Chapter 149 - SQUABBLE

As they are busy talking Yanarym sneaks her spoon to Lapil's bowl and he notices her immediately. Without saying a word, he pushed his cup of ice shaved to her and let her gobble more. 

"You should not give her that." Maki intercepts as he sees it. Yanarym pouted her lips at Maki's protest. Datu Pita was about to ask what it was about, but he smiled when he saw that she's taking another cup of flavored shaved ice. 

"Oh, Lapil, you shouldn't give her seconds. It will make her tummy ache later."

"Baba! I'm not a kid anymore, I can eat two of these---HEY!" When Lapil heard the consequence of giving her the desert he took it without a word too. "You just gave it to me, you can't take it away!" 

"It's better that you suffer from stomach ache later," Lapil said and Yanarym aggrieved. She glared at the three men and slammed her spoon on the table. 

"Whatever! I'll take a nap, don't disturb me!" She yelled and stomped her feet as she walked to her room. 

"That's my daughter." Datu Pita smiled seeing her being a brat when it comes to food. Maki who was used to her attitude did not mind the reaction but Lapil had regret taking back what he gave her. He glared towards Maki thinking that he is trying to make Yanarym hate him.

When he hears the truth he confesses that he hates this man for coveting Yanarym's body. However, the fact that he did not kill her made him indebted to the warrior. And now, although they hate one another, he shared his intel in regards to Tala's schemes for Yanarym's father. When Datu Pita had heard the plan of Tala, he was enraged but did not show it to her daughter. Together with the two young men, he told them strategies to counter Tala's plan.

The young men listened intently, Lapil had sent a messenger to the puod gather his people to aide Datu Pita's lack of manpower. Maki shared the rest of his information on what can Achis do and Tala do as they join forces. However, he also mentioned the possibility that if the young Datu would know that Yanarym was back here, he would cut off the alliances he made with Tala. 

Maki witnessed how devoted Achis was to Yanarym during their time together. Although he didn't like to add another love rival to his Bai's heart, he couldn't attain second thoughts. Especially that he knew how much of Tala's power escalated after the piging on the Puod of Rajah. If it's just them, it would be hard for them to defeat her. 

Datu Pita doesn't see Achis as a bad person. He was thankful upon hearing that he was the one who saved his daughter's life. He's been friends with the young Datu ever since Achis reigned at his banwa. If it wasn't Achis, Datu Pita would have conquered that banwa to save the life of its people. But since Achis did the job, he let him handle the land. And Achis didn't fail him, the dead banwa became alive and prosperous with his ruling. That was why, hearing that the whole time, Yanarym was with him, he was relieved. 

While Maki had angered him l by telling the truth that he was one of Tala's people before, confessing that he was the one who took Yanarym and defiled her that night too. He forgave him when Yanarym defended the young warrior. Even though he was mad at Maki, he also admired his bravery for admitting his wrongful acts and asking for retribution. 

In Lapil's case, Datu Pita was delighted that he had changed. He witnessed his childhood and to the day that he became a man that surpassed the achievements he made back then. He sees Lapil as his younger self, he thought that they were very similar when he was his age. And that thought just clarified seeing how mesmerized Lapil was to his daughter. He remembered that he was just like that to Ara when he tried to win her heart. How nostalgic… 

Two of them, Maki and Lapil were asking her hand for marriage, despite Lapil being his daughter's first betrothed, the fact that Maki had her innocence first had given him the right to become her Bana. And because of that, Datu Pita was in turmoil, after hearing these men fight favors for his daughter, he couldn't decide who was better for her. Each one of them had the potential and proficiency to make her happy, and that was the most important. Her happiness.

A year later? Lapil had to wait for another year to have her entirely? He doesn't think so, many things could happen for a year. Why does he have to wait for that long? Can't they just have the ceremony? They've been delaying his marriage with Yanarym for years. They were supposed to meet long before this. If he had seen her in the past, he would insist on marrying her as early as possible. If they were committed back then, none of this would happen. She would not be taken by this thief or would end up on that young Datu's turf. She would only love him; her heart, and body were supposed to be his, all of it. She was destined for him!

"Telling Datu Pita to marry Yanar as soon as possible doesn't make you her husband in an instant." Maki stared brazenly into him. He wasn't even yielding with their status difference. 

"I don't care about your opinion," Lapil replied dryly. "You're just a thief." 

"You were her betrothed, that's the fact. But the one who loves her first is me. Ever since we were just young." Emphasizing the word 'were', Maki didn't back down and used the same mockery tone as Lapil. 

"Love? Don't kid yourself, you almost killed her.." Lapil creased his brows, irritated, but didn't want to lose temper on him.