Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Reggie cowered as Caleb's arm raised, never sure if the blows that would come raining down would be physical, magical, or some combination of the two. He waited for the pain, knowing it was inevitable. He had displeased his father, and there were always consequences for that.

He trembled with anticipation. His friend Luke was hidden in the closet, and Reggie hated the thought of what he was about to see. He had dealt with his father’s temper and hatred towards himself for years, ever since his mother had left them, but Reggie had managed to keep his friends out of the line of fire, until today. 

Luke had come over to discuss his newest obsession, a young lady in the village named Julie, a couple of years younger than them. When Caleb discovered Luke in Reggie’s room, he had gone berserk, though Reggie wasn’t entirely sure why.

As the time stretched out, and no blows landed, Reggie slowly opened his eyes. Seeing the naked hatred on his father’s face, Reggie cringed away again, trying to shrink himself down as small as he could possibly go.

The hatred didn’t ease on Caleb’s face as he hissed, “You disgust me. You think that boy cares about you? He’s using you for his own gains. He thinks he can garner favor with the king by pitying the prince. Nobody loves you. I absolutely despise you.”

Reggie shrank further with every word, hoping he would just disappear. Wishing that he weren’t so naive, that he weren’t disgusting, and that someone could love him just for himself. Starting to doubt the friendship he had built with Luke, wondering, thinking that maybe his father was right, and Luke had been using him.

As he looked back up, the last he saw of his father was an evil smirk as he said, "You're unlovable. Nothing- nobody- will be able to save you from this," and then a blast of purple light.

~~

Rose Molina was walking through the woods with Carlos. She tried to make sure her children got individual time with her. With Julie, Rose spent time playing the piano or writing a song together. With Carlos, there were walks through nature, pointing out various creatures and plant life.

Victoria chose to join them on their walk, searching for some herbs that could only be found at a certain time of year. Rose didn’t pretend to understand her older sister and her quirks, but she was happy to have the additional family time.

They had been wandering for a while, unknowingly crossing the boundary that surrounded the castle above town. Carlos looked up, tugging on Rose’s hand. “What’s that, Mamí?”

Rose looked up from where Victoria had been lecturing her about a specific type of moss. There was barely enough time to register the purple light before her world went dark.

~~

Flynn and Carrie were at the front door of the castle. Julie had dared Flynn to knock on the front door and run. Flynn managed to rope Carrie into going with her, terrified of the rumors that circulated the town about the strange, reclusive king who lived in the rundown castle and his teenage son. Julie thought it might be cheating, but decided it didn’t count, because the truth was, she was just as terrified as her friends were, and it hadn’t occurred to her that Flynn wouldn’t turn down the dare.

Flynn was just raising her hand to knock when a strange purple light flashed, and everything  around her and Carrie went dark.

~~

Five Years Later:

From the dark forest, a loud roar was heard. The villagers did their best to pretend they hadn't heard a thing, trying to go about life as normal. If most of them shivered in the warm sun, and locked their doors and windows when they were home, and refused to go out after dark, well, they didn't speak about it, not even to their families.

Chapter Text

♡Julie♡

Julie skipped through the village on her way to the bakery, soaking in the sun and enjoying the brisk fall air, already planning a trip to the bookstore afterwards. She thought her dad might enjoy some fresh baked goods, and she was desperate for a new book to read. As she passed the houses and shops, she waved and sung a hello to the butcher and the candlestick maker, reminding herself that she would need to visit both of their shops in the near future.

Swinging through the open door and into the bakery, Julie breathed in the warm air, relishing the sweet and yeasty scents. She sang out a greeting to the baker, Simon, and his wife, Clara, the plump couple smiling happily at her in return. Rose had considered Simon a dear friend, and though she had been gone for so long, Julie had continued the tradition of stopping weekly to visit and catch up, trading gossip about the other villagers and memories of Rose and Carlos. Julie took her time, choosing a few fresh breakfast pastries, and throwing in some of Ray's favorite jam thumbprint cookies for a treat. 

She spent a few minutes making small talk with Clara, telling her all about the fair that Ray was heading to that day. Julie knew that things were tight at home, and she knew that Ray was doing his best to keep it from her. It made her sad that he didn’t trust her enough to confide in her, but she knew that losing Rose and Carlos had taken quite a toll on him. After asking Simon and Clara to say a quick prayer for Ray’s success that day, Julie gave each of them a hug, then gathered her basket and practically bounced out the door.  

She headed down the road, making her way eagerly to the bookstore. The bookseller always gave her the best suggestions, and she couldn’t remember a time when she was disappointed by any of the books that had been recommended to her. Rose had introduced her to books when she was young and, though it wasn’t quite the same excitement that Julie felt when she sat at the piano, every book was a new adventure. Julie looked forward to each of them, whether it be a romance or a mystery.

Julie almost tripped through the door, anxious to be among the books again. She craved excitement and romance and the kind of feeling she used to have when she sat at the piano with her mother. She hadn’t found that feeling in a book yet, but she wouldn’t stop trying until she had read every book she could get her hands on.

She called a hello to the bookseller, then started browsing through the new arrivals. She managed to narrow her options down to several books, including a romance, a fantasy novel, and two historical fiction novels, but she couldn't quite make up her mind about which she wanted to keep. Calling the bookseller over, Julie engaged them in a conversation about the different choices and what each of them entailed. 

By the time she had chosen and purchased her book, the sun was high in the sky, and Julie knew that her father would be expecting her home before night fell. Ever since Rose, Carlos, and Tia Victoria had disappeared, Ray had been extra protective over Julie.

She was only a step or two down the road when Alex Mercer appeared in front of her, Willie on his heels. The tall blond man was good looking, but he knew it and Julie couldn't stand him. He had been trying to court her for months now, and she was honestly tired of trying to fend off his advances. Willie was friendlier and less likely to harass her, but he was always with Alex, so there hadn't been an opportunity to build a friendship with him.

As Alex opened his mouth to say something that Julie was sure would be offensive, she looked him up and down with an eyebrow raised. She wouldn't deny that he was physically attractive, but he was so conceited that she couldn't stand him. He took every opportunity he could to flex his muscles or run his hand through his hair, smiling that cocky smile of his that she hated so much, and constantly twirling his drumsticks through his fingers in a ridiculous manner. Julie was even pretty sure she had noticed him nudging Willie and nodding in her direction as she walked past them before. For the past nine months, she had been trying to gently blow him off, but he didn't seem able to take the hint. Mumbling under her breath, she briefly debated with herself about whether today would be the day she verbally laid him out, or if she wanted to continue to kindly blow him off. 

Julie finally decided that today was not the day for violence. She gave Alex one more dirty look, making sure she included his little tag-a-long in the glare, then turned on her heel and headed in the opposite direction, her basket of pastries over one arm and her book tucked securely under the other. She held her head high, refusing to show anyone how much strain they were putting on her shoulders.

As she walked away, Julie was greeted with glares of jealousy from the other single girls in town, who couldn't be bothered to look past Alex's golden hair, indescribable eyes, plentiful muscles, and family money. Rolling her eyes again, she marched past them, refusing to give them the satisfaction of knowing she could hear every nasty word they had to say about her.

♤Alex♤

Alex Mercer was having a miserable time. He had known he was gay since a young age, and he was comfortable with that, but not comfortable enough to come out to his parents. The Mercers were a big name in their town, and his parents were very traditional, so he had to be very careful who he told. So far, at 22 years old, he had only trusted three people enough to tell them the truth. Two of those people had disappeared when they were 16, and Alex hadn’t seen or heard from them since. They were presumed dead, but no bodies had ever been found. Alex continued to light a candle each for Luke and Reggie on Holy Days, and say a rosary for them every so often.

Alex looked Julie up and down obnoxiously, leering the entire time, and nervously twirling his drumsticks through his fingers. He swallowed hard, hoping his voice wouldn't break during this conversation. 

He hated every second of this ridiculous charade he had to play, but play it he must. Willie's comforting presence was the only thing that got him through most days. If his best friend weren't there to support him, he would have broken under the weight of his parents' expectations long ago. And if Alex happened to have a bit of a crush on said best friend? Well, nobody needed to know about that but himself.

Continuing to leer, Alex finally managed to get out, "When are you going to give in and marry me, Julie? We both know I'm the best looking guy in town!" He nearly gagged over the words, thankful for the heat he could feel radiating from Willie's presence behind him. Alex flexed his arms and flipped his hair back, trying to play up the conceited persona he had built for himself. 

Julie glared at him, clearly unimpressed, and Alex's heart clenched. He actually liked the girl, thought they could be friends, that he could have fascinating conversations with her, if only his parents would let him live his life without interference.

Alex was 6 years old, and his dad caught him trying on a pair of his mother’s shoes. The beating he took for that still hasn't been forgotten.

Alex was 8 years old, and his mom saw him give Luke a hug. Luke had been crying, and Alex just wanted to comfort his friend. He was informed in no uncertain terms that boys don’t cry, and boys absolutely don’t hug boys.

Alex was 9 years old, and his newly “out of the closet” uncle came to visit. Alex was fascinated by his bravery, but his parents called him “unnatural,” and kicked him out of the house, informing him that he was no longer welcome to visit them.

Alex was 11 years old, and he and Reggie had become curious about the kohl they had seen mothers, and sometimes even Reggie's father, use to line their eyes. They decided to experiment at the castle, because King Caleb was less likely to be around, and he already had some kohl the boys could sneak out. After applying the kohl on each other's eyes, and admiring the results, the two boys spent the rest of the day playing. By the time that Alex headed home, he had completely forgotten he was wearing the kohl. That mistake resulted in a few broken ribs.

Alex was 13, and he finally accepted that he was gay.  He had been fighting himself for years, trying to change the way he felt, trying to be the perfect son that his parents demanded. He found the courage to tell Luke and Reggie, knowing they would accept him no matter what, but then did his best to lock that part of himself away.

Alex was 15, and Willie moved to town. He was the most beautiful boy Alex had ever seen. They became friends, and before too long, Alex had confided in Willie as well. He would be the last that Alex would feel comfortable enough to do that with, and he rounded out the group of friends that Alex could be himself with. 

Alex was 16, and two of his closest friends in the world disappeared without a trace. The general consensus was that the Beast had gotten them, but no bodies were ever found. Alex locked himself in his room for a week, screaming at his parents every time they tried to talk to him, at the risk of getting another beating. Eventually, he dried his tears, picked up his drumsticks, locked away that most secret part of himself, and started to construct the persona that his parents wished were his true self.

Sighing softly, Alex blinked the memories from his eyes and braced himself for whatever response Julie would have. He felt fairly confident that she would blow him off again, as she had been for the past nine months, but he didn't want to let his guard down. If ever she were to change her tune and decide she wanted to date him, Alex would die. A lot of his time went into cultivating a personality he felt sure would turn her away, and he wasn’t about to drop it now. The one and only time he had put his foot down with his parents was when he flat out refused to court Penelope, Aspyn, or any of the other flighty, man-eating husband hunters in town.

As Julie raked her eyes over him like burning coals, Alex tried to hold in the shiver going down his spine. He didn't want to meet her gaze, didn't want to see the disdain there, so he casually dropped his eyes to the book she had tucked in her arm. With a jolt, he realized it was one of his favorites, and he only barely held himself back from making a comment about it. It wouldn't do to give her anything less than a conceited jerk that she could hate. Anything else would be dangerous for him.

As Julie turned and walked away without a word to him, Alex watched her sadly. He wished he could defend her to the other girls in town, tell them how much he would rather spend time with her because she wasn't a bubble-headed, vapid gold digger, who only looked at him as a rich piece of meat. An attractive rich piece of meat. Alex wasn't stupid. Now that Luke and Reggie had disappeared, Alex knew he was one of the best looking guys in town, possibly only second to Willie. But he didn't put much stock in his looks, or other people's for that matter, no matter how much he led people to believe that he did.

Turning and giving Willie a sad smile, Alex nodded his head in the opposite direction from where Julie had gone, pointedly ignoring Penelope, Aspyn, and their group, and leading Willie to the local restaurant, where he could drown his sorrows in a few root beers, and avoid going home.

Chapter Text

📷Ray📸

Ray waved as Julie headed off to town, trying to hide his worry from her. Since Rose, Carlos and Victoria had disappeared, Ray knew he had held too long and too hard onto Julie, sometimes refusing to let her grow up. It had been five years since their family had disappeared, and Ray lived in constant fear that if he let Julie out of his sight for too long, he would lose her, as well.

Ray watched until Julie was far enough down the road that she was out of sight, then turned to finish gathering his materials for the fair in the next town over. The first couple of years after the disappearance, Ray missed the fair, though he would have been considered a regular for many years before that. The general public has a very short memory, however, and all of Ray’s steady clients had found new photographers to take their portraits. Money was getting tighter, and Ray was trying his best not to let Julie know just how serious the situation was.

He planned to set up his photography booth and take pictures for anyone who would let him, hopefully earning a few coins for himself and Julie to live on. If Ray played his cards just right, Julie would never find out just how dire their circumstances were.

Taking one last look around their cottage, Ray grabbed his last bundle of camera attachments and placed it carefully on the cart with the rest of his supplies, grateful that circumstances had not yet forced him to sell those off, as well. If things came to that point, Ray wasn’t sure how he would support his daughter. He hated the thought of her having to marry Alex Mercer just to survive. His Julie should get to marry for love, and Ray didn't think she had any interest in the Mercer boy. Alex was too conceited for Ray’s taste, but if Julie were to show the slightest interest in him, Ray would learn to love him.

As he walked off slowly, pulling the cart behind him, wishing that he hadn’t needed to sell their mule, he mentally plotted his steps and whether or not he could beat Julie home. The thought of her arriving home to an empty house didn’t sit well with him. Before Rose’s disappearance, there had always been someone in the house, and he did his best to provide that atmosphere for Julie.

He felt fairly certain that if he took a shortcut through the forest, he would at least be home before it was dark, though he was less sure about being home before Julie. Ray decided that all he could do was his best, and sped his steps a bit.

**

It was late afternoon, and Ray was exhausted. His booth had been busy today, busier than it had been at the last several fairs he had attended, which meant his name was and reputation was getting out there again. He was grateful for that, as it meant he would be able to care for Julie.

As he entered the woods surrounding the abandoned castle outside of town, an early season storm covered the waning sun with clouds, plunging Ray into darkness.

Disoriented by the sudden gloom, Ray turned right when he should have turned left, trying to hurry through the trees, wanting to reach his warm cottage and his daughter. Not watching his feet, Ray’s feet tripped over an exposed tree root and he fell, the momentum allowing his cart to run over his back.

He laid there, tired and discouraged, unwilling to make himself look and see what kind of damage had been done to his cart and his equipment. The cart was the only one they had, and if it were damaged beyond repair, Ray would have to carry all of his equipment on his back. If his equipment were damaged...Ray closed his eyes in despair at the thought. He had made enough coins today to feed himself and Julie for a little while, but it was nowhere near enough to replace his expensive cameras and lenses.

Hearing a growl come from behind him, Ray said a quick prayer to a God he was no longer sure he believed in, then slowly opened his eyes and turned his head. His green eyes locked with a pair of golden eyes. 

It took him a moment to process that he was staring directly at a wolf. Ray felt the fear pour through his veins, sweat beading his brow and immediately dripping into his eyes.

He rose to his knees slowly, afraid to make any sudden movements. His mind was racing, trying to figure out his best course of action. He knew you shouldn't run from a wild animal, but he couldn't sit there, either, waiting to be attacked. 

He couldn’t allow Julie to be left completely alone.

With that final thought, Ray surged to his feet in one fluid movement, then turned and ran for all he was worth. 

**

Ray approached an abandoned looking castle, hoping to find some refuge until daylight. He had run until he couldn’t run any longer, then shimmied up a tree and hid among the branches until a loud roar had chased the wolf away. Ray had stayed in the tree until nightfall, unsure where the noise had come from, and unwilling to risk climbing down to find out.

As he raised his hand to knock on the door, it creaked open before he could touch it, but nobody was there. Ray looked around nervously, wishing he had some source of light so he could see something, then stepped through the door, humming one of Julie’s old songs for comfort.

🕯 Luke 🕯 

Luke extinguished his flames before opening the door, then slunk back into the shadows to watch. He never let his presence be known until he could get a read on the person seeking entrance, not that there had been very many over the past five years. 

He knew that Reggie would prefer he spooked off anyone who dared approach the castle. If Luke weren't able to startle them badly enough when he lit his candles, Reggie was only too willing to let out a loud roar and finish the job. But Luke craved company. After five years with only people trapped in the same curse he was, he was absolutely losing his mind. 

Luke watched from the darkness in silence as a grown man walked slowly through the door. Luke stayed still, contemplating why an adult would be there, but couldn't think of any reasonable explanations off the top of his head. They had seen various teenagers throughout the years, generally there on a dare, but this was the first adult Luke remembered seeing. He looked vaguely familiar, but Luke couldn't place who he was.

Shaking himself from the thoughts circling in his head, Luke finally realized that the man was humming. It wasn’t anything Luke had ever heard before, and it was beautiful.

Throwing caution to the wind, Luke lit his candles as he bounced forward, now eager to talk to this adult who was bringing new music into his life for the first time in five years. 

🌹Rose🌹 

Rose Molina had never doubted the existence of magic, so when she found herself caught in King Caleb's curse, she had less disbelief than a typical person might have. She spent less time in denial, choosing instead to examine her new existence, try to learn her new boundaries. Wondering if there was a way to break the spell.

It had been five years since the curse. Rose hadn’t seen her sister or son since the moment she woke in the castle, under a glass dome, in the form of a rose. There was no way for her to know if they were in the castle somewhere, or if something worse had happened to them. She hadn’t heard from or about Ray or Julie, didn’t know if they were safe or even still living in the town. For five years, Rose had sat there in her glass house, able to think, to feel, to mourn...and to listen.

**

Rose felt her heart break as Reggie sat next to her and cried. She longed for arms to hug the young man, hands to smooth his hair and lips to kiss his brow, like she had done for Julie and Carlos so many times.

Rose could only imagine what anyone outside the castle must think of him, with his beastly appearance and even worse temper.

She knew that he hadn’t started with the temper. When the curse was first cast, Reggie had remained hopeful, coming to visit Rose and chatter about how he was sure his friends from the village would come to see him, how they would help him figure out how to break the spell.

As the years went by, with only Luke and the servants who were unlucky enough to get caught in the curse to talk to, his father’s words had steadily taken root. His friends never came. He hadn't figured out how to break the spell. Rose had only been able to listen as he went from a hopeful boy to a bitter man, and her heart wept.

**

Rose heard the front doors creak open, though Reggie’s cries never wavered. Softly, below the sounds of the wailing, she heard a humming that sounded familiar, and gave her hope.

♡Julie♡

Julie finished running her errands, though her good mood had been ruined by the run in with Alex. She glanced to the sky as she felt the wind shift, dark clouds covering the sun and sending people scurrying for cover.

Knowing that she had spent longer in town than she had originally intended, and that her dad would be upset if she wasn't home when he got there, Julie quickened her steps, lowering her head and wrapping her arms around herself to fend off the sudden chill. When she got to the cottage, she would start a pot of spicy chili. Her papi would appreciate coming home to a warm meal, and Julie would do anything to make her dad happy. That decision made, Julie started humming an old song she hadn’t thought of in years, using music to keep herself company on her walk. 

Chapter Text

📷Ray📸

Ray blinked, temporarily blinded by the sudden light. Raising his hand to block it out, he looked around the barely lit hallway, trying to locate the source. Before he could figure out where the light was coming from, he was startled by a voice.

"What was that song you were humming? I didn't recognize it, but it was beautiful!"

Ray stopped humming and looked around to see where it had come from. Even with the addition of the candlelight, Ray couldn't see anyone else in the entryway. He started humming louder, trying to combat his nerves.

"Yes, that one! What is that?"

Ray stopped humming again, looking around a bit more frantically, his hands starting to tremble with his nerves.

"Dude! I'm down here! What was that song?!"

Looking down to see a candlestick that appeared to be talking, Ray's knees buckled, and everything turned black.

🕯 Luke 🕯 

Luke watched in horror as the man fell, seemingly in slow motion, towards him. Hopping out of the way as quickly as he could, he moved to the side and continued to stare in horrified fascination as the man hit the ground.

"Luke!" Nick came out from the dining room, joining Luke in the entryway to stare at the man on the floor. He whirled his hands all the way around his face, obviously distressed with the turn of events. "Who is that? Why is he here? Why is he on the floor?"

Luke bounced in place, waiting for Nick to calm down enough to actually hear his answers. He had learned a long time ago that once Nick got wound up, there was no point in trying to answer him until he had relaxed a little bit.

Nick continued to rant, obviously flustered, wondering what Reggie was going to say and  how they were going to get this man out of the castle with both the human and themselves unscathed by Reggie’s fearsome temper.

The reminder of Reggie’s temper made Luke sad. He remembered when they were teenagers, and Reggie, despite his family circumstances, had been a happy go lucky guy who rarely got angry. Luke couldn’t remember a time before the curse that he had seen Reggie actually lose his temper. Now it was a daily occurrence. Luke often missed making music, playing his guitar and singing, but he missed his friend more. If it meant having Reggie back, he would give up music in a heartbeat.

⏰Nick⏰

Holy shit, what were they going to do? Reggie was really going to lose it over this. Would his temper go far enough to have him throwing Nick into the fireplace? Maybe adding insult to injury by using Luke’s flames to light the fire? Nick didn’t generally consider himself a panicky person (the other servants in the castle would disagree with that), but this was definitely a panic worthy time.

He wrung his hands together, trying to calm his mind enough to think. If they could get this human out of the castle, maybe Reggie would never know that he had been there. They could drop his body in the gardens, then hide in the bushes. When he came to, Nick would make sure he actually left the property, rather than heading back to the castle. Mind made up, he turned to Luke.

“Okay, Luke, you grab his head and I’ll grab his feet. Maybe we can get Flynn and Carrie to help, too. Oh! And Tía and Carlos, they can each grab an arm. We’re going to carry the body out and dump him in the garden. Then we’ll hide around the courtyard and make sure he actually leaves when he wakes up,” Nick rushed it all out, giving a satisfied nod at the end of his plan.

Luke looked on silently, which Nick chose to take as his agreement. He wasn’t sure exactly why, as he was pretty sure Luke hadn’t actually agreed with him a single time in the last five years, but he was panicked enough that he would take what he could get.

Assuming that they were on the same page, Nick headed off in search of Flynn and Carrie, hoping to recruit their help.

🕯 Luke 🕯

Luke listened as patiently as he was able to as Nick outlined his plan, then watched in silence as Nick waddled off to find more help. He wasn’t exactly on board with this plan. It would prevent him from learning what the music the man had been humming was. He agreed with Nick that it might prevent an outburst from Reggie though, and he thought that was probably worth losing the music that had captured his imagination.

Mind made up, Luke left in the opposite direction, going in search of Tía Victoria and Carlos.

📷Ray📸

Ray came to bit by bit, groaning softly and turning his head slowly to take in his surroundings. He appeared to be laying on the ground in a garden. More specifically, he was surrounded by rose bushes. Smiling wistfully, he wondered if this was a sign sent to him by Rose, letting him know she was safe and happy, wherever she was.

Sitting up carefully, Ray decided he would pluck a single rose before heading home. He knew Julie would appreciate the message, whether it was from Rose or his own imagination. He searched carefully, wanting to take only one, perfect rose, as perfect as his Rose had been.

Just as Ray found the perfect pink rose, he heard a roar coming from behind him. Whipping his head around, he saw a fearsome beast, 9 feet tall, with sharp teeth and a terrifying scowl. His body appeared to be covered in fur, and there were long claws on his fingers.

Ray dropped the rose he had just picked, his fingers suddenly too numb to hang on. He could swear he felt his heart stop, then kick back in at a rate much faster than was probably healthy. A cold sweat broke out on his brow, and he felt as though he may pass out again.

He stood there, half frozen with fear, unable to believe that the stories he had heard could be true. Unwilling to consider that this might be what had happened to Rose and Carlos, but unable to leave without confirming whether or not it was the truth.

It took him a bit to realize that this beast in front of him was yelling words, not just growling and roaring at him. He tried to still the pulse thrumming in his ears so he could listen. 

No matter how hard he listened, he could only understand a few words. He knew he caught "thief," and he was pretty sure there was a "dungeon" and a "prisoner" in there, too.

Ray slowly held his hands out in what he hoped was a placating gesture, trying to show this beast that he meant no harm. He stood stock still, his instincts from Julie's days of incomprehensible screaming after Rose’s disappearance kicking in.

"Please, don't hurt me. My daughter...I'm all she has left." He kept his voice low and soft, hoping not to startle the beast before him into a rage.

Ray could swear the next sound he heard coming from the beast in front of him was that of a hurting child, and he had to resist the urge to step forward and wrap him in a hug.

Before he had time to consider his next move, the beast had lunged at him, grabbing him by his collar and dragging him back towards the castle.

Chapter Text

🧸Reggie🧸

Reggie slowly unfolded himself from the floor, where he had been silently watching the Rose, his eyes tracking a petal as it gently floated down to rest on the table. His gaze reluctantly followed the stem back up, noting that at least half the petals had fallen off. He swallowed hard, knowing that he was on borrowed time.

He had been talking quietly to the Rose, nonsense that didn’t matter, not anymore. Telling it about his life before the curse, about his friends who loved him, and about his father who never had. About how he didn’t remember his mother, had never really known what it was to be loved until he met Luke, then Alex; about how he didn’t know what he was missing until they showed him.

He had told it about Alex, and what an amazing drummer he was. About how he was gay, and he had a crush on Willie, but his parents insisted he didn’t like boys because it “wasn’t natural,” and Alex had to marry a woman. He told it about how Alex wanted to leave the village, go somewhere to study the stars, and how he had asked Reggie to go with him, to get him out from under his father’s rule. How he would wrap his arms around Luke and Reggie when they had fought with their parents and talk about all the things they would do when they left.

He had told it about Luke, and how the last time they had talked before the curse was cast, Luke had been telling him about a family that was new to the village, about their teenage daughter and how she had the voice of an angel. About how he was an excellent singer, and wanted to form a band with Reggie and Alex. He told it about how, when it was raining, Alex and Reggie would walk around the puddles on the cobblestones, but Luke could never resist jumping into them. About how Luke’s laugh would ring out as the water splashed his friends, and the absolute joy on his face as they spluttered and pretended to get mad.

He wasn’t telling it anything he hadn’t told it before, many times over. He had a fear that had been slowly growing over the last few years, that if he didn’t talk about his friends, about his life before his father had cursed him, that he would forget. That he wouldn’t remember the warmth of being sandwiched between Luke and Alex as they walked down the street. That he wouldn’t remember the joy of playing their instruments together, listening to Luke sing, hearing Alex laugh after a particularly snarky comment. He was forgetting the feeling of being wrapped in their arms after his father had punished him for something. The feeling of Luke’s hand on his shoulder, using it to balance on tip toe and kiss his forehead. Of Alex smoothing his hair back from his forehead, running his fingers through it to soothe him. That he would forget how it felt to be loved.

Finally standing to his full height, Reggie hesitated, trying to decide his next move. He knew that his time with the Rose was limited, and for a flower, the Rose was an excellent listener, but it wasn’t healthy to spend all of his time talking to an inanimate object. He should talk to some of the other people in the castle, even if talking to them reminded him of what they all lost because of him. He should get some exercise, some fresh air. Giving the Rose a last long look, he regretfully decided to take a stroll through the gardens. Perhaps doing so would help to take his mind from the quickly dwindling time he had to figure out how to break the curse.

Making his way through the castle and towards the doors, Reggie vaguely noticed that the castle was quieter than it should be. He could usually hear the metal of Luke’s candlestick clinking along the stone floors, with the clunk of Nick’s clock case following close behind, always worried that Luke was going to cause trouble. In Nick’s defense, Luke did have a special knack for getting into trouble, but Nick had never been successful in stopping him. Reggie certainly couldn’t fault Nick, as Alex had never been successful with that, either. Reggie had always been right beside Luke, making trouble with him, and Alex had attempted to be the voice of reason.

On certain occasions, Reggie would even hear the tink ing of Victoria or Carlos going about the castle, their porcelain making a distinct sound against the stone floors, but they did their best to avoid Reggie whenever they could.

As he slowly paced through the cold hallways of the castle, Reggie imagined he could hear Luke’s laughter bouncing off the stone walls, Alex yelling as he chased Luke through the corridors, trying to retrieve his favorite shirt. Luke had a tendency to steal his friends’ favorite belongings, back when he had arms to do so, and he would refuse to give them back until they had managed to tackle him and use whatever force necessary (usually extra affection, for Luke) to retrieve them.

Idly wondering where everyone was, Reggie walked on, glancing out a window into the gardens as he passed it. Before he had fully processed what he was seeing, he had practically taken flight, running through the castle so quickly that anyone unfortunate enough to be in his way would have been run over.

He entered the garden just as the stranger he had seen from the window picked a rose from one of the bushes. Letting out his most fearsome roar, Reggie tried to hide his fear behind his admittedly scary appearance.

This wasn’t the first villager to decide he needed to have a go at the Beast, though this villager didn’t appear to be armed. Reggie could generally scare them off with his most vicious roar, a flash of his claws and teeth, and shouting some nonsense about the dungeons, threatening to throw them down there and keep them as prisoners. 

Some villagers were braver than others; they would get close enough to poke or prod with the ends of their shovels and pitchforks. The pain would cause Reggie to roar even louder, and even these braver ones would inevitably run. When that happened, Reggie would go inside and let Luke and Nick patch up his wounds. Sometimes Victoria would help, too, for the deeper, more severe injuries, but she was careful to keep Carlos as far away from him as she could.

Brief memories of some of the injuries that Luke had nursed him through flashed through his mind, and his fear grew. Some day, a villager might come better prepared, more inclined to believe that the Beast existed, ready to mount his head on the wall as a trophy.

The fear of more pain took over, and Reggie started screaming. The stranger dropped the rose he had plucked and put his hands in the air, but Reggie was caught in a vicious cycle of memories of old pain and fear of new, and he could only scream randomly about the man trying to steal from him, threatening to throw him in the dungeons and keep him prisoner until he rotted away to nothing.

As Reggie stopped yelling to take a breath, the man started speaking. "Please, don't hurt me. My daughter...I'm all she has left." The man didn’t move, speaking softly and kindly in a way Reggie hadn’t been spoken to in years. Maybe ever.

Reggie’s heart broke in two at the words, the pain washing over him and almost bringing him to his knees. The noise that escaped him was indescribable, even for himself. If asked to tell someone what he was feeling in that moment, Reggie was sure he would be unable to. He couldn’t explain his next actions any more than he could explain his feelings. He didn’t process the fact that they didn’t make sense. He couldn’t have stopped himself in any case. He only knew that this man cared for his own daughter in a way that Reggie’s father had never cared for him, and that pain drove him to lunge forward and grab the stranger’s collar, dragging him towards the castle.

Chapter Text

📷Ray📸

Ray swallowed down his cry as the beast grabbed him, not wanting to make things worse for himself by startling him. The claws that had a death grip on his collar were long, and appeared sharp, and Ray didn’t want to give him any excuse for them to slip from his shirt to his skin, whether it be accidentally or on purpose.

As the fearsome beast began dragging him towards the castle, Ray scrambled to stay upright, to move fast enough to keep his feet beneath him. As they moved, his mind began to wander.

A creature willing to imprison a man simply for picking a flower would surely keep trophies of his previous victims. Perhaps Ray could break out of the cell he was sure this beast was set to lock him in and find proof of his wife and son’s fate, finally allowing him and Julie to lay their ghosts to rest. He wasn’t sure why exactly he was so sure that this beast had been instrumental in their disappearances, but the certainty was bone deep. He didn’t think either he or Julie had been able to get a solid night’s sleep since their family had been torn apart, though each of them put on a show for the other. The not knowing had left a black hole in their lives, a dark, inescapable force. 

But he knew that if he went into that castle, he probably wasn’t coming back out, and he couldn’t do that to his daughter—couldn’t leave her alone after everything she had already lost. Even though this wasn’t what he would have chosen, his course of action was set. All he could do now was pray that he would make it back to Julie.

The beast moved quickly, and Ray’s shorter legs stumbled as the beast pulled him up the stairs. Ray braced himself for the pain he was sure would be coming, as he anticipated being forcefully dragged up the remaining stairs. Instead, the beast stopped and gently lifted Ray back to his feet. Before he could get his wits about him, the beast grabbed his upper arm and propelled him towards the castle, this time at a slightly more sedate pace.

Their footsteps echoed as the beast led him through the halls. They moved quickly, but the beast was clearly being more considerate about their height difference since Ray nearly fell on the steps. Ray’s head spun as he tried to make sense of the contradictions he was witnessing: the size of this beast, combined with the anger he had exhibited, now tempered by the consideration he was showing. Was it possible that he wasn’t the mindless wild animal that Ray had assumed stole his family away?

Ray tried his best to take in their surroundings as they went, hoping to memorize the way out in case he found an opportunity to escape. At various points, he could have sworn he saw a teapot, a teacup, and a feather duster moving autonomously, but he ultimately credited it to the stress of being dragged around by a beast, combined with the fact that he hadn’t eaten in almost twenty-four hours.

Eventually they reached a room, rather than a cell, like Ray had been imagining, and the beast pushed him inside, slamming the door and locking it from the outside. Even having heard the key turn, knowing that the door was locked, Ray couldn’t help but try the door after he heard the beast move away down the hall, his heart sinking through the stone floor when he confirmed it was locked.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice say, “It won’t open, you know. He’s very anti-social.”

A quick glance around the room showed him a comfortable looking bed, a wardrobe, and nothing else. He took a deep breath, then looked around more slowly, dropping his knees to look under the bed. Not finding any other person in the room, he had almost convinced himself that he had been hearing things in the midst of his panic. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to convince himself that it was perfectly natural to hear things, especially in the middle of an incredible shock. He couldn’t afford a panic attack right now. He needed to remain calm and cool if he had any hope of getting back to Julie.

With a firm nod of his head, Ray looked around more slowly, noting the turquoise spread on the bed, the fine wood of the bedside table and the wardrobe. After a brief but thorough examination of the sparse furnishings, he finally turned to the wardrobe as the most likely source. 

His eyes started at the top, searching for anything that might be hidden and allowing the voice into the room. There were no handles that he could see, and he couldn’t figure out how to open it. He ran his hands down the front, looking for indentations or some sort of hidden latch to pull the doors open. He felt his heart skip a beat when he heard a young lady’s strident voice say, “Pardon me, I will thank you to remove your hands from me at once!”

He jumped backwards, hands held in the air, his lungs gasping for a breath he couldn’t seem to catch as his heart nearly pounded out of his chest. “Who's there? Who was that? Show yourself now!”

That same voice replied, “Well, I’m hardly hiding, am I?” The tone dropped until Ray could have sworn the voice was mumbling under its breath, “So typical of a man. Just as blind as Reggie, I swear. 'Show yourself'…as if I’m not the largest thing in the room or something. Ridiculous!”

Ray slowly stepped forward again, his eyes sharp. Maybe he should yell for the beast, see if he would give him some bread and water. Clearly, the lack of food since yesterday was taking far more of a toll on his body and his mind than he had realized.

Before he could decide, the wardrobe flew open. He barely managed to get out of the way before he was hit, falling backwards when his knees hit the bed.

He heard the same voice, which his eyes and ears were both trying to convince him was actually the wardrobe itself. “Well? I realize you’re somewhat elderly, but do you really plan to go to bed already? It’s barely afternoon!”

♡Julie♡

Julie walked as quickly as she dared through the village, cheeks stinging from the cold, tears pooling in her eyes from the unseasonably sharp chill in the air, wrinkling her nose against the comforting smell of chimney fires. She wasn’t interested in comfort right now. She wanted help; she wanted answers. She pulled her cloak tighter around her body, lifting the hood over her wild, curly hair. The sun glistened off of the fresh rain on the path as Julie trudged precariously onward, moving cautiously across the wet cobblestones as she made her way to the constabulary.

Walking through the door, Julie looked around for Constable Ortega. Spotting Willie first, she gave a hesitant smile before stepping forward to speak with him.

“Good morning, Willie. Might the Constable be around?” She couldn’t hide the tremble in her voice, no matter how hard she tried.

Willie looked up, smiling when he saw who it was. Jumping up, he rounded the desk to greet her. “Julie! Hey! What’s up? What can I help you with? Dad had to step out, but he should be back pretty soon, I think.”

Julie took a nervous look around the office, a little taken aback by the friendliness of Willie’s greeting. After making sure they were alone, she leaned forward. “Willie, I- I know we aren’t friends, but my dad’s missing. He’s never not come home, not since my mom…I need the Constable’s help, Willie, I have to find my dad. I can’t lose him, too.”

Willie’s face fell. He had a soft spot for Julie, even if he kept his distance for the sake of Alex’s charade. Much like Alex, Willie felt they could be good friends if the circumstances were different.

“I’m so sorry, Julie, he’s not in today. Is there anything that I can help with? Do you know where he was headed? When was he supposed to be home?”

Julie’s eyes had started to tear up as soon as Willie had started talking. She tried to keep it together, aware of how some men viewed women that cried, but as she processed his words, the tears started to fall. “He never stays away overnight, Willie, never. He wouldn’t have. Something must have happened to him. He would have been home if he could have been. Do you think the beast could have gotten him?”

Willie nodded thoughtfully, throwing a glance towards the back room where he was sure Alex was listening. “Listen, Julie, officially I can’t really do anything, because obviously I’m not the Constable. But I don’t think my dad will be around until tomorrow, so how about I round up Alex and–”

As soon as he mentioned Alex’s name, Julie started shaking her head and moving backwards. “Oh, no, never mind, Willie. I’ll just, uh, I’ll just go home and wait. He must have been delayed somehow. If he isn’t home tonight, I’ll come back and talk to your dad tomorrow. Okay, thanks, bye!” She threw the door open and raced outside before Willie could say another word.

♤Alex♤

Alex had gone to the backroom to start a fresh pot of coffee. He heard the front door open, but he didn’t think too much of it. Willie would tell whoever it was that his dad was out of town for the day, and that would be the end of things. They would leave, and nobody would catch him here with Willie and run to tattle to his parents. 

He had grown tall enough and large enough that he no longer had to worry about the bruises and broken bones, but sometimes the screaming was worse. He knew his parents thought that if he wasn’t pursuing a traditional marriage, then surely he was wasting his time and should be at home. He could sometimes get away with saying he was helping the Constable, but being in the office alone with the Constable’s son would be an entirely different story.

Eavesdropping from behind the door, Alex was surprised to hear Julie’s voice. He didn’t think he had ever seen Julie near the Constable’s office, let alone actually coming inside.

When she mentioned that her father hadn’t come home, Alex’s ears perked up. And when she suggested it might have been the beast, Alex started formulating a plan.

If he and Willie could get a group of people together, maybe they could finally go after this fearsome beast. Maybe he could take some long overdue revenge for losing his two best friends. Maybe he would be able to sleep at night once he had some closure. Exactly what form that closure would take, Alex wasn’t quite sure yet. The thought of bloodshed made him feel ill, but if he could avenge his friends, maybe he would be able to sleep without the nightmares that plagued him.

Keeping carefully out of sight until he heard Julie leave, Alex sat on the cot the Constable kept there for long nights, and he started to formulate his arguments to convince Willie to go along with his plan.