XII

A few seconds before my mind accepted that I was missing my most important crown.

My eyes widened and I immediately ran to the garden until I reached the secret wall.

I tore the end of my gown because it was a hindrance to running especially and I was still wearing heels

I looked around first to see if anyone was looking where I was. When I realized there's no one I slowly opened the wall

My eyes widened when I saw the guards lying down. They look so pale, and out of breath.

Lumuhod ako para makita kung ano ang dahilan bakit sila nakalatay at wala ng buhay.

"Agrokinesis," I whispered softly when I saw marks on their neck and feet. Agrokinesis can manipulate plants at their will.

Ang talino nang gumawa nito, nasa hardin sila kaya nagawa niya ito ng mag-isa sa mga taga-bantay.

Six mens lying down and it's only caused by one person who belongs to the Earth element.

Even from a distance I could see the purple on a glass stand where my crown should be placed. Surprising because the alarm didn't even sound when someone took the crown, nakakapanghinala.

Mahiwaga itong ginawa noon pa man, kapag may nagtangkang kumuha ng mga korona ay may tutunog ngunit kahina-hinala ngayon na hindi man lang siya tumunog sa paraan na dapat.

"Roses are red, but violets aren't blue, your crown was gone, now go get a clue." Nagulat ako nang biglang may isang magandang tinig na nagsalita mula sa aking likuran.

"Fairy godmother," She's wearing a fitted royal blue and silver dress and with her high heels as hell boots. Along with her bib necklace that is gently made with different rows of beads or gemstone.

"Long time no see, my Athaliah!" She twisted her wand in her hand then touched my chin and raised my face so that she could stare closely.

When she's satisfied, she slowly released her grip on it and slowly approached the glass room where the other crown was placed.

Binuksan niya ang pintuan ng walang kahirap-hirap at tinignan mabuti ang glass stands kung talagang wala na ba ang korona roon.

When she turned to look at me, her eyes screamed with angry emotions, as if it was on fire and seemed to be killing and burning me in her mind.

"Happy birthday Princess Athaliah," she greeted me sarcastically and looked at the other crown while I just followed her. "What a nice birthday present."

It wasn't that nice... I'm totally worried about my crown. Dahil kapag walang korona, walang coronation.

"You only have 7 days to find your crown before the coronation day." She suddenly disappeared after that. "No crown, no new queen,"

"Fairy godmother!" I called her but as if no one heard, no one answered, nothing happen.

"Fairy godmother!" I called her once more but still no response. "Fairy godmother, give me some clue who stole the crown!" I used my full strength to call and command her.

"Roses aren't always red, violets aren't blue, your crown was stolen it's with someone who's close to you." She said then disappeared again.

Close to me?

I only have 7 days before the coronation and before our wedding day.

Hindi muna ako umalis sa glass room dahil tinititigan ko pa ang mga koronang naroroon nang maramdaman kong uminit ang gilid ng aking mga mata.

"What have I done to deserve this kind of karma?" I asked as my tears started streaming.

I noticed the new tiara that I will wear on our wedding day. The red and gold crown that I will be wearing as a queen. But the crown that was stolen is really important, because it's the crown that I need to wear on the coronation day. Without that I'm no longer the crown princess of this palace.

I almost jumped when I heard someone outside. My eyes darted upwards and saw a silhouette of a man on top of a tall tree. His feet were tangled from the vines which turned his body upside down. He must've fallen.

"Ken Ivoís?" I asked him. I saw how his eyes widened when he saw who's in front of him.

Hindi naman siguro siya pipi o ayaw niya lang talaga akong sagutin?

"I'm asking you, who are you?!" Inis ko nang tanong sa kaniya dahil nauubos na ang pasensiya ko, dumadagdag pa ang nakakalokong pag ngisi niya sa harap ko mismo.

"Nakakatuwa pa lang tingnan kung paanong mag-alala ang isang prinsesa sa kaniyang korona," nagagawa niya pa talagang ngumisi sa lagay niyang iyan ah kahit nakabaliktad na siya. "Ang saya namang simulan ito," Hinawakan ko ang dulo ng tie ng kaniyang tuxedo saka ito hinila dahilan para mahirapan siyang huminga.

"Where's my crown?" I asked him emphatically. "Where the hell is my crown --- Sevanches?" He was stunned when I mentioned his name

I told you, I'm once villains so don't test me.

"Paano--" gulat pa rin siya.

"Now answer me... Where's my crown?" Mahinahon ko nang tanong ko sa kaniya pero tanging ngisi lang ang isinagot niya sa akin dahilan para sapakin ko siya sa ulo ng malakas.

I decided to leave because I had been here too long. I was about to open the secret walls when I realized something I should have done earlier.

Paanong nakasabit siya sa itaas kung walang ibang tao rito?! Nang lumingon ako ay ganoon na lang ang panlalaki ng mga mata ko nang wala na siya sa punong iyon.

He owns this Agrokinesis from the earth element. Now I wonder kung saan na siya pumunta.

Nagulat ako nang balingan ko ng tingin ang glass room. Puno na iyon ng mga buhangin!

I ran over there and realized that he was not holding just one ability.

Other items there became sand. Granulation is what it calls it can turn things into sand.

"Sevanches," Gigil kong tawag sa kaniya dahil hindi ko alam kung nasaan na siya.

"Nasa likuran mo mahal na prinsesa," agad akong lumingon sa kaniya at pinalilibutin siya ng mga alikabok.

Agrokinesis, Granulation at Koniokinesis ang hawak niyang kapangyarihan.

"Ano ang gusto mo Sevanches?" Madiin ko namang tanong niya.

"Ano kaya ang mangyayari kapag ang kulay ginto at pulang korona ang gagawin kong buhangin?"

"Chatre Vulma, Sevanches!" Galit kong sigaw sa kaniya. "What do you want?!"

"Tapusin mo ang laro nang walang nasasaktan," Walang nasasaktan seryoso ba siya?

"Paano kung ayaw ko?" Taas kilay ko namang tanong sa kaniya at pinagkrus pa ang kamay.

"Hmm..." Mas dumami ang mga alikabok na nakapaligid sa kaniya at dahan-dahan iyon lumapit sa direksiyon ko kaya napapaatras ako. "Mapipilitan akong kunin ka ng kadiliman!" Saka ako mabilis na pinalibutan ng mga malikabok.

Panay ang ubo ko habang umaatras pero hindi na ako tinatantanan ng alikabok na minamanipula niya.

"Sevanches--" I called him coughing but I could only hear his demonic laughter and the dust around me grew thicker and thicker.

I touched my neck because it was itching too and the rest of my body because of what he was doing.

"Maligayang kaarawan prinsesa---" huling narinig ko bago ako tuluyan kainin ng kadiliman.

woke up in a wooden house. I even coughed when I felt the itch in my throat. When that disappeared I tried to look around the room where I was.

"Where am I?" Mahinang tanong ko sa aking sarili.

This house is familiar... Pero hindi ko alam kung kaninong bahay ito ang tanging alam ko lang ay pamilyar ito sa paningin ko.

Lahat ng nakikita ko sa loob ng bahay ay puro antiques. Mga lumang gamit at may mahal na halaga na sa ibang tao sa ngayon.

"You are awake, dear princess," A voice from the man who made my heart beat fast. When I looked back at him a strange smile flashed on his lips.

"B-bakit ako nandito sa bahay niyo?" Nagtataka kong tanong dahil ang huling naalala ko ay nasa loob ako ng secret wall sa garden paanong nakapasok siya roon?

"I found you in the garden where the roses are and you are unconscious so I brought you here." He simply answered me and then the water reached me. "What happened?"

"I can not remember." I lied because he could not know the real reason why I lost my consciousness.

"Hmm..." Tumango-tango siya saka kinuha ang basong ininuman ko ng tubig.

Anong oras na ba? Nang sumilip ako sa may bintana ay maliwanag na ang sinag ng araw.

"Sverre, baka hinahanap na ako ng aking ina at ama!" Dali-dali kong sabi sa kanya, nagpapanic na.

"Huwag kang mag-alala dahil sinabi na ng aking ina na ika'y naririto sa aming bahay." Gulat akong lumingon sa kaniya. Ngayon ay may dala-dala na siyang tray na may pagkain sa ibabaw.

Ngayon ko lang maayos na nakita ang loob ng kanilang bahay. Their floors are red and the interior of their house is full of old things. There is a small living room set, there is a staircase to the second floor. It also has its own dining area and kitchen.

"Ano 'yan?" Turo ko sa hawak niya.

"Pagkain," Tanging sagot niya at inutusan akong maupo sa may dining area. "Malinis 'yan." Seryosong aniya nang mapansin niyang nakatitig lang ako roon.

Mula sa dining area napansin kong may isang kwarto na kulay rosas sa gilid nito. Hindi niya palingkuran kundi isa talaga siyang kwarto.

Habang kumakain ako ay hindi mawala ang kaniyang tingin sa akin. Sa bawat pagsubo ko ay inaabangan niya iyon. Inabutan niya ako ng tubig nang matapos akong kumain.

"Salamat..." Naglakad ako papunta sa bintana nila, sumunod naman siya sa akin at tumayo sa gilid ko.

How can someone make my heart beats so fast, and can bring a sanctuary of butterfly to fly around my stomach. Kung aamin ba ako mawawala ba ang nararamdaman kong ito? Pero malay ko kung pareho kami ng nararamdaman dahil hinalikan niya ako noong kaarawan ko!

"Sverre," I called softly to him and I felt him turn to me. "What if I like you?" I didn't admit it yet ... I just asked.

"If you like me?" He asked coldly. "I'm sorry but I like someone else, Princess Athaliah." So what's the kiss all about? There was a pain in my chest when he said that at kasabay nun ang pagbukas ng isang pintuan mula sa kulay rosas na pintuan.

It spewed out a woman I never expected to see inside this house. A woman I have hated all my life. She was wearing an oversized sweater and probably only wearing shorts below.

Binalingan ko ng tingin si Sverre na ngayon ay nakatingin din sa akin. Nag palipat-lipat ang tingin ko sa kanilang dalawa ni Adira na ngayon ay gulat din nang makita ako.

Another pain drew on my chest. It is a pain not to accept what I am witnessing. Despite that, I still tried to show them the smile on my lips and did not show that I was hurting.

"You're here Princess Athaliah," Adira bowed to pay her respects as she lifted her body and looked at me with a strange grin on her lips.

"Paalis na rin," I awkwardly said because the atmosphere is so heavy for me to handle. "Paalam," Huli na nang mapagtanto kong walang maghahatid sa akin kaya nang nasa harap na ako ng tulay may nakita akong isang tao na may hawak hawak na telepono.

"Hello, can I borrow your phone?" I asked and she gave it to me. I texted my driver na sunduin ako dito within 3 minutes dahil inis na inis na ako sa nakita ko kanina.

"Maari ko bang hawakan ang mga palad mo, Mahal ng prinsesa?" Biglang aniya habang nakatingin sa aking mga kamay.

"Why?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Babasahin ko lamang ito," oh, so she's a fortune teller? An oracle Or what? Bakit hindi ko alam na mayroon palang ganito sa Herst Fort.

Inabot ko sa kaniya ang kanang palad ko. Nang hawakan niya iyon ay naramdaman ko ang magaspang niyang kamay na humahaplos sa palad ko.

"Kapangyarihan, Kadiliman, Kamahalan." Sunod-sunod niyang sabi na hindi ko naman naintindihan.

"What do you mean?"

"May angkin' kang isang espesyal na kapangyarihan na ikaw lamang ang mayroon," she's talking about the element, right? "At ito ang magdadala sa iyo sa kadiliman, ang pag-ibig naman ang hihila sa iyo pababa--" agad ko nang hinila ang kamay ko dahil kung ano-anong kalokohan na ang kani
yang sinasabi na hindi ko naman naintindihan.

Mabuti na lang at dumating na ang driver ko. Padabog akong sumakay at uminom ng red wine.Bigla na namang pumasok sa isipan ko ang nangyari kanina. Si Adira na suot-suot ang sweater ni Sverre at si Sverre na may ibang gusto. Edi sila na!

Nabitawan ko ang baso nang naramdaman ko ang kakaibang init mula doon mabuti na lang at hindi nabasag.

Muli ko iyon hinawakan pero nang hawakan ko ay kakaibang lamig naman ang naramdaman ko mula roon. Hindi naman ako nababaliw diba dahil kung ano-anong temperatura ang nararamdaman ko?

Nang makarating kami ay agad akong nagtungo sa kwarto ko at itinaas ang dalawang palad ko.

"Hindi... Impossible..." Iling-iling kong sabi saka dumeretso sa banyo para maligo at magbihis dahil nakagown pa rin ako. Chatre, Sverre hindi man lang ako pinalitan ng damit pero kay Adira nagawa niya pang magpahiram ng sweater samantalang ako!!!

Biglang may kumatok sa pinto ko at iniluwa nito ang reyna.

"Mother, why are you here?" She sat beside me and caressed my hair.

"I'm glad to inform you that starting tomorrow you will have your new assistant--"

"Why? Why did you changed my assistant?!" Hindi ko inaasahan na pagtataasan ko siya ng boses sa lagay na ito. Kasalanan talaga ito ni Sverre eh! Napakalandi!

"That's because his mother asked me too," malungkot niyang sabi. "They need money to feed themselves."

"His? Who's that guy?"

"Sverre--" tila bigla akong nabingi nang marinig ko ang kaniyang pangalan. Hindi pa ba sapat ang nakita ko kanina at kailangan niya pang magtrabaho dito sa palasyo at bilang assistant ko pa?!

Hanep, talagang sinasampal na ako ng katotohanan.