Chapter Seven

Trinity realized with a sinking heart that this was true. She was suddenly aware of a pain in her palm. She looked down and opened her hand. She had been holding the comb so tightly that the teeth had made pricks in her skin. Blood bubbled up from each of them. She sighed and set the comb down, using a corner of the sheet to wipe away the blood. She then stood and left the room. Desirée was across the main chamber, flirting with a man who stood against the wall. Trinity looked away to see Clopin leaving a room, a concerned frown playing across his face. He saw her and headed towards her, when suddenly there was a shout from the entrance to the sewer. All eyes turned to stare as Esmeralda stepped out onto the stairs that led down into the main room. Her green eyes burned in fury as she was pushed forward another step, and an armoured guard came into view. He was holding her wrists behind her back, and a knife glinted in the light from the torches, the tip pressed against her spine. Trinity ran to Clopin, grasping his hand tightly, Desirée's words forgotten in her fear for her friends and herself.

More soldiers flooded into the Court, their faces impassive, holding spears as the sounds of panic erupted. Their cold eyes searched the crowd and pushed Desirée in towards Clopin and Trinity, and they were surrounded by a circle of guards, the spears pointed their way. Trinity's hand tightened on Clopin's, but an instant later they were pulled apart. Trinity yelled and struggled, but they took her arms behind her back and wound a rope tightly around her wrists, tying it cruelly tight. Clopin was having no more luck than she. They managed to close it tightly around his thin wrists before he could make himself disappear. His face was white under his tan with shock and anger, and his eyes searched the panicking gypsies; wondering who the rat was. Oddly enough, Desirée was left untied. The soldier holding Esmeralda pushed her into the circle with them, her hands also tied.

Frollo appeared on the top step. He looked around with a satisfied smile, and said, "Good work, soldiers." He smirked when he saw who was inside the circle of guards and walked towards them. The look on his face reminded Trinity of a snake when it has cornered its prey.

"It seems that I have at last found the Court of Miracles," he said. A scornful look passed over his face. "Miracles, indeed. You will need one to escape your fate."

"We have done nothing wrong!" Trinity heard herself say. She found herself staring into those inhumanly icy eyes, and a shiver of terror ran up her spine.

"Perhaps you haven't," he said. "The only thing you've done is lead me here. I suppose I should thank you for that." It felt like her stomach dropped when Clopin turned his dark eyes to her. "No," she whispered. "I thought -- I --"

"It takes more than a dark alleyway to throw me off your trail," he said. Her shoulders slumped and she dropped her head, angry with herself for letting her friends down. "Even without you, I would have found it sooner or later," he said.

"You think that, but you're wrong!" Esmeralda hissed. He barely even spared a glance for her, but instead said, "Isn't that right, Desirée?"

Clopin, Trinity, and Esmeralda stared at the untied gypsy. Desirée laughed and walked towards Frollo, swinging her hips. He gave her a small smile and said, "She's been sending me information for months now."

Clopin jerked forward, his face dark with anger, but was quickly grabbed and pulled back by a guard. She smirked at him, her dark eyes alight with triumph. "Why do you think I was so attracted to you, Clopin?" she purred. Esmeralda snarled a foul word, her face full of hate. Desirée's smirk grew.

"Take them away," Frollo said.

Trinity found herself grabbed from behind and shoved towards the stairs. In panic she tried to dig her heels in, but almost fell as a result. She heard Esmeralda snap "watch the hands!" behind her.

They were pushed up into the graveyard, into the bright morning sun. Wooden cages hitched to horses waited for them, empty and ominous. Trinity was the first one to be shoved inside. She tripped on the stair and fell forward, managing to throw herself to the side and stop her fall against the bars. She winced at the pain in her shoulder, but hardly had time to think about it as Clopin, Esmeralda, and many others were shoved in with her. She took comfort in Clopin's closeness, the faint, familiar scent of spices calming her slightly. As soon as all the other cages were full, they set off. Trinity grit her teeth as they hit a bump on the bridge and she was slammed against the wooden bars. They travelled through the square, and she looked up at the Notre Dame. Was Quasimodo up there right now, watching them? Or had Frollo done something to him? She looked at Esmeralda and knew the gypsy was thinking the same thing.

They reached the Palace of Justice and were herded in like animals. They were taken down into the dungeons, and Trinity found herself pulled away from her friends. She cried out and tried to pull free, but the guard jerked her away. She was thrown into a small cell all by herself before she could try to escape, and her eyes searched desperately for Clopin through the crowd of gypsies. She could not find him.

"The judge's got something special for you," he jeered as he locked the door and cut the ropes around her wrist through the bars. She turned around but he was already walking back towards the others. She saw Clopin suddenly start to fight to free himself from the cell, and the guard moved towards him.

"Trinity, don't tell him anything!" Clopin shouted. The guard backhanded him, and Trinity covered her mouth with her hands as he staggered back. She turned away as her eyes filled with tears.

"This is my fault," she whispered. "How could I have been so stupid?" She sat at the back of the cell, shivering at the cold stone. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, fighting tears.

When she next opened her eyes it was to the sound of keys rattling in the lock. She struggled to her feet, warily watching the soldier who came in. He motioned her forward and she came towards him cautiously. He took her wrists and tied them in front of her, and then led her from the cell. As she walked she looked into the cells on her left side. Clopin moved forward in one, reaching between the bars. She took his hand clumsily through the bars, the ropes chafing her skin.

"Don't be scared," he whispered.

"I am," she answered, and found her voice was trembling. Their eyes locked and hers filled with tears at the thought of what could happen to her when she left the cold dungeon.

"Let's go," the soldier said, pushing her forward.

She was led up a set of stairs and out into the main hallway, where the double doors at the end led to outside; then she was pushed into a large room with a huge fireplace at one end. Frollo stood before it, his hands clasped behind his back, watching her, those grey eyes that caused nightmares fixed on hers. She stared defiantly back, relieved that she had managed to control the tears.

"Leave us," he said. She heard the soldier leave and close the door. For a moment, her heart rate soared in fear, but she forced herself to calm down.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, hoping her voice wasn't shaking.

"You know something about Quasimodo that I do not." His face remained expressionless. "I do not like it that you should know something that I am unaware of."

"Everyone knows a little bit of something that you don't know," she said before she could stop herself. "You can't know everything."

He raised an eyebrow and said, "One can try." He took a few steps forward, his robe rustling. "I want to know your secret about my charge."

"I won't tell you." Involuntarily, she stepped back. "And if I could help it, he wouldn't be your charge in the first place." She found she could hold his gaze no longer and glanced away. The movement made the bell at her throat tinkle, and his eyes were drawn to her neck. Against the white of her skin he saw what looked like a shadow upon first glance, but could be something more. He moved faster than would be expected of a man of his age and grasped her forearm, pulling her towards the fire. She gasped at the cold of his hand and tried to pull away, but his fingers tightened and dragged her into the light. Holding her there, he brought up his free hand and brushed away the lock of hair that cast shadow onto the hollow of her throat. She recoiled at his touch, but his thin lips turned up in a smile of satisfaction, and yet there was faint bemusement in his face.

"I wasn't aware that he had any siblings," he said. "How is it that you're not a monster, like him?"

She twisted out of his grip and looked at him in disgust. "Is that how you think of him?" she demanded. "A monster? He's a human being!"

Frollo smirked elegantly and said, "Does he know of your relation to him?" Her silence was enough of an answer for him, and the smirk grew. "Perhaps we should pay Quasimodo a visit," he said, his eyes gleaming cruelly.

Her face paled. "No," she said. "No, you can't tell him! Not like this!" He was already walking towards the door. He pulled it open and said to the soldier outside, "Ready my carriage."