Gloria Regali

Chapter Eight

Anastasiya was fast asleep beside her husband. Alejandro however was wide awake, and he stiffened as the duchess laid an arm around him. The alabaster skin of his queen shone in the moonlight. A red duvet covered the rest of their bodies.

"Heneral, maari bang kayo ay makausap?" The voice at the door was none other than that of Colonel dela Fuente's.

Alejandro stood up and gently untangled his wife's embrace from his body. He smoothed out his discarded clothes and threw on a robe before meeting the colonel.

"Gaano ka-importante ba iyan na kailangan nyo akong gisingin ng hatinggabi?" Alejandro impatiently asks the moment they were in the study.

Colonel dela Fuente was accompanied by another guard who held a canvas. The colonel removed the sheet covering it.

"Ginising mo ako sa kalagitnaan ng gabi para lang makita ang isang obra?" Alejandro asked, irritated, but the colonel was unmoved.

"Nagkakamalay na ang mga tao, kamahalan. Ang selebrasyon na siyang dumanak ang dugo ay siyang sumira sa reputasyon ng hari lalo na sa obrang ito."

Alejandro stood up and examined the painting. It was the image of Inang Bayan, the empire personified. It was a normal painting after all, but it was the inscription is that caught the general's eye:

Ang siyang pinagdaraan ng tao ay sadyang kaawa-awa. Ang siyang langit ba mismong tinalikuran sila?

Walang tao sa imperyong ito- sila ay mga bagay na madaling iligpit lamang

Ikinadudurog ng puso ko na tila bulag ang emperador sa sakit ng kanyang imperyo

Ako'y nakikiramay sa namatay sa gabing nabiharan ng dugo ang selebrasyon

Ako'y nahahabag sapagkat ako'y walang nagawa.

The general stared furiously at the painting, anger running through the general's mind as he clenched his fist. Speaking in low tones, he gave the terrible command:

"Buscas a este artista traicionero, ejecútalo una vez que lo encuentras.(You seek out this treacherous artist, execute them once found.)"

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The sound of silence echoed inside the imposter's chambers. Maria Contessina was wide awake. The past had been calling her again. Night terrors filled her peaceful slumber.

They were filled with Maria Contessina's memory and the terrible crime she committed five years ago. The dead do not speak, it was all in the past.

The imposter of the Casa Byzantina sat in her mirror and clenched her fists in anger. 

How dare she do that? How dare Maria Contessina haunt her again after all this time?

Victorina, as she was called, inhaled sharply. The same eyes would ruin her plans. Anastasiya's curiosity was at fault for discovering the journal. 

That blasted painting! She knew she disposed of it long ago. Every bit of shadow and traces of the real Maria Contessina. 

"Mahal na dukesa?" Consuela wondered as the impostor of the duchess dragged an unconscious Anastasiya from the room she was trapped in. 

A few minutes inside the room with no ventilation did not hurt for the young duchess at all, as Maria Contessina thought. The impostor simply did not open the door until later at all.

Consuela assisted the unconscious duchess into her bed. Anastasiya remained asleep which certainly went to Victorina's liking. It would make sneaking out much easier.