The Servant of Judge Frollo

Stained With His Sins

   "Brat, get in here now." Healia turned from putting away towels in one of the washroom to find her master impatiently tapping away on the wood of his study chair. Uh oh, he looked mad, that wasn't good. His eyes were darker with anger and he continued to stroke his chin as if he had a beard, even though there wasn't a hair. Leaving the towels she walked slowly into his study and he shut the door the second she entered. Once she was in he sat down at the dark seat where he had first seen her reading. It was very often that he had her come read, every few nights in fact. He wasn't sure what it was about her, maybe her desire to learn new and bigger words, the way she beamed when she got a word right that was large like a proud student or those golden eyes that were filled with sincerity, that she wouldn't lie to him. Nobody had ever looked at him with such honesty, or almost admiration of his knowledge since once and a while she would ask a question about a place or a thing she didn't understand and he would answer it, usually calling her a silly brat afterwards. But she never took it like an insult; she pretty much shrugged it off and instead tried different words that were for people twice her age. He personally almost saw himself as her tutor, a professor that gave advice and scolded her when necessary. That thought that if he taught her like a true student that she'd learn so much and become a very educated woman in the future visited him again and again, usually late at night but every time he refused himself. He wasn't going to babysit a brat; he already had one to take care of. Nonetheless he found her thirst for education, refreshing. Nobody her age seemed to give a shred for a good education or large words or knowledge in general. But she did, she is actually a lot like him when he was that young, desiring knowledge like a priceless treasure. It felt good to know that he wasn't the only person here who wanted that. But right now, he had an entirely different matter to discuss with her. "Tell me brat why exactly my chaperon is filthy. Tell me since I know you were the one taking my garments down to get washed." She looked at him with confusion, "Master, I took the clothes dutifully to be cleaned and hand washed it myself. I then left it with the rest of your clean clothes." He gave a growl, "You're lying, if you did just that then how it is dirty hm? It is tracked with filth and water and no doubt ruined." And with that he whipped out his hat, showing it to the little gypsy. It was dirty; there were dirt stains and such all over. Suddenly Healia guessed who would have stolen the hat and dirtied it just to make her look bad. Three guesses who the envious maid was, hint, name started with M. Looking at the hat and back at Frollo she sighed, "I didn't get it dirty Master, somebody has savotaged me." He tossed the hat to the table and rubbed his eyes, "Sabotage, its sabotage! And that is preposterous; you're lying to keep you from getting struck hm? Aren't you the one who took it downstairs? And washed it? Or did you just get slothful, put it in water and think you were done? Answer me lazy brat!' He snarled. Healia looked deeply into his eyes, iron meeting gold, "I didn't do it, I washed it and set it with the rest of the clean items. I wasn't lazy. Why would you go straight to me? Haven't I been nothing but dutiful to you master?" She asked softly, causing him to begin to quiver with rage. "How dare you question your Master?  I am your superior! YOU ARE TO BE PUNISHED FOR YOUR LAZINESS AND REBELIOUS ATTITUDE!!!" He roared before standing up and striking her hard across the face, making her give a small cry of pain. For some reason this small little sound made him livider, he had no control left within him, this small mistake set him off. He took another step closer and struck her harder, making her stumble back and fall, facing away from him. She was silent and he just stood there, fuming and livid like Hades himself. "Look at me gypsy scum; look at your master when he speaks to you." He snarled dangerously, flexing his fingers as if ready to give another blow. Healia didn't at first but he gave a low growl, "Look at me you little piece of filth, look at me this instant if you value your life!" He thundered. Healia turned to him and took a small breath, "I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I didn't do..." She repeated but she was cut off as he gave a final blow, the slap if metal against flesh ringing through the room. She'd fallen onto her back now, no longer facing him. He stopped trembling with rage and took a shaky breath into his lungs, finding he'd been holding it the entire time. "Lying and slothfulness are sins; you have had your punishment." Healia didn't cry or even whimper. Turning to him he saw that her lip had been cut and two scratches lay on her jaw, jagged and painful looking, Her eyes were filled with pain and she opened her mouth and flexed her jaw, checking to see if it still worked before she spoke, voice low and soft, "You don't believe me, do you." He shot her a look, "No, I don't. And you will do well to obey your master, me." Frollo replied nonchalantly. Then something filled her eyes that surprised him, betrayal and hurt. "You...don't believe me, you don't trust me. Though I choose to believe everything you say, to trust you even though I have been taught not to. Clopin told me not to trust you or it would only end in pain, I guess he was right." Her fingers went to the scratches and she looked at the blood staining her fingers before looking at him in shock, "You...You  cut me?" She whispered before standing up, trying to look like his words and slaps hadn't hurt, "Am I excused? I haven't finished my chores." He waved a hand and she left the room quietly. Suddenly Frollo felt like he'd lost something, something important. A wave of dread filled him as he realized what it was; he had lost the admiration from the only person in Paris who truly did admire him and his intelligence. He had beaten her and she now felt betrayed at how he wouldn't believe her. What had happened to him? Why had he suddenly gone insane when she told him she didn't do it?! That's when he looked at his hand, the right one which he'd struck her with, and saw to his shock his rings were stained with her blood. He'd cut her and lost her admiration, all because of a stupid dirty hat. Picking up the hat he suddenly remembered who had brought this clothes, "Marie" He growled to himself, it was no secret to him that she found him attractive, the reason he tried to keep her in the kitchens and didn't have her serve him personally. He wasn't tanned or boyishly handsome so he didn't know what that uneducated little fool found attractive about him, sure he had a strong, lithe build and pale, smooth skin but from experience women apparently found sharp features and cold eyes unattractive.  That bumbling idiot was probably trying to do something with his hat, got it dirty and blamed Healia. That underhanded, sneaky little... Wait, so he had beaten Healia for nothing? What was wrong with him?! No, she had spoken up against him when she shouldn't have, that was something. He tried hard to push away the feelings of guilt that were creeping into his heart and managed to seal himself from the pangs, he had had a reason to beat her, that brat had to know her place. But still he had to do something... Then he came up with the perfect way to show her he did trust her, that he didn't betray her at all. This made him sigh with relief but like the blood on his rings he was stained with his sins against the poor girl.