//

"Your Hi–" Tinaliman ng tingin ni Crown Prince Arthur ang knight at royal guard niyang si Eizner. His blonde hair was covered by a brown cap while he wore a plain black cap. They were riding inside a public train. Walang kamalay-malay ang mga ordinaryong mga citizens ng Everion na lulan roon ang Crown Prince ng mga ito.

Magkaharap lang silang dalawa ni Eizner. They would going to visit a Lord's state somewhere in the border. Hostile kasi ang area nito dahil may mga notorious pirates ang border. It was a good spot for trading but the pirates make it impossible to negotiate businesses.

"John." Hindi naman ito iba sa kanya kasi kasabayan lang din niya itong nag-train sa military. While attending his academic lessons that involve politics, management, science and other fields, he also entered the army, marines and air force. Ang pinakamatagal sa kanya ay ang army kasama si Eizner. His knight was rigorously and arduously trained liked him.

Ito ang plano niya. Takasan ang kanyang inang reyna sa binabalak nito. Masuwerte lang siya na binanggit nito na sa yacht sila ikukulong dalawa ni Princess Soleil. Forced proximity. He didn't like it. Especially when it involves his wife - the princess.

"Are you really that afraid of the princess?" he whispered. Mas lalong dumilim ang expression sa mukha niya.

"No, I am not afraid. Mas importante ang makipag-usap kay Lord Sebastian tungkol sa sitwasyon ng estate niya."

Eizner sighed. "Even outside, trabaho pa rin ang iniisip mo. Kaya hindi ko rin maiwasang isipin na tama lang na magkasama kayong dalawa sa isang yacht na kayo lang. I doubt if nothing happens."

Hindi niya gusto ang pinupunto ng mga salita nito at tinaliman na naman niya ito ng mata. Eizner voluntarily shut up his mouth.

Malayo-layo din ang estate ng Ferguson. Mabuti na lamang ay nag-tren silang dalawa. May connecting trains naman at matibay pa rin kahit ilang dekada na ang lumipas. When they reached the estate, Lord Sebastian personally met them.

"Your Royal Highness, greetings to the future sun of Everion Kingdom. Thank you for coming to my humble estate and this humble old man." Yumukod ito kay Crown Prince Arthur John. It was clear that he's going to be his ally but he needed to test his loyalty.

Ang second Prince naman, ang kanyang pangalawang kapatid ay ang bahala sa state affairs habang wala pa siya roon. May tiwala naman siya doon at lingid sa kaalaman ng iba, mas matalas pa ang bibig ni Prince Arzhel kaysa sa kanya.

"Lord Sebastian, how grave the situation in the border is?" He pointed out directly. Nasopresa ito sa pagiging straightforward niya. He meant business and the old man understood that.

Nakikita niya sa gilid ng mga mata niya ang pag-face palm ni Eizner. Wala talaga siyang paligoy-ligoy.

///

While his Highness were busy discussing political and business matters, Eizner was busy contacting Lena, Soleil's knight.

Lumabas na muna siya sa bahay ng Lord. Napunta siya sa garden ng estate at walang mga tao roon. Good thing na maayos ang reception roon. Tama nga na nakipagsundo ang Crown Prince sa tuso na businessman na iyon na may-ari ng telecommunications company.

"Lena," he called her name when she answered the call. "Where are you and the princess?"

"Atat, brad? Wait lang brad, did you really miss me that much?"

Eizner rolled his eyes and scratched his head. Lena was his childhood friend. Kasama niya itong nakikipagtintero sa mga kawatan noong mga bata pa sila. Astang lalaki talaga ito at katulad niya ay isa ring knight at trained soldier. Ito ang knight ni Princess Soleil. Soleil requested a female knight and in a male dominating field, she chose Lena of all the few female knights in their knighthood.

"We're here somewhere near the South."

"Tamang-tama, nasa South din kami. Anong ginagawa ninyo diyan?"

"May binisita lang kaming orphanage. The princess wants to meet the kids."

"She's visiting other kids but not interested in producing heirs with the crown prince."

"Kaya nga gagawan natin ng paraan. The Queen told me about making it quite obvious that it was just an accidental meet-up somewhere."

"Lena, you underestimated the crown prince. He's too smart. He would easily pick up my plans and this time, after his discussions with the Lord, we will go to another estate again to negotiate with the raw materials for a huge project that he planned to implement years from now. That guy, napaka-workaholic kaya naiintindihan ko kung bakit desperada na ang reyna magkaapo dahil hindi na talaga sila magkakaanak sa ginagawa nila."

May ideya si Eizner kung bakit nag-iiwasan ang dalawa. Ayaw rin niyang pangunahan ang prinsipe dahil ibibitin siya nito ng patiwarik in a literal sense. Walang kamalay-malay ang dalawa na tinawag sila ng Inang Reyna upang maisakatuparan ang gusto nitong mangyari. They were called in the middle of the night by the queen and told them her plans for the two stubborn royals.

Pagod na rin silang dalawa ni Lena sa trip ng dalawang royalties na kasal na nga, nag-iiwasan pa. They didn't even sleep on the same bed. Masangsang ang amoy ng crown prince sa kanya. Obviously, his marriage with the first princess of Lancaster Kingdom hasn't been consummated.

"Hindi ko alam kung bakit ganoon na lang ang animosity ng prinsesa sa crown prince. They have their own issues that we didn't know. Bahala na silang iresolba iyon basta ang magagawa natin ay ipagsama silang dalawa."

Forced proximity. Mapakla siyang tumawa. "And they thought that we are their partners in accomplishing their goal in avoiding each other for the nth time."

"I'm tired of this cycle of avoiding each other. Naaapektuhan na rin ang katinuan ko sa kanilang dalawa."

Hindi rin lingid sa kaalaman nila na balak rin ipagkasundo ng Inang Reyna ang second prince. Literal na arrange marriages ang mangyayari sa magkakapatid kapag hindi pa nagsisikilos ang mga ito. In order to solidified the position of a Crown Prince who would become a King, he should have an heir. Masyadong traditional ang mga high-ranking nobles at mga ito'y kanya-kanya na ng suhestiyon kung sino ang nararapat sa trono kahit pa hindi pa namamatay ang King. Ang pambato ng mga ito ay ang kapatid ng King dahil nga ito ang dapat sana'y nasa trono noon. He's the Archduke of the West, Archduke Edward Henry Sinclair. Those vicious scoundrels. Halos kalahati sa mga ito ay hindi bilib sa kapasidad ng Crown Prince. At the age of thirty, they thought that he was still not experienced enough for the throne. Idagdag pa na wala pa itong tagapagmana.

"We will make this possible. Kailan kayo makakarating sa port?" he asked. Lumakad siya sa parte kung saan matatagpuan ang poison ivy na humalo sa blackberry. Nagtaka siya kung bakit ang dalawang magkamukhang halaman ay magkasama. May biglang pumasok na analogy sa isip niya at lihim siyang napangiti.

"After this, we will go to the port. Di ba masyadong obvious? Lalo na pag nakita nila ang yacht-villa. The princess will be terrified."

"The crown prince too. Wag na nating isipin iyon. Ang importante, we will conduct this mission." The mission that the Queen bestowed upon them and price? Naglaway sila sa price ni Lena. It was like they were betraying their masters. But screw it. Nawawalan na rin siya ng pasensiya kay Arthur.

//

It was a peaceful day. Katatapos lang bisitahin ni Soleil ang orphanage. She was thinking of funding another project for orphanage somewhere in the West. She frowned when she remembered that it was governed by his uncle-in-law.

"Lena, where are we going?"

"Miss Soleil, it would be nice to visit the bustling tourism of the nearby town. Maganda ang initiative ng Lord roon dahil ginawa nilang attraction ang mga dolphins and the beach is nice. Do you want to see the dolphins, my lady?"

She loves dolphin and she would love to see them. "Okay."

Tinulungan siya nitong makasakay sa kotse nila. Simple lang ang suot nilang dalawa. She was wearing a comfortable outfit - a buster dress. Si Lena nama'y nakasuot ng oversize green na shirt na nakatuck-in sa jeans nito. Para lang silang magkaibigan na nagto-tour kung saan-saan.

The Everion Kingdom was foreign to Lena. It was a tropical kingdom, not similar to Lancaster which was a temperate kingdom. And today, it was sunny day. Lumaki siya sa Lancaster na sanay na klima roon pero kalauna'y nasanay na siya sa Everion. Naging light tan nga ang balat niya sa pananatili roon at napalapit na rin siya sa mga citizens. Dangan lang nandoon siya dahil pinakasalan niya ang Crown Prince ng Everion Kingdom. The Cold Crown Prince.

Nalukot tuloy ang ilong niya nang maalala ang supladong prinsipe na kasamaang-palad ay asawa niya. It was a political marriage.

Tahimik lamang silang dalawa ni Lena sa kotse. Ito ang kakuntsaba niya sa pagtakas sa palasyo. Wala siyang eksaktong direksiyon, gusto lang niyang makatakas sa possibility na magkasama na naman silang dalawa ni Arthur.

Although the wedding is grand and she was suffering from that terrible wedding dress, she managed to get married with Arthur inside of the majestic Everion Cathedral. The wedding kiss they shared tasted like bitter wine. It was cold. It was an obvious political marriage. Both of their kingdom gained something from the marriage but not them.

When they reached the port. She was amazed by the scenery. Kumikinang ang karagatan at may mga bangka at mga barko roon na nakadaong. It's a trading spot.

Ngunit hindi sila roon pumunta kundi sa silangang coastline kung saan payapa at para sa mga turista ang white sand beach at malinaw na malinaw na dagat. Dahil nga private siya na royalty, iilan lang ang nakakakilala sa kanya. Being a princess of the crown prince was quite a privilege but not that strikingly popular like the crown prince and the rest of the royalties in Everion Kingdom. She was still a stranger in the Everion for high-ranking nobles and aristocrats.

Kasama sila sa mga lululan sa isang yacht-villa kung saan gagamitin iyon para tumanaw ng mga dolphins. Iilan lang din ang pinayagang pumasok. Sabi, pagmamay-ari iyon ng Lord at ang nagmama-manage niyon ay ang isa sa mga pinagkakatiwalaang tao nito.

"Oh! Your Royal Highness, Princess Soleil." Nagsiyukuan ang mga taong nakakilala sa kanya roon.

Why does she felt an ominous feeling of dread? She glanced at Lena who was smiling from ear to ear.

//

"Eizner, what is this?"

The next thing he knew, they were riding a motorboat.

"Your Royal Highness, we will check out the current situations of the Southern waters."

Hindi maganda ang kutob niya rito. Sa ibang kadahilanan. He didn't fear the pirates that they would encounter on the hostile waters of the South but he could sense something.

"Eizner, where are you taking me?" he asked sternly. Naging seryuso na rin anyo nito. He was maneuvering the motorboat. His eyes became wary of his stance.

"I'm sorry, Your Royal Highness. But this is an order."

Sa gitna ng karagatan, sa motorboat na umaandar. Eizner tried to locked up his arms but he was fast enough to dodge his attack. He was about to punch his gut when he was quick enough to avoid it. They were like that until they were thrown off from the motorboat.

Nagpisikalan pa rin sila habang palutang-lutang na sa karagatan.

//