Chapter 10 – I am a Patient Man

Frollo snapped from his tranquil state and busied himself in fixing his wardrobe, within a few moments his robes and hose were back in place and close to their previous grandeur. He snapped his white collar back together, the cold sweat on it giving him a shock as he pressed it against his neck tightly. Then he turned his attention to his hair, he worked diligently at trying to smooth the silver strands back in place as he looked into a mirror hanging on the wall. As Frollo looked in the mirror, he caught sight of Esmeralda's figure, still sitting on the floor behind him, her ornate gown in billows around her. The girl stared off into the distance, almost as if in shock. Frollo turned to her with a confused stare and clenched his fingers nervously, unsure of what to say.

Frollo cleared his throat. The noise snapped Esmeralda from her trance and she looked to him, blinking several times as she realized he had been staring at her.

"My chaperon, if you please?" Frollo gestured past her to his discarded hat on the floor.

Esmeralda looked over numbly next to her where the hat had fallen, she reached out and grabbed the purple and black hat and got up quickly, noting how soft the fabric of the hat actually was as she held it. Esmeralda took a moment and touched the red sash that flowed down from the back of the hat, smoothing her fingers over the crimson cloth, the fabric was luxurious, softer than anything she had ever felt before.

"Soft isn't it?" Frollo remarked.

Esmeralda's eyes darted up quickly to see Frollo watching her as she toyed with the sash on his hat.

"It's called silk." He said smirking.

Frollo watched her a second more then turned back to the mirror to continue to try and fix himself. Esmeralda walked up to him holding his chaperon while dusting it off carefully. She looked up to see him struggling with his hair, watching his bony knobbed fingers as they cruised through his silver strands. Without thinking Esmeralda came over and began to help him. She needed to do something-anything to take her mind off of what she had just done. She ran her fingers through his hair carefully, smoothing the unruly silver locks back against his scalp. Frollo cringed as he watched her, hoping she would not notice his thinning hair under her careful gaze but he also took note of the care she took and the warmth she exuded.

She will make a good wife.

Frollo reached out and carefully took his chaperon out of Esmeralda's hands, pausing for a moment as he regarded her with awe. Kindness, she seemed to be the very definition of the word and he felt as if he was wretchedly unworthy of it as she lavished him with it.

"Thank you," he said with a soft grumble, placing the hat back onto his head.

"I hope you are happy with yourself." Frollo said as he straightened his hat carefully.

"You've made a sinner out of a righteous man." He said grinning wickedly.

Esmeralda said nothing but gave a guilty glance at him. In one moment she had gone from maiden to mistress and the impact weighed on her heavily as she realized with some amount of disgust she had quite enjoyed their foray.

"Not as happy as you apparently." Esmeralda mumbled, giving Frollo a piercing side-glance.

Frollo cleared his throat quickly with her comment. It was true. Oh so true. Frollo couldn't have felt more ecstasy in that moment, his body had starved and hungered so long for the fairer sex, and now he had a splendid taste of what he had so badly and secretly desired. She had whetted his appetite now, Frollo felt like a ravenous hound that had gotten the taste of blood on his snout. He couldn't wait to fully indulge himself in what he had been denied all his life.

His member twitched and flooded slightly with the thought of having her in his bed that night and fully enjoying her. If she could please him so badly with her clothes still on imagine the unholy pleasure that could ensue without them. Images of their nude bodies tangled together in his bed flooded his mind. Her bare bronze supple skin pressed against his—

No! I'm a patient man…. he thought as he tried to swat the sinful images out of his mind.

Frollo reached out and took Esmeralda by the shoulders, he wanted to tell her that soon they would be leaving and to try to be inconspicuous as they left the sitting room so no one would suspect anything, but instead his thoughts wandered as he felt her tempting skin beneath his fingertips, that warm bronze skin, supple and soft like it had been soaked in olive oil. Before he knew it he had uttered something else completely.

"I want you in my bed tonight." His silky voice uttered.

As the words came out of his mouth his mind jolted in disbelief, Frollo wanted to grab the crude words and swallow them back, but it was too late. Frollo settled for clenching his hand up to his mouth as if to silent it from saying anything else.

Esmeralda's eyes widened and a deep blush blazed across her face.

"I-I..." she stuttered as she looked into his eyes with a look of bewilderment, afraid that her own actions had opened a floodgate that she could not stop.

Frollo turned his head away from her. "Soon." She heard his voice whisper, more to himself than to her.

"Hmph. You made me remember." He said with a wrinkled, impish smile as his eyes glared over her.

Esmeralda blinked, unsure of just what he meant.

"Remember what, Minister?" she asked him curiously.

Frollo cupped her face in his trembling hands. He leaned forward and shakily placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and sighed.

"You made me remember that I am indeed a man, however sinful that was, I thank you for that, Gypsy."

Esmeralda's mouth parted slightly and she blushed as she looked up at his face, creased and worn, indented with wrinkles, his steel-gray eyes glazed from the passing of so many years. In her heart she knew Frollo must've seen so many things in his life, probably wars and the plague that she was fortunate enough to not have been born into. She felt so much shame and regret at what she had done, yet it seemed her act was not entirely a wicked thing.

Frollo looked once again into her eyes and sighed heavily as he touched the side of her face gently, admiring her flawless beauty. He reluctantly released her and moved towards the door, placing his spindly hand on the cold brass handle. Esmeralda watched him intently as he did so almost frozen in time. Part of him screamed to run back to her and embrace her, to take her right there and make her his. But he knew better, they would be missed if they dallied too long and people would grow suspicious.

I am a patient man. He thought again.

"It would probably be best to wait a few minutes before following me." Frollo said holding his back to her, afraid to look at her lest he be filled again with lust.

Hesitantly Frollo left the sitting room and walked down the corridor leading back to the main ballroom. The cool air hit him and engulfed him and his dark robes. He felt ecstatic, proud, and a sliver guilty in what had just occurred.

Why should I feel guilt? I am blameless, the sin is on her! She pursued! He thought to himself, trying to reason that he had committed no sin. Though he still knew he was very much to blame in his heart. He was more than willing to allow the act, and he had wanted it more than ever.

Frollo's lips curled into a devious smile, he wanted to boast, to brag, that such a woman had sought him out and gave him such amorous attention so willingly, yet he knew he should not breathe a word of it lest his reputation be tarnished. Oh how he loved how devious and dominant she was, it lit a fire underneath him as she had teased him playfully, making him burn so badly for her it nearly took his breath away.

"Hello Claude." A voice rumbled beside him.

Frollo yelped and jumped in a startle, his heart leaped into his throat with guilt, as if his lusty thoughts were visible for all to see.

He looked to see the figure of his brother Jehan staring back at him smugly with crossed arms.

"Jehan…" Frollo snarled, clutching a bony hand to his chest with a grimace.

"Sorry to startle you brother, I've been looking all over for you." He said with a rather amused smile.

Frollo paled, hoping his brother would not ask where he had been.

"I recall telling you to keep your distance, have you already driven off all the women here with your harassment?" Frollo snapped like an angry mongrel at his brother.

Jehan tensed with Frollo's comment and frowned.

"Well brother, they do seem to part like the red sea around you… but I must say I was rather shocked when I overheard some courtiers talking, they said you were an engaged man, that surprised me, but what surprised me even more was that they said your fiancée was none other than that gypsy girl you walked in here with." Jehan said with a sliver of outrage in his voice.

Frollo's dry lips curved into a smirk, amused with his brothers displeasure. Frollo chuckled slightly.

"Well now," he said clasping his hands together. "the Frollo name must be carried on somehow. After all, I must assume the reason you have yet to find a suitable wife is that you must be…impotent." Frollo drawled with a cold smile.

Jehan choked on his breath and his brows knitted together in anger as a furious blush washed across his face.

"Hmph," Jehan sneered. "At least my manhood hasn't shriveled up and fallen off from atrophy. But seriously Claude, were you really intent on taking… a gypsy as your wife?" he hissed.

Frollo said nothing but looked away from Jehan, folding his arms with disdain.

"For Gods-sake Claude!" Jehan continued. "Even a scullery maid is higher in society than her!"

Frollo frowned, the wrinkles around his mouth deepening as he did so and anger spread across his face.

"Must I remind you to not take the name of the Lord in vain?!" Frollo chastised Jehan, glaring at him.

A look of shock washed across Jehan's face, and he looked down slightly, his gaunt nose casting a shadow over his lips from the candle-light nearby.

"I am Sorry." He said with a surprised look of guilt upon his face.

Frollo moved closer and placed a hand on Jehan's shoulder, crinkling the red fabric of his tunic under his grip. Frollo leaned in meeting his eyes and talked to him as if a father to a son more than a brother.

"Don't you dare speak like that again in my presence." He scolded him with a bony finger.

Jehan grimaced and swatted Frollo's finger from out of his face, backing up from his brother and pushing his short brown bangs from his forehead.

"You're going to dishonor the name of Frollo by taking her as a wife you know." Jehan continued.

"Jehan, since when do you care about the honor of our name? It's all I can do to conceal your deviant behavior." Frollo continued.

"Father would disapprove, and you know it." Jehan said sternly while shaking his head.

"Father is dead." Frollo said dismissively with a wave of his hand. "I am the lord of the house of Frollo now, my decisions are my own, and you will respect them!" he hissed back at his brother haughtily.

Jehan snorted with disdain. "She's not fit to carry our name brother, she's just a peasant." he said.

"Was not Ruth but a peasant?" Frollo quipped, tilting his long face at his brother. "Boaz married her, and King's became their descendants." Frollo said haughtily.

Jehan paused for a moment to process his statement then began to laugh.

"You think yourself Boaz and her Ruth?" Jehan said snickering. "Honestly Claude, you two are more like Haman and Esther. You hunt her people after all, and I'm sure she wants nothing more than to save them and see you on the gallows."

Frollo growled with the other biblical comparison he brother had thought up. Odd as it was it had some similarities, but no, she would never seek to have a noose put around his neck. It was true he hunted her people… but her lying at the foot of his bed was a sign, a sign that she was meant for him and he was to be her redeemer. He was sure, God had given her to him as a gem in the rough. She was an enchantress, but he could save her. The way she had touched him said more than a thousand words could ever say. It was all there in her touch, her intentions, every touch was gentle and warm, so much kindness, she would never seek harm upon him.

"Come brother be reasonable, I thought you had sworn off women…" Jehan tried to reason.

Frollo scoffed and waved his hand dismissively at his brother, his large dark sleeve swaying with his gesture.

"Well, I guess I can't persuade you brother." Jehan said submissively with his hands on his waist as he shook his head. "I guess I cannot blame you, after all, she is so beautiful who could resist?"

Jehan smirked as a thought came to his mind.

"She must be one hell of a pleasing woman." He said raising an eyebrow at him.

Frollo leaned in closely to his brother not being able to resist the temptation and whispered in his ear.

"You can't possibly imagine." Frollo grinned boastfully, replaying everything that has just happened in his head with a wicked, lustful smile.

"Ugh. You're right, and I don't want to." His brother said shaking his head with disgust and moving away.

"Gypsy or not… I've never seen a more perfect woman. Soon she will be my wife." Frollo said boastfully.

Frollo raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"Tell me does that not make you jealous brother?" Frollo said.

"Jealous!?" Jehan sneered.

"No dear brother never…" he laughed mockingly, holding a hand to his heart. "I just worry for you Claude, such a young filly, so fiery. I hope you can keep up with her, as you are well out of your stallion years." He said with a cold, mocking smile.

Frollo chuckled lightly, then slowly stopped as he realized with some amount of horror exactly what his brother was referring to. Frollo swallowed nervously and clenched his ring laden fingers tightly.

Stallion years? He'd practically been a gelding all his life! He poured himself into his books rather than familiarize himself with sinful pleasures of the flesh. He realized with some amount of horror he knew next to nothing on the subject, which for a learned man such as he left him with a deep feeling of inadequacy. Goodness sake, he'd never even seen a woman naked save for a few paintings in a local noble-man's house.

"Don't worry yourself about me Jehan. Perhaps you should focus on obtaining your own wife." Frollo said while trying his best to hide the panic in his voice.

"Why should I Claude? When I can just wait a few years for you to pass and take yours." Jehan chuckled.

"You should stop relying on me for hand-me-downs. Besides I doubt you could please her as a husband should, little brother."

"Puh!" Jehan coughed with disgust as he rolled his eyes. "So where is your little gypsy girl anyway Claude?" he asked eagerly.

"Oh she's around here somewhere." Frollo said as he began to walk away, his purple lined black robes swirling around his legs as he moved.

A/N: So yea a lot of sibling rivalry/jesting between the two brothers here. Jehan is a scamp!