The Fifth Born

CHAPTER ONE

NAGISING siya dahil parang may malaking bagay na nakadagan sa ulo niya. Agad niyang kinapkap ang ulo niya't kinuha ang bagay na iyon. A plastic bag full of ice cubes. Where the hell did this come from?

He muttered a curse at napabalikwas ng bangon dahilan upang ang tubig na nasa noo niya lang ay napunta sa katawan niya. Hinubad niya ang damit at ipinunas iyon sa basang katawan. Then he realized another thing. Bakit siya nasa sahig? May bedsheets pang nakalatag doon at isang unan. Did I do this? Naisip niya dahil as far as he can remember, hinding hindi siya natutulog sa sahig. Mas lalong sumasakit ang katawan niya. And true to that, mas domuble nga ang sakit ng katawan niya ngayon.

"Oh. Gising ka na. Good morning." He almost jumped from where he was sitting. Nanlaki ang mata niya nang may makitang babae sa kama niya. Agad siyang napatayo mula sa sahig at hinagkan ang basang T-shirt para takpan ang katawan niya.

"What the-- Who are you?" Sabi niya habang nasa sulok at tinitingnan ang babae. Magulo ang blonde na buhok nito at kinukusot ang mata. Wait. Blonde?

Parang nagplayback sa utak niya ang nangyari kagabi. Leather shoes, weird clothes. She's the one who finished his opponents last night.

"Last night..." He trailed.

"Right!" Dugtong ng babae, grinning.

"Stop smiling, you're creeping me out. What are you doing here?" Saway niya dito. Agad siyang nagtungo sa closet habang nakatingin pa rin sa babae. There's nothing more important now than to get dressed. Who knows who this strange girl is.

"Are you feeling alright? Nilagyan ko ng cold compress and noo mo." Ngiti ng babae.

"It almost killed me. And for f**k's sake, I don't have a fever to get that loads of ice. Get out. I don't know you. I didn't ask you to save me--"

"I did not do it to save you." Saad nito at inayos ang kama niyang hinigaan nito.

"Why the hell did you bring me here then? And how did you know this is my house? Who the f**k are you?"

"Simple. I don't have a place to stay. So I decided to check your address in your wallet that's why here I am. And for your third question, I'd rather not say who I am."

The f**k?

"Wala ka bang bahay? And you don't have the right to just barge in here and sleep just because you saw my address on my wallet. And I have every right to know who's sleeping in my house, in my bed."

"I ran away from home. I swear, I'm not dangerous. I just needed a place to stay for the night." Saad nito habang nakatingin sa kanya. Good thing he has a shirt on already.

"I don't care. You've already slept on my bed so you can go now." he pointed at the door. She looked so down as she walked towards the door ngunit may bigla siyang naalala. Agad niyang hinarang ang pinto.

"What now?" Tanong ng babae. He looked at the clock and realized what time is it. Napapikit siya ng marrin. His mom is probably home by now. He can't let this strange woman go out of his room. At least, not from the door.

"My mom's outside. Unless you want us to get killed, you have to go out by the window,"

Kita niya ang pagkunot ng noo nito."Are you kidding me?"

"Unfortunately, no." he held her shoulder and turned her back against him and pushed her towards the window.

"How can I climb down from the window?"

"Don't kid with me. You managed to kick the asses of those men last night..." he opened the window and looked down to check. "Surely climbing down from this height is easy for you,"

She stared at him unbelievably. "How could you ask a woman to climb down a window?"

"Hurry up or we'll get ourselves killed. Choose."

She groaned. "Fine. Kung alam ko lang ganito ang mangyayari, I shouldn't have helped you last night," She said as she put one foot to the window stool. "I should have let those assholes beat the hell out of you last night," she stopped and eyed him. "Be thankful that face of yours only got few bruises," she clicked her tongue.

"Fine, fine. Just hurry up will you---"

"Anak? Ayos ka lang ba? I brought you breakfast." They both froze when they heard a voice outside.

"Mom, wait---" He stuttered. Ngunit hindi iyon narinig ng mama niya at kitang kita ni Zyon ang pagpihit ng doorknob.

It was too late.

His mom is already in the room, mouth open as she saw a girl trying to climb the window and Zyon, keeping the window open for her. There's a breakfast tray in her hands.

"What on earth is going on here?" his mom asked. Her eyes went to Zyon who is cursing mentally.

The girl removed his feet from the stool and stood properly. She realized this woman in front of her is scary.

Zyon's mom gently put the tray in the table and crossed her arms. "Well? Care to explain what's going on? you've been fighting again, Zyon?" She eyed the wound on Zyon's lips.

"I was--"

"He didn't have a choice--" she stopped when the woman's eyes darted to her. "I was harassed last night and he came to save me. I am so sorry for the trouble. And Zyon," She faced the guy. "Thank you for saving me last night."

There's a few seconds of silence until the woman spoke again.

"And why are you both sleeping in the same room?"

"Don't worry, Ma'am. Zyon let me sleep in the bed. He took the floor."

Zyon is relieved. Surprisingly, her mom bought the girl's lies.

"And why were you trying to get out of the window?"

He mentally cursed. "I asked her to do it since she doesn't want to be seen."

Zyon's mother looked at the two of them before she sighed and sat on the bed.

Nakahinga rin sila nang maluwag.

The woman eyed her and she stiffened. "I know you," she said. Her heart pounded. "As much as I wanted to ask you what you're doing here, let's have breakfast first. The food is getting cold." The woman stood up and looked at Zyon.

"Bring the tray downstairs, we're eating together."

Kita sa mukha niya ang pagkalito. His mom knows this woman? How?

Meanwhile, the girl is still nervous. Does she know her real identity? What if she'll report her whereabouts? She groaned.

"It's not even 24 hours yet!" She cried. The thought of going back to the Palace is truly dreadful.

"What the hell are you talking about? Who are you?" he looked at his mom who is at the door. "Why do you know her, mom?"

His mom gave him a gentle smile and said, "How could you not recognize the second Princess of Oregon, you idiot?"

And his world stopped.

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