In the dead of the night, Red Ridinghood swiftly navigated her way through the palace. Agad siyang nagtago sa likod ng isang estatwa nang marinig ang yabag ng mga gwardiyang naglilibot pa rin sa mga pasilyo.

'I thought they finished their rounds an hour ago?'

Hindi maiwasang alalahanin ng prinsesa ang nabasa niya noong schedule. Mukhang lalo nilang hinigpitan ang pagbabantay mula nang mawala si Red. In any other circumstance, she would probably be pleased to know they were thinking about her safety.

But right now, it feels more like a burden.

She held her breath and waited until the sound of their footsteps vanished around a corridor.

She felt the adrenaline rush take over her body. Mabilis na kumilos ang prinsesa na nagmistulang magnanakaw sa sarili niyang kaharian. Red kept her head down and tried to blend in with the shadows. Pasimple niyang nilagpasan ang silid ng kanyang ama at kumaliwa patungo sa piitan ng palasyo.

When she finally reached the landing, Red fetched the garnet stone from her pocket and threw it to the opposite end of the hallway. Nang dahil dito, agad nabulabog ang mga gwaridya at natatarantang hinanap ang pinagmulan ng tunog.

"Wala naman, eh."

"May narinig talaga ako kanina!"

"Baka naman nanaginip ka lang? Hindi ba't binalaan ka na ni Ginoong Elpidio na mawawalan ka na talaga ng trabaho sa sandaling mahuli ka pa niyang nagtutulog habang oras ng pagbabantay?" The other guard sneered at his colleague.

"Tsk! Bahala ka diyan, basta may narinig talaga ako kanina!"

Habang nagtatalo ang dalawa, hindi na nila namalayang nakapuslit na pala sa loob ang prinsesa.

'Mukhang may pakinabang rin talaga ang binili kong alahas,' Red Ridinghood thought and ventured deeper into the dungeons. Fortunately, there weren't any guards near his prison door. That made her pause. That's odd. Hindi ba dapat may papalit na magbabantay ngayong gabi?

Naguguluhan man, hindi na nag-aksaya ng oras ang dalaga at sinamantala ang pagkakaataong ito. She quickly ran towards the metal door and peeked through the small window. Her hands clutched the rails as she tried to get a closer look inside. Gustuhin man niyang pumasok sa loob, wala siyang susi para rito. And no, hairpins won't work on the kind of locks they use inside the palace (she knew that from experience).

"Nyctimus?"

Madilim sa loob ng kulungan, at hindi rin nakatulong sa kanyang sitwasyon ang matamlay na liwanag na nagmumula sa mga kalapit na lampara. Nang maaninag ni Red ang bulto ng lalaking nakahiga sa sahig, she quickly called out again.

"Nyct! Psst!"

The werewolf stirred in his sleep. Nang magising ito, muli na naman niyang nakita ang kulay asul nitong mga mata. Nakakunot-noo itong umupo sa sahig habang nakatingin sa kanya. Hindi siya nagsalita. In fact, he didn't even need words to inquire "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

His expression was enough.

Huminga nang malalim si Red, finally feeling the weight of this situation. Habang tumatagal, para bang lalo siyang nahihirapang makipagsabayan sa bilis ng mga kaganapan sa buhay niya. Napalunok na lang siya.

Bahala na.

"Before my coronation... Isang linggo mula ngayon, b-bago nila ako koronahang reyna, that's when they'll..."

Execute you.

Red found it difficult to say the words. Pero mukhang agad ring naunawaan ni Nyctimus ang gusto niyang sabihin dahil marahan lang itong tumango. Walang bakas ng takot o pag-aalaala sa kanyang maamong mukha.

"So?"

Red's jaw dropped.

What the fuck? This wasn't the reaction she was expecting from someone who's going to be killed in front of a hundred people in a week's time!

"Anong 'so'? Nyct, this changes everything... Hindi ko pwedeng takasan ang tungkulin ko bilang tagapagmana. Heck, they won't even postpone the date because of my father's failing health! Inaasahan nila akong maging reyna sa kahariang ito!"

"At inaasahan ka rin naming tumugon sa tungkuling ibinigay sa'yo ng Eteilla," he nodded as if finally understanding what she was worrying about. "It must be stressful, huh?"

Napayuko na lang si Red Ridinghood.

She's trying to keep herself together. She's trying to think rationally to come up with the best solution, pero tuwing may maiisip siyang pwede niyang gawin, para bang kinakaladkad siya ng tadhana pabalik sa umpisa. Kahit na koronahang reyna na si Red, magiging huli na ang lahat para iligtas niya si Nyctimus.

Mauuna ang execution niya.

Yes, given that the public execution might not actually "kill" him (he's a werewolf, after all), pero kilala niya ang kanyang ama. King Ronan will surely seek counsel and order someone with enough knowledge to get the job done. Paniguradong hindi sila gagamit ng isang conventional method sa execution ni Nyctimus.

So, if they decide to stab him with a silver knife to the chest, it will still be too risky.

Tulad ng naikwento sa kanya noon ni Lycros, wounds caused by a silver weapon will give them a longer time to regenerate. It was any werewolf's weakness. At wala rito si Helisson, kaya walang makakapagbigay ng agarang lunas para sa kanya.

"Bakit ka nandito?"

Nyctimus' voice held no fear, even when he was shackled by silver chains.

Pinilit ni Red na tumingin sa kanya. She tried to push the guilt aside. In a way, this is all her fault. "Nyct, kailangan mo nang tumakas."

"..."

Red Ridinghood took in a deep breath, "I'll find a way to get you out of those chains. Kung wala ang mga 'yan, alam nating pareho na kaya mo namang umalis sa lugar na ito nang walang kahirap-hirap." Her amber eyes stared intently at him, "You might not be able to transform into a wolf, but you can still use magic to get away unscratched. Kaya mong umalis dito kahit wala ako, Nyctimus. Just leave me here... Please."

Saka na lang lang poproblemahin kung paano niya mapagtatakpan ang pagtakas ni Nyctimus. Mag-iisip na lang siya ng palusot at hihingi ng tawad sa seremoniya. Sa ngayon, mas mahalaga ang kaligtasan nito.

Dahil hangga't hindi pa naaayos ni Red ang mga problema sa kanilang palasyo, she doesn't think she'll be ready to leave their kingdom yet. Especially now with an even bigger threat. No, she cannot leave this place unguarded. Dahil kung hindi, baka wala na siyang mababalikan pa.

Maya-maya, muli na naman narinig ni Red ang tunog ng mga kadena.

She watched in disbelief when Nyctimus touched the silver chains, instantly disintegrating them into fine ash. Napanganga si Red sa ginawa nito. Naglakad ang werewolf papalapit sa kanya. He was now inches away from her. Isang seryosong ekspresyon sa kanyang asul na mga mata.

A look that told her "you're right, I can easily escape if I wanted to."

Pero sa isang linggong pananatili niya rito sa malamig at maruming piitan, hindi niya ito ginawa.

Mukhang hinihintay niya lang talaga ang prinsesa.

"You're scared of not meeting either of those two 'expectations', that's why you're making up excuses to run away from the other." He spoke as if he was reading her like an open book. "You're a coward."

At noong mga sandaling iyon, para bang napipi na rin si Red Ridinghood.

"I-I... h-hindi naman..."

'Hindi ba talaga, Red?' A voice in her head mocked.

Nyctimus' words stung. Dahil alam niya sa kanyang sariling totoo ito.

She grew up being suffocated by so many expectations that she eventually forgot how to breathe. She hates it. She hates feeling so vulnerable.

"What am I gonna do now?"

He remained silent.

But the look in Nyctimus' eyes clearly told her, "Alam kong alam mo kung anong kailangan mong gawin."

*

Inside her room, the princess was still wide awake. Hindi siya makatulog. Hindi niya magawang kumalma. Iniisip pa rin niya ang naging pag-uusap nila ni Nyctimus kanina. And so, she found herself sitting on the floor of her bedroom, staring at the portrait on the opposite wall. Nakakatawang isipin na naitabi niya pa ang isa sa mangilan-ngilang paintings ng yumaong reyna.

Ever since the queen died, the entire palace tried to forget that she even existed.

Because it only pained them to remember the queen they've lost a long time ago.

General Simon once said that she looks a lot like her mother, and maybe that's why everyone is expecting a lot from her. Huminga siya nang malalim at tinitigan ang larawan ng inang hindi na niya nakilala. Kung buhay pa sana ito ngayon, ano kaya ang maipapayo niya sa kanyang unica hija?

"Mother, what does it even mean...to be a queen?"

Red's tired voice drifted in the darkened space, demanding an answer from a soul who can no longer speak.

She was only left to interpret the silence...

And when the first rays of sunshine kissed her amber eyes, a newfound determination was reflected.

Red Ridinghood made her decision.

---

I don't know if you're alive or dead.
Can you on earth be sought,
Or only when the sunsets fade
Be mourned serenely in my thought?

All is for you: the daily prayer,
The sleepless heat at night,
And of my verses, the white
Flock, and of my eyes, the blue fire.

No-one was more cherished, no-one tortured
Me more, not
Even the one who betrayed me to torture,
Not even the one who caressed me and forgot.

---"I Don't Know If You're Alive Or Dead", Anna Akhmatova