Chapter 4: Caught in A Lie

We were able to get three clans to join our side today. Hindi ako nahirapang makipag-usap dahil nagbigay muna kami ng ilang araw na palugit para magdesisyon sila kung aanib sa amin o kailangan pang pag-isipan. I never forced them to join us. I just invited them and they willingly accepted it.

I've long abandoned the idea of forcing clans to join forces with us. If you get your allies by force, I don't think you are allies at all. That's how betrayal usually comes. This is also, I believe, one of the reasons why Lord Reggar always looks down on me. I am no longer following in my father's footsteps.

Now, we are down to the last recruitment for today. Triaga Clan is known for its abundant crops and tasteful wine. If we agree on the same terms, they will share their harvest with us, and we will provide them full support in everything, including protection against anyone who threatens them.

"It's really a pleasure to have you here, Lord Oscar," Lord Tree of Triaga Clan said for the third time since we sat down and discussed our alliance. "You are the youngest ever to become a leader. I'm sure it comes with a lot of pressure, making it even more impressive."

He did talk about everything everything except the topic we were supposed to be discussing. Sa tingin ko ay hindi pa sila handang umanib sa amin.

"Sa una lang nahirapan si Lord Oscar. I know I will be boastful to say this, but I will say it anyway." Lord Wenson tapped my shoulder. "He first learned things from me."

"There's no doubt about that Lord Wenson!" Humalakhak si Lord Tree bago binulungan ang katabing lalaki para kumuha pa ng alak.

I looked at Lord Reggar who had been quiet. Napansin kong mahigpit ang pagkakahawak niya sa babasagin na baso. I usually do the recruitment on my own if I am not with Lord Wenson, but Lord Reggar came to join us today. He was a big help, but it seemed like he was running out of patience this time.

"I think I've had enough wine today," Lord Wenson stated, rubbing his palms on his belly. "Pero kung gusto mong mag-uwi kami ng alak ay wala akong reklamo."

"Enough now!" Lord Reggar interrupted.

I knew it. He couldn't hold it back this time.

"Lord Reggar..." I tried calling him, but his attention was fixed at Lord Tree. Mabilis na bumaling ako kay Lord Wenson at sinenyasan siya. "Will you escort Lord Reggar outside?"

"I've had enough of this conversation. Not to mention that the wine already greatly disappointed me. It didn't justify all the rumors that it was the best wine in the country." Madiin niyang tiningnan si Lord Tree. "Say it, Lord Tree. We just wasted our time here, right?"

Lord Tree cleared his throat. Sa kabila ng pagbabanta sa boses ni Lord Reggar, alam niyang hindi niya dapat ito sabayan. He knew better than to trigger one of the Seniors of Nightfall Clan.

"The truth is—"

"You decided to join Caligo Clan instead, right?" putol sa kanya ni Lord Reggar.

Lord Wenson cleared his throat. Tumayo siya saka nilapitan si Lord Reggar. Sinubukan niya itong hikayatin na sumama sa kanya pero nanatiling nakaupo ito.

"Hindi pa kami nakakapag desisyon," sagot ni Lord Tree. "Yes. To be invited by Nightfall Clan for an alliance is the greatest pleasure, but we are still studying the pros and cons. If you could give us more time—"

"You should have studied the pros and cons if you declined us," Lord Reggar smirked.

"Is that a threat?" Lord Tree asked.

"The deal is closed. Triaga Clan is now under Nightfall Clan," Lord Reggar announced with a sigh, putting an end to this conversation.

"Please—"

Napapikit ako nung tumalsik sa mukha ko ang dugo. Pagmulat ko ay tumumba na si Lord Tree. Pinatong ni Lord Reggar ang ulo nito sa ibabaw ng lamesa katabi ang mga prutas.

Tumayo na ako saka kinuha ang jacket ko. Hindi ko na nahintay pa sina Lord Reggar at Lord Wenson. Sumakay ako sa kabayo ko at nauna nang bumalik sa Mansion.

He did it again. He made my job harder than it should be.

Naabutan kong palabas ng kwarto ko si Lady Mystique. Hindi ko na natanong kung ano ang ginagawa niya roon dahil pagkapasok ko ay sinarado ko agad ang pinto at kinandado ito.

My hands were shaking. I could still feel the sticky blood plastered all over my face and neck. Kumuha ako ng alak at tumungga sa mismong bote nito. I'd almost emptied the bottle, but my rage still rose in my chest.

All remaining respect for him vanished after he decided to do that. I was fucking in that room as well. It was supposed to be my call, not his. I was supposed to be in charge of what should occur. I'm the leader. But I always feel like a kid in front of him.

Hindi ko naubos ang pangalawang alak dahil nabato ko na 'to sa pader. Nagkalat sa sahig ang mga maliliit na bubog. Saka ko hinilamos sa mukha ko ang aking palad.

I think this event made one thing clear. I shouldn't abolish the Seniors of Nightfall Clan. No. I will not touch anything from this clan out of respect for my father. If I have to eradicate one thing, it should be Lord Reggar only.

"That lady went in your room to find something about Celeste..."

Napatingin ako sa babaeng nakaupo sa kama ko. Kumunot ang noo ko. "Who are you?"

When will I have some privacy here?

"Don't you really know me?" she smiled.

Her eyes.

"How did you get here?" I asked, shocked that I didn't even feel her for the second time. "That lady? Do you mean Lady Mystique?"

Now that I stared at her eyes longer, my first thought was wrong. They don't look similar to someone at all. The only thing that made them familiar was the way they stared at me.

"I don't know her name. Basta alam kong gusto niyang malaman ang buong kwento niyo ni Lady Celeste." Nagkibit-balikat siya. "You told me that I owe you something after that night. So I'm telling you something worthy now. We are even, Lord Oscar."

I tried to assest her and how she got in here. Did she escape? If so, bakit hanggang ngayon ay nandito pa rin siya? Kung kaya niyang tumakas, dapat ay matagal na siyang umalis ngayon. Hindi na niya hihintaying lumipas ang ilang araw. Unless...

She chuckled as if she could read my thoughts and found them hilarious. "I cannot enter a vampire's mind that easily. It's a lot more complicated than with humans. But I am good at observing expressions, and vampires are no different from humans when it comes to that aspect."

"You are still in jail," I supposed. That justified why I couldn't feel her. "You can just create an illusion to appear like you are really here and talking to me."

"I'm really talking to you right now. But you are right." She sighed. "I'm still locked in that jail. You cannot touch me. I cannot do the same to you."

I nodded. Kinuha ko ang upuan saka umupo sa tapat niya.

"So..." I cleared my throat. "Are you ready for negotiation?"

"If that negotiation involves betraying Lord Caezar and his clan, I don't think I am."

I nodded. "Fair enough. I also don't think I can trust words from you that easily. You could tell us lies, and we wouldn't even know you were telling us lies."

"Mukhang hindi ka naman gano'n kasama. I'm right. It's just your brother," aniya pa. "Nakakalungkot lang na kailangan mo siyang ipagtanggol."

"I'm not justifying anything my brother has done to your clan. I'm here to protect my clan," I made that thing clear. "I don't want you to misinterpret it."

"Why are you frustrated?" she asked.

I smirked. "Hindi ba dapat ako ang magtatanong sa 'yo? Ano ang pakay mo sa akin? Why did you show up here?"

"Do you think being in jail is fun?" I felt like she almost rolled her eyes. She released a sigh as she roamed her eyes around my room. "This is the farthest my ability can reach."

"May I ask?"

"My entire family and coven was slaughtered by werewolves. Ako lang ang nakaligtas sa amin. Kung hindi dumating si Lord Caezar ay maging ako'y napaslang na rin. He saved me and offered me home. He's a good man."

That story justified why she wouldn't tell me anything about Caligo Clan. Kung gano'n ay wala kaming maasahan sa kanya sa puntong ito. She wouldn't sell them for freedom.

"There's no good man in war, Brienne. We all want to win," I said.

"You know my name..." namamanghang tanong niya.

"I heard Lord Caezar call you by that name," I cleared my throat. "As I was saying, I know that Lord Caezar is a good man to you, but he's a threat to us. It doesn't work the same on the other side."

"Why do we have to go through war just to settle things?"

"That's some things are settled. By gambling."

She nodded. "Mukhang marami ka nang napagdaanan na giyera."

"I've gone through a lot of battles before."

"Did you already lose?"

I shrugged. "We cannot win all the time."

"What was the hardest loss you've ever had to deal with?"

Umigting ang pagkakatingin ko sa kanya. Hindi lang basta tanong ang binato niya sa akin. May pahiwatig ito at may laman na tila isang palaisipan.

"What's the worst battle you ever lost, Lord Oscar?"

That question stunned me. Sa ilang segundong wala akong sagot ay nagawa kong pagmasdan ang kanyang mukha. She has a curly hair with bangs. Her round face made her even more angelic-looking lady, which exactly described her— a witch who can bewitch anyone.

I smirked. "You have been telling me lies."

Ang ngiti sa kanyang labi ay napalitan ng ngisi. Saka siya tumawa nang malakas. Damn. She almost got me with her innocent look.

"Shit. Hindi ko inakalang mabubuking mo ako agad."

I sighed. "Don't even play with me again."

"You are a fool—"

"Do you know that I can easily dissolve Caligo Clan in an instant?" Napailing na lang ako. Muntik na niya akong malinlang, pero mukhang di niya alam ang kaya kong gawin. "I don't need your help to do it."

Natigilan siya sa pagtawa. She glared at me.

"I don't need you, Brienne. You need me."

"I don't need you!"

"I don't think you understand my point." I slowly closed the distance between us. Nakaupo siya sa kama at ako ay nakatayo sa harapan niya. Nakatingala siya sa akin.

She swallowed hard when I leaned forward to meet her face closer. Wala siya rito, pero ramdam ko ang kaba sa kanyang dibdib habang nakatingin sa mga mata ko.

"Release me and win the war fair and square." Even though we were so close that I could almost hear her heartbeat, she was still able to talk to me. "Huwag kang maging duwag at gamitin ako."

"Bakit kayo biglang umatake rito?" tanong ko.

Kumunot ang kanyang noo. "What are you talking about?"

"You burned down the forest around, tried to lower our guards, and even tried to threaten me in my own clan. That was not just simply a show of force, was it?"

"Then, what do you think it was?"

"It was you..." I smiled at her. "They did all those for you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Sinubukan kong hawakan ang kanyang buhok, pero sa ikalawang pagkakataon ay tumagos lang ako sa kanya. Gano'n pa man ay nanatiling nakatitig ako sa kanya.

"Wala akong gaanong alam tungkol sa mga manggagamot. You are not that interesting to me at all. Pero alam kong kaya niyong mabasa ang nasa utak namin at ang pinagdaanan namin."

Her expression shifted so fast. Nakita kong dumaan ang pangamba roon sa isang segundo lang. Mas lalo lang no'ng diniin ang hinuna ko.

"Tell me, Brienne. Hanggang saan na ang nalalaman mo tungkol sa akin?"

"Wala akong alam sa sinasabi mo—"

"Did you first study my past before you came up with this strategy? Magpahuli sa kalaban at maging bihag? But since you already know me, you wouldn't be just a prisoner. You will use all those knowledge against me."

Tuluyan na siyang hindi nakapagsalita.

"You studied the way she spoke, the way she moved, the way her mind worked, and the way she stared at me. You will try to use my past against me."

She shook her head. "I don't know what you are talking about, Lord Oscar. One of your members forcefully captured me! I didn't voluntarily come here to be a prisoner!"

"The thing is..." Mas lumawak ang ngiti sa aking labi. "You cannot be Celeste. She's pure, and you are contaminated. She's kind, and you are evil for using her. She's free, and you are a prisoner caught in a lie."

Bigla na siyang naglaho sa harapan ko. Malamang na bumalik na ang diwa niya sa kanyang katawan na nakakulong pa rin.

Napailing na lang ako.

Did she really think I was that easy to fool?