I breathe in the fresh air. It smelled of smoke from small boats and ships, and the sea. We are at the city port where I stood in an elegant dress. Beside me is Exene in all his royal grace. Luca is beside Exene and Davis beside me, both clad in their own uniforms. Pierce and Ares on our left side. In front of us is the King, face to face with the High Lord of Sandovia.
We watched as two royal guards held Emerich Sardon. Despite his arrogance, I could have sworn he cowered slightly when his father glanced at him. I swallowed hard when the High Lord's gaze went to my direction. I felt Exene's hand on mine, squeezing it. Telling me he is there ans that I have nothing to be scared of.
"I apologize for what my idiotic son has caused," the High lord said, his words stiff.
"The next time he steps into any parts of Oregon, he will not come out alive." There is enough bite on the King's words but the High Lord merely looked at Emerich as if thinking what punishment he should give him. Davis almost killed him, actually. But the fact that killing a High Lord's son would cause a war stopped him.
Two sentries came forward and took Emerich from the royal guards. The High Lord took one last glance at me before he bowed slightly to the King. I watched as they went to their ship.
I have never witnessed how cruel the High Lord is but I've heard stories. And I can already imagine what is waiting for Emerich Sardon inside the ship or in Sandovia.
We stayed there until the ship was far enough.
Apollo attempted to escape that day but Pierce's troops were on standby around the area that day and caught him. He is now being sent to Urathra's island where he will serve his sentence. Exene assured me that there are guards guarding there and that Apollo will never be successful should he try to escape.
And I breathed. Actually breathed that finally, everything is over.
* * *
Two days have passed since the incident. The weather is gloomy today as if it knows what I feel--what I and Laurent feels. Davis is in a safe distance, watching carefully, as Laurent started to spread Maynard's ashes in the river. Among us, Laurent spent the most time with our father. As for me, I keep thinking what if Maynard--father did not become a pirate, what if he never left, what if he stayed. But all of it is in the past now and we can't take it back. What's more important is to put my attention on what's in front of me and what tomorrow will give. I smiled slightly as I remembered Exene's words.
When Laurent was done spreading our father's ashes, we waited for several minutes before Davis handcuffed him. Despite him ending up not the enemy, he still had done crimes against Oregon and its people. Ares convinced the King to not send him to Urathras Island at least. Laurent was sentenced to four years in prison but Pierce wanted to give him a chance and wants to take him on a mission that would reduce his sentence to one year. That was enough. I remembered Laurent said with a smile on his face.
Davis and Laurent are still not on speaking terms and I understand. Everything was new to me. And I know it was new for the two of them too. I grew up knowing I was an only child but turns out, I had three siblings. It's still a lot to process.
"What are you doing out here?" I ask Davis as soon as I stepped into the rooftop. The wind is cold and I hugged my coat tighter. It's winter and it's snowing a little.
Davis looked at me and threw his cigarette on the floor before he stepped on it. He opened his hip flask and drank alcohol. "I could ask the same question to you,"
There's a lot going on in my mind that I find it hard to cope up. One of them is what's the deal between me and Exene now. Are we going to tell the King our marriage was fake? He hasn't been in the manor since the incident. He has to take care of some matters in the Palace. And it's dreading me to keep on guessing what's going to happen to us next.
"I couldn't sleep," was all I could say. I can feel his stare lingering at me before he looked at the city lights ahead. He handed me the flask. I gagged at the smell of alcohol inside it but I drank it anyway.
"I dreamt of him and I couldn't go back to sleep,"
Napatingin ako sa kanya, immediately knowing what he means. His hair swayed with the wind as he looked at the city uncharacteristically solemn.
"And as I stayed here, thinking about it, I realized I hated him so much and blamed him for everything, and now that he's gone, I don't know where to place this hatred anymore. I denied the truth and stuck with my anger and it wasn't good. It turned me blind."
We stayed silent for a few minutes, listening to the crickets, the city noise far ahead, and our breathings, with the moon as our companion.
"Don't blame yourself. You're human of course it's normal to feel like that," I faced him. "It's better to feel something even if it's hatred rather than feeling not at all," I touched his shoulder.
"He wasn't the perfect father but he was our father. It's hard but you have to learn to forgive."
He sighed and placed his hand on my hand on his shoulder. I don't know if that somehow comforted him or not but one thing's for sure,
"I'll be here, always, Davis."
I heard him give a small laugh. "I am always here. Even that time you didn't know I am your brother,"
"When did you realize I am your sister?"
He looked at me. "That time when I stopped calling you Lily of the West,"
I nodded. "How did you know?"
"I was hunting Apollo--Maynard and Laurent was the one who told me. But I didn't know Maynard stopped being a pirate at that time. I didn't know he is being held as a puppet by the pirates. I debated whether to tell you or not but I decided not to. Knowing how stubborn you are, you might storm into the Pirate's lair if you knew the truth." He shrugged when I gave him a look.
We laughed and talked about everything all night while drinking on the small flask. It was actually nice. And I realized, the things he had said back then, the warnings, the protectiveness, it was all because all along, he knew I am his sister. So I listened to him talk all night until I couldn't open my eyes anymore because of the alcohol.
* * *
I groaned and opened my eyes the next morning when I woke up. My head was spinning and it felt like it was about to break. I was about to get up when an arm stopped me. I slowly turned to the side and almost screamed when I saw a naked back of a man. Nakadapa ito sa kama with his arm draped on my stomach. He must have felt me move dahil gumalaw din siya and twisted his head to my direction. My hands flew to my mouth and held my breath. My heart raced faster as he slowly opened his eyes and smiled. He groaned and using his arm, pulled me closer.
"What are you doing looking all shock like that?" he said in his bedroom voice and closed his eyes again.
"What...Why...why are you here?" I said, stammering, still covering my mouth. He opened one of his eyes.
"Because this is my house?"
"I mean what are you doing in my room?" I hissed. I gulped when I saw his sculpted naked back.
He only chuckled. "Look again, baby."
I roamed my eyes around and I almost muttered a series of curses when I found out I wasn't in my room.
"This is your room," I said. Utterly in disbelief. How in the world did I get in here? And then I remembered I was drinking with Davis last night and he was the one who helped me get to my room. Did he put me here on purpose? And that explains the headache I have right now.
"Yeah. But looking at you here, in my bed makes me want to keep you here forever." Hinampas ko siya sa braso and he groaned in pain.
"Oh my god, I'm sorry," I said as I looked at his bandaged arm where he had his wound. He only chuckled and I hitched my breath nang isiksik niya ang mukha niya sa aking leeg. I could feel his warm breath, calm and relaxed, while I am almost dying from holding my breath.
"Exene,"
"Yes, baby?" I closed my eyes as I felt him breathing in my neck.
"I..erm..I need to get up,"
"Five more minutes," He groaned and hugged me tighter.
"But---" Kumawala siya sa aking leeg and rested his head on his other hand. I gulped as I caught a glimpse of his sculpted chest. My eyes went to his heartbreakingly handsome face. If this is my view every morning, I won't get tired of waking up every day.
"But what?" He asked as he tucked a strand of my hair using his injured hand.
"Well, I...I need to clean your wound," It sounded like a very good excuse.
"I already did,"
"What--"
"What other excuse do you have? Don't you want to stay like this even for just five minutes?" he grinned and I held my breath once again as he inched closer.
"Let's stay like this for a while, Lily." He said as his eyes went to my lips. My heart thundered.
"I..." I rasped but I couldn't even form words as I look at his lips getting closer.
"Hm?" He purred. "You were saying something?"
I shook my head and bit my lip. He took that as an invitation and claimed my lips. His injured hand moved to caress my arm. I gasped. I felt his fingers playing the strap of my top and he dragged it down slowly. I let out a shaky breath as his kisses traveled to my jaw and down to my neck. He kissed the base of my neck, then to my throat, and then down and down.
I gasped when I felt his lips on the valley of my breasts. I didn't even notice he's already taken both the straps down. His hand now on my waist, caressing me against the blanket as his lips continued to give small kisses on top of my breast. I felt my cheeks getting hot as his hand traveled from my waist and up. I held my breath and he noticed it too. He stopped and went back to my lips, giving it another kiss.
"I should stop now," he said while kissing me. When he broke the kiss, he was breathing hard. Inayos niya ang strap ng damit ko and kissed my forehead. He also took the blanket and covered it over my body.
"Let's get married for real, Liliana. Let's tell father,"
I gulped. Trying to process what I just heard. This is what I've been thinking--guessing these past few days.
I smiled at him as I touched his face. "Shall we?" Strange enough, the thought of telling the king about the fake marriage didn't even scare me.
His eyes lit up. "Pumapayag ka?"
I shrugged. "Why not?" I played with his hair. I stared at his eyes as I traced the bridge of his nose with my finger. "The man I love is proposing marriage. Who am I to say no?"
And the look on his face was priceless. He's grinning so widely.
He pressed his lips on mine. It was a quick kiss. "I love you. God, you have no idea how most of the time you knock the air out of my system,"
"I thought I remember you saying I wasn't your type," I grinned. He rolled his eyes.
"Of course that was a lie,"
"You are such a liar, Your Grace,"
He chuckled and pulled me for a kiss again. He was about to break it when I wrapped my arms to his neck and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss.
And he gladly obliged.
* * *
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