Nine months later after the contract...
Malungkot ang mga mata ni Flora habang nakatayo sa harap ng bintana. Hindi niya matanaw ang kahit na kaunting bahagi ng south border.
Napabuntong hininga siya. Malapit nang makabangon ng tuluyan ang Zitoria. Kahit na anong araw ay pwede niya nang putulin ang ugnayan niya sa ibang kaharian.
Malapit na ang oras na ang sarili niya naman ang kanyang iintindihin.
“Flora, nakikinig ka ba?” tanong ni Sebastian.
Napalingon naman si Flora sa kanyang likod at nasalo non ang malamlam ng titig ng lalaki.
“Pasensya na,” mababang tinig na sambit niya. “May iniisip lang.”
Napangiti ng maliit si Sebastian. “Si Eri na naman ba yan?”
Bumadha ang gulat sa mukha ni Flora nang marinig ang pangalan na yon. Matagal na ang huling beses na kanyang narinig ang pangalan na iyon dahil wala ni isa ang gustong banggitin ang pangalan.
“Hindi mo sinabi sa akin kung sino ang may-ari ng pangalan na iyan at kung ano siya sa buhay mo. Pero sa dinami-dami ng beses na nasasabi mo ang pangalan niya ng hindi mo namamalayan, sa tingin ko ay alam ko na kung sino at ano siya sa buhay mo.”
Napalunok si Flora. Hindi niya mahanap ang isasagot at alam yon ni Sebastian.
“It's not a question for you to answer.”
Sebastian leaned back, his both arms on his back to support his weight.
“You said his name a lot of times while talking to me.”
Sebastian was walking in the garden, Flora by his side.
“Flowers have this great effect on me. They always make me calm and at peace,” Flora said while the smile on her face never fades away.
“You know you can tell me more,” pagsingit ni Sebastian.
“Words are not enough to express some things, Eri.”
Sebastian's smile fades slowly. The arch of his lips dropped completely after realizing what the queen just called him.
And that was not the last time he encountered it.
“Drite,” pagtawag ni Sebastian dito.
“Ano yon, Eri? Unang beses na tinawag mo ako sa ibang pangalan ha.”
It was like a cycle. A never ending cycle. More like a loop. And Sebastian's stuck on it.
Palaging natatawag ni Flora si Sebastian ng Eri, but the Prince didn't point it out.
“Eri.”
Isang pilit na ngiti ang ipinakita ni Sebastian sa babae.
She always mistakenly called him by someone's name. It hurts him deeply. But later on, he found himself enjoying the times when he was next to the Queen, regardless of what he was called for a lot of times.
Tumayo si Sebastian at tinabihan ang Reyna ngunit siya ay nakaharap sa bintana.
“Maraming beses mo na akong tinawag na Eri. Yung iba nga ay hindi ko na matandaan dahil sa sobrang daming beses mo nang nasabi ang pangalan na yon.”
Nakayuko lang si Flora at hindi nagsalita. Hindi niya na rin sinubukan na mag-angat ng tingin dahil sa hiya na kanyang nararamdaman.
“Nandito ka nga, pero ang isip mo ay wala dito.” Malungkot na ngumiti si Sebastian at napailing. “I waited. I waited for a lot of time. Naghintay ako na dumating ang araw na ako naman ang makikita mo.”
BINABASA MO ANG
FEARLESS
FantasyA girl with special ability was born 100 years ago. Complete family but not that happy. Her parents wasn't strict but their attention was always on her older brother. She trained hard because she knows that her life was always in danger. She doesn't...
