The Wolf King and I

Chapter 18

The Wolf King and I
Chapter 18

I can't sleep.

Sa tuwing isinasara ko ang aking mga mata ay nakikita ko lang ang paghihirap na mayroon sa lalaki na nasa loob ng dungeon.

Hindi din mawala sa isipan ko ang mga anak niya na naghihintay sa kanya na makauwi sa kaharian nila.

Maybe Zhang Wei is right.

I'm a fool for feeling sympathy to the man who almost killed me.

Nang ma-realize ko na hindi na ako makakatulog sa gabing ito ay napatayo nalang ako mula sa kama. Napalingon ako sa may bintana at nakita ko na mahimbing na natutulog doon si Mei.

Nakatulugan na niya ang pag-aayos ng mga bagong damit na iniregalo sa akin ng Zhang Wei na iyon.

But whatever. Hindi kami bati ngayon.

Dahan-dahan akong naglakad palabas ng palasyo ko para hindi ako makagawa ng ingay. Alam kong pagagalitan na naman ako ni Mei sa bagay na balak kong gawin.

Kumuha ako ng lampara at naglakad ng mag-isa sa gitna ng madilim na daanan patungo sa dungeon.

Nang makarating ako doon ay binayaran ko ang lahat ng kawal na nakabantay para hayaan nila akong papasukin.

Naglakad ako patungo sa kulungan ng lalaking ini-torture ni Zhang Wei at nang makita ko siya ulit ay hindi ko mapigilang mahabag.

Pumasok ako sa kulungan at siguro ay napansin niya ang presensya ko kaya kaagad siyang nagtaas ng mukha.

Agad ko namang inilagay ang daliri ko sa hintuturo ko at nag-act na huwag siyang maingay.

Tumango naman siya.

Naglakad ako palapit sa kanya at isa-isang tinanggal ang mga taling nakabalot sa kanya. Alam kong papatayin ako ni Zhang Wei sa oras na nalaman niya ito pero bahala na.

Hindi ko kayang pumikit nalang habang may nahihirapan na tao nang dahil sa akin.

Inakay ko siya palabas at hinayaan lang kami ng mga sundalong nakabantay sa dungeon. Well, malaking pera ba naman ang ibinigay ko sa kanila.

Nalaman ko din mula sa mga sundalo na may sikretong lagusan sa dulo ng dungeon palabas sa kagubatan. Kaya naisip ko na doon siya dalhin para makatakas siya.

Habang nakaakay siya sa balikat ko ay naglakad kaming pareho sa gitna ng dilim. Hanggang sa makalabas na nga kami ng palasyo papunta sa kagubatan.

At nang makarating kami doon ay nakangiti ko siyang nilingon.

"By this way ay makakasama mo na ulit ang pamilya mo." Wika ko. "Mag-iingat ka sa daan, okay?"

Tumango naman siya at yumuko sa akin.

"Maraming salamat po, mahal na prinsesa." Sagot niya.

"Naku, wala iyon." Wika ko. "Sige, mauna na akong umalis. Bye!"

Iyon lang ang huling sinabi ko bago ako tumalikod at naglakad paalis.

But I never thought that on that cold and dark night, I will taste my first betrayal.

Naramdaman ko nalang na may pumalo ng batok ko at mula doon ay nagsimulang mandilim ang paningin ko.

At sa aking paglingon, ang nakakatakot na ngiti ng lalaking tinulungan ko ang sumalubong sa aking paningin.

"You should have listened to your beloved Emperor, Princess Chin." He said then an evil smile formed into his lips. "Now, I have no choice but to send you as a gift to my Emperor."

Those are his last words before I finally fell into sleep.

***

He decided to concede.

Buong gabi siyang hindi makatulog nang dahil sa kakaisip kung paano ba siya makikipagbati sa consort niya.

At nang mapagod na nga siya ay naisipan na niyang bisitahin ito sa palasyo nito.

He rode into his palanquin that night with all of his servants tailing him.

Nang makarating siya sa Emerald palace ay inutusan niya ang Eunuch na i-announce ang pagdating niya.

"His majesty, Emperor Zhang Wei, is requesting your audience, Princess Chin!" Eunuch Hao, announced.

Pero laking gulat nila nang biglang tumakbo palabas ang servant na babae na sa tingin niya ay Mei ang pangalan. Atsaka ito mabilis na lumuhod sa harapan niya.

"I deserve death, your majesty!" Mei cried while bowing to his feet. "Her highness, Princess Chin, secretly left the palace and she hasn't come back yet! We've already tried to look for her everywhere, but we can't still find her! Your Majesty, I deserve to die! Please punish me!"

Kaagad na nanlaki ang mga mata niya nang dahil sa sinabi nito.

"What?!" he shouted with fury. "What is the meaning of this?!"

All of the servants beside him trembled and bent down in fear.

"We deserve death, your majesty!" they all cried together. "Please punish us with death!"

Maya-maya pa ay may isang kawal na lumapit sa kanya at lumuhod sa harapan niya.

"Your majesty, I'm here to report an urgent matter!" the soldier spoke.

Mabilis naman niya itong nilingon.

"Speak!"

"Her highness, Honorable Consort Chin, was last seen escaping with the Han spy out of the palace." The soldier reported. "She helped the Han spy flee from the dungeon."

The news made him more furious.

That idiot! He thought to himself.

For the first time in his life, an indescribable fear slowly creeped inside his chest upon knowing that his consort went outside of the palace with the Han soldier.

This is slowly making him insane. But no, he has to make sure that Chin is safe.

And so he turned and screamed with rage.

"Death Order, report!" he roared.

Out of nowhere, the six black-hooded men showed themselves in front of the furious Emperor. They formed two lines and bowed down to their master.

"Yes, your majesty." They chorused.

"Execute all of the guards of the dungeon!" he ordered, and everyone flinched. They knew that upsetting the Emperor would only cause death.

But what he said next shocked them even more.

"Prepare our troops and prepare for war against Han!" the Emperor announced in the middle of that cold and dark night. "Call all of my generals and send ten thousand soldiers to march right this instant!"

"As you wish, your majesty." The Death Order chorused and then disappeared one by one, except for their leader.

Qingyuan was left in front of his furious Emperor.

"Your majesty, I'm afraid that the Princess has been kidnapped." Qingyuan reported. "It is better for you to stay behind and wait for our retrieval of the princess. The Han Emperor will definitely use her against you."

Zhang Wei's silver eyes got colder upon hearing the words of his trusted soldier.

"Qingyuan, prepare my armor." He ordered.

"But your Majesty—"

Qingyuan's words were cut off when he saw the demonic glint in his master's eyes. Cold shivers ran down his spine because this was the first time he had seen the Emperor express such emotion.

Zhang Wei smirked.

"They dare to take something precious from me." He said, and then a blood-thirsty smirk drew up into his face. "Qingyuan, I guess I've become too forgiving that they've finally forgotten who they're messing with."

To be continued...