Her Royal Highness, Leonor

An Unroyal Hangout, Resumed

Tia Mirasol can't contain herself with the surprise upon realizing that Leonor was there, with me, in her house - so much, she had to excuse herself and drag me to the bathroom.

Leonor stayed in the living room, and I assured her that everything was fine before I followed Tia to the toilet.

"Esta Leonor, de verdad? The princess of Asturias? La Princesa de este pais? Paano–how do you–como te cono—giunsa nimo siya pag—"

I gently hold on to her right shoulder. "Pick a language, Tia."

Tia Mirasol's face stretched while trying to grasp what she wants to say, her voice blending through different accents while murmuring, and tries to calm down.

"Bakit di mo sinabi sa akin na siya yung kaibigan mo?"

"Kasi alam kong magpapanic ka - just like you are acting right now, Tia."

"Pero podrías haber dicho algo... ¡cualquier cosa!" She whispered through her gritted teeth. (TL: "But you could have said something-anything!)

"I'm sorry." I sigh. "I wanted to make this day the most normal I can for Leonor." I pleadingly look at her. "She just had her birthday, and nag promise ako na babawi ako sa bonding namin kase nung birthday niya, di ako naka attend, technically."

"No puedo creer que seas amigo de la princesa." (TL: "I can't believe you're friends with the princess.")

I shook my head and tries to dismiss the feelings I have resurfacing through the word friends with the princess. "No puedo creerlo también". (TL: I can't believe it, either.)
"Please, Tia, just treat Leonor normally as you can."

Tia Mirasol heaves a deep sigh, and shakes her hand in a gesture to shake the tension she felt earlier. "Okay, okay. But you have to tell me all about it afterwards."

I nodded.

"Magpapa-autograph ako.." (TL: I'll ask for her auto-graph)

My face slightly frowns.

"A picture?"

I kind of scratched a part of my head. "I think you'll have to ask her that yourself."

Soon afterward Tia Mirasol calmed down, and we went back to the living room where both of her daughters, Lina and Mara, is already talking to Leonor. To my surprise, it seems that the two kids didn't know who the princess is. Tia Mirasol said that the kids never watch TV news and only Cocomelon.

Lina and Mara found delight in praising how beautiful the princess is, and soon Tia gently asked them to let go of Leonor as we'll need to start cooking the Pancit Bihon.

"They're so cute," Leonor remarked as we headed into the kitchen.

I asked her if she could arrange the bowls and I do the chopping, and she kind of teased me again by not letting her do the cutting - given the wound accident. 

She helped me as I taught her how the bihon will come to life in the mixture - from sauteing the garlic and onions first, boiling the noodles, when to mix the carrots and vegetables, and the right amount of mixing soy sauce with some seasonings.

I'm mixing the complete mix of the dish with both hands on the frying stick - when Leonor fished a fork of the bihon and tasted it. She was delighted.

"This tastes so good." She whispered, with a smile, showing her crooked teeth.

I agreed. Much to my surprise, the princes fished another fork of the bihon, inched closer to me, and asked to take a bite and taste it.