Chapter 8: Surrender
"Welcome to Mudelior, My Queen."
I thought he'd quickly distance himself after those words, but he was still there, with his arms on my sides, and his eyes expecting a reply.
My brows arched. I tilted my head and smirked at him. "Aren't we trying to play the role of a broken-hearted king and a possessed queen? You're out of the script, Your Majesty."
He chuckled. He gently caressed the back of his hand on my cheek.
"You're so . . . beautiful," he whispered in his raspy voice.
Unti-unting nawala ang ngisi sa mga labi ko at ang tanging namayani lang ng mga oras na iyon ay ang titig namin sa isa't isa.
When I was outside that arena, as the wind blew, everything felt so cold— a night that I'd always expect in Mudelior. But right now, I could clearly sense everything, I felt as if I was burning, like a fire was hiding beneath the golden cage. I could hear the metallic marching of the knights and the cracking sounds of the burning torches. There were droplets of water from the dampened rocks falling on the ground. The shadows continued to flicker, weaving around different dances in the darkness of this narrow tunnel, and the way the torchlights were kissing his cheeks.
It was like everything slowed down with his warm body above me and his chest heaving— as if every breath he took was restrained.
King Kreios Sageton Doyle looked so ethereal with this mellowed expression.
I could hear the small movement of my hands against my golden chain.
He wasn't masked, not even smirking nor even challenging me. It was a kind of gaze that would make my heart tighten— leaving me breathless.
He didn't wait for my reply, instead, he gently touched his forehead with mine. My eyes were still open but his was closed. "I am sorry if I wasn't there for you . . ."
With those words, everything that had happened recently, from Atlas and Veda's appearance, the fight in the castle between Finn and Dastan, how Kalla transformed into a bird, portals suddenly appeared, and how we found Zen, the other princes from the prophecy and Claret in that tight situation, how Lily and I kneeled and begged to stop Dastan with his sword, and how Zen hugged Finn's body as the ice crawled around his body.
The golden chains around my wrist shattered, and Kreios allowed me to hug him. Kusa nang tumulo ang mga luha ko at hinayaan ko ang sarili kong humagulgol habang yakap siya. "W-wala man lang akong nagawa . . ."
Ramdam ko ang mas lalong pagbilis ng pagtakbo ng mga kawal nang marinig nilang umiyak na bigla ang kanilang reyna. "I am so hopeless. I didn't even help them, Kreios . . ."
"Hush now, love . . ." malambing na sabi niya.
Mas hinigpitan ko ang yakap sa kanya.
Parang hindi man lang kami nagpatayan kanina ni Kreios dahil inalalayan niya pa akong umupo at pinupunasan na niya ang mga luha ko.
Muli siyang lumingon sa unahan. "Hindi pa ba mapabibilis iyan?"
"Masusunod, Mahal na Hari!"
Marahas kong pinunasan ang mga luha ko at matalim kong tinitigan si Kreios. "Now what? Sa tingin mo ba ay tama na ikulong mo ako rito? My family needs me."
Kreios rolled his eyes. Sumandal na siyang muli sa kulungan niya. "I need you."
Hindi na ako nakasagot sa sinabi niya at sumandal na rin ako sa kulungan ko. Kasalukuyan na kaming magkaharapan habang nakatitig sa isa't isa.
