Or Else Let Her Be Mine And Mine Alone

If we loved again, I swear I'd love you right

Just a heads-up guys: This is our longest chapter yet. So grab a snack, relax, and enjoy.

Uncomfortable silence overshadowed the journey back to Paris. To King Louis's surprise, Frollo seemed to withdraw himself from people. Even during breaks he restricted himself to his palanquin. He refused lunch. When the monarch questioned Jacques Charmolue on this matter, the proctor suggested that he must be tired.

'But he appeared quite impatient to return home yesterday,' said Louis.

'Maybe he got sick from the travel,' said Charmolue, who was in fact feeling sick from travel.

By the time they reached, the sun had set. Louis bid his goodbye to the band as his wagon departed for the Bastille. Princess Margaret needed some rest there before she arrived at the royal palace, and Louis could take some time hearing what Paris had been up to from his spies. Everyone soon began leaving separately for their homes. Frollo didn't say farewell to any of them.

When they reached Notre-Dame, Charmolue unmounted his horse and went to Frollo's palanquin. The latter didn't open the drapes.

'Monseigneur, I understand how you must be feeling. Neither of us thought that this would happen. My sympathies are with you. But do not be disheartened! You have such a wonderful mind.'

'What do you want?' Frollo asked curtly.

Charmolue glanced at the cathedral behind him. He gave a heavy sigh. 'What we did was wrong, Monseigneur. We wanted to practice witchcraft. We wanted to do exactly what we sentence people for. It was... hypocritical of us,' he confessed. 'And what happened...I believe that it was God's way of saving us from damnation. I wish to repent.'

The minister was quiet.

'Of course, I don't ask you to come with me. I possess no right to do that. But if you think so too, just a little bit- '

'Go to the Palace,' Frollo ordered the guards carrying his palanquin, cool as ever. They obeyed. Charmolue's idol left.

He didn't know if what he'd done was right. But he had a hunch that sooner or later, the judge would understand. He was just upset at his humiliation among the Vienna specialists. What was needed was some time, along with the Egyptian's company, and he would see where he had gone wrong. Intelligent people like him often learned things sooner.

Reassured by this idea, Charmolue started walking towards the cathedral gate, when the gate opened, and a priest emerged. 'Do you want to pray, monsieur?'

'No, I wish to meet the archdeacon,' Charmolue replied.

'Father isn't here. He had gone to Dijon for work last Sunday. I acted as a locum priest while he was away,' the priest explained.

Charmolue rolled his eyes. 'When is he returning?'

'Oh, he returned today, but Madame Gondelaurier was insistent on making him see her son-in-law. He's at their mansion. You may go there.'

'I see,' said Charmolue, a bit disappointed now that he would have to go to the mansion. 'By the way, why are you here so late?'

'There was a funeral.'

'Oh! Sorry to hear about that.'

'It was an elderly lady; ill for quite some time. Her poor daughter was devastated, so I let her spend some time in the church. Anyway, you should get going,' said the priest, closing the gate.

--

Frollo had tried all he could to convince the Vienna specialists that his discovery was indeed gold. Unfortunately, not much could've been done in this regard. He stupidly stood as they explained to him how his "gold" was valued exactly the same as copper, and would be deemed a sham in the market.