La Bella y la Bestia

The Battle for the Castle

Alvarez sat in the corner of the icy cell, trying to maintain some semblance of warmth as he was insulted and berated by the townspeople who continued to call him 'insane' or 'loon'. 

"He needs a doctor, not lobotomy," Gilbert cried, glaring at the townspeople. Unfortunately, the albino was ignored or even called demon by the cruel people. 

The Portuguese-born man looked over to see Sadik shooting him a cruel smirk, which Alvarez responded by spitting at the man who proceeded to spread more lied about him to the already blinded townspeople who bore torches and terror. Alvarez turned away, his green eyes turned away as he looked back on his life and finding that his only regret was not being able to save his baby sister from the creature that had her imprisoned. Maybe it would be better to die here. At least then he would be with his father and possibly sister, he thought to himself. He then proceeded to shut his dulled eyes, allowing the piercing cold to fill his veins- "Alvarez!" Oh, great. Now, he was hallucinating. That or his mind was playing a cruel trick on him and imagining his sister's voice. Or maybe he was already dead from frostbite and Isabella had come to greet him to Heaven. "Alvarez!" the voice continued. This had to be hell. 

"Isabella?!" Sadik cried. Wait, what? Alvarez opened his eyes to see his little sister, running down the stone stairs in a beautiful red, pink, and gold gown that made her look like a princess or a queen. She immediately pushed through the crowds and fell to the ground, clinging to the bars. 

"Alvarez! Please!" she cried to his unmoving figure. The distressed younger sister looked back at Sadik and pleaded, "Please let him go!"

Sadik crouched to her level and in deceptively kind tone whispered, "Oh, Isabella, I'm afraid your brother has lost his mind. He came into the tavern ranting about some sort of beast."

Isabella stood to her full height and grabbed her mirror, "Mi hermano isn't crazy! I've met the beast!" She then looked at the mirror, knowing it was the only way to prove her brother's innocence but it would also mean revealing her dearest friend's existence. She looked between her freezing older brother and the mirror, as the decision weighed heavily against his conscious. Finally, she said in a small voice, "Lo siento, Lovino." She then held the mirror to her own reflection and cried, "Show me the beast!" The mirror obeyed and in blinding blood-red light, Lovino's image appeared in the enchanted mirror's glass. "SEE! My brother isn't crazy," Isabella firmly said, holding the mirror high for everyone to see.

"Is it dangerous!?" One frightened woman said.

"Oh no. He may seem scary, but he's actually kind and good," Isabella said, her cheeks blushing as she clutched the mirror tighter to her chest until it was ripped from her grip by the Turk. 

"This is sorcery!" he cried holding the mirror and then back at Isabella. "The beast has her under his spell!" 

"He's not a beast! His name is Lovino and he's ten times the man, you'll ever be!" Isabella screamed, trying to wrestle the mirror back before being subdued by some of Sadik's goons.

"Throw her in with her crazed brother!" Sadik cried at the two who proceeded to toss the redhead into the cell. Luckily, Alvarez decided to move and went over to comfort his little sister. "We can't have her running off to warn the monster!" The frightened townspeople agreed wholeheartedly, besides Gilbert.

Sadik: 

The Beast will make off with your children!

Mob: 

[gasps]

Sadik: 

He'll come after them in the night!