✨✨✨✨✨✨
⟨ BACK IN THE PALACE ⟩
Tatiana’s tears has not stopped falling down her cheeks for a second, she was so solicitude about Cheng.
The physician has been attending to Cheng for more than two hours and there is no news from him about Cheng.
She couldn’t go inside the room where Cheng was being treated, because the king was present, alongside with Waylon.
“Are you still crying?” Zelda asked sitting beside Tatiana.
“Cheng is in there fighting for his life because of me. I should have left when he asked me to. I was so concerned about him, that’s why I didn’t leave, but I wish I had, maybe this won’t have happened to him” Tatiana said crying.
“You made a big mistake when you chose to stay with him Tatiana. What were you thinking? Is a good thing he is the one who got hurt”.
“How can you say such a thing Zelda?” Tatiana said sobbing.
“He is a demon, I’m sure his wounds will heal up” Zelda said.
“If that was the case, I won’t be here crying and worrying about him. Cheng wasn’t born a demon, so his wounds can’t heal, the only thing he can do is perform dark magic”.
“You should stay away from him Tatiana” Zelda said.
“I can’t do that. I love him” Tatiana said.
“You are in love with a demon? You are making a mistake Tatiana” Zelda saying feeling hurt, but Tatiana was too ignorant to notice it.
“I’m not making a mistake Zelda. Cheng would have been a normal human being like everyone else if not for the demon inside of him. So Demon or no demon I still love him” Tatiana said standing to her feet.
“Where are you going?” Zelda asked.
“I’m going to check if my husband is okay” Tatiana said and leaves.
Zelda clenched his fists with so much ire inside his eyes.
“Why Cheng? What does he have that I don’t have?” Zelda said bitterly.
✨✨✨✨✨
“How is he?” King Osvaldo asked, looking at Cheng. His eyes were closed, and his face looked pale. He was shirtless and white bandage was tied around his stomach.
“Let hope he gets better. He will be needing some medicine herb soup so he can recover quickly” The physician said.
“Come with me let talk about the kind of herb he will be needing” King Osvaldo said and leaves with the physician.
Waylon sits beside Cheng looking at him. He won’t lie that he got so scared when he saw Cheng all bloody earlier.
“Cheng, I am sorry your brother didn’t take care of you like I promised I would” Waylon said with a sad voice.
⟨ FLASH BACK ≈ TEN YEARS AGO ⟩
“Why did you hurt yourself Cheng?” Waylon asked, looking at Cheng’s injured knee.
“I was trying to plunk the peaches on the tree” Cheng’s little voice back then said.
“You should have asked me to do that for you Cheng”.
“Will you have done it if I asked you to?” Cheng asked smiling.
“Of course I will. You are my little brother, and is my duty to protect and take care of you”.
Cheng smiles.
“Thank you Waylon for being the best brother. I love you”.
Waylon smiles and ruffled his hair. “Do you still want to eat the peaches?”
“Of course I do. Will you get it from me?”
“Sure” Waylon said.
He stood up to his feet and went to the tree and plunked a peach from the tree.
“How were you able to do that without climbing the tree?” Cheng asked with surprised in his eyes.
“That’s because I am tall and my hands can reach some of the peaches on the tree” Waylon said.
“Then I want to grow up quickly, so I can be taller than you”.
“Really? You want to be taller than me when we become of age?” Waylon asked.
“Yes” Cheng said determinedly, and Waylon smiled.
“How about I bite you so you won’t be tall anymore” Waylon said playfully.
“Brother!!!” Cheng screamed taking to his heels laughing, as Waylon chased him around.
⟨ FLASH BACK ENDS ⟩
Waylon cleaned his tears, remembering his brotherly moment with Cheng ten years ago.
“I’m sorry Cheng. Sorry I neglected you for ten years. I thought I h@ťěd you, but seeing you in the state, I realized I never did. I’m sorry for turning my back on you Cheng, I am sorry” Waylon said letting his tears flow.
“I want to be a brother to you again, if you give me the chance to” Waylon said, sniffing back his tears.
“You can make it up to him once he wakes up” Tatiana said, approaching him, and Waylon looked at Tatiana as she sits besides him.
“Can I?” He asked.
“Yes you can. Cheng is not bad as you think” Tatiana said caressing Cheng’s face.
“Do you love him?” He asked.
“Yes I do. I love Cheng so much and that’s why it’s hurts a lot because he is in the state because of me”.
“I’m glad Cheng was able to control his demon because of you Tatiana. You both are destined to be together” Waylon said.
Tatiana smiles and continues caressing his face.
“Wake up soon hubby, your big brother wants to be a brother to you again” Tatiana said.
Waylon smiles, even if it hurts like hell, he is going to let go. He chose not to tell Tatiana about his feelings so she won’t feel uncomfortable around him.
It was something he is going to take to his grave.
✨✨✨✨✨✨
⟨ THE FOLLOWING DAY ⟩
Cheng opens his eyes and he could tell he wasn’t in his cottage. He sits up on the bed, and pains hits him.
“Ouch” He muttered in pain, and little blood showed in the bandage that was tired around him.
“You are already awake” King Osvaldo said, entering the room.
“What am I doing here?” Cheng asked.
“You almost died last night Cheng, but thankfully Tatiana was quick to tell us about it, and we had the palace physician treat you” King Osvaldo said.
Cheng stood up to his feet, and puts on his kimono.
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t belong in the palace, so I’m leaving” Cheng said.
“But you haven’t recovered yet,” King Osvaldo said.
“I’m forbidden from staying here in the palace, so I will just go back to the cottage” Cheng said and headed for the door.
“You are free to live in the palace from now on Cheng” King Osvaldo said, making Cheng stopped on his track.
“What did you just say?” Cheng asked.
“Come back to the palace and live as the third prince of Maelstrom”.
……
TBC