They emerged from the woods and were now at the entrance of a small clearing. The clearing was surrounded by large emerald crystals that gave off a soft glow of light. In the middle of the clearing was a very large tree with leaves of gold and pear-shaped silver fruit. The tree stood on a heap of earth, its large roots rose above the ground and interweaved with the rest, forming a mound that served as a sort of dais for the imposing tree.

Ana felt Ivan getting off the horse, and she didn't even make a protest when his hands encircled her waist and helped her get down. She didn't even mind that he was standing behind her so close and his hands were still on her waist, his lips brushing her ear.

No. She didn't notice anything at all since her eyes were mesmerized by the sight of the large tree that seemed to glow. She could even feel the magic that pulsated from the tree. Even though the sky was almost obscured by the surrounding trees, streaks of light reached the clearing that touched the crystals around them, which acted as prisms and refracted the light, scattering it around the clearing.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. It was a splendid sight for Ana. She had never seen something like this before. It looked... magical.

"It is quite lovely," Ivan breathed a whisper in her ear, and oddly enough, it made Ana feel as though it was not the surrounding he was referring to that was lovely.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked when Ivan held her hand and led her to the tree. They stood underneath the wide umbrella of branches and leaves.

"This, my dear, is a place where our deity dwells."

"Deity? You mean a god?" When Ivan gave her a nod, she continued, "So this is like a sacred ground? Are you sure we should be here? I mean, I don't want to be on a deity's bad side and have him accused me of trespassing."

Ivan gave a soft chuckle. "It's perfectly fine, my dear. We often come here to worship the deity's wisdom and seek guidance."

Ana eyed the place curiously, the crystals still glowing. "So, this is why it's called the forest of emerald magic? Because of the crystals?"

"I see you've been listening to your lady's maid stories." Ana gave Ivan a sheepish smile. "Our people associate emeralds with healing magic. Its color symbolizes our root power, which is earth and the magic to heal." He lifted his hand and placed his palm on the tree. "We believe that the deity dwells in this forest and her magic protects us all in Elfiro. Emerald is her favorite stone."

"Her? Your deity's a female?"

"Yes."

"Oh. You know back in our place, we do have legends about someone similar to her. They usually reside inside a forest. We call them diwata. So, I guess we do have the same legends, huh?"

"Some of the legends in the human world are true. And some of those legends are actually based on events here in our realm. You see, a long time ago, we encantos often use the portal to go to the human world. We were fascinated with that world. We were awed those humans could survive without a trace of magic in their blood." He led Ana to a large, elevated root and assisted her to sit on top of it. "So, I guess you could say that we have made some influence in your legends."

Ana chuckled. "Well, when I was a kid, I really thought that elves were tiny little people who live inside a mound of earth who creates shoes for fun and help Santa makes his gift for the nice kids."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. I never knew you elves were big and tall and so..." Ana eyed Ivan's wide chest, bit her lower lip, and whispered, "...manly."

"What?"

"What?"

"You were saying something. I did not hear it."

"Oh."

"So, what was it?"

"What's what?"

"The last one that you said about elves."

"Did I say something?"

Ivan's brows furrowed, his lips in a tight line as if she displeased him. But despite the scowl that he usually wore whenever she was around, she still found him utterly handsome. She was very much drawn to him. And whenever she gazed at those arresting amber eyes, she couldn't help but drown in those mesmerizing pair of beautiful orbs that seemed to swirl with so much emotion whenever he stared back at her. Anger. Hatred. Confusion. Desire. And oddly, guilt.

Ana had no idea why he sometimes looked at her as if he was guilty of something. She could understand the anger and hatred since she heard about his brother Adamar who was killed when he was trying to escape the vampires in Sanggre, an event which Ana still had no full comprehension of what had truly transpired. The confusion she also understood. She was confused as well. Desire... there was really nothing desirable about her, and maybe it was her pheromones that were doing all the work, but she positively loved it when he looked at her as if he desired her. It made her feel she was a beautiful woman that was very much coveted. But guilt? Well, he did imprison her, but it was through him that she had finally found her family. But imprisoning her wasn't enough reason to be guilty.

Her gaze shifted lower to his lips. It was still in a straight line, but she remembered so well how it felt when those lips were on hers, devouring her as if he was very much hungry and he couldn't get enough of her. She very much wanted to kiss him now. And she very much wanted to run her palms on that god-like body of his while having a taste of those sinful lips....

Her previous confusion about her feelings for him was suddenly turning crystal clear: she was attracted to him. Very much. That was what she had felt when she had once stood on the balcony and gazed longingly at him from afar. But there was something else, something more than an attraction. It was embedded in her so deep that she had a hard time pulling it out of her to decipher what it was. She would be foolish to think it was love. She knew what love was, and what she felt for him wasn't love at all. Or was it? No. It couldn't be love. Not yet. It couldn't be.

"Love?" Ana heard Ivan say, his voice cutting her trail of thoughts.

"Huh? What did you just call me?"

Ivan gave her a worried look. "I was asking what you meant by 'love'? You were muttering it a while ago." He extended his arm and grasped her hand. "Are you quite alright, Princess Anastasia?"

Ana blinked several times before it finally dawned on her what Ivan was saying. "Oh. I'm okay. I'm good." This place was oddly making her think and feel strange things. It was as if there was something—magic perhaps—that was trying to extract the feelings and emotions within her, making her realize things that were not obvious to her before. Like her feelings for this elf who stood before her and was looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"This place sure gives me the creeps," she said while she hugged her middle, her eyes scanning the area with vigilance.

"Creeps? I don't quite understand you."

"I mean this place is frightening me a bit," she explained.

Ivan let out a sigh of relief and smiled. That knock-out smile—it's blowing her brains out! Oh, now that smile also had a strange effect on her. This place was making her see Ivan in a different light.

"This place is perfectly safe, my Princess."

His princess. Why did it sound so romantic when he said it? As if being his was something she wanted to be. She wanted to be his so badly. Oh, damn! There was definitely something strange about this place...

"Princess Anastasia?"

"Ivan, I mean, Prince Ivan," she started, "there is something weird going on and I'm not sure I can explain it right, but I feel there is something strange in this place. Why did you bring me here?"

"Oh, that?" he said. He now stood directly in front of her as he planted a boot on a raised root and rested his arm on his thigh. "We believed that an emerald crystal has magical properties that seek the truth. It helps us see things more clearly and defined." He looked her in the eyes. "I brought you here for I seek the truth behind what I have felt for you these past few days. I was in denial before of what it was, but now I know for sure."

Felt? He already confessed to her before that his body was reacting differently towards her, which Ana equated with him lusting after her, which he, in turn, blamed her for using her pheromones. But now, it seemed different. What did he feel? Was he going to say he felt... love? Oh, what would she do if he confessed that to her? Could she even return that feeling to him? There was only one way to find out. "And—and what did you feel?"

"I feel... attracted to you. Drawn to you," he answered.

"Oh." It wasn't love then. But why was she disappointed?

"You see, there is this certain mystical force we call as Tadhana that pulls us to the one fated to be ours—you could call it a mate. And I think that our fate had already been written and designed long ago by the gods, our deity. It was not a mere coincidence that made you and me the participants of such a foolish betrothal between two different races. It was fate that dictated it to happen, to ensure that we will be together because we are the ones destined for each other."

Ana understood that. Lady Isobel explained the Tadhana that pulled two people to feel they were bound for each other. That was their basis as to who they should marry. Most often the encantos would ignore the mystical Tadhana since one could not wait for long to build a family—a very bad move for some since they would live a life of emptiness and discontent. But it didn't always mean you loved the one that fated for you. You could be destined to someone whom you could never love. That was how Lady Isobel explained to her how things in this realm worked. And to hear that she was actually Ivan's destined female...

He said that the emeralds were the seeker of truth. Did that mean that it was the crystals' magic that pried into her deep reservoir of emotions and let those feelings slowly make their way outside, making her now realize that it was more than attraction she felt towards Ivan? And now, it was clear for her what those confusing emotions were. The crystal was trying to make her see and feel the truth. It was telling—no, it was confirmed—that she was indeed Ivan's fated female.

Ivan straightened his posture and he gently grasped both of Ana's hands, urging her to stand. When they were both standing, he looked down at her eyes and said, "I cannot refuse both the betrothal and my destiny. I am destined to marry you, no matter how hard I fight against it. And now I asked you of this. Will you, Princess Anastasia, take me as your husband?"

He was proposing. Even though there was no need for it since they were already betrothed with each other. But she felt elated, happy, that he proposed. It seemed and sounded romantic, like in a fairy tale where the prince swept the princess off her feet and married her in his castle.

"For the sake of our two kingdoms, will you accept me, Princess?"

For the sake of the kingdoms? So, this was still a duty? She couldn't help but wished that the emerald had made Ivan realize he was hopelessly in love with her. That he would marry her regardless of whether there was a betrothal contract or none; that he would take her out of love and not out of duty. But Ana knew what her duty was as well. But her reasons for coming up with an answer to his proposal were different from his. Her answer was not influenced by her duty for her kingdom.

"Yes, Prince Ivan. I will marry you."

It was because Ana wanted to be married to Ivan. It was because she wanted to be his wife. It was because, in her heart, she knew Ivan was his destined male. And having been raised in the human world, she viewed destiny in a different light.

diwata — in Filipino folklore, a spirit, usually a lesser god or goddess, believed to guard natural features such as forests