The Princess Bride (Self-published)

24: The Sacred Jewel

Mikael looked around him. Somehow, he's doubting if what he had read from his wife's thoughts was real.

Ano 'yung sinasabi mo, Gab? Anong hiyas? Paanong ikaw ang hiyas?

Ləl-cəvahirat...hiyas, she repeated.

Instinctively, he tightened his arms around her.

Alam ni Mikael kung ano ang hiyas. Bata pa lamang s'ya ay naririnig na n'yang pinag-uusapan ng mga mas nakakatanda ang tungkol dito. Alam n'ya ring hinahanap ng buong angkan n'ya ito. At hindi n'ya maintindihan kung bakit sinasabi ni Gabrielle na s'ya ang hiyas dahil sa pagkakaalam n'ya ay mamahaling bato 'yun katulad ng diyamante at hindi ito isang tao.

Natatakot ka ba sa akin, Mikael?

Hindi...

Nag-aalala ka?

Oo.

Bakit?

Dahil hindi ko naiintindihan ang mga nangyayari, Gab. I am scared for you...

H'wag kang matakot, hangga't nasa tabi kita, ligtas ako...

He saw her smile then she reached up to touch his face. Mən də səni həyatımla qoruyacağam, Mikael...

And then she fainted.

Mikael calmly gathered his wife in his arms then carried her towards the door.

"Where are you taking her?" Viktor demanded.

"Sa kwarto namin, Kuya, kailangan n'ya pong magpahinga."

"Hindi mo s'ya pwedeng alisin dito, Mikael, marami pa kaming katanungan ni Ama."

"And she's not in a condition to answer your question, Kuya Viktor. She needs to rest—"

"Are you seriously just leaving with your wife? Hindi mo ba nakita kanina? Wala ka man lang bang mga tanong? Hindi ka man lang ba nag-aalala?"

Mikael turned around to look at his brother. "Kung nag-aalala ka, sa tingin mo, Kuya, anong klaseng pag-aalala kaya ang nararamdaman ko? Gabrielle is my wife. The only woman –Sehrli or human—whose heartbeat is the same tempo as mine."

Viktor sighed.

"Let them leave," Yegana said. "When she's awake then we can bombard her with questions. Sa ngayon, mahalagang manumbalik ang lakas ni Gabrielle."

"Tuloy na po kami..." the young prince said.

He struggled to open the door and he was actually tempted to kick it off its hinge. Thankfully, his mother came to his aid and opened the door for him.

"Salamat po, Ina..." he whispered.

"Dalhin mo si Gabrielle kay Nana Lanaya. S'ya ang pinakamagaling na manggamot dito sa Adrasteia."

"Kapag nagkamalay na po s'ya, Ina, maraming salamat po. Sige po." He turned to leave.

"May hindi ka ba sinasabi sa amin, Mikael?" It was Alecto who asked.

Mikael paused in midstride. "Tulad po ng ano?" he addressed his father.

"Mas kalmado ka kaysa inaasahan ko. It's as if you weren't at all surprised that your wife transformed into something we do not even know."

"She needs me to be calm," Mikael replied. "She needs me to be calm for her because if we were bewildered by the transformation as mere audience, I can just imagine how scared she must be. H'wag po kayong mag-alala, Ama, mabuting tao po ang asawa ko—"