The Servant of Judge Frollo

Like A Mouse In A Trap

Healia stared out the window, spotting Clopin doing the puppet show, it had been quite some time since she'd seen him and a pang of ache filled her heart, she missed Clopin. "Only a few more months to go," her minded prompted, "Then you can go home and hug Clopin and tell him your sorry for being an idiot and trying to rob Frollo but at least your hear now." This thought made her heart swell happily and she went back to ferociously scrubbing the sheets she'd been given when of course who would bring her bad news other than, Marie. She had a smug look on her face and something behind her back. "What now Marie?" Healia said crossly. Marie sneered, "I've got another job for you," Healia watched as Marie pulled out the feather duster and brush used for one thing. "Oh no" She muttered as she got Marie's drift. "You'd better get to work cleaning those fireplaces, you might need these." She leered, giving Healia the two items. Healia glared at the older servant before walking off, muttering about how it wasn't her fault that Frollo didn't want to marry her. Coming into one of the rooms she sneezed as the ash floated into the air like a dark cloud, causing her eyes to water. Finding a rag she put it over her mouth and began to try and clean the fireplace, sweeping away and dusting off the ash from the stone. Meanwhile Frollo sat in his study, hearing the commotion in the other room as Healia tried to keep herself from getting too dirty as she cleaned. After about another fifteen minutes of constant sneezing he sighed heavily in frustration, who was sneezing like they'd been breathing in tons of pepper? Getting up he walked to the room to find Healia covered in ash and fireplace dust, almost done with this fireplace. "What in the heavens are you doing?" He cried, making her jump slightly and turn to him, "Hello master, I'm just cleaning the fireplace. It just gets in my nose, sorry." She coughed, her face smudged with ash and coal residue. He raised an eyebrow as she dusted herself off, standing up. "Today's my, my claimday master," She murmured shyly. Frollo looked at her, "Now what exactly is a claimday? I've never heard of it." He scoffed making her nod, "Today's the day they made instead of my birth day since they didn't know mine, neither did I. This is the day Clopin found me and I became a gypsy. I'd now be eight years old." She finished softly, staring at her feet. Frollo sighed, "So today is your birthday in a way? Wait, you knew how to read Greek but didn't remember your birthday? How in the heavens does that work?" He asked, slightly amused. She bristled slightly but shrugged, "I didn't do really well with numbers. I liked words better." She sneezed again and looked at him, the looming figure she called master. "Tell me brat, truthfully, do you fear me?" Healia paused for a moment, thinking over his question. "No, I don't fear you but I do respect you." She murmured, eyes flashing gold in the light. He stroked his chin, "But why do you respect me? I want to know." Healia blushed, slightly easy to see though the ash, "I... You remind me of my papa." She blurt, covering her mouth the second after. He raised an eyebrow, "Hm. Now what about your father reminds you of me? I share nothing with that gypsy you speak so much of." He muttered. Healia shook her head, "Not Clopin, my real papa, from Greece. He was tall and very cold to everyone except his family. He loved to read and called me sun sprite. But he loved nobody more than my mama, he also worked as a deacon in one of the temples. He taught me prayers and religion. And both of you care about me, even when you don't want to show it." She added, making him stiffen, "WHAT? That's absurd, I care nothing about you brat, you are merely within my care for a year, once it is over you are going back to the slums where you came from." He spat, hoping his flushed cheekbones weren't giving him away. Healia gave a nod but something told him that she didn't believe his lies. But then he sighed, "You think I'm cold to everyone?" he asked softly, making her nod, "You are, you were cold to me and the archdeacon when I tried to rob you, I'm sorry about that, I shouldn't have tried to steal from you." She apologized, looking up at him again. "But you are wrong, you see I'm not cold to everyone, there have been times in my life were I have acted like anybody else, where I had grown to be fond of somebody." He murmured, turning away from the little gypsy. "That person must be very lucky." She whispered, making surprise fill him, "Now why might that be hm?" he asked, trying to keep his voice irritated. She paused before replying, "Because they get to see what lies within your heart. They get to see the other side of you, the side you lock away and hide the key from. That part of you intrigues me most." Frollo then looked back at the gypsy. She wasn't much, dressed in a plain grey servant's dress now dusted with ash and coal residue, face stained with the same, little feet bare and eyes glowing with innocence. But she made him remember that life was filled with people who you could care about. Sometimes you had to go looking for them, other times they came to you, like a mouse in a trap. This little gypsy had filled him with fondness, a fondness for her and her alone. A little voice didn't want him to let her go once her year was up, but the rest of him was saying she had to go at in the end. She seemed to miss her gypsy family, besides, he couldn't keep her here, she'd melt what was left of his heart. For their sakes he would let her go, isn't there a phrase for that? If you love someone you'll let them go. That was it, if he truly cared for her he'd let her go back home, her true home.