Chapter 7: The Hunchback

Frollo made Esmeralda stay back at first when he came into the top of the belltower. He dismissed the guards who stood watch over the area, not wishing for an audience. He found the hunchback curled into a depressed ball on the floor.

"Quasimodo," Frollo alerted.

The boy jumped to his feet when he realized who was there.

"...Master!" He let out anxiously. "Master... where is she? What have you done to her?"

"She's perfectly fine, dear boy." Frollo assured. "Come and have something to eat. You must be starving."

He gently pushed Quasimodo toward the table and unloaded some food in front of him. Though he was yearning for answers, Quasimodo was indeed starving after being neglected in the tower since the previous morning. He ate with urgency, forgetting his manners as if he hadn't eaten in years. Frollo looked at him judgmentally, making the boy ashamed of his uncouthness.

"Sorry..." Quasimodo apologized.

"Oh, it's alright." Frollo sighed. "I expect no better of a monster."

Frollo resisted the urge to smile. The sight of the deformed bell ringer made him feel flattered. When his own disfigurement made him feel ugly, it was comforting to think that someone far more unappealing existed. Better to be scarred than to be a monster.

"What happened to her?" Quasimodo questioned again. "Can I... see her?"

"Well," Frollo said ominously. "Perhaps I could arrange-"

"Quasi!"

Esmeralda's voice rang from the other side of the tower. Frollo scowled.

"I told you to wait!"

"I couldn't!"

Quasimodo lit up at the sight of her, rushing to embrace his friend.

"Esmeralda!" He cried joyously. "I was so worried! Are you okay?"

"I'm alright." Esmeralda answered. "What about you?"

"Oh, I felt terrible after everything. But I'm so glad you're okay! I thought Frollo-"

Remembering that Frollo was still there, Quasimodo looked back at him with fright.

"Um... Master... Can I please talk to her for a little while?"

"Stay where I can see you." Frollo said sternly.

The gypsy and the hunchback moved just far enough away from Frollo that their words wouldn't be overheard. Quasimodo immediately began his questions.

"What happened? Has Frollo hurt you? What about the other gypsies? Oh I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have-"

"Quasi, it's okay!" Esmeralda comforted. "You tried to save me. I'm not mad."

"Oh, you're so kind..." Quasimodo said sadly. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. Where have you been anyway?"

"I... live with Frollo now."

"What?"

"We sort of... got married."

"Married?!"

"I agreed to be his wife so he would let everyone go. I'd be lying if I said it was a good arrangement, but I'm making it work as well as I can."

Quasimodo was in shock. The same man who had berated him for liking a gypsy had gone and MARRIED her! Of every sign that warned him about the kind of evil that Frollo was, this one was the most insulting. The bell ringer felt stupid. He regretted not realizing sooner that Frollo was every bit as bad as Esmeralda said.

"How did I never realize he was so evil?" Quasimodo asked shamefully.

"It's not your fault." Esmeralda assured. "He kept you alone all those years."

"I should have known..." Quasimodo insisted. "I'll make up for not knowing. And for letting him get to you. How can I help you now?"

"You can help me figure something out." Esmeralda replied. "Did Frollo ever mention being... afraid of something?"

"Afraid? No. It's not like him to be afraid."

"Did he ever seem troubled? Or upset?"

"Only when he got mad at me. Why?"

"Last night he had a nightmare and stormed off. I found him screaming and crying in front of the fireplace."

"What?!"

"He won't tell me why. I was hoping you knew something."

"I don't. That's... really strange."

"Is there anything you can think of? Anything you know about him at all?"

Though he couldn't hear what was being said, Frollo grew tired of the conversation that happened without him. He was bored.

"Esmeralda!" He called. "We need to leave!"

Esmeralda was disappointed to be called away so soon.

"I'll get him to bring me again." She promised. "It was good to see you."

"I do know one thing about Frollo..." Quasimodo said unconfidently.

"Yes?" Esmeralda asked.

"He's very devout."

Quasimodo didn't expect that answer to help anything. It wasn't new information, everyone knew of Frollo's religiousness. But Esmeralda had a moment of clarity. Something new occurred to her: Being devout was Frollo's entire personality. It was all he cared about...

"Thank you." She said gratefully. "That actually helps."

They rejoined the judge, who was ready to take his leave.

"I hope you can look past our recent troubles." He said to Quasimodo. "Now if I can trust you to stay here in the tower, I promise you will be visited again by your gypsy friend, and I will ask the guards to leave you alone."

"Yes, Master." Quasimodo replied sadly.

The judge walked his wife down the stairs of the tower. Esmeralda saw it fit to share an opinion she'd developed.

"I think I know why you call him a monster." She said confidently. "It makes you feel better about yourself."

"I won't dignify that unfortunate theory with a response." Frollo dismissed.

He didn't want to face it because it was true.

That night, Frollo took his wife to bed again. She did allow him on top of her this time, so he was able to use more force. She even asked him to go faster, to the point where it was tiring. Perhaps Frollo actually preferred having her on top. But he did like being unrestrained, able to thrust with all his energy.

At some point in the intercourse, they started kissing. The kisses were aggressive and passionate. They came from lust of course, but probably from anger too. They tried to shove their tongues down each other's throat. In the process they grabbed each other roughly and sensually, as if every touch could transfer hate.

They managed to finish at the same time. Frollo barely removed himself in time and spilled his seed into the rag again.

"Why do you do that?" Esmeralda inquired.

"A child is the last thing we need right now." Frollo explained.

"A child?" Esmeralda asked. "You mean that's how..."

"Yes."

Though his knowledge on physical relations was nothing impressive, Frollo was glad to at least know what caused pregnancy. It was something he had no interest in dealing with, especially at this point in his life. Raising one child had been quite enough for him.

Esmeralda touched her husband's bare chest, tracing his scar.

"You're awfully fascinated with that." Frollo commented.

"You said you would tell me about it." Esmeralda reminded.

"I never promised."

"But I told you about mine."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have."

Esmeralda withdrew her hand.

"Forgive me," she said sarcastically. "For thinking that being married means we should talk to each other."

Frollo barely chuckled.

"You know I didn't marry you so I could talk to you." He said contemptuously.

"So why did you marry me?" Esmeralda asked.

"Are you that foolish? Obviously it was so I could bed you."

"You were ready to do that before we were married. Then you suddenly changed your mind. Why?"

Frollo struggled to respond. It was easy to use his religion to explain the marriage, but that didn't explain his sudden change of plans. It was true that he'd given himself up to sin, only to change his mind at the last moment out of pure terror.

The fire had terrified him, after all those years...

"It doesn't matter." Frollo answered abruptly.

Surely, if he kept it to himself for long enough, it would disappear. He just needed to wait for Esmeralda to stop caring.

But she had no intention of doing that.