Chapter 33

The Prince in Painting

I wonder why my story was different from those movies, no beauty of magic, pretty gowns, handsome princes, beautiful castles, enchanted balls and even white horses. Ugly witches as the villains, talking animals as my allies, a king and queen as a great ruler and a fairy god mother as my savior.

All I wished was just a fantasy, but the world that dragged me from my peaceful life in human world was no beauty— for it offers naught but pain.

The villain wasn't an ugly witch, but a beautiful wrench with bigger breast who had successfully seduced my prince. No living animals as my allies, a king who betrayed his queen and a non-existing fairy god mother.

I felt the warm tears on my cheeks as I heard continuous whispers from my ears. I struggled to open my eyes and tried to blink it for so many times, until I finally had the clearer vision giving me the sight of the unusual surrounding.

Panicked enveloped me, I abruptly pulled and wrapped the blanket around me, sat down and pushed myself backward while gripping tightly the knot I made on my blanket.

W-Who are they?

I was greeted with unusual creatures, yet with utterly familiar picture—that I've been trying to remember as I stared with them eye to eye right now.

"W-Where am I?" I asked shakily.

Instead of giving me their answer, the strange creatures gave me bows on their head.

"You are inside the painting, milady." Said by the long legged man with his striped suite and long hat. I couldn't help but to remember about slenderman, but he's quite different. He looked kind and gentle.

He sat down in front of me.

"She needs to look decent inside this world, Mrs. Madeline. Our paintings do not portray a freshly ruined woman." A long red haired man with his pointed ears noted.

I looked down at myself and I almost cursed when I realized that I have naught but a damn blanket on my body.

"Yes, of course. But she looked so familiar," the fat lady with her thick layered purple dress stepped closer with her scrutinizing eyes.

"Of course she's familiar!" everyone answered her in unison.

"K-Kayo ang tumakot sa akin noon! I was chasing Evan, b-but you—threatened me!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"Y-Yes! It's her!" the fat lady jumped with joy.

They're weird.

Sinimulan kong igala ang aking mga mata sa bawat nilalang na nakikita ko, pero hindi nito makilala ang nagmamay-ari ng boses na humila sa akin sa mundong ito.

"Where is she?" tanong ko.

Kasalukuyan nang nagtatalo ang mga nilalang sa loob ng painting na halos hindi na nila ako marinig.

"You are so forgetful Mrs. Madeline!"

"Tumatanda na ako! Malalaman nyo rin kapag umedad kayo!"

"We don't age! You idiot!"

"But—oh!"

"Hey! I said where is that woman?!" I shouted.

Natigil ang mga ito at muling naagaw ang kanilang atensyon.

"Woman?" asked by the long legged man.

"The one who dragged me to your world, paano ako nakapasok? Is it usual for a vampire to enter inside a painting?" bakit hindi makahabol si Evan?

"She's asking," siniko ni Mrs. Madeline ang lalaking may mahabang tenga ngunit umiling ito, kaya siniko rin nito si long legged man. But he also refused to answer and he relayed the question to the wood like man, but he shrugged and gave the hot seat to those old men with trumpets, but just like the others they refused and relayed it to others—until I lost my patience.

"Alright! Alright! Hindi tayo matatapos, kung hindi ako nagkakamali napakarami nyo pa at mukhang aabutin tayo ng isang linggo para makulbit nyo ang lahat at bigyan lang ako ng pag-iling." Huminga ako nang malalim.

"I won't ask, just give me something that you're allowed to say. Dahil alam kong si Evan ang sinusunod nyo." Inaasahan kong sasang-ayon sila, pero marahas ang mga itong umiling sa sinabi ko.

"We are not after his commands!" Mrs. Madeline extremely answered. "Come and let me dress you, the filthy prince did ruin you terribly." I bit my lip when I remembered how I suffered pain with Evan.

I saw giant children with colourful cloths on their hands, they've been jumping with joy giving us intense earthquake.

"Children! Children! Behave, we have a visitor. And please help us, cover her. She needs to change her dress."

Apat na higanteng bata ang pinalibutan kami ni Mrs. Madeline habang hawak ng mga ito ang iba't-ibang kulay na malalaking tela para harangan ang buong katawan ko habang nagbibihis ako.

"I thought everyone was a horror painting." Kumento ko habang itinatali na ni Mrs. Madeline ang laso sa likuran ng aking kasuotan.

"Because Prince Evan ordered us to look like that, yes, we've been following his command for years because he did promise us something. Pinangakuan niya kaming bibigyan ng kalayaan, pero mukhang nakakalimutan na niya ito. It's been a year when we cut our connection with him." Ilang beses akong napatango.

Kaya pala matagal ko nang hindi nakikitang gumagalaw ang mga painting.

"What do you mean freedom? Hindi kayo totoong painting?"

"No, no of course, we're still paintings. But we wanted to be the beautiful painting in a free world, not with pure darkness, hindi sa loob ng unibersidad na ito na unti unti nang nilalamon ng kadiliman." Natahimik ako sa sinabi ni Mrs. Madeline.

Nang lumabas kami ay mabilis nang nakapag-ayos ang kapwa nito painting. A long table is already set up with a lot of foods, kasalukuyan nang nakaupo ang lahat ng nasa painting at hinihintay na kami.

As I sat on the front seat the whole painting gave me the warm smile. But still, I'm quite bother about the university, hindi ako masyadong nag-iisip tungkol dito pero nang marinig ko ito sa mga painting, nagsimula na akong kilabutan.

"This university—is it--" kinakabahan ako kung itutuloy ko pa ba ang sasabihin ko.

"Is it—"

"Yes, the university is alive." The long eared man finished my words.

"Ang unibersidad na ito ay buhay na kumukuha ng buhay." Suminghap ako sa narinig ko.

"W-What?"

"There's a specific room inside the university designed for offerings. A single coffin for a single vampire, if you're weak the coffin will eat the wholeness of the vampire and if you're powerful enough it will only get a portion of your strength." Napatayo ako sa narinig ako mula sa lalaking gawa sa kahoy.

I remembered the first time we've arrived inside this university, Evan was inside the coffin!

"I-I saw Evan! Minsan na siyang pumasok sa—Oh no! I should warn him!" marahas akong hinawakan ng dalawang kamay.

"He knew Naha. Matagal na niyang alam at sinisikap niyang siya ang nanatiling pumapasok sa loob ng silid para wala nang bampira ang mabiktima. He's trying to be the foolish looking prince in front of the university's evil administration." Umawang ang bibig ko sa aking nalaman mula kay Mrs. Madeline.

Evan's been sacrificing himself just for those dumb vampires who don't have any idea about the reality of the university. Tears fell down of my cheeks as I remembered how I refused to give him blood, how I made his life more difficult—hindi lang ako ang responsibilidad niya.

"H-How alive is this university?"

"It is alive, evilly." Sabi ng pinakamatangkad na lalaki.

"H-How evil?" kinakabahang tanong ko.

"It was already evil, the day it gained its existence." Kumuyom ang kamay ko sa paunang salitang narinig ko.

Mas humugot ako nang malalim na paghinga at pilit na inihanda ang aking sarili dahil alam kong ang anumang maririnig ko sa susunod pang mga oras ay higit na ikabibigat ng aking puso at isipan.

Nagpatuloy si Mrs. Madeline.

"Hindi nagtapos sa paghihiwalay ng dalawang anak ng dyosa, sa puting sumpa na iginawad sa lahat ng mga nagtraydor, sa mga toreng lumamon sa mga taksil na siyang naging simbolismo ng pagmamahalan ng dalawang bampira—ngunit sa huling pagtakbo ng dyosa. Pinili niyang humiwalay sa kanyang magagandang anak para sa kanilang kaligtasan--She ran, distance herself to claim her freedom—but in the end she was captured again. Wala nang may kakayahang tumulong sa kanya sa panahong ito, dahil hindi sa lahat ng oras ay may prinsipeng naglalakbay kasama ang babaeng kayang magmanipula ng buhangin ng oras." Halos mangatal ang buo kong katawan.

Ito ang kasunod sa kwentong ibinigay sa ng aking mga magulang.

"She locked herself inside the last tower and assured that no one would lay a single finger on her—but on the same spot of her tower the greedy counsel built this mighty university with the aid of a dark enchantress. And the tower she believed that would shelter her turned to be her prison. May kakayahan pa siyang lumaban nang mga panahong 'yon, but she was tired—ilang taon na siyang tumakbo nang tumakbo sa malupit na mundong ito—kaya pinili na niyang sumuko at tuluyang ipinikit ang kanyang mga mata. She's been tough for hundreds of years, but she had enough of pain." Lalong dumiin ang pagkakakuyom ng aking mga kamay na nakapatong sa aking mga hita. At hindi ko na maampat ang pagtulo ng aking mga luha.

"B-Because.." huminga akong muli nang malalim. "Every great woman has their own kind of weakness, and what do you think is our greatest weakness? Tiredness, our tiredness to fight. Na mayroon pa naman kaming lakas para lumaban, pero kahit anong gawin mo parang wala pa rin nangyayari."

Nabalot ng katahimikan ang buong hapag-kainan habang nakatitig silang lahat sa akin. I was right, napagod na ang dyosang lumaban, dahil paulit-ulit na lang ang nangyayari sa kanya.

At ang tanging magandang nangyari sa kanyang pagtakbo ay ang pagkabuhay ni Pearl at ang kambal nito, ang pagtulong sa kanya ni Haring Thaddeus at Danna—pero sa ibang parte ng kwento na konektado sa bawat pagtakbo niya—karamihan kaya ay maganda o masama ang epekto?

I was part of the neglected story, parte kaya ako ng mabibigyan ng epekto sa kanyang pagtakbo?

Ibinalik ko ang aking atensyon kay Mrs. Madeline.

"Pain, that she chose to close her eyes. Ngunit ang pagpikit niya ay hindi katumbas ng kamatayan kundi isang mahimbing na pagkakatulog. Ang kapangyarihan ng dyosang kasalukuyan nang natutulog ang bumabalot sa unibersidad na ito at kasalukuyan nang minamanipula ng mga sakim na konseho. And Prince Evan has been sacrificing his own strength as a vampire to awaken the sense of the goddess with his pure intention to set her free. He's the only vampire who could make himself awake when he's inside the coffin. Ilang taon na siyang ginising at pinilit kausapin ng ikalimang prinsipe ng Sartorias. Napakarami na niyang sakrpisyon sa unibersidad na ito at alam namin sa unang pagpatapak palang niya sa unibersidad na makukuha niya ang tagumpay." Mahabang paliwanag ni Mrs. Madeline.

"But everything got ruined when someone arrived." Another woman with her yellow layered dress like Mrs. Madeline interrupted, she gave me a tea.

"Numbers of vampires became victim again." Long eared man said.

"Prince Evan rarely visits the room and forgot about those lives." Said by the wooden man.

"He only sees one woman, and ruined everything he'd sacrificed for years, even his promises." Agad nang ginapangan ng kaba ang dibdib ko.

I now get it. The horror and fear with Evan's face when he'd witnessed how the painting swallowed me. He knew their anger and the blame that I might receive because of everything.

He was perfectly fine without me.

Nanlaki ang mata ko nang mas dumilim ang buong kapaligiran, biglang nag-iba ang presensiya ng lahat ng mga larawan at unti-unting gumalaw ang mga ulo ng mga ito sa paraang mas magtatama ang kanilang mga titig sa aking kabuuan.

"E-Evan!" I shouted with tears as I tried to push the long table with all of my strength until I turned my back to run.

Napamura ako sa sarili ko nang halos hindi ako makatakbo nang maayos dahil sa bigat ng aking kasuotan. But I tried my best to ran fast as I could, kahit nagsisimula nang sumakit ang aking mga paa.

The paintings were now after me with hunger in their eyes.

"Evan!"

"Evan!"

"Evan!"

Humahagulhol na ako sa pag-iyak habang pilit tinatawag ang pangalan niya. P-Paano siya makakapasok sa loob ng larawan? Wala siyang kakayahang pumasok—kusa akong natigilan sa iniisip ako.

It couldn't be—m-my vampire gift!

This is my vampire gift! I could enter in unusual world!

I never stopped running until a damn stone ruined everything. I tripped and fell on the ground while the heavy footsteps were after me. I buried my face on the ground and let myself cry.

I am now starting to hate paintings.

I was about to call Evan's name for the last time when I heard an unusual melody.

A flute?

I tried to move my head to see where it was coming, but I was answered by a white horse slowly walking until it passed me and positioned himself in front of the painting's way.

Natigil ang plauta at nag-ingay ang kabayo.

"K-Kailan pa nagkaroon ng puting kabayo sa atin?" nagtatakang tanong ni Mrs. Madeline.

I gaped with awe when I felt that my whole body was lifted by the arms of another handsome prince.

"A friend of mine who wished and begged to be my woman that I hardly refused because she's a bird, asked me to help a certain ex-human girl." Marahan akong isinakay ng prinsipe sa kanyang puting kabayo habang ang lahat ng larawan ay nakatitig sa kanyang kakisigan.

"K-Kailan pa nagkaroon ng isang makisig ng prinsipe sa koleksyon ng mga larawan ang unibersidad na ito?" tanong ni Mrs. Madeline.

But his beauty is beyond a painting!

Napahawak ito sa kanyang noo nang mapansin niyang titig na titig ako sa kanya.

"Nais ko sanang humiling na sana'y huwag kang mahuhulog sa akin—ayokong muling madagdagan ang mga prinsesang aking pinaasa na hanggang ngayon ay ako ay pinapantasyahan—Lily, Claret and Kalla were enough, I don't want to break your heart, by the way what is your name?"

"N-Naha.."

"What a beautiful name.." marahan nitong isinumping ang aking buhok na nagdala ng pulang rosas sa aking tenga.

Tipid itong sumulyap sa mga painting na hanggang ngayon ay katulad kong humahanga sa kanyang kakisigan.

He is the real life prince with a white horse! He's gentle and nice. Hindi siya mukhang kontrabida katulad ni Evan.

Tumaas ang kilay nito nang mapagmasdan niya ang mga larawan.

"Sino ang mga inutil na ito?" lalong umawang ang mga labi ng mga larawan.

"Lapas—" hindi ito pinatapos ng prinsipeng may puting kabayo.

"Prince Rosh Alistair Le'Vamuievous, second prince of Parsua Deltora."