CHAPTER 72
In the Land of Mysarea
TW: Graphic Violence
Outside the city of Mysarea, half of the Mysarea Knights were already gathered, waiting for their Queen.
A total of 12,000 Mysarea Knights stood in formation, wearing their full black armor with long black capes flowing behind them. Each knight held their own spear, standing silently as they awaited the arrival of their Queen.
Ang kalahati naman ng Mysarea Knights ay nanatili sa loob ng lungsod upang bantayan ang mga mamamayan. The city would remain protected even with half of the knights leaving. Naroon din ang mga Triberus na nagmula sa Vlymir upang tumulong sa pagbabantay sa Mysarea.
Maiiwan muna sa pangangalaga ng mga Erenhal ang Mysarea. Si Cassandra at Devi ang pinili ni Rassia upang mamahala sa lungsod habang wala siya.
Everything had been prepared.
And the people of Mysarea knew exactly where their Queen was going.
This was the day Rassia Saint Quentin, the Queen of Mysarea, would set foot once again on the continent of Vermeleyon.
"Mommy! gusto kong sumama! ayokong maiwan dito! please, mommy! huwag mo akong iwan dito!" umiiyak na sambit ni Raquim habang mahigpit na kumakapit kay Rassia.
Nagkatinginan sina Cayena at Natalia, kapwa nag-aalala kay Raquim.
"My little boy..." mahinang sambit ni Rassia habang marahang hinahaplos ang kaniyang buhok. "That place... is dangerous. There are people there who might hurt you."
Bahagyang yumuko si Rassia upang magpantay ang kanilang mga mata.
"I know you want to come with Mommy. I know you want to see where I'm going."
Pinunasan niya ang luha sa pisngi ni Raquim. "But this time, you have to stay here."
Napailing si Raquim. "B-but I want to protect y-you too..."
Saglit na natigilan si Rassia sa sinabi nito. Bahagya siyang ngumiti kahit may lungkot sa kaniyang mga mata.
He's just little Vincenzo...
"You don't have to protect Mommy. Your mother is strong, Raquim. I know you know that..."
Bahagya siyang ngumisi at marahang pinisil ang pisngi nito. "Sila dapat ang matakot sa akin, am I right?"
Napasinghot si Raquim at napakurap.
"B-But..."
"Your job is to stay here, learn, play, and wait for me. Let Mommy handle the dangerous things."
Marahan niyang hinawakan ang kamay nito.
"Vermeleyon... Sartores or Emberman... that was truly your home. Once I get Emberman back, you can freely go there with your Aunt Cayena. That's where my younger brother is... he's only a little older than you, but I know he'll play with you..."
Bahagya siyang ngumiti kay Raquim.
"But before that... I need to reclaim the Empire of Erenhal Sartorias first."
Inilapit ni Rassia ang kaniyang pinky finger kay Raquim.
"Promise me, Raquim... you'll be a good boy and wait for Mommy, huh? alam kong gusto mong sumama sa akin, pero hindi pa ito ang tamang panahon. Marami pa akong kailangang ayusin sa Vermeleyon, and I don't want you anywhere near the danger..."
Napakagat-labi si Rassia nang lalo pang umiyak si Raquim. Mabilis niya naman itong niyakap at marahang hinaplos ang kaniyang buhok.
Fuck it... as much as I want to bring Raquim with me, something inside me keeps telling me that I shouldn't.
I don't know why.
Maybe it's just my mother's instinct... but I can't ignore this feeling...
I can't simply bring him into a continent that is already drowning in chaos just because I don't want to leave him behind. Vermeleyon may be our home, but right now, it is also where my enemies are waiting.
Bahagyang hinigpitan ni Rassia ang yakap kay Raquim.
And there's Megan... that cunning bitch.
I know exactly how she thinks... If she realizes how important Raquim is to me, she won't hesitate to use him against me. She doesn't need to defeat me in a fight. She only needs to find the one thing that can make me lower my fucking guard...
Napapikit si Rassia habang patuloy na hinahaplos ang buhok ng kaniyang anak.
No... I won't give her that opportunity.
Raquim doesn't belong on a battlefield. He doesn't need to see the hatred between the Crown and the Cathedral. He doesn't need to know how many people are willing to use his mother's name as an excuse for war...
He deserves to grow up without carrying the weight of all of this...
So even if it hurts him to stay behind... even if it hurts me more to leave him... this is one decision I have to make as his mother...
I need to protect him...
And if keeping him here is the safest choice I have... then I'll trust that instinct...
Ngunit itong pakiramdam na 'to... hindi ko maipaliwanag. Tila may kung anong bumabagabag sa akin, at natatakot ako sa hindi ko maunawaang kutob na ito...
Hindi ko alam kung bakit, ngunit tila may kung anong nagsasabi sa akin na huwag kong isama si Raquim. Para bang may panganib na hindi ko nakikita, ngunit ramdam kong naghihintay...
Bahagyang pinahid ni Raquim ang kaniyang mga luha bago marahang ikinawit ang kaniyang pinky finger sa kay Rassia.
"Okay, M-mommy... I'll wait for you. B-but when you come back, can I ride one of the babies of D-dragoroth and R-razareth? I w-want to fly with you this time. I w-want Mommy to hold me while we fly over Mysarea, with you riding Razareth and me riding b-beside you.
M-maybe we can go s-somewhere far away, s-somewhere peaceful..."
Bahagya siyang ngumiti, ngunit unti-unting bumaba ang kaniyang tingin.
"And w-when D-daddy comes back... h-he can c-come with u-us too. He c-can ride with D-dragoroth, and w-we c-can all fly t-together. I want the four of us to be up in the sky, Mommy. No fighting, no e-enemies... just u-us."
Saglit siyang natahimik bago muling tumingin kay Rassia.
"That would be nice, right, M-mommy?"
Napaawang ang labi ni Rassia nang marinig iyon. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. Hindi niya maaaring ipakita kay Raquim kung gaano siya nasasaktan sa sandaling iyon. She had to stay strong in front of her son.
Marami ring mga taong nakapalibot sa kanila. Naroon ang mga council ni Rassia, ang mga kawal, at ilan sa mga Erenhal na tahimik lamang na pinagmamasdan ang mag-ina.
Their gazes softened as they watched the scene before them.
They could see how much Raquim wanted to go with his mother, and they could also see how difficult it was for Rassia to leave him behind.
Rassia slowly smiled at her son, kahit pilit niyang pinipigilan ang kaniyang emosyon.
"Of course, my little boy," mahina niyang sambit.
"We'll do that..."
Muling niyakap ni Rassia ang kaniyang anak. Pumikit siya habang marahang hinihigpitan ang yakap, tila nais niyang damhin at tandaan ang init ng katawan ni Raquim bago siya tuluyang umalis.
Innocently, Raquim smiled as he hugged his mother back.
Mm... Mommy is so warm... so warm... I wish I could stay like this forever...
Bahagyang ngumiti si Rassia.
Her skin had always been unusually warm because of the Eternal Flame within her. Para sa ibang nilalang, maaaring kakaiba ang init na iyon, ngunit para kay Raquim, iyon ang init na nakasanayan niya mula pa noong bata siya.
"I love you, Raquim... my baby."
"I love you more, M-Mommy..."
Muling ngumiti si Rassia bago tuluyang kumalas sa kaniyang anak.
Raquim then walked toward the maidservant assigned to him, glancing back at his mother before quietly leaving with her.
Rassia stood at the head of the long table, her expression calm and composed despite everything she was feeling inside.
Sa kaniyang kanang bahagi ay naroon si Lucy Pearl.
Her thorns and eerie wings were nowhere to be seen, leaving only her unsettling appearance visible.
Her grey skin contrasted sharply against the black dress she wore, while her completely black eyes remained fixed on the people inside the room.
The black diamond embedded in her chest was clearly visible against the fabric, and a deep red lipstick emphasized her cold, unnatural beauty.
Sa kaniyang kaliwa naman ay naroon si Anastacio.
He was dressed in a formal black royal suit, paired with red sash and a black cape that fell behind him. A ruby red brooch rested neatly against his chest, completing his regal appearance.
Nakatayo rin sa paligid ng mahabang mesa ang mga commander ni Rassia, ang Six Azure Blades.
Si Stain naman ay tila bahagyang namumula at hindi halos makatingin nang diretso kay Rassia.
The Queen... she's completely different from the woman I saw before...
Her presence alone screams authority. Kapag tumingin siya sa paligid, tila kusa napapatuwid
ang lahat ng tayo. There is something about her that makes it difficult to even breathe normally in her presence...
Ibang-iba na siya ngayon...
Hindi na lamang siya si Lady Rassia na kilala ko noon. She carries herself like someone who was born to rule.
Bahagya siyang napalunok at agad na umiwas ng tingin.
Damn it. I know Vincarion would punch me if he ever found out that I'm this intimidated by his wife...
Rassia's wearing a black asymmetrical dress with a high slit on her left side. Silver details adorned the fabric, giving the dark dress an elegant appearance.
Her dress was also backless, revealing the tattoo on her lower back. The tattoo was shaped like the wings of a phoenix, clearly visible above the back of her dress. It was a symbol of her connection to Anastacio, showing that she was the summoner of the Eternal Phoenix.
Sa kaniyang dibdib ay nakalagay ang isang pulang brooch, symbolizing the color of House Quentin and the bloodline she carried. She still wore the ruby-red diamond ornament on her forehead, the same accessory that had become one of the symbols of her identity as the Queen of Mysarea.
Her burgundy hair fell gracefully around her shoulders.
Because of Rassia's dark makeup, it was enough to make the room feel intimidated by her, except the Erenhals. They are used to it. Halos kapantay na ni Rassia ang presensya ng mga Erenhal sa nagdaang taon.
Rassia wanted all of her council to wear black because of her husband's color.
The original color of House Vacardi was green, but Vincenzo changed it when he was crowned Crown Prince.