Chapter 25 - The Rogue Prince's Guilt

Gareth just quietly sat on the bench. Tahimik ang paligid. Everyone was simply focused of everything that was happening right in front of them.

Today was the judgment day for Arthur Pendragon, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom. It was a field day for the press. Punong-puno ng tao ang Hall of Justice, all were intensely waiting for the verdict. Hindi pangkaraniwang paglilitis ang nagaganap, it concerned the whole kingdom itself.

Kumpleto ang tatlumpong mahistrado ng buong kaharian, ito ang nagsisilbing judge sa kasong ito. Samantala, ang Punong Mahistrado ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman ang presiding officer sa lahat ng mga hearing.

Arthur was charged with treason and multiple case of attempted murder. Sa kanya naibunton ang lahat ng sisi sa mga 'di kanais-nais na pangyayari laban sa Royal Family. Simula sa pambubugbog sa kanya, sa pagkalason ni Anya at sa pananambang kay Lancelot; lahat ng mga ebidensiya ay tinuturo siya.

Simula nang maisapubliko ang naganap, the Palace had gone through a complete dignified silence. No comments were made by the Royal Family despite the constant hounding of the press.

All of the members of the Royal Family were there except for the Queen Dowager and the Queen. Hindi kakayanin ng mga ito ang mga maaaring magyari kay Arthur. The King himself had forbidden them.

Naikuyom niya ang kanyang palad. He was furious at what was happening. Alam niya ang totoo. Alam niya kung sino nga ba ang tunay na mga sala pero wala siyang magawa. If he was to speak up, his mother and brother will be severely punished for their crimes. Parusang kamatayan ang naabangan sa mga tao dahil sa ginawa nitong pag-frame up kay Arthur.

Nagsimula nang magtalo ang kalooban niya. Sino ba ang mas matibang? Ang ina at kapatid na wala nang hingad kundi ang kapangyarihan, o si Arthur na walang pinakita sa kanya kundi kabutihan?

It was a death of two versus the humiliation of the other. He was left without so much choice.

Nahilot niya ang kanyang sentido. He suddenly felt a headache. Damn it! Why did he have to chose?

Parang kinukuyumos ang puso niya sa sakit na nararamdaman. Ilang buwan pa lamang ang nakakalipas simula nang malaman niya ang kataksilan ni Steff. The wound she left behind was still there.

He wanted to take revenge. And he did. Sobra-sobrang pamamahiya ang ginawa niya sa babae. He wanted to destroy her. He wanted to violate her. He wanted her to pay for her treachery.

Muli namang sumagi sa kanyang isipan ang mga pangyayari noong gabing iyon. Steff was just staring at him, the light in her eyes was gone. All that was left was a void of darkness.

His defences were already melting during that time. Seeing her tears brought enormous pain in his heart, a pain that he hadn't experience it. It was an excruciating pain that transcends all known words.

But he stilled himself. Ipinangako niya noon sa kanyang sarili na hindi na siya magpapaloko pa rito. That he will rid of her completely out of his system.

Naputol ang kanyang pag-iisip nang margining ang pagpalo ng judge sa maliit nitong martilyo.

"Arthur Pendragon, ayon sa mga ebidensiyang naipakita sa korteng ito, you are hereby pronounced guilty beyond reasonable doubt! You will no longer be the Crown Prince of this Kingdom!"

Napasinghap ang lahat nang naroroon. Maging siya ay napatayo na rin sa gulat. He felt his inside swirl with disgust.

"You will be forever branded as a traitor. Mabubuhay ka sa labas ng palasyo na isang alipin! You will be imprisoned in Tartarus for eighty years!"

Nanatiling walang reaksyon lamang ang kapatid. He was just blankly staring at the horizon.

Agad na itinayo ng mga kawal si Arthur. He was about to be taken away when the King stood from his seat.

Lahat sila ay nagulat sa ginawang iyon ng Hari. All eyes were now on his father, waiting for his words to fill out the hall.

"This is a Decree from King Rupert Gerard Pendragon!"

They were shocked by this claim. The decree from the King was always absolute. Walang sino man ang makakabali nito. Ano ang gagawin ng ama? A flicker of hope flooded his system. Palalayain kaya ng Hari si Arthur? Will he grant him the Royal Clemency? Naikuyom niya ang kanyang kamao.

"Arthur will no longer carry the name of Pendragon! He will be a nameless servant. Mamarkahan ng tatak ng kahihiyan. At ipinapataw ko ang kaparusahang ito hanggang sa susunod mong anak. Dalawang henerasyong paghihirap ang sasapitin mo para mabayaran ang kataksilang ito!"

He suddenly looked at the Crown Princess. Sofia was two months pregnant. Sinapo nito ang sinapupunan.

She was full of distress. Nagpalingon-lingon muna ito. And with all of her energy, she shouted. "No! Arthur! Arthuuuurrr!"

Then she collapsed.

Napalunok siya. He felt this unbearable pain in his heart. He wanted to speak now.

Naalala pa niya ang mga pinagdaanan nila ni Arthur. Their childhood. Their adolescent years. Nagsilbi itong mabuting kapatid sa kanya.

"Don't do something harsh, Gareth. You know the best," bulong sa kanya ni Lancelot.

Nanlamig ang batok niya. He was rendered speechless.

Death of his mom and brother or freedom of another brother? He chose the former. Minarapat lamang niyang tumahimik.

He was a coward. He was nothing but a lowlife. But still, pikit mata na lamang niyang tinanggap ang lahat.

Year 2020, the 33rd year of King Rupert Gerard Pendragon

Sariwa pa rin sa alaala ni Gareth ang mga pangyayari may limang taon na ang nakakalipas. How he let his cowardice get the best of him. How he made a choice to forsake his own brother.

He was watching the after effects of his action. Si Lancelot na ang Crown Prince ng kaharian. He had assumed Arthur's role right after his incarceration.

Sa kabilang banda, wala na siyang narinig pa tungkol kay Arthur. For five years now, his name had become a taboo to the palace. News about him was forbidden. Maging ang pagdalaw dito ay bawal. The King made it clear that Arthur didn't exist anymore.

But the thing that burdened him the most was Sofia. Her title as a princess got stripped of as well. She was even banished from Camelot. Right now, ang alam niya'y naninirahan somewhere south kasama ang anak na babae.

As for him, his life still continued to flow. But he's not living, he's just breathing.

Namulat na ang mata niya sa katotohanan. Fairness was just an excuse for dreamers. Walang pagkakapantay-pantay sa mundo. It's either you fail or succeed. It's indeed a dog eats dog world. The survival of the fittest.

He had become one of the most celebrated eye doctors in the kingdom. He had made many breakthroughs in his field. And now, hinahanapan naman niya ng lunas ang sakit na Retinitis Pigmentosa. A very rare eyes disease and the eye condition of Steffanie.

Naikuyom na naman niya sa galit ang kanyang kamao. Not once did he stop thinking about her. Laman lagi ito ng isipan niya.

Every time he thought of her, his anger just came back. Namumuhi pa rin siya sa ginawa nito sa kanya. That despite his grand revenge, he still wanted to hurt her more. Gusto niyang triplehin ang ginawa nito sa kanya.

"Kamahalan, oras na po."

That interrupted his introspection. Pumasok na ang tagapaglingkod sa kanyang silid.

"Inaabangan na po kayo ng Parliamento."

He immediately stood. Today was an important day for him.

He stepped out of the room. Tinahak na niya ang daan patungo sa Throne Room kung saan naroroon ang buong parliament.

"Gareth!" He was immediately greeted by his brothers and sisters who were going to be designated on an important posts.

Apat silang kukumpirmahin ngayon ng hari.

The ceremony started with the entrance of the colors and King. Hindi na nagpatumpik-tumpik pa ang kanyang ama.

"Naririto tayo para saksihan ang pagtatalaga sa mga bagong Viceroy na mamahala sa ating Kaharian. Sila ang magiging sandigan ng ating mga nasasakupan. Sila ang magapapanatili sa Pendragon bilang pinakamapangyarihang kaharian sa mundo!"

The people clapped their hands after the speech of King.

A lot of things may have had happened in the past, but one thing remained. He still hated his father.

Drum rolls started to invade the silence of place. This was their queue. They all stepped forward. Dahan-dahan nilang tinahak ang daan patungo sa trono ng Hari.

Sabay-sabay silang lumuhod sa harap ng hari. Then, the Royal Secretary stepped forward.

"Meet the new Minister for Science and Technology, Princess Leylah Mignonette Pendragon!" sgiaw nito.

Tuamyo nang muli si Leyla.

"The new Vice-Vicerreine of Hesperides, Princess Kristina Anya Pendragon!"

Ito naman ang sumunod kay Leylah.

"The new Viceroy of Gloucester, Prince Camael Verchiel Pendragon."

Nagbigay muna ito ng nanakapang-uring tingin bago tuluyang tumayo.

"And lastly, the New Viceroy of Asphodel, Prince Gareth Emmanuel Pendragon!"

Everything had not yet fully dawned on him. Ngayon na ang araw kung kalian siya iluloklok bilang Viceroy ng Asphodel. Somehow, his father had deemed it fit for him to run a whole duchy.

Agad naman niyang tinanggap iyon. That way, he will be away from Camelot. Ayaw niyang makita ang mga bagay-bagay na nagpapaala-ala sa kaniyang mapait na kaarawan.

He didn't want to see his mother. He didn't want to see his brother. And most of all he didn't want to see anything that might remind him of Steffanie.

So with every bit of confidence he had. He stood up. He was now very much willing to take the post. Not for some bragging or other whatnots. But for his own peace of mind.

Steffanie looked at herself in the mirror. Hindi na niya makilala ang sarili. Five long years had truly changed her.

No longer was she the same gullible Steff anymore. Kay rami nang nagbago sa kanya. She had grown more mature. She had gone more courageous. And she became a woman of substance. She was now a new Steffanie.

Hindi biro ang pinagdaanan niya. Halos gumapang siya sa putik para lang buhayin ang anak. But miracles do come true. Isang araw, everything just poured in. In one snap, her life drastically changed.

"Madam, masaya po ba kayo sa resulta?" Georgina, her personal assistant, said.

"Do I look beautiful then?" she smiled to her.

"Very, very beautiful na."

Muli niyang pinasadahan ng tingin ang sarili. The years had been good to her. Her cheekbones became more prominent. Her jaw lines were perfectly drawn. She had indeed imbibed the definition of beauty.

"Guys, ready in three minutes," she heard the voice of the floor manager.

That's her queue then. Agad na siyang tumayo. It's time to work.

She stood with grace and confidence, like a statuesque goddess of the ancient times.

With her six-inched gem-studded stilettos, she started walking to her destination. Habang palapit siya nang papalapit, palakas naman nang palakas ang dagundong ng kanyang dibdib.

Kahit ilang beses na niyang ginagawa ito, hindi pa rin niya mapigilan ang sariling kabahan.

This is it, she said to herself.

Inalis niya ang suot na roba. Tanging suot na lamang niya ay isang diamond studded lingerie that matched her shoes.

Huminga siya ng malalim.

Lumapit sa kanya ang floor director. "Miss Steff, you're on in three... two... one..."

Awtomatikong gumalaw ang kanyang mga paa. It led her out of the back stage and into the stage.

"And for the main-piece, here's Steffanie Smithson!"

She heard the host said. Nagsimulang tumugtog ang isang maharot na musika. It was a song called Angel.

Girl your my angel, your my darling angel...

She started to walk. She was on her own element. The runway had been her home. She was trained to this.

Narinig niya ang sigaw at palakpakan ng mga tao. She continued to sashay her way on the catwalk. At nang makarating siya sa dulong bahagi nito, she flicked her blonde hair back. She then gave the camera her most seductive smile.

She was no longer the naïve Steff. She was now Steffanie, one of the most bankable super models in the Kingdom of Pendragon.