Esmeralda didn't know how much time had passed. She was escorted to her chamber by two palace guards, and no one disturbed her since then. As soon as the door closed behind them, Esmeralda sat down on the floor, not knowing what to do. She wanted to escape this prison, to run away and never look back. But she was trapped here, and all she could do right now was wait for the minister to come back and decide on her fate.

"Stupid, proud girl!" she scolded herself, feeling her eyes filling up with hot tears again. "You should have given yourself to him. Give him what he wanted so badly." She always considered herself brave and strong. She thought that it wasn't easy to break her, that her will was much stronger. But when her life was at stake, she couldn't think clearly. She couldn't control herself, her body was acting on its own, doing everything to protect herself from her tormentor.

Time passed inexorably, and Esmeralda felt that it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to stay awake. She slowly got up off the ground and headed for the bed. She hoped the warmth of the sheets would give her some comfort and consolation. She climbed onto the soft mattress and covered herself with a blanket, quickly closing her eyes as if she could no longer bear the sight of the room that was now her prison. In her thoughts, she tried to find an excuse for her behavior, something that could soften Frollo's anger. However, everything that came to her mind was not convincing enough. Not for him. "You hurt him. You left a mark on his face that will remind him of what you did." She let out a long breath, frustrated with the situation she found herself in. There were no words that could help her now. She decided to clear her mind, there was no point in thinking about what was about to happen. Whatever punishment she will have to suffer, she will bear with her head held high. Frollo may take away her freedom, but he will never take her pride. With that in mind, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

xxx

Frollo was riding on his enormous black stallion. He didn't know where he was going, his mind still filled with overwhelming, burning wrath. She did not keep her word. How could he even believe she would? She promised him obedience, and yet she decided to insult him, to resist his advances. He ran his fingers over the spot where she had hit him. Sudden, shooting pain pierced his cheek. He hissed, a new wave of anger boiling inside him. He didn't know if he was more angry with her or with himself. How could he let her hit him, how could he drop his guard in her presence? She might be his bondswoman, but she is also his enemy.

Despite the late night hours, loud laughs and screams were heard from the nearby taverns and brothels. A pair of drunken individuals who mistakenly crossed the judge's way quickly looked away and hid in the nearest alley. He looked at these sickening creatures in disgust. He despised them, and at the same time, it occurred to him that he would rather be in their place. No duties and responsibilities, no barriers of any kind... He quickly got rid of those thoughts. No, he would rather suffer for the rest of his life as a nobleman than spend a day as a licentious, dirty commoner.

He didn't even notice when his horse led him to the place he was so eager to visit. He looked up to see the cold and judging eyes of the Saints of Notre Dame staring down at him. All his impure thoughts struck him again, as if God himself were reminding him of his sins. He felt a shiver ripple through him like lightning. He lowered his head and stared at the ground, ashamed. Then he slowly descended from his mount and made his way towards the massive cathedral door.

No matter how many times Frollo visited this place, the interior of the sanctuary always took his breath away. The wall paintings, colorful stained glass windows and rich decorations were overwhelmingly beautiful, incomparable to any other place in the world. There were still dozens of candles burning on the altar, illuminating the area with a soft, warm light. The judge stepped forward, still not daring to look at the cross hanging in front of him. He thanked God that he was alone in the cathedral. He was afraid that others might see the guilt and shame in his eyes. Then he fell to his knees, hiding his face in his hands.

"Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned. I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you" he whispered, but the next words of prayer wouldn't leave his clenched throat. He felt that his words were insincere, that even now he couldn't stop thinking about Esmeralda. He couldn't bring himself to apologize to God for his actions, however sinful they might have been. He remained in this position for a few more minutes, struggling with his thoughts. When he finally dared to look up, he fixed his gaze on Christ's marble eyes.

"God, I have sinned and I know I will sin again. You've put an unclean creature on my path, an unholy demon that has mastered my thoughts. I am only human, too weak to resist her charms. I beg you, Lord, give me the strength to resist her, to free myself from her destructive spell. What should I do? Please, God, tell me what I should do" Frollo muttered, his voice cracking with every sentence he spoke. He felt as though all his strength was leaving him, that he desperately needed advice. He waited for some answer, a sign, but his God remained silent, unmoved by his words. "Please, Lord, answer me. I am and have always been your faithful servant. Am I being put to the test? God, I am afraid this is a fight I cannot win. I can't control my mind when she is around. She ignites a fire in my body, a sinful, devastating fire that I cannot put out. A fire I've never felt before. I..." "Love her?" the words crossed his mind. No, of course not. He couldn't love a gypsy. She is a wicked and unholy being and showing her any affection would be a sin. Any kind words directed at her would be blasphemy. He despised her and hated her for what she had done to him. "I want to hurt her and be gentle at the same time. I don't want to punish her, but I don't want to show weakness. I've always known who I am and what I have to do, but now I'm feeling lost. She has disobeyed me and will not miss her punishment, but I don't want her to hate me." "She already hates you, you fool" his mind scolded him. "She despises you as much as you despise her." Frollo sighed loudly. He wanted to disagree, to argue with his own brain, but he knew it was true. Of course she hated him. He took everything she loved from her and made her live with him. He forced her to be his and his alone. Frollo imagined her hateful eyes, piercing right through his body and soul. He felt a familiar wave of heat coursing through his body.

The minister scolded himself and took a few deep breaths to calm his mind. That's not what he came here for. And yet, his God continued to remain silent, ignoring his child's pleas. Frollo narrowed his eyes and stared blankly ahead. "I will teach her how to be an exemplary Christian. I will teach her how to live according to Your principles." he got up from his knees and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, they burned with frustration, a feeling that had been so close to him lately. "And I will teach her to love me. I will make her desire me." Frollo didn't know if he was addressing these words to God or to himself. He turned his back to the altar and headed for the exit. "I will make her mine. Even if I have to do it by force. Even if I have to get rid of every gypsy she's ever known" he spat out and left the House of God.

xxx

Esmeralda was awakened by a timid knock on the door. Sunlight streaming into the room was effectively blocked by thick, velvet curtains. She blinked a few times, trying to remember where she was. So it wasn't just a bad dream, yesterday really did happen. Esmeralda let out a long sigh, looking at the ceiling. She heard the sound of a key being turned and saw the door to her chamber slowly open.

"I'm really sorry to disturb your sleep, ma'am." she heard a soft and shy voice. Fortunately, it wasn't Frollo's, which made her sigh with relief. "But the minister insisted on bringing you to the dining room. He wants to eat breakfast with you."

Esmeralda felt her stomach twist with fear. She knew she would have to confront the judge eventually, but she wanted to postpone it as long as possible. The courage she had built up in herself last night was slowly fading away. The short woman looked at her sympathetically, but decided not to say anything. She quickly walked over to the large wardrobe, taking out a long blue dress. "He also asked you to dress nicely, ma'am. A visitor is expected to arrive."

"A visitor? Who?" Esmeralda asked sincerely surprised.

"Unfortunately, I have no such information, ma'am." Diane replied, lowering her head. Esmeralda still felt bewildered, but decided not to delay the inevitable. If Frollo had decided that he wants to show his prey to other pompous nobles, so be it. Perhaps, if she behaves decently, he will be pleased and lessen her punishment. She quickly got out of bed and walked over to her maid.

xxx

Warm sunlight streamed into the dining room through a large, tall window. Frollo paced back and forth, looking forward to Esmeralda's arrival. He couldn't sleep at night and had been up for several hours. Instead, he had a lot of time to think. He planned a punishment for her, but not an usual one. Oh no, she deserved to be treated in a special way. "A punishment so clever that the person being punished will not even be aware of it." He smiled to himself, pleased. "Oh, how cruel will it be. And she won't even realize I've done something."

When he heard footsteps coming from the corridor, he moved away from the door, his face taking on its usual, indifferent expression. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but smile a little as she entered the room. She looked gorgeous in the dress he gave her, the turquoise silk harmonizing perfectly with her deep green eyes. For a moment Frollo considered forgiving her, but a brief twinge of pain brought him back to reality. Every facial expression he made reminded him of the wound she had left on his face yesterday evening.

"Good morning." Esmeralda said cheerfully, smiling slightly at him. Frollo was surprised by such a change in her mood, but he refrained from making a mocking remark. Instead, he smiled back at her and walked a few steps towards her.

"Good morning. Seeing you smile, I assume you slept well." He took a few steps closer, but she didn't move. Frollo tried to decipher her true intentions, to see right through her. If she was afraid, she hid it well.

"Well yes, thank you. The bed was very comfortable" she said without breaking eye contact.

"Her fighting spirit returned." Frollo thought. "Good, breaking her will be even more enjoyable."

"I am delighted to hear that, my dear"he whispered, taking real pleasure in his words. He passed her and walked over to the table. "Please, sit" he said, pointing his hand at a chair. She obeyed his order without hesitation.

"Gustave!" Frollo shouted and one of his servants quickly appeared in the doorway. "Start bringing food. And tell the guards to invite our visitor inside." The man nodded and disappeared around the corner.

Within a minute the servants began to bring various dishes into the dining room. Esmeralda watched their rapid movements. If only her people could afford such a feast. This food could feed a whole family for a week. A harsh voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Sir, your guest."

Esmeralda blinked several times, unable to believe what she was seeing. She felt her head spinning. Frollo walked to the door, a wide, cheeky grin appearing on his face.

"Mr. Clopin I presume? The King of Truands himself. It's an honor." he said sarcastically, bowing slightly. Clopin tried to say something, to break free from the guard's grasp, but his hands were tied and his mouth was gagged. "Oh, where are my manners. Release him."

The guard untied his prisoner's hands without a word. Clopin yanked his arm out of his grip and took the gag out of his mouth. He shot a hateful glance, first at the guard, then at the judge.

"Thank you. Now leave us." Frollo ordered and took his steps towards the chair on the other side of the table.

"Sir, are you certain? This man is dangerous" the guard asked, the nervousness clearly audible in his voice.

"Do not make me repeat myself" the minister said, slightly annoyed at his behaviour. He knew how to take care of himself. If this gypsy had tried to use magic, his dagger would have quickly put an end to these attempts.

"Of course, sir." the guard nodded and left the room quickly, not wanting to irritate the judge even more. Frollo watched him leave, then turned his gaze to Clopin.

"Well, as I said, it is a great pleasure to have you in my palace. Would you like to join us? I am aware that the amount of food in the dungeons is... insufficient, to put it mildly" Frollo said, the mocking smile not leaving his face even for a brief moment. "Worry not, it is not poisoned" he added, putting a fried egg on his plate.

Esmeralda watched the whole situation, unable to utter a word. Was it another of his games? Or was it her punishment? Was Clopin to suffer because of her insubordination? The air in the room grew disturbingly heavy. She felt her breath run out.

"I'm not hungry" muttered Clopin. An obvious lie, but he wouldn't admit that he was starving.

"Oh yes, the pride of a gypsy. Of course you are hungry. And you will eat. It is impolite to say no to a host, especially when his offer is so generous. The same goes for you, my dear" Frollo added, turning his gaze to the silent girl. Only then did Clopin notice that someone was sitting next to them. He let out a sigh of surprise.

"Esme... You are alive! How could this... Are you aight? Did he hurt you?" he blurted out, still too shocked to formulate the words properly. Frollo gritted his teeth.

"I shall remind you that you are my guest. You shall address your words to me. As you can clearly see, your sister is safe and sound. And she seems to enjoy the life of a noble. Am I wrong, my dear?" the minister asked in a menacing tone. He demanded an answer, and there was only one correct answer.

Esmeralda's mouth felt dry. She swallowed nervously and replied quickly, her voice trembling with panic. "No, you are not wrong, sir. The minister has been good to me, brother. Gentle. And I'm really enjoying my stay in the palace" she uttered in one breath, afraid she might say something that would displease the judge. Her brother obviously didn't believe a word of it, but Frollo was contented with her answer.

"I hope all your doubts are now dispelled." he looked mockingly at Clopin. He loved that feeling, the feeling of having his opponent well in hand. Even if this impure creature wanted to do something, to oppose him, it had no chance of success. "And now you will start eating, both of you. I assume you don't want all that food to go to waste?"

Esmeralda and Clopin looked at each other. They had no choice but to obey his order. At this point they were both prisoners of the judge. Clopin sighed and reached for a piece of meat and bread. Esmeralda mirrored his actions, doing it almost automatically. She chewed the meat slowly and thoroughly, but every mouthful was still extremely hard to swallow. She looked at her brother again. He really must have been starving, as he kept putting more and more food on his plate. But she couldn't blame him. It was her fault that he was now locked in the dungeons. Her recklessness led to the imprisonment of her people. Then she looked at Frollo. He watched her brother, and contentment poured out from his usually inexpressive face. She noticed that he had not eaten the fried egg he had put on his plate earlier. He hasn't eaten anything.

Esmeralda realized the terrifying truth. "The food is indeed poisoned" she thought as she looked at her brother devouring another piece of meat. She wanted to scream, but she knew it was too late. So that was his punishment. Death to both her and her brother. "So that's it. He will watch us die in suffering." Esmeralda felt tears welling up in her eyes. Despite the fact that her life was in danger many times, she never thought about death. Then, another horrible thought struck her. "I'm not ready to die."

The silence in the room was overwhelming. The minutes felt like hours. Clopin finished eating and silently stared at his empty plate. Esmeralda waited for the poison to take effect. She expected to feel pain, a terrible bursting pain that would last for hours. She imagined Frollo standing above her, smiling with satisfaction. She gathered the courage to look at him. He seemed exceedingly calm. He stared at the large wooden clock standing against the wall. So he was waiting too.

As the clock struck the full hour, Frollo slowly rose from the table. "Thank you for keeping me company at breakfast. Unfortunately, duty calls. Esmeralda" he started and turned his gaze from the clock to look at her "Diane will escort you to your chamber. And as for you, King of the Gypsies" he looked at Clopin "The guard will make sure that you reach your chambers safely." He smoothed his robes and put on his hat as he headed for the exit.

"That's it? You are going to leave as if nothing happened?" she choked out, feeling she couldn't bear the situation any longer.

"I beg your pardon?" Frollo asked, genuinely surprised by her outburst.

"The food was poisoned. You brought my brother here so I could see him die. And now you don't even have enough courage to stay till the end? You're pathetic." she cried and then spat at his feet. The shock on his face quickly turned into anger.

"I would advise you to watch your tongue. At least if you don't want to have it cut from your mouth" he hissed, not trying to hide his irritation. Her insolence was driving him crazy. "You must be really naive if you think I would poison you. No, I couldn't afford to lose such a precious gem."

"So what's all this for? Why did you bring my brother here? You didn't even touch the food!" her voice was accusing, but Esmeralda was starting to feel doubt. Was Frollo telling the truth? Did she misread his behavior?

"Do you gypsies always need a reason? I just wanted to please you. I wanted to be nice to you, let you spend time with your brother. Looks like you cannot appreciate even the smallest amount of goodwill" he replied, clearly offended. He could see the confusion and guilt painted on her face. "And as for food, I had no appetite."

"I... I'm sorry" she mumbled, her cheeks flushing red.

Frollo looked at her coldly, his dark eyes showing no emotions. But deep inside, he felt pleased. He would have allowed her to insult him every day if she'd always blush so charmingly. "We will discuss this later. Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm already running late." He turned on his heel, leaving them in the dining room.

As soon as he was out of her sight, a wicked smile appeared on his face. His plan worked, and Esmeralda was unaware that she had been punished. The only downside was that he was now starving. Following the long corridor he headed towards the kitchen. No matter, he will eat his lunch with Quasimodo. Besides, he didn't like the taste of goat meat anyway.

AU: I'm sorry guys, I had to do it. In case you had no reason to hate Frollo before this chapter... well, now you do. I also wanted to thank you for all the reviews - keep them coming! Any kind of advice is greatly appreciated!