The Beast, the Witch and the Sisters

King Ferdinand was not a great ruler. He did what he wanted. If it was good for the country or not, he didn’t care. He ended up having three daughters, all with different women. Although he presented himself as a faithful and just ruler, anyone who met him could instantly tell he was not. On this particular day, his affair produced an heir. The maiden he had been having an affair with, Margaret, had given birth to a little boy. The King entered the tiny shack, with his royal guards, Margaret called a home.

“Show him to me, Margaret”, the king declared, “Is it true you have given birth while your husband is training in the army?”

“Is it true, Ferdinand—” Margaret started.

“You shall address me as your majesty and nothing less!” King Ferdinand shrieked, and Margaret furrowed her brows.

“He’s yours, and he is the heir to the throne. I will be your queen and nothing less!” Margaret screamed. She was fed up with the King’s disrespect.

“Guards! This woman does not deserve to be Queen. Kill the child.”

“But your majesty—” the guard to his right started.

“That is an order! Kill the child.”

With tears in her eyes, Margaret desperately tried to take her baby from the guard. She had to do something about this. She had to do it now. She could feel the magic in her veins. It was taking over her body. All the King and the guard saw was a beam of light. Her body was transformed into pure light, and she cast a spell.

“Children three of thee shall marry before midnight or children three shall be wild and free of the greedy King.” Margaret flopped down on the ground, and because of how much energy she spent casting the spell, she fainted.

“Guard, summon my children immediately!” The King never knew Margaret was a witch, but if this spell would truly turn his children against him, he had to warn them. He loved his children very much, and he couldn’t bear to see them leave. After all, they were the only things keeping him sane.

King Ferdinand looked around the shack as he waited for his children. He couldn’t possibly live in this musty old thing. It was far too small. Margaret clearly hadn’t had a bath in ages, for she smelt absolutely rancid. King Ferdinand kept criticizing the shack, and soon enough, his daughters arrived.

His oldest, Catalina, arrived in a beautiful pink floor-length ballroom dress, for she was practicing dancing for the ball that night. His youngest, Maria, arrived next. She was still in her sleeping garments, and her hair was all over the place. The middle child, Carmen, arrived last. She was wearing a scandalous outfit consisting of a blouse and a short skirt. They showed off her arms and legs. The King was mad at her dress, but Carmen was madder to be taken from her activities.

“My dear daughters, I fear a witch has placed a horrible curse on you for no reason at all. You must marry a man by the end of the night or turn into a ugly beast. I am so sorry to put this on you, however, I’m sure you will have no trouble finding a man to court.” The King looked at Catalina and smiled, “The ball is tonight, so perhaps you will court someone there. Just don’t marry a commoner.”

“May we be excused, father?” Catalina said politely.

“Yes. Go quickly!” King Ferdinand furrowed his brows. He was not worried about Catalina, but very much so about Carmen and Maria. Hopefully they will be okay.

Finally showing the distress on her face, Catalina cried. Maria hugged her enormous ball gown, and Catalina forced Carmen into the hug too.

“I’m not doing it. I can’t.” Carmen ran away as far as she could into the city.

“Carmen, wait!” Maria ran after her, and Catalina did too.

Carmen ran through the streets with such ease. Carmen was clearly crying, her eyes puffy and swollen. She didn’t care what was going to happen to her. She couldn’t keep hiding. She had always sought out the truth, and for her not to be truthful, it hurt more than a knife to the heart. She had to tell them. She had to stop.

“Maria, Catalina, I need to tell you something. Something that might ruin our relationship.”

“Nothing you tell us will ever change our love for you.” Catalina assured Carmen, and Maria hugged her.

Carmen took a big breath and said, “I’m lesbian and I don’t want to marry a guy. I’m going to run away tonight. A life in secrecy is no life at all. I invite you to come join me, but you need to let me know before midnight.”

Maria burst into tears, and Catalina ran after her. Maria kept screaming “I may never see you again”. Carmen grinned, and she ran off to pack up her things. Off to a life of bliss, Carmen hoped Maria would come join her.

Catalina walked Maria to the castle and got ready for the ball. Although her sister may be happy as a beast, she enjoyed this life of comfort. She decided to find a man on the streets, hopefully a rich man to please her father. Catalina brought a basket and a couple of coins. She bought some flowers from a very handsome man.

“Excuse me, if you don’t mind me asking, are you rich?”

“Yep.” This commoner was clearly lying, however, Catalina didn’t get out much, so she couldn’t tell.

“Do you want to marry me?”

“What will you do to convince me?”

“I’ll do anything.”

“Anything, you say…commence with the wedding!”

The wedding was short and not up to Catalina’s standards. She couldn’t divorce him, so she hoped he was at least of sane mind.

“Come on wife, let’s do anything I want”

Maria was panicking the whole time Catalina was finding a man. When she returned to the castle, Maria hugged her, and she jumped. Her arms were covered in bruises, and by the way she jumped, Maria could tell there were worse things under her dress.

Maria slipped on her simple floor-length dress with a baby blue ribbon across the waist. She didn’t want to be trapped with a horrible man, as Catalina had, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to be cast out of society to live as a beast. As it was approaching midnight, Maria scanned the ballroom, but she didn’t find anyone particularly nice.

“Honey, go find a husband right now.” King Ferdinand voiced his concern for the young princess.

“Father, is there any way around the spell?” Maria stared out into the large ballroom, and although there were many people dancing the night away, Maria felt more alone than ever without her sisters to guide her.

“I’m afraid not, dearest. I had the guards try to get a confession out of that terrible witch, but they were not successful.”

“May I visit the witch dear father?”

“Sure. She is in the dungeons, first cell on your left.”

As Maria strolled down the stairs to the dungeons, she hoped the witch would have an answer to her dilemma. Why had the witch even cast that spell on them? As far as she knew, the girls hadn’t done anything to anyone.

“Maria!” a voice, that Maria would recognize as the witch, called out, “I knew I would see you here soon enough.”

“Why did you curse my family?”

“Ferdinand didn’t tell you? He killed your half-brother and my son.”

“Really? Wait, one more question. What really happens if we don’t marry a man by the end of the night?” Maria looked at the witch sadly, yet she didn’t cry.

“A man? I don’t think I said that. Anyways, you turn against your father.”

“I knew he lied. I know what I must do now. Thank you for your help.”

Maria walked up the stairs, but instead of going to the ball, she walked further up to her sister’s room. Maria thought, “what time is it? I hope I’m not too late”.

There Carmen was, sitting on the ground, packing up her things. Maria put a hand on her shoulder as Carmen put a bottle filled with fresh water into her travel bag. Carmen looked up at Maria and smiled.

“Maria! Are you coming with me?” Carmen zipped up her bag, and she hugged Maria before Maria got the chance to hug her.

“Carmen, we aren’t going to become beasts. We still have to leave, but you can be with your girlfriend.”

“And what of you?”

“If you would be so kind, I’d love to stay with you–” Maria turned around to see Catalina, beaten up and bruised, frantically opening the door to Carmen’s bedroom.

“Is it too late to join you? I can’t stay with that man anymore.” Catalina cried from the pain as the three sisters hugged.

They all joined Carmen’s girlfriend and escaped together, King Ferdinand’s worst nightmare coming true. He tried so hard to stop it from happening, yet the sisters realized that their love for each other is the only love they needed