Chapter 50: Announcement

The storm had stopped. There was no lightning or thunder, but the green lights in the sky, like remains of fireworks, rains of shooting stars— still falling, seeping as if creating a thread in the sky.

There were gentle raindrops and a cold breeze— not meant to destroy but to soothe, telling me that I had finally opened my eyes again—that I could feel these emotions again with the thought of not running away.

"Babalikan . . . paulit-ulit na babalikan, Mahal . . ."

I bit my lower lip. I slowly turned around. I tilted my head up to meet his eyes—his emerald eyes, his tall frame illuminated by the green lights on his sides, the shadows on his cheeks, the small droplets of water gliding down his nose bridge to its tip and to his lips.

King Tobias Caesar Le'Vamueivos, a living silhouette against the glowing sky.

I trembled, my hands were about to pull away, but he took them and brought them to his chest. My knees buckled, and he allowed me to slump to the floor as he kneeled to follow me. One of his hands delicately cupped my cheek.

"I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry . . ." I uttered repeatedly with my tears streaming down my cheeks. My hands tightly gripped the fabric on his chest, my forehead leaned on him, and I closed my eyes, whispering my words over and over.

"I am so coward . . . I chose to run away. To forget . . . to leave and abandon you."

Tobias didn't reply. Instead, he just allowed me to hear his breathing as the rain continuously soaked us.

Then I gasped, my eyes widened, and looked around, I saw the cloaked woman behind Tobias, but as the wind blew, falling off the hood of her black cloak, I saw myself with a relieved expression. And then she disappeared in the thin air.

I shook my head, grasped Tobias's wet clothes, and looked at him again. "Y-you knew . . . you knew that I've been talking to myself. You knew that I am insane—" he cut me off.

This time, it was both of his hands that cupped my face. "I know that you're a fighter, and you'll soon realize everything. You're not insane. You just got tired. You just got weak. You needed rest."

I shook my head again, unable to process his words.

"B-but I could have killed you!"

Nahampas ko na siya sa dibdib. "I could have hurt you with that arrow! You knew that I was about to attack you! You didn't even move! You stayed waiting for that arrow!"

Nanghihina kong ibinaba ang dalawa akong kamay mula sa dibdib niya at mas itinuon ko ang noo ko roon. "I could have hurt you again." I whispered.

"Can you remember it all?"

Muli akong nag-angat ng tingin sa kanya at ilang beses akong umiling. "N-not all of it."

He sighed. "It's alright. It will come back eventually."

My brows creased. I frustratingly wiped the waterdrops on my face as I looked at him. "Why are you so calm after everything happened?"

"I am so happy, love. So much . . . now tell me, tell me what you remember the most . . ." he gently whispered as his fingertips pushed aside the strands of my wet hair that covered my eyes.

I couldn't utter a single word. All I did was stare at him as both of us were drenched by the continuous falling rain— and a mixture of darkness and green lights in the whole Parsua Deltora.

For the first time, after I opened my eyes without memory, I witnessed this expression from him—a feeling of genuine calm and serenity.

Tobias was no longer kneeling in front of me because he was already sitting, both hands pressed on the floor, behind his back, legs straightened, as he tilted his head to the sky with his eyes closed, there was a glint of a smile on his face as he allowed the raindrops traced him as if detailing his image in a painting. The dim green light overwhelmed him.

One of my trembling hands unconsciously went to my chest as if it somehow calmed my heart. His soft image with the rains, surrounded by cold, felt so utterly warm.

I helplessly slumped on the floor as if I was melting at the sight of him. The side of my eyes watered, blurring my vision. How could this beautiful man be so in love with me that I chose to run away?

His eyes were still closed, waiting for my reply. "Tell me, what do you remember the most," he repeated.

I took a deep breath. Both of my knees were on the floor, hands pressed down as well, my eyes fixed on him. Slowly, on all fours, I closed the distance between us. When I finally reached him, one of my hands grabbed the fabric on his chest, pulling me closer until I found myself kneeling, my legs parted with him between them. His eyes were still closed, head tilted up, and now I towered over him, my trembling hands cupping his face.

The mixture of raindrops and tears from my face glided down to his was the only music I could hear. "I love you," I whispered.

And before he could even open his eyes, all I did was claim his lips.

Tobias did not move, all he did was receive every movement of my lips, his hands were still behind his back— clenched as he restrained himself as if punishing me to ask for his forgiveness. "Again," he commanded inside my mind.

"I love you," I whispered inside his mind as I continued to move my lips.

"Again."

"I love you."

"Again. Ask for my forgiveness, beg, love . . . convince me. Open my mouth."

I nodded, my trembling hands still on his face, pulling him closer. I kissed every part of his lips, tracing their shape with my tongue. I parted them, exploring deeper, tasting him, marking him, and giving tender bites on his lower lip. Then, I captured his mouth again as if I owned him, kissing him with hunger, desperation, love, and even forgiveness that I didn't know if I deserved— and more emotions that I couldn't properly name as I lost my breath. My heart pounded so wildly as I poured everything into it.

And when our kiss ended, still an inch closer, with our ragged breathing, Tobias's lips were swollen and slightly parted, with his lukewarm expression.

"I am sorry . . ." I whispered near his lips.

He was about to move his hands, but I quickly moved and trapped his hands, and pressed them on his sides. Now, I was kneeling again on fours, his gaze looking down at me, and mine looking up at him. "L-let me continue, Your Majesty."

Hindi na nagsalita pa si Tobias at hinayaan niya na ako.

This time I cradled on his lap, arms hanging on his shoulders as I slowly kissed and traced his jawline, whispered I love you repeatedly as I gave him feathery kisses on every part of his face until I gently went into his neck, giving him kisses, light bites, and teasing licks. I could feel how he trembled and agonizingly constrained himself to touch me.

When my hands found the familiar loose knot of his clothing and pulled it, revealing his chest, my lips went down on it, worshipping every edge and detail of his as I moved downward slowly. Tobias gasped and when I glanced at him, his lips were parted, head tilted, and hands clenched.

I was about to move further and pleasure him when Tobias's hands stopped me, he was already cupping my cheeks as he crushed his lips with mine. "Forgiven."

And this time, it was his lips that claimed mine— drowning me, making me think nothing but his lips, his kisses, his hands pulling me closer, and his whispers inside my mind.

We were both gasping for air when our lips parted, he was smiling with his forehead leaning mine. "Where do you think you're going, Queen?"

"Asking for forgiveness— like claiming my nine million with my mouth."

And then he laughed, let go of my face, and pressed his palms again on the floor to support himself as he looked at me. "Now here's my queen again with her nine million."

I wiped the raindrops on my face with my palms. "I'm sorry. For all my hurtful words . . . everything."

Tobias innocently tilted his head as if I was telling him something in an ancient language that he couldn't understand, his brows were creased, and his lips were prodded. "I can't remember anything about your hurtful words."

Hindi na ako nagsalita pa, sa huli ay agad kong itinapon ang sarili ko kay Tobias at niyakap ko siya nang mahigpit. Nanatili siyang nakaupo habang marahan niyang hinahaplos ang basa kong buhok.

"I am so happy, Kezalli."

"Thank you for the patience, Tobias."

He chuckled. "Now I realize that I really have a lot of that."

"You are."

Tinanggal ko ang pagkakayakap ko sa kanya ngunit nanatili pa rin ako sa kandungan niya habang malapit sa isa't isa ang aming mga mukha. Marahang pinaglandas ni Tobias ang likuran ng kamay niya sa pisngi ko.

"How about you give me an heir?"

I blinked. "A child?"

Tobias nodded with a smile. "I want my child to have unique hair like yours. Your skin . . ."

My heart fluttered. "With your emerald eyes."

"So, this castle will get busy just like Sartorias. Let Pryor be the babysitter."

My eyes widened. "No way!"

"Or we can have a twin as well," Tobias said willingly as his fingertips played with my hair.

I couldn't help but smile. "I would love that."

Tobias leaned his forehead with mine and we laughed together. Naagaw lang ang atensyon namin nang kapwa kami nakarinig ng pamilyar na ingay ng ibon, sabay kaming napatingala at hindi na ako nagkakamali.

It was a larger version of Pryor's crow form. He immediately landed on the floor, transformed himself into his annoying form with his heavy footsteps, and eyes glaring at me.

Kapwa kami hindi gumagalaw ni Tobias sa aming posisyon. Bahagya pa ngang tumingala si Tobias para silipin ang papalapit na kapatid niya sa likuran.

Tobias had that usually tired expression when Pryor was about to make his tantrums.

"That woman attacked me! I don't think she still remembers anything yet! She even used her power!"

Tobias sighed. "Aren't you aware of the situation right now, Brother? Didn't you hear anything a while ago? Can't you see the green lights above us? You and Marah should stop pestering Kezalli. Her memories are slowly coming back. She will not return to the human world. She just announced her claiming of the throne today."

I blinked. "W-what?"

Nauna nang tumayo sa akin si Tobias, inilahad niya ang isang kamay niya at inalalayan niya akong tumayo.

He led me to the edge of that floor, where I almost hung myself just to shout for Tobias to come back to me.

And when I finally reached a position where I could see Parsua Deltora again, it was no longer engulfed by darkness. Instead, everything inside the kingdom was glistening in the dim green light, creatures inside the castle were no longer inside as they were all scattered around the open grounds— the servants, officials, scholars, priestesses, and knights.

The floating city suddenly had green petals like rain— new lights ignited as if each citizen were lighting torches in every household, shop, establishment, and even the boats on the longest canal.

I gasped, took a step back, and covered my mouth, as I looked at Tobias again.

"Come, love . . . you are the queen of this kingdom," he said, offering his hand once more. With my trembling hands, I accepted it.

"Kingdom of Parsua Deltora," Tobias's voice echoed throughout the kingdom.

"Let me introduce you, my queen—the second goddess from the mirror—Queen Kezalli Lainore, the queen of arrows of the green light."

With those words, I saw the first creatures who honored Tobias's words. Claret, Zen, Seth, Blair, and Rosh bowed their heads with a smile on their faces.

The cheer of the crowd boomed around the kingdom as the light from the sky, and torches from the creatures glistened— a celebration I never thought I'd ever witness—happiness for my existence— to him and this kingdom

Suddenly all the garden fairies appeared on the highest floor of the castle of the Parsua Deltora, they sang and danced together around us, throwing us petals of flowers, shimmers from their wings, and giggles of triumph.

Tobias's arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer. "Remind me not to make any misunderstanding with you again. I heard that the kingdom's pixies are your accomplices. They are a terrible enemy, love," bulong sa akin ni Tobias.

Kapwa kami lumingon ni Tobias sa likuran dahil wala na ang atensyon ng maliliit na diwata sa amin, kundi kay Pryor na tila na nagbubugaw ng langaw habang kunot na kunot ang noo. 

The pixies were happily flying around Pryor with their tongues stuck out. "You bully black cat! "

In the end, Pryor turned into a black cat and ran away. Tobias and I looked at each other and laughed together.