Chapter 15 The Past

They took Jethro to his room. Only Prince Zoltar, Prince Aes and Prince Feesy were in the room while the rest of us were left in his office, with Callie. We were all sitting except for Prince Fuego who was leaning against the ice wall with his arms crossed. Me, I am looking at my hands lying on my lap full of concern on my face. What is happening to Jethro?

“Malamang nagtataka ka na kung bakit sila nandito kaya okay lang kung magtanong ka, (You're probably wondering why they are here so it's okay if you ask)” said Callie which caused the silence to break as well.

It was only then that I returned to reality and at the same time I looked at her. Is she talking to me? Probably. I was the only one who understood everything she said here inside Jethro's office.

“Uhm ano inaalala ko kasi si Jethro, (Uhm well I am worried about Jethro)” I replied full of concern.

She let out a sigh. “Sa totoo lang wala na akong ibang maisip na sabihin sa iyo maliban sa huwag kang mag-alala. Magiging okay din ang lahat, (Honestly I have nothing else to say other than don’t you worry. Everything will be okay too)” Callie assured.

“Pasensya na pero hindi nakatulong ang sinabi mo, (I'm sorry but what you said did not help)” I answered directly.

“Alam ko, (I know)” she replied. “Pagkatapos mo nga namang nakita siyang nahimatay sa mismong harapan mo sino naman ang hindi mag-aalala. (After you saw him fainting right in front of you who wouldn't worry)”

“Teka paano— (Wait how—)”

“Uhm sorry to disturb you two…” Prince Fuego suddenly interrupted us. “…but can you speak in English? We can't understand a thing here and we might help what you're talking about.”

“Oh. Uhm sor— “ I was about to apologize when all of a sudden,

“You don't need to know because this conversation is only for us,” Callie said. Woah, she’s talking back rudely. Does she know who she is talking to?

“You've got the nerve ice lady,” Prince Fuego replied frowning.

“What did I do? I just told the truth,” Callie replied. So it is true that almost all ice people are numb. I tried to get in so they would stop.

“Uhm you see—”

“What the hell,” Prince Fuego replied. “You just talked back to me and you're just an assistant of Jethro while I'm a prince so have respect.”

“Yes I know, you're a prince,” Callie replied. “But you're the prince of the Fire Cabin and if you can see and feel it, you're in the Ice Cabin and fun fact, you're not even allowed here so you're just a visitor and you don’t even have the authority of being a prince here. Prince Jethro is our only prince.”

He paused before speaking. “Even so—”

“And question…” Callie immediately entered. “…when did I talk back to you? Yani and I are having a conversation and then you suddenly butt in. So who's the one who really talked back?”

Prince Fuego was speechless and at the same time bowed his head because I think he was ashamed of what he did. Woah, how did Callie do that? She was able to embarrass a prince but seriously guys. It’s getting tense here.

Later on, Prince Fuego raised his head. Uh-oh. His face was scary. He suddenly smiled at Callie. Wait, it looks like I saw that smile.

“You are one heck of a girl. So Callie eh. Just so you know…”  he grinned even more. “…you're interesting.”

Ah! His other side! Callie was speechless and was stunned by what he did. I should have told her that she can talk back with any prince here, except this one.

SPLASH!

We were all shocked by what happened next as we looked at Prince Eaux.

“Fuego, know your limit. We are in a different cabin and we are not here to make a scene,” full of authority said Prince Eaux.

Prince Fuego's head was soaking wet. Prince Eaux covered his head with water so he returned to normal. Where the water came from, I don’t know.

Prince Eaux looked at Callie. “Sorry to command you but can you get a towel for him?” he asked.

Callie never said a word, stood up and entered a room. When Callie entered, I noticed that Prince Eaux immediately controlled the water out of Prince Fuego's face.

“Make yourself warm,” he ordered. Prince Fuego immediately understood this and immediately made a fire from his hand and drew it closer to his face.

When Callie came out, I was surprised by what she did because she threw the towel right in Prince Fuego's face.

“What the hell!” Prince Fuego complained and grabbed the towel on his face while glaring at Callie but the expression on his face immediately changed when he saw her.

Callie just sat on her chair who averted her eyes from Prince Fuego and was it just me but her face, even if it’s full of irritation, she looked remorseful for what she had done a while ago.

“Tss,” Prince Fuego averted his eyes while wiping his face.

Okay, I smell something fishy in both of them. I don't know why but I felt something spark between them. Weird right?

“So Yani,” Prince Eaux said suddenly so I looked at him. “I don't really understand what Callie and you talked about but are you wondering why we are here?”

“Uhm actually we are not talking about that but yes I was wondering about that,” I just replied.

“Oh. Well actually, Callie here suddenly went around the Main Cabin to look for us and invited us to come here.”

“Why?” My simple question.

“That I don't know,” he replied while looking at Callie. “Do you care to explain it to us?”

We all looked at Callie.

“Prince Jethro said that when he will go to the Main Cabin to get Yani for the tour, he said that I should call all 7 of you at the same time.”

“So you mean to say, he knows that this is coming?” Prince Eaux asked.

“Yes,” Callie replied.

“But why the seven of us? I know Zoltar and Aes can handle this,” said Prince Edmondo.

“I don't know. I just followed his orders,” Callie replied coldly.

“Is it about his condition?” Prince Turuki asked.

“We'll find out,” Prince Eaux replied.

“Wait, what condition?” I asked confused.

“You will see later Yani,” Prince Eaux replied.

Okay. I feel like I'm out of place here. They all know what's going on while I don't.

“Uhm is Jethro, I mean Prince Jethro sick?” I asked suddenly so they suddenly looked at each other after I asked that. It’s just a guess, but I hope they answer me. Prince Fuego answered me but,

“He's not—”

“He is,” Prince Eaux entered. Okay I'm even more confused. What is it really?

“Actually what they meant Yani is that they don't really know because we still have to wait for the check up and Zoltar's result so yeah, we can't really tell,” Prince Turuki replied.

“Oh right.” Good thing I understood what Prince Turuki said.

There was an awkward silence before I thought of asking again.

“So uhm why did Jethro, I mean Prince Jethro have to call the seven of you when it's only on the day when he will tour me?”

They were speechless and looked at each other again. Okay, their reactions are really making me confused.

“Actually that's a good question,” said Prince Edmondo.

“Yeah,” Prince Turuki said. “And the answer for that good question is—”

“Shut up you two,” Prince Fuego entered. “Yani, we don’t know. Let's just wait for the results.”

I just nodded at Prince Fuego's answer. I think that's all I will do now.

Silence enveloped again and it just broke when the door to Jethro's room opened so we all looked in that direction. Prince Feesy appeared with sorrow on his face.

“Feesy. How's it going?” Prince Eaux asked. Shacks. Happy Prince is sad! I'm starting to get nervous.

A few minutes passed before he spoke. “All I can say is that I suggest that all of you come in...” he looked at me at the same time. “... even Yani.”

They stood up immediately after Prince Feesy said that and entered Jethro's room.

“I'll stay here. I'll guard the door,” said Callie.

Prince Feesy just nodded and when I entered, he immediately closed the door.

Jethro appeared to us lying on his bed with many wires attached to his body. His brothers surrounded the bed as if we were attending a funeral because you can feel the sorrow in the room.

And do you know that one machine in the hospital that sounds if the person is still alive? I don't know what it’s called. The one that is attached to him is just sounding a straight “Teeeet!!” as if to say he’s already dead so I was surprised.

“What’s wrong?! Is Jethro dead?!” I asked in shock.

“No Yani. He's just sleeping.”

“Ah,” I took a deep breath. Prince Zoltar is the one who answered so that's okay but I wonder, why does it still sound like that if he just said he’s just asleep? They seem to be fooling me.

“Here Yani. Have a seat,” Prince Feesy gave me a seat at the same time.

“Ah thank you.” I looked around the room just to find a place where to put the seat.

“You can sit beside Jethro if you like,” said Prince Eaux.

I nodded and put it next to his bed and sat down. I feel so privileged. They are on the side while I am next to him. They are his brothers while me… well what am I to him?

“So Zoltar, what's the problem?” Prince Eaux asked.

Before Prince Zoltar spoke...

“Toot!” the sound of the monitor. Hey that was the first time. He really is alive.

“It's 50% melted.”

When he said that, they were all surprised and panicked and it was as if Prince Feesy, Prince Aes and I are the only ones that are not.

“Wait, how is that possible?” Prince Fuego asked.

“How can the ice melt?” Prince Edmondo asked.

They keep on talking and that's what they are saying. What do they mean 'the ice is melting'? 50% melted? I don’t understand. I just watched Jethro on his bed, sleeping.

“Everyone quiet,” Prince Eaux ordered so everyone calmed down.

He sighed first and looked at me just staring at Jethro.

“So I suppose you don't have any idea huh Yani?” he asked me.

“No. Uhm none,” I replied.

“Well then, it's about time for you to know everything about us. Everything from the very start, about our past...”

~~

“It all started when a lady from somewhere we don't know came to Earth. She is not actually a normal human being because she has a supernatural ability that we don't know also. This lady is under a powerful deity and was given the chance to live here on Earth but she was under the condition that she shouldn't fall in love with a human but then suddenly, while she was traveling from country to country, she met Gabriel , a prince and now he's a king. Yes, he's King Gabi, our dad and yes that lady is our mother. Though it's forbidden, their love grew stronger and they continued to be together.

The deity, knowing about this, as a punishment, all the children she will bore should be killed, so when I was born, mom hid me by leaving me in front of a house in France and took away my power to control water in order to protect me. She bore another son and just like me, she hid Turuki in Japan and also took his power to control the air.

She did this to each one of us until she bore her last son, Jethro and hid him in the Philippines but something went wrong that time. While she was hiding Jethro, some men were chasing her so by mistake, she left him in an orphanage.

All of us grew in complete, happy foster families except for Jethro. Believe me or not but Jethro was so kind and obedient when he was a kid but the people living in the orphanage abused him. They made him do different household chores that a simple kid can't do. For every mistake that he makes, he would be punished harshly. Since it's an orphanage, there are also other orphaned kids in there but most of them... I mean, all of them would tease him. If others don't tease, they would avoid him all because of how he looks. I don't really know the reason behind this but Jethro bore this suffering for 10 years.

Soon, he can't take the pain anymore so he ran away from that orphanage and never came back. We don't know how he lived after that but all we know is that eventually, he died in the woods. There's no specific happenings how he really died but a man living in that same place saw Jethro's body lying on the ground.

He tried to check if he's still alive but his body was as cold as ice, his heart wasn't beating and at the same time he wasn't breathing. The man knew he was dead so he prepared a proper burial for him but while he was digging, Jethro suddenly sat up with his eyes opened. The man was surprised and thought it was a miracle.

That time, he wasn't the same kind and obedient child. He was coldhearted and didn't really care much of what's happening around him and didn't talk that much. He just followed that man's orders.

After 4 years, all the eight of us were kidnapped by some unknown guys and erased the memories of each family member that took good care of us… except for the man with Jethro. We were taken to a house and that same man with him told the eight of us that we are brothers and he also revealed to each of us the specific element that we can control.

Actually we thought that man is somewhat a magician or what but it took us a month before we knew that he was our father. Yep, it was King Gabi who's been with Jethro all along. He disguised himself as a man living in the Philippines to take good care of him.

Back then, we were around 10 or 11 years old and we couldn't really accept each other and thought of each other as strangers. We were also having a hard time to control our element but soon enough we were able to do so and even planned about building a nation. With the help of Aes' architectural skills, and each of us using our imaginations, we build this nation. It was a hard time at first and it took a while to make it better. We set some rules and improved our mistakes and that's how Eullenuum Nation was built…”

...

Okay. Their story is good but I began to nosebleed in his English. Just a moment.

“So basically that is the whole story of why we have this nation today,” Prince Eaux concluded.

Now, I know the reason why he is sad and then it’s more sad compared to my past.

“No wonder he's like that,” that's all I can say but, “How did he live again?”

“Good question. That's the case we have here,” replied Prince Eaux. “We knew from Dad that when Jethro died, he was given a second life by making his heart frozen and the same reason why he is cold towards people. So the Jethro with you all the time is breathing, but his heart is not beating.”

“Wow. I mean how's that possible?” I questioned in bewilderment.

“We don't know either but we thought that maybe it's a gift because he was given a second life or a curse because he became cold hearted and maybe this frozen heart is the reason why Jethro has a dark thing inside him that can kill someone.”

“You mean what he did to me that time?”

“Yes.” Ah okay. That's where his dark aura came from. “So that means there's something wrong with his heart?”

“Good observation,” replied Prince Eaux. “To answer that, Zoltar…”

I immediately turned to Prince Zoltar.

“Actually you are right that something is wrong with his heart,” said Prince Zoltar. “But specifically it's the ice and this ice in his heart is melting.”

“Oh, so that's what you all were talking about a while ago,” I said.

“Yes and you heard it, it's 50% melted which means that 50% is still frozen.”

“Ah okay.”

“So any idea why?” Prince Eaux asked so I turned my gaze to him.

I started to think. “Uhm hot temperature?” I answer in a question.

“No Yani,” he replied. “That's not even possible because he once lived in the Philippines and it's a tropical country which means it's hot there but it never melted.”

Of course Yani. Also consider that from time to time. “Right. Well maybe—”

“Let's cut to the chase,” he interjected. “Yani, you are the reason.”

I was shocked. “Huh? Me??”

“Yes.”

“Wait, I don't get it,” I was confused.

“Isn't it that these past few days that you have been with Jethro, you noticed something or not?” he asked.

I thought again. “Uhm well he doesn't smile and most of the time after we meet, his chest suddenly aches and—”

I stopped after I said that and looked at Prince Eaux again. “Wait, are you talking about those times when he was experiencing chest pains?”

“Exactly,” he replied. “Now, why do you think he experiences these chest pains?”

I was stunned when he asked that and it was as if I had already processed what he had said earlier and put it together.

“Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. You mean those times he's experiencing those chest pains, the ice in his heart is melting?” I asked.

“Exactly Yani. Every pain that he experiences, a percent is melting,” he replied.

“Ah okay.”

“Now let's go back to the question, what's causing this?” he asked.

I was speechless. Isn't that the question he asked earlier? Isn’t it that... wait a minute...

“I think the question is, WHO'S causing this?”

Just a moment really. Wait a minute. I looked at Jethro again. Meaning…

“You mean it's me?” I asked in shock.

“None other,” replied Prince Eaux.

“Wait, you don't understand,” I started to explain. “I'm not doing anything and I don't have any idea about him having an ice in his heart. I am just trying to talk to him.”

“We know but those chest pains only happen when you come around and when he is with you.”

“Then how? How have I done it?” I asked.

“As far as we can see, we can't find anything from your actions of what is really the reason why you were able to melt it. So far it's just a theory but we are so sure that you are the one that is melting it,” replied Prince Eaux.

Great. It seems this is all my fault. I am the reason for all this. I am the reason he lost consciousness, I am the reason why his chest always hurts because I am the reason why the ice in his heart melts. I don’t understand but why me? What am I doing? How did I become the perpetrator?

There was a faint silence that the only thing that could be heard is the sound of the monitor. If we look at it, they are all thinking.

“So Zoltar, can you think of any?” Prince Eaux asked.

“Well, as far as all of the experiments regarding this problem, I cannot jump into any scientific process on how Yani can melt the ice in Jethro's heart,” Prince Zoltar replied. “But still I have the same hypothesis that whenever Jethro is with Yani, the ice in his heart is melting.”

“Still the same. How about you Aes?” and turned his gaze to Prince Aes.

“Well after calculating the past happenings of what really happened between Yani and Jethro, I cannot also say how she can melt the ice on our brother's heart,” Prince Aes replied. “I also have the same theory with Zoltar.”

Prince Eaux let out a sigh. “This is harder than I thought. So, do any of you brothers have an idea? Or you Yani, you must have something you want to say.”

I first looked at all the princes when I looked at the sleeping Jethro.

“Actually since I just knew that ice in his heart today, I cannot really think how and uhm thinking back those times, I've never even attacked him with fire or touched him while my hand is hot,” I just said.

“Is that so? Then how?” full of wonder says Prince Eaux. “If something as hot as the temperature cannot even melt it, then what is something so warm that can even reach and melt an ice in a heart?”

“A feeling…” whispered one of them so we turned our gaze to where it came from.

“I'm sorry Feesy, you were saying?” Prince Eaux asked.

“Say I think I have an idea...” said Prince Feesy. “Isn't it that when you say something so harsh to someone, it's so painful like knives piercing your heart?”

The others looked at each other first when Prince Feesy said that.

“Metaphorically, yes Feesy. That's how you describe when you are hurt,” replied Prince Fuego.

“Exactly,” Prince Feesy promised. “What if that is what the ice in Jethro’s heart is telling us? Like we need to look at his condition not metaphorically… but literally?”

What? I was a little confused by what he said.

“So basically you're saying that Yani is saying some harsh words to Jethro, that's why the ice in his heart is melting?” clarification of Prince Turuki.

“Uhh well something like that,” Prince Feesy replied. “But I think Yani is not expressing harsh words or something bad that made the ice melt.”

“Wait, sorry to butt in but personally I didn't get your point Feesy,” Prince Edmondo replied politely.

“Actually I don't know if my theory is correct but my point is, I think Yani cared for Jethro.”

I was speechless and my eyes just widened because of what Prince Feesy said as they wondered and looked at each other.

“For the first time, I also didn't get what Feesy meant. What the heck are you talking about?” Prince Zoltar asked.

“I was thinking, Jethro had experienced a lot of pain since the day he was born. He was never loved and maybe because of that, he died.”

“What? He died because no one loves him?” Prince Turuki asked in astonishment.

“Yeah because the people in that orphanage abused him. They don't like him, that's why he ran into the woods.”

“So you mean, the cause of his death could be, suicide?” Prince Fuego asked, which surprised us all.

There was silence before it broke. “Guys, we don't really know what happened,” said Prince Feesy. “I’m just saying that maybe it’s a possibility but we all understand how that felt. That's why he was given a second life to live but became coldhearted and as we define coldhearted, someone who doesn't really care about everything around him.”

“I think this frozen heart is like a defense mechanism. It was given to him in order not to experience pain anymore because he was never loved and it's no use loving others since they don't love him back.”

They look at each other again and some are nodding their heads as an agreement. I also agree because he has a point.

“Now we have Yani here. I don't really know what happened between them but I think she cared for Jethro from the very start. She approached him even though he is a cold hearted guy, am I right Yani?”

I just nodded.

“So I think the reason why the ice is melting is because Yani cared for Jethro,” Prince Feesy concluded.

“Cared?” said Prince Eaux. “I think that's not the right term here. Yani, correct me if I'm wrong but I think you have feelings for our brother.”

I suddenly looked at Prince Eaux as my cheek flushed. I can't speak either.

“Yani, you LOVE Jethro, don't you?”

I turned my gaze to the person next to me sleeping after he said that. I love this numb prince?

“Uhm I-I… uhh…”

They just looked at me as if they were waiting for an answer. I can't even say yes or no but my memory suddenly came back yesterday when I said the words “I Love You Jethro”. I really thought, did Lacey really force me or… I really said that because…

“Uhh I uhh…”

“She's blushing so that answers it,” Prince Feesy suddenly entered.

“No I-I'm not,” I stammered.

“You are Yani. Don't be shy about it,” said Prince Fuego.

I stopped talking. Looks like I don't have to answer because it's obvious. Seriously, I still have to reach this point before I realize how I feel.

“So I guess we can now conclude…” said Prince Eaux. “…that this feeling called love is melting the ice in Jethro's heart—”

“No,” Prince Zoltar suddenly said. “That is not even a process. How can you say that a feeling can melt an ice in a heart? We cannot even see how this love can melt it.”

“Yes we cannot see it and I think Jethro didn't even see it,” Prince Feesy replied. “But he felt it.”

“How Feesy? You're not even in Jethro's shoes and when did you even see how he felt it?” Prince Zoltar replied.

“I saw him,” I said so they all looked at me. “Uhm I saw how he felt it. I saw how the process of melting the ice in his heart happened. I saw it every time after a moment of sharing small conversations with him.”

“Then how, Yani?” Prince Zoltar asked.

“Uhm I saw how his chest aches when he once lent his jacket to me when he saw me cold. It's an unusual thing for someone as coldhearted as he will do it and that's an act of love, right? “

“But—”

“And also Prince Zoltar,” I didn’t let him finish. “I have proof that Prince Feesy's theory is correct because he himself said it. When I asked him what love is he defined it as a warm feeling expressed by someone to melt a frozen heart.”

They were all surprised. “Don't worry, I was also shocked when I heard that,” I added. “At first I wasn't able to get it but now it's clear. I cared for him because I can feel the sadness inside him and knowing about his past makes it even clearer to me that we experienced the same pain when we are kids. Yup, I was also abused when I was young.”

They are just listening to me quietly. “Although, in his case, he died but mine, I was the one who killed them. I killed my own parents... no, I mean my fake parents. I was just adopted. So when I saw him, I wanted to let him feel that he is not alone. I always stay by his side for him to feel it.”

“So the LOVE he is looking for was just me. I'm the one who is melting the ice in Jethro's heart.”

They just looked at me and some of them agreed.

“So that explains everything, right Zoltar?” said Prince Eaux.

Prince Zoltar was speechless.

“Whether we cannot find any scientific process or even a mathematical process in order for us to be accurate and precise about this, we can still conclude that it is Yani that caused the melting of the ice in Jethro's heart…”

We nod our heads as an agreement. So that settles it then…

“But this is not yet settled,” Prince Eaux said suddenly so I was surprised. “We know why Jethro collapsed and that is because of Yani but in the first place, why does Jethro have this ice in his heart?”

“Uhm to have a second life?” I answered in a question.

“Right. Now, that second life of his is melting. Do you think that's good news or bad news?”

Wait. What is this, hot seat? Just great. Why are the questions non-ending? And for this question, I feel very heavy as if he wants to say something.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

He sighed. “We have good news and bad news. The good news is, the ice in Jethro's heart is melting because he was loved... but the bad news is...”

He paused for a moment. “... Jethro is dead before he is given that ice.”

I told you. There is something really wrong. “What's your point?” I asked him.

“Yani, you are melting that ice that gave Jethro a second chance to live. What do you think will happen if it will completely melt? “

I fell silent.

“He will die... again.”

I was shocked and my eyes widened. “Are you serious?!”

“No. It's just a theory.”

“Oh.” That's good. I was able to breathe in relief.

“But what if it is? We cannot just take this lightly like Jethro's body is some kind of an experiment. We're talking about Jethro's life, our brother's life.”

“I understand that so, what do you want me to do then?” I asked him.

The whole room fell silent after I asked that. None of them spoke. Even Prince Eaux bowed his head.

“Prince Eaux?” I asked.

“I know it's painful to say this but... this is the only option we can think of,” and he stopped for a moment.

“Toot!” sounded again on the monitor. Prince Eaux looked at me.

“Yani, please stay away from Jethro.”