To Marry The Prince

Chapter 15: Forgotten

"Lady Aliyah," Ira called the woman who's lying at her couch. It's only two in the afternoon and she is already exhausted on her second day of being in the palace and finishing her daily 'Princess Lessons.'

"What is it this time?" she sadly responded. "Sorry," mabilis niyang binawi ang kan'yang mga salita. "Pasensya na, masyado lang akong marami ang iniisip ngayon, hindi ko kinakaya ang araw natin ngayon, sobrang intense! Parang sabay- sabay nalang ang mga nangyayari, hindi ko sure kung kaya ko bang panindigan 'yong yabang ko. Baka mamaya mauna pa akong sumabog bago maging prinsesa."

Ira placed a bottle of cold milk tea on the table to cheer her up, "Ito oh, inumin mo muna ito habang nagpapahinga ka d'yan. May kailangan ka pang gawin after thirty minutes."

Aliyah's eyes glowed up in pure happiness and excited, "Thank you so much, Ira, I love this drink so much! Ngayon nalang ako makakainom ulit nito dahil alam mo na, bawal kapag artista. Marami ang madadagdag na taba nito sa akin."

"Hindi mo naman na kailangan na isipin pa 'yan," si Ira na mismo ang nagbukas ng bote para hindi na mahirapan si Aliyah. "Huwag kang mag alala, walag makakapansin kung medyo nagkaroon ka ng laman. At ang hina mo rin naman kumain, hindi ka mabilis na tataba."

"Ira, thank you," she pouted as she grabbed the bottle. "Oo nga pala, ano ang gagawin ko mamaya? May kailangan pa bang pag- aralan?"

"Hindi muna lesson," she responded. "The Queen finally has a free time. And she requested to see you later in her tea room."

"Tea room? Sosyal, mahilig pala sa tea si Queen Olivia?" napakamot ng noo si Aliyah. "Nakakahiya naman, hanggang ganitong milk tea lang ang alam kong pag- usapan. Baka mamaya mapahiya ako mismo sa harapan ng Reyna. Baka siya na mismo ang mag taboy sa akin."

"Imposible," Ira assured her. "Hindi ganoon si Queen Olivia. Sigurado ako na puro kabutihan lang ang nasa puso at isipan niya, katulad mo. Kaya naman ngayon pa lamang, 'wag ka ng kabahan. Hindi siya magsasabi ng kahit na ano para mapahiya o masaktan ka. Baka nga siya pa mismo ang humingi ng patawad sa'yo dahil sa nagiging asal ni Prince Kairo."

Aliyah's eyes widened, "Narinig niya ba ang balita? Sana naman hindi nakaabot sa kan'ya ang kuwento kung papaano ako tarayan ni Prince Kairo. Nakakahiya kasi, hindi pa nga ako tumatagal ng tatlong araw rito ay mapapalayas na ako."

"Sisiguraduhin ng Reyna na hindi ka na mapag iinitan ni Prince Kairo, sigurado 'yan."

"Sana nga," Aliyah whispered. "Nakakadagdag pa rin kasi sa pagod at stress. Sana kahit na 'wag nalang niya akong pansinin. Tratuhin nalang sana niya ako bilang hangin."

"Hindi naman puwede 'yon, Lady Aliyah. Kayong dalawa ang susunod na mamumuno sa kaharian. Mas mainam na kung magkasundo talaga kayong dalawa. Malay mo 'di ba, baka maging totoo ang relasyon nin' yong dalawa. Hindi malabo na mangyari 'yon."

Napailing si Aliyah dahil sa sinabi sa kan'ya ng kan'yang kaibigan. Hindi na niya nagawang sagutin pa ito dahil sa malakas na kalabog mula sa pintuan niya. Bago pa makapunta si Ira sa pintuan, naroon na at pumasok ang kung sino mang kumakatok.

"Prince Kairo!" bulalas ni Ira. Mabilis siyang yumuko para magbigay galang sa lalaki.

Dahil sa gulat, hindi nakapagtataka na muntikan nang maibuga ni Aliyah ang iniinom nito. Gustuhin man niyang tumayo para mag bigay galang, hindi niya magawa dahil nangangalambot ang kan'yang mga tuhod. "Ira, please leave the two of us alone," Prince Kairo asked, she quickly followed and left the room even though Aliyah's eyes are almost begging her not to leave her.

Hinintay ni Prince Kairo na magsara ang pintuan sa likuran niya bago siya lumapit at umupo sa tabi ng dalaga. Aliyah scoot backwards to leave some space in between them.

"Stay," bulong ni Prince Kairo matapos ang pangatlong beses na pag usog nilang dalawa.

"What do you need, Prince Kairo?" she nervously asked. Ramdam niya ang init na bumabalot sa buong mukha niya, dagdag pa ang mabilis na t***k nitong puso niyang hindi marunong na makinig. Pakiramdam tuloy niya ay walang nakikinig sa kan'ya, maging ang sarili niyang katawan.

"Liyah, can we stop this?" he softly asked.

Mabilis na napaangat ng kilay si Aliyah dahil sa narinig niyang pag iiba ng tono ni Prince Kairo. Biglaan nalang siyang naging tunog malambing, naihahambing na tuloy niya ang lalaking nasa harapan niya sa lalaking nasa isipan niya. Ang lalaking nananatili nalang sa kan'yang nakaraan.

"What are you-"

"Liyah naman," Prince Kairo grabbed his own hair. "Huwag kang mangangako sa Reyna ng kasal. Naiintindihan mo ba ako? Kahit na ano ang sabihin niya ngayon, pilitin mong ipaalam sa kan'ya na nagbabago na ang isip mo. Do you understand?"

"No," she said with a smirk. "I don't think I can do that. I already gave the queen my word, and to be honest, I don't think I can turn this down. It's a great honor and a responsibility, yes, but I think I can do it. I might not be the best Princess there could be, but at least I'd be decent."

"Liyah, you will be tied into a life trapped in the palace. Hindi ba masama ang loob mo sa akin? Alam ko na naaalala mo pa kung ano ang ginawa ko sa'yo. I did you wrong, you better not use your own life to help me out here. It's not fair for you!"

"Prince Kairo," she smiled. "Let me tell you my reasoning, okay?"

"What?"

"I am doing this because I want to help the Queen and the whole kingdom," her voice and her eyes made him feel like she's saying the most genuine words from her heart. "I am doing this because I have to. Right now, is there anything else that could help you? No, I don't think there is."

"I can think of other ways to-"

"No," she shook her head. "Nababasa mo ba 'yong mga sinasabi nila tungkol sa'yo online? Nasisira na ang pangalan mo. Ano sa tingin mo ang dumadaan sa isipan ng Reyna? She's your mother. Think about her. Sa tingin mo ba porket Reyna siya, hindi niya na nabibigyan ng oras na makita ang mga 'yon? I bet she does, she might cry about those too. Mas masasaktan siya kumpara sa'yo. This type of solutions doesn't come to mind as the initial one. This is her last resort, Prince Kairo. She's probably on the edge already, she's needed to end it as soon as possible. Let her sleep at piece."

Hindi nakapagsalita si Prince Kairo dahil sa sinabi sa kan'ya ni Aliyah. He heard those, yes. But he couldn't justify it all still. He still thinks that this is very unfair for Aliyah. This is not what he wished for her.

"Don't worry about how I'd feel or how this would affect me, because I am sure that I can handle it."

"Liyah, please-"

"Don't make your mother more stressed over this, Prince Kairo, I beg."

Prince Kairo stopped arguing. He knows everything about Aliyah. And he is fully aware of how sensitive Aliyah is when it comes to talking about mothers. She lost her mother back when she was younger, and she's always been jealous of others every time she sees a them having a great relationship with their mothers.

"Prince Kairo, oras na rin... mauuna na ako ha? Kailangan ko pang kausapin ang Reyna. Pinapapunta niya raw ako sa tea room niya," Aliyah said.

Tatayo na dapat siya ngunit naramdaman niya ang mainit na kamay na pumigil sa kan'ya.

"Liyah, I am so sorry," he whispered. "I understand you now. I know why you are doing all of this and I honestly couldn't thank you enough for trying. But you have the entire world ahead of you. Nagsisimula palang ang karera mo, that's always been your dream."

"How would you know?" Aliyah started to pretend again. At napansin na naman ni Prince Kairo ang pagbabago niya. This is the part that irritates him the most.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked. "Liyah, why do you always pretend? What does this do? You can curse at me, you can blame me for doing you wrong. You can tell me whatever it is that you want to. Kahit pa awayin mo ako at sigawan, hindi kita kagagalitan, but why do you have to pretend that you don't know me?"

"I am not pretending, why do you keep on telling me that? Hindi ako nagkukunwari, Prince Kairo, we never met before."

Parang nasaksak ng kutsilyo si Prince Kairo nang harap- harapang sabihin 'yon ni Aliyah sa kan'ya. His eyes turned feisty, "Say that again?" he asked.

"Prince Kairo, we never met," she confidently said.

He took that as a challenge, "Great," he said. "Let's test that out."

"What did you say-" Aliyah gasped when Prince Kairo cornered her on the couch all of a sudden. "You still like Winter Sage huh?" he leaned in closer to smell the perfume on Aliyah's neck. He still knows her most favorite perfume. He actually love the scent of it. Hindi na niya namamalayan na ngayon ay nakapatong na ang baba niya sa leeg ng babae. "You smell lovely, as always," he commented.

"Prince Kairo-"

He held on to her chin to stop her from moving. Napapangiti si Prince Kairo dahil sa sobrang pagkagulat ni Aliyah. Mukhang hindi niya alam kung ano ang gagawin habang itong si Kairo naman ay nag e-enjoy sa pagkakataon na magkasama sila at ganito kalapit.

He missed it. And even though he knows that she doesn't have the same feeling as before, he's still taking this opportunity to be with her.

"Prince Kairo, anong ginagawa mo?"

"I missed this," he whispered. It was loud enough for Aliyah to hear. "You want to marry me huh?" nakangisi pa nitong sabi. "So are you ready to deal with me being like this? You know wild I could- oh yeah, I forgot... you don't remember anything."

Pag- angat ng tingin ni Prince Kairo, nakatingin lang sa kan'ya ang napakagandang mata ni Aliyah. He's getting lost at how beautiful they look.

"What are you doing?"

The Prince smirked before closing in the space in between them, giving her a sweet peck on the lips.

Hindi makahinga ang dalaga kahit pa noong lumayo ang Prinsipe para titigan ang mukha niya. She can feel the tension in the air. Hindi niya alam kung papaano aakto, hindi na rin niya naiintindihan kung ano ba itong nararamdaman niya.

"Liyah," he called. "You better be ready."