The Servant of Judge Frollo

For a Purse of Coins

"Mrs. Bette! Where are you?" Frollo snapped and a rounded old woman hustled in, gasping when she saw Healia. Giving a curtsy she bowed her head to her master, "Oh my goodness, my lord, what is this child doing in here?" She asked, rearranging her eyeglasses. He thrust Healia forward, causing her to stumble forward, "This gypsy is to be my servant for the next year for my personal reasons. She is to remain under your care and you will show her how things run here. The brat is to be clean and dressed like a servant as well. I have made quite clear how she will be treated and she knows that she is the bottom of the heap here. She will run errands and do chores, she is to do everything you and everyone here wants her to, if she stays in her place and does her duties which I greatly doubt she will become my personal servant. Until then she is to be treated like what she is, scum. Have I made myself clear Mrs. Bette?" He said stiffly and the rounded woman gave a nod and another curtsy, "Of course my lord, I will get to it right now." She said quickly and Frollo gave a nod, "I have papers to attend to and do not want to be disturbed." He said before leaving the kitchen and going up to his study, leaving Mrs. Bette with Healia. The woman smiled kindly at Healia and stroked her head, "Oh poor thing, do you speak French?" Healia gave a nod and said softly, "γεια πώς είστε?" When the woman looked confused Healia blushed and said, "I'm sorry, your name sounded Greek so I thought you spoke it, my mama was going to name me Bette." Mrs. Bette looked surprised, "Wait, darling, you speak Greek?" she gasped and Healia gave a nod. Mrs. Bette was a round woman with brown hair tucked beneath a cap with a few gray hairs and a jolly look on her face along with little eyeglasses which Healia wondered how she could see though them but she felt safe with this woman. "Oh I am Mrs. Bette and you are?" She asked and Healia mumbled, "Healia." "Well Healia we must get you changed and cleaned as well as I will be showing you how the house of the Judge works." Healia gave a small nod and the woman took Healia to the servant's quarters where she got the little gypsy to wash her face and scrub her hands. Then Mrs. Bette found a grey dress along with a little cap and got Healia changed. Thankfully the fabric was so worn that it was soft and not itchy like new clothing. Healia found out that the Palace of Justice was big, very big. There were the servant's quarters, the kitchen, the dining room, the seven guest rooms, Frollo's personal chambers, his study, a library, the ballroom, a cellar, the scattered washrooms and to her surprise a little garden where the servants got a small patch to grow a plant of their choice as long as they provided the seeds and needs of the herbal. The staff of the Judge was very large as well, there were five maids, three cooks, two runners, six servants that worked in the kitchen and around the house and Healia, the scattered servant, she was to answer to anybody's needs, no matter what it was. None of the servants were as young as Healia; the youngest was at eleven and was a runner. Still one or two found Healia cute while the rest wouldn't talk to her in fear of their master's wrath. She was given a small bundle of ragged blankets to sleep on but she didn't complain. She began that day, learning how to dry dishes and cutlery, not even breaking any. "Your good for your age, have you been a servant before?" A young woman asked, washing another plate in the bucket of water. Healia shook her head and the young woman smiled a bright smile, "Don't have to be so quiet, at least when the master isn't in view. I've been a servant for years now, I send me money to my brother and he lives with his wife and needs the coins. I send the extra pennies I make to him since mum told me to look after him since I was more responsible. I'm Gigi." She said, giving Healia the plate to dry. "Or what we like to call her, Gabbing Gigi because of her fat mouth." The runner boy laughed, making Gigi wrinkle her nose, "Bug off Charles." She retorted and the boy jogged off, leaving Healia with Gigi. They were in the kitchen and the warm smell of soap and clean clothes floated in the air along with the spicy scent of stew that was to be dinner. "Where are you from? You look kind of like a gypsy." Gigi said, rubbing another goblet clean. Healia gave a nod and dried the cup before setting it with the rest. Gigi began to chatter about her parents and her brother as well as what the latest gossip was about the town. Healia stayed silent the entire time and just did as she was told, never objecting or asking why. Obediently she completed what few chores they had left for her before going to a delicious dinner of bread. "Sorry love, the bread is a bit stale." Mrs. Bette said but Healia took it gratefully, "It's still bread. Sometimes I don't get any dinner; no matter how hard my papa works." She mumbled softly, eating the bread heartily. Mrs. Bette looked a bit surprised but didn't say anything, eating her own dinner. At about eight Healia was sent to bed and she molded the ragged blankets into a comfortable position, glancing at the other servants that slept around her. There were cots for the higher servants while the rest slept on the floor on blankets and old sheets. Curling up like a feline Healia wrapped a blanket around herself as she began to cry. Soft and quiet, barely a sound came from her lips but many tears flowed from her eyes. She cried about losing Esy, Clopin, the chance to help her family, all her friends and family and losing her freedom. Clopin was probably worried sick about her. This wasn't helping him; it was just making his stress worse. Now he had a lost girl to worry about, all thanks to her foolish actions. For a year she was to be a slave to the sinister Judge and if she tried to escape? Death would come for her. After a few hours of tears she felt the heavy weight of sleep cover her. Exhaustion claimed her and she drifted into a peaceful state for the rest of the night, still grieving about losing everything she held dear. All for a purse of coins.