- What do you mean sideways? - Esmeralda asked him, raising an eyebrow with her arms crossed.
- That's the only way women are allowed to ride a horse. - Frollo explained patiently, though he was getting anxious as the minutes went by. He knew better than to show up late to the King's summoning.
- Well, that's absurd!- Esmeralda exclaimed, taking another look at the brown mare standing right beside her. She wasn't as tall as Frollo's horse, but still, her rump was above her eyes. It was frightening enough to think she needed to get up there, let alone if she was forced to do it in such a ridiculous, helpless position.
She looked at the judge again, shaking her head with fierce determination.
Frollo was already mounted on his black horse, and their scarce luggage was properly tied to the animals. They were all set to go, except from the fact that Esmeralda wasn't willing to get on her horse.
- That's why I said you shouldn't come. - Frollo explained cautiously, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Esmeralda snorted, irritated.
- So you want to leave me behind for some stupid rule made by who knows who? Are you serious?
- I'm not saying…
- It sounds like that! - she interrupted him, throwing her arms above her head and pacing nervously.
- Okay… - Frollo said, trying to pacify the increasingly tense atmosphere. - Why don't you get on my horse? I'll hold you, and you can just hold the reins for the mare to bring her along… And we'll figure the rest later.
- No. - Esmeralda refused. She took another look at the brown horse and inhaled sharply. - I'm getting on. The normal way. If anyone has any problem with it, it's none of my business.
- Esmeralda, please… - the judge begged, and his voice sounded suddenly exhausted.
She threw him an angry glance, but her expression softened as she watched Frollo's. The man looked deeply concerned, the wrinkles on his forehead more pronounced than they had been in a long while. She realized that he was truly worried about the situation with the king, and that he didn't want to do anything to worsen it further.
- Okay, listen. - she said, with a conciliatory tone. - I'll ride with you until we're out of Paris, alright? But once we're on the way, and no one is around, I will try to do it my way. If we go by any villages, we will switch again. No one will see, except maybe some shepherds but I guarantee you they won't give a damn.
Frollo considered his options for a second. Though he was still concerned, he realized this was his better chance to get going already.
- Fine. - he yielded. - Come here.- he said, offering his hand to help her.
But before getting up, Esmeralda walked towards Snowball's head, and she looked him right in the eye.
- You better behave well. - she threatened him with a menacing whisper.
The horse blinked slowly and then whined loudly, as if he was expressing his agreement. Esmeralda laughed and kissed the animal's forehead.
- Alright, I'm ready now. - she announced, and she took Frollo's hand.
He pulled hard from her, and she was once again surprised at his strength. The loose clothes and his tired expression always made her forget the actual vigor the judge possessed, though he made sure to remind her whenever they were alone in private.
The grip of his hands on her waist gave her a tingling sensation. Maybe riding with him wasn't such a bad idea after all, she thought to herself, and threw him a crooked smile.
He returned her smile weakly, before giving his horse the order to start moving.
Esmeralda was excited. Though she had left Paris in a couple occasions, she had never gotten far, and she was always with her adoptive family, going on foot or with the caravan.
So this was all new to her, and the perspective of going to the King's palace as a guest was something she could have never imagined in her wildest dreams.
As they rode along the dusty, rural trail, she realized she was also joyful about the fact that, for a few days until they arrived there, she and Claude would be alone. At the palace of justice there was always someone around or close, were it servants, soldiers or the citizens themselves, and though they were well aware of the rumors circulating about them, they still made an effort to be very discreet. But now it was just the two of them, and it no longer felt like they were the mighty judge and the gypsy dancer, but just Claude and Esmeralda. She loved the freedom implicit in that, and she turned her head to make the most out of it.
The kiss brought Frollo back from the depths of his mind.
- Hmm – he moaned softly. - What's that for?
- Just because. - Esmeralda replied with a wink.
Frollo's poor attempt of a smile was enough to make her realize he wasn't feeling the same way.
- It's all going to be okay, you know? - she tried to reassure him.
- Yes, of course.- he replied calmly, but his eyes were absent again.
She decided not to push it. She also decided not to bring up the horse subject again, at least not that day. The atmosphere was tense enough for her to insist in a delicate matter. So she resolved to ride with him in silence, giving him some space to calm down his thoughts.
But the thing was, Frollo's mind was completely blank. It's as if somehow it had gone into shock, and it didn't make any sense. Yes, the king's urgent summoning didn't sound very well, and after the emissary's visit, Frollo was concerned about what Lefebvre might have said about him… about them.
But there was no point in trying to guess, for he had no new information than when the emissary had left. Which meant he couldn't prepare any suitable defense for himself, if needed.
Frollo was a very practical man, in terms of his mental resources. If there was a problem, or something worrying him, he would spend whatever amount of time necessary pondering and considering his options, strategizing and planning every detail.
But when he knew nothing could be done, he wouldn't waste a minute of his time going over the subject again. And this was one of those times. Until they got to the palace and he finally learned what this was all about, there was no point in thinking about it.
However, this wasn't the reason his mind was blank, for it wasn't a calmed, relaxed blank. It felt as if he had been blindfolded, unable to see something obvious that was in front of him. His paralyzed thoughts were standing in the way of his screaming intuition that something was, or was about to be, very wrong. It didn't make any sense, yet it felt alarmingly real.
Before he realized, the silhouette of a farm over a hill appeared at the horizon. He grunted lowly.
- Did you say something? - Esmeralda turned around to look at him.
- No. I seemed to recall wrong, that's all.
She threw him an inquiring glance.
- That farm over there, that's where we should be staying tonight. - he explained, pointing at the small house.
- Already? - she asked, surprised. - The sun hasn't set yet. I thought we would ride longer today.
- So did I. - Frollo confirmed, frowning. - I thought the farm was further along the way. But the next one is too far away, I'm afraid. I don't want to ride in the dark.
- Well… we can stop there and leave very early in the morning.
- We have no choice.
Esmeralda pressed her lips together, annoyed at the inconvenient. It didn't bother her that they had to ride more or less, or how much did they sleep, but the fact that Frollo was concerned enough without any additional setbacks. Maybe she was not fully grasping the meaning of what was going on? Maybe she wasn't aware of the consequences that they could face if they showed up late or dissapointed the king in any way? A pinch of sudden fear stung her belly, but she shook her head trying to vanish the feeling. She trusted Frollo would know what to do.
She only hoped that there would be no more incidents along the way.
- Please, stop! - Esmeralda begged, irritated.
Frollo was surprised at the annoyance in her tone, for she had been silent for the last two hours, and before that, she had barely said a word since they left the farm before sunrise.
- What's wrong? - he asked, alarmed.
- Just stop! - she repeated, jumping down of the horse as soon as the judge obeyed her command.
He watched her, confused, as she brushed off her clothes and tried to cool herself using her hands as fans.
- I'm sorry, but I can't. - she blurted out, shaking her head.
- You can't what? - Frollo repeated, puzzled.
- Aren't you suffocating in those robes? - she asked with disbelief, staring at the judge's traveling attire, which was thinner than his regular clothes, but still dense and dark.
- It is hot, but I'm fine. - he stated.
- Well, I am not fine. - she replied. - We've been riding for hours under the sun, and I'm melting between its heat and yours and Snowball's. I'm going to ride the mare. - she announced.
Frollo had secretly hoped that she had given up on the idea of riding her own horse, which would probably slow them down. But his disappointment was overtaken by the appreciation that she had been struggling in silence so she wouldn't bother him. He also felt slightly guilty about that, so he immediately replied:
- Of course, let me help.
He gracefully got down the horse himself, which Snowball interpreted as a resting break, neighing happily.
- Which side do you prefer? - he asked her helpfully.
- No sides, Claude. - she answered, quietly but firmly. - I'm not going to risk falling down for some stupid rule. There's literally no one here but you and me.
Frollo frowned, looking away and trying to maintain a calm breathing.
- Can't you see it's stupid? - she pleaded, trying to reason with him.
- It is not. - he refuted. - Will you explain how do you plan to spread your legs while wearing that long skirt?
- I'll roll it up. - she said, as if stating the obvious.
- And you don't think that's inappropriate? - he replied, with a scolding tone.
- Yeah, right, God forbid the cattle get scandalized!
Frollo snorted, irritated at her sarcasm. He knew gypsies were much more loose about moral rules and decency than the catholic people, but even so, their women were never seen in public without a long skirt to cover their legs. Why had he fallen in love with the rebel among the rebels?
- Look, this is very simple. - she began, staring at him with her arms crossed. - I'm not getting back on that horse with you. And I'm not riding sideways. So either you open your damn mind or we're gonna lose more time when we should be moving ahead.
Frollo threw her a flaring glance, furious at her ultimatum. But at this point he knew her well enough to know she wasn't going to yield with this. So with an exasperated blow, he adjusted the saddle on the brown mare, repositioning the luggage they had placed on it while it was empty, and finally he offered Esmeralda his hand to help her get on.
- Thank you. - she said, though her tone was still acid.
It was a very weird feeling, sitting over an animal's back like that. The leather from the saddle was heated because of the sun, and it felt almost painful on the skin of her bare legs, but she wasn't going to protest. The feeling of the slight breeze on her skin was enough to relieve the heat.
- Here, hold the reins. - Frollo indicated, handing them to her. - She will follow Snowball so you won't have to do much. Just pull from them if she starts going the wrong way or too fast.
- Alright… - Esmeralda nodded, trying to hide her fear.
- Alright. - he repeated. - We'll start slow so you can get used to it, but we'll have to speed up the pace if we want to make it on time, do you understand?
- I understand. - she replied, irritated at his condescending tone.
- Fine, then. - he said, turning to get back on the black horse's saddle.
- Wait! - she called. - What's her name? - Frollo looked at her with an indecipherable expression. - What? She's carrying me on her back, the least I can do is learn her name. - Esmeralda defended herself.
- I actually don't remember. - Frollo confessed.
- What? You don't know the name of your own mare?
- I almost never ride her. - he justified himself. - And Patrice is the one that knows every horse in the stables well.
- Right. - she nodded, hiding her judgment. - Alright, well, that means I get to name you! - she said happily, leaning to stroke the mare's hair.
Frollo was about to tell her that it was useless to give the horse a new name because she wouldn't recognize it or respond to it, but he decided not to say anything and just let the woman do her thing.
- Hmm… I think I'll call you Freedom. - Esmeralda stated with pride.
Frollo gritted his teeth at the obvious taunt but without further saying, he climbed up to his horse and resumed their journey.
It turned out Esmeralda was a natural.
She had only been riding alone for a day now, and yet, she looked absolutely comfortable on Freedom's back, sometimes even getting ahead of Frollo for a while without fear of the mare going rogue.
Frollo would never admit it out loud, but he was pissed. Granted, he was glad that she was able to ride well on her own, for that meant they could move faster. But he was also annoyed that she had gotten her way so easily, and that it was actually going so well. He despised himself for such low thoughts, but he couldn't help it. The tiredness, the heat, the worry, and above all, the smug grin on her face, didn't help at all.
He was suddenly feeling as if they had gone back to the power game phase, which he thought had been left way behind. And it bothered him greatly. But he wasn't going to be the first one to say anything about it, and apparently, Esmeralda was perfectly happy this way.
For the past couple of nights, she had kissed him goodnight and fallen asleep almost immediately. He was exhausted himself, after the whole day riding, but he was slightly upset that she showed no sign of desire for more physical intimacy than that. This also made him feel like they had gone back to the early stages of their relationship, where every movement was calculated and held a hidden meaning. He didn't want to think this way about her anymore, he wanted to trust her as she had repeatedly asked him to do… but the insecurity was creeping back in, slowly but certainly.
- How far along are we? - Esmeralda asked at one point, breaking the silence.
- Well, it's Friday evening. We should be getting there on Sunday.
- That means we're good, right? - she inquired.
- If we keep this pace, yes. - Frollo confirmed. - Why do you ask?
- I'm just tired. - she said, with a yawn. - I'm all sweaty and sore.
- Well, that's what a horse trip is. - Frollo stated, trying to sting her inflated bubble of smugness. - I warned you.
- I wasn't complaining. - Esmeralda clarified quickly. - I just wanted to know we're right on schedule.
Frollo didn't reply, and after that the silence was restored.
The sun was near the horizon when Esmeralda pulled from the mare's reins.
- Do you hear that? - she asked Frollo, lowering her tone.
- What? - the judge said, also stopping his horse.
Esmeralda tilted her head, looking towards a row of trees near the trail.
- There… I think there is a stream.
- Hmm.. it is likely. - he agreed, recognizing the subtle sound of running water among the trees.
- Oh, good! - she exclaimed, getting ready to descend from the horse.
- What are you doing? - Frollo asked alarmed.
- I'm going for a bath! - she explained, as if it was obvious.
- What? Now? Here? - Frollo was startled.
- Of course! I'm dying for some fresh water! - she said, reaching the ground and adjusting her clothes. - Come on! - she rushed him.
- I don't think this is a good idea. - he shook his head. - Look, the inn is right there on that small valley ahead. We'll be there in fifteen minutes. I'm sure you can take a bath there.
- Not like this one. - she refuted. - I want to be able to stretch.
- Please, Esmeralda. - Frollo begged. - There are bandits on this roads, it's not safe.
- Oh, come on! - Esmeralda snapped, raising her tone with her eyes suddenly flaring. - What is wrong with you? Why does everything have to be a problem? Can't you just let me be?
Frollo was shocked at her sudden outburst, though he could tell it had been building up inside her for a while now. A hundred hurtful replies came to his mind, but he didn't want to worsen things.
- I'm just trying to keep you safe. - he said instead, visibly hurt.
- Well, give it a break, it'll be fine. - she replied, softening her tone. - Let's go to the water.
- I'm not going into the water. - Frollo stated, sitting straight on his horse. The mere thought of getting rid of his clothes in the middle of nowhere, at the mercy of whoever went by in that moment, was absolutely ridiculous.
Esmeralda blew exasperated.
- You would enjoy life much more if you weren't always so rigid, you know? - she stated, beginning to walk towards the trees.
- Are you really going to…?
- I am. Why don't you go ahead to the inn, if it's fifteen minutes away? I'll catch up with you.
- I'm not leaving you alone. - Frollo protested.
- I could use some alone time. - she replied, bitterly.
He was hurt by her words and her tone, and also mad that everything seemed to be going so wrong since they had left Paris. He didn't want to fight, so he turned around and incited his horse forward.
He would wait at the curve, where the trees would hide his presence, until he saw her returning to the mare safe and sound, and then he would go ahead so she wouldn't know he had been waiting for her.
A few minutes later, her figure reappeared among the trees. Her hair was dripping, and her clothes lingered to her soaked skin, highlighting her every curve. Frollo hated to admit it, but for a second he forgot all about their fight, and the king, and the bandits, and all he could think about was going to her and taking her right there and then. But if she hadn't shown any signs of desire so far, he wasn't going to be the first.
So he rushed his horse, to get well ahead of her as she got ready to climb her mare again.
Freedom seemed restless when she felt her wetness dripping all over her back.
- It's alright. - Esmeralda soothed her, gently stroking her hair. - You're probably hot too, after this whole day of carrying me. This will help cool you. - she affirmed, as she rolled her skirt up to readjust her position properly.
For a moment, she thought of how she must look, for anyone who passed by. Her hair worn loose and soaked, her colorful clothes rolled up, her bare legs in plain sight… She understood what Frollo meant by inappropriate; anyone who saw her right now would arrive to the conclusion that she was a sinful gypsy, a temptress. Well, that's their problem, she thought to herself, though internally she prayed not to run into anyone until she reached the inn.
However, her prayers weren't going to be granted. She tried to lower the fabric of her skirt to cover at least her knees as she watched the silhouette of some people in front of her, down the trail. The sun had just set, so there was still daylight left, but not enough to see clearly. She slowed down Freedom, as one of her hands left the reins to search in one of the bags at her back, trying to find her dagger just in case. She hated to admit that Frollo had gotten inside her head, and now she was finding herself distrustful and afraid.
But her fears dissipated as she recognized the judge in the taller silhouette, standing over his massive horse. Now that she had realized it was him, she wondered how she could have missed it. There weren't many horses as big as that one, nor many men as tall and elegant in posture as him. She was genuinely happy to see him, forgetting for a moment about all the tension between them.
Esmeralda rushed the mare to get to him, wondering who the people around his horse could be. There seemed to be three of them, and from the distant sound of their voices, they ought to be men.
As she got closer, something felt off. Frollo looked stiff, and once they noticed her coming, the men began to lower their voices, and they moved closer to the judge, restless. Suddenly, her inner alarm turned on. She rushed her horse even more, though she was afraid of falling. The sound of the hooves in the dusty gravel made Frollo turn his head around, but he didn't seem happy to see her, which confirmed her suspicions. The silent warning in his eyes did the rest.
- Good evening! - she greeted, apparently cheerful. - Thanks for waiting for me, love! - she threw Frollo a warm smile.
The men looked up at her from the ground. They seemed utterly confused by her sudden appearance, riding a horse like a man and still soaked from the river. It only took her a glance at their clothes and golden earrings to recognize them as gypsies.
- How is your day going, brothers? - she asked them, pretending not to notice the knife one of them was hiding on his hand and sleeve.
The bandits looked at each other, hesitant. Though the strange couple had horses, they still outnumbered them. Also, they didn't seem to be armed. And by the looks of the tall man's clothes, he wasn't a mere peasant. He probably had some hidden goods in his luggage, besides the ruby and sapphire rings on his pale hands.
However, the woman was obviously a gypsy too, which didn't make any sense. Unless…
- Forgive me, sister. - one of them said to Esmeralda, pronouncing the words carefully. He was the bigger among them, and by the looks of it, their leader. - We didn't mean to interfere. - he affirmed, with a quick wink at her.
- Of course, you didn't know! No harm done. - she reassured them with a meaningful smile and nod.
- Good luck! - the man replied, and with a gesture, he instructed the others to get out of the way.
- You too! - Esmeralda waved, as she gently pressed her heels to Freedom's sides so she would get moving.
Frollo followed her without a single word, as she rode apparently carefree down the road to the inn.
Once they got there, and they were sure the bandits hadn't followed them, they descended their horses and Esmeralda finally turned to look at him.
- Are you okay? - she asked, concerned.
The judge stared at her, with his jaws clenched. However, his glance was absent, as if he was looking right through her.
- Hey… it's okay. We're okay. - she said in a soothing tone, getting closer and rubbing his upper arm.
But Frollo was rigid. He seemed unable to pronounce a single word.
- Come, let's get something to eat. - Esmeralda offered, grabbing his hand and making him walk beside her. He didn't resist, but he didn't held her hand back either. He seemed to have entered some kind of trance.
The woman at the inn welcomed them warmly, and though she immediately noticed something was wrong with the man, she didn't ask, something Esmeralda appreciated. She offered them some hot soup and ham and bread, and she poured two glasses of ale for them.
- Thank you so much. - Esmeralda said, once the woman left everything at their table and left towards the kitchen. - Please, eat. - she begged Frollo, slowly pushing the plate on his direction.
The judge obeyed silently, though his eyes were still lost in the corner.
- I'm so sorry I left you. - Esmeralda said after a while. - I shouldn't have stayed behind.
She braced herself, knowing her admission of fault would probably invite a wave of reproach and "I-told-you-so"s, but the fact that Frollo didn't even answer her was way worse.
- I understand if you're mad… - she said tentatively, trying to crack his walls.
But the man continued to eat as if she wasn't there. So she sighed, and began eating as well with resignation.
- Can I fetch you anything else? - the innkeeper asked them, once she saw their plates and glasses were empty.
- No, thank you. The truth is, we're exhausted. I think we'll go rest now. We will be leaving early in the morning. - Esmeralda explained.
- Alright then, have a good night! - the woman replied with a smile.
- Why don't you go ahead? - Esmeralda suddenly asked Frollo. - I'll be right there.
Frollo nodded almost imperceptibly, and he headed for the stairs towards the room they had rented for the night.
- Rough day? - the woman asked the gypsy once they were alone.
- Rough week, actually. - Esmeralda confessed, sitting down. - I could use another glass of ale if that's possible.
- Of course. - the woman said with complicity.
She brought two glasses, and given there were no other customers, she sat beside Esmeralda and poured herself a drink too.
- Your man is… peculiar. - she commented carefully.
- He is indeed. - Esmeralda replied with a sad smile. - But I love him.
The innkeeper nodded thoughtfully. Esmeralda was grateful that she wasn't asking any questions, or judging them. She figured the woman was probably used to see all kinds of people stopping by on their journeys. She felt she could trust her.
- I need to ask you a favor. - she said out of the blue. - But it's a secret.
The woman leaned forward, looking around to make sure no one was there. She lowered her tone to ask, intrigued:
- Of course. What is it?
Frollo was tossing and turning in the uncomfortable bed, wondering what was taking Esmeralda so long. The truth is, in that moment he wasn't sure if he preferred being alone or with her. But this absurd, yet terrifying thought was creeping its way inside his mind, that she might had gotten sick of him, and that she was running away as he waited there in the dark.
He held his breath to be able to hear better, trying to discern the sound of hooves, or even running feet, among the nocturnal sounds. He was so concentrated and quiet that the sudden creak of the door opening startled him greatly.
Esmeralda entered the room very quietly, trying not to wake him up. He kept his eyes almost closed, trying to look asleep. He managed to see her dark silhouette against the dim glow of the window, taking off her clothes and placing them over a chair. She then got inside the bed, and he felt her weight lowering the hay mattress at his back. He envied the way she was able to just drift off to sleep almost immediately after getting into bed, when it usually took him so long to be able to stop his thoughts.
- I am not mad. - he whispered, unsure if she would heard him or she would be already out.
However, he felt her palm gently pressing his back, so he turned around to face her.
The kindness and compassion on her eyes made them bright among the darkness of the room. After the constant fighting of the past few days, that was enough to shatter his defenses.
- I'm ashamed. - he admitted, closing his eyes.
- Ashamed? - she repeated, baffled.
- I shouldn't have left you alone. I did it out of pride. It was reckless. - he declared, with a strangled voice.
- Hey, I was the one to ask you to leave. Besides, nothing happened to me! I was safe. - she reassured him quickly.
- But if it had… You saw me with those bandits. I froze. It was pathetic. - he said bitterly.
Esmeralda moved closer to him, and she touched his face, slowly moving her fingertips from his silver hair to his thin lips that were pressed together.
- It wasn't. - she replied, calm but firmly. - It must have brought you a lot of memories back. - she said sympathetically.
- But I'm not a child anymore, Esmeralda! There's no excuse. - he spat, frustrated. - If you hadn't shown up, God knows what would have happened. I might have handed them everything without a fight.
- Honestly, I'd rather you doing that, that getting hurt.
- That's not the point. - Frollo shook his head, irritated.
- No, you're right. The point is nothing happened. I got to you in time and that was all.
- I still don't understand… - Frollo said, suddenly changing his tone and narrowing his eyes. - What did I miss? Why did they let us go?
Esmeralda turned to lay on her back, suddenly uncomfortable.
- I don't know, I guess they figured it wasn't worth it. - she said, though her tone wasn't convincing.
- No. - Frollo replied, grabbing her chin to make her look at him. - Tell me the truth. There was something unspoken going on.
- I don't know what you… - Esmeralda began, but her voice faded under the intensity of Frollo's scrutinizing gaze. - Look, it doesn't matter, it's stupid. - she tried to discard the subject.
- Tell me. - he demanded.
- Fine. - she yielded with exasperation, removing his hand from her face in an angry gesture. - They thought I was scamming you. They thought you were my personal project, that I was with you to steal from you for my own profit. That's why they said they didn't want to interfere. They meant they didn't want to interfere with my plans. They respected those plans because I'm also a gypsy, I'm one of them. It's like a secret moral code or something, I guess.
Frollo looked horrified.
- Do you feel better now? - she asked bitterly, angry that he had forced her to say it out loud.
Frollo frowned and turned around, with his back at her.
She snorted, and turned her back at him too.
So much for an exciting trip, she thought to herself, before falling asleep.