He's the Man with a Tail

Chapter 13: Past

“Water has memories.” — Frozen II

☾

“Your mother was silly. She said she wanted to learn to swim but end up drowning herself. Kung hindi ko siya nakita matapos akong sinubukang hulihin ng mga tao then there shouldn't be a beautiful piece of her in front of me now. I saved your mother from drowning to the depths of the seas and she even accused me for taking advantage of her weakness. Literal na sadista si Herien. And that made me fall in love with her. Everyday, bumibisita ako sa dalampasigan just to see her.”

“'Wag niyong sabihin na sa dalampasigan niyo rin ako ginawa?”

Napatawa ng mahina si Aczeth sa tanong ni Aché. “Hindi my princess. Siyempre, I vowed to respect your mother and must do that thing after our marriage. 'Wag kang mag-alala, we are both comfortable when we did that.”

Hindi maiwasang mamula ni Aché nang biglang pumasok sa isipan niya ang hubad na larawan ni Saero. Damn, she missed his body. She means, Saero himself.

Aczeth wasn't feeling embarrassed too. He felt Aché was on the right age to know that thing.

“So anong sunod na nangyari Papa?”

“As if the Gods heared my wishes, we really did fell in love with each other. Hindi namin inasahan ang bagay na 'yon. But before that, we go through many challenges. Some even say that we are star-crossed lovers.”

“Because you're a merman and Mama is not,” she snorted. Ang mga panaginip niya, it's not hers, galing iyon sa Mama niya.

“Definitely, my princess. Pero hindi ako nagpatalo sa katotohanang 'yon. I still got many possibilities. Sinama ko si Herien sa palasyo namin gamit ang isang mahiwagang kwintas and there I fought my love for her in front of my superiors. Mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ang pagmamahal ng 'di namin kauri, but our love is really powerful and you are the product of it. Ngunit kapalit nito ang paglihim namin sa iyo ng lahat. We chose to keep these secrets in order for you to be safe. Ngunit hindi namin nalaman na all this time, your Mom's brother was secretly following us. He knows everything about me being a merman and he wanted that to have money. Dahil alam niyang si Herien ang heir ng lupain nila at hindi siya. He tried to attack our kingdom, but his human body can't survive from the water that is ours. After kang maipanganak, doon pa niya isinagawa ang plano. He tried to steal you in order for him to blackmail us na ibigay sa kanya ang mana pero naabutan ito ng Mama mo. And there she sacrificed her life for your safety. Huli na nang maabutan ko si Herien. Wala ring nagawa ang lolo at lola mo dahil itinali sila ni Harold, ang tito mo.”

Nanubig ang mga mata ni Aché sa nalaman.

“Hindi ko nagawang maligtas ang pinakamamahal kong babae. I was too dumb to left her for my responsibilities as the king underwater. Masyado akong nagsisi sa lahat that's why I left my own world to have you, and in order to make myself better. Sa akin ipinasa ng lolo at lola mo ang pamamahala sa hacienda na 'to while Harold was put  behind bars. And eto, nangyari na ang kinatatakutan ko, that Harold will take his revenge on us and retrieve everything that wasn't his on the first place.”

Umiiyak na rin si Aczeth. He can't contain his emotions and loneliness for his wife. Pero isa ang sigurado sa isip niya, he won't let Harold get in the way again. Oras na para siya naman ang magtanggol sa pamilya nila.

“Now, I know he's after us. I can feel it. And I can also feel that he catched one of our kind. I don't know who but he's powerful.”

“May nahuling sireno si Tito? Sino Papa?” she curiously asked. Ngunit kinakabahan na rin siya sa nabubuong imahe sa utak niya.

“Hindi ko kilala. Pero nasisiguro kong isa itong royal merman.”

Royal merman. Pilit na winaksi ni Aché ang naiisip. She wished that it's not Saero.

“Papa, I have one last question, did you gave Mama a blue scale necklace?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

That's it. That's why everything is familiar to her. Now she just confirmed everything.

“May... may magic din ba ako papa? Can I control water too?”

“That's beyond my knowledge. But according to some mermaid myths, half-bloods contain different magic from us. Maybe it's not only water. Or maybe you acquired everything from your Mom and me being left with nothing for you.” Sa mga sandaling ito ay nagawa pa ni Aczeth na bumusangot sa harapan ng anak niya. As if no one is following them.

“I already transformed into a mermaid. That guy I was telling you helped me. His name is Saero.”

“Saero? Erressa's son?”

“Kilala mo si Queen Erressa, Papa?”

“Of course. She was supposed to be my bride but I chose your mother and she love someone else.”

Hindi inakala ni Aché na uso rin pala ang arranged marriage sa mga sireno at sirena.

“Is Saero, the merman you're telling me the whole time?”

“Oo. Papa.”

“Then you're lucky. I think another ship of star-crossed lovers are sailing,” his father chuckled. Muli namang namula ang pisngi ni Aché.

“Now, my princess, are you ready to save our kingdom?”

Napangiti si Aché at hinawakan ang kamay ng ama. “Let's do this and save everyone.”

***

Are you excited for Aché's magic? Don't expect to much okay. HAHAHA.

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