A KISS OF RAGE AND FIRE

FIFTEEN

Napansin ng ama niya kung saan siya nakatingin kaya naramdaman niyang humigpit ang hawak nito sa kamay niya. "They decided to come this year. They have a present for you," her father said.

"But father--"

"I know. But they promised they wouldn't cause trouble. So far so good. And besides, Killian is here."

Her eyes never left the four vampires casually sitting on one of the tables. Their complexions aren't pale. In fact, they're vampires who were under the sun a lot. These vampires are mixbloods, mostly by Faerie blood. Kaya nakakaya nilang manatili sa araw. One of them was lazily roaming his eyes around and when he found hers, he let out a feline smile and bowed his head slowly, slightly, either to mock her or actually showing respect to her, hindi niya alam. He raised his glass to her before he drank it. Napalunok siya ng laway. Vampires lived in an autonomous land called Castamere. They rule by themselves and they have their own ruler.

Kaya naman, ang makita niya ang mga ito ay labis na nakakapagtaka sa kanya. They never once cared about Terrasen celebrations. She was still staring at one of the vampires. She gave him a small nod before she diverted her gaze and went to the Assassins on the other table. There were only three of them and Jude, the wind user was one of them. Hindi na niya hinintay na mahuli siyang nakatitig dito kaya bumlik ang atensyon niya sa kung nasaan si Alastair ngunit wala ng ang lalake doon.

She was about to look for him nang biglang huminto ang musika. Napalitan iyon ng katahimikan. As though it's a signal for everyone to silence.

"To complete the celebration, my daughter will be receiving various presents from different parts of Terrasen," her father announced and the guests clapped their hands.

The guests slowly walked to the side, to their designated tables and made the center vacant. The first one to step into the foot of the dais was a Fae. She wore an emerald green silk dress. Her vibrant green eyes stared back at her as she kneeled. She slowly bowed her head.

"The Faeries of Emberlane greets you, Your Highness," saad nito bago tumayo. A single whip of her hands and a velvet pillow appeared in front of her. Ngunit hindi iyong ang nakapagpagulat sa kanya. It was the thing that sat atop the pillow.

"The Faeries had taken great time and effort to make this just for you, Your Highness."

It was probably the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. It was a diadem. Para itong apoy dahil sa porma nito but what made it unique was the stones on the corners of it. The most beautiful stone: the Blue Moon. A stone so rare and expensive na makikita lang sa Emberlane, where the Faeries reside. The pillow disappeared and the girl held the tiara carefully.

"May I?" Tanong nito. She nodded, still had her eyes fixed on the treasure. The Fae girl walked on top of the dais. Agad naman siyang tumayo and stood in front of her. She leaned and let the girl put the tiara on top of her head. It wasn't heavy. In fact, hindi niya maramdaman na naroon ang tiara sa ulo niya. The Fae girl produced a mirror from her magic for her to use. And a satisfied grin escaped her lips as she watched her reflection.

"It's perfect," she muttered and she could see happiness in the Fae's eyes. Kita niya rin ang saya ng ibang kasamahan nito. She muttered her thanks and the Fae went back to her table.

Two ladies came up next. With their tanned complexion and the power hidden beneath their dresses, she could tell they come from the land kung saan galing ang ina niya. The Dragon Descendants from the Dragon's Lair. They laid down the two baskets they were holding. Nang buksan iyon ay hindi niya napigilang mapasinghap.

"Dragon's eggs, Your Highness," said one of them. Narinig niya rin ang pagsinghap ng mga bisita nang marinig iyon. She even heard one said about it being an outrageous gift. Dragons have gone extinct many years ago. And there were no reported sights of it for years too. They just disappeared mysteriously one day. Some left their eggs and the inhabitants of the Dragon's Lair have been keeping them safe. Hoping the Dragons will come back and take care of it. But for many years, they never did.

"Those are the biggest eggs in our Lair. You deserve to have it, Your Highness," saad ng isa. She looked at the eggs and her brooch warmed against her chest. She gave them a smile and said, "Thank you. I appreciate them."

One of the eggs was rusty and the other one was almost silver in color. It looked pretty despite the scales on the shell. The two women bowed and went back to their table.

Then two people stepped on the foot of the dais. The silvery tunic they wore stood out among the rest, Katharine thought. Their tanned complexion matches those of the ones from the Dragon's Lair. Jude from the Assassin's Fortress wore his boyish smile as he bowed to his waist. The girl he was with wore a passive expression as she too bowed.

"Your Highness," Jude said still plastering his grin. Hindi naging maganda ang pakikitungo nila sa isa't-isa noong nasa Assassins' Fortress siya. Jude was rude, and competitive, salungat sa nakilala niya sa unang araw niya doon. Jude was determined to stand with his speculations that she is Marceline's accomplice and that she let her go. Well, he got half the truth, Katharine thought. She did let Marceline go when she fired that arrow. She's a skilled archer and she never misses her target. Sinadya niya iyon.

But Jude was wrong about her being Marceline's accomplice. But Marceline did tell her about her plan at wala siyang ginawa para pigilan ang babaeng tinuring niyang kaibigan. Maybe because even just a little, she understood. She understood her willingness to save her people.

"We from the Assassin's Fortress greets you on your special day," Jude said. The girl beside him took something out from her tunic. It was wrapped in a cloth. Kinuha iyon ni Jude and unwrapped it.

"This is the Assassin's dagger. Its hilt was customly made to fit your grip. It's incredibly light, too. And the blade is the sharpest that you'd be very successful in your huntings."

Jude let out his saccharine smile. She could also feel Killian's stare on her. Her eyes darted from the dagger to Jude.

"Very well. Thank you for your wonderful gift." She smiled at both of them before I took the dagger from his hands. With a whip of Killian's hand, naglaho ito, sending it somewhere to store. They bowed once again before they went to their table.

Then the room went even more silent. Alam nilang lahat kung sino ang susunod na magbibigay ng regalo.

The four vampires leisurely walked down the parted crowd, as if they're enjoying the attention they're getting. One particular man at the center, ang lalakeng ngumiti sa kanya kanina, was still looking at her with a lazy grin on his face. His eyes were bored na para bang napilitan lang itong magpunta doon. One of his companions, however, was very perky, Katharine thought, dahil panay ang kaway nito sa mga bisita even though the guests are trying their best to stay away from them.

They're feared creatures. The only creature that could go against them is their kind, those people who use magic as strong or stronger than them, and the Faes.

When they reached the foot of the dais, they bowed to their waist, their cloak touching the floor. Just like Faes, their unearthly beauty stood out. The man in the center had a hair of the blackest black, yet his eyes were of the deepest blue.

"I am Deimos Martell. Head of the Vampires in Castamere," he said as she took a step into the dais. Then he halted, and his eyes darted to Killian who was standing beside her father. Deimos Martell let out a grin at Killian. Hindi niya alam but she could tell they're exchanging threats just by staring at each other.

Then Deimos' eyes went back to her. "I was made aware of your beauty but the descriptions didn't even do it justice."

A smooth talker, Katharine thought.

He knelt on one knee at kinuha ang kamay niya para halikan ang likod nito, still not taking his eyes off her. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he said. His eyes glinted with naught and something else as if promising eternal agony. She stared back, her brooch grew warmer.

"Thank you, Sir Deimos," saad niya. Tumayo ang lalake at may kinuha sa bulsa ng coat nito. It was a small box, a few centimeters long. Deimos handed it to her at kinuha naman niya ito. Akmang bubuksan na niya ang kahon nang pigilan siya ng lalake.

"I would prefer it if you're the only one who can see it. Its beauty is for your eyes only, Your Highness. Don't worry, it's not something dangerous," he said and glanced at Killian. "And besides, we're no fools to make chaos knowing the great Captain of the Kingsguard is here."

Killian didn't say a word. But his silence was enough for her. The power he exudes is enough to tell these people and the rest of the people here that he became the Captain of the Elite Kingsguard for a reason.

Deimos smirked and bowed once again before he and his companions went back to their table, their cloaks swaying with the air around them.

Napahinga siya nang maluwag. Now that she's seen the vampires up close, saka lang niya naintindihan bakit takot ang iba sa kanila. Like Killian, they exude a huge amount of power and it would be a foolish act to start a fight with them. It was one of the reasons why Castamere, the land of Vampires, rules by itself. Deimos is a dangerous man. And she thought she would never want to make him her enemy.

She heaved a deep breath. This is going to be a long night.

* * *

The music continued playing and Katharine is starting to wonder if she could go to bed tonight. Probably not, she thought.

Nakatayo siya katabi ni Al habang abala ang lalake sa pakikipag-usap sa mga bisita. All she could offer was her kindest smile and curt greetings. She doesn't want to get indulged in a conversation na alam naman niyang nagpapasipsip lang ito sa kanya. They know she's the next Queen. They rained compliments of how beautiful she is. It was the same people who told her years ago she was too reckless and stubborn to be Queen. Pinipigilan lang niyang mapairap.

Sa pagkakaalam niya, there were five Houses present and that they are the biggest Houses in Terrasen. Houses are the households of a noble family. And she isn't interested to exchange compliments with them kaya napagdesisyunan niyang lumayo muna.

She politely excused herself and smiled at Al who also smiled at her. Nagpapasalamat nalang siya't naroon si Al para kumausap sa mga bisita. He was born to do that, she thought. He has an aura that attracts people, talk to people. And she realized there are people who are born to do that. To lead. About herself, she isn't too sure. One thing she thinks about is that she just has to do her best in serving the kingdom, the people.

Guests smiled in her direction as she made her way to the table where a gigantic fountain of drinks was displayed. She scooped a glass of the punch and drank on it when Killian suddenly appeared beside her dahilan para maibuga niya ang iniinom na alak.

She heard Killian click his tongue at sinamaan niya naman ito ng tingin.

"So un-Princess-like. Spitting your drinks back to where you got them. Visitors would be disgusted," he said and eyed the droplets of wine in mid-air. He must have used his power para hindi ito tumilapon sa fountain. And with a whip of his hand, the droplets disappeared. Misted.

"Bakit bigla-bigla ka nalang sumusulpot?" tanong niya sa lalake. He did not look at her. Instead, he just raised his glass before he scoffed it to the fountain too.

"I'm here to drink and save the other guests from drinking a saliva-mixed punch," he said and she scoffed. She knows Killian and that mouth of his. Wala itong preno and he doesn't see her as a Princess. He only follows her Father. Wala naman siyang problema doon. It's just that ...

"Sometimes, I have the urge to punch you in the face," she said at tumawa lang ito, leaning on the table with a glass on his hand. And when she took a closer look at him, saka lang niya namalayan na maikli na ang buhok ng lalake. It looked good on him too. But she won't say it. The last she would want to see is his conceited grin because she just complimented him.

"You tried in your room, remember?" he gave her a sideward glance as he sipped on his glass. Naalala na naman niya ang nangyari kanina. She just hopes that Al wasn't mad for that.

She gave Killian a sideward glance as she also leaned on the table.

"The third slow dance just finished. Why aren't you with Al?" tanong nito habang nagmamasid sa paligid.

That was her question too. Well, her question was more like, why hasn't Al asked her on a dance yet? She already danced with her Father to the first song. After that, Al didn't even come and ask for a dance. He just gave her an apologetic look at naintindihan naman niya. He was talking to somebody important, it seems. At hindi ito makatakas. Napabuntong-hininga nalang siya.

"Your fiancé is a busy man. He likes conversations. He's better suited as your Emissary."

Sinamaan niya ng tingin ang lalake. Nagkibit-balikat lang ito. As if saying he meant what he just said.

They stayed there for a few moments, clouded in their own silence when Killian decided to speak. "What did the vampires give you?"

It was her turn to shrug. "I don't know."

"Open it," he said, dahilan para mapatingin siya sa lalake. Nakatingin ito sa kabilang bahagi ng bulwagan. And her body froze when she found out that Killian was having a staring contest with Deimos. Elegante itong umiinom ng wine habang nakatingin sa kanilang dalawa. Tumayo ang grupo ng mga bampira at lumapit sa kanyang ama na nakaupo sa trono nito. Her body went cold. Hindi niya alam kung bakit. But when the group of vampires bowed their heads to the King, nakahinga siya ng maluwag. They were just saying they were leaving.

Lumapit siya sa kung nasaan sila and Deimos' gaze went to her. Kinuha nito ang kamay niya bago ito hinalikan sa likod. Hindi niya mapagilang mapalunok.

"Thank you for having us here, Your Highness." He grinned at her. There were no signs of his fangs and she doesn't even know why she's looking for it. Of course, they'd be hiding it!

"The pleasure's mine, Sir Deimos," sagot niya.

He stood straight. "I hope you will like my present," saad ng lalake bago ito tumalikod and together with his companion, they walked the parted crowd and disappeared.

The crowd murmured but eventually went back to what they were doing minutes ago. She looked for the black box with the red ribbon. She sat on her chair with her father beside her. Killian appeared next to the seats but she could feel his eyes on her, on the box she's trying to open.

At nang mabuksan na niya ito she gasped at what she saw.

Blood rubies.

* * *