Chapter 1: Beginning

In Nemetio Spiran with weather that reflects in every emotion of their rulers, it wasn't unusual that we experienced winter today, summer tomorrow, a sudden storm, or even spring on the following days. It was more surprising if the weather remained the same in a week.

I knew that controlling their abilities and power was one of the best things that a royalty should have, and they shouldn't be careless about it. But when the Gazellians were in the castle— in a place where they could feel safe and vulnerable, they let their emotions flow.

Our King and Queen had nothing against it.

Ngunit kapag talagang sobra na ay nagsasalita na si Haring Dastan, kaya ngayon ay nag-aalala na ako na baka mamaya ay pagsabihan na si Zen.

Parsua Sartorias had been quiet and calm for the past few weeks. Even the military training schedule had been changed because of the continuous storm snow. Every time I looked outside of the castle, all I could see were gray and white.

"Zen, is this because of you? It's been two weeks since the snow started."

Tumingin sa labas ng bintana si Zen. His lips prodded before he looked into my eyes. He shook his head. "Parsua Sartorias has its winter, baby."

Pangalawang araw na simula nang bumalik dito si Zen galing sa isang misyon. He was expecting that he would use his vacation time to play with Divina, but his daughter had been occupied by her new coloring books.

"I am just worried. Are you upset about something, Zen?"

Saglit akong tinitigan ni Zen bago siya muling yumuko kay Divina. "No. Why would I be upset?"

All I could hear in our room was Divina's murmur and humming while coloring her books, and Zen's constant complaints. Kung tutuusin ay silang dalawang mag-ama naman talaga ang laging may problema. Samantalang ako ay pinili ko na lang abalahin ang sarili sa pagbabasa ng libro tungkol sa mga halamang gamot.

I sat on the winged chair near the fireplace where I could hear the soothing sound of the cracking woods. I took a thick blanket and draped it around my shoulders to feel the warmth. I also had my cup of hot tea near my small table.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit mas nilalamig ako kumpara sa mag-ama na iyon na nakahilata sa carpet. I was also a vampire, but I think I wouldn't get used to this extreme weather of this world.

Well, Zen was the snow prince, but how about my Divina?

Zen's wearing a thin white Victorian long sleeve, three buttons undone, and he tucked it into his black pants. This was his usual outfit during his normal days in the castle, while Divina's always with her extravagant dress with expensive stones. I noticed that she likes to wear gold dresses recently.

Today's one of the typical lazy days of Zen and Divina.

Zen was side lying on the carpet, with one of his hands supporting his bored face, while the other one was consistently poking Divina's cheeks. She was too engrossed with her new coloring book. She didn't even care about her father who had been asking her to play with him.

Divina's lying on her stomach with her legs flapping happily. The crayons were all over the carpet as well as her new coloring books, and she had been humming while tilting her head.

I shouldn't forget to thank Naha for these coloring books.

"Zen Lancelot Gazellian," tawag ko.

Dumiin na ang titig ko sa Prinsipe ng mga Nyebe nang akma na naman niyang tutusukin ang pisngi ni Divina. "She's busy. Bakit hindi ka na lang magtungo sa labas? Help your brothers."

Tuluyan nang humiga si Zen sa carpet at ibinuka niya ang dalawang braso niya habang nakatanaw sa kisame ng aming ilid. "But I want to play with Divina."

"She's busy."

Ibinaba ni Divina ang hawak niyang crayon bago niya inis na hinawi iyong ilang hibla ng buhok niyang kanina pang hinaharangan ang mata niya. "Mamaya, Papa. Sutil sutil ka na naman."

Natawa ako. Napaupo si Zen habang nakaawang ang mga labi. Divina was no longer looking at him and she's back with her coloring books again.

"Claret, look at your daughter. Did you hear it?"

Zen looked at me to ask for help, but I just grinned at him. Bakit siya hihingi ng tulong sa akin? Usapang sutil nilang mag-ama iyon.

Bumalik na ulit sa panunuod si Zen sa anak niya. He kept calling her sutil but she was already ignoring him again.

"Should I use this color yellow or red?" tanong ni Divina sa sarili. Pinagtatapat niya iyong crayons at saka pipili ng gusto niya. "This one!" She raised the yellow crayons and started to color the flower on her book.

She had been talking to herself and humming as if she was alone. Natatawa na ako kay Zen na nagsisimula nang manghaba ang nguso. But I noticed that it wasn't just Zen that annoyed Divina that time. Because aside from the father who kept on poking her, the few strands of her hair hadbeen getting on her face. Ilang beses niya na iyong hinahawi at hinihipan.

It was easy to see Divina's emotion, dahil wala siyang ipinagkaiba sa kanyang ama. Namumula na ang pisngi niya at alam kong nagbabadya na siyang umiyak.

Pinanlalakihan ko na ng mata si Zen na mukhang nawiwili pa na makitang malapit nang umiyak ang sariling anak. Hanggang sa mapatid na ang pasensiya ni Divina, malakas niyang binitawan iyong hawak niyang crayons sa coloring book niya, at nag-angat ng tingin kay Zen na pinapanuod siya.

"Si Papa ang sutil sutil! Mama, si Papa! I will tell this to King Dastan!"

Malakas nang umiyak si Divina sa harapan ni Zen na tawa nang tawa. "Ni-aano ng Papa si Sutil? Sumbong ka na naman kay Kamahalan."

"Zen naman!"

Napahimas na ako sa aking noo.

Naupo na rin si Zen at mabilis siyang nagtungo sa likuran ni Divina. He started to tie his daughter's long hair. "Is this pretty hair keeps on getting on your face?"

"And you are poking me rin!"

"Oh . . ."

Akala ko ay magsasagutan pa silang dalawa pero tulad nang inaasahan ko ay mabilis din silang nagkasundo.

"This one, Papa!" Itinuro ni Divina iyong hibla ng buhok niya sa mukha niya, at ilang beses niya iyong hinipan sa pagkairita.

Pahid nang pahid sa kanyang sariling luha si Divina gamit ang palad niya habang inaayos na ni Zen ang kanyang buhok. Lalo na silang naging magkamukha ni Zen sa tuwing magsasalubong ang kilay niya.

Zen used a little bit of his power to create big clips made of ice for his daughter. Lahat ng tagiliran ng ulo ni Divina pinalibutan ni Zen ng malalaking clip habang nakataas ang buhok ng bata.

Divina looked so happy.

"There. You look like your Mama," sabi ni Zen habang buhat niya si Divina sa harapan ng malaking salamin.

Hindi na lang ako nagsalita. Because Divina looks exactly like Zen.

"Thank you, Papa."

Magkaaway silang dalawa kanina lang. But now Divina allowed Zen to carry her. Si Zen na ang nagpapahid ng luha ni Divina sa kanyang pisngi habang si Divina ay nakatingalang nakapikit habang hinayaan si Zen na punasan siya.

Nang matapos sa pagpahid ng pisngi si Zen at tuluyan na niyang naagaw ang atensyon ni Divina na nakanguso sa kanya. Divina poked her father's cheek multiple times. "That's for poking me! Sutil sutil mo, Papa. I will play with you after I finished my coloring book. You should have more patience."

Iyon ang wala sa kanilang mag-ama.

Tumawa lang si Zen bago niya hinuli ang kamay ni Divina, he playfully bit Divina's little finger, but Divina was not going to back down. Dahil sa pakikipagbiruan ni Zen kay Divina, kumagat na ang bata sa pisngi niya.

"Ouch, that's—" Hanggang sa tumawa na nang tumawa si Divina dahil sa walang tigil na pagkiliti sa kanya ni Zen.

"Zen! Stop it. Baka hindi na makahinga si Divina!"

Tumigil sa pagkiliti si Zen sa bata at naupo siyang kinakapa ang pisngi niya. Si Divina na nakahiga ay agad bumangon at yumakap kay Zen. Kung kanina ay kagat ang binigay niya sa kanyang ama, ngayon ay humalik na siya sa pisngi nito. "I am sorry, Papa."

Sa huli mas nagkasundo na sina Zen at Divina, at sabay na silang nagkulay sa coloring book ni Divina.

Sumakit bigla ang ulo ko sa kanilang dalawa.

I sighed, leaned on my back on the winged chair, placed the book in my hands on my lap, and stared at the hanging huge oil painting in our room. It was our family portrait, with Divina on my lap and Zen standing behind us with one of his hands on my left shoulder.

Malaki ang ngiti namin ni Divina habang seryoso na ang mukha ni Zen, because it wasn't just Naha who were present during that time, most of his siblings were there to witness how Zen would tolerate the longtime of smiling.

My eighteen-year-old self would definitely refuse to believe that she would be a healer— a leading healer of one of the most hailed kingdoms in this empire. She'd be a wife of a prince, a mother of an adorable little princess, and a woman destined to fulfill one of the greatest prophecies in Nemetio Spiran's history.

I was just once that naïve girl, isolated in a faraway forest, with her protective grandmother, feared by humans. I was raised differently, but I'd never expected that everything would be this big.

Nang dumating ako sa mundong ito, nahirapan akong tanggapin ang lahat, na bigla na lang akong bibigyan ng isang napakalaking responsibilad sa mundong hindi ko naman nakikilala.

This world wasn't stable enough, with the councils who were not afraid of their young king, Gazellian siblings' years of suppressed emotions after their father's death, the absence of Queen Talisha who locked herself under the castle, and Zen's state of dying.

Litong-lito pa ako nang mga panahong iyon na ang tanging nakikita ko lang problema noon ay ang sarili kong sitwasyon— kung paano ako magpapatuloy mabuhay sa mundong ito. Ngunit ngayong higit ko nang nakikita at naiintindihan ang lahat, talaga pa lang nakamamangha ang pinagdaanan ng magkakapatid na Gazellian bago makarating kung nasaan sila ngayon.

Muli akong tumanaw sa labas ng bintana.

They deserved the peacefulness of the empire right now.

Tumayo na ako sa lumapit kina Zen at Divina. Naupo na rin ako sa carpet at pinagmasdan ang ginagawa ng mag-ama.

I might be forever thankful for the Gazellian family who welcomed me into this world, but there was one woman that I'd never forget. The goddess of the blue fire might be my forever guidance in this world, but Danna was a great help to what I am today. Her words, her past, even her pain, and the experiences she shared with me as a woman who was pushed to play the role of a woman in a prophecy convinced that I should do something.

Dahil sa kanya natuto akong lumaban at ipaglaban ang totoong nakaraan—She wasn't the villain of the whole empire of Parsua Sartorias, but a mere victim— a puppet.

She might be a very sensitive topic among the Gazellian siblings, and I'd respect it, but deep inside my heart, Danna was once a friend that I failed to protect. Nangako ako sa kanyang palalayain ang kanyang anak mula sa napakaraming taong walang kalayaan, ngunit sa huli'y si Desmond rin ang siyang nagsakripisyo.

Marahan kong hinaplos ang ibabaw ng ulo ni Divina. Danna did everything for her son, until to her last breath, and I'd do the same for my daughter.

Hindi na nakatingin si Zen sa kinukulayan nilang libro ni Divina, naupo na siya at tumabi sa akin. He placed his chin on one of my right shoulders, and his arms wrapped around me.

Then he whispered, "What should I do? This princess took a lot after me."

Suminghap ako at lumingon sa kanya. "And you just realized it now?"

"Yes."

Itinulak ko na ang mukha ni Zen, nahiga na muli siya at ginawa niya nang unan ang kandungan ko. While Divina's busy with her coloring books, Zen extended his hands and pulled me closer.

I slowly bent down, with my long hair covering our faces together, and all I did was smile while I gave him a soft kiss.

It was that night of winter, the cracking sound of the fire and wood, his loving eyes, his palms on my cheeks, a sweet kiss, and the humming voice of our innocent little princess— a happy ending I thought would last forever.