Emerald

1482, Paris, Ile de la Cité.

Notre Dame Cathedral towered over the square, heavy and eternal, and at its feet danced Esmeralda. Her long dark hair billowed with every turn, falling down her back in a heavy, vibrant wave, and her blue eyes—sparse as the morning sky—blazed with that special fire that was irresistible. She was beautiful in that wild, gypsy way that cannot be bought or asked for.

Her skin shimmered golden in the flames, her slender, bracelet-clad arms described graceful arcs in the air, and her bare feet barely touched the cold stones. Djali, the white goat, jingled a silver tambourine, her hooves twirling in time, and the sound echoed across the square, fading somewhere beneath the dark vaults of the cathedral. The men in the crowd breathed heavily, forgetting about their wives, about honor, about God.

There, in the square, three men were watching her. Claude Frollo, in a black robe, was digging his fingers into the stone railing. Quasimodo, his cheek pressed against the cold stone of the bell tower, looked down breathlessly, and Pierre Gringoire was crumpling the hem of his threadbare cloak. All three wanted, and desired, her.

But she didn't see them, didn't notice them. She danced, earned money.

At the very edge of the square, closer to the statue of the Virgin and Child, you stood. Unlike the others, you didn't hypnotize the curves of her body with your gaze; you simply watched and admired. And every evening, when the bubo fell silent and Djali followed wearily, you approached and silently handed over coins.

And that evening, Esmeralda stopped your hand and frowned.

• I won't take any more money from you.

She stepped closer. She smelled of wine, street dust, and something else, a freedom that can't be bought.

"I don't need your money. " She shook her head, her dark hair swaying. "I just want you to look and admire. That's all I need."

She suddenly smiled, the way people only smile at those they trust.

"Look how much I made today. " She waved her hand, and the coins jingled. "Want me to buy you something?"