Chapter 1
The Invitation
Kung ang pagtakas sa mga Town's Knights ay medyo napadali lang, hindi naman ganoon ang nangyayari papasok sa palasyo.
"Alesia! Baka natunugan na ni Mr. Jones ang pagkawala mo sa library." Natarantang sabi ni Naha.
"Don't panic Naha, mas lalo akung kinakabahan sa mga pinagsasabi mo. And stop calling me Alesia, its not my name." Nababanas na sabi ko sa kanya.
"Sabi mo kasi huwag sabihin ang totoo mong pangalan at maganda naman ang Alesia ah?" Nagtatakang sabi niya. Napailing nalang ako at sumakay na sa puting kabayo kung saan namin ito iniwan kanina.
"Bilis Naha, may limang minuto nalang bago pupunta sa library si Mr. Jones."
Sumampa na din si Naha sa brown na kabayong dala. Hindi kami pwedeng magteleport papuntang palasyo dahil matutunugan nila ito lalo na't may barrier sa loob na palasyo kung saan hindi ka maaaring gumamit ng kapangyarihan, pwera na lang kung kinakailangan.
Bahagya akung yumuko habang pinapatakbo ang aking kabayo, I hug tightly Winter's neck as she run forward.
"Make it fast Winter, hiya!" Then the horse run faster. I feel the wind harshly touching my face and let my hair fly freely to it.
Hindi nagtagal agad kaming nakarating sa west wing ng palasyo. Bumaba ako doon at sumunod naman si Naha na kakarating lang.
"Mahal na Prinsesa! Mabuti naman at nandito na kayo. Kailangan niyo ng pumasok sa loob. Mukhang natunugan nilang umalis ka sa palasyo." Saad ng tagabantay ng aking mga alagang hayop, si Leo.
"Shit!"
"Bilis po Kamahalan, kailangan na po nating pumasok." Natarantang saad ni Naha. I nodded as I pressed the secret passage to the Maze garden.
Agad kaming pumasok sa loob ng lagusan at nagmamadali hanggang sa nakarating kami sa puso ng Maze. Pagkalabas namin ay unti-unting sumara ito at napuno ng tubig ang fountain, isa sa mga secret passage sa loob ng palasyo na aking nadiskubre noong bata pa ako.
We carefully went out of the maze at agad napatago sa isang sulok ng nakakita ng mga nagkakalat na Asper Knights ng palasyo. Shit, mas lalo ko tuloy naramdaman ang mabilis na tibok ng aking puso dahil sa kaba. Did Father already knew? I'm sure his gonna get mad at me.
"Kamahalan? Mukhang alam na ata ng Hari na umalis kayo," Now Naha did have the audicity to confirm it that doubled my fear.
Nang nakitang umalis na sila kinaladkad ko na si Naha at pumasok sa loob gamit ang Kitchen ng palasyo. I saw how busy the maidservant are in the kitchen kaya hindi nila kami napansin. Agad kaming umalis doon ni Naha at napapunta sa hall. The Hall is quite big, pero alam ko ang mga pasikot sikot sa loob ng palasyo. I've been here for seventeen years.
Nagmamadaling pumunta kami sa library sa south wing, hindi kami maaaring pumunta sa main door dahil paniguradong may tagabantay doon. Agad akung pumunta sa kaliwang bahagi dito, I pulled the candle holder and a secret way magically open that lead me towards the library.
Hindi na kami nagdadalwang isip pa at agad pumasok doon. The door automatically closed and the torches light our way. It never fails to amaze me how wonderfully and mysteriously built the castle is for how many years.
Nang nasa loob na kami agad akung tinulungan ni Naha na tanggalin ang aking cloak habang kinuha ko naman ang pulang maskara sa aking mata. Nang nakuha niya ito ay tinago niya ito sa madalas naming tinataguan ng damit ko kapag tatakas.
"Kamahalan kailangan niyo pong magbihis." Natarantang saad ni Naha at agad kung sinuot ang dilaw na ball gown. Medyo pahirapan pa ngunit ng narinig ko ang papalapit na mga yapak ng paa ay hindi na sirado ng maayos ang aking likuran.
Umupo na lamang ako at kumuha ng librong una kung nakita at nagkunwaring nagbabasa doon habang kumuha din ng mga libro si Naha at binitbit ito at inilagay sa lamesa.
"Open the door. We need to check if the princess is here."
"Pero saad po ng prinsesa na hindi siya iisturbuhin-"
"It is the King's order."
Insaktong nagbabasa ako ay bumukas ang pinto at iniluwa doon si Mr. Jones kasama ang limang Asper Knights.
Napalingon ako sa aking kanang bahagi dahil nandoon ang pintuan, nakita ko kung paano kumunot ang noo ni Mr. Jones at tumingin sa akin.
"What do you want?" Walang emosyong tanong ko sa matandang hanggang ngayon ay kontrabida pa din sa aking buhay.
"Mahal na Princesa pasensya na po, pero saad kasi na-" tinaas ko ang aking kanang kamay at hindi na pinatapos ang tagabantay sa pagsasalita.
"What do you want?" I asked Mr. Jones again.
"Your Majesty, your presence is highly requested to the King's Office." Saad nito at pinalibot ang tingin na tila may hinahanap na ebidensya na umalis ako.
"And why is that?" Tanong ko ulit at binaling ang tingin pabalik sa libro at inilipat sa susunod na pahina.
"Its just an order Your Majesty." Saad nito at yumuko.
"Give me a minute to prepare. Susunod ako," I said as I watch him bow his head again then leave the library.
The Royal guards asked forgiveness and leave the library as well as they closed the doors.
Napabuntong hininga ako habang yumuko.
"That was close," I said. Napahinga din ng maluwag si Naha. Muntik na nga kami, buti nalang.
"Kailangan po nating ayusin ang iyong kasuotan Kamahalan." Saad ni Naha at inayos yun. She also combed my hair and put some pins in it. She also fixed my tiara then tap some invisible dust in my shoulders.
"Handa na po kayo Kamahalan." Sabi niya at ngumiti sa akin. I nodded then went outside. I straightened my back and walk elegantly as the aura of a royalty is very visible in me. Straight face, chest out and ops, that was close. Muntik na akung matapilok at buti nalang talaga nahawakan agad ako ni Naha.
She stifled a laugh as I glared at her. Its not funny, I'm trying to do my princess duty here baka ma highblood si Mrs. Sonja kapag nakita niyang pumapalpak na naman ako.
Damn this princess etiquitte.
Ilang minutong paglalakad sa kalakihang palasyo ay nakarating din kami sa harap ng opisina ni Ama. The two asper guards that guide me bowed down their head and immediatly went away.
Huminga ako ng malalim at binalingan si Naha.
"Hintayin mo ako." She nodded then bow her head.
Pinagbuksan ako sa dalawang ibang Asper Knights na nagbabantay sa opisina ni Ama. Agad akung pumasok at sinirado nila ang pinto. The whole office was painted in a cream color with highlights of gold patterns. In front of me was Father's desk with lots of papers na siguradong problema ng Kaharian. Sa likod nito ay mga librong paboritong basahin mi Ama.
"You're finally here." His hard voice demands authority that most of the common people are afraid off, but not me. His always the loving father I knew. Ngumiti ako sa kanya at tinignan siyang nakatingin sa labas ng bintana kung saan matatanaw ang Eminent town.
"You need me Father?" I asked as I slowly approached him.
He sighed and glanced at me. His emerald eyes mirrored mine a we stared to each other. Strikto ang mukha ng aking Ama, he had a tan skin because of how many quest he has done in the past as he still a prince. Malayo sa maamong mukha ni Ina at maputing balat na kung saan ko namana. I have the strict face of my dad and also his emerald eyes. But the color of my skin makes me more sophisticated and sometimes they told me I have a very innocent face. A very fragile personality, na malayong malayo sa totoong ako na alam kung alam na alam ng aking Ama.
"What did you use this time Laurine?" Taas kilay'ng tanong ng aking Ama, ang tinutukoy ay ang kapangyarihan na ginamit ko kanina sa Village.
Napanguso tuloy ako. Hindi ko alam kung saan niya nalaman ang balitang pumuslit ako paalis sa palasyo. He strictly ordered that I'm not allowed to go outside of the palace and told me that it was dangerous out there. But after I witness how fun the Eminent's town when I was still a child parang gusto ko na itong binabalik-balikan kahit pinagbabawalan ako. Its far from the things he describe to me, dangerous and scary. I don't see the Eminent Kingdom like that.
But I might accept that yeah, there are people who are dangerous but definitely not scary, like the man I encountered earlier. Kaya naiintindihan ko ang Mahal na Hari kung bakit ayaw niyang umalis ako sa palasyo. But then, he always knew ngunit nanatiling tahimik lang siya.
"The one that I always used Father. I'm sure you knew that already?" I asked as I comfortably sit in one of the sofas inside.
Umupo then sa kabilang upuan si Ama at tiningnan ako na tila malaki ang kanyang problema.
"If your mother knew about this..." he trailed off as he shaked his head.
"You know its the best to keep it from her Father. She'll freak out for sure." Imagining my mother rant at me and ordered all the Royal Guards and Asper Knights to closed the freaking castle. Damn, that's a nightmare.
"Just be careful Laurine. Its not because I tolerate you from time to time I will not be strict to you at all." He said glaring at me. I just grinned at him, he really does loves me.
"Yes Father, I always will. And by the way, you need me because?" I tilted my head.
Huminga ito ng malalim at may kinuhang papel sa coffee table. He give it to me. I accept the paper and read the words there.
Welcome to Mystic Academia!
Sa nanlalaking mata ay napatingin ako sa aking Ama. I know he saw the glinting excitement in my eyes because I saw him smirk.
"Alam kung matagal mo ng gustong makapasok diyan."
"Father? For real?" Hindi mapigilang saad ko.
"Well, I've been thinking about it lately. The queen also requested that you need the Academia, its been a long time that your locked up in this castle." He shrugged and sip at the coffee that I didn't even noticed earlier.
"She agreed?"
"Hmm," He nodded and put the cup down.
"When should I start then?" Hindi mapigilan ang excitement na nararamdaman ko. Its been a long time that I wished to study in this Academy, its a prestigious school for Royalties and Elite people. Ngunit hindi ako pinayagan, I've been home schooled for almost 15 years then.
"You can start this monday if you want." Damn, today is saturday!
Hindi na ako nagpaligoy-ligoy pa at tumayo at pinuntahan ang ama habang niyakap siya ng mahigpit.
The king chuckled because of what I did. He hugged me back and gently patted my back. He kissed the crown of my head as he whisper, "I love you too."