Jewel of his Heart

Chapter 9

That very same evening, Frollo made his way to the house of Minister Gauchére. When he entered the property none of the servants seemed to be around but he did not take any chances and snuck towards Gauchére's quarters as quietly as he could. At the threshold he discovered the Minister reading in his chair by the fireplace.

"Reading?" he asked Gauchére as he made his presence known.

The Minister jumped from his chair clutching the book in his hands. They continued their discussion from earlier that day. After a lot of bantering Frollo soon gained the upper hand by informing the Minister that he would not live to see the world he sought to create commence which confused Gauchére a great deal and when he asked what he meant Frollo only said.

"God bless you" he stabbed the Minister through the heart before fleeing the scene of his crime without being seen by the servants who came running to their master's cry.

XXX

With great haste Sapphira made it back to the Court of Miracles and immediately seeked out Esmeralda and Pierre whom were busy doing chores in the Meeting Hall.

"Pierre! Esme! I have to hide...there are guards everywhere...there was this man...he had the sign on his hands..."she said frantically as she ran into her sisters arm.

The couple tried to console her but were soon interrupted by Clopin and his wife who came running into the hall.

"It's the King's Guards, they're rounding up all our women!" he said

"They're destroying everything, even the stuff we didn't steal!" said his wife as she clung on to him.

"Why!?" asked Pierre and Esmeralda looking between their sister and friends.

"It's me they want!" said Sapphira in panic.

Quickly Clopin and his wife led the three young people to the secret exit.

A comrade who was standing guard gave them the signal it was safe to come out.

"We'll go back and distracted them. Go!" said Clopin as he directed them to the right before heading back inside.

The three made a run for it but were soon stopped by the King's Guard on horseback.

"Captain! Here she is!" one of them said before getting down from his horse and made his way towards them.

He went to grab for Sapphira but Pierre held on to her and Esmeralda protectively, two other soldiers dismounted their horses to help their comrade and in no time Pierre lost his grip on Sapphira and he and Esmeralda watched with great sadness as their beloved little sister was dragged away kicking and screaming for help. She was placed on one of the soldier's horses before he got on behind her, the other two mounted their horses again and took Sapphira away to the Palace of Justine.

XXX

Sapphira was stripped of her bodice, leaving her white top and skirt before being dragged by two ruff men directly to the Torture Chamber kicking and screaming.

"No! But I have done nothing! I have done nothing! LET GO OF ME!" but her cries fell on deaf ears when a man in dark brown robes stepped forward.

"Peace child, there's no reason this should prove...unpleasantly, please." He said and without warning the two men holding her arms lifted Sapphira off her feet, laid her down on the wooden table behind her and shackled her down.

"NO!" she cried in fear whilst the man in brown came up to the side of the table holding a dagger, her dagger, in his hand.

"Minister Gauchére was stabbed to death with this knife. Does this dagger belong to you? Now there is no use denying it, many saw it on you person in the public square." he said in a menacing tone.