The Princess Bride (Self-published)

14: Prophecy

Yegana sat unmoving in her chair.

"There is a reason why I did not tell you about it, Yegana—"

"And you believed him? You believed that fortune-teller and started calling his nonsense as a prophecy? Is that the reason why you did not want another child?"

"Yegana, that's not true—"

"And is that also the reason why you sent our son away when he was just nine, Alecto? You were scared that he would end up killing you?"

"Yegana, that accusation isn't fair. Alam mo mismo kung gaano ko kamahal si Mikael at alam mo ang rason kung bakit ko s'ya ipinadala sa Azemitli."

"Dati ay alam ko pero ngayon..."

"Yegana, you know how much I love our son. Saksi ka sa pagmamahal na 'yun. He was weak when he was a child. I wanted to keep him here with me and told myself that I would see to it that he's properly trained. Pero, alam mo kung anong nangyayari, 'di ba?"

Yegana averted her face.

"Alam mong hindi ko kayang pahirapan ang anak ko. Alam mong lumalambot ang puso ko tuwing nakikita kong nahihirapan s'ya. But what good did it do him? He nearly died, Yegana."

"But, what if he did not survive the training inside Azemitli, Alecto?"

"But he did. He survived and now he is stronger. Sa tingin mo ba ay pinabayaan ko ang anak nating ipadala lang d'un? I employed my closest friends' help, you knew that. I managed to convince Mirkamal and Elyar to return to Azemitli so they could personally look after our Mikael."

"Still, you did not even let him come home for more than nine years! You forbade me from seeing my own son for almost a decade! Puro pag-uusap lang sa telepono at ni hindi mo ako isinasama tuwing dumadalaw ka!"

"Because I knew that once you see him and how hard training was for him, you'd beg me to let him come home. Sa tingin mo ba ay makakatanggi ako kung iiyak ka sa harap ko para lang mapauwi ang anak natin? For the past nine years, pinilit kong maging matigas ang puso ko, Yegana, hindi para sa akin kundi para kay Mikael."

The queen searched her husband's face and saw nothing but his sincerity.

"Our boy needed to grow up fast. Our boy needed to be strong enough to defend himself. You know I'd readily give up my life for you and my sons but what if I'm no longer around? Paano kayo?"

The Queen's brows creased with worry. "Anong ibig mong sabihin? May problema ba na hindi ko alam?"

Alecto shook his head smiling at his wife. "Wala."

"'Yung totoo, Alecto. Dahil na naman ba ito sa propesiya? Is the prophecy about a prince killing his own father?"

"Hindi. Ang propesiya ay tungkol sa isang batong hiyas na tatapos sa buong lahi ng mga Sehrli. Ang propesiya ay tungkol sa isang kapangyarihan na kahit ako ay hindi kayang higitan o talunin."

"But no one is stronger than you."

"You flatter me, my wife."

"Hindi ako nakikipagbiruan sa'yo, Alecto. Sabihin mo sa akin, itong batong-hiyas na sinasabi mo, si...si Mikael ba ito?"

"No," Alecto declared without hesitation. "At sa maniwala ka't sa hindi, Yegana, kahit kailan hindi ko inisip na magagawa ng anak kong saktan ko."

"Ano ba ang nakasaad sa propesiya?"

"Hindi kumpleto ang nasa aklat dahil nahati sa dalawa ang libro. Ayun sa alamat ang kalahati ay nasa kamay ng sagradong pamilya ng mga tao at ang isa ay nasa kamay ng pinakamatandang angkan ng mga Sehrli."