LUNA: The Rebellion

41: Bad Dreams

The days went by in a blur but at the same time, it felt as though those days and nights were the slowest and the coldest among the rest. We have encountered 3 villages and 2 cities, and we have been fighting in endless waves of battles throughout the march. Every day, every night, the gush of blood was always present. Dead bodies were everywhere, lying on the ground, piled up on each other's bodies. While some were identifiable, the others were barely recognizable. I was done seeing the shade of red that I ripped every cloth and drape in the same color inside our tent. But Midnight's eyes... I could not understand. The power it held over me, I couldn't deny and avert from. Instead, every time I looked into those crimson eyes of his, an unusual calmness would flow right through me. 

It was the only exception. He was the only exception. As usual.

I have never been happier to change the color of my hair. If it were still in the shade of light pink, I could not imagine the struggle of removing blood from it. Nahihirapan na nga akong tanggalin ang dugo sa iilang hibla ng buhok kong may kulay rosas na parte, paano pa kaya kung buong ulo ko ay kulay rosas. If I didn't like the feeling of my hair being pulled in bed, I would have cut my hair short.

Tonight's camp was as dull as the sky and as gloomy as the cold weather. No one was speaking to each other unless there was a need to speak. Our camp was in the middle of vast land, would at least take us 3 more days to get to the next city. It had been two days since our last battle and Midnight decided we needed the rest than continue our march.

I was busy pouring water into the warriors' cups. They didn't want me to and were intimidated. My position as queen wouldn't allow me to do such a thing but I needed to do something. Walking around and giving them water was just an excuse for me to use as I check in on them and start a conversation. Even Midnight didn't want me to do it and told me there were other ways for me to approach them, but unless he deemed it as an order, I would rather break the norms and do things my own way. I felt like my own ways were easier than the rule I needed to follow and obey.

Midnight wasn't exactly happy about it, and neither was he angry. He let me be.

After giving everyone water, I began assisting the healers with the wounded. I was wounded myself but I was healed than everyone else. Ramdam ko ang tingin ni Midnight sa 'di kalayuan pero hindi ko siya pinansin at pinagpatuloy ang ginagawa ko.

"I am impressed at your will to volunteer at every chance you get" Midnight carefully placed the tray of food on the center table inside our tent. Tamad ko siyang binigyan ng tingin ng humalukipkip ito sa harapan ko. "Admirable, but it is wiser for you to rest. We have people who do that job. People who aren't at the front lines. That is why we have this chain of positions to balance the work. Have you ever heard about that?"

This demon wanted to tell me I was stupid but because he had feelings for me, he tried his best to sugarcoat it. I wasn't certain if I wanted to strangle him or lay my head on his chest.

Umayos ako ng upo at inabot ang tinapay sa tray. It was hard. Blah. "As king, wala ka bang ibang gagawin kundi sermonan ako dito?"

"As far as I'm concerned, as king, it is my duty to sermon if I wished to do so" Umupo siya sa tabi ko, marahan na binuhat ang aking mga paa, at pinatong ito sakanyang mga hita. "Eat. Rest. Sleep. You need it"

"And you?" I lay my head on his shoulder. Bumuntong hininga ako. "Hindi ako makatulog kapag wala ka sa tabi ko"

"Mayroon pa akong kailangang gawin" ika niya sa mahinang boses. "Mauna ka ng matulog, susunod ako kaagad"

Pagod akong umiling. It was getting harder to get some sleep after every battle. I wasn't going to tell him this. I didn't need to. He knew already. He had more experience than me.