The King's Court

VI

"You fucker," I muttered under my breath. Hindi ko alam kung narinig ba niya ako o hindi pero wala na akong pakialam. I don't know what to feel. I don't know what I am feeling. Naghalo-halo na ang lahat but it all boiled down to one thing: happiness. 

The kind of happiness I've never felt in so long since I've returned.

I buried my face when I felt him caress my hair. Humigpit din ang hawak ko sa damit niyang punit. 

Marami akong gustong itanong but they can wait. Right now, I just want to hold him. To make sure it wasn't a dream. That it was, indeed, Nikolas in front of me right now. 

"You're the only one who dares to curse a King. Calling me a fucker?" He chuckled. "The people of Visaris will demand your execution."

May gana pa talaga siyang magbiro. 

Kumawala ako sa yakap niya at tiningnan siya. They all tried to rip their clothes to look like homeless people but they forgot to make their faces look like one too. Hindi na ako nagtaka kung bakit nilapitan sila ng mga babae kanina. 

Earlier, when I was running to look for Nikolas, nakareceive ako ng notification. Someone posted a video of something and when I accidentally opened it, doon ko nakita ang pangyayari. Hindi na ako nagsayang ng oras at agad nagtakbo sa kung saan sila.

Then my eyes darted behind Nikolas where Leon was standing. 

Suddenly, everything came back to me. The way he betrayed his brother. The fact that he was eyeing for the throne and that he was planning to kick Nikolas out. The fact that he wanted me executed. And the most annoying thing of all is that I trusted him with everything about me and he used it against me. 

Perhaps Nikolas saw how my face darkened and I might have heard him say my name but I stopped hearing things. Nakatingin lang ako kay Leon. 

Naramdaman ko ang kamay ni Nikolas sa braso ko pero huli na para pigilan niya ako. I walked past him and the next thing I knew, Leon was on the ground.

"You fucking asshole. You dare show your face here? I should have let them take you instead and let you rot in jail!"

A collective gasp came from the crowd but I don't care anymore. 

But the bastard just let out a smile as he touched his bloodied lip before he said, "Well, that was a nice welcome." He stood and angled his head. The insufferable smirk was still on his lips. Nangangati pa rin ang kamay kong sampalin siya pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko. 

"Okay, you're not welcome. Why are you here? You still want to execute me, is that right? Is that why you're here?" 

"Evelyn, if we get out of here, we will explain everything to you--"

"There is no way I am letting you in my apartment, you traitor!"

Leon rolled his eyes dahilan para mapanganga ako. At siya pa ang may ganang umasta nang ganyan? Matapos niya akong ipakulong at muntikan nang ipapatay? 

"Lady Evelyn," Roylan suddenly came behind Leon and dipped his head slightly. Seeing Roylan somehow eased my frustration. 

"Evelyn," Nikolas said, squeezing my arm dahilan para mapatingin ako sa kanya. 

"My brother is right. We need to get out of here. We are getting too much attention and what we need to talk about should be done behind closed doors."

"I will not let your brother in, Nikolas. Did you have any idea of what he did? He was--"

"I know," he answered. 

I blinked. What does he mean he knows?

"What?"