II. Crown Prince

The loud thud from somewhere woke me up. I'm dreaming about what happened that night again, and whenever I wake up from those dreams, I always feel empty inside.

Kung nakinig lang sana 'ko kay mama noon, buhay pa kaya sana siya ngayon?

Nicholo...my dreams always stop the moment I hear my mother's cries, but this time, it lasted until my best friend Niko showed up to save us from getting caught. Is there a connection to that, of why he's late today?

My thoughts were disrupted when I heard the familiar sound of clashing armors.

"Lola?" Hinanap ko agad si lola pagbangon ko.

Nakatayo siya sa harap ng mga naglalakihang katawan ng mga kabalyero. Her frail body looks so small that they can easily end her life in just a snap of their finger. I quickly stood up in front of her and placed her behind my back.

"Anong...anong meron? Bakit? Anong ginagawa niyo rito?" Tanong ko sa kanila, sinusubukan ayusin ang pagbigkas sa takot.

A man who's in the middle grinned sarcastically at the sight of me. "Tinatapangan mo ba kami? Wala kang respeto ah. Kailangan mo atang turuan."

Unti-unti niyang nilapit ang katawan niya sa'kin. My beast inside me growled, waiting for my permission to attack him. I tried to control and calm it down but when the man raised his hand to touch me, my eyes started to darken.

"Derek." A low voice rings in my ears. A familiar yet strange scent attacked my senses. My clouded eyes start to clear. My beast who seemed furious earlier bowed in anxiety.

My heart starts to beat fast out of fear and nervousness because of his intimidating power. Funny how I feel all these kinds of things that my grandma described when you found your mate just because of fear.

"Prince Castellan." The knights bowed down their heads as they cleared a path for the owner of the voice.

That's why I'm being like this, that explains why my heart is beating loud. The crown prince is here. My grandmother and I paid our respect as well despite how I feel about him.

"Greetings to his highness, Prince Gideon Castellan of Missarati." I bowed my head.

He stops right in front of me. All I can see is his well-cleaned high-class shoes facing against my dirty barefoot. I feel pitiful.

"Kayo lang ba ang narito?" Bungad niyang tanong matapos ang pagbati.

Hindi ako nakasagot agad dahil sa nawawalang kaibigan, may koneksyon ba ang pagpunta nila rito sa pagkawala ni Niko?

"Sagot." Pag-uutos ng kabalyerong lumapit sa akin kanina.

"Let me rephrase the question. Are you two related to Nicholas Lewis?" At the sudden mention of my best friend's name, I know for sure they already caught him but my mind and my emotions still can't process everything that's going inside my head. Or rather, I can't accept it.

How?

When I still didn't answer, the crown prince continued. "You know what kind of situation you're in, right? Answer me."

"Y-Yes, your highness." Lola Helene answered in my stead.

"Yes, you two are related to Nicholas Lewis?" Panigurado niyang tanong.

"No, your highness." Iling ni Lola sa likod ko.

"How about you?" His question is directed at me. I feel like my heart can already rip off my chest because of its hard beating.

Sinubukan kong buksan ang bibig ko para sumagot ngunit masyadong masikip ang dibdib ko para kumuha at maglabas pa ng hangin galing sa kaloob-looban ko. I felt my grandmother's hold on my arm hardened.

I inhaled and exhaled my shaking breath deeply before answering, "No, your highness."

"Sigurado ka?" Ulit na tanong ng kabalyero. "Paano kung nagsisinungaling lang 'tong mga halimaw na 'to, Prinsipe? Baka kasabwat sila ng nakuha natin kanina dahil anong dahilan niya at bakit sinuko niya ang sarili niya sa'tin? Hindi na ko magugulat kung may pinoprotektahan 'yon dito."

Sinuko...sinuko ni Niko ang sarili niya. Bakit? Anong nangyari? Hindi ko maintindihan. Kung ginawa niya 'yon para protektahan kami hindi ba dapat mas mabuting desisyon ang hindi sabihin sa kanila? Dahil masasama't masasama kami kung aamin siya. Maliban na lang kung may nakahuli sa kanya sa pangangaso...pero hindi naman siya nagpapalit ng anyo.

"Tapos ka na magsalita?"

The knight cleared his throat awkwardly at the crown prince's response.

"They said they are not related to Nicholas Lewis, so spare your whines. And you two should move to the capital since this place will be dangerous for you to live in."

"P-pero dito kami kumukuha nang pangkain namin sa araw-araw. Hindi namin kakayanin sa kabisera." Pagrarason ni Lola.

She's right though. We don't have any money and food for this week and now we're forced to leave for the capital.

"Marunong naman siguro kayong magtrabaho?" The knight mocked us.

Kanina niya pa kami pinag-iinitan.

"The palace will be hiring a new batch of maids this week, I hope to see you there. For now, pack your things and get ready to leave."

"Ngayon?" Sa gulat ay nataas ko ang ulo kong kanina pa nangangalay kakayuko.

Our eyes met.

I felt a strike deep inside me and after that, I suddenly felt unsettled. Hindi ako mapalagay, na para bang gustong kumawala ng lobo sa katawan ko. It probably wants to attack him but why do I feel like it's not? This is so frustrating.

His dark eyes showed no emotion, like everything it sees block its way to his senses. Kaya naman ang naramdaman ko ngayon-ngayon lang ay naging saglit lamang.

"Aba, tinaas mo pa talaga-" The knight was cut off.

"I said now, didn't I?" He stared back at me like he's checking every corner of my inside.

And so I took my time to check him too.

He looks masculine which matches his rough appearance. He's so tall I can compare him to those giant trees I see every day. His lips are red and thin which makes him look mad. He fitted the stature of our late alpha.

Staring at him like this makes my heart scream, shouting it's beating in my mind that thinks he's a complete danger to us.

Nang umalis sila loob ng bahay namin, doon lang nawala ang sikip at nakahinga na rin kami nang maluwag-luwag ni Lola.

Gusto kong umiyak at yakapin nang mahigpit ang lola ko habang nagtatanong kung ano na ba ang dapat naming gawin pero hindi naman pwedeng maging mahina pa ko sa sitwasyong 'to ngayong ako na lang ang masasandalan ng mahinang kalagayan ng lola ko.

Speaking of which, kita ko na agad ang pamumula ng kanyang mga mata.

"Lola, baka sa kabisera lang nila tinatago si Niko. Mabuti na rin siguro ang paglipat natin para mahanap natin siya agad." Sabi ko na lang para mawala na ang panginginig niya sa takot.

"Magtatrabaho ka ba talaga sa palasyo?" Diretsong tanong niya, pinagsasawalang bahala ang sinabi ko.

"Kailangan." I remembered my mother's words just before I threw my tantrums at the worst situation of our life.

"Tapos ano, magpapahuli ka rin? Feri naman, hilig niyo ba talaga kong iwanan?" Hagulgol ni lola. "Pwede ka naman makahanap ng ibang trabaho sa kabisera! Huwag lang sa palasyo." Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko na tila ba hinihimok niya ko.

I can see the desperation in her eyes, the same eyes my mother gave me that night. When we're being hunted down by the emperor, the palace is the worst place to live but I will have no choice kung hindi ako makakahanap ng mapagkukuhanan namin ng panustos.

"Susubukan kong...humanap ng ibang trabaho." I smiled reassuringly at her.

That should be enough to calm her nerves at the moment.

Habang pinag-uusapan namin ang paglipat ay nakaligpit na kami ng aming mga damit. Matapos ang munting pag-uusap, tahimik naming hinakot ang mga iba't ibang gamit.

Wala kaming marami at malaking bag na paglalagyanan ng mga iyon kaya kinuha ko na lamang ang kumot at nilatag iyon sa sahig. Doon ko pinagsama-samang nilagay ang mga gamit na nasa maliit naming bahay. Matapos mapuno ang kumot, kinuha ko ang magkabilaang dulo nito atsaka tinali nang mahigpit. Sinisigurong walang magiging butas.

Nilingon ko ang lola ko at nakitang tapos na rin siya sa ginagawa kaya naman kinuha ko na ang mga bitbitin at lumabas kasama si lola.

Malakas ang nalilikhang tunog ng mga gamit galing sa kumot kaya naman ang mga kabalyero ay napatingin agad sa amin, kasama na rin doon ang prinsipe.

He seems irritated while staring at the blanket I'm holding so I tried my best to hold it carefully, not making any loud noise.

Nagulat ako nang maramdaman ko na lang ang biglaan niyang paglapit. Akala ko ay pagbubuhatan na niya ko ng kamay niya sa ingay ng gamit namin pero hinablot niya lamang ito sa akin at naglakad na patungo sa karwahe.

He was so close for a second na akala ko mahihimatay ako sa nakakahilo niyang amoy, hindi siya mabaho. Sadyang nakakahilo lang ang pabango niya, pero mabango siya.

Having keen senses can sometimes be terrible.

"Tulungan niyo ang matanda." Utos niya sa ibang mga kabalyerong pinapanood ang pagbubuhat namin.

I can't help myself thinking that the crown prince really is somewhat familiar.