It was a cold day so the Fernandez Carriedo-Vargas family was hidden away inside their cozy house, trying to keep their minds off the temperature.
Antonio was sitting on the floor with Maria in his lap, telling her a story in Spanish. She was giggling at the story and her father as he gave the characters voices. Tore was nearby the roaring fire in the fireplace trying to pretend that he wasn't interested but was actually listening closely; this story was a favorite of his and Maria both. Next to him, Lovino was lounging in a comfortable chair, flipping through a magazine about fruits and vegetables and focusing in particular on the section about tomatoes.
"Cuando ella se acercó al rey, comenzó a salir de su escondite y se agarró de un brazo," Antonio said dramatically.
At that moment the door burst open and several men ran in.
Maria shrieked in fear and clutched her papá around the neck tightly. He in turn jumped up and held her protectively as Lovino scrambled to his feet.
"What do you bastards want?!" he demanded.
"Antonio Fernandez Carriedo!" one who seemed to be the leader shouted. "Lovino Vargas! Rinde! Surrender!"
Quickly putting Maria down, Antonio pushed her toward Tore.
"Tore, uscire di qui!"
Tore nodded and grabbed Maria's hand, dragging her out of the room.
"Papà!" she cried, trying to go back. "Papà!"
"Stop it Maria!" Tore yelled, tugging on her hand harder. "We have to go! Papà and Mamma can take care of themselves!" Sniffling, Maria let him drag her into the guest room. "It's around here somewhere," he muttered as he peered at the wall closely. "A ha!"
Pushing a button caused part of the wall to open up and Tore dashed inside, closing it behind Maria.
"Where are we?" Maria asked as she looked around.
"Papà's secret place. Now come on! We have to keep moving!"
He pulled her along until they reached an inlet of water with a large boat sitting in it.
"Papà's ship..." she whispered, awed.
Tore nodded.
"Si." He heard movement. "We have to hide."
They hurried to the ship and climbed aboard.
"Up there!" Tore declared, pointing. "The crow's nest."
He helped her climb up and inside it before sitting down next to her, back against the wood and head below the top.
Scared, Maria started shaking and he put an arm around her, holding her close, and stroked her hair to keep her quiet.
"When she got close to the king, he jumped out of his hiding spot and grabbed her arm," he whispered, picking up from where their papà had left off. "She, surprised, dropped her apron out of which fell beautiful roses into which the bread had been transformed." Loud banging echoed down the cavern tunnel as the men got closer. "Great was the surprise of the king for he thought she was carrying food. Then, in his rage, he said, 'Elvira, you are in league with the evil one and you and your lover shall die!'" The banging was getting louder and Maria whimpered fearfully. "Elvira and Alaric were so shocked at what had happened that they couldn't speak and allowed themselves to be separated." Voices could be vaguely heard. "The king said that the next day his daughter and her lover would be burnt in the public square for dealing with the evil one." The voices were getting louder and Tore spoke even softer to keep from being heard. "Many tried to make the king change his mind but he wouldn't and all night Elvira and Alaric prepared for death." Running feet could be heard from below. "Elvira's old tutor went before the king and offered his life to save theirs." Men climbed onto the ship and started to search it; Tore held his sister protectively. "Angry, the king slammed his staff into the ground and said that if God could make it grow leaves by the next day, no one would be killed." The men reconvened on the deck. "Elvira cried over the staff and prayed all night so that when the next day came it had grown into a tree." A shot was fired that passed through the wood and embedded itself in Maria's stomach. "Th-The king was amazed and ordered a church be built," Tore whispered between his tears, trying to finish the story. "Elvira and Alaric were married and lived happily together." Blood spilled out of the small girl, painting everything red.
"Up there," one of the men said, spotting the wood which was quickly darkening.
Maria's eyes slid closed.
"MARIA!" Tore screamed. "Papà! Papà, help! Mamma! Mamma, Maria is hurt!"
One of the men jumped over the side of the crow's nest and grabbed him by the back of his shirt.
"Shut up, brat!" he snarled. "Your fucking parents are dead and nothing you do is going to change that! Now come along quietly or I will make you and you won't like that!"
"F-Fine. J-Just don't hurt Maria anymore."
"You're not in any position to make demands of me."
And to prove his point, the man grabbed her arm and twisted it until it snapped.
"Maria!" He tore out of the man's grip and hugged her close protectively. "Stop hurting her! She's only cinque! If you have to hurt someone, hurt me! I can stand it!"
The man grabbed him again.
"Do not think I'm done with either of you."
With that he snatched Maria away from Tore and threw her over the edge of the nest.
"MARIA!" Tore screamed for the second time as he watched her fall.
The man holding him swung his leg out of the nest and climbed down to the deck, holding him tightly by the scruff of his neck.
"We got 'em," he told the others. "Let's get out of here."
They nodded and carried them out of the shipyard.
AN: Finally a new chapter! I've been so busy with finals and Christmas and Ikkicon and a friend coming over so I didn't have time to write. But now you get a chapter! :D
The story Spain is telling his kids is an old children's story called 'Elvira, the Sainted Princess'. Here's a link: European_folktales/Romanic_folktale_
I thought I would do something different and tell a story that lines up with a story being told so like when he says 'Cuando ella se acercó al rey, comenzó a salir de su escondite y se agarró de un brazo' the people burst in on them. I hope you thought that was interesting!