Third Person's P.O.V
Both of them are just staring at each other but suddenly Mino break the gaze that he is giving to her. He needs a great self-control just to be able to function his mind in a right way. This illusion of the princess is too tempting for him.
Ilang segundo pa ng katahimikan ay agad na natigilan si Mino dahil kusang gumalaw palayo ang kaniyang kinauupuan. Agad niyang nakita si Vreihya habang papalayo siya na tila may humihila sa kaniyang upuan. Bigla na lamang may nagsulputan na maraming babae na may kasuotan na magagarang mga ball gown at kasabay noon ay tila nawala sa kaniyang paningin ang prinsesa.
Agad na nagliwanag ang paligid at napatingin siya sa kaniyang sarili. Hindi niya maiwasan na magtaka dahil nakatayo na siya habang may suot-suot na tuxedo. The place became well lighted and all of the sudden there is music.
Everything looks and feel like a grand ball. He looked everywhere as amusement filled his eyes because of how everything changes. It feels like a grand hotel with all of that dangling chandelier above as well as different people walking and chatting with their elegant ball gowns.
Ngunit hindi niya maiwasan na magtaka dahil puro mga kababaihan ang kaniyang nakikita. As far as he can see he is the only person wearing a tuxedo in this ball. His brow furrowed because of confusion.
"What the hell is this again?" naiirita niyang pahayag dahil sa kung ano na naman ang trip sa kaniya ng diwata. He slowly walked to the crowd of ladies at ngayon niya pinagsisihan na hindi niya nilubos ang pagtitig sa prinsesa kanina because his eyes are longing to see her face again.
He doesn't know either it is because of the sweet violin he is hearing or the ambiance of this sudden ball but his feet started to move and his eyes started to skim the crowd to look for the princess.
Hindi niya alam ngunit pakiramdam niya ay mas lalong dumadarami ang taong humaharang sa kaniya habang mas lalo niyang ninanais na makita ang prinsesa. "Mino? Care to dance?" agad siyang napahinto dahil sa pamilyar na tinig na nagmula sa kaniyang likod.
Humarap siya dito ngunit hindi ang prinsesa ang kaniyang nakita. "Faith?" he asked confusingly upon staring the woman in front of him. She is wearing a pink silk dress that is well-fitted on her curves. Her hair were tied in a high ponytail while wearing her signature sweet smile.
The smile that captivated Mino's heart in the past. Suddenly, all of the memories that they both shared flashbacked in Mino's mind as well as how she dumped him because of his mom. Ilang minuto pa ay natagpuan na lamang niya ang kaniyang sarili na nakahawak sa bewang ng binibini. Magkasalikop ang isa pa nilang kamay habang nasa balikat niya ang isa pang kamay ng binibini.
He knew before that Faith is really beautiful but why on earth he is thinking no one else but the princess in this very moment? He felt the need to excuse himself to look for Vreihya because of this needy feeling of his. He feels that he wanted to have this moment with the princess and no one else.
"You are not dancing gracefully as you did before with me," agad na puna ni Faith dahil batid nito na tila may bumabagabag kay Mino. They both love to dance during the peak of there relationship. Mino will always dance with her whether there is music or in the midst of silence.
Napatitig na lamang sa kaniya si Mino dahil sa tila wala siyang maisagot. All of the sudden ay may mangilan-ngilan na din na sumasayaw sa kanilang tabi at hindi na lamang siya ang lalaki sa sayawan. "Is there someone new?" Faith asked without breaking his gaze on Mino.
Tila natameme na lamang si Mino dahil kahit siya ay hindi niya alam ang kaniyang isasagot. Agad na bumitaw si Faith at marahan na inayos ang kurbata ng lalaking kaniyang kaharap. "You were just like this when I asked you if you like me. You can never process your thought and you're speechless when your thinking about something that push your mind into chaos," marahan na pahayag ng binibini.
"Your even blushing just thinking of her," agad na nanlaki ang mata ni Mino at napaiwas ng tingin dahil sa tinuran ng dilag na napangiti na lamang nang matamis. So that is why he is feeling this heat on his cheeks habang iniisip kung saan niya hahanapin ang prinsesa. "I hope she will never leave you just like I did," she said and wrap her arms on Mino's neck.
Agad na napatingin sa kaniya si Mino na hindi pa din makapagsalita dahil sa mga sinabi ng kaniyang dating kasintahan. "One last kiss for goodbye?" she asked tsaka niya tinungo ang distansya ng kanilang labi at naglaan nang magaan na halik.
All of the sudden ay nakaramdam si Mino ng tila isang matalim na titig mula sa kaniyang kanan. When Faith moved away from him ay agad napatingin si Mino sa direksyon ng titig and he saw the beauty that he is searching for.
Her arms were crossed while her brow is raised habang matalim ang paninitig nito sa kaniya. "Damn!" agad na lamang na saad ni Mino sabay mabilis na nagpaalam kay Faith na hinayaan na lamang siyang lumayo.
Nasa kalagitnaan siya ng pagtakbo at paghawi ng mga sumasayaw ngunit natigilan sila pareho ng prinsesa dahil bigla na lamang dumilim muli ang paligid at silang dalawa na lamang ang naiwan sa lugar habang may ilaw na nakatutok sa kanila. Tila usok na naglaho ang iba pa nilang kasama sa sayawan kanina.
Mino can clearly see their distance and the elegant back of the princess moving away from him. For him, this illusion is really detailed and he appreciated the deity for that. The violin is still playing somewhere na kapwa nila naririnig at tila dumadaragdag sa kung ano mang damdamin na namumutawi sa kanila.
"Vreihya?" marahan na tawag ni Mino sa prinsesa. "What!" marahas siyang humarap kay Mino pagkatapos niyang suminghal. Agad naman napangisi si Mino dahil sa katarayan ng binibini. "Bakit ka nagagalit?" pabirong tanong ni Mino sa kaniya na siyang pinagtaasan niya ng kilay.
"Ang landi mo kasi," naiinis na sagot ng prinsesa na bahagyang nagpatawa sa kaniya. Agad na tinungo ni Mino ang distansya nila ng nagsusungit na prinsesa at bahagya itong tumigil nang kakaunti na lamang ang kanilang pagitan.
Hindi niya talaga maiwasan na mapatulala sa kagandahan ng prinsesa sa kaniyang harapan. He is not aware that a red dress can kill. "Do you know how to dance?" agad niyang pag-iiba sa kanilang usapan. "No!" tila batang naiinis na saad ng prinsesa at hindi mapigilan ni Mino ang kagustuhan na pisilin ang pisngi nito.
Hindi na nag-atubili pa si Mino at inilahad ang kaniyang kamay. In Vreihya's mind, kahit naiinis man siya sa kaniyang nakita ay hindi niya maialis ang saya na makita muli ang Mino na talagang kilala niya. She felt so happy seeing his Mino the way that she knew him.
She set aside her unexplained anger and accept the kind gesture of Mino. She is just so calm right now knowing that he is facing his Mino and no other version of him. "I will teach you", he said and move closer to her.
At first he held both of Vreihya's hand and placed it on his shoulders and then he wrapped his arms on her tiny waist. Vreihya grasped for air as she felt how close his body is. She quickly move away her gaze on him as she starts to feel something on her cheeks.
"Eye contact," marahan na saad ni Mino at tila awtomatikong napatingin sa kaniya ang prinsesa. Their eyes met habang unti-unting sumusunod ang kanilang katawan sa galaw ng bawat isa. The familiar wildness of their hearts started to invade their system because of this closeness.
Both of their eyes were trying to say something that words cannot express. Mino's eyes started to glow once more and the princess can't help but to be drowned by that crystal blue eyes. Hearts pounding and bodies that are trying too hard not to tremble.
Tila mas lalo pang natulala si Mino dahil sa pag-awang ng labi ng prinsesa habang nagsisimula na ding magningas ang mga ito. Her scarlet red eyes make it hard for him to breath. They may have different colors of eyes but their hearts is beating the same rhythm that they both fear to share.
"Can you twirl?" mahinang bulong ni Mino sa prinsesa na tila ba bumalik sa wisyo. Marahan lamang siyang tumango dahil tila hindi niya kaya magsalita habang ganito siya kalapit sa kaniya. Agad na bahagyang lumayo sila sa isa't isa at hinawakan ni Mino ang kamay ng prinsesa upang iikot siya.
Ngunit agad niya ito hinila sa bewang papalapit sa kaniya dahil nawalan ito ng balanse dahil sa suot niyang mataas na heels. Vreihya's hand landed on his firm chest as he grabbed her tighter to stop her from tripping. She can feel his breath on her face because of its distance separated by inches.
Ngunit napabitaw din si Mino dahil sa paggalaw ng prinsesa. She quickly removed her high heels and threw it somewhere at siya na mismo ang umangkla sa leeg ni Mino upang ituloy ang kanilang sayaw.
He quickly wrap his arms on her waist and their bodies collides one more. She tiptoed a bit upang hindi mahirapan si Mino sa paghawak sa kaniyang bewang. Their eyes locked again but this time Mino fulfill his urge to lean his forehead into hers.
And that caused both of their hearts to run wild again. He doesn't mind the boobs that are almost exposed in front of his eyes or that high slits on her thigh. Her scarlet red eyes are enough to be admired not just her gorgeous body.
What he is seeing right now is the princess that is feisty yet loving when it comes to her people. A princess that can sacrificed herself just to ease the wounds and pain of a child just like what she did for Kypper. That is just remarkable and selfless.
They both separated and then successfully executed the twirl that they are both wanting to do. Ngunit hindi na napigilan ni Mino ang tuluyang pagwawala ng kaniyang dibdib as he saw how her twirl became a slow motion and when her body became near again that is when he can't control it anymore.
Mino suddenly lowered his body na siyang kinabigla ng prinsesa. Mas higit na napakapit ang prinsesa sa kaniyang leeg upang mabalanse ang kaniyang sarili while Mino dipped her. That is just a bold move of him that just sealed the deal for both of them.
Both lips were parted while staring at each other. And when Mino stood firmly again together with Vreihya that is when her world stopped. Warm and soft... That is what his lips felt when she crashed it to hers.
She felt shocked and became stiff but later closed her eyes and tighten her embrace to his neck to really seal this warm kiss. Hindi na lamang sapat ang magkalapat dahil pareho na nilang sinabayan ang panunuyo ng labi ng isa't isa.
There heartbeats became their background music as both of them savor the warmness of their lips. Why does it feels like they are both longing for each other? Both of them thinking that this illusion is the only way for them to express something that they can't utter with words.
Their lips parted slowly while their eyes are still locked with each other. Both are running out of breath because of the emotion that had finally escaped thru their actions. Marahan na silang humiwalay sa isa't isa ngunit napahawak sa Mino sa kaniyang batok at napahiga nang malalim.
"Thank God this is just an illusion," mahina niyang bulong. "Illusion?" nakakunot noong pahayag ni Vreihya at agad na napatingin si Mino sa kaniya nang nagtataka. "You're the illusion!" agad na dagdag ni Vreihya sa kaniyang tanong.
"No I am not!" sagot pabalik ni Mino sa kaniya then all of the sudden they both turned their backs away from each other as the idea that neither of them is an illusion all this time. Agad na sinapo ni Vreihya ang kaniyang magkabilang pisngi dahil sa nararamdaman niyang hiya at pag-init ng mga ito.
Mino walk back and forth habang nakatakip sa kaniyang mukha ang kaniyang palad. They both can't believe that they are facing the true versions of themselves not just an illusion.