CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
NAALIMPUNGATAN ako nang maramdaman ang isang malambot na kamay na humahaplos sa buhok ko. I slowly opened my eyes and my vision is still blurry. What happened again? I tried to remember everything but my mind is baffling at the moment.
When my vision finally focuses, it turned to the man who's stroking my hair gently. I saw the prince's worried face. That's when everything came rushing through my memory. Nagwawalis ako tapos bigla akong nawalan ng malay.
"'Yong winawalis ko," sambit ko saka sinubukang tumayo.
"Tsk!" The prince held my forehead and gently pushed my head back to the pillows. I'm still in his room, lying on his cozy bed. But it's getting a little bit dark now.
"What happened?" I asked him. Ilang oras ba akong nawalan ng malay?
I stared at him as I wait for him to speak. He averted his gaze from me and started fidgeting with his fingers. Ilang beses din siyang humugot ng malalim na paghinga bago ako sagutin.
"I'm sorry for being so petty about you telling my mother the secret passage. Ayokong magpaliwanag dahil ayoko nang magdahilan pa. Those days of immense punishment is unjustifiable. I know I became too harsh. Please forgive me."
It took me a minute of silence to sink on my bluffing brain what he just said. Totoo ba 'to? Humihingi ng tawad sa akin ang prinsipe? Si Prince Blaze humihingi ng tawad sa akin? That almost broke my heart. Yes, he went too far but he have all the rights to do so. And yet he still don't want to explain anything because that would make me feel guiltier. The self pity I've felt already vanished the moment I learned the truth behind his actions.
"I already know the whole story," I slowly told him. Pinunasan ko ang gilid ng mata ko dahil may naglandas doong luha. Finally, lumingon siya sa akin at tinignan ako sa mga mata. Kitang-kita ang pagkagulat sa mukha niya nang tignan niya ako.
"You do?" He asked for confirmation. I smiled a little and nodded.
"Mr. Felix told me your reasons. And I, therefore, conclude that I do deserve the punishment," I answered. He just don't want me to see but I know he's broken inside. He appears to be an invincible man but he's still vulnerable sometimes.
"No, Aia. You definitely don't deserve that much of a punishment. I was enraged by what happened and I had to find someone to blame. I know I went too far." I smiled at how grown up he is. He is taking responsibility for his actions.
"I'm sorry, too, for breaking your trust. Can we go back to square one now?" I gave him a wide smile. His lips slowly formed coy smile as he stare at me.
"Quits na tayo," nakangiti niyang sagot. Nakakagaan sa damdamin na hindi na siya galit sa akin. Natapos na rin ang parusa ko at balik na kami sa dati.
"Do you want to know why I told the queen about your ferocious escapades?" I asked him after a few moments of silence. He turned to me and nodded.
"Sure. Tell me why." I took a really deep breath just to make a suspenseful start.
"She said she have everything planned for you. That doesn't sound right to me. Naisip ko na baka nasasakal ka sa kanila kaya ka tumatakas sa Nevada at nagpupunta sa marketplace. Ayoko sanang sabihin sa kaniya kung saan ka dumadaan. But when she told me about the rebels that roaming that place, I got persuaded. I told her about the path in exchange of giving you the freedom to make decisions of your own."
I slowly reached for his warm hand and held it between my palms. "I observed that you kept running away from your problems, Blaze. I want you to stop running away and start facing those problems."
