From that moment on Carmelita began acting rude, angry, wicked toward the children. If they ever spoke to her she would snap at them in a haughty way, she never let them attend royal gatherings and feasts, and she refused to let them play so she would always made sure to keep them busy with their lessons.
"Give me back my book!" Frida cried when Carmelita snatched it away from her one morning.
"You have lessons to do." She said.
"My tutor said that I could have the day off today. "
"We all could." Joaquin said. "We've worked really hard these past few weeks."
"I've scored all my exams." Bernardo said.
"And we know the book of etiquette by heart." Anita said.
"Our tutor says it's important for a child to have time for fun and relaxing." Nikita said.
"Yes and I've been wanting to play with my new ball." Miguel said.
"You children have no time for fun!" She snapped as she snatched the ball from Miguel's hands. "As the royal offspring you must prepare for the future."
"This is ridiculous!" Joaquin said.
"Oh come now Joaquin, you're eighteen, the twins are fifteen, and Bernardo is fourteen. You need to be prepared."
"But Frida is twelve and Miguel is eight. They're just children they need fun and play." Anita said.
"Do not back talk me young lady! I am your queen! You will respect and obey me or suffer!" She screeched.
Miguel hid in Anita's arms fearfully while the older siblings back away from her in fear. Seeing them so afraid pleased her.
"You're not a nice queen." Frida said.
Carmelita glared at her angrily. Out of all the children it was she Carmelita hated the most for she was the one who defied her the most and the most lovely and the one the king favored the most.
"What?"
"You're not a nice queen. You're mean and nasty, how could my father ever love you?"
"Is that anyway to talk to your mother?"
"You aren't my mother!" Frida retorted.
"No I'm not! Your mother is dead but if you want to join her I can arrange that!"
She raised a hand to strike Frida only to hit Joaquin who shielded his younger sister protectively from the blow.
"How dare you try to harm my sister." He said angrily. "When my father hears of this he will be furious."
"Is that right? Well go on and tell him but if you do I'll tell him what a bunch of spoiled brats you six are and that you need to be punished. "
"He won't believe you."
"If you think so tell him and see what happens."
Joaquin did but Emiliano didn't believe him which surprised everyone in the castle for Joaquin was the most honest and well behaved of the children. But he reason why he didn't believe him was because his new wife was careful to always act kind and motherly to them whenever their father was around and she had great hold on him with her spell. Frida and Miguel wanted to say something to their father but their older siblings insisted that they keep quiet for they had heard their stepmother whispering horrible things about them to the king and feared that she would say worse things if they tattled not to mention their father wouldn't believe them.
"Your sons are very rough." She said to Emiliano one day.
"What?" He said surprised.
"Yes, I see them fighting everyday outside."
"Are you sure? I always thought the boys got along just fine."
"Are you saying I am a liar?"
"No it's just hard to believe."
"I'm afraid it gets worse husband. Your daughters are always so rude to the servants. Everyday I hear Anita and Nikita talking to the servants in such harsh tones, treating them like their dirt."
"No, not the twins. They always had such wonderful manners."
"I know what I heard husband but the worst one is your youngest daughter Frida."
"Not my little Frida."
"I wish it weren't so husband but she has become quite the little brat. She refuses to do her lessons, she back talks me, and she's always saying that I'll never be her mother." She made fake tears come out of her eyes. "Oh husband I'm not trying to replace your first wife but it seems that Frida will always see me as that."
"I'll speak to them."
"No I have a better idea. Why don't you go away for awhile and let me have some alone time with the children."
"I don't know if that's such a good idea."
"Why? Are you afraid I might hurt them?"
"No. It's just...I haven't left my children alone since Carmela died."
"I understand but come now if you really want us to get along you need to give us bonding time."
"Very well wife. I shall inform them that I shall be leaving for a hunting trip."
"Let me do it. Don't worry I'll take care of everything."
So the next day the king left on a hunting trip. When the children woke up the queen requested that they meet her in her chambers for a private conversation. All of them but Frida who was still asleep went to her chamber.
"You wanted to see us?" Joaquin asked.
"Yes I've come to inform you all that your father has gone away." She said.
"To where?" Bernardo asked.
"On a hunting trip and he's decided that you six naughty children have become entirely too spoiled. So he's asked me to have you all go live on a farm as peasants to teach you to be humble."
"Father would never allow such a thing." Anita said.
"I demand you let us see Father." Joaquin said.
"Yes I want to hear this from his mouth." Bernardo said.
"Where is our father?" Nikita asked.
"What have you done with him?" Miguel asked.
"Silence!" She snapped. "I now see that making you live as peasants is not enough for you brats! So I shall have you live as ugly, old vultures!"
She clasped her hands together and began chanting something. Then sparks of flames shot from her fingers. The children screamed and tried to run away but they didn't get far because when the sparks hit them they began to transform into birds. But because they were so good and noble they didn't change into vultures instead they turned into five lovely white swans.
"Get out of here!" She screamed. "All of you! Shoo! Shoo!"
She shooed them out the window and ordered the royal hunters to shoot them luckily they all manged to fly away before any harm could be done.
"Hmm...Well that's six problems solved." She chuckled to herself.
"What's going on?" A voice yawned.
Carmelita looked over to see Frida tiredly enter the room. "Curses I forgot about you!"
"Hey where are my brothers and sisters? Joaquin! Anita! Miguel! Where are they?"
"They're gone child!"
"What did you do to them?"
"Nothing compared to want I'm going to do to you!"
She began pulling Frida's hair and tearing at her dress then smeared ash on her face making her look like some dirty beggar girl. She then sized her roughly by her arm and dragged her out of the castle. She threw her onto her horse and took her deep into the forest where she threw her on to the ground.
"Get out of here you brat! You're not a little princess anymore!"
"You can't do this! Where is my family?"
"They've abandoned you! And you'll never see them again! This kingdom is mine now so off with you before I have you beheaded!"
She then smacked her horse and rode away. Confused and frightened Frida began searching the forest, calling out the names of her brothers and sisters but no one responded. When night fell she collapsed by a river and cried herself to sleep.