Prologue

I wiped the mist of the small window with my little hand. I moved closer to see the woman standing in the middle of the white field covered with snow. Her eyes were closed, and her face was partly tilted, facing the sky. There was smoke from her mouth as she breathed, her hands were clasped behind her back and her half-tied hair with snowflakes was flowing as the wind blew.

She had been there for an hour. Wasn't she cold?

The woman looked so innocent as she spread her arms and turned in slow motion as she rotated her body in the same position with a smile on her face.

How I hate myself for being locked inside this young body because even with its stupid young emotions were affecting me. I just found myself blushing like an innocent boy while admiring the woman from the outside— who looked exactly like my mate, Claret.

No wonder why Claret had that beauty . . .

She was dreamingly playing with the snow while waiting for her mate, Claret's father—Sullivan.

She's the beautiful goddess who brought my Cordelia to life. She was a woman filled with mysteries and sacrifices. She even knew our world's untold stories.

I took a step back when I saw Sullivan's shadow. He's Claret's idiot father, who wanted to kick my damn ass the moment I stepped inside their house. If I had the power, I could easily make him the hardest ice sculpture. There's no way Claret inherited something from him. I knew that everything came from her beautiful mother.

It had been weeks since the blue fire sent me inside the past, and until now I couldn't decipher my purpose. Should I do something from the past? Should I alter it or I simply watch everything?

Everything seemed so well, except Sullivan, the bastard antagonist.

The blue fire made this damn past complicated because a few days ago she visited my sleep, and with her power, she took my ability to speak.

Wala nang lumalabas na salita sa aking bibig at ang tangi ko lamang nagagawa ay tumango kapag kinakausap ako, dahilan kung bakit mas nagniningkit ang mga mata sa akin ni Sullivan, lalo na at nakakapagsalita ako nang una nila akong natagpuan.

In the eyes of Claret's mother, I was a fragile handsome kid who got lost in the forest, but in Sullivan's perspective, I was a dangerous, filthy vampire kid with ulterior motives.

"Bakit kaya hindi na makapagsalita si Zen? Stop scaring him, Sullivan! I told you he's just a kid," she said.

I was glad that I happened to mention my name before the blue fire took my ability to speak. I didn't want to be called by another name.

"Uh-huh?"

Natigil sila sa pag-uusap nang pumasok sila sa kanilang maliit na tahanan. I wonder why this Sullivan couldn't bring Claret's mom somewhere comfortable. Why were they inside a forest? Were they really poor?

Ah, my baby's lucky to be mated with a royalty like me.

"Oh, you're awake!" She greeted me with a smile.

Sullivan and I eyed each other, but Claret's mother blocked our view together.

"May snow sa labas, Zen! Let's go outside! A boy like you should play!" I groaned inside my mind.

No way.

She held my hand and pulled me outside the house. She tried to play with me by throwing snowballs and to satisfy her, I made my own without using my damn power.

Tumatawa siya sa akin kapag natatamaan niya ako ng ibinabato niya. Nagkunwari na lang akong hindi siya matamaan. Habang tumatagal nakikita ko si Claret sa kanya.

It was so frustrating. I missed her so much. Gusto ko nang bumalik sa kanya. I wanted to kiss her badly, and this damn young body's heart was not helping.

While she was beautifully laughing at me, my tears started to fall like a lost boy. I wanted to curse at myself.

"Oh, Zen! Nasaktan ba kita? I'm sorry . . ." she immediately ran towards me.

I started to curse inside my mind. I hated this body and its poor heart. I tried to speak, but no words came out. Damn it!

Claret's mother tried to dry my tears, but I brushed her away. She looked so worried, and I hated it.

I was in the middle of this mess when I noticed the face of a grinning woman from the back of Claret's mother— my guide in this mission.

I tried to speak again, but this time, I heard my voice. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"I am the Ice Prince! You shouldn't throw snow to a prince! " I pulled my hand away from her.

"Ice Prince?"

Nagmadali akong humiwalay sa kanya. I ran fast until I reached a broken tree. Mabilis akong sumampa roon at hinarap sila.

I was facing Claret's mother and Sullivan with my head held up high.

"Stop playing with me. I am the snow Prince of Parsua Sartorias," they stared at me with their eyes full of confusion.

Then I heard laughter. "He can talk again, Sullivan!"

"He's delusional. Bring him inside, love. He needs to eat. Snow Prince? Didn't hear anything about that in Sartorias."

"No! I am the Ice Prince—" I tried to manipulate the snow in front of Claret's mother, but nothing happened.

She gave me another batch of laughter. "Come on, ice prince, tama na ang laro."

Wala akong nagawa nang hilahin akong muli ng babae. No fucking way! This was not happening. Someone should remove me from the past!

***

My thoughts about my journey were interrupted when my daughter suddenly jumped on our bed.

Saglit kong sinulyapan si Claret na kasalukuyang natutulog.

"Be careful. Your mother is sleeping, Divina."

"But Prince Rosh is here, Papa." I rolled my eyes when Divine blushed as she mentioned that filthy name.

"He is already here?"

"You will play cards, remember? He's with Prince Seth and Prince Blair."

"Stay here with your mother."

"But I want to see Prince Rosh. I like him." No way.

"No, Divina. Rosh is like a grandfather to you. You can't like him."

Nagsimula na akong magbihis habang nakayakap na sa aking binti si Divina.

"Papa, I want to join you. I will be nice. I will just sit on your lap while you play with them. Why does King Dastan always say yes to me?"

"He's spoiling you."

Hindi sumunod sa akin si Divina. Nanatili siyang nakayakap sa binti ko hanggang sa makalabas na ako ng silid.

"Divina, nagagalit na ako. Ang sutil mo na naman."

Hindi na ako makapaglakad nang maayos.

"Papa, please?"

"Go back to your mother. We have an important thing to discuss."

Ilang beses siyang umiling sa akin at mas humigpit pa siya ng yakap sa binti ko. Halos hindi na ako makahakbang habang nakasabit siya sa akin at nakatingalang pinagmamasdan ako.

"Hinding-hindi na kita susundan, hindi na! Sutil ang lumalabas."

Kapwa na kami umiiling sa isa't isa mag-ama. Araw-araw na lang kaming ganito ng sutil na batang ito. Manang-mana siya kay Claret!

While we had our father-daughter dramatic scene, a door flung open. It was our fifth library.

Iniluwa nito si Dastan. Agad tumama ang kanyang mga mata sa eksena namin ni Divina. Kusang lumuwag ang pagkakayakap sa akin ng luhaang sutil na bata at nagmamadali siyang tumakbo sa kunsintidor niyang tiyuhin.

"What are you doing to my beautiful princess?"

A sudden memory flashed in my mind. Is it déjà vu? This happened years ago.

So, was I the villain again?

"King Dastan!"

Mas lalong lumakas ang iyak ni Divina nang makakita na ng kakampi.

"Sutil daw ako, mahal na hari, he told me that he will not give me siblings. I will grow up alone."

"Really?" Dastan answered with his arched eyebrow.

"Kamahalan, kung hindi nakakaabala inihahabilin ko muna ang aking mabait na anak sa iyong pangangalaga dahil may pagpupulong akong nais daluhan," Divina stuck her tongue out to annoy me.

"Sutil," ulit ko. Lalong namula ang ilong ni Divina at mas naging kamukha nito si Claret.

Umiling lamang si Dastan, bago ko sila nilampasan.

Narinig ko ang saglit na pagtawa ni kamahalan bago siya muling pumasok sa silid buhat si Divina. "Just play with Leviticus inside."

I silently smiled. Every royal child inside this palace loved our king, simula pa lamang ay malapit na talaga sa mga bata si Dastan. Kung hindi si Caleb ay si Dastan ang kinagigiliwan ng mga bata.

Well, Caleb and King Dastan, mga kunsintidor.

When I opened the door, three princes greeted me with their hands occupied by chalice filled with blood. I saw how Rosh sighed in relief. Seth and Blair chuckled.

"Ang anak mo ay talagang nagmana kay Claret, nahuhumaling rin sa akin."

"Shut up, Rosh," I sat on a winged chair, crossed my legs, and spilled a glass of blood on our side table.

We played cards for a few hours until I finally felt their expectant eyes on me. Alam kong hindi nila inaasahan na ang patungo sa Sartorias ay para lang sa paglalaro ng baraha.

They were all waiting for me to tell the real deal of this meeting.

Huminga ako ng malalim. Nagawa ko pang ubusin ang dugo sa aking kopita bago ko iyon ibaba sa lamesa at isa-isang sinalubong ang kanilang mga mata.

Napahilamos na ako sa aking sarili, bago ako napayuko at napatulala sa sahig. Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko, at nasisiguro kong hindi ako mapapatawad ni Claret sa desisyong ginawa ko matapos ang maraming taon.

"What should I do? I think someone's after my daughter, and it was all my fault."