022- THE EMBLEM OF WAR
AHLKRIA
"You're the current queen of the Amazons? And a daughter of the god Ares?", I blinked twice habang gulat na nakatitig kay Andronika na nasa harapan ko lang. She scoffed at me in annoyance and clicked her tongue before answering...
"Do you have a problem with your hearing?", sarkastikong tugon niya sabay talikod sakin at nagsimula na siyang maglakad patungo dun sa palasyo habang dala-dala yung spear niya. I saw how the other women guarding the entrance bowed down to her bago kinuha yung spear niya para bantayan. Pero bago pa man siya makapasok ay lumingon siya sakin while raising her eyebrow.
"What in Ares are you waiting for? The apocalypse? Start walking and follow, daughter of Hecate.", she suddenly commanded kaya agad akong napasunod sa kanya. She really likes bossing people out huh? Well, she is a queen after-all.
As we entered the palace, a cream and gold embroidered carpet greeted us leading to the throne room as large Greek pillars were on both sides of the hallway. There were different stone statues of some of the goddesses at dun sa malayong bahagi ay mga nakasabit na paintings ng mga...
"Those paintings are of the Amazonian queens of every era.", biglang pagsasalita ni Queen Andronika---yeah. I'll just address her as queen. Tinuro niya yung mga tinitingnan kong mga paintings dun sa isang bahagi ng palasyo. Tumango lang ako as I spoke...
"Those are the queens of the ancient times. Otrera, Penthesilea, Hippolyta, Antiope, Melanippe, Thessalia---", she suddenly turned to me and cut me off...
"You can't address them so casually, you---", nagulat ako nang bigla siyang matigilan sa pagsasalita habang nakatitig sakin like she just realized something. She suddenly cleared her throat at umiwas ng tingin.
"I mean, tsk, alright. You can call them that.", she changed her mind bago kami nagpatuloy sa paglalakad. Nagtaka naman ako kaya agad ko siyang tinawag. Was my gesture earlier offensive? I tried to apologize...
"Your highness, I didn't mean---"
"No need for you to address my position here. You are not my subject. Just call me Andronika.", my eyes widened at her statement pero ayaw ko namang makipagsagutan kaya sumang-ayon nalang ako.
"Alright, Andronika.", I said. Kita ko ang bahagyang pagkatigil niya before she shrugged bago naglakad pakaliwa sa isa na namang corridor instead na dumiretso sa throne room.
"I will be taking you to your chambers.", she announced as we walked another wide corridor. Maya-maya pa ay huminto kami sa harapan ng isang kulay puti at ginto na pintuan. She gestured it to me.
"Your clothes and necessities are already provided inside your chambers. If you ever need anything, just ring the chime near your bed and one of the maids will attend to you---", our conversation suddenly got cut off when a little girl wearing a Greek tunic with golden blonde hair suddenly hugged her from the waist. Nanlaki ang mata ko nang makita ito. She's so cute.
"Mommy.", tawag nito sabay pakarga kay Andronika. My eyes instantly widened.
"You already have a daughter?", medyo tumaas ang boses ko pagkasabi ko nun dahil sa gulat. Eh kasing-edad lang atah kami ah. Napalingon naman sakin yung batang babae.
"Mommy, is she the goddess?", biglang tanong nito. Ngumiti naman si Andronika sa anak niya.
"She's your adelfí Ahlkria.", I was stunned by the way she introduced me to her daughter. Hindi ako nakapagsalita nang tumingin ito sakin at ngumiti. Ang ganda ng batang toh.
BINABASA MO ANG
The Prophecy of Fates
Fantasy"You are fated to end the reign of the gods." After discovering the appalling truth behind her birthright, Ahlkria ends up in a position far from the reality she once lived-in and believed. Exploring places where she thought to have only existed in...
