The Song of Teardrops (Van Doren Series #3)

Chapter Thirty-nine

Breathless

I place my hands above King Daniel's hands. His eyes were still on somewhere far while I kneel in front of him. Huminga ako ng malalim bago pumikit. I let his grief passed through our hands until it was poured to me. When it did, I started seeing images. A woman. Napatigil ako sa paghinga at hinayaang pumasok ang mga alaalang iyon sa isipan ko.

I do not have the power of taking someone's memories away. But what I can do is taking away their grief and give them a spark of hope. Pero para magawa iyon kailangan ko munang hanapin ang pinagmumulan ng kalungkutan nilang iyon. At kadalasan, nasa mga alaala iyon. The grief comes from this girl's face in his mind.

And so, I took the girl's face away from his mind. But not what she meant to him. Not how his heart beat for her. 

He was young. The girl in his mind was young too. Sigurado naman akong balang araw ay makakalimutan niya rin ang babaeng ito. Napakahaba pa ng magiging panahon niya bilang isang Hari. Maaaring isang araw ay kinakailangan niya ring magpakasal kagaya ng ibang Hari, o hindi kaya'y makahanap ng bagong pag-ibig. Whoever this girl was, she will be forgotten by him one way or another. That could be this King's fate.

I opened my eyes when it's done. Binaba ko ang mga kamay ko at pinagmasdan muli ang Hari. Napapikit na ang mga mata niya... at wala na akong may nararamdamang kalungkutan. Bahagya akong ngumiti bago tumayo na.

I walked away from he's sitting and went to Naeil, who's been eyeing me intently. He started walking towards me when he noticed I was coming to him. Malakas ang kalabog sa dibdib ko at huminto na sa paglalakad. I waited for him to come to me. A Van Doren, of course, wouldn't approve of what I just did. Meddling with Kings.

But I am the goddess of tears. I am responsible for knowing what caused this much sadness. Kung hindi ko pa ginawa ito ay maaaring manatili nalang sa loob ng panaginip na ito ang Hari habang buhay, at mawawalan nalang siya ng hininga sa kanyang pagtulog.

"You've done it?" Naeil asked when he got to me.

I nodded. "I was just helping him..."

"I know. If my father knew--"

"Hindi kinuha ang lahat ng mga alaala niya," sambit ko. "Kinuha ko lang ang mukha niya."

He nods slowly. "Do you regret it?"

Nagulat ako sa tanong niya. "H-Hindi ko alam... Hindi ko iniisa-isa ang mga alaala nilang dalawa..."

He sighs. "That means you don't know what you've just taken away from him."

Kumunot ang noo ko sa kanya. "I just took away his grief..."

"You don't know anything about Kings and Queens," he said as if he just realized that. "What most of them valued and what they are willing to risk... All of that, Thalia." He forced a smile. "I should've known. You're a goddess after all..."

"I know enough about Kings and Queens." I answered back. "At ikaw? Ano ba ang maitutulong mo sa kanya? O hahayaan mo nalang siyang makulong sa panaginip na ito at hindi na magising pa?"

"Unlike you, Ravensiels don't do anything unless they were asked to do something. I would've asked King Daniel first if I could remove something precious in his head," he explained calmly.

Napayuko ako. "Hindi ko siya pwedeng hayaan nalang na manatili dito..."

"It's alright. You still saved him." He murmured with assurance. "I just would've done it differently..."

Tumalikod siya sa akin. Napaangat ako ng tingin bago napalingon kay Haring Daniel. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin bumubukas ang kanyang mga mata. Ibig sabihin ay hindi pa kumakalma ang kanyang isipan dulot ng kapangyarihan ko. Napabuntong-hininga ako at sinundan nalang si Naeil.