SCARLET 2: ALICE (Emerald Series)

10

ALICE

"Alice, huwag kang lalayo!" rinig kong sabi ng isang babae. Maganda siya at kulay blonde ang buhok. Mukhang nasa garden kami pero pansin kong madilim ang paligid. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba gabi na o sadyang madilim lang dito. May batang tumatakbo sa 'di kalayuan. It looks like she's three or four years old.

Then the vision faded at nagbago ang settings. Nasa kwarto naman ako ngayon at nakahiga sa kama niya 'yong bata kanina. Bumukas ang pinto at may pumasok na lalaki.

"Daddy!" tawag ng bata.

"Alice, bakit hindi ka pa natutulog?" tanong ng lalaki.

Are these my memories? Ako ba 'tong batang 'to? Ibig bang sabihin ay sila ang mga magulang ko?

Nagising ako sa biglang pagbukas ng pinto. Pinunasan ko ang mga luha na pumatak mula sa mga mata ko. Tumingin ako sa paligid. This is the most luxurious room I've ever been to. The walls are adorned with gold accents. The floor is covered with red velvet carpet. There's an emerald chandelier hanging in the middle. Nasa Middle Castle na siguro kami.

"Good morning, Lady Alice," bati sa akin ng mga pumasok sa servants. They forced me to get out of bed and take a bath. They literally bathed me. Hindi man lang sila nakinig sa akin when I protested. Pinilit nila na paliguan ako.

Why was I here again? Oh. I remember now.

That guy, Clyde, saved me from my marriage to the vampire king by declaring that he will be the one to marry me. To make matters worse, I just found out that he's a prince. He's THE prince of the Middle Kingdom. At alam pala ito ni Seth! He didn't even tell me!

Clyde's parents, the king and queen, arrived at the castle last night to make a deal with King Vincent. The Dark Forest is now under the jurisdiction of the South Kingdom. They gave up the forest that has been under the Middle Kingdom for decades just for me. BECAUSE of me. I don't know how I am going to face them. I'm too embarrassed to even get out of this room.

Bukod pa dito, Seth suddenly disappeared. Madam, or Thelessa as they all call her, didn't even bother to talk to me and explain why all of these are happening. I've been so alone since then.

The servants made me wear an emerald-green, A-line dress with a pleated bodice and puff sleeves. They partnered it with pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. They tied my hair into a neat bun, leaving a few strands of my hair to accentuate my face.

"Is she done?" I jolted upright and looked at the person who just came into the room. Everyone greeted her and curtsied.

"Queen Emerald," I barely muttered. Her emerald-colored eyes looked at me. Some of her features reminds me of Clyde. She really is his mother.

She smiled at me so sweetly, "Hello, Alice. Do you like the dress?"

"It's beautiful."

She told the servants to leave if they're done and they all did. As soon as they closed the door, Queen Emerald took my hand and guided me to the window of this bedroom. She opened the curtains for me to see what's outside. There's a wide garden outside the window full of hundreds of varieties of flowers that I could think of. Beyond the garden are the tall, stone walls that separates the castle from the rushing river. Across the river is a pathway leading to the Middle Village. From here, I could see the bustling lives of the village people.

"They are going to be your people. They are going to be your responsibility. If you're going to marry my son, everything you do, you do it for the people." She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Kaya Alice, do you want to do this?"

"Po? This?"

She nodded. "Do you really want to get married to my son?"

Okay, let me gather my thoughts. I was supposed to marry King Vincent but Clyde intervened by saying we are betrothed to each other. Because of this, they gave the Dark Forest to the South Kingdom as demanded by King Vincent. I don't know what kind of love story Clyde told his parents but I will have to go through with this wedding. I don't want to marry a vampire. The South is too scary for me to live in. Besides, I guess it's too late to back out now. The Dark Forest is already under the South Kingdom.

"I do," I answered. She nodded and patted my hand.

"It's really in your eyes," she whispered while looking straight into my eyes. Binago niya na agad ang topic before I could even ask kung anong sinasabi niya. "The people will ask where you came from. Syempre, gusto nila malaman kung saan galing ang mapapangasawa ng prinsipe. You're going to be the future queen."

Oh no. Anong isasagot ko? I don't even know who I am. Hindi ako makapaniwala na nangyayari lahat ng ito.

Queen Emerald smiled. "Thelessa told me that you should introduce yourself as her family. If they ask, just tell them that you grew up under the care of the enchantress."

"Sinabi niya po 'yon? Nasaan po siya?" tanong ko. Bakit hindi niya nalang ako puntahan dito at siya mismo ang magsabi?

"May inaasikaso lang siya." Nagsimula na siyang maglakad papunta sa pinto. "May darating na dalawang babae na maglilibot sayo sa village para makita ka na ng mga tao. It's just a quick tour."

She finally left and I sat down while still looking outside the window. Nasaan kaya si Seth? The queen didn't mention anything about him.

Someone cleared her throat behind me kaya napalingon ako. There are two women standing behind me. The other one is smiling and handed out her hand. "I'm Patricia Adelaide."

The other girl nonchalantly shook my hand as well and said, "Andrea."

"Woah," Patricia exclaimed. "You really do have her eyes."

Agad naman siyang sinuway ni Andrea. Sino pa ba ang may violet eyes bukod sa amin ni Clyde?

They didn't say anything after that kaya't lumabas na kami. So, this is what the Middle Castle looks like from the outside. It's so big and much livelier than the South Castle. Maliligaw ako dito for sure. Kahit gaano pa kalaki ito, it feels homey. There's a wooden, drawbridge palabas ng premises ng castle para makatawid sa river. A carriage is waiting for us on the other side of the river na agad naman naming sinakyan.

Ilang minuto lang ay natanaw ko na ang malaking arko papasok ng village. May nakaukit sa arko na kaya mong basahin even from afar.

'Land of the brave.'