The glistening pearls of the night cushioned the black velvet horizon, their overwhelming brilliance surrounded and reflected the kingdom of white. And even without any torchers nor fire, the Cerulean Kingdom was sighted by our naked eyes through the reflecting sheets of ice covering the land.

And when the wind whisper, a soft touch it was enough for me to felt cold all over my body, making me lean to Simone’s soft, cozy feather more.

I roamed my sight around as I felt that we are nearer to our destination. The Sea of Winternym acted like a blanket of the sky as if the glittering stars were embedded in it; shining and glowing as it entertains your eyes.

But among the majestic view possesses by the Cerulean Kingdom, the Cerulean Palace hold the most enchanting and alluring view of all. Because just like the moon above us, it radiates the shine of the crystal blue, in every corner and surface its beauty was just blinding. 

“Simone,” I mumbled.

Simone immediately understood what I was trying to tell, and gently plummet to the entrance of the Cerulean Palace along with Freya.

As soon as we landed, Freya abruptly diverted her attention to me with a puzzled look plastered on her face.

“Alam ba nilang pupunta tayo—”

At bago pa matapos ni Freya ang kanyang sasabihin ay agad na bumukas ang pinto dahilan upang magkibit-balikat lamang ako sa kanya’t simangutan niya ako. Mabilis na umalis sa aming harapan si Simone’t bumungad naman sa amin ang nakangiting mukha ni Alendis.

Nang makapasok kami sa loob ay hindi ko pa rin napigilan ang sarili ko napahanga sa kakaibang liwanag na ginagawa ng kisame’t sahig. Sa bawat pagtapak ay lumiliwanag ang aking nilalakaran, marahil ay ganito talaga rito t’wing gabi ngunit kahit siguro tumira ako rito ay hindi ko magagawang masanay na hindi mamangha sa lugar na ito.

“Where is my goddaughter?” Bungad kong tanong kay Alendis.

At dahil may sira sa ulo ang isang ito ay nagkibit-balikat siya’t basta na lamang naglakad paakyat sa ikalawang palapag hanggang marating namin ang isang silid, bago kami makapasok sa loob ay may isang babae na lumabas do’n at magalang na yumuko sa amin.

Isang halakhak mula sa loob ng silid an gaming narinig na naging dahilan upang pumasok si Frey ro’n nang walang pakundangan.

“Omd! Night is so cute!” Freya squealed, making Alendis smug his face and act like a proud father, “Nope. Hindi siya mana sa’yo ‘di naman ikaw ang tatay. Ang bobo mo.”

Laglag panga na dinuro ni Alendis si Freya saka tumingin sa ‘kin, “Nasaan si Freya?”

“Bobo ka?” Barumabadong tanong sa kanya nito.

Sunod-sunod na ang ginawang pag iling ni Alendis na tila ba’y hindi siya naniniwalang si Freya ‘yon, “No! Nasaan ‘yong mahinhin na Freya! Nakuha ba s’ya ni Asmodeus? Satan? Mammon—”

“What a stupid king vessel.”

“Garet… bakit naging abnormal si Freya?” Tanong nito sa ‘kin, sasagot na sana nang bigla niyang hinarang sa mukha ko ang kanyang kamay, “H’wag mo na sagutin… isang abnormal nga palang katulad mo ang kasama n’ya—”

“Hey! That’s rude!” I hissed, “Hindi ako ang may kasalanan kung bakit ganyan ‘yan! Paano ka ba naman magiging normal kung ang kausap mo araw-araw ay kabayong hindi umiimik?”

“Tangina niyong dalawa! Lumayos na nga kayo dalawa’t iwan niyo na lang kami ni Bebe Night dito—”

“Ayoko… baka kuhanin mo pa si Night sa akin, Freya.”

“Akin na lang si Night—”

“Ayoko. Maghanap ka ng sa’yo.” Napangiwi na lamang ako sa kanila dahil umaakto sila na para bang hindi ba bata ang pinag-aagawan nila. Mga tanga. Bigla naman akong siniko ni Alendis dahilan upang lumingon ako sa kanya, “Baka gusto mo na rin maghanap?” I already have one.

“Gago,” ani ko.

Parehas na lamang kaming nagulat ni Alendis nang may isang kamao na gawa sa pixie dust ang pasalpok sa aming direksyon dahilan upang tumakbo kami palabas sa silid. Napangiwi kami parehas nang padabog na sumarado ang pinto sa aming mga mukha na tila ba’y wala siyang pakielam kung masaktan kami.

“How could she shut the door to a prince like—”

“Technically… she has a higher position than you.” I pointed out.

He looked at me quizzically as we slowly walked our path to the hall, “What do you mean?”

“Her mother is now one with the wind and land, making Freya the current Queen of the Mt. Seraphyl.”

“Is that because…” I nodded at him. With the late Queen Fairy re-attaching the broken string between Freya and me; she didn’t just gave me life without any consequence. Instead, she used her life to connect us again. “Is she still coping up?”

“Yes… that’s why she’s acting like that… rude and somehow always choleric.”

Alendis and I halted when we reach the balcony; it was quiet and eerie, as the deafening silence slowly lurk within, I slowly shut my eyes and embrace the wintry whispers.

“Garet… sigurado ka na ba sa hakbang mo?” Rinig kong tanong sa akin ni Alendis, mapait akong napangiti habang dinadama ko pa rin ang hangin sa paligid, “Do you think the rule-breakers will be willing to fight against the God of the Sea?”

“This is not about me, this is not about the rule-breakers… this is about the future of our heirs.” I opened my eyes and looked at him with intent, “I’m not fighting for our happiness, Alendis. I am willing to change everything just for the children of Demigods Academy to feel at ease.”

“Lockser…”

I bitterly smiled and locked my eyes to the city, “We are bound to follow the laws, but aren’t they just some old habits that they are afraid to change?” I asked and took a deep breath, “No sacred rules nor laws, demigods just living to fulfill their dreams… and it’s the world I’m trying to build by sacrificing mine.”

Alendis let out a soft laugh, “Garet… remember our first meeting, when you told me that you aren’t fit to be a king vessel?” He asked while passionately watching the moon, “You should hear your words right now because, between the two of us, I knew you fit that title the best.”

“I… I…”

“You are the king that the rule-breakers look up to, and I know that they are willing to fight beside you. They are willing to sacrifice as much you do…” Alendis interrupted. I slowly faced him and noticed his downcast eyes, “And it breaks my heart that I can’t be at your side fighting Poseidon.”

“Hindi mo kailangan lumaban kasama kami dahil alam kong kahit wala ka sa oras na ‘yon ay hinihiling mong makamit namin ang nais ko, namin.”

Mapait siyang tumingin sa ‘kin saka sumilay sa loob, “Alam kong hindi papayag si Savannah na hindi niya magagawang makalaban sa laban ng kanyang pinakamatalik na kaibigan. Hindi ko rin kayang itaya ang kaligtasan nina Night at Aicelyn… lalo na ngayon na bumalik na si Sophia sa Elysian Continent.”

Wala sa sarili akong natawa dahil sa kanya, “Hindi pa rin ako sanay na ganyan ka… hindi ka mukhang tatay e.”

“Tangina mo, Garet.”

Parehas kaming napalingunin ni Alendis nang may sumulpot sa aming gilid, nang yumuko sa kanya si Alendis ay ginaya ko rin siya kahit nagtatakha pa rin ang mga mata ko habang pinagmamasdan siya.

“It’s rude to stare like that to me, Lockser,” she mumbled. I quizzically looked and examined her façade, her flowing ash gray hair and amethyst eyes immediately made my expression change into a crook, “You finally recognized me.”

I drifted my attention to Alendis and pointed to her, “Why does the Goddess of Beauty descend here?”

“She will adopt and bless Aicelyn with her power.”

“Why?”

He scratches his chin as if he was looking for the right words to begin his sentence with, “Savannah… she must not bear any child, it was the rule agreed by the twelve kingdoms in order for the king vessel system to be expunged, and for her to reign the entire continent.”

“Then—”

“After you left, we’ve hidden her inside the Cerulean Kingdom from the current rulers. Aicelyn’s birth is a secret that shouldn’t be told to the nation, if her real mother is exposed, then Savannah’s hard work will be in vain.” Aphrodite interrupted.

After hearing her words, it somehow made my blood boil, “And Savannah is okay with this shit?!”

“No. She is not, she was willing to let go of the chance just to be with our daughter…” Alendis stated and avoided my eyes, “But I insisted. She had this perfect life and dream before I entered hers, and I don’t want our child and I will be the reason for her not achieving what she wanted.”

Isang malalim na buntong-hininga ang kumawala sa akin at basta ko na lamang sila tinalikuran sa inis saka tumungo papunta sa silid ni Savannah. Hindi rin naman iyon mahirap tuntunin lalo na’t magkasama sila sa kuwarto ni Alendis.

Gulat ang unang bumungad nang makita n’ya ako. Nang makapasok ako sa loob ay agad na bumaba ang mga mata ko sa hawak niyang bata, kung kikilalanin nga siyang anak ni Aphrodite ay hindi iyon mapagdududahan lalo na’t kahulma niya ang d’yosa.

“Are you okay?” Tanong ko.

Umiling siya’t pinagmasdan si Aicelyn gamit ang nagungusap niyang mga mata, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Garet. I—I was… I was so hard on you the last we met… I’m sorry.”

“Wala akong dinamdam kahit isa sa mga salita mo no’n. Ikaw ang tinatanong ko ngayon… papayag ka na lang ba sa desisyon nila?”

Mapait na ngumiti si Savannah saka siya dahan-dahan na tumunghay upang makita ako ngunit bago pa man siya makapagsalita’y tumulo na agad ang kanyang luha habang ang kanyang mga labi ay nanginginig.

“Sa totoo lang… ayoko talaga. Gusto kong lumaki si Aicelyn na ako ang kinikilala niyang ina ngunit kung hindi ko susundin ang hinihiling ni Alendis ay habang buhay niyang iisipin na siya ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ko nagawang makamit ang pangarap ko.”

“You have a choice Savannah. H’wag mong—”

“What should I choose then? Be the Queen of the entire Divine Continent without my own daughter recognizing me as her mother, or live as her mother with her father tormenting and blaming himself for the rest of his life because I failed to achieve my life-long dream?”

I smiled at her and sat beside her on the bed, “Whose sake are you doing this for? For you, for Alendis, or for Aicelyn?”

She silently shut her eyes with liquids still plummeting down her cheeks, “For all of us.”

“It seems that you already made your choice.” I playfully ruffled her and smiled.

“I wanted equity among men and women to the extent that even princesses could rule a kingdom.” She opened her eyes and smiled, “But little did I know that this world will grant me my own precious princess that I am sure of will rule her generation.”

“It is settled then, Queen of All.”

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