The Princess Bride (Self-published)

4: The Rejected Bond

She was oddly calmly and he was unbelievably nervous.

"I need you to trust me..." he said.

She nodded. "I trust you."

"Okay, that's good to hear. You're okay, right?"

"Kanina, oo, pero, ngayon kinakabahan ulit ako dahil halatang sobra kang kinakabahan," Gabrielle confided. "Nawala na 'yung kaba ko kanina dahil d'un sa ipinaamoy sa akin, bumalik na naman tuloy."

"Ipinaamoy sa'yo, ano 'yun?"

"'Yung ecza."

"Ahh..."

He inhaled deeply before he moved his face close to hers. "Okay, let's do this."

They stared at each other until she smiled. "Hindi mo alam kung anong gagawin mo, ano?"

He groaned. "Stop telling me that. Lalo akong ninenerbiyos."

"Wala namang problema kung hindi mo alam. Mas maigi nga 'yung sinasabi mo para naman matulungan kita."

"Bakit, marunong ka ba?"

"Sabihin mo sa akin kung paano. Sabi ng mga tutors ko, mabilis daw akong matuto."

Mikael couldn't help but laugh.

"Anong nakakatawa?" the young woman asked.

"I just find the whole thing funny."

"Ahh..."

He smiled at her. "Don't worry, I will take care of you."

"And I will take care of you, too," she replied.

"Thank you..." he said.

"You know what, you're a good person."

"Paano mo naman nasabi?"

"Kasi nararamdaman ko. Sana kahit tapos na ang ritwal ay magkita pa rin tayo, ano?"

His brow slightly rose. "Magkikita pa rin tayo? Bakit, aalis ka ba pagkatapos nito?"

"'Yun lang kasi ang kailangan, 'di ba, 'yung ritwal lang. Pagkatapos ay pwede na akong umuwi."

"You do realize that you're my wife, right?"

"I do. At alam ko rin na ipinakasal lang tayong dalawa because it benefits both our families. Isa akong saserdote at sa loob ng templo ang lugar ko. Ipinanganak ako para magsilbi."

"You and I have have different views on marriage. That's rather foretelling."

"Gugustuhin mo bang makasama ako? I am a stranger to you as you are to me. Mahirap magsama ang dalawang nilalang na hindi naman magkakilala."

"Nilalang?"

"Alam kong hindi ka tao. Alam ko rin na baka hindi 'yan ang totoo mong anyo. Pero, alam kong mabuti ang puso mo dahil hindi papayag ang Lolo na ipakasal ako sa may masamang hangarin prinsipe man s'ya o hindi."

"Gabrielle, you do not seem to understand what this ritual is. We call it Meraesimi – a blood bond. Kapag ginawa natin 'yun hindi ka na makakauwi at mananatili ka sa tabi ko."

"Bakit hindi na ako makakauwi?"

"Dahil hindi mo na gugustuhing umuwi," he simply said.

She frowned at him. "Bakit naman hindi ko gugustuhing umuwi?"

"Kasi hindi mo kakayaning iwan ako."

"That's rather...conceited."

"It's the truth. Ang Meraesimi ay ginagawa ng mga Kutlesmaek o mag-asawang Sehrli at tao. It's a blood-bind. It's a ritual that we don't take lightly because you could die from it. Kaya naman sa seremonya pa lang ay sinisiguro na kung tinatanggap ba ng kabiyak na tao ang dugo ng Sehrli na pakakasalan n'ya."