Chapter 18: The Return

Esmeralda stood at the door, listening. There wasn't a sound to be heard. She hoped that was a good thing.

Frollo had ordered her to leave after he'd pulled himself together enough. From the hallway, Esmeralda had heard him yelling in a beseeching manner. Praying, no doubt. There had been so much agony and desperation in his voice that Esmeralda would have thought he was being murdered if she hadn't been with him before this started.

It was getting late now. Esmeralda finally dared to go back into the room. She found her husband asleep, looking like he'd been forcefully knocked out. He lay on his stomach across the middle of the bed, hands digging into the sheets. His face looked exhausted and some streams of tears were still drying on his cheeks.

Esmeralda took pity on him. She turned his body over and moved him to one side of the bed, lifting his head onto a pillow. She drew a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the tears from her husband's face.

She looked at him. Esmeralda could hardly believe the situation. She'd expected her life to be nothing but misery as Frollo's wife. Instead, her husband was the miserable one. It was unreal. She didn't know what was most shocking: Frollo breaking down in tears, or her own desire to help him. Esmeralda had despised this man for ages, never imagining that there might be more to him than cruelty. But now, knowing that something was killing him inside, she couldn't prevent her nature from taking over. Esmeralda was notoriously bad at resisting the urge to help those in need, no matter what the consequences may be. Even if the person who needed her was Frollo, she still couldn't resist.

She was saddened by the sight of him, physically injured and mentally strained. Esmeralda touched her husband's hand and leaned over him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Frollo woke up with a sigh. His sleep had been dreamless, thankfully. Perhaps that meant his prayers had been heard. Maybe after these burns healed, the memories would cease to bother him. It was a hopeful thought.

He saw Esmeralda on the other side of the bed, still asleep. She must have moved him, he realized. He'd cried himself to sleep in a much less comfortable position. Frollo was tired of needing her this way. He had to get himself walking again, no matter how painful it was.

As quietly as possible, he lowered his feet to the floor and stood. It still hurt, but not as much as before. Slowly, he took a few steps. Walking wasn't pleasant, but Frollo at least felt that he wouldn't collapse. He made it to the window and looked out at the city. The sun was rising over the cathedral in the distance, where the bells were starting to ring.

The sound woke Esmeralda, who quickly noticed her husband at the window.

"You're on your feet." She observed.

"Finally." Frollo said with relief.

"Does that mean you're feeling well enough to go with me today?"

Frollo was reluctant to visit Quasimodo after his last encounter with the boy. But he knew this couldn't be avoided forever.

"I'm ready." He replied.

The couple arrived at the belltower later that morning. Quasimodo was nervous when he finally saw Frollo. The judge didn't look terribly happy to see him, but Esmeralda made an expression that seemed to say "trust me". And of course, Quasimodo trusted her completely.

Frollo encouraged his wife to take a walk so he could have a conversation with the bell ringer. Quasimodo became more nervous when he was left alone with Frollo, who only seemed to become more irritated.

"I hope you can forgive my earlier outburst." The judge said coldly. "You encountered me at quite a difficult moment."

"I do forgive you, Master." Quasimodo said truthfully. "I understand how you felt."

Frollo rolled his eyes.

"There's need to pretend to understand." He said with disappointment. "You couldn't possibly-"

"I really do understand." Quasimodo insisted. "You felt the way I felt when everyone saw me at the festival."

Frollo had failed to consider what had happened to Quasimodo at the festival. He remembered the shock and disgust of the crowd when the poor bell ringer's face had been revealed to all. The same way people must have reacted to the judge's brutal scar.

"Except," Quasimodo continued. "Instead of throwing things at you, they're calling you a hero."

"It's not as if I need their praise." Frollo scoffed.

"But, it must be satisfying, right?"

"Not in these circumstances."

Quasimodo could hardly believe it, but he felt sorry for Frollo. He wanted to understand more, to know where the scar had come from. But he knew he wouldn't be able to draw out that kind of information.

"I brought you a book." Frollo informed, changing the subject.

Quasimodo was excited. Finally, a book! Soon he would be properly literate!

"Esmeralda!" Frollo called.

Esmeralda came to rejoin her two companions.

"Pay attention," The judge instructed. "And I shall have you both reading fluently in no time."

Thanks for reading! I hope you're looking forward to the next chapter, because it will be a very important one!