Or Else Let Her Be Mine And Mine Alone

The Dinner

Warning: Non-con (Sorry!)

Frollo was loving every bit of it. He pulled a chair for Esmeralda and made his place in one beside her.

'So out of the blue,' Phoebus whispered to Charmolue while the servants served them meat. Charmolue took a bite of the food and wordlessly viewed the couple seated opposite to them. 'It's so unlike of him. Doing this when she was convicted of stabbing you. It must be horrible for you to look. I will bring this up- '

'I don't really mind it,' Phoebus said carelessly.

'Why? She's a succubus. If she is casting a spell on Minister Frollo then we should save him.'

'I don't think Minister Frollo wants to be saved,' Phoebus assessed. 'It's kind of hilarious, isn't it? Who knew the old man had carnal desires like everyone else? That too for a little girl.'

Charmolue looked where he was looking, and saw Frollo leaning over and talking to Esmeralda with a smug expression. The girl was timidly eating with her head down. He stared with brooding eyes.

'Was the conviction correct?'

Phoebus stopped munching a piece of bread to look at him. 'Excuse me?'

'Did she really stab you?'

His fingers started to fidget with the bread. 'I mean, I didn't really see it.'

'What do you mean by "didn't see it"? Did she stab you or not?'

'Why are you...alright. I had an appointment with her. Before I reached the place, I realized that I had no money. Then a man in a cloak came and said that he will give me money in exchange of "letting him watch" us.'

'And you accepted? You are a knight, and you accepted a stranger in a cloak coming in to watch your private moment?'

'It was a mistake, I admit. So, we were just about to get on, next thing I feel is something striking me in the back. Before I could process anything, I lost consciousness.'

'You were stabbed from the back, but the girl was in front of you?'

'That's how I remember it.'

Charmolue badgered, 'Then where were you when the trial was on, you cretin?'

'Hey,' Phoebus kept the bread back in his plate and turned to face Charmolue. 'Why the abuses?'

'Abuses?' Charmolue hissed. 'You know how cardinal that trial was? How much trouble I and Judge Frollo had to go through to collect evidences? The agitation that we were in? We thought that we were delivering justice, and here the victim himself was sitting on the truth and planning his wedding.'

By the last paragraph his voice exceeded a whisper and made itself noticed, making Frollo ask, 'Master Jacques, what is the matter?'

The proctor's temples pounded. Taking a deep breath he said, 'Captain Phoebus has just revealed that he hid a gross amount of information about his case from the court. We were barking at the wrong tree the whole time, and he is responsible for it.'

Esmeralda's face shot up. Frollo frowned. 'Well, what did he say?'

'He met some man in a cloak that night. A shadow-figure of sorts. He was offered money in exchange of letting the stranger watch the meeting between him and the Egyptian-I mean...um, La Esmeralda. She was in front of him, but he was stabbed in the back. She didn't stab him.' Charmolue stole a glance at Esmeralda to see that she was watching him with watery eyes.

'I...I am sorry, mademoiselle. We need to start the case again,' he reckoned. Frollo, however, didn't appear enthusiastic. 'Who will it benefit now? Captain Phoebus doesn't care, and Esmeralda has been pardoned by me. It will just be a waste of time.'