While writing my fantasy stories I am listening to different instrumental music, kaya I want to share it with you since this is the music ringing inside my mind while writing this chapter. Skl. HAHA!

Chapter 19: The King's Offerings

Nang sandaling naninirahan pa ako sa Sartorias, hindi ko lang iilang beses na naririnig ang paghanga sa akin ng mga kababaihan doon. They were all fascinated by how Kreios and I could endure our distance even if we were already aware of our mate bond because it seemed too impossible for a Gazellian like me.

I once heard how my mother described a Gazellian's love, it was both a blessing and a curse— that most Gazellians would turn into madness, move heavens and earth just for their love, and suppressing it could kill one of them.

Casper was sleeping peacefully with his head resting on Lumps, mother was sitting on a carpeted floor with a book in her hand, while I was slumped on her folded thighs.

"Do you know what I noticed, Harper? Most of your siblings are like your father. They really have the blood of Gazellian."

Hinaplos niya ang mahaba kong buhok. "How?"

"They're stubborn and uncontrollable. They could be critical in decision-making sometimes, but it's always their heart."

I blinked. "You mean everyone is softhearted like father? I don't think Father is softhearted. He may be smiling at everyone, but he's too strict. Takot sa kanya sina Dastan at Zen."

Mother laughed. "Believe me, Harper. Your father could be softer than me, he can't bear to witness any of you suffer."

"What? Sabi ni Caleb ang sakit na daw ng katawan niya sa puro ensayo nila ni ama. You could have been mistaken, Mother."

Mas hinaplos niya ang ibabaw ng ulo ko. "As you grew up, and I watched you, Casper and your siblings take every decision, even the small ones, as a proud mother, I couldn't wait to see more..."

Ngumuso ako. "If everyone is like Father, what could be me?"

Nag-angat na ako ng tingin kay ina. "You are just like me. You have my blood better than your siblings... maybe because you are destined to be a queen."

Namilog ang mga mata ko. "How could I be a Queen? It could be Lily..."

Muling tumawa si ina. "Lily's going to be the tyrant Queen of Sartorias. This kingdom will live with fear with her tight laws if she's going to sit on the throne, your sister's a better advisor in the future."

Mas sumubsob na ako sa hita ni ina at napangisi sa sinabi niya dahil tama siya. Even Father's sometimes afraid of Lily. "If I become a queen someday, is it better not to use too much of my heart, Mother?"

My mother faintly smiled and combed my hair with her fingers. "Most of the time."

Hindi ko alam kung bakit iyon ang pumasok sa isip ko habang naglalakad kami ngayon ni Kreios. Siguro dahil ngayon na kumikilos na kami bilang totoong hari't reyna ng emperyong ito, higit ko nang naiintindihan ang mga salitang iniwan sa akin ni ina na dati'y hindi ko pa naiintindihan.

"May mga desisyon tayong laging may maaapektuhan at masasagasaan, at isa ang bagay na ito."

I nodded. "Hindi lang mga kapatid ko ang siyang manunuod sa amin sa sandaling lumabas na ang Ancient Quillper kundi pati na rin ang iba't ibang sulok ng mundong ito."

We needed to create a huge scandal to conceal the truth.

"And we have to face it together..."

"Thank you," ulit ko kahit nasabi ko na ito sa kanya.

Mabagal kaming naglalakad ni Kreios sa mahabang pasilyo ng palasyo habang magaan ang hawak niya sa kanang kamay ko.

"Buong akala ko ay hindi mo na tatanggalin ang kadena ko."

"Why do I have to chain you if you'll not run away anymore?"

Bahagya kong pinisil ang kamay niyang nakahawak sa akin. "Because you just gave me the reason why I wanted to run away."

He grinned. "Why would I let you run away from me, darling if we can run away together?"

I always had an answer for him to erase that grin. I had been used to answering his witty daily issues of his Ancient Quillper and letting him suffer in this empire alone with all the false rumors I had orchestrated in Sartorias and Deltora, but for the first time, I couldn't utter a single word, I averted my eyes, and I suppressed my smile.

He chuckled. "Now that you're not after my throat and maybe you're done with your possessed episodes, I can finally introduce you to my few trusted vampires in this empire."

I nodded.

Kreios brought me to his office, unlike Juniper's office filled with more papers, the King of Mudelior was neat, it might have had a bookshelf but not too packed with books, and there was a painting of him and Claret together, the Doyle sibling's unreal beauty in the art could even make anyone's eyes mesmerize.

Bihira lang magsama sina Claret at Kreios pero noong mga panahon na minsan ay dumalaw kaming magkakapatid rito ay lagi silang magkasama, walang sinuman ang hindi hahanga sa ganda ng magkapatid.

"Claret is so beautiful..."

"Oh, you should be looking at my face not my sisters," natatawang sabi ni Kreios na nasa tabi ko na at nakatingala na rin sa painting nilang magkapatid.

"She's not dressing like that now, isn't she? I don't know what's with this empire, but most women here were covered. Pero kayong dalawa ni Claret biglang gusto tila nakahubad na ang kasuotan..."

Napayuko ako sa kasuotan ko. Unlike the usual dress I wore in Sartorias, this was really quite exposed, pero kumpara doon sa mga una kong isinuot nang mas madalas pa kaming matalo ni Kreios ay mas marami na naman itong balat na natatakpan.

Lumingon ako sa kanya. "You don't want my dress?"

"My Queen in any dress—I want it," he answered, still with his eyes on the painting.

I took a deep breath, my fist tightly balled, and I looked at the painting again to calm myself.

Sa tabi ng larawan nila ni Claret ay may painting din si Haring Sullivan, habang sa ibaba ng kanilang larawan ay mas maliliit na frame, tatlo iyon na tila imahe na magkakakonekta.

In everyone's eyes, it might appear abstract—a painting dominated by vivid blue—but as I looked closer, I could see the figure of a woman: long hair, a slender body, moving in the wind like smoke—like a blue flame.

I bit my lower lip because, unlike us Gazellians who had experienced a whole family for years, Claret and Kreios might not have experienced it.

Kung kanina ay siya ang humahawak ng kamay ko, ako naman ngayon ang siyang humawak sa kanya at tipid akong ngumiti. "They'll be proud of you, Kreios."

He chuckled. "I hope..."

Sinadya ko nang lumingon sa paligid para ibahin na ang usapan namin. Alam kong nakatitig lang sa akin si Kreios habang pilit akong naghahanap ng maaaring paglipatan ng atensyon namin.

"Now that you're here, I am happy now, Harper."

Huminga ako nang malalim. It took us long agonizing years to be together—we had to endure our emotions and now that we suppressed it for too long— we hid and masked it as hate. Mas pinili namin ni Kreios magtalo kaysa aminin sa isa't isa ang ilang taon naming pilit na itinago para sa mga nilalang na nakapaligid sa amin.

Ito pala ang sinasabi ni ina at ang hinahangaan sa akin nina Claret, Naha, Lily at maging Reyna Leticia— that I could endure the whispers of my heart.

Hinawakan ni Kreios ang kamay kong nakahawak sa kanya at kapwa na kami humarap sa isa't isa. Pinagsalikop niya ang dalawa kong kamay at dahan-dahan niya iyong dinala sa kanyang mga labi hanggang sa magaan niya iyong halikan habang ang kanyang mga mata ay nasa akin.

"I first thought that you could be this selfish, Kreios... that you'd refuse to hear my side... that you could be this irrational creating chaos by your silly papers revealing our story to the world— that you couldn't wait. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko na hindi kaya niya naiintindihan ang sitwasyon ko? We almost experienced the same... alam ko na sa sandaling makarating ako rito sa tabi mo, hindi ko magagawang pigilan ang sarili ko. Even with our situation in Sartorias, I would not deny that my heart, body, and soul would be happy to be with you, and I couldn't take to feel this happiness with you while Lily, Dastan, and Zen couldn't pause, mourn or even cry to their heart extent...I saw how Lily kneeled and begged for Dastan not to kill Finn, I witnessed how Dastan shook his head in defeat for the first time, and Zen in his tears with his arms around Finn... silang tatlo ang pinaka nahirapan pero walang tumitigil sa kanila hanggang ngayon, kaya gusto kong tumakbo at lumayo sa 'yo dahil gusto kong tumulong sa kanila... maybe we can delay this again, maybe we could endure for another year, b-but..." I trailed off.

"How dare you plan this way ahead of me? As if you're the cunning one... as if you're not the Kreios who hated the title and responsibilities... akala ko kilalang-kilala na kita sa kabila ng distansya natin. We're mates... but as I spent more time in this empire, I couldn't see the Kreios that everyone thought— the foolish one... the one you tried to depict..."

I continued. "I could see a real king standing in front of me..."

"The foolish one or the real one... either way, both are in love with you."

"Y-you are willing to tarnish your reputation for me, Kreios... this isn't—" he cut me off.

Binitawan niya ang mga kamay ko at sa halip ay hinapit niya ako sa aking baywang at marahan niya akong kinabig.

"Why would I allow you to experience a journey outside alone if we can have it together?"

"K-Kreios..."

"How impudent of me to call myself a king, if I couldn't give you everything? Darling, I can give you everything—everything you say—but I can't guarantee that all I offer is alone—because it's always with me."

He gently placed his fingers under my chin as he tilted my face to meet his eyes.

"I can give you flowers in your right hand, while your left hand is intertwined with my fingers."

Unti-unti ko nang inangat ang isa kong kamay at inilapat ko iyon sa pisngi niya. Kreios gentle took my hand, pressed his cheeks and soft kissed my palm with his eyes closed as if savoring my scent.

"I can give you the most expensive silk for your dress, while my fingertips graze your soft skin as I help you wear it."

When he opened his eyes again, it was burning in crimson red. Slowly, his soft tongue was trailing the sides of my fingers.

My knees started to wobble yet his arms around my waist tightened supporting me.

"I can give you shoes filled with hundreds of stones yet allow me to kneel and place them on your slender feet," he whispered, with his fangs bared, playfully allowing the tip of his fang on my wrist.

"Kreios..."

"I can give you the finest wine, and sometimes we could share it through our lips..."

This time, it wasn't just his eyes, but mine were ablaze with color I knew would be fire. I could feel how I started to breathe heavily.

"Harper... darling," his voice raspy, almost begging. "I can give you the softest bed, yet I'd be there, staring at you as your beautiful hair spreads like strings of fate—tied to me in different timelines."

I hung my arms around his nape, and within a second, my legs were wrapped around his waist. I felt him press me against the wall as he tilted his head, breathing in my neck and kissing my ears as he continued his whispers.

"Lastly, I can share this feeling with you...that only I, the King of Mudelior, have the power to make you feel this insanely good..."

I gasped, cupping his cheeks with my hands, captivated by his glazed expression and his perfect face that seemed so unreal. "M-Make me feel insanely good, Your Majesty..."

He slowly licked my lips. "With pleasure, My Queen."