NAKATUNGANGA si Yophiel sa office ng kaniyang ama. Nakaupo siya habang nakatitig lang sa kahoy na lamesa. Nagpunta siya rito upang kausapin ang ama sa gagawing pag-aalsa dahil nais niya itong pigilan. At nais niya rin na kahit ngayon lang, hindi niya muna maiisip si Eziyah.

Dalawang araw na ang lumipas subalit hindi pa rin sila nagkakausap ulit. Nakakasalubong niya ito kapag naglalakad siya sa pasilyo ngunit umiiwas naman ito kapag sinusubukan niyang kausapin.

May nagawa ba siyang mali? Dahil pa rin ba sa CPR? O baka dahil sa sinabi niya no’ng gabing ‘yon? Ang mga katanungang ilang araw nang bumabagabag sa kaniyang isipan na hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin siyang kasagutan.

Napasandal na lang siya at bumuntonghininga.

“Okay ka lang ba, anak?” tanong ng ama na nasa katapat na upuan. “Why do you want to talk to me? Do you need something? Name it, so I can give it to you right away.”

Inalis niya muna sa isipan si Eziyah at inuna muna ang dapat niyang unahin. Kailangan niyang pigilan ang pag-aalsa.

“Papa.” Seryoso niyang tinignan ang ama.

“Yes?” nakangiting sagot nito.

Nagdadalawang-isip siyang sabihin ito sa ama baka magalit. Pero mukhang malabo naman iyong mangyari dahil mahal na mahal siya nito. Sa anim na taon niyang pananatili sa katawan ni Yophiel, kahit isang beses hindi ito nagalit sa kaniya. He did lecture her, but he never got angry with her.

Baka magagawa niya ring patigilin ang ama sa pamamagitan lang ng pag-uusap.

Lumunok muna siya bago nagsalita. Hindi na siya nagpaligoy-ligoy pa at sinabi ang rason ng pagpunta niya sa opisina. “Gusto kong huwag mong ituloy ang pag-aalsa mo sa emperor.”

Napalaki naman ang mga mata nito, halatang hindi inaasahan ang kaniyang sinabi. Ilang saglit pa bago kumunot ang noo nito. “How did you know about the revolt?”

Sa pagkakataong ito, siya naman ang natigilan. Nakalimutan niya na ang ama, si Eziyah, at iba pang mga knight lang ang nakakaalam sa pag-aalsa. Napaisip siya kung ano ang gagawing palusot dahil hindi niya naman puwedeng sabihin na binasa niya ito sa isang nobela. Paniguradong hindi siya paniniwalaan nito kagaya na lang no’ng araw na sinabi niya kay Eziyah kung taga-saan talaga siya.

“N-narinig ko kayo ni Sir Eziyah na nag-uusap. Anyway,”—kaagad niyang dinugtungan ang sinabi—“’Yon ang gusto ko. Huwag mong ituloy ang pag-aalsa.”

Her father stayed silent. Nakakrus ang mga braso nito. A minute later before he sighed. “Yophiel, can you ask something else? I don’t think I can give you that. I can’t give up the revolt.” Tumayo ang ama, nangangahulugang ayaw na nitong ipagpatuloy pa ang usapan.

“Teka, Papa,” pigil niya. Hindi ito puwede. Manganganib silang dalawa pati na si Eziyah kapag nagpatuloy ang pag-aalsa. “Kapag pinagpatuloy mo ‘yon, matatalo ka. Hindi mo makakaya ang imperyo.”

“I will be defeated?” Maglalakad na sana ito pero napatigil sa kaniyang sinabi. “What are you saying, Yophiel? No one can beat your father,” natatawa nitong sagot.

Alam naman niya ‘yon. Alam niyang hindi matatalo ang ama kung wala lang plot armor ang bida.

Sa climax ng nobela, biglang nagka-awakening ang water element ni Prinsipe Adelio. Isang pangyayari na sobrang nagpangiwi sa kaniya habang nagbabasa siya. Bakit bigla na lang nagka-awakening ang magic nito? Ni kahit isang beses hindi nga nabanggit sa nobela na posible pa lang ma-awaken ang mga elemento.

“Bakit ba gusto mong mag-alsa, Pa? Hindi pa ba sapat itong mayroon ka?”

It was the question that she also wanted to ask the villain of the story while she was reading. She couldn’t understand why he was greedy with power for it wasn’t stated in the novel. What was the cause?

Muling umupo ang ama. “I’m not interested in the power that the empire has. That is not what I want to have, Yophiel,” sagot nito dahilan para mapakurap siya.

If it wasn’t greed, what was it?

“Your mother, Yverian, died after you turned eight, right?” Pansin niya ang pag-igting ng mga panga nito pero pinilit pa rin nitong huwag ipakita ang umuusbong na emosyon. “It wasn’t a disease that killed her. Your mother was poisoned by the emperor. He killed her.”

Naiwang nakaawang sa ere ang bibig ni Yophiel matapos iyong marinig. Kahit niisang beses wala siyang nabasa na ganito sa nobela dahil hindi rin kailanman napunta sa perspektibo ng kalaban ang kuwento.

“And I was in a war that time because the emperor sent me to lead the magicians. I didn’t know Yverian was pregnant when I left, and when I came back, I was already greeted by a kid and a dying wife.” Isang malungkot na ngiti ang sumilay sa mga labi nito. “The doctor said she has an incurable disease, but when I used my magic on her, the wind allowed me to smell traces of Nerium Oleander, a poisonous flower that killed her.” He clenched his fist. Regrets crept into his face as he was reminded by the past. “I could have cured and saved her if only she wasn’t already on her death bed. If only I came a little sooner . . .”

“Paano niyo nalaman na ang emperor ang naglason kay Mama?”

“Nerium Oleander is the emperor’s favorite flower. And those flowers can only be found in the imperial palace.”

Hindi siya sumagot at hinayaan ang ama na magsalita.

“I sometimes wonder what is the use of this power that I have if I can’t even save the love of my life.” He looked at his trembling hand. It was the first time she saw her father’s guard down. “My heart died when I saw her dying. I also almost lost myself not until a kid suddenly ran up to me and cried.” He looked at her. Isang maliit na ngiti ang tumakas sa mga labi nito. “It was you, Yophiel. While she was dying, she told me that you’re our daughter.”

“Pero, Pa, bakit nilason ng emperor si Mama? Bakit niya ‘yon ginawa?”

“Because the emperor is in love with your mother.”

“Ha?!” kaagad siyang napahiyaw matapos iyong marinig. Hindi niya iyon inaasahan. “Ano ‘to? Love triangle?”

“He wanted Yverian to be his wife, but at that time, we were already together. Pero ayaw nitong tumigil dahil hindi pa naman daw kami kasal ni Yverian.”

“So, pinakasalan mo si Mama?”

“Of course!” mabilis nitong sagot. “Una pa lang, siya lang ang gusto kong makasama habambuhay. I also didn’t like how the emperor keeps on pushing himself to Yverian. We were in a relationship, but that asshole of an emperor doesn’t even know the word respect! He is so annoying, clinging to my Yverian as if she will like him when in fact, Yverian only looks at me. She is head over heels for me!”

“Ay, wow . . . ang confident mo, Papa, ah.” Okay na sana, e. She was so serious listening to him not until she heard the latter part. No’ng una parang galit na galit ito pero ngayon, mukha nang nagmamayabang.

“Because that’s the truth. I am this confident because she reassured me enough. So then our wedding happened. I thought the emperor’s obsession will also stop there because he talked to me that day. He apologized and said he will not bother us again. Nagkaayos din kami kaya hindi ko naisip na hahantong pala sa ganito. After I was deployed in the war, he also started to poison my Yverian through his underlings. For eight years, Yverian had been ingesting a poison. It was a miracle that she lasted for years and nothing also has happened to you while she was pregnant.” He let out a small smile while recalling the face of his wife. “My Yverian is a tough woman.”

“Kaya ba gusto niyong mag-alsa dahil gusto niyong maghigante kay Mama?”

“It is not only revenge that I want. The reason why I want to overtake the empire is that I want to get back what has been stolen from me. I want to see those letters Yverian wrote to me when I was in the war.”

Kumunot ang kaniyang noo. “What? Iyon lang?!”

“It means a lot to me, Yophiel. Every day I was wondering why my wife didn’t say a word to me. I was worried that something might have happened to her. So, when the war was over and I get to return, I found out that she was sending me letters in those years.” Napapikit ang kaniyang ama at inangat ang tingin sa kisame. “I w-want to see what she wrote to me. I want to know what was her life like in those years that I was away. I want to read her news about you when you came. At least . . .” His voice shook. “I could relive those eight years of not being able to hear anything from her through those letters.”

Even if his eyes were closed, tears still escaped on the ends of it. The way he said those words made Yophiel understand that his father was deeply longing for his wife.

“But the letter might have been burned already . . .” she said in a low voice. Ilang taon na ang lumipas at posibleng sira na ang mga sulat. Kung hindi man sinunog, baka tinapon na ito.

“I know. But there’s a high possibility that the emperor had kept those letters. His pride is bigger than his head, he can’t burn those letters because it will just show how much he envies me, and how much of a loser he is.”

Tumahimik muna siya at nag-isip. Hindi niya inasahan ang lahat ng nalaman niya. Ang akala niya’y nais ng ama na maging emperor kaya ito mag-aalsa pero sobrang layo ng hinala niya.

Napasinghot din si Yophiel dahil pakiramdam niya’y maiiyak din siya. Masiyado siyang nadala sa sinabi ng ama. Kumikirot ang puso niya sa tuwing maiisip na naudlot ang pagmamahalan ng dalawa dahil lang sa emperor na hindi marunong tumanggap ng rejection.

Kaya pala nabubuwisit ako no’ng una ko pa lang siyang makita. Nakabubuwisit naman pala talaga!

The goal of this revolt was not to steal the throne because of greed but to find and get those letters back.

She looked at her father. “Papa, kapag nakuha mo ba ang mga sulat hindi mo na itutuloy ang pag-aalsa?”

Napatingin naman ang kaniyang ama sa kaniya habang pinapahid ang mga luha. “I will likely be contented with that.”

“Kahit na hindi ka makapaghiganti sa emperor at makuha mo lang ang sulat, okay lang sa ‘yo?”

“The letters mean to me more than the revenge.”

“Okay.” Napangiti naman siya. “I am going to get it for you, then. Papasukin ko ang palasyo at hahanapin ko ang mga sulat ni Mama.”

“What? No!” mabilis nitong sagot. “You’re endangering yourself. I can’t let that happen.”

Although they were allowed to roam around the imperial palace, some parts of it were exclusive to the imperial family. And her father couldn’t get to those places unless he would overthrow the emperor.

Pinagsaklop niya ang dalawang kamay at nagpaawa sa ama. Palagi naman itong hindi nakatitiis sa kaniya kaya susunggaban na niya ang pagkakataong ito. “Please, Papa. Ayoko rin namang mapahamak ka. At malaking gulo rin ang mangyayari kapag ginawa mo ‘yon. Please, hayaan mo muna akong subukan ito. Kapag pumalya ako, doon lang kita hindi na pipigilan sa pag-aalsa. Please, Papa? Please?”

Bumuntonghinga naman ang ama at napahilot sa sintido. “Yophiel, not this one.”

“Sige na, Papa.”

“No.”

“Sige na, please?” Umupo siya sa tabi nito at hindi tinigilan ang ama hangga’t um-oo ito.

Muli itong bumuntonghininga. “Argh. Fine. But make sure—”

“Yes! I will make sure to try my best!” Napatalon siya sa inuupuan at nakangiting sumagot sa ama.

“That’s not what I mean. More than anything, prioritize your safety. I don’t think I will be able to live if I will lose you, too. So, please, be careful. And—”

Hindi niya ulit ito pinatapos. “Oo naman, Pa. Ako pa! Ang pinakamalakas kaya ang nagturo sa aking lumaban, siyempre hindi ako papalya!” she replied, cheering his father’s mood.

“I’m not done talking. Yes, I will postpone the revolt and heed your plan. But you will not be doing this alone.” Tumayo ito at hinawakan ang kaniyang mga balikat. “To ensure your safety, you’re going to make me part of your plan, okay? I am going with you to the imperial palace.”

“Ha? Pero Papa—”

“No buts! I have also thought about what you said . . .” Muli itong umupo. Pinagkrus nito ang mga braso bago mariing pumikit. “The revolt will likely result in many losses, so I will try to follow you without making things chaotic and complicated for our dukedom and the empire.”

Napangiti siya sa huli nitong sinabi. “Are you worried about the people?”

The duke nodded. “Yeah. I don’t want to shed the life of those innocent ones.”

She saw from his eyes the duke’s compassion. Despite his rage, her father still didn’t forget the responsibility he had for his people. He still ended up choosing them.