Ever After

XL. Last Mission

"This day is so important. Hindi namin maaaring palampasin ito ng iyong ina. If the danger comes, the danger comes. Bukod pa doon, kampante kami na kahit may mangyari man sa aming masama, ligtas ang Winzellia sa pangangalaga mo."

Napailing lang ako habang umiiyak. No, they can't die. They may not be my true parents but they treated me as theirs. They can't die.

I want to do something to stop them but I just can't. The guardians also warned me not to make any actions about this. Their fate is already written and no matter how I try, they'll still end up with the same path.

Nagsimula nang maglayag ang barkong sinasakyan nila. I just stared at them until they finally vanished from the horizon.

Napalingon ako kay Nickolas nang hawakan niya ang balikat ko. "This will be the last time I'll see them alive," wala sa sarili kong saad.

"What does it feels like when you already know the painful thing that will happen next?" Aniya

Napalingon ako kay Nickolas na ngayon ay nakatulala sa guhit-tagpuan. His eyes are empty reflecting the bluebell sky.

"Sometimes, it gives preparation for the upcoming suffering. But most of the time, it's just prolonging the pain."

Days passed until we received a letter saying that the ship our parents were in sunk in the middle of a raging storm.

I hugged Ariel as she cry with the clothes of our parents found underneath the ocean. While Victor is just sitting in a couch curiously looking at her sister crying. He's too young and innocent for things like this.

I'm also crying but tears won't flow because my eyes have been dry for a week of grieving for this moment. I thought that knowing it early can somehow lessen the pain but why does it stayed the same?

The king and queen's bodies weren't found and only the baggages they brought came home in Winzellia. So, the burial will be in the means of their statues.

"Isn't it ironic," sambit ko kay Nickolas. "I was asked to save ten lives, yet, I can't even save those ones close to me?"

* * *

Days passed as the whole kingdom grieve for their ruler's death, the royal ministers decided to train me for being the next ruler.

There are so many law books I need to study. Daig ko pa ang mag-aabogado. Seriously. Yeah, I like reading books but not like that.

Today, I used invinsibility potion to escape. Pumunta ako sa gubat kung saan naroon ang mga magagandang orkidia at isang mababang bangin na matatanaw ang papalubog na araw sa guhit-tagpuan.

"I knew it. The silly princess is here."

Lumingon ako sa kanya at ngumiti. He's wearing his usual golden outfit. Umupo siya sa tabi ko at pinagmasdan din ang papalubog na araw.

"How have you been?"

I leaned my head on Nickolas' shoulder before answering. "Quite fine." I closed my eyes and felt the wind swaying my hair.

Nabaling ako sa palad niyang may benda. "Hey, what happened to your palm?"

Ngumiti siya at inilagay ito sa likuran. "That's nothing. Sa paghawak lang ng espada."

Pinitik ko ang noo niya dahilan upang mapahawak siya rito. "You should be careful. You're a great warrior but that doesn't mean that you won't be hurt anymore."

Sumandal ulit ako sa balikat niya at pinagmasdan ang papakubog na araw. Ilang minutong katahimikan din ang namayani sa amin bago siya magsalita.

"Can you tell me about you?"