CHAPTER 71 #8
But thanks to Rassia... we can finally live freely now. Hindi na namin kailangang magtago habang namumuhay sa Mysarea. She gave us something our family had been denied for centuries... the freedom to simply exist.
The citizens couldn't help but admire the appearance of the six figures standing before them.
Their pale skin, striking ruby eyes, and silver and black hair made them look completely different from anyone they had ever seen in Vermeleyon.
There was something almost otherworldly about their features, yet their beauty carried a quiet and intimidating presence that made the citizens hesitate to stare for too long.
"P-Princess Cayena, kayo ho ba ang nagpadala sa amin dito?" tanong ng isang mamamayan, halatang nahihiya at kinakabahan. "Maraming salamat po!"
"P-Princess C-Cayena... b-bakit p-parehas kayo ng mga mata... pareho rin kayong m-mapuputi...." inosenteng tanong ng isang bata. Agad naman itong sinaway ng ina.
Nagkatinginan ang mga Erenhal. Sasagot sana si Cayena ngunit natigilan ang lahat ng mamamayan nang biglang umalingawngaw ang malakas na sigaw ng herald sa buong Throne Hall.
"Make way for the Queen! The Queen of Mysarea has arrived!"
Mabilis namang nagsitabihan ang mga mamamayan sa magkabilang panig ng red carpet. Unti-unting nanahimik ang buong bulwagan habang nakatuon ang kanilang mga mata sa malaking pintuan.
Napalunok ang ilan nang maramdaman ang mabigat na presensiyang papalapit.
Then they saw a shadow.
Mahaba iyon at unti-unting gumapang sa pulang karpet habang papalapit sa kanila. Ngunit may isang bagay na agad nilang napansin. Mayroon itong dalawang sungay.
Napanganga ang lahat nang tuluyan nilang makita ang pigurang iyon.
The Queen was wearing an elegant red long V-neck dress paired with black stilettos.
Her long, wavy burgundy hair flowed down her back, immediately standing out among the people in the hall.
She wore mascara that emphasized her long eyelashes, while her bold red lipstick perfectly complemented the deep red of her dress.
Mahahaba rin ang kaniyang itim na kuko, giving her an even more mysterious and imposing appearance.
She was also wearing a gold arm cuff on her right arm. Sa gitna ng kaniyang noo ay may tila pulang diyamante na kumikislap sa ilalim ng liwanag, isang natatanging simbolo na siya ang Reyna ng Mysarea.
Sa tabi niya ay nakasunod sina Lucy Pearl at Anastacio, parehong nakasuot ng eleganteng itim na kasuotan.
Nanginig ang ilan sa mga mamamayan nang maramdaman ang nakakatakot at pamilyar na presensiya ni Lucy Pearl habang papalapit sila.
Tahimik lamang itong naglalakad, ngunit sapat na ang kaniyang presensiya upang maging tensiyonado ang buong bulwagan. Ang iba naman ay napatingin kay Anastacio, ramdam din ang kakaiba at makapangyarihang presensiya nito.
Mabilis ding nagliyab ang mga lantern sa paligid nang tuluyan nang gumabi. Isa-isa itong umapoy habang naglalakad ang tatlo sa gitna.
It wasn't because someone lit them.
The flames awakened the moment the Queen passed by, as though the fire itself recognized her presence.
"I-Is that...?"
"T-that familiar presence..."
"B-Buhay pa siya?"
"H-Hindi ako makapaniwala! nanaginip ba ako?!"
"T-Totoo ba 'tong nakikita ko?"
"L-Lalo siyang g-gumanda!"
"That presence... there's no mistaking it!"
"S-Siya nga..."
"I-Impossible..."
"S-She is the Red Queen of Mysarea?!"
"Her presence... it has become so much stronger than before."
"Ramdam mo rin?"
"O-Oo... mas mabigat kaysa d-dati."
"She feels completely different now..."
The Queen simply shook her head before calmly walking toward her throne. She sat down with effortless composure and slowly crossed her legs as she faced the thousands of citizens before her.
Then her eyes suddenly turned completely black.
Napaatras nang bahagya ang ilan nang mapansin iyon, while others could only stare at her in silence. There was something unnatural about those eyes, something that made the Queen's already intimidating presence feel even heavier.
Anastacio stepped closer and handed her a slender black cigarette, its tip glowing faintly with red light. The moment it reached her fingers, it ignited on its own, a small flame dancing at its end.
"Pay your respects to the Sovereign of Fire, the Eternal Phoenix, Anastacio." ngumiti ang reyna kay Anastacio.
"W-We a-are honored to stand in the presence of the Eternal Phoenix, the Sovereign of Fire... Anastacio!" sabay-sabay na sambit ng mga mamamayan.
Nagkatinginan ang ilan, tila hindi pa rin makapaniwala sa kanilang narinig.
"Siya ang summoner ng Eternal Phoenix?"
"No wonder her mana... was that overwhelming..."
Marahan siyang nagbuga ng manipis na usok habang tahimik na pinagmamasdan ang mga mamamayang nagbubulungan. Her full black eyes remained fixed on them, making several people immediately fall silent whenever their gazes met hers.
"You stand in the presence of Rassia Saint of House Quentin, known as Madame Rische, the Child of Fire, the Orythea, the Ancient Goddess of the Moon, the Rightful Ruler of the Grand Empire of Erenhal Sartorias, the Rightful Empress of Vermeleyon, the Red Queen, and the Queen of Mysarea."
Umalingawngaw ang malalim at baritonong boses ni Lapileon sa buong Throne Hall.
Lalong nanindig ang balahibo ng mga mamamayan nang marinig ang kaniyang tinig, bawat salitang binibigkas ay tila may bigat at awtoridad na hindi maaaring balewalain.
Even without raising his voice, his presence alone was enough to silence the entire hall.
"Well, well. Kanina lamang ay napakaingay ninyo. Quite shocking, isn't it? To see that the dead woman you once called a demon is still alive."
Mahina siyang natawa.
Napansin niyang biglang nanahimik ang mga mamamayan. Wala na ring halos makatingin nang diretso sa kaniya, tila hindi pa rin makapaniwala sa babaeng nakaupo sa harapan nila.
"Hmm..." bahagya niyang itinaas ang isang kilay. "If you are scared of me and Lucy Pearl, very well, then."
Marahan siyang sumandal sa kaniyang trono at muling humihip at bumuga ng usok.
"You can go back to Sartores."
Napairap si Cassandra at biglang tumawa nang malakas, tila hindi niya napigilan ang sarili sa narinig mula kay Rassia. Napatingin naman sa kaniya si Vladimir at inilingan.
"I-Ikaw ba ang nagpadala sa amin dito?" nanginginig na tanong ng isang babae. "H-Hindi ka ba galit sa amin? m-marami kaming sinabi tungkol sa iyo... m-marami kaming hinusgahan at ibinintang sa iyo. B-Baka dinala mo kami rito upang maghiganti at... at paslangin kami!"
"H-Hindi ho ba ninyo k-kami kinamumuhian?" tanong ng isa pa.
Kumunot ang noo ni Rassia bago marahang umiling.
"You are the citizens. Madali kayong napaniwala at naimpluwensyahan ng Holy Cathedral. Everything you believed about who I was, and everything you said to me in the past... hindi ninyo iyon lubusang kasalanan. Hindi ko rin kayo sasaktan."
Tahimik niyang pinagmasdan ang mga mamamayan.
"You were only told what they wanted you to believe. They made you believe that I was a demon, that I was someone you should fear, and that everything I did was meant to bring harm. My anger is not toward you. It is toward the Holy Cathedral... and especially toward Lurtheron and Megan."
Marahan niyang iniabot kay Anastacio ang kaniyang sigarilyo bago tuluyang tumayo mula sa kaniyang trono.
"I am here as your Queen. Ngunit hindi ko kayo pinipilit na kilalanin ako bilang inyong reyna."
Humakbang siya nang bahagya palapit sa mga mamamayan.
"I brought you here because you deserve to live peacefully. Kayo ang mga taong pinakanagdurusa sa sistema roon. You work, you pay your taxes, you follow their laws, and yet you are still the ones who suffer the consequences."
Tumingin siya sa bawat isa sa kanila.
"Here, you have a new home waiting for you in Mysarea. You don't have to worship me. You don't have to bow to me. You only need to live. And if you choose to accept me as your Queen someday... that will be your choice, not something I will force upon you."
Nagkatinginan ang mga mamamayan at marami sa kanila ang nagsimulang umiyak, lalo na ang mga walang sariling tahanan at matagal nang palipat-lipat lamang sa mga lansangan ng Sartores.
"T-Totoo ho ba iyon?" nag-aalangan na tanong ng isang binata.
Halos punit at marumi ang kaniyang kasuotan, tila ilang araw nang hindi nakakapagpalit ng damit.
Napangiti si Rassia nang makita siya. For some reason, the young man's appearance reminded her of someone she had once known.
"What can I gain if I kill you here?" mahinahon niyang tanong. "What can I gain if I take revenge on you just because of the things you all said to me?"
Bahagya siyang umiling.
"Nothing... I won't gain anything by hurting people who are already suffering."
Muli siyang tumingon sa libo-ibong mamamayan na tahimik na nakikinig sakanya.
"I know what your lives are like. I know some of you have no homes. Some of you barely have enough food to eat. Some of you have spent years working just to pay taxes and debts, only to return to the same streets every night."
Tumingin muli siya sa binatang nasa harapan.
"If you are asking whether I truly mean what I said... yes."
"... you can stay in Mysarea. You can eat. You can sleep without worrying about where you'll wake up tomorrow. You can work, learn, build a life, and start again."
Nag-iyakan ang ilan. Habang ang iba ay nagyakapan at paulit-ulit na nagpapasalamat, ang iba naman ay halos hindi makapaniwala sa kanilang swerte dahil pinili nilang sumama sa mga taong nakasuot ng itim na cloak at ngayon ay mayroon na silang lugar na maaari nilang tawaging tahanan.
Ngunit may ilan na tila biglang may naalala.
"T-Teka! naaalala ko na!" sigaw ng isang lalaki. "You are the woman who saved many villages from those creatures! Ikaw iyon! Ikaw din ang babaeng nagligtas sa mga kababaihang nawawala sa bansang Paresi! Ikaw ang nagligtas kay Lady Hyacinth!"