SCARLET 2: ALICE (Emerald Series)

9

CLYDE

"Nababaliw ka na ba?!"

Seth kept pacing back and forth. Professor Thelessa convinced King Vincent na ipatawag muna ang mga magulang ko at silang apat ang mag-usap. Kaya here we are, in the dining hall, and was told to eat and stay here. Nakakatawa na kailangan pa nilang ipatawag ang aking mga magulang. Para akong bata ulit.

"You asked for help so I helped. Ano pa bang gusto mo?" inis kong tanong.

"Pero hindi sa ganitong paraan! Sa ginawa mo, she still didn't have a choice!" Tinuro niya si Alice na nasa kabilang dulo ng dining table, stuffing her mouth with food. Kanina pa siguro siya gutom.

"Hindi mo rin naman siya binibigyan ng time to decide. Ikaw rin naman ang nagdedecide for her," sumbat ko.

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it your idea to run away?"

"It's for her own good!"

Biglang tumayo si Alice and slammed her hands on the table causing us to stop bickering. "You two shut up and eat. Hindi ako makapag-focus sa ingay niyo."

I walked out of the hall. I heard Seth calling me and yelling that we shouldn't leave the room. Wala akong panahon para makipagtalo pa sa kanya. Gusto ko nalang na matapos na ito. I was about to turn to the right hallway nang may narinig akong nagsasalita. I peaked at one of the doors and saw Professor Thelessa and... my parents. Queen Emerald and King Matt.

"Paano sila nagkita?" I heard my mom asked. They're whispering kaya mas mahirap pakinggan. My dad sat down at mukhang ayaw niyang sumali sa usapan nila. Professor Thelessa answered ngunit hindi ko marinig.

"I don't want him to go through this again..." rinig kong sabi ni Mama. Ako ba pinag-uusapan nila?

"Hindi natin maiiwasan ang chant," mahinang sabi ni Professor Thelessa.

Agad kong binuksan ang pinto. Sabay-sabay silang napatingin sa akin. "What chant?"

"Anak..." my dad said.

"Kanina ka pa ba nandito?" tanong ni Mama ngunit 'di ako tumingin sa kanya. I only looked at Professor Thelessa.

"Answer my question. What chant?" Professor Thelessa looked away and refused to answer me.

Tumayo ang tatay ko at hinawakan ako sa balikat. "Now is not the right time. Kailangan pa natin ayusin ang gulong pinasok mo."

"Kailan pa ang right time, dad?" tanong ko. Lumapit sa akin si Mama at hinawakan ang kamay ko. We started walking out of the room at tumungo sa throne room kung nasaan si King Vincent.

"One step at a time, anak. Let's fix this first." My mom caressed my hand. "Will you really marry her? You can change your mind, anak. You can take back what you said and just give the girl to King Vincent. You just met her today. She's not your responsibility."

I have this feeling that they want me to back out from this. I have this weird feeling na there's something about Alice that they want me to avoid. They're hiding something from me. Professor Thelessa is talking about a chant she saw and my mom is worrying that I will go through the same thing again. What same thing?

"Is this connected to Scarlet?" Napatigil kami sa paglalakad. "Kaya ba ayaw niyong sabihin sa akin kung ano pinag-uusapan niyo? Is she alive?"

"She's dead," Professor Thelessa said firmly.

Mom intervened, "If you're doing this because the girl reminds you of Scarlet, then let it go. Scarlet is dead. Please, anak."

Bumukas ang malaking pinto at tinawag kami ni King Vincent para pumasok. He's sitting on his throne all high and mighty porket nasa kastilyo niya kami. Annoying.

I finally have the time to look around the throne room. Wala masyadong nagbago. Dito kami naglalaro noon ni Jude tuwing bumibisita kami sa South. One of my mom's heartbreaks was when Queen Ruby died, her sister. She's the wife of the former king, King Van Vladimir. King Van Vladimir is the older brother of King Vincent.

Jude was the only reason kung bakit ako pumupunta dito. Ang hirap isipin na hindi ko na nakikita ang mukha niya ngayong nandito ako ulit. Naisip ko rin tuloy ang iba ko pang mga pinsan. Matagal-tagal na rin simula noong huli ko silang nakita.

"Naayos niyo na ba ang dapat niyong ayusin?" tanong ni King Vincent. He was looking at my mom intently. Naalala ko ang kwento sa akin noon tungkol sa kanilang dalawa. King Vincent was one of my mother's suitors noong mga bata palang sila. Obviously, my mother chose my father so noon palang may bitterness na si King Vincent sa amin. Hindi niya matanggap na my mom turned him down.

Although they're about the same age, hindi pa rin nagbabago ang itsura ni King Vincent. He still looks about the same age as me. The thing about vampires is they don't age. They stop aging where they want to stop aging. Some of them even live for centuries.

They all looked at me, snapping me out of my thoughts. Hinihintay pala nila ang desisyon ko. Mom looked at me with her pleading eyes. She doesn't want me to do this. She wants to avoid the chant. But why?

There's only one way to find out and that's to actually go through with the chant. Gaya ng sabi ni Professor Thelessa kanina, a chant is from the heavens. We cannot ignore the heavens.

"There's nothing to talk about, King Vincent. I am to marry Alice."

Tumayo siya. "Then I have no choice but to call for a royal meeting, to call all the kingdoms' monarchs."

"Ano? Para saan?" my mom exclaimed.

King Vincent pointed his finger at me. "Your son is taking my bride. This is considered an act of treason against the South. Anong akala mong gagawin ko? Magpapaubaya? That'll be an insult to my position as King of this kingdom."

"King Vincent!" awat ni Professor Thelessa. "There must be another way para ma-settle ito. Hindi na natin kailangan pang palakihin ito."

Tumalikod si King Vincent. He's tapping his fingers sa arm rest ng kanyang trono. "Ibibigay niyo ba ang kahit anong gusto ko kapalit ng pagpapakasal mo sa babaeng 'yon?"

"Clyde," my father whispered. "Gusto mo ba talaga 'to?"

"Opo," sagot ko. Maybe this is also about my pride. Hindi na ako makaatras. Ayokong magpatalo kay King Vincent. Noon palang ay hindi ko na siya gusto.

"What do you want?" my mom finally asked.

"Ang Dark Forest. I want the Dark Forest."