The King's Court

XXXVII

"Well, so much for a truce," Leon said and sighed as he sat on the settee inside Nikolas' chamber. An hour has passed since we had dinner. An hour since I called out Lorence and blew out our chance for a peace talk. 

Well, there wasn't any chance to begin with so even if I hadn't talked earlier at dinner, there was still no truce. Especially when Lorence is set on keeping her ideologies thinking it would benefit everyone. 

I was truly disappointed that she would believe what the rulers that came before had said. And that she did not make an effort to look it up. She just went along with what lies she was fed and what I said was true. Patterns are dangerous. It makes us lose our ability to observe. 

"You just told her, albeit implicitly, that she's unfit to rule," Leon said at mas lalo akong nanlumo. Totoo naman ang sinabi ko. Na hindi siya karapat-dapat na mamuno kung gano'n siya mag-isip. I am not someone who has an experience when it comes to ruling but as an ordinary citizen, I know what the people need. I know what the people of this continent need. 

Peace. 

And Lorence's idea for peace is that it won't come as easy as having a talk. She needs war to achieve peace. It's ironic. 

Napahilamos ako sa mukha. "I don't think I'd be able to sleep tonight," saad ko sa kanilang dalawa. Nikolas looked at me. 

"You can stay here if you want. I don't think I would be able to sleep, either." 

Tumingin naman sa gawi namin si Leon. 

"Pardon my rude intrusion into your romance but I am staying here too." 

"Lorence is not going to kill us," Nikolas said at napatawa naman si Leon. 

"Did you see how sharp she was looking at Evelyn and at me, brother? I think she was one opinion away from ordering her guards to gut us right there and then." 

"While we're at the subject, I want to ask you, Leon. What's going on between you and Lorence." 

Bigla naman siyang natahimik. He angled his head as he looked at me. The sly smile curved his lips. "Interested?" 

I shrugged. "Well, she seems to be pissed with you specifically." 

"And what premise do you have to come up with that conclusion?"

I just had the hunch. But there was something else too. "You call each other casually." 

"My brother might have had an admiration towards the Queen," sagot ni Nikolas. My jaw dropped and I looked at Leon who rolled his eyes. Clearly, Nikolas' statement did not pull pleasant memories into his head. What happened between him and Lorence? Did Lorence somehow extend her cruelty to Leon while he was here a long time ago? Was that what happened?

"Seriously?" hindi makapaniwala kong tanong. I mean, I was thinking at that time that Leon got the nerve to flirt with the Queen but I wasn't expecting he actually has feelings for her. An admiration? A crush? Really? 

"Stop grinning like that, Evelyn. It's making my skin crawl."

I clamped my lips ngunit hindi ko pa rin mapigilang tumawa sa sinabi niya. 

Somehow, the tension that coated the room has lessened despite the blurry peaceful future. War is definitely going to happen. There is a huge chance I could die. My friends will die too. But the laughter was help. Otherwise, baka mabaliw ako kakaisip sa hinaharap.

As if on cue, bumukas ang pinto ng kwarto at pumasok doon si Mark. He was looking at us and the hopeful look in his eyes was something that reminded me of the failure I did back at dinner.