Daughter Of Dusk And Dawn

75

Napatayo si Keiv sa naging anunsyo ng hari. The guests, mouths agape with surprise, slowly started to clap with the announcement. Pansin ang pagkahati ng mga bisita sa naging anunsyo ng hari. Ang iba ay nagustuhan ang balita, at mayroon ding mga iba na hindi gusto ang mga narinig sa hari. Gayunpaman, pilit na nakisali ang mga ito sa palakpakan.

Napatingin ako sa prinsesa na nasa kanan ng hari. Tulad ni Keiv, napatayo rin ang dalaga sa naging anunsyo ng haring Titus Briar. The way the princess eyes' went wide was enough to conclude she, like Keiv, have just heard of this as well.

I spared lord Areling a glance as well. He pursed his lips together in a thin line, although other than that there's no way to tell whether he was impressed by the king's decision or not.

Cheers and applause echoed in the halls a second later. 

I didn't have the words, to be honest. 

Tumayo si prinsipe Gestalt mula sa kanyang upuan at nilapitan ang kanyang ama. Nagbulungan ang dalawa. Pansin na hindi sang-ayon ang batang prinsipe sa inanunsyo ng kanyang amang hari. Isang nanlilisik lang na tingin ang iginawad ng hari sa prinsipe. 

On the other hand, the princess stared at his father with disbelief, looking betrayed. Tulad ni Gestalt, lumapit din ang prinsesa sa kanyang ama. Nagbulungan ang dalawa. Kung ano man ang sinabi ng hari sa prinsesa, sapat ito upang bawiin niya ang sarili. Princess Yvana pulled herself together, sighed and faced the crowd then flashed a smile. And just like that she was composed again. 

Keiv just stood there, aghast. Not even blinking. Nagpatuloy ang hari sa pagpapaliwanag. Tama naman ang hari, sa mga kaganapan nitong nakaraan, isang kalkulado at epektibong plano ang pagpapakasal ng prinsesa. Gayunpaman, hindi ko inaasahan na sa mismong sarili niyang korte siya pipili. The king would need allies, and if the princess were to wed to other kingdoms, it would have been a more fruitful decision. 

Yet, the king chose the Areling's. Hindi naman masamang desisyon. Of course, the Areling's were one of the wealthiest and most influential houses on the continent. A union with these two houses would still mean a great thing for both houses, and to the crown as well. 

However, more than that, the king just tied lord Areling to his family. Hindi lang basta sabwatan ang hinihingi ng hari sa matanda. This union will demand the  loyalty of lord Areling. In turn, the Areling house becomes more powerful than ever.

Is this lord Areling? Siya ba ang may  desisyon nito? Malabo. The king made this decision by himself. He's handing more power to the man, in turn it would demand his loyalty. That means, if the Briars fall, Areling will fall too. 

"Halika rito, anak," tawag ng hari sa kapitan. 

Dazed and out of his wit still, Keiv slowly approached the dais where the long table and the king stood. When he approached, the king pulled the guy into an embrace. 

Lumapit ang prinsesa kay Lord Keiv. They smiled awkwardly at each other. 

With these recent events, hindi ko alam kung ano ang magiging epekto nito sa lugar ko sa palasyong ito. Anong magiging epekto nito sa kasunduan namin ni lord Areling?

With this announcement, lord Areling was now at a very powerful position---his actions will not only affect the Briars but himself as well. He walks on thin thread. If he make a mistake, it would reflect to his own house.

The question was, will he still risk killing the prince? With the looming war, death of the prince will upend the country. It would only cause chaos. If the false prince takes the crown, the union between Keiv and princess Yvana would be the cause the Areling downfall.