A Tale That Never Was [Book 1 of Selvina's Tale series]

Chapter 20: Truth in the Flames

It was perhaps less than an hour after Frollo left that guards came for the girls. They grabbed them roughly, secured bonds on their wrists, and urged them forward. No one spoke as they forced themselves to place one foot in front of the other, their heads bowed and their eyes dry.

Selvina had no more tears to shed. There was no point to crying anymore. Her life was over as soon as she stopped walking. It would be the last time she ever did thus she took the quiet moments to enjoy walking as much as she could, even if she was heading to her own death. Once outside, Frenisian soldiers waited for them, some carrying spears and halberds while others had crossbows and muskets. All were armoured and wore grim expressions. Some of them eyed the women with utter distaste. Word had apparently spread quickly of their arrival and Selvina felt the power of the glares. They pierced through the skin and burrowed into her flesh like vicious creatures, clawing through her very being to gnaw at her soul. She looked down at the cobblestones but the power of the staring eyes did not abate. She was suddenly smacked in the face by a glob of spit and winced. A tear found its way out of her eye and she cursed it.

Do not cry in front of them, she thought to herself. Be strong and brave. Red would want it that way.

The line of soldiers weaved through the streets, guiding them to their doom in the open plaza before the Cathedral. Frenisian civilians shouted and cursed at them, hatred and fear guiding their actions. There was spitting, rotting fruits and vegetables were thrown, and some brazen townsfolk even broke through the barrier of soldiers to hit them.

Selvina couldn't believe it. She had hardly returned to the city for a few hours and yet all its people already despised her. What lies had Frollo spread? What image of her had he painted for them? Selvina ducked under a thrown tomato but received a stone in the cheek instead. It stung like fire and she worried a tooth was chipped but she forced herself not to cry. She would not give them the luxury of seeing her that way.

"You are all morons!" Cindy, walking ahead of Selvina, shouted to the townsfolk gathered behind the lines of soldiers. "We haven't done anything wrong to you! You are fools to believe Frollo! I hate you all!"

Cindy appeared completely consumed by anger, and it worried Selvina. She remembered her reaction to Artemian and was disappointed she'd never discover the reason for that. There was much she did not know about the young girl but it was pointless to learn it now. Cindy insulted the townsfolk again but this time a few broke through the barrier and assaulted her. She was thrown to the ground, kicked, beaten, and her clothes were ripped and torn off. Selvina screamed at them to stop and hurried to help but the guard behind her kept her from moving more than two steps ahead. Soldiers eventually chased away the townsfolk but Cindy stood up shakily, blood and bruises coating her pale skin. Selvina's heart raced at the sight of her injured friend. Why was this happening?!

"Are you ok, Cindy?" Selvina asked her. "Cindy?!"

"I'm about to die, Selvina," Cindy replied before spitting out some blood. "I've never felt better..."

Ahead of Cindy, Belle said nothing. She hadn't even looked back during Cindy's assault. She had been strangely quiet since Frollo's departure from the dungeon room. Keeping everything to herself, she said nothing to anyone. Selvina assumed she was trying to put her mind at peace.

Before long the two lines of soldiers bordering the streets opened up to a huge square surrounded by angry and uproarious townspeople. Braziers and tall torches dotted the square, shedding light in the dark of the night. To Selvina's left, beyond the crowd, the stunning Cathedral of Our Lady looked down on her, dark and brooding, as if wordlessly judging her. In the square's center stood three large posts of wood pointing straight up. At their base was a huge pile of kindling and just above that was a small board attached to the post where Selvina assumed she and the girls would stand upon. Upon a podium just before the three posts was Frollo, his arms wide and his voice loud and booming.