MIRROR

Third Person's P.O.V

Both Mino and Vreihya was stunned after hearing those words. They can't understand why does Circa hold the prophecy now when in the first place Vreihya didn't gave it to her.

Mas lalo silang nabigla dahil bakit kakampi ito ng haring Zakarias na kanilang tinutukoy. They can't help but to think that this is Circa's scheme all along, she wanted to make others believe that she is the woman in the prophecy now.

Tila agad na nakaramdam ng galit na muli si Vreihya. Dapat talaga ay hindi siya nagtiwala sa diwata. She wanted to curse and break her neck right now, all this time ay ito pala ang plano niya kaya muli niyang ginising si Silvia.

Vreihya believed that Circa is the one behind the accusations that were made about Mino. She will definitely make the deity pay. Ilang sandali pa ay agad na napakunot ang noo ni Mino nang maramdaman niya ang papalapit na presensya sa loob ng silid.

Akma na sana siyang magsasalita ngunit nabigla siya nang biglang dumukot ng punyal ang hari at mabilisang bumulusok papalapit kay Mino. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya sa gulat nang mabilis na hinila ng hari ang kaniyang kamay at pinahawak ang punyal na akala niya ay isasaksak sa kaniya.

Nabigla siya nang biglang itarak ng hari sa kaniyang tiyan ang punyal na pinahawak niya kay Mino. Natigilan ito dahil sa ginawa ng hari atsaka ito bumagsak sa sahig, hawak-hawak ni Mino ang madugong punyal habang hindi pa din siya makapaniwala sa ginawa nito.

"Run! Save yourself!" the king stated sabay turo sa isang babasaging bintana. Mabilis na bumukas ang malaking pintuan ng silid at marahas na pumasok ang mga kawal sa ibang kaharian na pansamantala lamang na iniwan si Mino sa kaharian ng Berbantes habang wala pa ang haring Zakarias.

Andito sila upang bawiin si Mino ngunit nabigla sila nang wala ito sa kulungan ng palasyo. "Tulungan ninyo ako!" malakas na sigaw ng hari habang kitang-kita ng mga kawal ni haring Zakarias ang nagdurugong hari at ang madugong punyal sa kamay ni Mino.

Mabilis na naintidihan ni Mino ang palabas ng hari. Upang hindi maghinala ang mga kawal ni haring Zakarias na nagtatraydor si haring Ozyrus ay pinalabas nito na tila ba papatayin siya ni Mino.

Mabilis na bumulusok pasugod ang mga kawal upang dakpin si Mino ngunit mabilis na nagtungo si Mino sa babasaging bintana at mabilis na tumalon doon. Mabilis itong nabasag at nagsitilapon ang mga basag na bubog sa paligid. Agad siyang sinundan ng mga kawal ni haring Zakarias ngunit laking gulat nila nang hindi na ito natatanaw sa ibaba ng palasyo.

Mino laid peacefully on the bed of an inn where he is staying for a while. It is an abandoned inn na sinigurado niyang wala ng ibang tao o hindi naman ay kung may nakakita sa kaniya na pumasok sa loob nito.

Malaki ang pasasalamat niya na parang kakaabandona pa lamang sa lugar dahil kahit papaano ay may kalinisan pa ang higaan, ang mga gamit at ang paligid. He feels like a deadly criminal na nagtatago sa batas.

The surroundings were silent yet his mind is in an unending turmoil. The most worry for him right now is the silent treatment that Vreihya is giving him.

"Vreihya?" he called her name again for the nth time yet he receive no response or whatsoever. Without further a do, he quickly opened his palm and a tiny rain of snow formed a necklace on his palm.

It is a necklace with a snowflake pendant and a gold chain, a vessel of his borrowed power from Calix. He quickly sat down on the bed and wore the necklace. He quickly uttered a prayer that Calix taught him and all of the sudden the room's temperature dropped.

Mabilis na pumasok ang malamig na hangin na may nyebe sa loob ng silid. Mabilis na nabuo sa gilid ng silid ang isang nagyeyelong salamin. Mabilis na lumapit doon si Mino ngunit walang malinaw na repleksyon ang salamin dahil sa makapal na yelo lamang ang makikita sa kabuuan nito.

The human size square ice mirror at the corner of the room quickly lit up into a sky-blue color with a touch of white. He quickly touch the frozen mirror with his fingertip and the blurry ice gradually became crystal clear.

The mirror became reflective and he gradually saw Vreihya. His lips parted when he saw her back facing the mirror habang nakasalampak sa malamig na sahig habang pawang kadiliman ang nasa kaniyang paligid.

"Vreihya," he uttered her name slowly once again but he was stunned when he saw how Vreihya's shoulder trembled and a suppressed sobs exited from her lips.

"Oh God! No!" he said panicking at mabilis na ipinasok ang kaniyang kamay sa nagyeyelong salamin at mabilis na nahawakan sa braso ang malamig na katawan ni Vreihya at mabilisan niya itong hinila palabas ng salamin.

Mabilis na bumulusok ang katawan ni Vreihya palabas ng salamin at agad na nagdikit ang kanilang mga katawan. Sa kabila ng lamig nito ay mabilis na niyakap ni Mino nang mahigpit ang katawan ng prinsesa na agad na tumangis.

She doesn't have the strength to answer the tight embrace that Mino is giving her. Agad na umalingawngaw ang kaniyang malakas na pag-iyak sa buong silid habang mas lalong hinigpitan ni Mino ang pagyakap sa katawan ni Vreihya.

Tila nanghihina nang husto ang prinsesa na patuloy na tumatangis sa kaniyang bisig. "Vreihya, stop crying please," mapanuyong pahayag ni Mino at marahan na nag-alay ng magaan na halik sa itim na buhok ng prinsesa.

His heart is breaking as he can witness how terrible her state is right now, mabilis na nababasa ng mga luha ng prinsesa ang kaniyang dibdib dahil sa patuloy na pagtangis nito. He can't take it anymore, seeing her like this, he can feel how vulnerable she is.

Ilang sandali pa ay mabilis niyang binuhat si Vreihya na tila bagong kasal habang patuloy na itinatago ng prinsesa ang kaniyang mukha upang hindi makita ni Mino ang kaniyang pag-iyak. Mabilis na inihiga ni Mino si Vreihya sa higaan atsaka mabilisang hinawakan ang magkabila niyang pisngi.

Mabilis na tinaboy ni Vreihya ang magkabilang kamay ni Mino sa kaniyang mukha tsaka marahas na nag-iwas ng tingin at iniwas ang kaniyang sarili kay Mino. That broke his heart instantly. Tila mas malamig pa sa nyebe ang pagtrato sa kaniya ng prinsesa ngayon.

He sighed heavily and look at Vreihya's back that was turned away from him. "A lovely princess once told me these phrases; "Please don't be like this Mino, we can talk about our problems, please don't prefer this kind of method where you need to do this to yourself, anong silbi ko dito kung hindi natin kayang daanin sa maayos na usapan ang mga problema natin. I am here already, you have me, hindi mo na kailangang solohin ang problema. Magkahati dapat tayo sa lahat." Mino begun and he saw how Vreihya harshly wiped the tears on her cheeks.

"That princess is in pain right now," mapait na sagot ni Vreihya tsaka humalukipkip at niyakap ang kaniyang sarili. Patuloy sa pagpatak ang kaniyang mga luha habang ramdam niya ang presensya ni Mino sa kaniyang likuran.

"And you thought that I don't know that Vreihya?" mahinang bulong ni Mino sa kaniya habang pinipigilan na hawakan si Vreihya dahil natatakot siya na muling ipagtabuyan nito. He never wanted to experience Vreihya pushing him away.

"Just tell me already if you still love her or what!" deretsang sagot ng prinsesa at kinagat ang kaniyang pang-ibabang labi upang pigilan ang hikbi na nais na naman tumakas.

Vreihya was about to talk again but Mino quickly grabbed her shoulder and made her face him then quickly crushed his lips into hers. Mabilis na nanlaki ang mga mata ng prinsesa dahil sa ginawa ni Mino.

Mabilisan niyang sinubukan na manlaban at itulak si Mino ngunit mas lalong dumiin ang paghalik ni Mino sa kaniya. After a minute of trying to free herself, she slowly gave in. Naging mabagal at mapanuyo ang bawat galaw ng mainit na labi ni Mino na siyang tila nagpapakalma sa kaniyang damdamin.

Ilang sandali pa ay marahang kumalas si Mino sa halik na kanilang pinagsaluhan at halos hindi makapagsalita si Vreihya nang makita niya ang mata ni Mino na sa kaniya lamang nakatitig. She can see passion and admiration on his eyes na tila ba ito ang nagpapahayag ng kaniyang damdamin at hindi ang mga salita.

"Mino," she uttered his name weakly and Mino gave her a fainted smile ang slowly caress her cheek. "Tell me all your troubles," he stated solemnly and slowly wiped the trail of tears on her cheek.

"I am afraid," napapaos niyang pahayag ngunit tila napugto ang kaniyang hininga nang marahan na hinalikan ni Mino ang kaniyang pisngi. "How can I say that you shouldn't be afraid if it is a sign that you're afraid to lose me, I am lucky enough that Princess Vreihya is afraid about the idea of me loving another lady," he whispered slowly while his lips were inches away from her cheek.

Ramdam na ramdam ni Vreihya ang mainit na pagtama ng hininga ni Mino sa kaniyang pisngi and this made her heart throb widely once more. "Tell me more," he whispered as he slowly caress her hair with his free hand.

"I-I want assurance from you Mino. I- I want you to make me feel that I am still and will only be the one for you because you are to me," the princess stated habang nagsisimula na namang magbatis ang kaniyang mga mata.

Mino slowly placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose and his lips slowly landed to her lips next. Isang mabilis at mainit na halik na tila ba nagsasabi na wala siyang dapat na ipag-alala.

"She is a part of my past, a past that I can't remember, a past that I wanted to explore in order to be the best version of my self just for you, to be able to love you completely with who I truly am. My heart may throb for her but always remember that it is the older version of my heart who's reminiscing someone or a scenario that was somewhat familiar but always keep in mind that it is with you that I can see my future, it is with you that I see myself falling over and over again."

She was speechless, sumabay sa nanlalabo niyang mata ang mabilis na pagtambol ng kaniyang dibdib dahil sa mga salitang iyon. Why the hell those words sank deeply into her soul? Tila mabilis na gumuho lahat ng sakit at pagdaramdam na kaniyang naranasan sa mga nakalipas na oras.

"She had tasted my lips, she was used to be locked on my arms, I used to dance with her, I used to utter words of love to her but can't you hear how those words were in the past tense? It is because it is a part of whom I used to be but I am not a person who dwell with old feelings and old memories. Kahit sino pa ang nauna, maniwala ka sa aking paninindigan ko ang pag-ibig ko sa iyo."

"Mi- Mino!" she uttered as her lips trembled. She quickly covered her eyes that were crying endlessly habang tila patuloy na pinagwawala ni Mino ang kaniyang dibdib. "Mahal na mahal kita," Mino added and he gently moved away Vreihya's hands that were covering her blood-shot eyes.

Mabilis na nagsalubong ang kanilang mga mata and Mino can't help but smile weakly as his heart beats wildly as if he is running for miles. "Your eyes will never lie. You love me that damn much too huh?" he chuckled weakly as he can't see nothing but love on her eyes.

This makes him ecstatic, looking at her as her actions screamed nothing but love and fear of losing him. He felt so lucky to be loved back by Vreihya and he never wanted for that to be thrown into waste. Her love is special for him, he will never let the past ruined what he had for her right now.

Her love was too precious for him to be flushed down the drain. "May I?" he asked gently and looked down to her lips once again. Vreihya can't help but chuckle with his action. "You kissed me earlier without my permission tapos mahihiya ka pa ngayon?" paos na pagbibiro ni Vreihya at nakangiting pinunasan ang iilang luha sa kaniyang mata.

"What I am asking is more than a kiss my love," nahihiya niyang pahayag sabay bahagyang lumayo kay Vreihya at nag-iwas ng tingin. His cheeks begun to blush at marahan niyang nakagat ang kaniyang pang-ibabang labi.

Vreihya smiled slyly dahil tila nahihiya si Mino na nanghihingi sa kaniya ng permiso. And she find it cute and adorable, minsan kasi ay parang bigla-bigla na lang nagsasalita si Mino ng mga kakaibang bagay pero kapag gagawin na nila ay para siyang nahihiyang bata.

Hindi na siya nag-aksaya pa nang panahon, mabilis siyang umupo sa higaan at agad na hinawakan ang mukha ni Mino at iniharap ito sa kaniya. Mino's eyes widened nang mabilis siyang inihiga ni Vreihya at agad na pumatong sa kaniya.

"Woah! Gentle!" mabilis na saad ni Mino dahil sa gulat sa prinsesang nakaibabaw sa kaniya ngayon. "Let us use our body to illustrate how we love each other," Vreihya whispered weakly while staring at his eyes.

Mino shyly smiled but slowly caress her upper thigh. "Then it is going to be a wild night," he muttered huskily and Vreihya quickly lowered her head to savor his lips once more.