Chapter 2: Arrows
When I returned to my room, Casper was already waiting inside. He was sitting on his favorite chair, legs crossed and a book in his hand. He didn't even look at me as he continued flipping the pages.
I wiped the remaining blood with my thumb at the side of my lips and licked it before I sat across my twin.
"How was it?"
"He tastes good, but I taste better."
Casper's brow arched but he continued reading his book. I rolled my eyes. "Aren't you going to share your experience, Casper?"
"I don't have anything to share."
I huffed. "Come one, you've been visiting the human world."
He signed. He leaned his back on the wooden chair, and slightly closed his book but with his fingers between the pages and looked into my eyes. "What is your plan?"
I prodded my lips. Sumandal na rin ako at tumingala sa kisame.
"We're still facing a huge problem, Casper. Claret is still in the process of saving Zen from the curse, we are just trying to recover from the recent war, and Dastan is trying to stabilize his throne. Isn't it selfish for me to claim my mate and have my happy ending? Wala man lang ako inambag sa kahariang ito."
"You know that no one's going to think of you like that."
"Gusto kong may patunayan, Casper."
"You told him that?"
"I provoked him a little . . ."
"Hmm?"
I laughed. "I also didn't expect him to be an obedient mate, Casper. Nagawa niyang taguan ang lolo niya nang napakahabang panahon. I don't think he'd entertain the idea that he'd stay here in Sartorias with me while I prove myself as a princess. Dapat ay may patunayan din siya."
Huminga muli ng malalim si Casper. "Do whatever you want."
Ngumisi ako sa kanya. "I know."
***
I never felt Kreios's presence again after my encounter with him inside Zen's room. Claret tried to open a conversation about her brother, but I purposely avoided the topic like a wounded woman.
I noticed how curious and worried Claret was. I could even see her effort to find a way to speak with me alone, and when she finally had an opportunity, I tried to suppress my smirk when Casper rescued me as if he could read my mind.
"Harper . . ."
Nag-aalangan pang lumapit sa akin si Claret. I smiled at her. I was holding a small plate filled with cookies, grapes and cheese. Handa na sanang hawakan ni Claret ang isa kong kamay habang ang mga mata niya ay punong-puno ng pag-aalala sa akin nang biglang humarang ang mukha ni Casper sa pagitan namin.
Casper playfully tilted his head so that he could block our view.
"Ah . . ." he said in his emotionless face.
I picked a grape on my small plate and put it in his mouth. Tumuwid ng pagkakatayo si Casper at ngumuya siya sa gitna namin ni Claret. He was not meeting our eyes. He was just munching like a weird emotionless vampire.
I playfully tilted my head and smiled at Claret. "I'll go ahead."
Wala nang nagawa si Claret kundi ngumiti sa akin. "O-okay . . ."
Tumango sa kanya si Casper kay Claret bago sumunod sa akin. I offered him another grape, but this time he bent a little to reach my little fingers. "Thank you."
"Anytime."
As we left the room, Casper picked another grape. I gave the small plate to the servant at the door before we smirked with the sudden flash of our red eyes.
***
Hanggang sa magpatuloy ang paglalakbay ni Claret kasama ang itinakdang prinsipe, mga hari, at ang mga kapatid ko. Ako lang at si ina ang siyang naiwan sa kaharian.
Nasanay na rin akong laging nakatanaw mula sa hamba ng aming bintana kung saan nakikita ang mga nilalang na nasa ibaba. Casper was on his horse, and he looked back to wave at me. There's a possibility that he'd see my mate.
I told him that he could challenge Kreios, but Casper was too different compared with my other brothers. Kung sina Zen, Caleb, Finn at Evan ang sinabihan ko niyon ay hindi sila magdalawang-isip. But Casper always seemed nonchalant. Baka titigan niya lang si Kreios.
Before they could even leave the palace gates, I already turned my back. Eksaktong nasa loob na rin pala ng silid si ina.
"Mother, I didn't notice you."
Nang ibuka ni ina ang kanyang mga braso ay agad akong nagmadaling yumakap sa kanya. "They will return with Zen, Mother. We will welcome them with our loud trumpets, knights, and our flag. Mabubuo kaming muling magkakapatid."
Mother cupped my face and smiled at me, but when I felt how her hands traveled from my cheek to my neck, I knew right at that moment that my mother was aware that I already had found my mate.
"Your father is a king— the most hailed king in history, Harper. Queen Talisha's daughters should always be on top," she whispered.
"If he is not a king, Mother, then I can make him a king. He will offer me a throne because that's what a Gazellian woman deserves— power."
That was the last time that we talked about my mate before Zen came back to our kingdom, and my life revolved around his return.
***
Naging abala kami ni Lily sa pagdating ni Zen. Bilang mga maharlika, nararapat lang kaming gumawa ng isang malaking pagdiriwang upang bigyan ng balita ang emperyo sa pagbabalik ng isa sa kanilang prinsipe.
Lily and I jokingly agreed that we would just let Zen and Claret spend a week inside their room, the non-stop snowstorm was going to be an understatement that the Snow Prince had returned to the empire.
We sent letters and invitations to different empires. All the royalties and commoners were invited to celebrate with us. Maging ako ay napahanga sa ayos ng bulwagan nang sandaling nauna na kaming nagtungo roon ni Lily, pero hindi rin nagtagal ay nagkahiwa-hiwalay na rin kami ng mga kapatid ko dahil sa iba't ibang mga bampira na nais makipag-usap sa amin. Si Casper lang ang nakikita kong walang kausap dahil wala man lang magtangkang lumapit sa kanya.
There was a sudden drama between Claret, Zen and Marah Le'Vamueivos. We were all aware how Marah liked Zen since she was a kid, hindi ko lang akalain na hanggang pagdating ni Claret ay ganoon pa rin siya.
Rosh and his brother, King Tobias were not even bothered by their sister's behavior. Saglit kong tinanaw ang posisyon ni Haring Tobias, at nagulat na lang ako nang bigla siyang lumingon sa akin at ngumiti. Umirap ako.
He had been like that to everyone, even when he visited Dastan since I was a kid, he always had that bright, friendly, and calm demeanor. He always had that fake smile on everyone. I'd say that he was the warm version of Dastan— but no one could ever deceive me. It was all a façade.
I thought everything was perfect that night, not until Lily whispered to me that Leon and Desmond were here, and that meant one thing to me. I closed my eyes and felt all the presence around me— until recognized Kreios from afar.
He was not going to find me, huh?
I bit my lower lip. Hinanap ko muli sa napakaraming nilalang kung nasaan si Haring Tobias. I was glad that he was not with my brother anymore. Naroon na siya sa isang mahabang lamesa at tila pumipili ng kakainin.
"How about this, King Tobias?" I offered him a sweet cookie.
Nakasalikop ang dalawa niyang kamay sa likuran niya at ngumiti siya sa akin. "I don't eat sweets."
"Oh . . ."
"But this will do." He took another wine glass filled with red wine.
Ganoon din ako at sinimsim ko iyon sa harapan niya. "How about you flirt with me publicly, King Tobias?"
"Will I get beheaded with that offer, Princess Esmeralda?" He playfully grinned as he raised an eyebrow.
I tilted my head. "I don't think a king would get beheaded for flirting a beautiful princess."
He laughed.
I didn't wait for more of his response. I took the distance between us, and he stopped laughing. I offered my empty glass, and he accepted it with amusement. I purposely brushed my arms on him as I walked past him.
Buong akala ko ay magpapakita na si Kreios sa akin, ngunit hindi pa rin siya lumalapit. Kahit si Haring Tobias ay naroon lang sa malayo at iniisip pa kung bakit gustong makipaglaro sa kanya ng bunso ng mga Gazellian.
"If you're looking for him. He's hiding at the back. There behind the empty barrels of wine, but he seems off." Bulong sa akin ni Casper na dumaan lang saglit sa akin.
Tumango na ako sa sinabi ni Casper. Hindi na ako nag-aksaya ng oras at nagtungo na ako sa dikeksyong sinabi niya.
There he was my poor mate and his chosen fate. He was sitting on an empty barrel, smoking, there was a clinging bow and arrows on his shoulder, and there was a hanging mask hiding a side of his face.
Saglit niya lang ako tinapunan niya lang ako ng tingin bago siya tumingala at bumuga ng usok. "If you're here to prove that you're a royal blood and you want a king as your mate, bumalik ka na sa mahabang buhok na iyon, Gazellian. I am not even here for you."
"Why are you here then?"
"I am here for my sister."
"Oh?"
Muli siyang lumingon sa akin. Umismid siya nang makita niya ang kabuuan ko. "Go."
"What is wrong with you?"
He arched his brows. "What is wrong with me?"
"Yes."
He irritatingly shoved his hand in dismissal. "Go away, Princess."
"I told you to do something worthy—"
He harshly threw the cigarette on the ground. He stepped on it before he crossed our distance. He pulled my arms, and he pressed his body against mine.
"Stop bossing me around, Gazellian! You should be thankful that I am trying to be considerate of you! Dahil kapag ako ang napuno sa 'yo? I will definitely drag you away from this empire, and I can assure you that you'll forget about the crown, my love . . ."
Hindi ako nagpatinag sa kanya at higit kong sinalubong ang mga mata niya. Mabagal akong umiling sa kanya. "You're wrong, my love . . . hindi ka makakatikim hangga't wala kang korona sa ulo."
His mouth hung open, he looked unimpressed. Marahas niya akong binitawan, tinalikuran niya ako at sinuklay niya ang ilang daliri niya sa kanyang magulong buhok.
"Go."
Ngunit hindi ko siya sinunod. Napatulala na lang siya nang pinahaba ko ang aking isang kuko at humiwa ako sa aking palad. Hinayaan kong dumaloy ang aking dugo sa lupa habang marahan akong humahakbang patungo sa kanya.
Naniningkit ang mga mata niya ngunit hindi siya gumalaw nang mag-angat ang kamay kong may bahid ng aking dugo. HInayaan niyang maglandas ang dulo ng mga daliri ko sa pisngi niya dahilan kung bakit naiwan ang dugo ko sa kanya.
"Baka mainip ako, Kreios . . ."
Mabibigat ang paghinga niya habang kapwa nagniningas ang aming mga mata sa isa't isa. Ngumiti ako sa kanya gaya nang kung paano ako ngumiti sa bawat mga bampirang nakasalubong ko kanina.
Wala na sa pisngi niya ang kamay ko at hinayaan ko iyong umabot sa mga labi niya. His eyes were closed as he licked the wound on my palm.
"You're the evilest woman I've ever met, Gazellian."
I blinked innocently and tilted my head. "I am?"
Hinayaan kong ubusin niya ang dugong nasa palad ko, ngunit nang hihilahin ko na iyon mula sa kanya dumiin ang hawak niya sa palapulsuhan ko. "I'll let you play with me, Gazellian. But I am warning you, you will pay for all of this once I have built my own castle. I will give you a golden cage—"
I covered his lips with my forefinger. I smiled at him and turned my back.
"Just wait and see, Gazellian."
Hindi na ako lumingon pa sa kanya.
I thought everything that night would end just like I'd expected, but all I did remember was how Kreios threw his arrow, how Claret desperately shielded Zen's body from it, and how my brother Dastan was hit.
Kreios turned his back and ran away with Rosh, Blair, and Seth trying to catch him.
What was going on?