Dovetail

Father

Another update, hooray! May pasok na ako later so expect niyo na hindi na magiging everyday ang update ko pero promise, I'll do my best to make it every other day.

For now, enjoy muna :)

**

"Welcome home, my child."

Luna stood still as Ophiluous walked toward her. Slowly, he knelt in front of her and gently took her hands, which were resting on her lap. He held them tightly, as if trying to find strength in her touch.

Luna's heart pounded as she felt the intensity of his grip. She couldn't help but stare at him, confused and overwhelmed by the flood of emotions.

"Amara... my divine."

Hinalikan nito ang likod ng kanyang palad hanggang sa nakita na lang niyang umaalog ang balikat ng hari.

She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. One of the main reasons she stayed here was to seek answers to her never-ending questions, which she now had in front of her.

She found her family... but why is it still so painful?

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for losing you and your mama."

The King's words shattered the silence, and Luna couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She cried, her shoulders trembling. His voice was filled with regret, pleading for forgiveness, but Luna couldn't find the right words to say.

She knew it wasn't his fault. He had been looking for her, just as she had always hoped to find him.

But she couldn't fully understand that this man... this King... was her father.

He wields considerable power. He has an army at his disposal, so why... why didn't they try to save her when she was at her lowest?

"P-papa." Mahina niyang sabi.

Ophiluous gasped when he heard the brokenness in her voice. It was the first time she had called him that. And just that one word—Papa—was enough to break him even more.

Luna could barely speak, the only thing that escaped her mouth was the name she had been longing to say. But she couldn't find the words for everything else.

She had forgotten her memories. Forgotten the days when her family had been whole. She had forgotten how it felt to be loved. She had forgotten the warmth of a parent's embrace.

"You grew up so beautiful, so brave..."

Inabot ni Ophiluous ang pisngi niya at marahan 'yong hinaplos. Bahagya pang nanginig ang kamay nito na tila hindi pa rin makapaniwala.

"I may not be able to carry you in my arms anymore but I will always... always carry you in my heart."

Luna's heart felt like it was being torn apart. 

The pain, the loss, the longing, it consumed her, threatening to drown her. 

She had grown up alone, without guidance. She had learned the world by simply watching others, but she had never felt the warmth of family, of love.

That's why seeing her father cry hurt her so deeply. It wasn't just sadness she felt, it was the realization that she had been without him for so long, and now, she had found him...