As the morning sun rose over the hills with colors of orange, pink, red, and purple filling the sky, the chirping of birds along with a crowing rooster which could be heard in the far distance, Charlotte and her friends lay fast asleep in their fort. The sound of a walking horse drew closer and closer to the fort. Then suddenly, the fort they were sleeping in was kicked down and fell apart, waking up Marie and Odette. Charlotte, however, had managed to sleep through it somehow despite being a light sleeper. The two girls looked up and saw a giant black horse with a dark figure sitting on top, they both started screaming on the top of their lungs as they ran down the hill. Charlotte managed to be woken up by their screams. She got up and looked behind her. But before she could react, she was picked up off the ground and held up in mid-air with her feet dangling. She then screamed, thinking that it was her father, but stopped in surprise only the realize that it was not her father at all, but no other than the Minister of Justice himself. The same man she and her friends heard speak last week and had stared intently at her two days earlier at the market. He then spoke,
"I have searched Paris all night long to find you, my dear Charlotte." She just stared and gasped in shock and disbelief. He then sat her on the horse in front of him, facing the side, and grabbed onto her arm, so she wouldn't try to escape. He then gave a kick to Snowball, and he took off running down the hill, perusing Marie and Odette who were still running away screaming. Charlotte just sat there in shock. He quickly caught up and got in front, blocking their way. Then they noticed there were guards at the bottom of the hill. Gauthier must had alerted them for Frollo after he left to go look for Charlotte. And saw Charlotte sitting on Frollo's horse with him gripping her.
"Let her go!" cried Marie and Odette. "She didn't do anything!"
"Silence!" yelled Frollo with great authority in his voice. He then turned to his guards.
"Guards!" barked Frollo. "Arrest them!" he ordered pointing at the two girls. "I will deal with you two later," turning back to them saying in a low threatening tone. He looked down at Charlotte in front of him and whispered with a creepy grin, "You're coming with me, young lady." Charlotte didn't even react still in chock.
The guards then put shackles on the two girls and led them away. All Charlotte could do was watch in horror. "How did he find us? We were so far away, how did he know?" Charlotte wandered to herself the whole ride back to Paris. And then she was again shocked that it took no longer than ten minutes to reach the large iron gate. Turns out they were only five to ten minutes walking distance from Paris, not miles and miles away like she and her friends thought they were. Frollo, himself, even pointed this out to her as they were walking under the gates, purposely trying to make her feel foolish.
They then reached the Palace of Justice. Charlotte just stared in awe at the size of the place. It was far, far bigger than her own house even. After Frollo dismounted his horse in the stable, he lifted Charlotte down and dragged her inside the palace by her wrist and led her inside his living quarters. He then threw her down on a plush chair in the parlor.
"Wait here," he ordered. He then left the room.
She looked around the place. The room itself was probably the size of the whole first floor at her own home if not bigger. There was a big, ornate wooden fireplace twice the size as the one at her house. There was a large portrait of Frollo, crucifixes, and Virgin Mary tapestry hanging on the carved stone walls. The furniture was fit for a king and made with expensive wood and fabrics. It was all gothic style and ornately carved designs similar to the fireplace along with red, crimson rugs throughout the floors with stained glass windows. And last but not least, there was a huge chandelier above with dozens of lit candles illuminating the whole room along with a couple torches hanging on the walls here and there. Charlotte had thought her father was religious enough as it was, but that was nothing compared to what she saw in the palace. Frollo much, much more extreme about it.
She, however, was still in shock. All of this felt like a bad dream. She kept thinking that at any minute, she would wake up in the fort with her two best friends by her side once more. The reality of it all hadn't hit her just yet, although she did wonder how Frollo knew her name. And then her thoughts were interrupted by Frollo coming back with her father behind him. He looked absolutely furious. Frollo had been gone quite a while. Charlotte immediately cowered in knowing he would hit her again as he approached. Not to her surprise, he pulled her up by her hair, and slapped her hard as she yelped in pain, hold her cheek.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, GIRL?!" shouted her father. Charlotte put her head down and buried her face in her hands and began to feel her eyes watering.
"I'm sorry," she said while her voice was shaking, Frollo stood there and listened.
"YOU'RE SORRY?! YOU'RE SORRY?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE YOU WOULD HAVE CAUSED?! HAD THE MINISTER NOT FOUND YOU WHEN HE DID, HE WOULD HAD DESTORYED ALL OF PARIS JUST TO FIND YOU! INNOCENT PEOPLE WOULD HAD BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF YOU! NOT TO MENTION YOU BROUGHT YOUR FRIENDS WITH YOU AND SCARED THEIR PARENTS HALF TO DEATH!" her father shouted full of rage. "YOU STUPID GIRL!"
"I had to do it, I didn't have a choice. I can't get married yet, I don't want to, you can't make me," she cried with her voice still shaking. At this point her eyes were blurry with tears and had tears pouring down her face. Frollo than joined in the conversation and said to her,
"Did your father tell you whom you are betrothed to? he asked curiously. Charlotte shook her head. He began stroking her long auburn hair.
"That would be me, my dear girl," replied Frollo, giving her a dark smile still stroking her hair. Charlotte felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach. She immediately stopped sniffling and shot her head up in horror.
" No, no, you're lying! No!" she cried out. Her father slapped her again.
"THAT IS NO WAY YOU SPEAK TO THE MINISTER!" yelled her father furiously. He then turned to Frollo and calmly apologized on Charlotte's behalf. Then he turned back to Charlotte and continued in a more stern voice, "He speaks the truth. You have been unknowingly betrothed to him for the past year now."
And then a knock came from the other side of the door.
"What?!" Frollo yelled at the guard.
"Two prisoners are trying to escape, Minister Frollo," replied the guard. Frollo rolled his eyes and said to Charlotte and her father in a formal manner,
"If you excuse me, I have something urgent to attend to. I will be back shortly," he then left with the guard and closed the door behind him.
Her father went on to say more, but poor Charlotte didn't even hear him. Her mind was all over the place and the reality still hadn't sunk in yet. But she did however hear the last thing he said,
"And as part of your punishment, the Minister and I decided that you shall no longer have any contact with your friends and family." That broke her on the inside. The last time she saw her mother and siblings was the night before at dinner when her father told her that she was to marry, which caused her to run away. She didn't really know what to say to this however.
"BUT HOW COULD YOU?!" cried out Charlotte. She didn't care if he hit her again or not. But to her surprise, he didn't. He then went on, "From now on, you are to stay here permanently with your soon-to-be husband. You will never again set foot into your old home. The last time I will see you will be at your up-coming wedding at the cathedral." he finished saying.
"Until then, Goodbye." He then left and closed the door.
Warning: Mild Sensitive Content Starts Here
Charlotte just sat there for a few minutes, not knowing what to do or think. All of this happening at once was too much for her 10 year old brain to process. She still felt like she was having a horrible nightmare. And then Frollo came back. He knelt down to Charlotte's level, once again began stroking her hair and said to her,
"There there child, I know this comes to you a bit of a shock, but overtime you'll get used to the idea," reassured Frollo to Charlotte. "You know, you're very beautiful," he said to her. Charlotte was still burying her face in her hands and crying.
"From the moment I saw you at the market the other day previously, I knew that I had to have you," he said softly. Charlotte was starting to feel even more uncomfortable. Here is this full grown man, talking to a 10 year old child as if she were an adult, and she just barely entered the earliest stages of puberty.
"I just want to go home. I want to see my family and friends again," she sniffed.
"No child. You are to stay here, this is your home now." Besides, you don't want to see those wretched peasants you call friends and family, don't you?" he said to her in a sarcastic tone.
"Yes I do," she answered back," she cried once more.
Frollo stared at her for a minute, and then, without warning, violently pulled her up by her arm and began dragging her towards the dungeons. Charlotte tried to break loose from his grip, but failed. He was much stronger than her. He then opened the dungeon doors, climbed down the stairs, still dragging her. Even though she felt pain in her arm from being dragged so hard, she looked around and saw dozens and dozens of cell doors lined up, including what looked like a couple torture chambers. It also smelled of rotting, burnt, decaying flesh. She then heard the sounds of whipping and screams. And then, Frollo opened a cell door, threw her inside as she landed on the ground and he locked it.
"You selfish child!" he barked at her.
"I treat you with kindness and respect, and this is how you repay me?!" he sneered.
"Not only did you attempt to run away from me and cause me to nearly destroy Paris, you also disrespected me in my own household!" he went on. "A good stay in the dungeon should teach you a lesson!" He then stormed away leaving her behind in the jail cell.
Charlotte sat up on the cold, hard, stone floor, trying to process everything that just occurred. She took a look around the cell. It was quite small, and had nothing in it, not even a window or bench to use as a bed. It took a while, and then it all started to come to her. Being captured by Frollo and being forced to marry him, being forbidden to see the only people whom she loved and cared about, and being held captive here in the palace was all slowly sinking in. Everything. The reality of it all. Not to mention her two best friends were arrested and their parents had to bail them out with the little money they had. They both came from poor enough families already. "It's all my fault," she told herself. She leaned against the wall, putting her knees up to her face while hugging them, and started to sob.
During the week she was down there, she fell in and out of sleep and was forced to listen to prisoners being whipped and tortured. The entire experience was traumatic to say the least. She was given two meals a day with water under Frollo's orders. She also had frequent flashbacks on the happy moments of her life before all of this happened. The good times she had spent with her friends, two best friends, younger sister and brother, and mother. How she missed them so. All she wanted was to go home and give them all the biggest hug she has ever given anybody in her life. Charlotte wandered if she was going to die here at one point. She even thought that maybe she was better off dead at times. She, however, was woken up from her sleep on the floor, as she was being shaken awake by someone.
"Get up!" a deep voice demanded. It was no other than Frollo. Charlotte groggily tried to get up, but he just pulled her up.
"Your punishment is now over. I'm assuming you have learned your lesson now, am I correct?" he asked her.
Charlotte nodded, and at that, he ushered her to follow him and lead her out of the dungeons. When they were finally out, much to Charlotte's relief, he led her back to the parlor she was in the first day she got there. He motioned her to sit on the same plush chair, as he sat down on the one opposite next of it. It was one of the most comfortable chairs she ever sat in. Not even the seating at her own home was this comfortable.
"Now that you've learned your lesson, I expect you to know now that there are consequences for your actions. Next time, if this happens again, I won't show you any grace, unlike I did this time, my dear" he said to her firmly. "You are very young and naïve and still have a lot of learning to do," he went on. Charlotte just stared down at the red carpet, not knowing what to say.
Frollo reached over and lifted her head up by grabbing her chin with force and snapped, "Look at me when I am speaking to you, girl!" Charlotte did so, and he replied, "Good. Now, I'd like to show you to your chambers," he said smirking.
"Chambers?" she replied.
"Would you rather stay in the dungeons again?" he asked her.
And she quickly replied no, then he told her to follow him. They walked up several staircases and through many hallways. The entire palace was decorated with various tapestries of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, crosses on the walls, torches, candles, tall arched ceilings similar to what the Notre Dame cathedral had, along with knight armor placed against the walls in the hallways. Charlotte couldn't believe how big the place was, it was like a never ending maze, until finally they reached a door at the end of the hallway. Frollo opened it and walked inside. The room looked similar to her old bedroom, only more luxurious and bigger. The bed felt softer, there was a fireplace with a coat of arms over it, a wardrobe twice the size as the one she used to have at her old home, a small desk in the corner, and a trunk at the foot of the large bed. It also had a large area rug on the floor as well. And it even had a washroom with a basin, chamber pot, and wooden tub inside, used for bathing. Charlotte looked around the whole room in awe.
"Luxurious isn't it?" asked Frollo smiling at her. "Much better than that dastardly peasant home you once dwelled in," he then said with disgust.
"It wasn't that bad," Charlotte replied quietly.
"Well my darling girl, you will think that no longer. This is much much better, you'll see," he replied patting the top of the head. He then went on to say,
"I'll have my personal seamstress sew you some new attire, instead of those disgusting peasant rags you're currently wearing on your back. No future wife of mine shall be dressed in such a terrible manner."
Charlotte both cringed and gagged at the same time. The thought that she would soon be his made her want to die. She then looked down a her outfit. It was light blue dress, the style of what the upper middle class villagers wore like herself. But to a very affluent and wealthy person such as Frollo, it was seen as poor and improper, not much better than what the lower middle class individuals wore on a daily regular basis. Charlotte, however, didn't see anything wrong with it but, reluctantly, she nodded.
"I shall also fetch one of my servants to heat up some water and put it in the tub for you to bathe in," he said leaving the room. "You wait in here," he ordered. Charlotte then walked over and sat on the bed. It felt almost like sitting on a cloud. She lied down with her arms sprawled out, stared at the high ceiling for a bit, which was hand carved stone, and drifted off to asleep.
Charlotte was waiting by the colossal front doors of the Palace of Justice when they suddenly opened by themselves letting her go free, revealing bright light coming inside the dark palace. She then walked out and looked at the beautiful clear sky with crisp air and the birds chirping while the villagers of Paris were doing their thing. She was free. Free from Frollo's household. She then ran down the stairs as fast as she could running straight home, meeting Marie and Odette on the way.
"Charlotte!" they squealed at the same time. They all went into a big group hug, and Charlotte said, let's go home. And they followed her, skipping and laughing merrily on the way through the crowded streets. They soon reached Charlotte's house where her mother and siblings were waiting for her happily. She ran into their arms and all hugged and hugged and hugged. She didn't want to stop, but suddenly a couple knocks on a door could be heard. She then woke up and then realized she was hugging one of the pillows on the bed. It had all been a dream. She then began to sulk, but then the knock was heard again. It was coming from the other side of the door.
"Go away!" cried Charlotte in despair, feeling like crying once more. She wanted more than anything for that dream she just had to come true. Then a woman's voice replied,
"Mademoiselle, I'm here to fill the tub so you can take a bath before supper," Charlotte then got up and opened the door and a woman with fair skin, blonde hair and blue-greenish eyes of average build at height walked in, carrying two buckets of hot water. She looked like Charlotte's own mother. She was wearing a grey servant dress with an apron around her waist and a cap on her head.
"Allow me to introduce myself; I'm Gertrud. One of the Minister's many housemaid-" she then paused, "Why, you're just a child!" she said with a gasp of shock. She continued, "I knew that the Minister was taking a wife soon, but I didn't think that she'd be so young!" she said still in great surprise. "What old are you, child?"
"10 ma'am," she replied. Gertrud put the two buckets of water down and embraced Charlotte in a big comforting hug bending down to her level.
"You poor, poor thing!" she with great sympathy in her voice. And just then, another knock came from the door and several more maids wearing the same outfit as Gertrud walked in all holding buckets of hot water. They were also shocked when they saw Charlotte, but rather than comforting her, they stared at her in surprise and whispered to each other. Then they went to go fill the tub in the washroom up and Gertrud joined them. All but Gertrud left the guest room.
"The water is hot, so I would let the water cool a little more if I were you, dear," Gertrud said after putting her hand in the tub to test the water temperature while wiping her hand off on her apron. Supper will be ready in an hour dear, so you have plenty of time," Gertrud said with a uplifting smile. If you need anything, I will be waiting right outside." There are towels and soap on the shelf above the wash basin," she said with a little smile.
"Thank you," said Charlotte. Gertrud then patted Charlotte on the head as she stepped out of the washroom. Charlotte then waited about 5 minutes before getting undressed and going in the water. The water felt very soothing and relaxing, just the way she liked it. Normally, she would have to take baths in local bathhouse which she absolutely hated, there was no privacy whatsoever. If you didn't cover yourself up with a towel, everyone would see you naked. Her mother always told her not to be ashamed and that everybody, under all their clothing, had a naked body. But it didn't help. Rarely, was she able to take a private bath in her own house, but it caused a lot of sibling squabble due one of them taking too long and then the water was cold by the time the her other sibling came in, so her mother very rarely set it up for the children.
After she had finished, she grabbed a towel from the shelf and dried herself off. Charlotte then walked out still wrapped in the towel and noticed a very affluent red and white colored dress lying on the bed with a light underdress to go underneath. She then threw it on and looked at herself in the long mirror. She thought she looked very grown up indeed. Charlotte had never worn anything this nice before. It looked like something the Queen herself would wear. And then there was a knock on the door.
"It's Gertrud," she walked in and said, "My, you look so beautiful my dear," staring at her dress. The seamstress just brought that over just a couple minutes ago while you were still bathing. It looks gorgeous on you." she complimented.
"Thank you," replied Charlotte still thinking about her family and friends. She already missed them so.
"Come now, supper will be ready very soon and we don't want to keep the Minister waiting," said Gertrud escorting her to the formal dining room.
When she got there, she couldn't believe how long the dining table was. It was fit for a king to say the least. The room had two chandeliers each with dozens of candles on top like the one in the parlor, there was a big fire place with another large portrait of Frollo hanging above, two candle sticks on the table, more stained glass windows, and rows of ornate chairs tucked under the table. Frollo was sitting at the end in an ornate gothic style chair, waiting for her. When he saw her, he said, "My dearest Charlotte, you are just in time for supper. And how beautiful you look, just as I wish my future wife to be." At this Charlotte felt very uncomfortable, but she tried not to show it not to add to his wrath.
"Thank you," she replied, sitting at least several chairs away from him.
"You're so very welcome, my dear," Frollo replied back with a sinister smile on his face. Just then the cook came out with the food. It was cooked bird and some kind of meat, served with honey glazed fruit, French medieval food. And there was wine served too. She only had eaten this a couple times in her life, it was one of her favorite foods. She also discovered that she was hungrier that what she thought.
"Looks good, doesn't it? Frollo told her with a smirk. "We must pray before we consume," he said said with authority in his voice. He cleared his throat and Charlotte put her hands put together and he began leading the prayer speaking Latin,
"Benedic, Domine, nos et haec tua dona quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi.
Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen."
Charlotte, on the other hand, only understood a few words and phrases here. She then cut her food then used the knife she used to cut it and started to eat. (Knives qnd spoons were the only cutlery that existed back in this time period). This was much, much more appetizing than the food she was given in the dungeons. She nodded, continuing to eat. He then changed the subject.
"I'm currently making plans for the date of our wedding with your father," he said with another sinister, creepy smile. Charlotte cowered in fear and disgust and gulped. Frollo went on, "We were thinking no more a month, as soon as possible. How does that sound?" he said with that same evil smile. She, in her head, prayed that it wouldn't happen. The last thing she wanted was to wed this at least 36 year old grown man. He was probably older than her own father. (The legal age to marry back then was 12 if you were female and 14 if you were male). Charlotte wasn't even a teenager yet, but Frollo being a high ranking political figure, was able to bend the rules without any consequences. He could do whatever he wanted.
"We are still making the arrangements as of this moment. It will be a private wedding in the Notre Dame Cathedral. No need for the all of Paris to attend." he said flippantly. Charlotte just ate in silence. Inside, she wanted to die. "Why God?" she asked in her head over and over again. Frollo went on,
"I shall teach you how to become a proper noblewoman and a wife of a government official, starting tomorrow morning. You will come down stairs at 8:00 sharp, no early nor later than, and I also must give you an education too," he instructed.
"But I already have an ed-" Charlotte was interrupted.
"Not another word," Frollo snapped back. Charlotte then finished her meal. She then got up to go wash her plate off, but Frollo stopped her.
"And where do you think you're going?" asked Frollo staring at her in disapproval.
"I'm going to wash off my plate," she answered respectfully. He got up abruptly and said,
"You will do no such thing! Leave it for the maid to retrieve." he said. She then did as he told her.
"Good girl. Now it's off to bed," he said now dragging her by her wrist.
"But it's too early," she replied her wrist now hurting.
"I don't care," he said back. He continued dragging her back to her bedchambers then went out of the way to the other side of one of the many, hallways and pointed at set of very large doors.
"You see those doors?" You may not open them nor enter for the time of being." he instructed her firmly. "You will be severely punished if you do so." He yanked her closer to him as he bent to her eye level. "Do you understand?" he asked very firmly this time squeezing her wrists even tighter. Charlotte nodded in pain. "You also are prohibited from entering my study chamber as well, the only exception being you called in to do so my me. It is on the left of the large doors in front of you," he finished telling her. He then took her back towards her chambers.
You may have run of the rest of the palace though," And finally he let go of her in her room, as she rubbed her now bright red wrists, almost matching the color of the dress she wearing. There was also a nightdress lying on the bed that one of the maids had laid out.
"I shall see you tomorrow morning at 8:00 sharp, remember?" Fail to do so and the consequences might be severe," he threatened her and then left. Charlotte waited for him to leave entirely and got on the bed and sobbed again. She was holding back her tears the entire time she was having dinner with her soon-to-be husband.
"I can't do this, I just can't," she told herself. She considered trying to run away again, but she quickly decided no on that, knowing that she would be very severely punished or worse this time. And after a few hours, she managed to cry herself to sleep once more.
