Jewel of his Heart

Chapter 7

For the next hour or two Pierre practised whilst the sisters began their usual morning routine before making their daily excursion to the City Square.

When they arrived, with Pierre, Djali and Moshi in toll, there was a huge crowd gathering around the Pillory, a single drum rolled before a voice addressed the crowd.

"Let it be known! That Quasimodo, the bell ringer of Notre Dame. Is to receive 50 stokes with the cat of nine tails for his attack upon a woman" said a middle aged man wearing a black robe and cap holding an opened scroll of parchment in his hands.

The crowd cried out in outrage at Quasimodo's supposed crime. Pierre, Esmeralda, Sapphira and Clopin witnessed this as they stood by their caravan's parked across the square.

Shocked at the idea of an innocent man being punished for a false crime, Sapphira turned to her sister and brother in law for help.

"We must stop them he was helping me, you even witnessed it brother" she said with a desperate longing to help poor Quasimodo.

"I know dear sister but they will never listen" said Pierre disheartened.

"Yeah the boy is right, we can't get involved" said Clopin from behind them.

The punishment began.

With the first couple of strikes of the whip Quasimodo cried out in pain which the crowd seemed to be entertained by as they laughed and counted each strike as they came.

XXX

Feeling saddened by what she was witnessing Sapphira passed Moshi on to Pierre before making her way over to the King's private viewing box. As she tried to make her way up the steps and pass the guards she was immediately grabbed by two soldiers but still tried desperately to keep going.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! My Lord!" she cried out as she broke free of the soldiers grasp and making it up to the second level of the staircase only to be stopped by two more guards with spears.

"What's that?" said the King as he looked down the steps to where the voice was coming from.

"Down here Sire!" said Sapphira breathlessly.

"It's one of the dancing girls" said the King in surprise.

"I appeal, Your Majesty"

"Bring her up here!" the King commanded the two soldiers. They uncrossed their spears before grabbing Sapphira by the arms as she made her way up the steps.

"What have you done child?" asked the King as she made her way up and stopped on the third step.

"Not I. I appeal for the Hunchback. I am the woman he was suppose to have assaulted. It's not true!" she said.

This statement caused the King and Queen to turn to the man standing to their left who was the Royal High Minister, Julian Gauchére.

"This man is being whipped for assaulting a gypsy?" he asked Gauchére in surprise.

"That was the decision of the Court, My Lord" replied Gauchére stating the fact.

"But he is innocent" said Sapphira desperately trying to get the King's attention back on her.

Her please fell on deaf ears since the King was more focused on the fact that a citizen of Paris was being punished all because of a gypsy girl.

"A gypsy?!" said the King as he turned back around to face the girl in disbelief.

"We must protect out citizens. It acts as a lesson to those who would assault a 'real woman'" said Gauchére with a passing sneer at Sapphira.