"Wait!"
I stopped him because it seems like he's so ready to create a commotion.Hinarap niya ko gamit ang naiiritang mga mata."Ano? Nagbago na ba isip mo? Gusto mo na rito kasama ang Emperador? Gusto mo rin maging Empress?" Sa bawat tanong niya palapit siya nang palapit.Okay naman siguro 'to kasi napigilan ko siya 'no?"Hindi naman ganoon.""E, ano?" He's now right at my side, left hand on the table, trying to level down his body to face me while I'm raising my head to face him."Katulong ako rito, okay? Nandito ko para magtrabaho bilang katulong."Kinunot niya ang kanyang noo sa narinig."Bakit 'di mo sinabi agad?""Pinatapos mo ba ko sa sasabihin ko?"At my question, he cleared his throat."May itatanong din pala ko." Tatanungin ko na siya ngayon bago pa mawala sa isip ko."Ano 'yon?" He asked immediately."Uh, pwede ba maupo ka muna ulit doon? Mahirap mAll heads were on me because of what the Empress said while pointing towards me."Oh my gosh!""Isn't she the mother of the crown prince?""So Feronia really has connections with the crown prince."I heard some whispers from my coworkers.Saglit na nilingon ng Empress ang mga narinig na nagbubulungan pero agad din namang binalik ang tuon sa akin."I'm sorry but–" The head maid was cut off again."No buts. I want her right now."Saglit na katahimikan ang nangyari bago nagpasiya ang head maid na ibigay ako sa Empress.Dinala niya ako sa palasyo kung saan siya naninirahan. Malaki rin iyon katulad ng main palace pero mas mukhang elegante at mabulaklak ang palasyong ito. Hindi rin magpapatalo sa dami ng mamahalin at babasaging muwebles sa paligid.Kaming dalawa lang ang naglalakad papunta sa palasyong ito nang may nakasalubong kaming isang babaeng kasing tanda rin ng Empress ngunit may tatlong paran
What?"What?" The Empress voiced out the question inside my head."She got here under my orders, I put her under the head maid so you have nothing to do with her."The Empress sighed in relief after the crown prince's answer, napa-buntong-hininga rin ako dahil doon."Well, isn't this a favor for her?" She then asked him."It is not." He sternly answered."It is!""It is not!""It is! Don't you think so too, Feronia?" They both turn their heads at me which leaves me to stutter in nervousness because of the pressure they're giving me."U-Uh, I think we should ask the head maid's opinion about this.""Deal." They both immediately agreed to my suggestion.Taas-noo silang mabilis at mukhang nagpapaunahan pang pumunta sa kung nasaan ang head maid at ito naman ang i-pressure sa pagtatalo. Ngunit kahit na ganoon, kita pa rin ang pagiging elegante at maawtoridad nilang dalawa sa kanilag paligid.They stopped when it seemed like they noticed something and looked back."Feronia! What are you sti
The fall of dry leaves touching my skin as it passes, while the wind whispers sweet nothings from time to time, feels like my fleeting memories of the past.The time when we were at Casa Lupin, the green scenery of the town mixed with the fiery color of the sun. Our people, may they be young or old, are filled with laughter and smiles. When a simple illness can be treated abruptly by the fresh air the Tree of Life gives us.I tiptoed, stretching my arms and body up high, trying to win against the giant trees surrounding me. Thinking maybe if I pass all these humongous barriers, I will be able to see my homeland again. But every time I do that, I always fail, and to add up, Casa Lupin will never be the same as before. The west part of the Missarati is the only place that reminds me of those times. The only difference is that this place is darker than the old Casa Lupin. I exhaled deeply, lowering my arms and flattening down my heels.Bakit ang tagal yata ni Niko?Lumabas ako rito para
The loud thud from somewhere woke me up. I'm dreaming about what happened that night again, and whenever I wake up from those dreams, I always feel empty inside.Kung nakinig lang sana 'ko kay mama noon, buhay pa kaya sana siya ngayon?Nicholo...my dreams always stop the moment I hear my mother's cries, but this time, it lasted until my best friend Niko showed up to save us from getting caught. Is there a connection to that, of why he's late today?My thoughts were disrupted when I heard the familiar sound of clashing armors."Lola?" Hinanap ko agad si lola pagbangon ko.Nakatayo siya sa harap ng mga naglalakihang katawan ng mga kabalyero. Her frail body looks so small that they can easily end her life in just a snap of their finger. I quickly stood up in front of her and placed her behind my back."Anong...anong meron? Bakit? Anong ginagawa niyo rito?" Tanong ko sa kanila, sinusubukan ayusin ang pagbigkas sa takot.A man who's in the middle grinned sarcastically at the sight of me. "
We stood still, staring at the full carriage in front of us."Dinala niyo ba buong bahay niyo?" The crown prince asked with his eyebrows meeting together.I became more ashamed every second that pass. Mahalaga ang bawat gamit namin sa bahay kaya naman wala kaming iniwan na kahit isa, hindi naman kami makakabili ng pamalit na gamit sa kabisera.Si lola ang unang pumasok sa karwahe, sakto na ang loob sa isang tao kasama ang mga gamit namin. Sinubukang itabi ni lola ang ibang gamit pero mas lalo lang sumikip.She smiled awkwardly at me. "Kandong na lang kita.""Sasabit na lang po ako." Suhestyon ko.The people around my grandma and I stared ridiculously at us."Tama, buksan na lang ang bintana para makakapit ka nang maayos." Suhestyon pa ng isa sa mga kabalyero habang pilit pinipigilan ang pagtawa."Hindi! Kasya pa rito." Pilit ni lola kahit na kitang-kita na kung gaano kasikip ang looban.Hinawakan ko ang pinto ng karwahe at sinara ito. Habang hinahanap ko kung saan ako tatapak, nagsali
"Do you have any plans on murdering my horse?" His voice immediately stopped me from glaring.The crown prince heads directly at Van who seems to be in relief now that Prince Castellan comes to his rescue.I took my time to fix my expression with my head bowed down."Sa tingin ko nakapagpahinga na kayo. Nakakalahati na natin ang distansya patungo sa kabisera kaya tuloy-tuloy na tayo." Anunsyo niya sa mga kabalyerong inaasikaso ang kanilang mga kabayo. "Okay ka na?""Ah-uhm..." I stuttered and raised my head to answer but he's not even looking at me."...Van?" Tuloy niya sa tanong na para bang alam niyang inakala kong ako ang tinatanong niya.I cleared my throat and continued to raise my head higher as if looking at the blinding sky while scratching my neck.Saglit niya pang inasikaso si Van bago nagdesisyong pasakayin muli ako. Natakot pa ko ng saglit kanina dahil baka hindi na niya ako pasakayin sa titig ko sa kabayo niya.He also lent me a black hooded cloak to wear.The rest of the
Nang magtama ang mata namin nang natatarantang lola, agad siyang lumapit sa'kin. Pero nang mapagtanto niyang kalmado lang akong nakatayo sa harap ng pinto ng isang hindi kilalang bahay, bumagal ang paglakad niya papunta sa akin at kinunot ang noo."Anong ginagawa mo riyan?" Pinanlakihan niya ako ng mata."Dito tayo maninirahan mula ngayon, Lola." I showed her the key I'm holding."Dito?" Her eyes became wider whilst her neck started to stretch to peek inside.Sabay kaming pumasok sa loob, ang mga kumpulan naming gamit ay nakatabi na nang maayos sa may gilid.Nang nagsilabasan na ang mga kabalyero, tsaka ko lamang napagtantong paalis na rin sila."The papers of this house are still in my keep, I'll give it once you fully pay your debt." Prince Castellan told me while he's busy fixing his horse."Kailan ang due date?" Sana naman nakahanap na ko ng trabaho't nakapag-ipon na ng panahon na iyon para kung ilang daming ginto man ang babayaran ko, may pangdown payment naman ako kahit papaano.
The palace.The palace is the only place where I can find the answers to my questions, he says. It's possible that they're locking Niko there. The palace is huge enough to have a hidden torture room.He seems to know who I am too but he didn't show any signs of fear. I think he also knows some things but he wants me to know them by myself.Just who is he? What are his connections? He's suspicious.Curiosity kills the cat. It's a phrase that's been used enough to warn other people. What danger could be there at the palace more than them knowing my true identity?Bigo ang paghahanap ko ng trabaho dahil ani nila'y kulang ang kanilang pera para tumanggap pa ng trabahanteng suswelduhan. Ang iba naman ay kumpleto na ang mga trabahante at wala ng bakante para sa kahit anong posisyon.Pero napuno naman ang utak ko sa dami ng dapat kong isipin."Kumusta?" Salubong agad sa akin ni lola pagpasok ko sa bahay."Nagpahinga po ba kayo?" Parang kanina pa siya palakad-lakad dito."Paano ako makakapagp