Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa

Kabanata 2 - Ang Damdaming Hindi Na Maitago Pa

Amihan didn't get much sleep that night. She couldn't stop thinking about the words that had escaped Ybarro's mouth while they were alone in the woods, most especially the way he pulled her into a tight, yet comforting embrace.

Ever since she had been forcefully kicked out of Lireo, she didn't think she'd find an ally and a source of comfort in Ybarro. To Amihan, he was the very reason why her sister, Alena, had passed away. If only he had not come between the both of them, Amihan firmly believed that Alena would've been alive and well, helping her fight this battle against their sister, Pirena. 

As Amihan got out of the tent she shared with Pao Pao to get some air, she sat on one of the logs near the fire that had kept everyone at their make-shift fort, warm. At around this time of the night, the coolness of the wind always seemed to be a bit unbearable for some of the diwatas and the soldiers, which was why she had to summon her brilyante and ask for the wind to be kind to them. 

"Bakit gising ka pa, mahal na reyna?" She heard an overly familiar, male voice say. 

As she kept her brilyante and turned to see who it was, her heartbeat had started racing again upon realizing that it was the man who filled up so much space in her mind and in her heart. Ybarro.

"At bakit ika'y nagigising pa rin, mahal na prinsipe?" Amihan smiled. 

"Ako ang unang nagtanong, kung kaya't dapat, ikaw ang unang sumagot." Ybarro smiled back, sitting on the empty spot next to her on the sturdy log. 

"Nahihirapan lamang akong magpahinga sa gitna ng kaguluhang nangyayari sa Encantadia ngayon, Ybarro." Amihan admitted. 

Despite the fact that what had transpired between the both of them earlier was one of the factors that had kept her wide awake, Amihan could not deny that as the fallen queen of Lireo and Encantadia, she could not stop thinking about how everything was, back at the kingdom of her ancestors.

"Siguro kung kasama lamang natin ang aking mga kapatid na sina Danaya at Alena, hindi ako mahihirapang bawiin ang Lireo mula kay Pirena." Amihan said. "Hanggang ngayon, nahihirapan pa rin talaga akong tanggapin na ni isa sa kanila ay hindi ko kasama sa labang ito."

Ybarro sighed. 

"Kahit nasa mundo ng mga tao si Sanggre Danaya, alam kong kasama mo pa rin siyang lumalaban, diyan sa iyong puso." He said. "At si Alena.... kahit na siya'y nasa Devas na, alam kong binabantayan ka niya kasama ang inyong namayapang ina."

Amihan looked at Ybarro. 

"Ybarro, nais ko sanang sagutin mo ang aking katanungan ayon sa iyong tunay na nararamdaman." She started. "Hanggang ngayon ba.. mahal mo pa rin si Alena?"

Ybarro breathed heavily in reply, then nodded. It may have been months since Alena had passed away, but he still thought of her a lot. She was his first love after all, and he just couldn't believe that up until Alena's last breath, she never really knew the real reason why he had to push her away from him. 

"Walang araw na lumilipas na hindi ko siya naiisip, Amihan." Ybarro admitted. "Sa tuwing sumasagi sa aking isipan si Alena, hindi ko maiwasang manghinayang sa mga oras na mas pinili kong malayo sa kanya, imbis na iparamdam sa kanya kung gaano ko siya kamahal." He added.

"Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit naging ganito ang tadhana sa aming dalawa, pero wala na akong magagawa kundi ang tanggapin ito." Ybarro said. "Sa lahat ng nangyayari sa Encantadia ngayon, kailangan kong maging matatag para sa mga kawal ng Sapiro at Lireo. Kailangan kong maging matatag para sa mga mandirigma at mga dama. Kailangan kong maging matatag.. para sa'yo."

Amihan gently touched Ybarro's arm in gratitude. 

"Avisala eshma, Ybarro. Nagpapasalamat ako kay Emre dahil binigyan niya ako ng kaanib na katulad mo." She said.

"Nagpapasalamat din ako kay Emre dahil, kahit na hindi naging maganda ang simula nating dalawa, nandito tayo ngayon.. humuhugot ng lakas sa isa't isa." Ybarro replied.

Amihan couldn't understand why there was something different in the way Ybarro was looking at her in this moment. 

As his warm, brown eyes met hers, she felt as if she was the most beautiful woman to ever walk the face of Encantadia.  

Inch by inch, Ybarro was starting to lean in for a kiss and so did Amihan, but suddenly, it had started to drizzle.

"Nagpaparamdam si Alena, Ybarro." Amihan said, quickly moving her face away. "Agape avi, ngunit ayokong masaktan ang aking kapatid." She added, slowly moving away from Ybarro in order to head back to the tent she shared with Pao Pao. 

"Amihan? Amihan, mag-usap tayo." She heard Ybarro say.

That night, all Amihan could do was cry and apologize to Alena for she had fallen for him. She had fallen for her sister's lover.