A Tale That Never Was
Chapter 20: Truth in the Flames

It was perhaps less than an hour after Frollo left that guards came for the girls. They grabbed them roughly, secured bonds on their wrists, and urged them forward. No one spoke as they forced themselves to place one foot in front of the other, their heads bowed and their eyes dry.

Selvina had no more tears to shed. There was no point to crying anymore. Her life was over as soon as she stopped walking. It would be the last time she ever did thus she took the quiet moments to enjoy walking as much as she could, even if she was heading to her own death. Once outside, Frenisian soldiers waited for them, some carrying spears and halberds while others had crossbows and muskets. All were armoured and wore grim expressions. Some of them eyed the women with utter distaste. Word had apparently spread quickly of their arrival and Selvina felt the power of the glares. They pierced through the skin and burrowed into her flesh like vicious creatures, clawing through her very being to gnaw at her soul. She looked down at the cobblestones but the power of the staring eyes did not abate. She was suddenly smacked in the face by a glob of spit and winced. A tear found its way out of her eye and she cursed it.

Do not cry in front of them, she thought to herself. Be strong and brave. Red would want it that way.

The line of soldiers weaved through the streets, guiding them to their doom in the open plaza before the Cathedral. Frenisian civilians shouted and cursed at them, hatred and fear guiding their actions. There was spitting, rotting fruits and vegetables were thrown, and some brazen townsfolk even broke through the barrier of soldiers to hit them.

Selvina couldn’t believe it. She had hardly returned to the city for a few hours and yet all its people already despised her. What lies had Frollo spread? What image of her had he painted for them? Selvina ducked under a thrown tomato but received a stone in the cheek instead. It stung like fire and she worried a tooth was chipped but she forced herself not to cry. She would not give them the luxury of seeing her that way.

“You are all morons!” Cindy, walking ahead of Selvina, shouted to the townsfolk gathered behind the lines of soldiers. “We haven’t done anything wrong to you! You are fools to believe Frollo! I hate you all!”

Cindy appeared completely consumed by anger, and it worried Selvina. She remembered her reaction to Gaston and was disappointed she’d never discover the reason for that. There was much she did not know about the young girl but it was pointless to learn it now. Cindy insulted the townsfolk again but this time a few broke through the barrier and assaulted her. She was thrown to the ground, kicked, beaten, and her clothes were ripped and torn off. Selvina screamed at them to stop and hurried to help but the guard behind her kept her from moving more than two steps ahead. Soldiers eventually chased away the townsfolk but Cindy stood up shakily, blood and bruises coating her pale skin. Selvina’s heart raced at the sight of her injured friend. Why was this happening?!

“Are you ok, Cindy?” Selvina asked her. “Cindy?!”

“I’m about to die, Selvina,” Cindy replied before spitting out some blood. “I’ve never felt better…”

Ahead of Cindy, Belle said nothing. She hadn’t even looked back during Cindy’s assault. She had been strangely quiet since Frollo’s departure from the dungeon room. Keeping everything to herself, she said nothing to anyone. Selvina assumed she was trying to put her mind at peace.

Before long the two lines of soldiers bordering the streets opened up to a huge square surrounded by angry and uproarious townspeople. Braziers and tall torches dotted the square, shedding light in the dark of the night. To Selvina’s left, beyond the crowd, the stunning Cathedral of Our Lady looked down on her, dark and brooding, as if wordlessly judging her. In the square’s center stood three large posts of wood pointing straight up. At their base was a huge pile of kindling and just above that was a small board attached to the post where Selvina assumed she and the girls would stand upon. Upon a podium just before the three posts was Frollo, his arms wide and his voice loud and booming.

“See them now, my fellow Frenisians; the three witches that have kept this monster at our doors! Through the use of their dark arts they have molded this creature into a being of malice and hunger where there is no escape! It has been idle long enough, gathering its strength, and now it will come for us. It will break down your doors and it will devour you all! Our soldiers are mighty but this beast is too much for them!

“Fear not, however, for I, Judge Frollo, have prayed for the gods to offer us salvation. I have knelt on my knees until they bled, waiting for an answer, and alas I have received one! They have offered us Gaston the Great, the only man in all the lands powerful enough to slay this beast!”

Selvina saw him then, as he walked up the podium and raised his arms to the gathered crowd. He grinned at the people as they cheered, lifting their hands into the air for him. The sound of the ecstatic crowd was painfully deafening but Selvina couldn’t even shield her ears. She was shoved to her stake and lifted onto the platform. Her mind racing, she rummaged about for a plan that would save her. She couldn’t flee anywhere. She couldn’t fight anyone. She couldn’t even beg for mercy as no one would hear her above the din of the crowd. Her bonds were undone just long enough for her wrists to be pulled behind the stake and tied up once more. She resisted and struggled out the basic instinct to survive but it was futile. The guards were too strong.

To her right, on the middle stake, Belle was bound, offering no struggle at all. Her head was bowed, brown hair shielded her face, and she looked conflicted, as if she was deeply pondering. Please let it be a plan for escape, Selvina hoped beyond hope. To Belle’s right, a near-naked Cindy was kicking and biting, fighting with all she had to stop from getting attached to the stake. It was a valiant effort but the guards subdued her by hitting her over the head with a few pommel strikes. Dazed and injured, she could do little more than twist about awkwardly as they tied her wrists together behind the thick beam of wood.

“These three will die tonight, never to spread their evil in our fair lands again,” Frollo was saying, the crowd’s cheers finally dying down. His back was to Selvina and she wished Red was there to sink her crossbow bolts into it. Poor Red, Selvina thought sadly, tears threatening to drip. At least she had died quickly enough… Burning alive would be far slower and much more agonizing.

“They were not alone, however!” Frollo called out.

Selvina furrowed her brow in confusion. What was he saying?

“They were brought here by none other than Captain Hook himself! Here he kneels, bound and captive and ready to serve a most fitting sentence.”

Selvina’s face paled as she looked beyond the podium to where Frollo was pointing. Knelt on the ground was Captain Hook, Sinbad, and most of Jolly Roger’s crew. Their hands were tied behind their backs and they showed signs of abuse.

“Some of you may wonder why they are not about to burn alive,” Frollo continued, “and the reason for that is simple. Though they transported them here they did not take part in aiding the beast. They were only thralls under these witches’ spells. Once their purpose was fulfilled they were discarded. I will be just and fair with them and only lock them in the dungeons until the spells’ effects wear off. These are good men, my Frenisians, and they should not suffer needlessly.”

And I suppose they received those bruises from falling? Selvina asked herself sarcastically. She had no doubt that Frollo would kill Captain Hook, Sinbad, and the whole crew once they were safely locked away. He would claim them as too dangerous to be set free and slaughter them all. She was angry at the cruel judge and his wickedness but was terribly pained to know that her actions had caused the end for Captain Hook and his men. She eyed the captain but his head was bowed and he did not look up. She shifted her gaze to Sinbad but his eyes were closed. He seemed at peace, as if he was accepting his fate. Such strength, she thought enviously.

Frollo turned around, settling his gaze on the three girls, his expression one of deep regret and pain. Selvina wasn’t fooled for a second. Beside the judge, Gaston stood with his arms crossed over his chest and a proud smirk on his face. “You are all so young,” Frollo said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “It is a pity that such beautiful women full of youth and potential disgraced themselves by practising the unholy, demonic arts. Here in Our Lady we are a pious people and take great insult to your actions. We will not stand for them. The gods themselves are frowning down on you and they want justice. They want the world set aright and it will begin with your deaths!”

“We didn’t do anything!” Cindy screamed, one of her eyes shut from a bulging bruise and her lips swollen. “You are all being brainwashed by this maniac! Why can’t you all see that?!” A guard standing nearby smacked her with the butt of his spear but Cindy just spat at him, showing no signs of pain.

“SILENCE!” Frollo roared. “You are a spreader of lies and half-truths! Quell your tongue or it shall be cut from your mouth!”

“You can take my tongue and choke on it!” Cindy shouted furiously. “Your gods see the falseness in your actions, Frollo, and they will not stand for it!”

“Do not presume to understand my gods, demonspawn! I have served them all my life and they trust my judgement. They have spoken to me and ordered me to—”

“You’re the liar here! You just want Beast dead because Belle didn’t want a rotting corpse as a husband! You are the epitome of corruption and no woman would want to share her heart with someone so wicked! You may kill me tonight but I will haunt your dreams for eternity! YOU WILL NEVER HAVE PEACE!”

Selvina’s eyes widened at Cindy’s outburst. She was red with rage and ignoring the blunt weapons striking her body from the guards around her. She was hit powerfully and though she winced and grimaced, her eyes never left those of Frollo’s. She also never cried out in pain. She was using Frollo’s accusation against him, embodying the image of a witch, hoping to strike fear into the townsfolk and making them doubt their judge’s actions. Clever as it was, Selvina didn’t think it was working.

“I have heard enough!” Frollo shouted. “I think it is past time that we begin this execution.” He gestured to a few guards and they disappeared into the crowd with unlit torches. As they went to ignite them on nearby braziers, more guards yanked Captain Hook and his crew to their feet and brought them near the braziers. Frollo pointed down at them. “Look up, Captain Hook, and witness the power of justice! Know now that you will live free of these witches’ control and you and your men will continue to live your honorable lives as hunters of the criminals of the sea. I admire your work, captain, I truly do, and I hope that the curse lingering on your mind dissipates quickly.”

Selvina looked down at Captain Hook and he finally looked up. His expression shattered her heart. He appeared intensely saddened and in excruciating pain. He was still recovering from Peter Pan’s attack on his ship and this recent beating most likely opened up many wounds, both physical and spiritual. Inhaling deeply, his gaze lowered once more. He appeared defeated, as if he was already dead inside. Selvina guessed that he knew of his true fate. He would never sail his ship again. He would never stop Peter Pan. He would never see Wendy again.

And it was all her fault.

Tears broke through Selvina’s barriers and flowed down her cheeks. Was her purpose in coming to this world to ruin the lives of everyone she encountered? Had she been transported here for nefarious reasons? Perhaps an evil witch had summoned her to lay waste to the good people of Faeryum. You win, Selvina thought miserably. Have I not caused enough pain? Have I not ruined enough lives? Show yourself to me, at least. Let me see who you are…

She looked up, blinking away most of her tears, and searched the crowd. If she was right, there was an actual witch in there watching her. She didn’t know what the witch looked like but she hoped that she’d know who she was when she saw her. There had to be some connection between her and the one that had summoned her. She had to believe that. She paused on the face of an elderly woman with a heavily wrinkled face and almost thought she had found her when the woman coughed heavily and wiped blood on her ragged cloak. A witch wouldn’t be sick; unless she had summoned Selvina to do her bidding because she was dying…

No, it wasn’t her. She felt nothing for the old woman. She then found the face of an attractive youth with an arrogant smirk on her face and wondered if she was the one who had summoned her. Was she the witch? Selvina stared but felt nothing and decided to keep going. She took note of the guards returning with lit torches and quickened her search. The witch had to be there somewhere. She had to be! Maybe it wasn’t a witch but a warlock instead! Selvina began searching the faces of the men. The guards were nearly at the piles of wood surrounding the three stakes now. Hurry, Selvina, hurry! Maybe she could plead for aid with the warlock. Maybe he could save her!

She passed over a youthful face with a wicked grin and initially ignored it until something caught her attention. There was a long scar across the young man’s forehead and it looked fresh. His hair was bright orange and though he wore a hood she thought she saw the hint of pointed ears.

Selvina’s heart stopped for a moment. The guards were now bending down and nearing the torches toward the kindling but she didn’t care. There, in the crowd, was Peter Pan! She had no doubt about it. There he was, dressed in a ragged cloak, watching the scene. His eyes caught hers and his grin widened. He gave her a wink and put a finger to his lips, as if telling her to keep quiet. What could he possibly want with her? Remembering what Captain Hook had told her about what Pan did to young women she almost shouted at the guards to hurry. She’d gladly take fire over the despicable pirate.

“Captain Hook!” she yelled. He looked up, his expression curious. “I am sorry for all of this! I never meant to drag you here. I hope you can replace it in your heart to forgive me…”

Captain Hook sighed sadly and nodded. “It was an honour to know you, Selvina. I only wish I could have rid the world of the evil I caused before my life was forfeit.”

“You have a chance! Peter Pan is here! He’s in the crowd!”

“What?!” Captain Hook’s back straightened and his face tensed. Gone was the look of defeat, swiftly replaced by one of fury and determination. “Where is he?”

“Straight ahead of me, behind two rows of people. He is watching me now! You can stop him!”

Hook tried to turn his head to see but was bludgeoned by a guard’s club and shoved to the ground instead. He struggled, testing the strength of his bonds, but the guard kept him pinned to the cobblestones.

The kindling was beginning to burn.

“These deaths are for you, my gracious gods!” Frollo shouted to the heavens. “May their wickedness burn into oblivion!”

Selvina could feel the heat of the flames already and began to dance about on her small board. She tugged her arms and twisted her body about but it was all futile. Nothing she did helped. Glancing to the right she saw Belle with her eyes shut tightly. She was trembling and darting her head from side to side, as if caught in a nightmare. Cindy’s flames were already at her feet but the young girl didn’t even struggle. The frightening glare she held on Frollo did not waver. Flames began to climb up the stake and some were already reaching beyond her knees. Yet she did not scream. She didn’t even whimper. It was as if she did not feel the fire.

Selvina, however, certainly did. She tried to push on the stake with her feet and pull her arms up in an attempt to climb up but the ropes tied around her wrists were nailed to the wooden post and she went nowhere. Sweat dripped all over her body and her chest heaved, breathing in hot air and an ever-increasing amount of smoke. She coughed and looked ahead, beyond a grinning Frollo, to set her eyes on Peter Pan again.

But he was not there.

Below her, Captain Hook struggled and fought against his bonds and his men began to do the same, fighting with all their might to free themselves. Sinbad, however, remained perfectly still. Guards beat and struck them but the sailors did not relent. Hurry, Hook, Selvina urged. If he freed himself he might be able to save her. The fire was now surrounding the platform and creeping up the stake like flaming serpents. It would not be long before her legs were completely engulfed. She glanced to the other stakes and saw Belle standing stiffly, as if a statue, her eyes closed and her jaw set. Selvina screamed when she looked at Cindy. She could hardly see the girl anymore as flames roared all around her, stabbing the sky and reaching for the stars. Only the top of Cindy’s head could be seen and Selvina wanted to fall to her knees and drown in a sea of tears but the flames around her kept her standing.

There I go claiming another life, she thought to herself dismally. At least she had died without a cry. She had remained strong and Selvina hoped she did indeed end up haunting Frollo forever. It would be a fitting vengeance for the evil man. She looked at him now, standing beside Gaston. Both of them appeared to be enjoying the scene. Gaston was glancing about, perhaps anticipating the arrival of Beast. Selvina had hoped that he would have appeared by now but her platform was now beginning to crumble and there was no sign of him yet. Was he coming at all?

Belle began to laugh and Selvina eyed her strangely. She was staring at Gaston and Frollo with a vicious grin on her face. “I tried,” she said, her voice sounding oddly rough and guttural. “I tried to keep him away but he did not listen! He is coming to save me and he is going to kill the both of you! He is coming, Gaston, and you will be the first to die!”

Gaston’s bow had been slung over his shoulder but it was in his hand now. He had his hood pulled up and the plates over his jaw clasped together. An arrow was notched to his string and he darted his head about, searching rooftops, alleys, streets, alcoves, and everything else in between. “Show yourself, Beast!” he called out. “Show yourself or will I plant an arrow in Belle’s heart!” Frollo was glancing about as well, looking uncomfortable, which gave Selvina some small luxury.

“I AM HERE, GASTON!” Beast’s voice roared. It did not come from a rooftop. It did not come from an alley. It did not come from a street or an alcove. It didn’t even come from the crowd. It came from directly beside Selvina.

Before her eyes, Belle’s body enlarged to monstrous size, her transformation tearing her clothes off, breaking her bonds and ultimately freeing her. Grey fur grew over her skin, claws replaced the nails on her fingers and toes and her brown hair changed silver in color. Spikes of various sizes protruded from her shoulders and sides. Pointed tusks jutted from her lower jaw and her eyes paled to an almost complete white.

“Tonight it is you who will die, Gaston!” Beast growled before leaping off the platform toward the podium.

Selvina could only watch dumbly, her mouth agape and her eyes bulging.

All this time, Beauty was the Beast!