Late na si Steffanie sa kanyang klase. Mariin niyang tiningnan ang kanyang relo. It was already 9 am, she was definitely late. Thirty minutes late. Napaka-istrikto pa naman ng propesor nya sa subject na ito. Plus, her professor is a known anti-scholar. She was definitely toast. Ano naman kaya ang ipagagawa nito sa kanya?
She just entered the main gate of the university when she saw a mob of students patiently waiting for something. Halos lahat sa mga ito ay mga babaeng may hawak-hawak na asul na flaglets at welcome sign boards. That caught her curiosity. Binagalan niya ang paglalakad upang makita ang pinagkakaguluhan ng mga ito.
Then the source of commotion came in all of its full glory. From afar, she saw five black luxurious cars, each bearing the Flag of Pendragon. Wala itong mga plate numbers, sa halip, mga golden seal ng Imperial Household ang naroon. Isa lamang ang ibig sabihin niyon. Isa sa mga miyembro ng royal family ang lulan ng mga sasakyang ito.
Isa-isang pumarada ang mga ito sa entrada ng paaralan. Then the crowd started screaming. Anong meron? May imperial visit ba ngayon?
She had a very good view of the cars from her position. Four men, clad in black suits, went out from the first sedan. Then another four went out from the remaining cars. Soon after, the entrance was now filled with twenty men. And among those twenty, two men stood out the most. They emanate an aura far more different from the others.
She surveyed the tallest among them. The man was handsome, he gave off a gallant and noble aura around him. Guwapo ito, oo, but she found no interest to the man.
She then moved her gaze to the other striking man, the one who was wearing differently from among the group. He was wearing a much more casual attire with cargo pants and red polo shirt. But despite his simplicity, it did not make him any less handsome.
Biglang bumilis ang tibok ng kanyang puso. Nagsimula na ring manuyo ang kanyang lalamunan. Kilala niya ito. No! It can't be.
Then all of the sudden, the man turned in her direction and gave her a smirk. He looked her in the eye, and immediately, she noticed those amber eyes radiating against the rays of the sun. That confirmed everything. This can't be happening. Impossible! Those eyes were the same eyes which haunted her dreams. He was the same man whom she shared that hot and passionate kiss during His Majesty's birthday party. Oh my! Anong gagawin niya?
Somehow, everything was coming together. Those amber eyes. His presence on the Arondight Palace at King's birthday. The insignia of the royal family in the car that he came from. That man, he said his name was Gareth. Her mind arrived in the most probable conclusion. She shared a kiss with no ordinary person. She kissed 'the' fourth prince of the kingdom, Prince Gareth Pendragon.
The shock of her realization hit her hard. So without really thinking of what might happen, she ran away as quickly as she can.
Gareth's first day of school was far from being okay. Aburidong-aburido na siya. Several groupies were constantly following him around no matter where he went. And to his frustration, Natalya's no better than those groupies. She constantly tailed him during lunch time and in-between periods. Kada bakanteng oras nito ay pinagsisiksikan nito ang sarili sa kanya. She initiated tiny chit-chats, reminiscing the days when she believed that they were an item. Her mere presence was an annoyance to him. He liked women, but when they get clingy and possessive, ibang usapan na iyon. He did not like exclusivity. And he did not believe any sense of that word. For him there was no exclusive relationship, everything was for fun, a means to gratify his lustful desires.
Alam niya ang ginagawang iyon ni Natalya. Binabakuran siya nito, purposely showing to the whole university that she is his. But that will never happen.
Iginala niya ang paningin sa paligid. He had to admit that the learning facilities of this university were top notch. He will indeed learn more from this institution rather than the Royal School who taught nothing but Imperial laws and statute. He might as well make the best out of this place since he was left without a choice but to stay here.
He finished a bachelor's degree on Biology on the Stadtfelt Institute of Learning. He took this to fully enhance and understand his business. He formulated breeding mechanisms that helped him produce healthy livestock and fisheries. He was indeed one of the most celebrated zoologists within that region. Many of his business competitors were eliminated because they could not par with the innovation he introduced on Agricultural Technology. He's brilliant. He's rich. He's handsome. Now, who needs a title? He definitely made it on his own even without the crown.
He decided to pursue a post-graduate study on veterinary medicine on the same institution. But he dropped-out from the university after the King has recalled him. So now, here he is, continuing where he left off.
He just finished his class for today. Finally, he was free to look for his Cinderella. Kanina pa niya itong hinahanap. The feeling of anticipation rose once more. He did not believe in serendipity and all that coincidence bull crap, but he was but thankful to the gods for finding his Cinderella here in the same university. Soon they will meet again. And when that happened, he will drag her to his bed and brand this woman as his. She will writhe in passion as he fucked her thoroughly. Every moans and whimpers will be music to his ears. He will satiate his hunger with her. He felt his manhood stirred at the mere thought of it. Damn it! He spat on his self. He felt like a horny teenager once more.
"Sir," usal ni Clarence, ang kanyang chevalier. Lumapit ito sa kanya saka inabot ang hawak nitong envelop. Pinasadahan niya ang nilalaman nito. He gave a mischievous smile.
Steffanie Smithson, he read from the files. Soon she will be his.
"Miss Smithson, do you take my subject seriously?" came the thundering voice of Professor Callahan.
"Yes sir," Steffanie said nervously.
"Then why the heck did you skip my class?"
She received a summon that same day when she skipped his class. Pinuntahan agad niya ito matapos ang natitira niyang klase sa araw na iyon upang maresolba na ang gusot na kaniyang ginawa. So there she was, inside his office, receiving all the rage from his professor.
"I am sorry sir. I did wrong," she admitted.
"Ano pa nga ba ang magagawa ko? Do not let this happen again. Otherwise, you might not graduate this year. Do you understand?"
She bowed her head down, "Yes sir."
This was very unusual of her. She was never irresponsible, especially when it came down to her education. She took it very seriously. But she did not know why she skipped her first period earlier. May pagkakataon pa sana siyang makahabol sa klase nito but she blew it all because of that man. Natatakot siyang makita ito o makasalubong man lang. Nagwawala ang buong kalooban niya kanina. Everything was out of control. She suddenly felt this longing of wanting to be near him. She wanted to smell his scent once more. She wanted to hear his baritone voice as he utters her name. She wanted to feel that kiss again. All of the warning signs were on, so instead of going to class, she chilled-out inside the nearest restaurant. She threw all of her sanity for the second time because of that man.
She gave a sigh, "Marami pong salamat sa pang-uunawa, Sir."
Tatayo n asana siya nang muling magsalita ang propesor niya.
"Don't think it's that easy little missy. Because of this slip-up, you gain extra work for your final exhibit. You must double your artworks; otherwise, I am afraid you might fail."
Para siyang nabagsakan ng langit at lupa sa narinig. Creating a whole exhibit in the next four months was very hard in itself considering that she has six more subjects to worry about.
She laid her timeline and schedule of work for the next four months in her head. She already started painting some pieces for her nature-themed exhibit but she was not even halfway done. She did a mental calculation. If she spent some sleepless nights for this, she might be able to catch-up with the deadline. She needed to persevere and push herself more. She then looked at the old man.
Her professor wore an irritating cocky grin,"Try to get out of this one, dear scholar."
She was speechless. She neither wanted to retaliate nor complain. She just remained frozen in her seat.
"And I almost forgot, you are not going for nature-themed exhibit. I've switched your theme with a better one. You are now going to feature the power of the alpha male," he paused then pointed at the doorway, "The exit is that way, you may now leave."
She started to walk out of his office. Ngayon lang nagreregister sa kanyang utak ang lahat. So this was just about her being a scholar. This was all about her not belonging in this place of blue-bloods. Everything was about that. And with a single slip-off on her part, everything she had worked hard for years will crumble.
Unti-unting pumatak ang kanyang mga luha sa mata. Hindi an niya kaya ang ginagawa ng mga ito sa kanya. Why were all these things happening to her? She ran towards the open ground. Isa ba talagang malaking pagkakamali ang pumasok siya sa Universitry of Pendragon? Gusto na niyang maiyak sa galit! Gusto niyang sumigaw ngunit 'di niya magawa. Naupo lamang siya sa damuhan at doon ibinuhos ang lahat ng kanyang kalungkutan.
Strolling under the city lights was Steffanie's own way of relieving her stress. It has been two days since Professor Callahan dropped the bomb, two whole days of being nothing but unproductive. This was her version of a writer's block. Everything was just blank. Wala siyang mapinta. She randomly splattered her paint, but it was not art. Gusto sana niyang makausap si Sofia para mahawaan naman siya ng optimism nito. But she was out of reach. Ilang araw na itong hindi nagpaparamdam sa kanya. She was very frustrated.
She was passing through Camelot's fashion district, the Catalina Avenue. Umaasa siyang makakita ng kahit anong inspirasyon. Mabuti na lang at may sapat na liwanag sa mga kalye rito. The last thing she wanted was to randomly trip over some road bumps. She was looking around and all she could see were fashion houses piled one after the other. Iniisip niya ang temand ibinigay ng propesor. Alpha Male. What was that anyway?
Nakakailang lakad pa lamang siya nang makuha ng isang fashion house ang kanyang atensyon. Judging from its windows, it was an all male designer's shop. The mannequins were clad in the most elegant suits. It made them look very statuesquely male and dominant. She looked at the signboard, IMPERIO. Like a magnet pulling her, she went inside the shop.
Dahan-dahan siyang pumasok. What she saw inside made her regret opening the door. There at the lobby of the shop sat Prince Gareth. She was stunned at his presence. Her heart did a somersault.
As if on cue, he turned to her. Shocked registered in his eyes. Ngunit agad namang nakabawi ito. Mabilis siya nitong nilapitan. He wore that dangerously handsome smile of his. Like a perfect gentleman, he gave her a bow. He then gave a chaste kiss on her hand. Napapikit siya nang magdikit na ang mga labi nito sa kanyang kamay. That mere action sent explosions on her insides. She took a step back. Being near with this man was very hazardous to her. He evoked this foreign feeling from her, a feeling that she did not knew how to handle.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
Nakatulala pa rin siya rito. Her instinct told her to escape but her body seemed to have a life of its own. She just stayed grounded, paralyzed by her own doing.
"I am glad to finally see you again Steffanie, my runaway Cinderella."
She had heard other people say her name, but the baritone voice of this man made her name seemed very special. He uttered it in a way like no other men did. It made her feel sexy and very gorgeous.
"I should not be here." Inilayo niya ang tingin dito. Without any efforts at all, she was drawn to him, completely hypnotised by this prince.
"Why not?"
Ngunit bago siya makapagsalita, isang sigaw ang narinig niya, "Steff! What are you doing here?"
Pareho nilang nilingon ang pinaggalingan ng tinig na ito. It was Sofia. She was standing dumbstruck in front of the fitting room. With Gareth distracted, she ran towards her and hugged her friend tightly.
"Thank you Sofia. You are such a life-saver," she whispered.
"Anong ginawa ko?" tanong nito saka pinasadahan ng tingin si Gareth at siya. She gave her a what-is-it-that-you-are-not-telling me look.
"So, Lady Sofia is a friend of yours," Hindi niya namalayang nakalapit na pala si Gareth sa kanila.
"I am so sorry Prince Gareth, but Steff is not just my friend. Siya ang best friend ko with a capital B-E-S-T. So back-off a little bit, we girls need some space. You know, girl talk? Something that guys wouldn't understand," she said while rolling her eyes.
"I am sorry Miss Sofia. But I believe I saw her first. She's with me." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. Inakbayan siya nito. They were too close for comfort. She could smell his scent. He smelled musky, crisp and very violently male.
"You see here, Miss Sofia. Steffanie came to see me," he arrogantly said.
She breathed in, reinforcing the walls that she built to seclude herself from the rest of the world. "Excuse me, your highness. Thank you for your hospitality, but I just randomly entered the shop without any intention of seeing you or Sofia," she politely said while slipping through his hold.
"Randomly entering a Men's shop? You ought to think of another alibi beautiful Missy. Your digging my brother here or are you digging me?" came a voice from the man she saw with Prince Gareth the other day. She felt a sense of familiarity towards the man. Nakita na niya ito dati pa, hindi lang niya maisip kung saan at kung kalian.
Muling lumapit sa kanya si Gareth. This time he snaked his arms around her waist. Her reflex was to push him away but his grip was very tight. "Fishing for a concubine already? C'mon man, ikakasal ka pa lang. And besides, Steffanie is definitely not interested, right sweetheart?"
She simply nodded.
Sofia went ballistic towards the man. Binatukan niya ito ng ubod ng lakas.
"Ouch! Why do you that for?" reklamo nito.
Her best friend was furious, "You see this! This is the reason why I am against this. Napakapalikero mo! If it wasn't for my father, asa ka pang papayag ako."
She was very used to Sofia's usual outburst, but never had she seen her friend like this. She was so angry, she wanted to tear his neck apart.
"Cute couple eh, right sweetheart," Gareth whispered.
Good Lords! The way his breath brushed against her skin did nothing but make her knees wobble.
"God! You're impossible, just what did the King saw in you," the man said.
"At ikaw pa ang may ganang magtanong? News Flash! I DO NOT KNOW ALSO! He is your father and not mine. Darn it!" Lumapit sa kanya si Sofia at hinatak siya palayo kay Gareth.
"Can I have my best friend back, your highness? I believe you both needed to fit your suits," she said as she dragged her towards the counter. There stood a very beautiful woman. She was dressed in a dark fitting suit, giving her beauty a masculine touch.
"Hi Val, this is my BFF, Steffanie. Steff, this is Valerie Imperio, one of Pendragon's finest fashion designer for men," pagpapakilala sa kanila ni Sofia.
Nagkamay silang dalawa, "Nice to meet you."
"Pasukatin mo na nga sa kanila yung mga suits nang makaalis na kami."
Val left the counter and went for the two men, each handing them with a pair of suits. She just watched as both men moved. Both of them were very fluid with their actions. They have this angst surrounding them that was very, very potent. Somehow, despite being equally gorgeous, her eyes were drawn to only one man. She watched as Gareth stole little glimpse at her direction while he inspected the clothes. And that simple action from him brought a smile on her face.
"I am glad to have you here Steff." Doon naputol ang pagmamasid niya.
"What are you doing here, Sofia? And who is that man you are aguing with?" she asked.
Her friend took a very deep breath. "Hindi ka maniniwala sa mga nangyari sa akin this past two days. That man you are referring to is Prince Arthur Pendragon."
"The Crown Prince?" kaya pala pamilyar ito sa kanya.
"Yes he is. And unfortunately, he is also my betrothed."
Parang namatanda siya sa kanyang narinig, "Did I just hear it right?"
"Yes, Steff. Unfortunately, my dad had this understanding with the King from a long, long time ago. Now, I am the Crown Prince's bride."
Nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata sa narinig. She just talked with the Crown Prince of the kingdom! She just learned that she has this strange magnetic attraction towards the kingdom's fourth prince! And now, Sofia, her BFF, will be the Crown Princess of the Kingdom. So much for her low-profile life.
She gave her friend a smile, "Congratulations."
"You dare to rub that to my face, huh?"
"So what brought you here? Why are you with them?"
"Apparently, my engagement is only a month away. Inutasan ako ni Papa na samahan ang soon-to-be groom ko na bumili ng kanyang suit. Conveniently, he was with his brother Prince Gareth. So I dragged them both here. What about you? What's the real score between you and Prince Gareth?" she gave her a very mischievous look.
"C'mon Sofia. You know me. It is not like that. I never liked romantic relationships. I am here for a more complicated reason."
Ikinuwento niya ang mga naganap nitong huling dalawang araw, lalo na ang dagdag na gawaing binigay ni Professor Callahan.
"That asshole! That's unfair Steff. Dapat hindi ka pumayag."
"You know it was not an option Sofia. Wala rin namang magagawa dyan. To them I am just a mere scholar. So here I am, trying to find the true essence of the Alpha Male."
"So were you able to find it, the inspiration?"
She looked at the fitting room where Gareth entered. Then out of nowhere, the door burst open. There stood an imposing figure. Gareth was nothing but crisp and regal in his grey cashmere overcoat with a black scarf fashionably fastened around his neck. His dangerous stance gave him a commanding presence. His deep-set eyes emitted an indelible air of arrogance. His stunning bone structure has put him in the permanent list of Pendragon's most gorgeous bachelor. And his mouth, that gorgeously sculpted piece of flesh that promised heaven. Every angle, ever fiber of his being screamed of masculinity. He was the epitome of Alpha Male.
She turned towards Sofia, "I think I just did."