The sky was absolutely plain; neither sunshine nor rain hinted at its coming. And the beach—the beautiful beach—mirrored the sky, except that it wasn't motionless. Waves welcomed Lady Lara's eyes as she stepped off the carriage. She crossed her arms as she felt the cool breeze. The gentle wind kept the trees swaying to Lady Lara's pleasure. The whole scene was a foreign sensation for her.

"Every time I'm preparing for a huge . . ." Lady Lara turned her head to see the empress purse her lips. ". . . decision, dito ako pumaparati."

The carriage moved away from them, entering the place where healthy bamboos stood tall.

Lara couldn't help but blink a few times, trying to focus her attention on the empress and not on the sea in front of them.

"I'd rather be tired physically than, you know, exhaust myself on everything at once. And so I have to divide my time and insert leisure. This is what keeps me going." The empress beamed, and it was contagious because Lara did the same.

"Grace under pressure. That's the first advice I'm giving you, darling." Lady Lara nodded. "Should I bet you don't know how to ride a horse?"

The young lady's face transitioned to a nervous expression. The empress saw it and smiled. "Equestrian is actually a requisite to nobility." She took Lady Lara's arm and started walking away from the beach. "But I'm already aware of how Duchess Ri raised you, so I didn't have to question that when she first filled up the form for the competition. Masasabi mong, naging madaya ako, because she was the closest to my heart among all the parents who also entered their daughters' names. But then I didn't want to concentrate lenses on just the surface. And so I accepted your form, your profile, without further analysis.

"And then there was Rohan, who, in his birthday ball happening the night after the filling up of forms, publicly made me swear to grant one thing he wishes as a gift. He wanted to choose for himself his own bride. Such a clever boy. He knew I'd look so petty if I objected to that in front of the crowd." The empress chuckled.

"And so as a considerate, supportive mother," the empress seemed to mock herself with the tone she was having "I decided to cancel the competition. Many were disappointed, of course. Some were saying if to have the liberty to choose was His Highness's wish, then he could've just been a judge for the competition. Like it's a pageant? I'm not for that, dear." The empress heartily laughed. "I knew what Rohan meant. What I just did not expect was when he . . . chose you."

Lady Lara looked down, and Empress Celesta saw through that. "My, my. Look, dear. What I meant was it's a wonderful coincidence. Duchess Ri was close to me, and suddenly Rohan set his eyes on her daughter."

Lara stared into the empress' sincere eyes and eventually smiled. But as they continued to walk, something bothered her. Her father's voice echoed in the hall of her mind.

"I do not intend to offend you, Your Highness, but I heard you're still finishing your leadership course. And Her Majesty herself is still young; His Majesty is alive. I don't see a need for a new mating to happen for the Empire to have its new monarch."

Lady Lara hadn't finished wondering how old the empress was when she saw where they were headed. Not so deep into the bamboos, Empress Celesta's chaperone is opening the door of a long but short building made of timber. Lady Lara's boots matched the color of its surface walls, chestnut.

Seconds had passed, and she found herself standing at the entrance of a stable. Her vision reached the edge of the lined-up stalls-rooms looking like spaces inside the gates. In the middle of each group of bars, the heads gracefully turned to look at her as if they were rehearsed to do so.

She was taken aback. Napaatras siya nang kaunti ngunit agad ring napabalik sa posisyon nang marinig ang halikhik ni Empress Celesta.

"Binabati ka nila," tukoy nito sa nakakulong na mga kabayong patuloy pa rin ang pagsilip sa kanila. "Come inside." The empress advanced her steps and stopped in the middle of the stone floor.

As if a muscle memory, Lara's head immediately looked up at the high ceiling that was folded halfway, proving it was just the inner layer of the roof. She saw how the light bulbs seemed to recreate the ray of sunshine. And when she looked down, the empress was already assisting a horse out of its room.

"This is Vice, ang paborito ko," the empress said as she continued her routine. But even before she could stand up straight, the horse abruptly kicked her, and she had to step back. She slowly looked at Lara. "Pero mukhang hindi niya ako paborito." They both chuckled.

Half an hour had passed, and Lady Lara couldn't still get on the horse properly or . . . not at all. Every time the saddle rolled a little bit, she would nervously slump down. Pero tila tulad ng oras ang pasensya ng empress, hindi nauubos. The beachside had been waiting for them, not to mention the waves were calming themselves.

Before she could waste an hour, Empress Celesta heavily sighed, but it was more of an amused expression. "Ibigay na lamang natin sa ibang araw ang pagtuturo ko sayo ano? Since your frame's cute, we could just ask Rimoro to carry you up on this." She tapped the horse's back.

Nahihiyang tumango ang dalagita at pareho nilang nilingon ang kasamang guwardiya ng empress.

Lady Lara ended up sitting at the empress' back, hugging her waist because the woman said so. Though the young lady certainly couldn't see or understand, the empress was voicing how she started the ride.

It started slow, approaching the beachside. Vice was one of the tallest horse breeds; that's why Lara had mixed emotions, overwhelmingly nervous and glad to see the waves couldn't reach her after many attempts. She kept on blinking, letting the experience sink into her mind.

The horse ride was fantastic. The wind didn't fail to add to the joyful experience as it crossed paths with them. The rocks in the sea gradually revealed themselves as the tide went low. Lady Lara loved it when the horse jumped and then ran at speed.

That was only until the empress turned her head. Sinundan ni Lady Lara ang dereksiyon ng mga mata nito at nakita niya sa likuran ang naghahabol sa kanilang isa pang kabayo. Itim. Tulad ng suot ng nakasakay rito. Ilang metro ang layo ngunit mahahalata na ang mahaba at malayang umiindayog sa hangin na buhok ng lalake.

Pero kinailangan ni Lara ang ituwid ulit ang paningin sa harapan nang mas pinabilis ng empress ang takbo. Lalo siyang napakapit sa tiyan nito, almost touching its muscular core. Good thing the wind couldn't raise the empress' thick braid, or else Lara would eat her hair.

Even with that bit of misery, she fought to stay quiet, closing her eyes hard and praying for the other rider to not reach them.

However, just as she opened them, her ears were suddenly moved by the sound of that rider overtaking them. The empress finally stopped the horse, and they both watched as the other took a U-turn and slowly had its horse walk toward the girls.

"Just how did you find this place?" Lady Lara could only describe the empress' voice as irritated.

The man facing them grinned. Lady Lara tilted her head, trying to see him, only to gasp for air when his fierce eyes caught hers. She saw how his tall nose moved quickly with his brows.

How could a single creature match the ocean's beauty like this? Lady Lara didn't notice how poetic her mind went as she looked at the man's flawless face. The look in his eyes seemed to pierce an arrow into her heart. His luscious lips seemed to devour her soul. His cheekbone even made his beautiful grey eyes deeper, but it had no emotion at all unless judgment could be called one. It looked at Lara as if she were a statue of dirt.

"I followed you," he replied to the empress. Even the motion his eyeballs made didn't escape Lady Lara's appreciation.

Lady Lara felt the empress' heavy sigh. "Stop this nonsense. What do you need now?"

"Keys."

Napalaki ang mata ni Lady Lara sa narinig.

"To what?"

"To your greenhouse."

She then blinked a lot, feeling embarrassed with her reaction even when she wasn't sure if anyone had seen it.

"Is this another one of your dumb episodes, Celesto? Sa tingin mo ba'y bitbit ko ang susi papunta rito? Just tell me you're here to finally locate my sacred place. When would you stop being nosy?" Iniliko ng empress ang kabayo at napakapit naman ulit si Lady Lara.

"I'm not being nosy. I really need the keys," sambit ng lalake sa baritonong boses. Hindi na makita ni Lady Lara ang mukha nito dahil nakatalikod na sila ng empress, naghahandang lumayo. "And sacred place? Sacred place, and you're bringing a kid with you?"

The empress stopped the horse again. Tinabihan sila ng kabayo ng lalake. Sinundan ito ng tingin ni Lara. The man subtly looked at her up and down. "Or perhaps a maid."

"Shut up!" The empress exclaimed. "Let us dismount, young lady," she patiently told Lara.

Lady Lara started to get nervous again, not because of the tension but because of the thought that the chaperone was not there to hold her while getting down.

"Celesto, I command you to help the crown princess down—"

"What should I do? Catch her? Wait-crown princess?"

"Yes, crown princess! I'll explain it later. Just do what I told you."

"What a hassle. I'm just here for the keys," the man murmured as he dismounted from his own horse.

"Stop complaining and stop repeating that word. It sounds gross."

Lady Lara froze when she started to feel the man behind her. She didn't know what to do. She might have gone dumb after this male's appearance was registered in her mind.

"Kid, you can actually move now."

Lady Lara repeatedly blinked again, sighed a little, and-

"God, just swing your right leg up over the horse, and then it's done. Slide down."

"Temper, Celesto!" Empress Celesta exclaimed.

"Slide down, and then I'll try to catch you." Celesto tried to lower his voice. "Bakit ba kasi 'tong pinakamatangkad mo pang kabayo ang-"

"Just do what I told you," the empress hushed him.

"Ito na nga, ito na." Mas nilapitan niya ang kabayo at pumosisyon upang abangan ang pagbaba ni Lady Lara.

Swing. Okay, I'm just going to swing this leg up and- "Oh ah ah aaa!"

"What the hell!" sambit ng lalake at dumulog para saluhin si Lady Lara. "Kid, kid, kid, stop panicking, stop!" He panicked as he tried to get his balance when the girl's weight fell on him and he had to bend his knees. He held both of Lady Lara's shoulders and managed to straighten her up as he hopped. Then he moved to face her. He put his hands to his sides, holding his waist, and sighed. "What were you? Can't even do a basic thing properly?"

Lady Lara looked up at him and couldn't move her cheek. Still stricken by the man's height, she couldn't entertain the embarrassment.

Celesto tried to flatten his quite crumpled top by pulling it down.

"Are you alright, dear?" tanong ng empress na kakababa lang at nilapitan agad ang dalagita.

"O-Opo," Lara managed to respond. "I'm-" she gulped, "-so sorry for the trouble . . . sir."

Dahan-dahan siyang pinagbalingan ng lalake. He nodded, still with his brows creased. "So, you're the crown princess?" he asked, relaxed now, and turned his head to Empress Celesta and raised his brows.

"Yes. Siya iyong babaeng pinili ni Rohan."

Nilingon niya ulit si Lady Lara. He grinned. "Okay, where's your keys?" baling niya ulit sa kausap.

"Oh, Lady Lara, he's my little brother, Celesto." The empress smiled and tapped Lara's shoulder. "He's a medical student."

"No need to be proud. Just give me the keys."

"Expect to meet more people like him in this empire, well-educated yet lacking manners." The empress scoffed as she took Lady Lara to walk with her, habang hawak-hawak ang pisi ng kabayo.

"What?" imik ni Celesto na agad naman silang sinundan.

"Members of the nobility aren't totally noble. Kapag nakaupo ka na sa trono, they'll overreact as if the world's going to end in your reign. Maliban na lang kung . . ."

"Kakampi ka nila. Keys, ate, please."

Empress Celesta stopped, sighed heavily, and turned to see her little brother's fake smile. Nilapitan niya ito at isinilid ang kamay niya sa bulsa ng damit nito. "Now, leave." She tapped that pocket as she seriously looked into the man's eyes.

Celesto nodded and got back to his horse while murmuring something: "Hindi niya raw bitbit, tsk."

Nang tuluyan na itong makaalis ay saka pa nginitian ulit ni Empress Celesta si Lady Lara.

"I hope you still enjoyed the ride before he arrived. Didn't you?"

Lady Lara nodded while smiling. "I did, Your Majesty."

"But I apologize; we cannot resume on it. We have to go back to the palace."

Lady Lara watched the empress put the horse back in its stall after feeding it. Hindi na ito nagsayang pa ng oras at pagkatapos ay sumakay na ulit sila sa karwahe.

Little did Her Majesty know, Lady Lara couldn't get over her wonder at how the former gave the keys to her brother without them in sight. Or was it only Lady Lara who didn't see it?