Bare (Royal Society #2) COMPLETED

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

Truth Unvieled

Upon hearing the opening of the door, Dusk and I looked at it with anticipation. Then there she is, Elise looking like life was taken out of her while she walks mindlessly. 

I observed her like a hawk in the corner while Dusk went to her side. When she noticed his presence, her eyes widen... - in fear. It is very evident just by looking at it. She is terrified for some reason unknown to me. 

"E-elise." It was Dusk na mukhang nakita din ang emosyon na iyon kay Elise. 

Then her eyes transferred to me. Hindi pa ako nakakapag-react sa hindi ko malamang tingin niya ay nakalapit na agad siya. "H-how d-did you know h-him?"

My brows furrowed in confusion. Him? Who is she referring to? But I quickly found the answer by tracing back to what happened earlier. Is she referring to Sean? If yes, then I wonder why. 

How can Sean's presence ruin Elise's calm demeanor? How can a single glimpse of him make her tremble like this? How can Sean's figure from a far become the reason of Elise's crumbling facade?

I am curious... but Elise is far more curious than I am.

She wanted to know. No, she must know my connection with him. There's this desperation lying in her strained voice. 

If I tell her how I got know Sean, then she should also spill the truth on why is she acting like death is chasing her? Why is trembling in fear upon seeing him? Why is she curious about Sean but she wanted to avoid him at the same time?

"Sean..." I slowly said, causing her to stumble back. "He's my friend."

She gasped. Her trembling hands covered her mouth as tears fell from her eyes. She shook her head, refusing to accept my words. 

"N-no, that can't be," she said.

"He came here, asking for directions for his duty the day after you came. I accompanied him and led him to the Main Field. That's how we knew each other. How about you, Elise? Why are you interested in him?"

That question made her look at me once again with fear. But what is it that she fears the most? 

Her trembling hands reached up to me again. "P-please avoid him, Dawn. Please, huh? I-I'm begging you not to drag him back into the mess that he barely escaped. Please, Dawn."

"W-what?"

"That person... he's my brother, Dawn," she weakly said. "I... I am from the East, the only princess of the clan, Elizabeth Serene." And she fell right in front of my eyes.

I don't know what happened next. I just stood right there as Dusk carried her towards her room. While I am stupefied... how can our fates be messed up like this?

"Are you going to enter the competition for crowned princess?" Dusk asked as he examined the cloth and beads in front of me. I gave him a nod as an answer and finalized my sketch of the gown I'll be presenting.

He shook his head, disappointed with my response. "You're really are Mama's daughter. Masochist."

I glared at him and threw him some pillows. Nakakainis! Hindi lang ako masyadong makagalaw dahil may nakakalat ang mga gagamitin ko. 

I checked my sketch once again and searched for the things I would be using. It's not that grand dahil limited lang ang meron ako but I still want to try. 

This gown... I want it to be pretty because this will be Izaac's wife's gown. I want it to be perfect and elegant. Maybe through this... I would accept the fact that we aren't meant together. This will serve as my parting gift to him.

Elizabeth Serene, that's her name. Her name even shouts elegance. She is the girl that he loves the most and I want him to be happy... even if it means he won't be with me. Maybe this is what Mama felt upon seeing Papa living happily with the Queen. 

The pain in her heart disappeared just by seeing his smile.

Even though I wanted to be mad at him, I can't. I love him too much but loving a married man is a sin. So, maybe I could shift this emotion to anger... para hindi ko na siya mahalin pa. In that way, I won't be committing any sin and I won't be bothered by his existence anymore.

Right. Just this one. The last thing I wanted to do for him and the thing I wanted to do for myself... for the first time. This is something I wanted to do for my own good. 

So, Elizabeth Serene, be happy with him, okay?

"Dawn." I felt his hands grabbing my arms, steadying me. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head but I wasn't able to stop my tears from falling. How messed up, Arlaise Dawn. 

"Dusk... why did I let her in again?" 

"What do you mean?"

"I... I let the woman inside our home... the woman who ruined everything for me."

Dusk sighed. "Dawn, it wasn't her fault."

"No! It was her fault... Izaac loved her and... I changed because I wanted to be her. And, and, we ended because of that, Dusk!"

"Exactly! He ended your relationship because you changed. And Elise has absolutely no connection to that."

"No! You are siding her because you love her!"

"Arlaise Dawn! Would you please calm down and clear up your mind? You aren't thinking straight again!"

"It's because of her! She ruined everything..." I cried on his chest but he pushed me away.

"Just until when you'll put the blame to someone else, Dawn?! Aren't you tired of playing this little game of yours? Hindi ka na bata, in fact you already have a child! Can you please grow up and stop blaming everyone around you but yourself?"

"Arlaise Dawn, why can't you accept the fact that you lost him because you wanted him to stay? It wasn't anyone's fault for it was yours. He could've stayed if you didn't bury in the ground the Dawn he fell for. He wouldn't turn his back on you if you only didn't forget you really are. He won't -"

"E-enough... enough!"

"Right! It's my fault... it's my fault for changing myself for him. It's my fault for trying to be someone else. Everything's my fault... but... I only did that because I'm scared to lose him. I was alone and he was the only one making go on with my life."

Because I'm still a little girl, afraid to be left and abandoned. He was my savior and peace, and I became selfish trying not to let those be taken away from me. And for that, I left everything and changed, thinking that it was my only way to make him stay.

But I was wrong.

That only pushed him to end things with me. That only made his decision firm in letting me go. And that only resulted to us... being strangers.

That shit hurt. How one night can make your life turn three hundred sixty degrees? How can your love became stranger in just few words? How can everything change in just a span of minutes?

Looking back and slapping myself with awful truth, I got tired... of everything. I'm tired of pretending that I'm okay with our break up. I'm tired of convincing myself that I should be mad at him because he left me broken. I'm tired of drowning with lies...

When I know deep inside me that Izaac... is the only man for me.

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