Chapter Text
Chaos erupted with various degrees of emotions.
For a moment Camilo forgot how to breathe. His inner sadness found an armor of anger to hide under as he glared that the man who wasn’t simply his Mirabel’s boyfriend but her husband!
How was that even possible? Why on earth would his uncle agree to something like that? Mirabel was under his charge while they were away! Even if he had the authority to do something like that, and even if Camilo hated the very idea of Mirabel marrying anyone other than him, why were they denied the chance to have been there for such an important moment in Mirabel’s life?
He wasn’t the only one with those thoughts. His aunt Julieta was demanding that Agustín explain himself immediately.
His uncle raised his hands defensively before looking around the crowd that surrounded them. His gaze returned to aunt Julieta and he told her, “Why don’t we go and have a chat?”
His aunt nodded firmly, with a look more commonly on his own mother’s face that said ‘ damn right we will’.
As they made their way towards somewhere more private, everyone else took a step to come along. His uncle stopped mid-step as he noticed everyone wanting to come along. Well, everyone but Mirabel and her husband.
“I understand you’ll all wish to know, and you will. But for now…I’ll have a talk with Abuela and Julieta, por favor.”
There were faces of displeasure all around from everyone else. Even his aunt Julieta seemed to want to have a conversation with her husband alone. Camilo didn’t blame her. He personally wanted her to smack him around a bit to knock some sense into him! Abuela ordered the rest of them to start to prepare dinner while they discussed everything.
“Dolores?” His uncle called out.
“Hm?” She squeaked in reply.
“You might as well come too. That way you won’t be badgered by everyone else,” Agustín said and Camilo saw the relief on his sister’s face.
Miércoles! He, and possibly some of the others, planned to have Dolores echo every word that was said to them the moment it was spoken.
They began to make their way once more before his uncle stopped yet again. He looked over to Mirabel and her husband, before looking over to Bruno and Félix. Then his uncle spared him a quick glance before returning his gaze to Bruno. Gesturing to Mirabel and the newcomer, he told Bruno, “Keep an eye on them.”
“What?” Bruno asked, shocked to be given such a task.
“As a chaperone.” Agustín clarified.
Bruno, along with plenty of others, looked back at Agustín with a look of confusion. It was Bruno that asked, “A chaperone? But…aren’t they...ya know …already married? Isn’t it kind of irrelevant?”
Camilo glared at his uncle for suggesting that. Of course, they needed to be chaperoned! Mirabel shouldn’t be left alone with a stranger!
“It’s complicated. And it’ll be explained later. But for now…” Agustín trailed off, knowing if he spoke much more he might as well discuss the whole thing, but he’s sure his wife and mother-in-law would need to hear about their adventure first.
“It’s okay, señor. We’ll remain within the company of the family,” The newcomer told Agustín with a gentle smile that Camilo wanted to just punch away.
“Si, papá. It’ll be nice to catch up and hear what everyone’s been up to,” Mirabel added.
Agustín nodded before he turned to the rest of the family and told them, “Respect the things she can tell you. And wait until later for information.”
Camilo wanted to scoff and say that his uncle couldn’t order him around like that. Technically, out of respect and age hierarchy, he might have. But in reality, his parents and grandmother were usually the ones to give him orders like that. The tone and seriousness in his uncle's voice, however, wasn’t like what it usually had been. It was far stricter and Camilo knew he’d be badly punished if he went against his wishes.
Truth be told, he didn’t want to know about their story. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real!
“Come along, Camilo,” his father told him as he grabbed him by the arm and began to pull him along.
Camilo was a bit shocked by the sudden move, he planted his feet and tugged his arm free. He gestured towards the couple when his father gave him a warning look, “What about them?”
“Your Abuela told us to begin working on dinner. And your uncle chose Bruno to chaperone,” Félix explained.
Camilo wanted to fume. Because he’s held back already for so long, he did, even if it was in harsh whispers. “Tío Agustín takes Mirabel away from us for months! They return with a stranger! One that he apparently married Mirabel off to? And we’re just going to accept him? Not question him or them or take them to the church to have this whole joke absolved?”
“Mijo!” Félix exclaimed.
If the others hadn’t heard Camilo’s previous hissing whispers, they looked over at that. Félix placed a forced smile on his face as he grabbed his son by the shoulders and led him away.
Once they had some distance between them and the remaining crowd, Félix looked at his son. Really looked. Since Mirabel left, Camilo has been acting differently. It’s subtle but after all that’s been revealed about the true feelings of various family members, he’s tried to pay more attention to his kids.
Félix also wasn’t blind to the look Agustín gave him. His brother-in-law has been his closest friend since they married into the Madrigal family. As happy and carefree as they aspired to be in their day-to-day, they’ve lived through all scopes of experiences. As the two outcasts who didn’t have powers, they would often hang out with some wine or beer after chores were done and kids were in bed.
Bruno’s ‘banishment’ had been a mistake, they knew that now. But it didn’t erase that for about a decade now, Bruno was a stranger. Yet, with a look Agustín also gave Camilo, Agustín wanted Bruno to be the one who chaperones his daughter. Félix wasn't sure what to read about that yet.
“Things are changing. This might be a family matter…but perhaps, in this instance, not our family.” Félix said.
Camilo frowned, “That doesn’t make sense.”
“We are a grand family. But within that grand family as a whole, are two units. Your mamá, your sister, brother, you, and myself. And then there’s your Tío Agustín, tía Julieta, and their daughters. For so very long we ignored the tree in favor of the forest, mijo. And that wasn’t healthy. Things are changing. The way we do things.”
Camilo was quiet for a long time. Félix could still see the gears in his mind turning rapidly, could see the emotions clear in his face. As well-practiced as their ‘happy’ faces were, they didn’t have too much practice hiding their more serious emotions. For Camilo, it was the eyes. Whenever he got angry he would change his eyes to match those of his mothers when she herself was in a rage and literally thundering! His eyes were a deep stormy gray with a furrowed brow that matched the grimace of his face.
“He married her off…” Camilo hissed under his breath.
“There is a story there. And when it’s time, we will know it. For now, come with me. We’ll go and chop some firewood. That might help you with your frustrations.”
Even though her mother and niece were present, Julieta turned her attention to her husband as she crossed her arms over her chest and demanded, “How could you let her get married?”
“It was a difficult choice, but at the moment, a needed one,” Agustín said in defense.
“Needed?” Julieta echoed with anger in her voice. “The point of your vacation was for her to heal! She’s not even sixteen yet, and you’re returned with her married, Agustín! Not only away from all of us, on what should be a special day for us all, but to someone we never met! A stranger from far away!”
“It wasn’t far enough…” Agustín muttered somewhat darkly.
Even though Alma wanted Julieta to keep going, rightfully so, she felt that was the long way around to getting the information they needed. Seeing the steely look on her son-in-law’s face made her worry, more so with his words. “Agustín, what exactly happened?”
“We traveled. At first, it seemed oceans away from here…until it didn’t,” Agustín began. He looked from his wife to his mother-in-law and sighed deeply. “The Encanto is considered a myth to many. To most, in fact. But not all. They, however, do not benefit from it…and consider it brujería. Our home is considered legend. And to some…we are a threat.”
The women in front of him gasp in response. He had their full attention, but now there was a desperation to knowing what had happened while on their trip.
“Within a crowd, it’s easy to blend in. I kept Mirabel close all of the time when things felt off. But there are those with keen eyes who seek out what they do not understand. For what reason? I didn’t want to find out. Sadly…a few months into our trip, someone noticed how we were not of any known town. Our accents are slightly different, if not the use of dialect.” Agustín paused for a moment. He didn’t want to scare any of them, but he knew how important it was that they knew.
“What happened?” Julieta demanded quietly.
“We were grabbed,” Agustín said. There was another round of gasps, this time the worry was replaced with terror. Agustín pulled his wife into an embrace to reassure her, “It wasn’t long. At least for Mirabel. I fought tooth and nail to set her free.”
“What about you?” Julieta questioned.
“...it’s irrelevant, mi amor.”
“But-”
“Just imprisoned for a few days.”
“Imprisoned?” Julieta cried.
“Where was Mirabel in all of this?” Dolores asked as she held onto Abuela's arm. Not sure who was supporting who more.
“She was found by Juliano. He kept her safe and got me out of prison as soon as he was able,” Agustín replied.
“I’m assuming Juliano is the young man she’s married to?” Abuela Alma asked.
Agustín nodded, “He is, was, a Viscount. It’s blurry and complicated. In short, the men who fear the Encanto and still believe it to be true, as well as a threat, are growing in power. Mostly with the help of the church. They do not see it as a blessing of God, but as brujería. Juliano could do something about it but needed to fulfill some requirements first. Feeling familial pressure of his own birthright. He was set to marry someone he didn’t even tolerate because…well, that is just the way things are for those sorts of families. But he is not interested. He loved his people. He loved walking among them and helping truly where he could. To not just be a figurehead who sat by idly enjoying riches while his people suffered. When we first arrived, Mirabel was still Mirabel. Helped those around as she could, and he witnessed it. It was rash, yes…but with his impending marriage, as well as whispers about this group expanding to come and find us…we acted. We had to protect our family.”
“Through marriage,” Abuela Alma stated.
“Once he was married was when he would be given the power to force this group to disband.” Agustín summarized. Later he would explain better how it worked and why marriage was needed.
“Is that enough?” Dolores asked quietly.
“Probably not. Which is why Juliano had them exiled from Colombia completely. It was a marriage of necessity. A marriage in name only. One that is unconsummated. We came here as soon as possible.”
“So. What’s your name?” Isabella demanded, giving the man, her brother-in-law, an unimpressed icy stare.
“Juliano Alfredo Pankratz…Madrigal, I suppose. Since it seems the tradition here is to take the wife’s name,” Juliano said with a sheepish smile.
“Does that bother you?” Luisa asked, less icy than Isabella, but more with a fiery aura of protectiveness.
“No! In fact, it’s rather a blessing. I’d much rather be a Madrigal than a Pankratz.” Juliano replied. He looked out towards the path that led to the town, then back to the house. “This whole place was rebuilt by the townspeople?”
“Yes. In return for our family taking care of them through the years,” Mirabel told him. She then looked at her sisters and told them, “Juliano’s going to fit in perfectly. When mamá and papá come back and we can explain, you’ll see. He just wants to be part of a family that cares for its people.”
“Es verdad,” Juliano added.
“Do you truly like this man?” Bruno asked her. Quickly following up with, “And trust him?”
“Papá and I wouldn’t have brought him back if I didn’t. But if you need to hear me, yes…I like him. And I do trust him.” Mirabel told them.
“Then that’s good enough for me!” Bruno exclaimed as he extended his hand to shake Julanio’s hand.
Juliano shook his hand and felt some relief to be liked by at least one member of their family. Given the reaction of everyone else. Though by the suspicious looks he still got from Mirabel’s sisters, they weren’t completely sold on him yet.
“But let me be clear,” Bruno said, still holding onto Juliano’s hand, his shake becoming firmer. Almost painfully so. “I trust you because I trust Mirabel. But these are strange circumstances…any wrong move and I will foresee the worst fate in store for you.”
“Tío Bruno!” Mirabel cried.
“What? I’m allowed to be protective aren’t I?” Bruno asked, finally letting go of Juliano’s hand.
“He was left as chaperone, Mirabel. It’s kind of his job,” Luisa said.
“And he’s being far too kind in his threats,” Isabella added.
Mirabel groaned as she hid her face in her hands. She looked over to Juliano, “I’m sorry.”
Juliano just smiled at her, “Don’t worry. They love you. They’re protective. Just as it should be.”