The Heart's Content

Chapter 106

The goblin's wicked spell worked it's terrible ways all over the kingdom. Tormenting the fairy and musician, blinding the prince and turning his heart to ice, making the mermaid his slave, and leaving the sorceress, the swineheard, and the princess feeling helpless to aid the people they loved most. With the cursed mirror in his possession, he would continue to poison others with his hatred, silencing their music and erasing their smiles, filling them with anger and bitterness. Their suffering to him was like a rich and well-aged wine for him to drink and enjoy to his heart's content.

But love is a song that never ends. Love's beautiful music is as eternal as the dawn, lasting longer than life itself. It cannot be silenced or erased. Hate may wound love for a spell but it cannot kill it. Especially when it is a love like the kind the mermaid and the prince have. The love they feel is one that is pure, unselfish, and faithful. They love their families, their friends, and each other more than their own lives and would be willing to sacrifice anything for the latter.

That is why only a song from the mermaid could reach the prince. No siren could bewitch him for her music did not come from her voice but from the love in her heart. It is also why the prince's heart had yet to shatter into flecks of ice, because his heart was so loving that it was made especially strong against the ice trying to destroy it. However the heart could only stay in one piece for so long, it needed to be thawed by love's warm touch. And for this heart, nothing expressed love more than a song from the heart.

A song from the heart beats the devil every time.

...

Rosie and Beth met with Alastor just outside the circus tent, and Rosie tried her best to explain everything to him. She tried to tell him about the shard in his eye, make him realize that he wasn't acting of his own free will and that these feelings were not his own either but it was no use. That damnable splinter of mirror made his anger and betrayal so strong that he absolutely refused to listen to reason. Luckily though, Angel came up with a back up plan to delay Alastor and Beth from leaving. He just needed to run back to his apartment and pick up a few things.

"Alastor this is not you." Rosie told him desperately. "You may find it crazy but you're under a spell and-"

"I don't want to hear it!" He ranted toward her. "And you know what, I have half a mind to call the police and have you arrested for assault and kidnapping!"

"She only knocked you out because you're acting like a total psycho!" Beth said. "And she didn't kidnap me! I went with her willingly!"

"If you're not eighteen years old and if she didn't bring you home, that's kidnapping! Now we're going home right now! First thing tomorrow morning, we're going back to New Orleans!"

"No!" Beth cried out, panicking. "No we can't leave! We have to stay and help Charlie!"

"This isn't up for discussion Beth!" Alastor insisted. "We are going back to the house tonight and going home tomorrow! Now let's go!"

"But Al-"

He took her by the hand pulled her along as he walked across the street to his parked car. At that moment, Angel returned with his pig Fat Nuggets.

"Rosie you know a good mechanic?" Angel whispered to her.

"Yes I do. Gus Porter, he lives on the other side of town." Rosie answered.

"You got his number?"

"Yes."

"Call him up and tell him to delay helping a man called Alastor for as long as he can."

"Why?"

"Oh you'll see." He chuckled as he hid a kitchen knife in his pocket.

When Alastor made it to his vehicle he found all four of his tires had been slashed.