Bride Of The King (by K.L. Tiempo)

"YOU ARE NEARLY at the right age, Your Highness. It is now the time to pick your future queen that will reign by your side," said the Royal Official. First in line in the palace's guidance council, Royal Official Macgregor, is an aged man with black beard and always wearing his orange robe, plus a golden cape that made him look more sophisticated even though he is quite old. Tuwid lamang na nakatayo si Official Macgregor, nakatitig sa tapat niya kung s'an naroon ang trono ng hari. The throne room is splendid! It is huge, spacious, with golden-and-red ambiance. The ceilings were dome-shaped, and it is super tall that made dangling of golden chandeliers sparkle above. Firm columns were lining both sides of the hall, each of those columns has vintage patterns. Several arch windows, stretched open from ceiling to the floor, allow the sunlight to passed through the walls and washed down the marbled floors. Meanwhile, the king... with golden crown on his head and red cape across his shoulders, and a young yet handsome face of an early adolescent... was silent as he sits still on his very throne. Nakadekwatro pa ang hari, saka nakapangalumbaba sa armrest ng kaniyang trono. His other, free hand was playing a ball of fire. Oo, as in, apoy na hugis bola. And that ball of fire was floating over the king's palm. As he moved his fingers, the fire ball just spinned and danced above his hand, while he easily controls his power. "So? What do you propose, Macgregor?" The young king sighed. The ball of fire from the king's hand, instantly, vanished into smoke. Umayos ng upo ang hari sa kaniyang trono, saka walang ganang tinitigan ang Royal Official na nakatayo sa harap niya. Official Macgregor spoke, "We need you to find a bride. Nagpulong na kami ng council at nagbotohan din kami kung pa'no ito gagawin. Kamahalan, ganito ang plano..." As the Royal Official continued talking, nanatiling nakaupo ang Mahal na Hari sa kaniyang trono. King's eyes, with boredom, roam around the throne room's hall, specifically, to the great wall carved by abstract patterns. On that wall, nakahelera ang mga mala-higanteng larawan (framed with golden case) ng mga yumao niyang ninuno. Pictures like; the former eleventh king with his pokerface and thick mustache, and the former tenth king with his curled brown hair and bright-smiley face, and the former nineth king with jewelries around his neck and thin brows arched with superiority, and so on. All late kings with their photographs were framed and aligned on the wall. The current king, who's now sitting on the throne, was disgusted just by looking at those picture frames. King, huh? Who wants to be stuck in a palace's walls and read towers of constitutional monarch book all of their lives?! Nobody does! Certainly not this king. But, of course, as the twelveth in line to inherit the crown, HE... no matter how much he hates it... MUST obey the royal rules. "...and finally, women shall gathered in the ballroom where you can choose any of them that fits your standard. One woman shall stand chosen as your bride." Tumigil na rin sa pagsasalita ang Royal Official. The king sighed and muttered, "That was one heck of a long, tiring plan. Can you just spill the beans and get straight to the point?" "In short, we'll invite all the young women across the land, and even overseas, to attend into a grand ball for your nineteenth birthday. In that event, you may have the chance to meet women, dance with them, talk to them, and eventually pick your own future queen, Your Majesty," wika ng Royal Official. On his throne, the king almost rolled his eyeballs. A grand ball? Seriously? "You know I'm not into parties, Macgregor." Ngumiwi ang hari, saka prenteng sumandal sa kaniyang trono. "And why should I marry a woman that I'll only meet once? If I'll pick my bride, I must get to know the girl I'll spend my whole lifetime with in a longer and deeper sense. Not a one-night-dance." Official Macgregor sighed. "Naiintindihan ko kayo, Kamahalan. Ngunit wala nang oras. Pagtungtong mo sa sunod mong kaarawan, maghahanap at maghahanap na ng reyna ang mga tauhan sa palasyo. You are a king, you must preserve your bloodline as royalty. Kung walang reyna, wala kayong magiging anak na magmamana ng korona." "Tss..." Muli, umismid ang hari at nagpangalumbaba sa armrest ng trono. He muttered, "This is so uninteresting." Mcgregor sighed. Mula sa kaniyang robe, may nilabas siyang isang golden scroll. He unrolled the scroll, saka niya ito hinarap sa trono ng hari. "I hope you still remember the Law of Royal Magic, My King..." ani Macgregor habang hawak ang scroll na nakaharap sa direksyon ng hari. The scroll shows an inked drawing: a man passing over the crown to another man who's bowed on his one knee. Then, another drawing below showing: both man who's passing the crown, and man bowed on one knee to receive the same crown, were sharing this flame-like aura. THE MAGIC. Below those illustrations, a cursive letters were written in the scroll. It says... Law of the Royal Magic, to whom the throne be given credit is to whom the magic shall inherit. For magic runs in the blood of kings and queens, and magic shall last till one bears the crown's gleam. Ang binatang hari, na nakaupo sa trono, ay napabuntong hininga na lang nang makita ang nakalantad sa scroll na hawak ni Macgregor. "The Law said it itself, Sire," ani Official Macgregor. "Upang mapanatiling buhay ang mahika sa ating mundo, kailangan itong mapasa sa kung sinuman ang magmamana ng korona. Dahil ang mahika ay nananalatay lamang sa dugo ng mga maharlika, kailangan natin itong maisalin sa lahi mo 'tungo sa lahi ng 'yong magiging anak. At kung hindi kayo pipili ng mapapangasawa, walang anak na magpapatuloy ng kapangyarihang mayroon ka." He rolled back the scroll, then put it back inside his robe. "Alam ko, alam ko..." King nodded his head. "Don't make me stupid. Everyone knows the Law. A king has to marry a woman, have a child, pass the crown, and viola! Magic is safe and preserved. Pero hindi ba 'yon nga ang problema? I MUST get to know my future bride, first, before entrusting her the title of a queen. I can't just marry a girl whom I met in a single dance. What if she's a con? A traitor? Manganganib ang mahikang pinakaiingatan ng kaharian 'pag napasakamay ito ng maling tao." "We have a plan, Sire. The council have decided to prepare a dinner date, so that you'll have a one-on-one talk with your chosen bride," Mcgregor replied. "Isn't it enough?" NO! IT. IS. NOT. OF COURSE! But instead of arguing, the king groaned and inclined his back against his throne. Minasahe niya rin ang kaniyang noo, tila nagpipigil ng galit. They will not understand it, indeed, they won't. The king thought. "We need your confirmation, Your Highness. Itutuloy ho ba namin ang grand ball sa kaarawan n'yo?" asked the Royal Official who's still standing before the king's throne. King pursed his lips, straightening back to his sitting position. "May magagawa pa ba ako? Do what you asked, then." Right on cue, Official Macgregor bowed down with sincerity and said... "Thank you, Your Excellency. I shall prepare the event within three days, exact night time of your royal birthday. Is it okay for you, Sire?" No, it's not. Pero tumango na lang ang hari. The Royal Official smiled and bowed his head, once again. "Thank you, Your Majesty." After that, Official Macgregor turned and walked away. The double-door slammed and closed, indicating that the Royal Official had left the throne room. The young king remains on his throne, alone, sitting with crossed legs. He whispered, "Bride... huh? What a joke." * * * MOONLIGHT SWEPT DOWN the clouds, illuminating the nightsky with its silver roundness. The tall, arched-shape kingdom's gate was widely open. Armoured guards, carrying spears, were standing near the gate itself. Those guards were stationed there, greeting and welcoming different carriages maneuvered by horses as they enter the palace's courtyard. Inside the palace walls, the whole ballroom was elegantly decorated. The ballroom's hall was vast, with ceilings very high and designed with shining chandeliers. The walls were framed by gold and red curtains, and pillars standing in the corners were carved with abstract patterns. The floor was shimmering like new-clean diamond, and a spacious dancefloor at the center. And the highlight of this ballroom's hall? That gorgeous, bifurcated staircase with golden linings and red carpet, na nakatayo sa pinakaunahan ng bulwagan. Indeed, the place was majestically perfect! Maidens had entered this hall. They were scattered inside, wearing different ballgowns. Some wear with beautiful, shiny silk. Some wear a colorful, feathery garments. Some wear jewelries around their necks, and rings on their fingers. All of them look very, very pretty and feminine. Murmurs. Giggles. Footsteps. Those filled the ballroom's hall. "I can't wait to see the king." "Either am I." "Balita ko, napakakisig ng itsura niya." "Magaling din daw siyang pinuno." "Talaga ba???" "Yes, and he has these dreamy eyes and killer smile." "Hihihihi! I wish he'll notice me." "Well, I wish he'll CHOOSE me." "Or me!" "No, me, for sure!" "Hahahaha! Better luck to that." "I came from a noble family, of course, he'll notice me." "Well, my family transports supplies to this kingdom, so the king might knew me already." "Oh, please! I am the very first lady he'll dance with, for sure!" "No, it is I." Mayamaya pa, tumigil ang ingay ng mga babae sa loob ng hall. Unti-unti silang napalingon at tumingala sa iisang direksyon. All eyes fell on the bifurcated staircase. On top of it, Official Macgregor came out and stood there. His stern posture was exposed, and he unrolled a scroll on his hand. Macgregor, standing on top of the staircase, reads the scroll's message. "Ladies, what a great evening for all of you! Maidens from noble and common families, from this land and lands across the sea, welcome to the Kingdom of Seion. Thank you for attending this grand ball," he announced. Official Macgregor's voice was loud and clear. Maides who were scattered on the dancefloor, beneath the staircase, were staring and carefully listening to Macgregor's intro. "As you are all aware of, today is the day when the King of Seion will choose his bride and his future queen. Only one maiden shall be chosen, yet everyone has the honor to meet or greet His Majesty and dance with him 'til the night ends," Macgregor continued reading the scroll. "And so, I won't take this any longer for I know how long your journey has been just to be present in this very event. Ladies, please do enjoy the entire ball tonight. May this night be your MAGICAL moment to shine." Official Macgregor rolled back the scroll, and tucked it inside his golden robe. Umalingawngaw ang palakpakan mula sa mga madla, specifically, mula sa mga magagandang kababaihan sa loob ng bulwagan. In instance, the orchestra band, a group of musicians which stood at the corner of the ballroom's dancefloor, played a jazzy yet classical tune with their musical instruments. The entire hall was filled with lively people and music. When Official Macgregor was about to leave and climb down the staircase, suddenly, a Palace's guard came running towards him. Napahinto si Macgregor, saka niya hinarap ang gwardiyang kadarating lamang. "Yes?" Macgregor frowned. The Palace's guard didn't say anything, instead he just lent out a piece of paper. Tinanggap naman ni Macgregor ang papel, and he unfolded it. As Macgregor read what was written in the paper, unti-unting lumaki ang mga mata niya. "N-No... No way..." Official Macgregor slowly shook his head, terribly shocked. "T-That naughty king!" What was written on that paper... is a hundred percent NOT a good news. * * * IN THE DEAD of the night, thousands of stars were twinkling above and the moon's perfect circle watches behind the clouds. Nag-iingay din ang mga kuliglig. Beyond the Seion Kingdom's enormous towers and arched chambers, at the very backyard, naroon ang mga nagtataasang puno na tila masukal na kakahuyan sa likod ng palasyo. Ang mga berdeng dahon ng bawat puno ay sumasayaw sa ihip ng hangin. Sa likod ng mga punong ito, naroon ang pinakamataas na pader na gawa sa bricks. Ito'y ang pader na bumubukod sa teritoyo ng kaharian at sa lupain sa labas. Matayog ang pader na 'to, saka ginagapangan ng mga ligaw na halaman. Yet, a young man wearing full white cloak and a hood covering his head, was skillful enough to climb the gigantic wall. As the mysterious young man reached the wall's very top, quickly, of course, he jumped out and his cloak fluttered gently in the air. He perfectly landed on the grassy ground, like a superhero in movies. Tumayo siya, saka pinapag ang suot na damit. "Easy-peasy," he muttered. Before he walks away, he made a one last glance to the castle's large wall that stood behind him. The young man's face was revealed. He is the young royal King of Seion, disguised in a plain cloak and a hood to cover his identity. He smirked. "Take care of my kingdom for now, Macgregor. I'm going to search for my bride." And without further ado, he escaped the palace and calmly walked down the long road past through the flat pasture, with grasses of green surrounding the area, leading him further to the outside world far away from his kingdom's walls. His adventure has just begun.