To Marry The Prince

Chapter 43: Purple Fountain

It’s been more than two weeks since Aliyah’s connection with the Prince was revealed. Countless articles and news reports have surfaced after that reveal that shook the whole nation to it’s core. Who would have thought that the most loved and most successful female idol as of the moment and the most hated Prince are friends? Of course it would make the headline for days, weeks even that’s for sure. Every single time that Aliyah goes on an interview, it’s a hundred percent certain that the question about him would be brought up.

At this point, she’s being used by the media to bring out more personal information about the Prince. And this is going right where they intended them to go. Because of Aliyah’s popularity, they can easily show the world how fake the stories about him were. Inaabangan na rin ang mga video ni Aliyah na kasama ang Prinsipe ngayon. Noong isang araw lang ay nag labas siya ng video tungkol sa ospital na ipinatayo ni Kairo. Dan took most of the footage. All she did was give a little story about that day went for her in a voice over and the media together with the public, ate it up. They can see how playful the Prince got with the kids and how fun he is to be with. He laughs like how ordinary people do, he sweats like them as well, he even struggles to close a bottle’s cap once. It finally made them realize that this guy, the one they’ve been bashing and criticizing nonstop, is a normal human being just like them. It just so happens that he’s born in the royal family and he’s being targeted by people that wanted someone else to lead.

Now, the prince launched his very own public account. He posted only one picture. It is a picture of the stars. A picture he took after he experienced the very first time that a crowed bowed down to him with pure and sincere respect. He wanted to commemorate that night with a simple post. Nobody else knows the story behind it, but he loved sharing it.

Aliyah’s now on her way to the palace. The jet is about to land at the back of the palace. The whole crew including the funniest duo, Dusk and Dawn where in it. It is about time that they come home, hindi na rin kasi nakabalik itong si Aliyah noong nakaraan dahil maraming nakatutok sa bawat galaw niya.

“Tara na?” Dan tapped on Aliyah’s shoulder. Since they got out, the future Princess did not move. She kept on looking up the dark night sky.

“It’s cloudy,” she sadly whispered.

“Ha? Ano?”

Umiling lang si Aliyah at sumunod na sa dalawang babae. She silently went in, without making her presence known to others, just as usual. Nakasara na halos lahat ng pintuan sa buong palasyo, maliban nalang sa isang banda kung saan naroon ang tahanan ng prinsipe. Ilang sandali pa at nakataring na silang lahat sa kuwarto ni Aliyah. But after Dan and Ira got her things organized, they all left the room and went to the stations where Ira’s own room is.

Naiwan sa tahimik na silid si Aliyah na masayang humiga sa kan’yang malambot na kama.

“It’s been a while, huh?” she whispered. “I can’t believe that I’m back here. Hindi ko pa nga sigurado kung magiging prinsesa pa rin ako pagkatapos nitong lahat.”

Tumayo muna siya para sana makapagpalit ng damit. Kaya lang ay nakarinig siya ng katok mula sa kan’yang pintuan.

“Hoy-” she was stunned in the middle of her sentence. Ang buong akala ng dalaga ay isa kina Dan o Ira ang kumatok, ngunit nakita niyang isang matipunong lalaki ang naroon. “Prince Kairo,” she whispered his name.

“How are you?” he asked. “Puwede ka bang makausap?”

“O- oo naman, bakit naman hindi?” lumingon si Aliyah sa sarili niyang kuwarto. “Hindi siguro maganda kung pumasok ka rito nang gabi. Baka may masabi pa ang iba kung makita tayo,” she jokingly said. The prince immediately understood what she meant by that and he gave her a little chuckle.

Aliyah’s face lit up, hindi niya pa nakita na mapangiti nang ganoon ka- genuine si Kairo nang matagal na panahon. Tila ba mayroong magandang nangyari sa kan’ya habang hindi sila nakakapag kita nang madalas.

“Have you seen the fountain at night?” the Prince asked. “It is breathtaking at night.”

“Really? I actually haven’t. Naroon kasi ‘yon sa may banda ng kuwarto ni Queen Olivia, ‘di ba? Halos hindi ako pumupunta roon dahil alam kong marami ang makakakita sa akin nang hindi naman dapat. ‘Di pa alam ng mga maid doon na tumutuloy ako rito ‘di ba?”

“You don’t need to worry,” Kairo didn’t hesitate to grab on to her by the hand and lead her to the front of the palace. “Wala ang karamihan sa mga maid ngayon,” sabi niya pa. “The Queen let them go out and enjoy since tomorrow is the national non-working holiday. Babalik pa lang sila sa susunod na araw. Kaya halos ang mga natitira lang sa palasyo ay ‘yong talagang dito nakatira na rito. Hindi naman sila magiging problema dahil siguradong hindi nila sisirain ang tiwala ng Reyna.”

“Paano mo naman nasasabi ‘yan?” tinatanong ng babae si Kairo dahil kita niya kung gaano ito katiwala sa mga sinasabi niya.

“Mga senior servants lang na narito na magsimula noong ang nanay ko ang bata pa ‘yong mga nakatira rito. Hindi sila gagawa ng kahit na anong makakasama sa atin. Kung makita ka man nila rito at malaman nilang may kakaiba, o malaman man nila na ikaw ang susunod na Prinsesa, hindi sila gagawwa ng ikakasira natin.”

“Susunod na Prinsesa,” malalim na buntong hininga ang binitawan ni Aliyah.

“Ha?”

“Wow!” nagbago ang lahat nang makita ni Aliyah ang fountain na sinasabi ni Prinsipe Kairo. Kaya pala nito nasabi na maganda ito kapag gabi ay dahil sa mga repleksyon ng ilaw sa tubig. “It’s purple,” she gasped in awe. Namimilog ang mga mata niya sa ganda ng tubig. Para talagang purple ang kulay ng tubig sa puting fountain. Daig pa ang mga magaganda at sikat na tourist spots sa ibang lugar o bansa man. Itong fountain na ito lang ang nakapagpabilis ng t***k ng puso ni Aliyah nang ganito dahil sa isang bagay.

“Yup,” natatawang sabi ni Kairo. “Purple fountain, you wrote about this once, right?”

“It was supposed to be my debut song,” napapailing siya sa mga bugso ng ala-ala. “Kaya lang hindi ko na natuloy. I released Purple Butterfly instead.”

“If I remember it correctly, you wrote about two lovers meeting each other again in front of a fountain with purple water. I can remember the exact moment you chose to write about purple water, I thought it was funny that you came up with it just by searching about the meaning of the color purple online.”

“Yeah,” the singer shyly smiled. “It was when I was waiting for you at the little fountain in our former university back in Zoraya. I was too bored back then, I didn’t realize that I would actually end up being a singer in the future. Imagine, gusto ko lang na mag sulat ng isang kanta dahil sobrang hilig ko ‘yon. Tapos ngayon heto na.”

“You made it really far. I am proud of you, Liyah.”

Those words were exactly what Aliyah hears from him all the time, in the past. When they were still dating, it’s almost his catch phrase, that’s how often he says it.

“Thank you so much,” her heart clenched. “Hindi ko alam na natatandaan mo pa pala ang tungkol sa kalokohan ko noon. I just started writing that song out of nowhere, tumatak pala sa’yo ha?” pinili niyang maging tunog pabiro ang pagkakabitaw ng mga ‘yon upang hindi sana maging awkward ang usapan nila, lalo pa at medyo nagkakalapit naman na sila bilang magkaibigan.

“Liyah, how could I forget? You wrote that song based on an online search, it’s amazing.”

“True, I wrote it after searching what the color purple usually symbolizes. Alam mo, medyo may naiisip na ako noon na medyo na- apply ko sa purple butterfly. It was a very special color for me. It made my whole career.”

“It symbolizes bravery, wisdom and something magical. It is often associated with an escape from reality. Right?”

“Naaalala mo pa nga lahat. Tama ka, I wrote a song called Purple Fountain. Tungkol siya sa dalawang tao na nagkalayo ngunit pinagtagpo muli ng tadhana. They were completely broken by the past. But when they met for the second time, they are much more brave to face the challenges that the future might bring. They were filled with wisdom that would help them to understand their partner even better. They were both ready to be together again. But this time it’s not for the purpose of completing each other.”

“It’s for them to completing their lives together.”

With a faint smile on her face she nodded, “Exactly!” she said. “Kaya nga nang sumunod na magkita sila sa tagpuan nilang fountain, the water turned purple. It’s a symbolism that them two are both ready to mend things but it could also be interpreted as the other one.”

“It could also mean that they are still broken and hurting but they are imagining the purple water just to escape from their sad reality.”

“It had potential, no? A sad song that doesn’t actually sound sad at first. Kaya lang hindi ko na itinuloy, wala rin kasi akong maisip na mas magandang title.”

“I got his fountain built, Liyah.” That made her hold her breath. “Three years ago, right as I got back from Zoraya, I requested this fountain to be built. The lights reflect on the water making it emit a purple colored stream. This place easily became my favorite spot in the whole world. But I never thought that you’d get to see it.”

“No way you got this built because of that song, right?” the purple light reflected on her eyes as he stared at his dazzling eyes. “Why would you?”

“Why not?” he asked her back. “It became my escape from reality. Dito ako gabi- gabing nag-I-imagine. Iniisip ko na baka magkaroon ng milagro at baka kapag naging purple na kulay ng tubig sa gabi, darating ka na. It was a delusion that I enjoyed. Hindi ko alam na pagkatapos ng tatlong taon ay makikita nga kita rito.”

“Pri- Prince Kairo-”

“Gusto ko na magkatotoo ang naroon sa sinulat mo, two former lovers meeting together at their spot, the fountain. Kaya lang, ngayon nandito ka na rin sa wakas, hindi ko pa rin alam kung tutuloy nga ba tayo sa sitwasyon na ipinagdadasal ko. Kasi Aliyah, hindi ko na rin alam ang nangyayari sa atin.”

Hindi pa rin makapagsalita si Aliyah dahil sa madamdaming kuwento na binitawan ni Kairo. She chose to listen to him and understand what he was trying to say.

“Hindi ako kilala ng mga tao magmula pagkabata ko. Hindi nila alam na pinoprotektahan ni Mama ang buhay ko sa ganoong paraan. I grew up as someone that the public doesn’t see. I became Hiro in Zoraya. Sa ibang bansa ay nag aral ako nang walang humpay. Ginawa ko ang makakaya ko para maging isa sa pinaka karapat dapat na pinuno ng isang kaharian. Kaya lang, hindi ko inasahan na makikilala pala kita.”

“Itinago mo ang lahat sa akin-”

“I had to,” he lowered his head. “I couldn’t tell you, I didn’t have the courage to admit to you that I was too weak and too selfish. Tama ka, Liyah. I did everything with you back then, knowing that it would end up with me leaving you. I know that it would hurt you, but I chose to still do it. I made the decision to hurt you because I can’t stop myself from loving you.”

Sa puntong ito ay hindi na mapigilan ni Aliyah ang walang humpay na pagtulo ng mga luha niya.

“You were too bright, too beautiful and too amazing that I can’t bring myself to let you go. Hindi mo alam kung ilang beses ko sinubukan na makipag hiwalay na kaagad sa’yo nang mas maaga. Gusto kita na palayain dahil alam ko naman na sa dulo rin ng lahat, hindi ko magagawang maging si Hiro habang buhay. I would be called back at the palace and stand as Prince Kairo. Hindi pa rin kita makakasama hanggang kamatayan ko kahit na ano pa ang gawin ko, dahil alam kong hindi ko mapipili ang babaeng pakakasalan ko. But I was too selfish. Napapasaya mo ako nang sobra, at hindi ko kaya na makita kang mapunta sa iba… I- Liyah, I am so sorry.”

“How can you suddenly say that?” she sobbed. “Bakit mo pa inuungkat ngayon ‘yan, Kairo? Bakit?”

“Kasi Aliyah, hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko. Ngayon may pagkakataon na ako na makasama ka, may pagkakataon na ako na mabuo kung ano ang pinapangarap ko. Pero kung itutuloy ko nga ‘yon, hindi ba’t uulitin ko lang kung ano ang ginawa ko noon? I would cage you in here and call it love… I’d be my selfish self again, Liyah. And now, I’d like to ask you… what do you want? What should I do? What are we going to do next?”

“Kairo-”

“This time, I want you to be the one who makes the decision. Kung ano man ang gusto mong gawin, susundin natin. Hindi ko na pipiliin ang sarili ko, kaya ikaw ang magsabi… about the marriage, what do you really want?”