"Bakit babalik ka pa dun?"
Tanong ng nakababatang kapatid ni Zinnia na si Finn sa kanya.
Nakangiti lang si Zinnia sa mga nanlulumong mga mata ng kapatid niya habang nakatingin sa crackers na hawak nito.
His big doe eyes was longing for her presence, it was always the same scenery whenever she is home, in their kingdom, not in her condo in the sort world.
She hated the fact about being a person with a dominion, she hated it, she wanted to be normal like what normal people do in the normal world or what they call mortals in sort world.
"Finn, sort world is also my home too, you-"
Before she could finish off her sentence, Finn crushed the crackers leaving Zinnia standing at the edge of the terrace.
Napabuntong hinga nalang siya habang tinignan ang likod ng kanyang kapatid na umalis, she knew she got him disappointed, Again.
"Seems like you broke the little Prince's heart again Nayeli"
Gunner Duke's silhouette appeared at the side of the curtain then came out of the entrance where Finn left, His green eyes brought a gust of strong and fresh winds, the usual.
But his eyes were disappointed.
"Don't call me with my first name Gunner Duke"
She spatted but Gunner Duke only twitched his lips trying to keep his grin away from Zinnia's sight.
"Napapamahal ka na sa mundong hindi ka nararapat Zinnia, you should stop going in there, you don't belong there."
He saw Zinnia clenched her fist as he remained distant, he knows what a crowned queen can do being dictated, ayaw na ayaw kasi nitong pinangangaralan o pinapangunahan ang kanyang mga desisyon.
But he knows he needed to, ayaw niya na palaging bumabalik ito doon sa normal na mundo, paano nalang ang responsibilidad nito sa kaharian?
Knowing a big responsibility awaits her he don't need to tolerate this kind of behavior, no more.
Responsable dapat siya kay Zinnia dahil yan ang binilin sa kanya bilang ang right hand ng Terabithia ng lola nito.
"Don't tell me it's also your home like what you reasoned out to your brother Zinnia, No more lame excuses"
His voice was authoritarian. He deserve to be the right hand of the queen of Terabithia.
Nakayukom ang mga kamay ni Zinnia at nanatiling tahimik, she knows she is wrong, always running from her responsibilities as the crowned queen in terabithia kingdom.
She just wanted to be free like the others, isa pa, the main reason she wanted to go back to the normal world is because of a man, she fell hard for na maling mali.
If she was just an ordinary person living in terabithia she can love freely but the thing that she is a crowned queen, hinding hindi madali iyon, being a crowned queen is hard.
"Gunner, leave, please."
She begged but Gunner didn't move an inch he was just eyeing Zinnia that was meters away from him.
"I won't let you get off the hook this time Zinnia"
"Babalik lang naman din ako!"
"Kailan nanaman? After two years?! Zinnia you know staying in a normal world means days in here!"
Alam niya yun, alam niya... she was always out for a lot of years already in the kingdom babalik lang siya after two years at magpapahinga at babalik ulit sa Normal na mundo. She's been doing it a lot of times already. People like them who have dominions can stay a bit long in the Normal world but Normals can't stay long like they can in terabithia.
"Why can't I have freedom?!"
Gunner groaned.
"You have your freedom! You're not just satisfied!"
Gunner spat at him, hitting the soft spot of her.
Uncontrolled tears left Zinnia's eyes. It wandered through her cheeks and rolled down to her chin, but before it touches the marble floor, it turned into dust.
"Leave"
But Gunner Duke didn't give a damn.
After one swift blow of the wind, gliding ice came across towards Duke's face as it climb up like a vine it stopped at the edge of his shoes and inches away from his chest before it could touch and froze his whole system.
He saw how Zinnia's eyes turned into light shade of blue then returned back to normal.
The crowned queen is angry.
"Stop the bullshit Zinnia and claim the fucking throne!"
He angrily shouted at her, throwing daggers with his glance.
"No one's gonna dictate me what to do and where to go Gunner Duke! I'm the Crowned Queen, ako lang ang masusunod!"
He let out a string of firm curses under his subconscious mind, made him grimace, the crowned queen is taking advantage.
"I won't follow orders when it comes to a queen who's wicked and selfish to it's kingdom! Especially to her own brother Zinnia!"
Gunner broke the sharp edges of the eyes that was pointing at his chest and melted it with fire.
"Don't let your guard down just because of a mere human boy Zinnia"
She stared at the retreating figure of Gunner Duke before falling unto her knees.
Ice crawled everywhere making the terrace glistened in the rays of the sun, no, not yet Zinnia.
She gathered herself up and held the hem of her dress very tight.
She needs to get out, gusto niyang makita ang pinakamamahal niyang lalaki.
She's been out for five days already which means tatlong araw na siyang wala sa Normal na mundo, baka hahanapin siya nito.
She opened the portal straight to the normal world and stepped in without doubt.
"Zinnia! Don't you dare!"
Nakita niya ang galit na mukha ni Gunner habang palalapit sa kanya, while his brother was just watching her, sad.
She mouthed sorry before the blinding light consumed her once more.
