Stone Hearted Empress

CHAPTER 1: MEETING HER

Rawwel Kurt Santillian's POV

Nakatunganga parin ako sa harapan niya pero agad ring umayos ng tayo ng tumikhim ang butler nito na nasa gilid ko lang at nakangising pinapanoodan ang bawat galaw at ekspresyon ko.

"Leo, please leave me alone with my fiancé and no, hindi ko sasabihin sa'yo kung ano ang paguusapan namin" malamig at seryoso ang boses nitong binalingan ang butler na napanguso nalang dahil sa huling sinabi ng empress. Iniwan na nga niya kaming dalawa rito na mag-isa kaya kinakabahan nanaman ako.

I was just st*pidly standing here infront of her while she's now sitting comfortably on her chair while sipping her tea, looking straight at me. "You can sit you know?" puna niya sa akin kaya agad akong umupo sa upuan kaharap ng kaniya. I really feel suffocated by the awkward atmosphere between us but she seems calm and well-composed.

"Ahh, I didn't know that you will be the one I'll be marrying" simula ko ng topic na pwede naming pagusapan but she just remained silent as I notice that her eyes are moving like she was examining my whole face. Naiilang naman ako dahil sa uri ng tingin niya, I can see that her eyes are glistening in an unknown emotions. I don't know why but I suddenly felt nervous while she's looking at me so intently.

"You look tensed, am I really that intimidating?" tanong nya sa akin na may nagtatakang ngiti while her eyes shows softness while looking at me. I was mesmerized by that look on her eyes for a few seconds before shaking ny head now multiple times.

"N-no your highness" I said stuttering, she just sipped her tea pero hindi nakatakas sa akin ang pagngisi niya ng marinig ang sagot ko. When she finished her tea she poured another one on her cup again ang compose herself once more before staring directly at me.

"I know that this is quite shocking but our parents knot this kind of arrangement of marriage before we were even born. In short statement, all of us have no way out of this arrangement" saad niya na ikinakunot noo ko "what do you mean ‘all of us’?" I question her but she just shrugged her shoulder and stand up.

I just watched her walk away from me but she stop midway just to look at me from behind "aren't you coming with me?" she ask reason why I got up within the speed of a lightning and followed her. As we got out of the garden her butler, Leo confronted us with he's usual sweet smiles.

Pumunta kami sa karwahe na pinagsakyan ko at doon nga ulit sunakay patungo sa palasyo ng Empress. Pinagbuksan naman ulit kami ng coachman na sumundo sa amin at lumarga na nga patungo sa pupuntahan.

Sa buong byahe ay tahimik lang ako at hindi umiimik samantalang ang kamahalan ay nagbabasa ng libro niya. I'm not used to this kind of silence since I grew up having a noisy twin brother besides me so I scoffed to get her attention and luckily I succeeded.

"Hmm? is there something I can assist you with?" tanong niya sa akin at inilapag ang binabasang libro sa tabi niya at hinilig ang buong katawan at atensyon sa akin. Napalunok muna ako at kumuha ng sapat na lakas para magsalita.

"A-ah, I'm not really used to this silence so uhm" I was lost in words while I was talking to her but she seems to understand me 'cause she gave me a small but genuine smile. "You want to talk to me to make you comfortable?" tanong niya at pinagsiklop ang dalawang kamay at nilapag sa lap niya.

"Y-yeah" I said shyly and avert my eyes on her soul-holing gaze. "Hmm, so what should we talk about?" tanong niya kaya inayos ko ang postura ko at nakadekwatrong hinarap siya. "May mga kapatid ka ba Empress?" tanong ko sa kaniya. I noticed how her face lighten up but it quickly dropped to a frown.

"I do have four. I'm the fourth born and the third princess of our family, my older sister Amelia married a nobleman from a far away kingdom that's why she needs to go there. My older brother Aiden is already married to a princess of a neighboring kingdom that's why he also need to go there to rule it along with his queen" she said smiling but that smile never reached her eyes.