Fallen ✔️

Chapter 38: The Royal's Kiss

THIRTY-EIGHT: The Royal's Kiss

NANATILI na lamang akong nakatingin sa kaniya, nalilito sa biglaan niyang pagkwento.

He was indeed a royal, hindi ko nagawang mapahalagahan ang kaniyang taglay na anyo noon ngunit ngayon ay hindi ko na mapigilang mapahanga. His long dark hair looks good on him, his nose looks menacing, his eyebrows are thick and his lashes are long. Halos wala lang naman silang pinagkaiba ni Intrepid, sadyang si Intrepid lang talaga ang mahal ni binibining Saffira, iyon ang malaking kalamangan ni Intrepid maliban sa pinagpalang pamilya ng mga Dauntless.

"She was the most beautiful maiden I've ever seen in my childhood, I can't help but to get attracted, she's so beautiful."

Dumilat siya at tumanaw sa kawalan. Namangha ako sa kulay abo niyang mga mata. Gusto kong ngumanga dahil sa pagkamangha, mayroon pala talagang ganitong klase ng hitsura at mata. Akala ko'y walang ganito, I never believed in their existence rather to be exact. Now I'm drooling over everyone.

"Alam mo ba kung gaano kahirap ang magmahal ng patago? Palagi ko siyang sinusubaybayan noon, I even beat vampires who comes on her way. I beat them mercilessly... Ayoko siyang sinasaktan ng kung sino-sino, pero dahil nga sa wala kaming closure. Hindi kami nagkaroon ng pagkakataong kilalanin ang isa't-isa," He whispered his last words and glanced at me. "Hindi katulad ng Dauntless na iyon, palagi silang magkasama. Alam mo ba kung gaano kahirap makitang masaya siya sa piling ni Intrepid? I also want to beat that damn Dauntless up, but I am considerate with Lady Saffira's feelings. Alam kong hindi siya matutuwa kapag nalaman niyang sinaktan ko si Intrepid."

Sandali siyang nanahimik at napalingon sa akin.

"So I fucking remained silent." Dagdag niya pa.

Hindi ko alam kung tama ba ang ginagawa namin. He's freely telling his point of view and I became his willing listener. Naguguluhan ako, bakit niya ito ginagawa? Noon pa man, kahit hindi maganda ang aming pagkikita ay nakita ko na ang ibang reaksyon sa kaniyang nga mata. At habang tumatagal ang aming maikling pag-uusap ay tuluyang nababago ang paningin ko sa binatang Ferdinand.

"I kept my feelings to myself, that's all."

Napaatras ako nang lumingon siya sa akin ng tuluyan. Bahagya akong lumayo at nag-iwas ng tingin.

"I wasn't around when the council punished Intrepid, so I never knew what happened to Saffira either. But the moment I heard about the breaking news, I rushed back to checked on her. But sadly she cannot be found anymore, I can't find her. Until five hundred years passed and the you appeared one day with Intrepid along my journey in the woods." Aniya na tila hindi natutuwa nang ikinukwentong kasama ako ni Intrepid noong una kaming magkita, "Great, with Intrepid again."

"Why are you telling this to me?"

Nangunot ang kaniyang noo, "I thought you wanted to know the story? I was just passing by, and I heard you talking so..." bigla siyang nanahimik at nag-iwas ng tingin.

Ang kilay ko naman ang nagsalubong. He's lying, hindi siya dumaan lang, sinundan niya ako, sinusundan niya ako at ramdam ko iyon. I can tell it by his reactions, and it seemed like we were connected and I can really tell if he's telling the truth or not.

I crossed my arms and disregarded my fear. The place was peaceful, naroon ang tiwala ko kay Kentson na hindi niya ako sasaktan. It was my instinct, I don't want to trust him because he's a vampire, a Ferdinand, Intrepid's rival, but it was also me who chose to trust him after traipsing the hindrance of my credence towards him.

"Do you want to know how do vampires love?" He stared at me again.

Hindi ako nakapagsalita, para akong nawalan ng lakas ng loob na magreklamo. All this time, my thoughts about him were all wrong. He's not that bad, galit lang talaga siya kay Intrepid kaya hindi maganda ang una naming pagkikita. Well, who would not be mad if you meet your rival after centuries feeling fine with another mortal again? It'll just haunt painful memories, I am a human and I understand him well.

I gasped when his cape moved and he slowly paved his way towards me.

"We give all we have when we love, even our freedom," aniya.

Napayuko ako. Hindi ko maikakailang napakalalim ng pinagdaanan niya. Ang nakapagtataka lang ay kung bakit ako ang pinagsasabihan niya ng mga ito?

"Don't get me or this conversation wrong. I heard mortals are the most understanding creatures in the universe, and I hope you're one of those understanding humans," bulong niya, "I fell in-love with Lady Saffira because she was the only person who helped me with my storms one time. It was just a single fucking time yet my feelings for her grew like hell."

Why am I hearing his rants? Ibig ba nitong sabihin ay magkaibigan na kami? Pwede nga ba kaming maging magkaibigan? Pakiramdam ko'y hindi ito maganda sa paningin ng lahat, ng mga bampira, ng mga tao, at ng batas.

Nahulog siya sa mortal na iyon dahil minsan siya nitong pinakinggan, dahil lang doon. Napakalalim at napakadali nga naman talagang magmahal ng mga bampira. Gayong minsan lang iyon mangyari, kapag nangyari naman ay todo bigay. Kaya sila nauubos, dahil ibinibigay nila ang lahat. Now it's becoming lucid, they give all they have even if it means losing themselves when they love. Because love isn't something just found for them, it comes naturally, and when it comes, it just don't fade away. It grows, and even scatter like broken pieces.

"Lady Saffira and I was never intimate before, that's why I didn't fully understand why Intrepid loved her so much, now I finally understand why he chose her. I'm starting to understand everything," makahulugan niyang wika habang nakatingin ng deretso sa aking mga mata. Dumagundong ang aking puso, hindi ko alam kung ano ang ginagawa niya sakin, tila ako natutunaw sa init na aking nararamdaman.

"I'm starting to fall again, but this time, it's real, and I think I have to fight for this too."

Napasinghap ako nang hapitin niya ako at mabilis na isinandal sa puno. Nanghina ako sa gulat, kahit na huli na ay pilit kong inilagay sa aming pagitan ang mga kamay ko upang itulak siya palayo.

Mas lalo pang lumakas ang pagkabog ng aking dibdib. Hindi ko siya maunawaan, sarado ang aking isip sa nais niyang iparating, sa bagay na sinasabi niya. Masyado akong inosente sa kaniyang nararamdaman.

"Do you feel me, Nemesis?"

Dilat na dilat ang aking mga mata habang matapang na sinasalubong ang kaniyang mga titig. I don't understand him, but I can hear our heartbeats and I can feel our uneven breathes.

"Do you feel me? We are connected, I am fucking connected to you," he whispered into my ears. Nangilabot ako at nangatog sa kakaiba niyang pagbulong, "I knew you heard me that night, I knew you came because I called you, I knew you are connected with me too, we are connected with each other, Nemesis, correct me if I'm wrong."

Naghabol ako ng hininga, ang mga kamay ko'y pilit siyang itinutulak palayo kahit na nanghihina. Sinasabi ko na nga ba, may balak s'ya sa akin, ngunit ang nararamdaman kong balak niya'y hindi masama gayunpaman ay hindi rin maganda. Nararamdaman ko ang tibok ng kaniyang puso na sumasabay sa ritmo ng pagdagundong ng aking puso.

"What- what are you doing, R-royal?" Kinakabahan kong tanong.

Dumako sa aking leeg ang kaniyang mga labi, nanatili ito roon ng matagal. Wala sa amin ang gumalaw, pareho lamang na nakikiramdam.

Napakapit ako ng mariin sa kaniyang dibdib nang maramdaman ang pagdiin ng kaniyang kamay sa puno na aking sinasandalan.

Sa isang iglap lamang ay naiinis siyang lumayo sa akin habang pinagmamasdan ang kabuuan ko.

"Damn that Dauntless,"

Hindi ko alam kung bakit bigla niya na lamang minura si Intrepid.

"I see," he said while staring at my neck, "That damn Royal marked you already. Damn him."

Hindi ko nauunawaan ang kaniyang mga sinasabi o ang kaniyang ibig sabihin. Ngunit naramdaman ko ang pag usbong ng kaniyang galit habang tinitingnan ang marka ng kagat ni Intrepid sa aking leeg.

Akala ko'y tuluyan na siyang lalayo dahil sa marka, ngunit napasinghap lamang ako sa gulat dahil sa sunod niyang ginawa.

I just found him kissing me, my forehead, down to my nose, and stayed at my lips for a moment.