LUNA: The Witching Hour

23: The Crown

Midnight wanted me to take the crown.

Wala akong nasabi hanggang sa matapos ang meeting. Wala naman na 'rin ibang napag usapan kundi ang mangyayare sa Hekate at ang pagbabantay sa Seven Deadly Sins. And throughout the meeting, I was deep in my own thoughts, thinking— contemplating, rather, the possible outcome if I were to compete and take the crown.

Seated on an oversized chair, while the others were discussing, pinag-isipan ko ng mabuti ang gusto kong mangyare.

The truth in Killian's words shot back right through me and I couldn't help but dwell on it longer than expected. The home I've had mentioned earlier was undoubtedly, in fact, the home that took away two of my light. I wouldn't even call it my home anymore. Hindi ko nga alam kung bakit lumabas sa bibig ko ang salitang 'yon. Ang alam ko lang, kahit exiled na ako sa kaharian na iyon, hindi ko parin maitatanggi sa sarili na kaharian parin namin iyon ng mga mangkukulam.

It was for us. Hekate. Our land. For us witches. Black Witches. Why would I let anyone touch our kingdom? It wasn't the kingdom's fault if the court was to blame in the first place.

Fuck the Queen. Wala akong pakialam kung namatay siya. It only ticked me off that it wasn't me who killed her. It pissed me off that I wasn't able to see the look in her eyes as she was about to be executed, the scent of fear she would be releasing as her punishment descended upon her. Sayang. It would've been nice to torture her. To kill her everyday without actually killing her. To drop her flesh in blazing fire like what she did to my son. To plunge a sword in her heart like what she did to my mom.

I would've done that to satisfy myself.

Would the crown satisfy me as well?

It wasn't just the matter of taking the crown I was having problems with, but the thought that the Emperor made a move for the lost of my baby--his nephew--- made my brain ached.

He made a move.

He lost his nephew and he made a move.

He lost his brother but didn't.

That thought alone only supported the idea that he and Sage weren't really in good terms. Just like what Midnight told me before.

Or did it supported the idea that he and the royal house of the dragons were doing something behind curtains?

"What is it now?"

Tanong saakin ni Midnight ng makaalis na ng tuluyan ang iba.

Napag desisyunan kong manatili para tanungin sakanya ang mga bagay bagay, kagaya na lang ng-- "You've calculated this, right?"

Midnight disinterestedly scratched the back of his ear, putting one's weight on his right arm and shoulder rested above the arm of his chair, "Hmm?"

"Alam mong ia-anunsiyo ng Emperor ang open throne sa Hekate" Ika ko. Matigas ang aking bosses. "You took me because of that. Because all along, you knew that if I were to be saved during that crucial moment, you will get a chance just like this. Tell me I'm wrong"

"Wrong," He said so casually my gripped on my seat started to tremble from using too much force. "You're wrong. Slight. I'll give you credits for that"