Alfredo Andrada arrived the day after and was surprised to see his granddaughter who awaited his return. Once they were inside her study, they were free to speak of the unspoken matter.
"The governor-general will feed lies to the Emperor katulad ng dati. Many believe that the empress has the most influence on the emperor, but you have rather a powerless position. Antonio will enter the palace to keep you safe."
The empress remained silent and her grandfather looked at her rather pitifully. The Andrada patriarch can tell his granddaughter was hurting- it could be seen in the powerless empress's eyes.
"What made you change your mind?" Alfredo asked.
"You told me I need to give myself fully to be the Empress. The game of politics will never be about crown jewels, I already came to realize that."
"Papasok ang kapatid mo bilang iskolar ng Real Audencia. Hindi siya naandoon para makasalamuha ka. Si Antonio ang magiging mata at tainga ko at siya ang mag aalerto sakin kung may mali."
The empress raised an eyebrow at her grandfather's statement.
"Si Antonio? Isang iskolar? You must be out of your mind, Lolo. We both know he'll probably hate it there, and he isn't exactly a person who enjoys following rules," the empress said.
Alfredo ignored her.
"Madumi ang politika ng imperyong ito, lalo't ikaw ang may posisyon ay mas delikado ang larong ito. They could target you, pwede din ang prinsipe," Alfredo stood up and walked towards the large windows that show the vast lands of the Andrada Manor.
"Darating ang panahon na pati si Alejandro ay hindi ka mapoprotektahan. Maaring bukas ay magkaiba na kayo ng pinaglalaban. Politics can bring a monster out of you,"
"How do you destroy a monster without becoming one?" Anastasiya bluntly asks. Alfredo turned around and faced his granddaughter.
"You want to destroy a monster? Take away everything that he values and remind him of it every day. By doing this, it is up to him whether he succumbs to it or not, but you will regret destroying him because he will be your greatest horror." he stared into her eyes, his expression grim. "Can you destroy him?"
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Though she was a woman, Anastasiya proved herself to be a benevolent empress after all. She kept in touch with her husband who was preoccupied and consulted with him on a pressing issue: child labor.
The empress's heart broke when she saw young children work in a workhouse, one she was visiting along with some nobles. It was a sight she did not want to see. Children stood near the fire and put firewood into the old-fashioned machine.
A child ran in her direction but tripped amid the working chaos. The queen separated herself from her entourage and edged towards the young child. She stood the young child up and the child shyly looked away from the empress.
"Ayos ka lang ba?" Anastasiya asked sincerely.
The empress took a handkerchief from her pocket and dipped it in clear water. She cleaned the soot off the child's face and Consuela tried to approach her.
"Mahal na imperatris? Kailangan na nating umalis," the lady in waiting said.
Anastasiya let go of the child and the child clumsily curtsied to the empress. The empress looked up and saw the children doing things that they should not be doing. Anastasiya sighed heavily as she was escorted outside of the factories.
"Bakit nandoon ang mga bata sa malapit sa may apoy? Paano kung mapahamak sila?" Anastasiya asks.
"Ganoon na po ang nakasanayan, mahal na imperatris. Naabot ng mga bata ang lugar na hindi naabot namin." The owner said confidently.
YOU ARE READING
Gloria Regali
General FictionSet in an alternate universe, in which the Philippines is headed by a monarchy in the 21st century. We come across palace power and secrets of the royal family. With mysterious disappearances and murder that threatens the existence of monarchy itse...
