" Eh, Isa?" Mirabel touch her shoulder gently, the princess rolled her eyes yet again.
" You again? Why are you still here?"
" I was just wondering, eh, why did you kidnap this girl?" the fifth born anxiously poke her fingertips together.
" Ah, don't you know anything?" she rolled her eyes. " She's for..."
" Eh, girls?" Dolores broke the dispute," I think our guest is having a hard time breathing," she pointed out at the clearly distress girl hanging in Isabella's clutches.
" Oh," Isa enlarge her grip, " Abuela didn't tell us what we will do after we get her, what now?"
" She seems a bit, breathless?" pointed Dolores out hearing her accelerate heart bit and agitated mutterings. " Perhaps you should let her in a room to calm down. "
Isabella rolled her eyes yet again.
" Mirabell, since you don't do anything for the house or the family anyways, why don't you deal with her?"
" Isa," she looked at her sister with resentment, a tear rolling down her cheek," I will take her to the treehouse."
" Good, me and Dolores must return to collecting the fees from the other villages, we will return around 20:00 with Camilo and papa."
She floated away on her vines leaving Dolores to walk away with her flushed mother and positive father. Mirabell looked at the chained girl, panic on her tear-stained face and trembling, she sigh.
" You will be comfortable as long as you don't fight back, ok?" she helped her up. " I will take you somewhere safe and you will calm down there.
Mirabell explained as she lead her to the treehouse near casita, once in a normal-looking room she cut the tight vines of her body and mouth allowing her to breathe better and burst into an intense scream and cry.
"¡Aléjate de mí demonio! ¿¡Quién diablos eres tú y qué fue eso !?" she demanded grabbing a pot off a nearby table to defend herself.
" Establecerse!" Mirabell backed away easily," I will explain, but you need to calm down. Listen if Dolores hears you making a mess of the room Isabella will return, believe me, you don't want to be on lil miss perfect's nerves especially now since Abuela deny her birthright. "
" Abuela? You mean?"
" Put the vase down," Mirabell approached her gently," sit, let me put some ice on your wound."
" Alright, I am listening," she gives her the vase and sat down on the bed. She was really dazed from the vine "flight" so not much of a choice. The bed was nice, she would almost instantly fall asleep if she wasn't so terrified of all around her.
Sure the room was nice but the door locks on its own after Mirabell leaves for the ice and she could have sworn that things moved on their own. It was like a madhouse and she felt like perishing! She screams and cries silently until the door unlocks revealing the Hispanic girl.
" So, I brought you some tea to calm you down. " she lowers her hand to her level but the girl rejects it. "Lisen, you have to take it," Mirabell places it in her palm," Isa said we need you alive until we decide what we will do with you. You are not having a heart attack in my care. "
" How do I know I can trust you?" she sobs trembling," you were with those freaks after all!"
Mirabell took offense to that, her family wasn't one of freaks, regardless of their powers. But then again, most villages would think that of them. They did torment them after all, well not Mirabell, she was powerless nothing she could do but the rest, yeah...
" You don't need to trust me," she sighs," but remember that if you don't listen Isabella will return, and unless you don't want to be chained and with a gag in your mouth you will calm down."
She looked at her with anger, but she know she was right. That princess-like girl, Isabella, she was ruthless, swing her around like a rag, she didn't want to experience that again.
" Muy bien, pero debes responderme algunas preguntas. ¿Acuerdo?"
" I was about to do that" smiled Mirabell. " What do you want to know?"
" Who are you? Por qué estás aquí?''
" Well, I live here," the girl answers simply. " My name is Mirabel and the girl that brought you here was my sister, Isabella. "
" You are related to that freak!?" she wide her eyes in shock, still trembling from the trauma.
" I feel you, she was especially bad lately. Selfish entitled princess. "
" So you, you're a-..."
" A Madrigal, yes." Mirabell finished the sentence for her watching how the girl s tanned skin turn pale.
" But, but how's that possible? The tale speaks of three cursed children, and you look too young to be one of them."
" Yeah, those children from your scary camp stories are my mom, aunt, and uncle. Me, Dolores, Isa, we are their children."
" Who in his fucked up mind would breed with them!? So everything that was happening in the last 29 years, it was your sister and cousin doing? You monsters!"
Mirabell sigh, she hated her attitude but she couldn't blame her either. They did do bad things, but hey, they were justified.
" What are you going to do with me?"
" Yeah, that, I don't know... Isa didn't give me all the details, but don't worry she said she wants you alive, which means you won't be harmed. "
" Is that supposed to make me feel better? And what do you mean you don't know? You said you were part of the, eh, family. "
Mirabell blush crimson red, it wasn't the best reply she could give.
"How about the rest of the people your family kidnapped?"
" Actually, you are the first one. We never did that before. Never took prisoners. We usually kill them all. "
" So you don't even know what fate awaits me!? "
Mirabel looked to the side, the sorrow and jealousy she hidden so often coming on the surface a bit. She knows nothing, she wasn't important enough to know, and that pissed her off.
" Mi familia, well they don't involve me in business," she tears up," I am giftless, therefore useless to them. "
Catalina tears up, Mirabell left already leaving her in complete darkness to cry her eyes out. And after what seem like countless of hours of screaming, banging on the door, and crying she finally settled down. Tierdly she eyed the drawings on the wall, almost like the we're made by a 8 years old. She the lost track of time, now, when she wasn't crying she was thinking of her family, were they ok? Did the chief leave them be? And what danger awaited them now that she was here with the Madrigals? What if they don't keep their word? She swallowed her tears, it was sundown...
Like some kind of diety heard her plead the door cracked silently revealing an emotional distress Mirabel. She frowns squeezing her eyebrows together then rests her palm against her forehead, a calming gesture probably.
" We are ready for you," she gestured to follow her," things didn't go well today, so for your own shake just be quiet."
" What happened?" she asked curiously her bare feet brushing against the soft carpet. " Mirabel?"
" Something bad, ok?! " she bitters her inner lip," I am sorry for screaming, alright? It's just that Isa is unbearable lately." She leads her down the stairs past the same magical golden doors she saw at dawn, it was nighttime already. " Anyway, you will meet the Madrigals, all of them. I know you are afraid but keep your cool. "
Mirabel lead her to the middle of the house, covered in flowers, nice Spanish architecture, and expensive fabric. Catalina noticed nine people, young and old chatting about something, she didn't know what but they seem angry, and after Mirabel's confession she figured out she shouldn't ask either.
" Abuela," Mirabel interrupted them, " I brought her," she explains pushing Catalina a bit onward in the gaze of the nine members.
" Thank you, Mirabell," the old lady moved toward them pulling Mia by her hand until she was in the middle of the group, all eyes on her.
She blushed, she didn't know if it was out of embarrassment or if all the blood veins in her face pop out of fear. Here, in front of her, stood the Madrigal's, the rulers of Columbia and destroyers of hope. What now?
" Camlito," Abuela smiled caressing the boy over the cheek," you grow so fast under our eyes, it's like yesterday you were in diapers. This, is your betrothed," she pulled Catalina closer joining their hands together. " Hoping that the two of you will bring a new generation of miracles to our family. "
The boy, "Camilo", smiled innocently with big emerald orbs, a warm smile, a smile she never expected to see in a Madrigal squeezing her small palms in his big ones.
" Mi princesa!" he pulled her into a hug captivating her entirely in his embrace. It was weird, the hug wasn't comforting or even a bit reassuring. No, it was possessive like she couldn't escape and then reality hit her. Those god damn pests, those monsters who took over Columbia! They value nothing in human life's, they just gifted her, against her will to one of their demon children! She tried to free herself from his grip, but the curly haired boy was persuasive , like a child receiving a new toy to break. And his grip was like steel chains, that or she was to weak after all the emotional distress.
She tried to look up, squeezing herself a bit and meet his eyes by accident. They were a normal hazelnut shade in the beginning but as she struggled more they turned a horrifying blazing light green that froze her to her core, she stop, allowing him to bury her face in his curly hair. Her trembling gaze moved from him to the rest of the family noticing the same light green eyes in them all, except the two men and Mirabel. Camilo"s smile enlarge almost seeming mad as he release her from his grip and advances bowing respectfully in front of Alma
"Gracias abuela, la cuidaré muy bien y traeremos nuevas bendiciones malditas al mundo y para esta familia. "
"No te encariñes mucho, Camlito. Bruno should see her furure first! We cannot allow any mistake to ruin our perfect regime over Columbia. You and Antonio are the future of this family, don't forget that."
It could have been out of panic but Cata could have sworn she heard Isabella "tsk! " out of jealousy before she floated with grace above them and the next minute she was right next to her. Her heart almost jump out of her ribcage when Isabella brutally pulled her from Camilo by her short sleeve almost throwing her to the ground.
" Please tell me you are not presenting her to tio dressed like this! " she almost seem mad, no she was definitely mad, her perfect features shifted in madness while Camilo along Alma were confuse.
" Well, I mean, whats wrong with what she s wearing? " Camilo squeezed his lips confuse of the source of her anger.
"Are you crazy?! " she snap back" She looks like a f****g plebeian! "
Camilo pankied a bit taking a few steps back with his hands in front of him.
" But she is a plevian, Isabella. Isnt she? "
" Not anymore, Camilo!" she frown in frustration. " She belongs to you now, and you won't disrespect Bruno by bringing this dirty mess in his tower! You have to prepare her! "
Alma separated them pushing Isabella gently to the side.
"Isabella does have a point, Camlito. " Alma caressed her nice," Bruno is the head of our house, and poses the strongest gift of all, you should introduce her propely."
"But mother, " Julietta interfere" what's the point? If hermano Bruno will see that she's not fit for Camilo we will kill her regardless, why waste time?"
" We don't know that yet, mother. Beside, Isa is just jealous that abuela wanted Camilo to estar casado before she and that dumb hombre of hers. " Mirabel argued back before falling into silence under Isabellas murderous gaze, she puffed a flower into her mouth before warping Catalina in her vines again.
"Let me dress her up", Isa cut her sister off, "You can take her to your room after I am done preparing her and tio shall see her next mornig when he is disponible ."
" Oh, you selfish, entitled princess! You can't do that! " Mirabel argued back, fearing for the girl s safety "She belongs to Camilo, he should decide! You cant just take decisions in everyone else's place! "
" You are just mad because I am right! And why do you care?Last I check you are just a pest in the family anyway! "
Julieta and Pepa gasp while the two men hug them, seems like they had no control over those two when mad.
" Enough! " Alma separated them, " I made my decision, Isabella the girl belongs to you. Prepare her to meet Bruno, Camilo will pick her around 21 00 to take her to the tree house where she will reside until her prophecy will be read. "
" Thank you, " Isabella bow in a similar way Camilo did but more gracefully and took her away between squeezing vines.