A Mere Percent

Percent 39 - Self-consciousness

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Percent 39 - Self-consciousness

Aethelstan Palace

Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala! Nasa tapat ako ng isang palasyo. Mas malaki pa sa mala-mansyon na bahay namin.. Mukhang palasyo na katulad sa Kenshington Palace sa Britain. Pareho ang kalakihan nito.. Ang pagkakaiba nga lang ay ang architectural designs na sobrang unique. I can't explain it with words. All I can say is that it's beautiful outside. I wonder if it's beautiful in the inside, too..

The bodyguards are in front of us. They're escorting us to the entrance doors to enter the palace. Mahigpit na mahigpit ang seguridad dito. Maraming nagbabantay at nagpapatrol sa loob at labas ng palace.

We walked alongside with our parents. Napatingin ako kay Kuya na nasa tabi ko lang na naglalakad din. Ngayon ko lang nakitang seryoso si Kuya Ivan. Palabiro ito kapag kasama ako eh. Naseself-conscious tuloy ako dito. Hindi ko nalang medyo pinapahalata..

Too many unfamiliar faces greeted us, especially to my Mom and Dad. This is new! I don't know any of them.. I'm still having a mental breakdown with my self-consciousness.. Tss.

"Good Evening, Your Majesties!" Sabi nung isang lalaki na sa tingin ko ay in his late 40s at nagbow kay Mom at Dad. 'Yung katulad sa Disney Cinderella na butler o grand Duke yata na nag-bow ng 90 degrees. Ganitong-ganito ang nangyayari ngayon sa harapan ko. Hindi niya pa kami nahahalata dito.

"Thank you, Andrew." Sabi ni Dad sa lalaki. He's... uhmm. Still bowing.. We stopped in our tracks and Mom looked at me and Kuya Ivan. She looked at us as if she had forgotten something, like introducing us.

"Andrew, these are my precious children.." Sabi naman ni Mom. Napatingin naman dito ang lalaking 'Andrew' daw ang pangalan. "Louie and Irelia.." Pakilala ni Mom. Nag-bow down din siya sa amin. Respectful, eh? I didn't expect that he'll do that. Well, we're the lost heirs. So who wouldn't, diba? Sa isip ko kasi ay isa pa rin akong commoner, not a sudden long lost princess.. I just sighed.. again.

"I'm Andrew, the Butler here in the palace.. At your service anytime, Royal Highnesses.." Pakilala nito. He is still bowing to us. Me and Kuya Ivan.

Awkward.. Hindi ako sanay.

"Ahhh. You may stop bowing now?" Sabi ko. I can't take it. This is absurd. Bowing and that 'butler' thing..

"Well, well. Our princess is still shy. She's not yet used to it, Andrew.. Eventually, she can coped up with it after her princess training." Mom joked about this. Tumango naman ako. 'Cause that's the truth. I'm really not used to it. But wait? What did Mom told the Butler? Training? Princess Training?

"Very well then, Your Highnesses. I have to go check my other duties. Excuse me." Paalam ni Butler Andrew. He proceed to the room across the hall to do his butler duties.

We started walking again. Mukhang tino-tour kami dito ni Mom at Dad ng pasikot-sikot sa loob ng palace. Kahit nakakahilo na sa loob-looban ko. Liko dito, liko doon kasi ang ginagawa namin. Nakakastress lang.

Nakarating kami sa grand staircase. Umakyat kami. Sunod lang kami ng sunod ni Kuya kay Mom at Dad. Nakarating kami sa isang pinto na may silver na padlock. Napakurap-kurap naman ako nang makita ko si Dad na may kinuha na isang silver na susi. Binigay niya ito sa akin.

Mukhang library ang room na 'to. This is just my guess.. Bakit kaya sa akin ni Dad binigay ang susi? Don't tell me ako ang bubukas ng pinto?

"You open it." Ani Dad. Is it just me or Dad just read my mind? I nodded. Bakit kaya ako ang pinabubukas ni Dad? What's behind this door? I felt the chills running in my skin.. Creepy.

Portal ba 'to papunta sa ibang dimension? Narnia? Ay joke! Cabinet yata ang sa Narnia. Hay.. Ano ba 'tong pinag-iisip ko.

Mabuti pa siguro na buksan ko nalang ang pintong 'to. I put the key in the keyhole of the padlock and twisted it. It was pitch black and dark inside. Sabi ko naman eh. This so creepy! Kahit kinakabahan ako ay nakuha ko pang hanapin ang ilaw sa pamamagitan ng pagkapa-kapa sa dingding. Nahanap ko naman agad at pinailaw na ang loob ng silid. Phew! Para naka-overcome lang ako ng isang obstacle sa isang race..

Nilibot ko ang tingin ko sa kabuuan ng silid. At first, I'm calm but suddenly my memories haunted me. Ang resulta nito ay nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa nakikita ko sa loob ng silid.

My.. old.. playroom.. This room bring back so many memories. My childhood memories. I don't know if I want to remember it or not. I don't want to reminisce. Past is past.

"You don't want memories at all... Is that what you're thinking?" Kuya Ivan asked. I shook my head as my response. I'm not sure what I'm thinking right now. Para akong sirang plaka. My mind's not working properly.

I was really taken aback by the truth. How am I suppose to believe this? This is absurd! I just can't believe this! Which reminds me, ang mga panaginip at flashbacks na nangyari sa akin.. Lahat ng 'yun ay totoo talagang nangyari. Dito din kami palagi naglalaro ng batang lalaking 'yun. I don't want to remember anything from that boy. I don't wanna reminisce. I hate him! He promised me that he won't leave me alone but he did.

"Louie, we'll leave the two of you alone here.. We have a meeting to attend to. Just call Andrew if you need anything." Dad informed us. Then they went ahead.

Great just great. Gusto ko na sanang umalis sa silid na ito. I want to go to my own bedroom. But my feet won't move. There's a part of me that wants to remember and another that wants to forget.

"Lavine.. I know you're confused. Kung bakit tayo nandito sa lugar na 'to. Maniwala ka lang sa mga sasabihin ko.. Lahat ng mga nangyayari ngayon. They're all true. We're heirs to the throne. I'm a Prince, you're a Princess. We're both Royalties. We're not Commoners. We have royal bloods flowing in our veins. Our parents are both worried about you. I know you're having a mental breakdown. You're my sister, I know you pretty well." Kuya Ivan said. He's really good in seeing the true me without telling anything. He's really my dear brother. But this is not the real problem. This is too good to be true! Just like a fairytale in a storybook.

"How much truth do your words hold? Just how much of it am I supposed to believe?" I said unbelievingly.

I know I'm really an incredulous person. Don't blame me. I have one heck of a tangled life. I just wanted to assure myself. Without doubt that what I'm doing is the best for myself to be a better person. To be the best and perfect princess that everyone expects me to be..

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Hello there! Malapit na malapit ng matapos ang story na 'to. Stay in tuned for the upcoming updates. At least seven more chapters left.

Ready your noses! Purely english na ang susunod na mga kabanata! Be ready! :)

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