Chapter 15: Greenhouse Walk

Kreios was walking ahead of me, with his cape, a crown on his head his Queen on golden chains, clanking on the marbled floor with her lazy steps.

My arms were crossed across my chest as I looked around, comparing Parsua to Mudelior.

He's practically the king of the biggest empire of Nemetio Spiran— someone who no one wouldn't expect to lead. And with our parade right now, I knew that this was his way to brandish his empire that he had the leash of his untamed Queen who had attempted to assassinate him.

How I wish I could further prolong this game between us, but with the information we had after that meeting, I couldn't just make everything difficult for Kreios, after all, I was summoned here not just to torment him, but to become his queen.

"Nangangalay na ako, Kreios. Can you carry me?"

"No."

"What kind of hospitality does this empire have? A king who refused to give his queen her comfort?"

"Enough, Harper. Look around, you'll need to remember the important rooms in this castle. Lalo na kapag nawala ako."

"Why would you be gone? Isn't the king's duty always beside his queen?"

He huffed. "Tell that again, My Queen, and try to analyze it. Who delayed her arrival in this empire? You knew that I've been getting impatient, and you all had the time to play with those letters."

"Me? With those articles from your Ancient Quillper? Who is your writer? She's so articulate."

Kreios shrugged his shoulders.

Tumigil ako sa paglalakad kaya tumigil din siya at lumingon sa akin. He looked exasperatedly annoyed with my behavior.

"Come, I'll hold your hand." Inilahad niya ang kamay niya sa akin.

"I don't want to walk."

He rolled his eyes and walked again.

"Hmm . . ."

Instead of walking beside him, I hurried my steps, and I climbed behind his back, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist.

"Is this an attempt to kill me again, Harper Esmeralda?"

The knights became alert with their hands on their swords, about to draw it to save their poor king, but Kreios raised one of his hands dismissively and carefully placed both of his hands on my legs to support me.

Nagpatuloy siya sa paglalakad habang nakapulupot sa likuran niya ang reyna. Kanya-kanyang yuko ang mga tagasunod sa amin ni Kreios habang iniikot namin ang palasyo.

"You mean choking you to death?"

I licked his right ear. "Isn't it better if you choke me instead, Your Majesty?"

He laughed. "I always knew that you were bold, but what will happen if your brothers discover this part of you?"

"The fact that I threatened you on your throat. Of course, they'll be proud. Especially Zen."

"I mean, you, being this naughty and sexy," he took one of my hands and playfully bit my palm— without his fangs.

"Well? Lily will be proud. Dastan might faint, Casper will roll his eyes, F-Finn, Caleb, and Evan will widen their eyes and ask me what happened, and Zen will be emotionless, but in the end, he'll blame you for tainting my innocence."

He laughed again, "Very accurate."

I started giggling while Kreios was laughing at my remarks. The palace servants or even the knights were either bowing down, hiding themselves, or anything that looked embarrassed, most of them were turning red by merely glancing at us.

Nanatili akong nakayakap kay Kreios habang ipinaliliwanag niya ang kabuuan ng kastilyo. I thought I'd spend more of my time inside his cage or inside his room, but now it dawned on me, that finally, Kreios and I had time to be together.

Because after all, he was right. I had been delaying my arrival in this empire because life in Parsua Sartorias had been tough. Na kahit ngayon, sa kabila ng mga yakap ko kay Kreios, hindi pa rin mawala sa isip ko ang kapatid ko. Ngunit tulad nga ng sabi ni Lily, I had a story to fulfill.

"Thank you . . ." I whispered.

"What was that for?"

"For waiting for me."

He chuckled, "I don't have much choice, My Queen, and I don't think I waited patiently."

Hinampas ko ang balikat niya. Of course, he didn't! He triggered me and every lady in Sartorias. It was his plan for me to come out of my empire and appear in front of him out of rage. I thought I'd be able to give him a surprise with my sudden appearance, but as wicked as he was— he planned everything with his golden cage and golden chains.

Unlike Sartorias with gardens all around the castle, Kreios brought me inside a greenhouse.

"I specially made this greenhouse for Divina, bribing her to like me more than—" he cut himself off.

Bumaba na ako mula sa likuran niya at umikot ang paningin ko sa paligid. It was a typical greenhouse filled with different plants. The difference was just it didn't have much color, just green, white, and some pale-looking flowers.

"Kailan ka aalis?"

He arched one of his brows. "Now you're starting to ask me with some trivial—"

"It's not trivial. If you're going to leave me in this empire, I have to prepare myself. What if someone attacked your empire without you? Then I'll have to defend this empire alone."

"Well, we have knights and warriors in Mudelior."

"In Sartorias, the royal bloods are the best weapon during wars, Kreios."

"I know, or would you like to come with me?" he simply brushed my point and asked me an unexpected question.

"You're leaving your empire without proper—" naningkit ang mga mata ko sa kanya. "You shouldn't leave your empire!"

"That's why you're here now, but I prefer you with me."

"Hindi ba't kasasabi mo lang na kapag iniwan mo ako at nagtungo ka sa paglalakbay—" he cut me off.

"I changed my mind."

Nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad habang nakasunod siya sa akin. The moment I arrived in this empire, most of our time was spent bickering at each other, and that is what I had noticed between us, maybe we were both terrible at giving each other's emotions freely.

"As much as I wanted to help this empire, Kreios, I couldn't just cloud my mind with the idea of my brother. I don't know if I am already in a proper state to rule an empire, now that my heart is still bleeding..."

"Yes. I am not forcing you to give it all, Harper. You can rest in this empire, or you can do whatever you want. But I am not allowing you to leave, because I can't— I've lost someone too, Harper, and your existence in this empire will keep me sane after everything that had happened."

Doon lang ako higit na natauhan at napaharap kay Kreios. Those words made me realize that it wasn't just me, the Gazellian who had lost someone, Kreios and Claret had lost someone— the women from the prophecy lost the blue fire.

Kreios's mother, Cyanara sacrificed her life to help us.

Hindi na ako nagsalita at nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad ni Kreios, hanggang naupo kami sa isang mahabang upuan at namayani ang katahimikan sa pagitan namin.

His arms were draped wide on the backrest of the long chair, his legs were crossed, and his eyes were closed. I moved closer, placing my elbow on the backrest, chin on the back of my hand while I stared at him.

Unlike my brothers, Zen, Dastan, Finn, Caleb, Evan, and even Casper who had the blood of a goddess, our blood as a Gazellian was visible, but Kreios— the son of the blue fire— with his long lashes, thick brows, sharp edges of his cheekbones, and those rosy lips— with the filtered sunlight against the glass roof of the greenhouse, he looked so stunningly ethereal.

Para siyang hindi tunay katulad ni Claret.

Rosh might be the known beauty, and the moment anyone's eyes would lay on him— the only word that came out in someone's brain was beauty.

But Kreios and Claret's blood— King Sullivan and Cyanara's blood together is a combination of perfection and unreal. And I am glad that Zen and I had mates like them.

When Kreios' opened his eyes, revealing the darkness of his eyes—like the darkest coal, a sea during the night, suddenly, all my guard started crumbling, and all I wanted was to be vulnerable with him.

He gently got up, inched closer, and closed his legs, he took a few locks of my hair and kissed the tips of it. "Darling love, you can be vulnerable with me."

And then he smiled.

I tried to mask my emotions with our every bickering, I tried to look as strong as the way he had first met me, but every time I closed my eyes . . . maybe this was right all along. I couldn't cry enough in Parsua Sartorias— Lily was trying to be tough for everyone. She was trying to hold it together for everyone— she was the pillar of every crumbling emotion in Sartorias.

Maybe I had this unmask behavior— wicked, cunning, and a witch behind a mask, but that didn't change the fact that I was mourning— and asking fate that time that I had enough power and strength to kill Atlas, stop Veda and save Kalla and my own brother.

Sinisikap kong sabayan si Lily. I wanted to support Dastan and all of my brothers who tried their best to save Finn and Kalla, but I needed to cry too.

Napahawak na ako sa aking noo. Hindi ko itinago ang mukha ko kay Kreios at nagsimula na akong muling humagulhol sa harapan niya. "He doesn't deserve it. Kalla deserves a better life... wala man lang ako nagawa, Kreios. I should have helped Zen when he fought Atlas."

Hindi nagsalita si Kreios at hinayaan niya akong umiyak sa harapan niya. Mariing nakakuyom ang mga kamay ko sa kandungan ko habang nakayuko na ako at lumuluha.

"I thought I was strong enough, but I didn't help him enough. Siguro kung mas malakas ako baka may nagawa akong higit na tulong. I thought I was not just the youngest princess..."

Huminga nang malalim si Kreios at muli siyang sumandal sa upuan. Tumanaw siya sa mataas na bubong ng greenhouse niya. "I wish I could do something to kill that bastard demon but it's not in our hands, Harper. All we can do is to help them. Aide my sister and your brother and wait for the remaining women from the prophecy. We can kill off his minions. We are the king and queen of this empire, and we have the freedom to choose our battle."

Natigilan ako sa sinabi niya.

Lumingon muli sa akin si Kreios at marahang pinunasan ang luha sa pisngi ko. "Isn't that a good idea, My Queen? We will travel secretly while killing his minions."

"You mean the witches?"

Kreios clicked his tongue. "As much as I wanted to take it in my hands, you're aware that the witches are not our opponent but the goddesses from the blue fire. Claret and her fellow priestesses can handle them."

I pursed my lips. "You mean we will target the weak ones?"

He chuckled. "I don't think so. With the impending war against Atlas and Veda, you know he's trying to gather his troops. Nemetio Spiran is a big world, but not everyone is loyal to the crown despite Dastan and Leticia's power. And we have Fevia Attero and Asta Wellington. Don't you think Dastan and Leticia have enough influence with those worlds?"

Natigilan ako sa mahabang sinabi ni Kreios, hindi lang dahil sa realisasyon ng mga sinabi niya kundi sa kaalaman na umiikot na ito sa isip niya.

I always knew Kreios as someone who was forced to have the crown on his head— a happy-go-lucky king who always looked bored, sleepy, and yawning on his throne— as if he didn't care about everything in the world but sleep, but hearing this from him made me realize that I was really mated to a king.

As if he could read my mind which I closed firmly a while ago, I saw how one of his brows arched in amusement— now that he saw my expression.

He chuckled and leaned his head on the backrest. "Now you fall in love with me again, My Queen."