Daughter Of Dusk And Dawn

73.

"Wait for me," Gestalt hissed behind me. Ilang hakbang din ang agwat namin. Mas binilisan ko ang paglalakad. As we turned to the left though, he was finally able to catch up. 

I could hear him panting. "Ganyan ka ba lagi kabastos?" He said in between breaths.

I opened my mouth but before I could speak my mind,  he answered his own question. "Ah... Oo nga pala. Yes, you were," he paused, "you are" he corrected. I turned to him. He flashed me a satisfied smirk. 

I just beamed at him in return. No sense to argue. 

Whether the act amused or irritated him, I did not get the chance to know. A step and we were engulfed in the shadows. Nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad. Ramdam ko ang tingin sa akin ni prinsipe Gestalt.

Diretso ang tingin. Diretso ang tingin. Diretso ang tingin.

May iilang mga Maharlika ang nakasabayan namin, nagbubulungan at naghahagikhikan. Hindi kami pinansin ng mga ito. To my relief. Sabagay, sa dilim ay hindi marahil nila namukhaan si prinsipe Gestalt. Bagama't ilang beses ko ng nakasama ang prinsipe, batid kong sa pormal na mga okasyon tulad nito, hindi mapipigilan ang mga bulungan kung sakaling may Maharlika awan ng malisya ang paglalakad namin ng sabay ng prinsipe. 

 I dared not look at prince. Instead I gazed upon the lanterns hung on the walls like stars picked from the skies. Its been a while since I last saw him. Hindi ko ikakaila, bahagya akong nakaramdam ng ilang. Gayunpaman, hindi ko hinayaan ang sarili na mabisto. I am composed. Or at leas trying to be.

The night air was chilly, I crossed my arms and rested them against my chests, as though that would be enough to keep me warm. We walked side by side, he's  too close, his shoulders almost touching mine. I cleared my throat. Silence stretched between us. 

"Siya nga pala," Gestalt murmured, cutting into the silence.

"Hmm," I murmured, not looking at him still. 

Medyo natagalan bago niya itinuloy ang kanyang sasabihin.  Finally, he spoke, "Tungkol kay Arianne at Cheena..." he began and trailed off...

Sa pangalan ni Cheena at Arianne ay kaagad akong napatingin sa kanya. May takot ang kumiliti sa dibdib ko. Anong alam niya? Hindi kaya't alam ni Gestalt ang lihim ni Arianne? Bigla kong naalala ang mga unang katagang sinabi sa akin ng prinsipe, ang kanyang babala na alam niya ang bawat pangyayari sa palasyo.

"Bakit?" I said, voice hopefully as confident as I wanted. "Anong meron sa kanila?" Thankfully, I manage to not stutter and sound oblivious. Kung may hinala ang prinsipe, hindi maaring madawit ako. At the end of the day, I had to make sure I do not get pulled in Arianne's mess.I already have too much as it is. 

Gestalt licked his lips, and then turned to face me. His green eyes looked... solemn?

Hindi ang ekspresyon ng isang taong naghihinala.

"I wanted to bring them down there," he said so softly I almost didn't hear him.

I blinked at him. 

"Believe me, sinubukan ko. But there were too many eyes back then, and with my mother and other Maharalika's present, I had to watch my every move," pagpapatuloy niya.

That's when I realized what he was talking about. Noong panahon ng pag-atake sa syuda. Noong tumakas ang mga alilang naitakdang bitayin sa sentro. Ipinakausao ko sa kanya si Arianne at Cheena.

I am at loss for words. Hindi ko inaasahan ang mga katagang iyon kay prinsipe Gestalt.

Nginitian ko lang siya. "Ayos lang," simula ko. "Nagawa mo pa rin namang siguraduhing ligtas sila. Alam kong sinigurado mo ang kaligtasan nila sa silid ko." Naipaliwanag na sa akin ni Cheena at Arianne ang nangyari, kung saan hinatid pa sila mismo ni Gestalt sa aking silid at siniguradong bantay ito ng mga kawal. It was more than enough an action you would get from a person of his rank.