Trapped! (Clayton, Lady Tremaine, Kovu, Quasi)

[esmeralda]

Esmeralda watched Clayton in silence. She was surprised to see his eyes widen and how he jumped to his feet by the sight of the dagger wounds. She looked up at him in childlike wonder when he said he had no part in her injuries. She knew his words were true, but why had he brought her here?

"I believe in you, Clayton. I have no idea why, but I believe in you."

Her wounds felt thobbing and burning. She grimaced and shut her eyes in pain for a moment. The wounds were infected, and she felt a fever coming up. This was not good. Clayton once again showed that he had a small amount of decency in him. He took care of her wounds with a tenderness she had never expected from someone like him. She felt his fingers tremble while he bandaged her wounds. And she felt his strength. She blushed and looked shyly up at him for a moment.

"I understand now why your wife chose to marry you..." she whispered shyly.

Maybe it was the fever that caused it, or maybe it was the frightening sound of Lady Tremaine moving in the other room, and the evil meowing of her demon cat. But Esmeralda was suddenly filled with a fear she couldn't explain, not even to herself. It was as if she got a glimpse of a future where Lady Tremaine had captured her, kept her as a prisoner and crushed her dreams one by one, until they all were gone, leaving her just as cold and emotionless as Lady Tremaine was. Esmeralda's emerald eyes filled with tears, and she wrapped her arms around Clayton, hugging him tightly and whispered.

"Please, don't leave me alone with her!!! Promise you won't let her harm me!!"

[ladytremaine]

Lady Tremaine unlocked the door silently and slipped into the doorway. She had washed away the mud, and changed her dress. Now she again looked like the aristocrat she was. She smiled her ice cold smile as she heard Clayton and the street rabble's voices in the living room. Hidden in the shadows of the hallway, she watched them, smiling cruelly when she saw the gypsy trying to strangle Clayton. Unfortunately she stopped before he died.

Little coward.... Lady Tremaine thought haughtily.

She continued watching them and raised an eyebrow in surprise. What was this? The gypsy girl showed her scars to Clayton?? She frowned. That wasn't supposed to happen. Not before she had broken the girls will with her evil torment, sending the broken girl into Clayton's arms. If the girl won Clayton's sympathy already, it would be hard for Lady Tremaine to get access to tormenting her...

She listened to the conversation again. Clayton admitting guilt into bringing Esmeralda here... that was true of course. It was also true that he never intended for the gypsy to get hurt. Lady Tremaine gritted her teeth.

Why do men turn into big fuzzy softies when they look at a slender girl with soft skin, long hair and glittering eyes? Such weakness should be forbidden! He's a villain for crying out loud!!

Lady Tremaine stroke Lucifer's head gently, and the cat glared evilly over at Esmeralda and purred viciously, as if he knew that the sound of him frightened her. Lady Tremaine watched Clayton again. What was he doing??? She felt annoyance as she watched him taking off his red bandana, using it as a makeshift turnikit around the gypsy's waist. She watched him in disgust, noticing how his hands were trembling as he touched the gypsy.

Sissy... Even Lucifer is stronger than you are... She thought with contempt.

Not wanting to see more of the gross tenderness, she marched into the kitchen and warmed up a kettle of tea water. Lucifer was on the floor, drinking a bowl of milk with pleasure. As soon as Lady Tremaine had calmed down, she returned to the foryay. Lucifer circled around her legs.

She heard marching feet in the hallway, and suddenly she heard Lucifer meow and hiss as he was brushed away by Clayton's foot. She felt a strong hand grabbing her arm, and turned around, ice cold and worthy, to face Clayton. He did not look happy. She threw a gaze at the strong hand holding her arm in a tight grip, and spoke, her voice filled with ice.

"Letting our feelings carry us away now, Lord Greystoke, are we? You should be careful with your choice of words. They might be used against you....."

She waited for her words to take effect, before she continued.

"I did not attack her. She was the one attacking me. I had to protect myself. Did you not notice yourself in the living room how brutal that little savage is? Filthy street rabble. She and the rest of her people should be swiped away from the surface of the Earth."

A cruel smile appeared in her face.

"As for the lion, I already have hurt him... by telling him about all the men that filthy little street rabble is seeing. And Lucifer hurt him by sinking his claws into his rump. Honestly, Lord Clayton. I don't see why you're taking this so personal. She's only a gypsy."

She watched him coldly for a moment. Then she moved her gaze to the couch. The girl was leaning back with closed eyes, and there were tiny beads of sweat on her forehead. Not to mention she had fever roses blossoming in her cheeks. Lady Tremaine smiled cruelly and looked over at Clayton again.

"Make that a dying gypsy...." she added wickedly, knowing how he had lost his wife and son.

[Clayton]

Clayton was tending to the gypsy's wounds when she mentioned his wife. The hunter looked up and met her eyes, seeing the sincerity there. His throat felt dry and he swallowed painfully. Smiling, he nodded slowly, thanking her. It was perhaps the greatest complement she could have paid him.

He could see the pain in her eyes, the fear. Suddenly she launched her arms around his neck and hugged him. She confessed her fears of Tremaine and Clayton was in shock. He closed his eyes, relishing the feeling of her soft hair against his face. But as he realized her true fears, it wasn't a sense of lust that filled him, but one of protection, as if she was his own child. Gently he pulled away from her embrace and touched her cheek.

"Do not fear," he whispered, watching her with a fatherly gaze. "She will first have to spill my blood before she touches you again."

His eyes fell down to her soft lips, recalling how they had felt against his own. That kiss had filled his dreams frequently of late, knowing that he would soon experiance it again if his plan worked. But now, in the presence of the gypsy's fear, those ruby patches were forbidden. He could never force himself upon her like that again. He looked up into her eyes briefly, reading her expression.

Rising up on his knees further, Clayton kissed her forehead delicately, much like he had upon his wife's brow as he returned late at night from a day of work. He could picture his late Edith in his mind, sleeping peacefully in the bed, wrapped tightly in a blanket to ward off the cold of night that his absence had fail to shield her from. The hunter felt a revolting bile creap into his mouth and he quickly left the room.

Catching Tremaine in the kitchen, he challenged her on the gypsy's wounds. His rage was unmatched, both protective and loving. When Tremaine answered him threateningly, he increased the pressure on her arm, his fingernails scratching her skin.

"Don't be giving ultamatums to me, you old hag!" he roared bitterly. "You exceeded your authority and now you will repent them. You will help save her. Or else," he added threateningly. He strode from the room and saw Esmerelda from the kitchen door way. She looked terrible.

Then Clayton caught Tremaine's last comment and Clayton shot her a demonic glare. "If she dies because of you," he hissed, "your life will be forefit!"

[esmeralda]

Esmeralda was laying on the couch, the fever burning in her body, while Clayton tended to her wounds with a tenderness she had never expected from someone like him. She watched him work, noticed how gently he moved his hands when he touched her. And unfamiliar thoughts filled her head.

He can't be that bad... not with a gentleness like this... Is it possible that villains can feel genuine love?

When he looked up and met her eyes, she noticed him swallowing painfully, before smiling and thanking her. In his eyes she could see a pain that filled her heart with compassion, a pain over his dead wife and his son. Esmeralda lifted her hand and placed it gently on his cheek, stroking it gently.

"I have been unfair to you, Clayton. You are a better man than you led me to believe," she whispered softly. "Can you forgive me all the pain I've caused you in the past?"

Esmeralda had no idea how it happened, but she suddenly was in Clayton's arms, hugging him tightly, while confessing her fears of Tremaine. Esmeralda's fever was rising, and she was trembling from a cold that was caused by the fever. Strangely enough, she felt safe in Clayton's arms. Like a child hugging her father. And when Clayton pulled away from him, it was not a gaze of lust he gave her, but one of fatherly protection. When he touched her cheek, she looked up at him with a smile, before whispering, anxious on his behalf.

"I don't want her to harm you either, Clayton. Be careful with her. She looks like she is capable of murder. She frightens me...."

She didn't notice her tiny hand was placed on his strong arm, as to hold him back. She noticed his eyes gazing at her lips, and she remembered how he once had forcefully kissed her out of spite and revenge. She had hated it then... didn't want to be forced. Now she suddenly wondered how it would feel to kiss him again... out of her own free will... She shook her head in confusion and gave herself a mental slap in the face.

My fever must be higher than I thought. I am starting imagining things that will never happen.....

She heard the fire crackling in the fireplace, and there was an orange glow in the room. She was laying on the couch with a fever streaming though her body, so tired that she only now and then managed to keep her eyes open. She noticed Clayton rising up on his knees in front of her, after tending to her wounds. He kissed her forehead delicately, and she felt safe like a child in her father's care. She knew that if Tremaine wanted to harm her now, Clayton would protect her. With a smile on her face, she drifted off to sleep, not noticing Clayton leaving the room.

[ladytremaine]

Lady Tremaine was in the kitchen during the tender scene between Clayton or Esmeralda, or she would probably have intervened, by coldly asking Clayton what on Earth he was doing. Showing sympathy to a dirty little gypsy like Esmeralda? And the way she looked! Her dress still dirty from mud, her scars bleeding, and now she brought a fever to the house! How disgusting! That it was Lady Tremaine who had caused the fever by stabbing the girl, she didn't think about at all. An evil smile went over her face, and she thought of her dear brother Claude Frollo and his plan to rid the world of the gypsies... the outcasts. She would do her best to help him... starting with the little street rabble Esmeralda....

She went to the hallway to look discreetly into the living room. Oh, dear, what was Clayton doing now? It might have been her imagination of course... but from where Lady Tremaine stood, it looked like Clayton was... kissing.... the gypsy. Lady Tremaine raised an eyebrow in mild disgust, then went into the kitchen again.

Good God, he is old enough to be her grandfather!

When Clayton caught her in the kitchen, challenging her with a rage she had never seen an aristocrat show before, she raised her eyebrows in mild surprise.

"My my, Clayton," She taunted him with an ice cold smile. "We let our emotions run wild, don't we? What is it you are hoping for, Clayton? That she will love you? A girl like her, with so many suitors to choose from, will never fall for someone like you..."

Her words were filled with frost, even when she felt his tight grip around her arm quite painful. He was scratching her, but she would never admit to him causing her pain. So she answered the only way she could: by her poisonous words.

"Why won't you just give up, Clayton? As soon as that lion of hers is here to save her, she will throw herself in his arms and forget you're even existing."

When he roared to her, calling her an old hag and threatening her, she raised her eyebrow in mild disgust again.

"We are stooping to calling names, Clayton? Are we losing control over our manners? And over ourselves?" She taunted him in her ice cold voice. "If you can't control your emotions, how can you expect to control the world, like we nobles are supposed to do?"

She smiled wickedly and looked over at the living room, where the young girl were laying on the couch, her forehead covered in tiny beads of sweat from the fever. The dark curls were clinging to her forehead.

"I don't see why you would want to save someone looking so horrible as her. But alright. I will need to make her herbal tea, but I don't have the herbs I need to cure her. She's a gypsy. She might have some leather purse with herbs in one of her pockets. Do you want me to go over to her and fetch them?"

She added the last sentence in a cruel tone, obviously knowing the gypsy was afraid of her.

[Clayton]

Clayton was so infumed by Tremaine that he barely listened to her words. His entire plan was going down the tollet thanks to that crazy old bat!

"I may be a noble, but I never wanted to rule anything. I just wanted what was owed me by my father's name. I think that you are insane!"

At the mention of the gypsy's herbs, Clayton brightened. When Tremaine offered to get them, the hunter gave her a "don't you dare" look, his hand on the hilt of his machette. Returning to the sitting room, he saw that Esmerelda was asleep. He knelt down beside the couch and dabbed her brow with a wet cloth he had gotten from the kitchen.

"Esmerelda, do you have any herbs with you?" he asked gently. "I want to make a tea for you to feel better."

[esmeralda]

****LADY TREMAINE***

Lady Tremaine smiled cruelly and ice cold while she watched Clayton with her ice cold stare. She honestly had no idea why men would show themselves so weak as soon as there were young girls with curly hair and long, dark eyelashes nearby. She had been a beautiful girl herself in her youth, but she had never allowed that to go to her head, even though it obviously went to the heads of the men around her.

"Insane, Lord Greystoke? Could be, but at least I am not letting my feelings taking the upper hand, leaving me feebleminded when I need to be strong."

Her voice was cold as ice, and Lucifer snickered evilly in the background at his mistress' words. He disliked this hunter who had kicked him away from Lady Tremaine. Lady Tremaine noticed Clayton brighten by the mentioning of the herbs and smiled cruelly. With a little bit of luck, the little street rabble had some poison herbs with her too. In that case Lady Tremaine could get rid of that little street rabble right away...

Unfortunately, Clayton gave her a "don't you dare" look and went to fetch the herbs himself....

Pity... well, next time gypsy....

****ESMERALDA*****

Esmeralda had fallen asleep on the couch. Her hair, moist from the fever sweat, clung to her forehead. In her sleep, she thought she heard someone roaring in the kitchen....

Kovu.... my love.....

She could see his green eyes smiling towards her in her dream, his dark mane blowing in the gentle summer breeze. She was on a green meadow, running around with him... but for some reason, she could never catch up with him. He constantly slipped away from her.

Something cold on her brow... Kovu's snoute? Esmeralda opened her eyes slowly, and startled when she saw Clayton there. Where was Kovu? And the cold wet feeling on her brow turned out to be a wet cloth... Esmeralda sighed, her emerald eyes filled with tears when she remembered where she was. Trapped!

Clayton said something to her, and she had to force herself awake to make out what it was. Herbs? Esmeralda tried to think, but her fever was rising. She was too weak to move. But she remembered she had brought her leather pouch with her. The one with many sorts of herbs in it. She opened her mouth to reply, her voice was only a faint whisper. So weak....

"A brown leather purse.... in my.... left skirt pocket...."

She closed her eyes and fell asleep again, completely exhausted by trying to speak.

[Clayton]

Clayton looked at the old woman in shock. How could she really think like that? How could she think saving a life the work of a feeblemind?

"I'm not going to stand here and argue this with you," he said to Tremaine. "You're not going to change so easily. But I feel sorry for you."

Once Clayton had dampened Esmerelda's forehead with the cloth, he waited for her to wake up. He silently prayed that she would be alright. It wasn't just for the girl's wellfair but it was like loosing his child all over again.

He was relieved when Esmerelda awoke, informing him that she had some herbs with her. He found the pouch and took it back into the kitchen. He passed Tremaine a glaring look and set the pouch on the counter before seaching for a teapot to boil the water.

[[Perhaps we need a crisis to distract Clayton so Tremaine can be evil. Do you want to do love potion or poison?]]

[ladytremaine]

((Ooooh - I love the way you're thinking. I can play it any way you like! ;D If I arrange the crisis - why don't you decide what Tremaine mixes the tea with? ;D I'm up for anything you want.))

Lady Tremaine noticed Clayton's shocked face expression. She stared coldly back at him and spoke lowly.

"And you call yourself a villain...."

There was contempt in her voice. Lady Tremaine knew she was ice cold. And she was proud of it. There was no way she would ever let her feelings get in the way of her plans. She had so many plans. An evil grin crossed her face when she thought of the conversation with her brother, Judge Claude Frollo. He wanted an Era of Darkness to begin - she had started it by trying to rid the world of the little street rabble.

Clayton surprised her - she had expected a hunter wouldn't mind to see another creature die. To her, Esmeralda's life was not as valuable as the gorrillas and other animals Clayton might have shot in Africa. Did he show himself just as weak in front of the animals?

When Clayton said he felt sorry for her, Lady Tremaine's green eyes shot him an ice cold glare.

"I don't need your pity," she replied haughtily.

She watched him as he went into the living room, kneeling by the side of the gypsy girl and asking for the herbs. She snorted. Couldn't he just have taken what he wanted, like a real man would? But no, behind that big strong body of his, and his seemingly villainious nature was a heart of.... butter. Melt, melt, melt. Yuck!

((Just kidding Clayton ;D I love you!!! <3 XDDD ))

Lady Tremaine shuddered by the thought of being so captured by emotions, but managed to keep her face straight when Clayton shortly after returned to the kitchen with a leather pouch filled with herbs. He placed the pouch on the counter, but it seemed like he wanted to make the tea himself, because he looked for a teapot to boil the water.

Lady Tremaine moved over to the counter, taking the pouch and started looking over the herbs. She had no idea how much Clayton knew about herbs. She herself knew what any Lady of the House needed to know to take care of her household.

Lucifer meowed evilly from his place on the kitchen floor, followed by an evil snicker. He had been sitting by his bowl of milk, now and then his yellow eyes shot a glance in the gypsy girl's direction. And now he had just discovered that her slender body went limp.

Lucifer's yellow glare went over to the master hunter that so rudely had kicked him out of the way to confront his mistress. He already hated Clayton by a healthy heart, and now he wanted to get back at him. Even though he was a cat, he already understood that the hunter was somewhat attached to the girl in the livingroom. A cruel smirk went over his little face, and he turned to Clayton. Now it was time for revenge!

He started out softy, by scratching his claws on the hunter's boots, just to get his attention. Then he started strutting around Clayton's legs, swinging his body seductively in an attempt to move like Esmeralda did. He even shaked his hips. He looked up at Clayton, hoping he had his attention. Then it was time for his grand finale. He stood up on his back legs, while he lifted his front paw and placed it on his forehead, as if he felt incredibly dizzy and wanted to faint. Then, with a horrible MEOOOOW he crashed dramatically to the floor, hoping he looked dead. He snickered inwardly as he laid there, awaiting for Clayton's reaction.

[esmeralda]

Esmeralda was laying on the couch, her slender body trembling with cold. The crackling fire in the fireplace didn't seem to warm her enough. Her skin was glistening with sweat becaushe of the fever, and her raven locks were clinging to her forehead. Her face was paler than usual, and her eyes were closed.

Once again she was dreaming. This time her dreams took her back to the green meadow where she last had seen Kovu. She was walking through a landscape of incredible beauti, listening to an enchanting song. She followed the sound of the song, and soon she discovered the familiar shape of Kovu.

This time he didn't move away from her. She came to his side and placed herself next to him, draping her arms around him neck and resting her head against his shoulder. Kovu smiled to her, just like he had done the short happy time she had been his wife. She could see the love in his eyes, and nuzzled against him, knowing she would never leave his side again. She looked into his eyes and spoke to him softly.

"Only when I am no longer breathing, I will leave your side...."

She saw him smile, and he leaned against her. She felt his rough tongue licking her face, and she closed her eyes and smiled, happy at last....

Darkness had fallen outside the castle, and a lightening lit up the living room, where the gypsy were resting on the couch. Her breathing slowed, and her slender body went limp.

[Clayton]

[[Oh, what a masterful acting job Lucifer! *applaudes sarcastically* Actually, I'll leave the choice up to you. You have as many characters invested in the plot as I do.

Side Note: Do you think I am playing Clayton too soft?? I don't want to loose his character completely.]]

As he filled the teapot with the water, he noticed the fat cat, Lucifer, kneeding on his claws on his boots. Growling, he nudged the cat away. He didn't want to shell money out for a new pair so soon.

The cat returned, trying to charm Clayton by weaving between his legs and get his sympathy. He gave the animal a look as it collapse on the floor.

"I think there is something wrong with your cat, Tremaine," he pointed out to the woman in a monotone voice.

[ladytremaine]

((I love the way you play Clayton. He is brutal and gentle at the same time. I love that about him. I never know whether he'll pet my characters or he will shoot them ;D I say like the others on the site: You play all your three chars perfectly ))

Lady Tremaine looked at Clayton while he filled the teapot with water. It felt strange to have a big, strong man in the house, to do such work. She smiled while she watched Lucifer strutting around Clayton's legs. The cat did a perfect imitation of Esmeralda, and Lady Tremaine almost bursted out laughing. Of course Clayton didn't notice the brilliance of her cat while he so perfectly tried to act like a dying gypsy.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked over at the cat again.

A... dying... gypsy?

Lady Tremaine went to the kitchen door and peeked into the living room. The gypsygirl was laying on the couch, her slender body limp. And her breathing weren't audible anymore. A cruel smirk went over Lady Tremaine's face and she turned around to face Clayton.

"On the contrary, Clayton," she replied with a cruel smile on her face. "My cat is just fine. But he wants to tell you there is something wrong with your gypsy."

[Clayton]

[[Awwww! *tackleglomps Tremaine* ]]

Clayton looked at the cat with a bored expression, not bothering himself with the animal's crazy ways. When Tremaine spoke, he raised an unamused eyebrow.

"I told you to . . ." he began, moving towards the woman but stopped when he saw Esmerelda.

Tremaine was right. He hurried back into the sitting room and knelt at her side. She was barely breathing and her body was limp. Fear struck the hunters eyes. It was just like loosing Phillip, only this time he was here at the gypsy's side, when he couldn't be for his only son.

"Esmerelda," he called softly, taking her hand. "Can you hear me? Please wake up. I don't know what to do."

[ladytremaine]

((*Tackleglomps Clayton* No worries. You are among my favorite crooks. Why do you think I always PM you when I need a villain for my plots? ^^ ))

Lady Tremaine watched the man while he replied to her. Her face didn't show what she was thinking. She raised her eyebrow sarcastic when he moved towards her. When he stopped, noticing the gypsy, a smirk went over Lady Tremaine's face.

When he hurried back to the couch, kneeling beside the little street rabble and taking her hand, Lady Tremaine's face expression changed into one of disgust.

Sissy, she thought contemptful.

Her eyes fell on the leather pouch on the counter, then on the hunter in the living room. He was busy with the gypsy. A smirk went over Lady Tremaine's face. She lifted the pouch and took some herbs from it, before pulling the teapot of water away from the stove. With a swift movement from her slender hands, she mixed the herbs into the teawater.

Lucifer watched what she was doing with his yellow, demonic eyes. He snickered evilly.

[esmeralda]

Esmeralda was in a strange place. Not awake. Not sleeping. She was surrounded by a heat that was caused by her fever. Her face was wet from the feverish sweat covering her skin, and her raven curls were clinging to her forehead. Her eyes were closed, and fever roses were burning in her cheeks.

Someone was speaking to her... A male voice, saying her name... Not Clopin... Not Kovu.... even if she had wanted for it to be him. She felt someone taking her hand. She gathered her strength and managed to open her eyes.... and she saw Clayton. Her gaze got a wondering expression when she noticed the fear in his eyes. That was something she had never expected to see. Not with him.

"I need some herbal tea...." she whispered. "Chamomile. It will lower my temperature..."