Dedicated to: Lian (Thank you so much for attending our TOS meet and greet event! )

Chapter 40: The Opponent

An embargo who was freed.

I should have felt confident in this game— with the talented women around me and Kreios behind my back, but as I slowly uncovered the identities of these creatures who were suddenly appearing on this journey, I couldn't help but hold back.

Buong akala ko ay si Atlas lang ang siyang higit kong iisipin paglalakbay na ito. But why would these creatures show themselves to me?

They were freed by Anna... and Queen Leticia did her best to let them live and continue their lives, but they all disappeared and refused further help. I didn't hear anything from them after that.

Is this a revenge?

I felt a lump in my throat as my eyes stung with those eyes, I knew that only my eyes could recognize.

I remembered before Caleb was sent to Fevia Attero and how Queen Leticia and King Dastan for the first time fought in front of us after the war between Deesedayah ended.

"Dastan, kailangan natin silang pakawalan!" malakas na sigaw ni Reyna Leticia.

We were all inside the throne room, but Queen Leticia was already standing from her throne. Her hands were balled as she stared at my brother, who tried to look composed while sitting on his throne.

Minsan ko nang nakitang magalit si Reyna Leticia, ngunit hindi ko inaasahan na masasaksihan muli ito.

Lahat kaming magkakapatid ay nakahilera sa ibaba ng trono at bahagyang nakayuko habang pinakikinggan ang pagpapalitan ng mga salita nina Reyna Leticia at Haring Dastan.

"My Queen, even if they have been proven as creatures— mates of the previous women who tried to revive the high thrones, and any other men who supported their mates who supported the seven women there are so many of them and we can no longer identify the real embargos and the one who chose to take that form as a sacrifice. Risking the innocent lives of this kingdom just to free them is not a good decision. We're all aware of what the embargoes are capable of. We're all aware that only us, royalties can take it down and it would take several knights to defeat one."

Hindi agad nakapagsalita si Reyna Leticia na tila hindi makapaniwala sa narinig mula kay Haring Dastan.

I could understand Queen Leticia and her oath to free everyone from the chain curse made by the sick and wronged twist of the seven high thrones. They washed away the manipulated history that was made by Deesedayah. Nangako si Reyna Leticia na puputulin niya na ang walang tapusang epekto ng manipulasyon ng mga diyosa. Iginapang nila ni Dastan ang kalayaan at pilit nilang inilaban ang katotohanan. They freed the victims— they freed so many lives. From Nikos... King Andronicus... kaya hindi ako nagugulat na maging ang mga lalaking isinakripisyo ang kanilang sariling mga katawan upang maging mga halimaw at protektahan ang mga kababaihan na handang muling buhayin ang pitong trono ay handang bigyan muli ng buhay ni Reyna Leticia.

She vowed to fix everything. Ngunit naiintindihan ko rin ang kapatid kong si Dastan. I knew the extent of the power of embargos, and as an empire who just recovered from the war, it wouldn't be a wise decision to use our knights again.

"I know your frustration, My Queen. I know how you are going to do everything for the greater good, but as the queen, you need to weigh the lives of your people—"

"Ano ang ibig mong sabihin? Na dapat ay hindi ko na lang pansinin ang sitwasyon nila? Nasa kaanyuan sila ng mga halimaw na kailanman ay hindi na maririnig! Nakakulong sila sa pangakong hindi naman natupad ng—"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang tumayo na si Haring Dastan at humakbang siya papalapit kay Reyna Leticia.

"Decision that wasn't forced on them. They chose it, Leticia. My Father did not force them. I will not risk the lives of my people to undo my father's decision. These embargoes knew their fate. They accepted it through the years."

Bumuga ng hangin si Reyna Leticia. She ran her fingertips through her hair frustratingly and she looked around as if she had heard one of the most ridiculous words in her lifetime.

"Ako! Sisiguraduhin ko na wala silang mapipinsalang nilalang! Dastan, if this world needs healing, we need to do it to everyone! Hinding-hindi ako mamimili! Lalo na't ang mga lalaking ngayon ay halimaw sa ilalim ng palasyong ito'y pinili ang daang iyon hindi dahil naging makasarili sila kundi nais nilang mapabuti ang mundong ito!"

"With your strength right now? Kadarating mo lang, Leticia! I will not let the wife use her power and weaken herself—"

"I am not just your wife, King Dastan. I am the Queen! Ako ang pinakamakapangyarihang diyosa ng Deesedayah na nabubuhay ngayon!" dumagundong ang boses ni Reyna Leticia sa silid na iyon.

Alam kong hindi lang ako ang higit na napayuko sa boses niyang kundi pati na rin ang mga kapatid ko na kapwa nakahilera sa ibabang trono.

It was a serious conversation between the king and the queen, but the idiot Caleb tried to lighten up the mood. "Are you perhaps aware of a certain ritual that might let us recognize the real embargo or not? You know... I can handle much. Just don't away... you know."

Mas tumalim lang ang titig ni Haring Dastan kay Caleb na mas yumuko na nang hawakan ni Lily ang ulo nito para tumahimik.

But after that heated conversation between the king and queen, in a matter of few days, Caleb disappeared with Divina's spell— and surprisingly in one of the libraries I heard how King Dastan tried to win Queen Leticia again.

Nang sandaling bumalik si Caleb sa Sartorias kasama si Anna, doon ko lang higit na nasagot ang katanungan ko— that my brother was purposely sent to a place that would summon a woman who would free the embargos.

That's why when they held a ceremony with hundreds of embargos on the chain, the confidence between Queen Leticia and King Dastan that day was so unexplainable.

And the moment I saw the Earth Train in the sky, with Anna Merliz Callista with a glistening lantern— all I did was got amazed and fascinated. Hindi lang sa natapos na misyon ni Caleb, sa kapangyarihan ni Anna, kundi pati na rin sa kasalukuyang hari't reyna ng Sartorias.

Because it was damn well played.

I blinked and returned to reality. I might be aware of the point of view of the king and queen, but how about the embargoes themselves after they were freed?

Mariin akong napapikit nang pumasok sa isip ko ang anghel at ang babaeng may pulang buhok. Could it be that those women and these men in front of me, with their eyes filled with contempt against me planned to kill me to get back at my Father, Danna, or even my mother who they treated as someone who ruined their plans?

Hindi lang ang hiwa sa pisngi ko ang siyang kumikirot dahil higit na tumindi ang pagsikip ng dibdib ko.

Because even if I loved my father, and admired all his sacrifices, he had actions and decisions that were so hard to swallow. Sa kabila ng sakripisyo niya at walang katapusang pagmamahal sa aming magkakapatid, may mga nilalang siyang naapakan, nasaktan, at higit sa lahat ay nasugatan na kailanman ay hinding-hindi mahihilom ng panahon.

I bravely vowed to myself that I'd do everything in my power to move this journey forward— a mission that would get even at Atlas, but I wasn't expecting that there would be hanging conflicts— the original conflict that our family had been trying to mend. The seven high thrones— and Father. The relics and the women he had chosen who were supposed to rule this world.

Should I apologize to these women? Should I ask these once embargoes of their wants? Or nothing would make them happy and satisfied but the death of the daughter of the king who failed to fulfill his promise?

Hindi ko na pinansin ang biglang pagtulo ng luha ko. Huminga ako nang malalim at pilit pinakalma ang sarili ko.

Narito si Kreios... ang mga babaeng nangakong tutulong sa akin at ang tiwala ko sa sarili kong malalampasan ko ito. Ako na ang nag-iwas ng tingin sa posisyon nina Elena at ng lalaki.

Kanina pa akong nag-iisip kung bakit ang tawag nila'y laro ng orasan ng tubig at buhangin ngunit ngayon na higit ko nang mapagmasdan ang lugar kung saan mangyayari ang laro, mas nakumbinsi akong hindi inaasahan nina Elena at Catalina ang sitwasyong ito.

Now I realized why the houses of pleasure were elevated from the aisle that there were several stairs before anyone could reach each house of pleasure because this place had been designed to be as convenient as possible for this horrendous game.

Nakaposisyon sina Elena at ang lalaki sa gitna ng daan, ngunit higit na mataas ang posisyon nila kumpara sa dalawang magkabilang panig nila. It was like they were on top of a pillar— like a pyramid but with a flat summit.

The right and left side of the pyramid looked like a sealed long canal yet there were several holes on the walls on each side. And those canals were filled with creatures. Hindi lang si Catalina ang naroon sa panig ni Elena. I saw Luna, Remi and Delilah. Sa kabilang panig naman ay iilang mga nilalang na napupuno ng takot sa kanilang mga mukha.

Saan niya kinuha ang mga nilalang na ito?

A loud voice roared— the man between the table. "These women are discovered to be outsiders! Spies in the Entertainment District! A threat to our peace!"

Malakas na sigawan ang umalingawngaw sa kabuuan ng lugar na iyon. Tumama ang mga mata ko kay Kreios na napamura. Ngumisi ang lalaking nasa lamesa na ngayon ay magiging katunggali ni Elena.

Elena tried to look confident, but I could notice how nervous she was. I knew that she and Catalina were just trying to help me!

Marahas itinuro ng lalaking nag-anunsyo ang posisyon ko. "And she is one of them!"

Mas lalong lumakas ang sigawan ng mga nilalang na naroon.

"Isama ang babaeng iyan!"

"Ano ang kailangan nila sa lugar na ito?!"

"They could be the pets of that good-for-nothing king!"

Marahas akong itinulak ng may-ari ng bahay ng aliw kung saan nakatindig sina Catalina, Luna, Remi at Delilah.

They tried to catch me, but it was too late. Gumulong ang katawan ko sa matigas na lupa habang tila mabibingi ako sa sigawan ng bawat nilalang na nagsisigawan doon.

"Harper, love... I will end this."

"Kreios! Do not fucking ruin our disguise! We are just getting started! These men on the stage were once embargos! Two women from the seven high thrones that Father once formed were here! They orchestrated everything! Hindi tayo naliligaw! These creatures could be looking for the Holy Land as well! We could be competing to find the place, or they're trying to prevent us from finding it."

"What?"

"Harper was here!"

"H-Huh?"

"Harper! The fucking angel! And she was with other woman—I am sure that she was once my father's ally as well. And these men... on the stage are their mates. Fuck it, Kreios. Hindi lang si Atlas ang kalaban natin dito."

Hindi ko na narinig ang boses ni Kreios sa isipan ko. Lumapit na sa akin si Luna at inalalayan niya akong tumayo.

"We're sorry..." yuko ni Luna. "I didn't know how they noticed us. We were being careful."

Umiling ako sa kanya. "May matatalino tayong mga katunggali. Worst they came earlier than us."

I was being careful— created a damn act in the whole castle of Mudelior, asked for the aid of my brother from Sartorias, used a human, and even let someone from Avalon temporarily rule our empire just to avoid Atas' attention, yet I didn't expect that I'd have a different opponent.

The angel, the red-haired woman, and these embargos could be looking for the Holy Land way before us, and now that they recognized me— the daughter of King Thaddeus. I don't think they would stay idle, watching me trace the place that my father wished to find before.

"Ngayon ay pipili na ang bawat maglalaro kung ano ang kahihinatnan ng kanilang mga alipores." Sabi ng lalaking nag-aanunsyo.

Kapwa na kami nakatingala roon sa ibaba habang sina Elena at ang lalaking dating embargo ay sabay humila ng papel.

"Sabay iangat ang inyong mga papel."

Nang gawin iyon nina Elena at lalaki ay kapwa nagbago ang kulay ng kanilang mga papel. Kung ang sa lalaki ay kulay asul ang kay Elena ay kulay ng kayumanggi.

Mas lalong lumakas ang sigawan ng mga nilalang na naroon nang kapwa may lumabas ng bagay sa bawat butas ng kanal na nakapaligid sa amin.

Sands.

Now I confirmed the game— because I could hear running water from the other side. And that meant it's either we'll be buried alive, or we'll be drowned.