Daughter Of Dusk And Dawn

2.

Eyes are the windows to the soul.

Sabi nila, ang mga mata ang magbubunyag ng mga emosyon at sikreto ng isang tao. I always thought that was true. I've killed many people. And every time I did, I always made sure that I looked them in they eye. Gusto kong makita nang mga mata ko ang paunti-unting pagpusyaw ng ilaw sa mga mata nila, ang takot habang napagtatanto nila na dumating na ang katapusan [ara sa kanila.

I could say I always knew how to read people by merely staring at their eyes. I could tell when someone is lying. If they're hurt. Or happy. Or angry. It all gets revealed in those pair of glassy eyes.

This time though, it did not happen.

This man was different. I looked him in the eye and saw nothing. Felt nothing. Yet despite the lack of recognition, the glint in those eyes just screamed danger.

Be wary. Be wary of this man. "Sino ka?" Bungad na tanong ko.

Naglakad siya patungo sa kanyang lamesa. Sumasayaw ang kanyang anino sa may dingding sa bawat hakbang niya. Isinandal niya ang kanyang bewang sa gilid ng lamesa, ibinulsa ang mga kamay, at hinarap ako na mayroong matalim at delikadong kinang sa mga mata.

Hindi ako sinagot nito. Bagkuss, he answered my question with another question. "Nauna akong magtanong. Kumusta ka?" He insisted.

"I'd been captured. Starved. Beaten. Kumusta ako? Anong klaseng tanong iyon?" I snapped. Hindi na ako nagpatimpi pa. Annoyance was crippling beneath my skin. Hindi ko gusto ang presensya ng lalaking ito.

Tumawa siya sa naging sagot ko, na mas lalong nagpaigting sa nararamdaman kong iritasyon. "What kind of game are you playing?" I hissed at him. Hindi ko gustong pinaglalaruan ako.

He gave me a smile. What made you think it's a game?" baling niyang tanong. He looked amused, like he was enjoying the conversation.

I was not.

"Sino ka?" Muli kong tanong. May diin ang bawat salita. Gusto ko ng sagot. Gusto kong malaman kung bakit ako nandirito. Kung ano ang kailangan niya sa akin.

"Nope. I asked first. You answer me first. Kumusta ka?"

This man was stubborn. Clearly, whatever he wanted, he got. Napagtanto kong hindi ito susuko. Tired and annoyes, I decided to surrender. "Kumusta ako?" I began, "buhay pa naman."

He seemed pleased with my answer.

"Mabuti!" Pumalakpak siya. "Kung gayon, maari na tayong magsimula." Pinagpag niya ang malinis at matingkad na suot niyang damit.

Maari na tayong magsimula? Teka, ano ba talagang kailangan sa akin ng lalaking ito?

I cleared my throat to get his attention. "Sinagot ko ang tanong mo. Ngayon, sagutin mo naman ako. Sino ka?"

"Sounds fair." Said he with a dismissive expression about his face. "Well, my name is Simeon. People call me Lord Areling, you can call me that too. I'm head of the Areling household, also I'm a member of the crowns council. I am known as the Master of Plans. "

He clearly spared no details.

"At Simeon---" Pinili kong tawagin siya sa kanyang unang pangalan at hindi sa kanyang titulo."---anong kailangan mo sa akin? Ano't kailangan niyo pa akong pasikretong ilabas sa kulungan ng palasyo?"

Anong kailangan ng isang malaking tao tulad niya sa akin? Iyan ang pinakamalaking tanong. At hindi ako tanga at mas lalong hindi ako bobo. It must be of real importance. The guards who took me here sneaked me out of the palace dungeons unnoticed. Obviously, they didn't want no witness that I was brought here. It wasn't very hard to miss. Not when you were accompanied by two tensed guards who flinched with every single sound. And to top all that, every person we encountered, were given a couple of coins. What for? To buy their silence, of course.