The moment of truth had come, and Dale rubbed his hands nervously. “Do you really think this is a good idea?” he asked, doubtfully, looking at Harrison, Deb’s father. “What if she declines?”
“How could she?” Harrison asked back, trying to reassure Dale that everything would work out the way he wanted it to.
“Maybe this is going too fast” Dale continued, shaking his head. “Maybe I need to give her madami time to fall in pag-ibig with me”
“She’ll have all the time in the world, afterwards” Harrison replied, fierce. Dale was not going to back down now. Not after everything Harrison, and his family, had had to go through to bring Debra back to him. For now, it’s enough for her pag-ibig what you represent. Security, stability. Love’s overrated”
Dale sighed relieved, and nodded. “You’re right” he said. “Alright, I’m ready to do this”
Harrison left the council room, and walked to Debra’s room. He inserted the key, and opened the door. “It’s time” he simply said. Mrs. Parker stood and reached out her hand to Deb.
“Come on, time to embrace your destiny”
Deb took her hand, and let her parents walk her to what felt like the gallows.
Someone was waiting for them, outside the council room, and opened the doors. Instantly, everyone stood, and Dale spread his arms.
“Welcome, Debra” he greeted her breathless, completely ignoring her parents. “Please, come sit with me”
Deb’s feet seemed to be nagyelo to the floor, and Harrison had to give her a push, to make her move.
When she was sitting susunod to Dale, hapunan was being served, but just for them.
“Eat, my darling. You need to get your strength back. That cage didn’t do you any good” Dale reproached, before putting a piece of his karneng hiniwa in his mouth.
Deb felt weird, eating, in front of everyone else, who didn’t have anything. But then an angry voice in her head whispered: ‘These people stood idly by, and watched, while your were nearly being whipped to death’ After that, eating became quite easy
She was also mahirap paniwalaan hungry. When she had finished her dinner, she had to restrain herself from taking what was left on Dale’s plate.
“Do you like the decorations?” Dale asked, motioning his hands at the flowers, lily’s, to be exact, and instantly, Deb hated lily’s.
“Yes, they’re lovely” she lied, with a forced smile. She took a deep breath. “Dale, you told me you had a reason to lock me up. I want to hear what it is”
Dale stood, and walked away from his seat, to the center of the council. “Look at all these people, Debra” he started. “They need a leader, someone to guide them, someone to look up to. For many years I’ve been able to manage this quite well. But truth is, I’m getting older, and I need someone to take over this empire, when I’m gone”
He walked back towards Deb, and put his hands on the table. “I want you to rule, alongside me, for as long as I have left to live, and then I want you to take over, to rule alone. I want you to marry me”
“What?” Deb mumbled horrified.
“You have to marry me” Dale repeated.
“No” Deb replied, shaking.
“What do you mean?” Dale asked, confused.
“I mean I’m not going to marry you” Deb hissed loud, and angry. “What, are you crazy? How can you think I would even consider an offer like that?” She stood, and walked to the doors as quickly as possible.
“Debra Parker!” Mrs. Parker tried to call her back, but it was in vain.
“No” Dale sinabi sharp, when Harrison stood, to follow Deb. “It’s okay. Let her go”
“How could she?” Harrison asked back, trying to reassure Dale that everything would work out the way he wanted it to.
“Maybe this is going too fast” Dale continued, shaking his head. “Maybe I need to give her madami time to fall in pag-ibig with me”
“She’ll have all the time in the world, afterwards” Harrison replied, fierce. Dale was not going to back down now. Not after everything Harrison, and his family, had had to go through to bring Debra back to him. For now, it’s enough for her pag-ibig what you represent. Security, stability. Love’s overrated”
Dale sighed relieved, and nodded. “You’re right” he said. “Alright, I’m ready to do this”
Harrison left the council room, and walked to Debra’s room. He inserted the key, and opened the door. “It’s time” he simply said. Mrs. Parker stood and reached out her hand to Deb.
“Come on, time to embrace your destiny”
Deb took her hand, and let her parents walk her to what felt like the gallows.
Someone was waiting for them, outside the council room, and opened the doors. Instantly, everyone stood, and Dale spread his arms.
“Welcome, Debra” he greeted her breathless, completely ignoring her parents. “Please, come sit with me”
Deb’s feet seemed to be nagyelo to the floor, and Harrison had to give her a push, to make her move.
When she was sitting susunod to Dale, hapunan was being served, but just for them.
“Eat, my darling. You need to get your strength back. That cage didn’t do you any good” Dale reproached, before putting a piece of his karneng hiniwa in his mouth.
Deb felt weird, eating, in front of everyone else, who didn’t have anything. But then an angry voice in her head whispered: ‘These people stood idly by, and watched, while your were nearly being whipped to death’ After that, eating became quite easy
She was also mahirap paniwalaan hungry. When she had finished her dinner, she had to restrain herself from taking what was left on Dale’s plate.
“Do you like the decorations?” Dale asked, motioning his hands at the flowers, lily’s, to be exact, and instantly, Deb hated lily’s.
“Yes, they’re lovely” she lied, with a forced smile. She took a deep breath. “Dale, you told me you had a reason to lock me up. I want to hear what it is”
Dale stood, and walked away from his seat, to the center of the council. “Look at all these people, Debra” he started. “They need a leader, someone to guide them, someone to look up to. For many years I’ve been able to manage this quite well. But truth is, I’m getting older, and I need someone to take over this empire, when I’m gone”
He walked back towards Deb, and put his hands on the table. “I want you to rule, alongside me, for as long as I have left to live, and then I want you to take over, to rule alone. I want you to marry me”
“What?” Deb mumbled horrified.
“You have to marry me” Dale repeated.
“No” Deb replied, shaking.
“What do you mean?” Dale asked, confused.
“I mean I’m not going to marry you” Deb hissed loud, and angry. “What, are you crazy? How can you think I would even consider an offer like that?” She stood, and walked to the doors as quickly as possible.
“Debra Parker!” Mrs. Parker tried to call her back, but it was in vain.
“No” Dale sinabi sharp, when Harrison stood, to follow Deb. “It’s okay. Let her go”