The King's Court

XXXVIII

The first light came and I did not sleep a blink. Wala rin akong naramdamang antok dahil sa mga pangyayari.

Lorence assured us that no one would touch us while we stayed here. I wanted to believe that but it wasn't just possible after she revealed that she wanted to rule the whole of Frotia from North to South. I don't want to get assassinated in my sleep.

"I've told Louis to prepare the horses. We can go after we prepare," anunsyo ni Mark nang pumasok siya. Louis stood by the door the whole night together with the other guards we brought with us.

I was hoping—kahit na imposible—na magbago ang isip ni Lorence. Na magising siya sa katotohanan sa mga sinabi ko. I know I was downright rude talking to a Queen like that and I should have been executed right on the spot. I guess I was lucky to escape that narrow road.

Isa pa, it would have started everything. If Lorence laid a hand on me or anyone in the King's company, it would have started the war. Lorence is not stupid enough to start that kind of chaos.

I heard Nikolas stand from his chair. He had been sitting there all night, thinking about something. I know he is thinking about the coming war. That the war is inevitable now and that we would have to go through it and make sure we win. Hindi lang iyon. Maraming inosente ang madadamay. More blood will be spilled. Nikolas loved peace. It was his father's paranoia and the other Kings too that caused the division of Froatia's Kingdoms.

"We shall go," announced Nikolas.

Leon stood from the settee and straightened his coat.

"Well then," he said and gestured to the door, telling me I should go first.

Mark was about to open the door when Louis opened the door from outside. Nagtataka kaming nakatingin sa kanya and then he handed Mark a scroll.

Nagtataka man ay kinuha iyon ni Mark at ibinigay kay Nikolas.

"One of the maidservants gave that, Your Majesty. It's from the Queen."

Tumaas ang kilay ko habang nakatingin kay Louis. A scroll from the Queen?

Louis dipped his head slightly and went back to guarding the door outside.

"Make haste, brother. Read what the Queen has to say," urged Leon.

Agad namang binuksan ni Nikolas and scroll at tahimik itong binasa. We waited in anticipation until he was done. Nang matapos siya ay tumingin siya sa gawi namin ni Leon.

"She wants to see you," sabi niya sa amin.

"Which one of us?" tanong ni Leon.

Nikolas gave the scroll to at agad ko itong tinanggap at binasa.

My eyes quickly scanned the whole document and my heart skipped a beat as I read everything. Word for word.

Hindi makapaniwalang napatingin ako kay Nikolas. He just gave me a proud grin and I let out a relieved sigh.

"Can someone tell us what the scroll contains, please?" Leon interrupted. Tiningnan ko naman siya at hindi ko napigilan ang malapad na ngiti sa mga labi ko.

Then I said, "The Queen has invited me to have tea with her."

***

It was more nerve-wracking than I thought. Walking along the halls lined with gigantic pillars felt like I was walking straight to death's door. Behind me was Louis and another guard. Ahead of me is a maidservant sent to fetch and guide me along the way to where I should meet the Queen.

Hindi ko mapigilang isipin kung anong maaaring mangyari sa pagkikita namin. It could be that she's going to talk about the possibility of a truce. Or it could be that she's going to send me to my death for talking back to her yesterday. I hope for the former and I dread the latter.