Huminga nang malalim si Blade. A day had past since they arrived at the Nest. Kaiser prepared everything. Nasa custody na niya sina Rafael at Yulia. Hindi lang niya alam kung saang parte ng nest ang mga ito dinala.
Hindi parin siyang makapaniwala ng ito din ang lalaking nagpahirap sa kanila noon. They are on the same side, pero hindi naman nangangahulagang may tiwala na siya dito.
There is something off. Hindi niya maintindihan. Kaparehas ng nararamandaman niya noong makita niya si Rafael. Na may tinatago din ito.
Pero sa ngayon, hindi niya muna magawang harapin iyon. Mas mahalaga parin ang kalagayan ni Nia.
Nasa labas siya ng kwarto nito. Kasalukuyan itong binabantayam ni Angelique.
Nia's crying. He can hear her calling out his name, the name of his old self, Pierre.
Kaya lumayo muna siya dahil alam niyang di makakabuti yon. Bumabalik na naman ang mga masasamang alaala nito noon.
He was afraid she will remember everything. The torture that she went through. Even her death.
Hindi niya alam kung kakayanin ng isip nito. Baka makagawa ito ng bagay na hindi maganda para sa sarili. He don't want to loose her again. Not that way.
Hindi niya alam ang gagawin.
He failed. Again.
Kung dumating siya nang mas maaga, hindi sana nangyari ito. Kung hindi siya nagtiwala ng basta-basta, walang mangyayaring masama kay Nia. Even Bullet gave his life to save her, pero hindi parin niya nagawa.
It was his fault in the first place. If not for his past sins, this will never happen.
A sudden pain hit his jaw. He fell on the cold marbled floor with a bloody mess on his face.
Nahilo siya. He wasn't ready for that.
"T*ngina ka! Kailan mo ba kami titgilan?!"
The King. Finally.
"Kiel." Marahan siyang bumangon at pinunasan ng braso ang duguang bibig.
But Kiel just stood there, talagang hinihintay siyang tumayo. He knew he was waiting for another chance to knock him over so he redied himself. He blocked Kiel's forceful psych and managed to countered it with his own. The King flinched and took a step back.
"I never want this to happen, believe me." Aniya.
Kiel clenched his hand, his eyes blood red. "First, my sister. And now her, my own daughter?! Bakit sila ang kailangang magbayad nang kagaguhan mo?!"
"I'm sorry." Alam niya namang hindi siya niti mapapatawad pero kailangang sabihin niya iyon.
Mabilis na lumapit si Kiel. Kinuwelyuhan siya at malakas na isinandal sa pader. "Mababalik ba niyan ang nangyari kay Natalia?! Huh?!" Sigaw nito.
"Ginawa ko ang lahat para di na maulit ang nangyari noon, ikinulong ko siya at tinanggal ang lahat nang pwedeng makapagpaalala sayo. Bakit ka pa bumalik sa buhay niya?! Nanahimik na siya!"
"My King, stop this, please,"
He heard Angelique's soft voice. It sounded tired and weary. "This is enough for today, I'm begging you."
Marahan naman siyang binitawan ni Kiel. Napatingin ito sa kapatid niya. His eyes slowly turned back into a darker shade of brown. Nawala din ang galit sa mukha nito at naging malumanay.
"My Queen.."
He glanced back to her sister. She had dark circles around her eyes and skin pale. The stress of all these things took a toll on her body, he tought.
"Hindi ito ang panahon para magsisihan."
Lumapit si Kiel dito. Kitang-kita naman niya ang isang hakbang na inatras ng kapatid niya para umiwas.
"We can't took back what happened," ani Angelique, looking at her husband directly.
She was just keeping her stance, she was going to crumble anytime, he can feel it. It was hard for her to see her daughter suffered the same tragedy she had.
This is not ok.
"Yulia's detained in her room, unharmed," she paused. She bowed her head but he knew she was just holding back her tears.
"As you ordered."
He gritted his teeth. Naiintindihan na niya ang sitwasyon ng dalawa.
Nangako si Kiel na di nito sasaktan ang kapatid niya pero anong nangyari ngayon. He even dared to have her mistress kept in same place as his own wife.
"Raven..let me expl--"
"You have your duty, I have mine," she cut him off. "Go and see her, My King. She's still the mother of your heiress."
Kiel clenched his fist and sighed heavily.
"As you wish."
Tumalikod ito at mabilis na umalis. Ni hindi man lang lumingon.
Angelique knees finally gave in. The tears that she was holding back fell to her cheeks. Mabilis naman niyang naalalayan ang kapatid bago tuluyang napaluhod.
"Why is he doing this to me?" She whispered. Pero agad din naman nitong pinunasan ang luha at tumayo ng tuwid.
She was desperately trying to calm herself. Pero hindi nito maitatago sa kanya ang totoong nararamdaman nito.
"Angelique--"
"Don't mind me, Pierre. Nia's awake," she said.
"The real Nia, not Elle. Mas mabuti nang makausap mo siya," she continued. "She always have this episodes, na si Elle ang lumalabas na katauhan niya. And she would cry uncontrollably. Nagwawala din siya. There were instances na nasasaktan na niya ang sarili niya. I don't want that to happen again. Talk to her please. You are her mate. Ikaw lang ang alam kong makakapagpakalma sa kanya."
Napakagat ito ng labi at huminga nang malalim. "I shall leave you with her. I have to see Helena."
Napailing siya. Hinawakan niya ang braso nito bago tuluyang lumayo.
"Have you look at yourself, Angelique?" he asked. Nag-aalala siya ng husto kay Nia pero nag-aalala din siya sa kapatid niya. "Your not--"
"Please, I can handle this," she cut him off again.
"I am a Queen..no..I am a mother. Uunahin ko ang kapakanan ng pamilya ko kaysa sa sarili ko." She said. She took a deep breath and smiled bitterly.
"No. You are not happy. Yulia's still here. She cause all of these." He told her.
"Yulia is Natalia's real mother. Kung kung pinalayo ko siya noon, she will took her away from us and I will loose my daughter. Kaya hinayaan ko lang siya sa paligid namin," she sighed.
"Nagparaya nalang ako sa kanilang dalawa ni Kiel. Now he had to deal with her for what she did to her own daughter."
"Why are you doing this? You are a pure blooded Soliel, you are more powerful than Kiel. How can you let him do this to you?" Sa lahat ng nangyayari, ito ang pinakanaapektuhan at hindi niya matatanggap yon.
"You wont understand. I have to do everything to keep this family intact. Even if it cost my own happiness, Pierre," she answered. She lifted a stray hair away from her face behind her ears.
"Umalis si Nia sa amin dahil iniisip niya na kung mawawala na obligasyon ko sa kanya, magkakaroon na ako panahon para maging masaya. Pero mali siya. Silang dalawa nalang ni Helena ang kaligayahan ko ngayon. If I lose even one of them, it would be the death of me."
Tumingin ito sa nakasaradong pinto ni Nia.
"So please, save her instead of me," she asked him.
"She needs you."
