones not dancing, m-maybe we could...� He stopped himself in mid-sentence. What was he doing?? He was making a complete fool of himself in front of Minerva. He suddenly wanted to hide far away. But Minerva gave him one of her wide smiles and took his hand. �I�d love to, Quasi.� From that moment, it seemed as though Quasimodo had been whisked into another world. As he rose from his seat and led Minerva into the square, he could barely feel his feet touch the ground; in fact, her could barely feel anything except the softness of Minerva�s hand. He wasn�t thinking about his lack of dancing experience, nor was he worried about embarrassing Minerva. The music seemed to be carrying him along to make sure he never got out of step, and carrying the rest of the world along with him. Even the stars seemed to be dancing to the rhythm. �They say the moon is like a gypsy She casts a spell and then she�s gone We know life is strange Everything could change with the dawn Let the night go on...� So...this was dancing. Dancing was magical. Dancing was more than he could have ever imagined. He was vaguely aware of the music and movement, but his main attention was on Minerva�s eyes glowing in the moonlight. �Oh As long as there�s a moon, to guide us Oh Don�t let the morning come too soon You know We all want someone beside us None of us is truly solitaire Every moon is new when someone cares I will care for you As long as there�s a moon� As the music faded away, Quasimodo and Minerva gazed fiercely into each other�s eyes. Where the bride and groom were carried no importance to them - they were each completely engulfed in the moment. The day Quasimodo had thought would be a day of sorrow for him turned out to be a day of joy. Absolute, pure joy. Esmeralda�s marriage had led to him discovering his own strength and ability to rise above hardships. And more importantly, far more importantly, it had led to his friendship with Minerva. Author's Note: The lyrics in this chapter are from the deleted HoND song "As Long as there's a Moon" and are copyrighted by Steven Schwartz. Go to Chapter 12 Back to Fanfic Back to Index |