Brief Encounters

Timeline 1 (Part 1)

Mountain Province, Philippines
Jeanna's Point of View

"It's all downhill from here, ma'am and sir," our tour guide announced with a grin, barely audible over the rain's patter as Paul and I took our first treacherous step down the mountain trail. A cold, misty rain poured down, soaking us through our thin ponchos, and the thermometer hovered at a bone-chilling 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

The ground beneath us was slick, mud pooling in the divots created by countless other tourists. I had never felt closer to death before, the steep slopes and treacherous footing serving as a reminder of just how precarious our situation was. I knew better than to let fear take over; if there was ever a time to be graceful, it was certainly not now.

Every step was a gamble. The mud was slick and greedy, sucking at our boots, and each footfall seemed one wrong move away from catastrophe. I swallowed hard, gripping Paul's arm to steady myself.

"You okay?" he asked, giving me that look—the one that said he knew I was pretending not to be a mess.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I lied with a grin that was more of a wince. Inside, I was screaming, why did I think this was a good idea?

"Just remember, one foot in front of the other," he encouraged, maintaining a steady pace beside me. "We'll be at our destination in no time."

"Just one foot in front of the other," he encouraged, as if the mountain was a bunny hill and not the muddy slide of doom.

"Sure, because who wouldn't want to slip down a mountain in the rain?" I muttered under my breath, trying to lighten my own dread. Paul chuckled, but I saw him checking his footing too. He was just as nervous, though he hid it better.

As we slipped and stumbled along, the rain finally let up, just enough for the mist to reveal a stunning view below: a lush, green valley stretching as far as the eye could see. It was so beautiful, it took my breath away.

"Look at that," Paul said, gesturing to the horizon where the clouds were lifting.

"It's... wow," I whispered, momentarily forgetting the mud and the cold. It felt like we'd stumbled into a fairy tale—if fairy tales included the chance of us tumbling down a cliff.

By the time we reached the bottom, my legs felt like jelly. Our guide finally stopped in front of a cozy, wooden restaurant nestled beside a crystal-clear stream. It looked like it had leapt straight out of a postcard, and suddenly all the slipping and sliding seemed worth it.

Paul nudged me. "See? Adventure has its rewards," he teased, grinning.

As we ducked inside, the warmth was bliss. A staff member with a warm smile greeted us, saying, "Welcome! You've arrived at the perfect time. We're hosting some big visitors today."

Big visitors? I raised an eyebrow, curious. Before I could ask, he waved us inside with a wink.

Once seated, we looked over the menu, laughing as we tried to pronounce dishes we'd never heard of. Paul spotted halo-halo at a nearby table—a mountain of shaved ice topped with fruit, sweet beans, and who-knew-what.

"Wow," I breathed, mesmerised by the dessert rainbow. "Can we order that?"

Our waiter appeared, taking our order for adobo, lumpia, and yes, the halo-halo. As we waited, Paul nudged me again, this time his face turning serious.

"Jeanna," he said, his eyes locked onto something at the entrance. "You won't believe this... look who's just walked in."

I turned, and there, shaking the rain off their coats, were Prince William and Prince Harry. They were laughing, chatting with the waiter like it was any other day, though the whole restaurant was now a bit abuzz with whispers.

"No way," I whispered, glancing at Paul, wide-eyed.

"Oh, this just got interesting," he smirked.

The waiter arrived with our steaming bowls, and as I took my first bite, I tried to focus, but my mind was spinning. Royalty in the middle of a rainy, remote restaurant in the Philippines? It was like something straight out of a movie.

"Look, they're having a spoon crisis," Paul whispered, nodding toward the princes.

I glanced over and nearly snorted. Harry was holding a spoon with a puzzled look on his face, staring at it like it was an ancient artifact.

"Is this for dessert or the main course?" I mouthed to Paul, pretending to be Harry. "I bet he's wondering if he's about to insult all of Filipino cuisine by picking the wrong utensil."

Paul snickered, almost spilling his drink. "Right? I can see it now: 'William, dear brother, does one eat adobo with the big spoon or the small one?'"

Suddenly, I felt William's eyes on me. I froze, a smile lingering on my face. Had he heard us?

The princes exchanged a grin, and I felt my cheeks heat up. Great, now I'm the accidental comedian in the royal lunch.

We finished our meal, trying not to glance too often at the princes, though I could tell Paul was dying to. Finally, he dared me, "Go talk to them. What's the worst that could happen?"

Summoning all the courage I had left, I crossed the restaurant. "Excuse me," I said with as much casualness as I could muster, "I couldn't help but notice you both seem to be having... an interesting time with the silverware."

Harry chuckled, flashing a grin. "Caught in the act, huh? You should've seen our adventure getting here. We took the 'scenic' route to avoid the whole hiking-down-a-mountain thing."

"Smart choice. I was beginning to think I'd die out there," I replied, earning a laugh from William.

"Why don't you join us?" he asked, gesturing to the open seat. "We could use some help with this spoon dilemma."

My heart raced. Join them? But just as I was about to sit down, I remembered Paul, probably watching and snickering from our table.

"Thanks, but I should probably get back to my friend. He's got the bladder of a horse and might leave without me," I joked.

Harry laughed. "Well, if he ditches you, there's always room here," he said with a wink, sliding his untouched glass of water toward me. "In case your friend's not so generous."

I smirked, feeling surprisingly bold. "I'll keep that in mind. Nice meeting you both."

As I turned to leave, I couldn't resist a final glance. The princes were still smiling, exchanging looks like they'd been charmed by my antics, not the other way around.

Back at our table, Paul looked both stunned and thrilled. "You really just waltzed over there and made them laugh?"

 I grinned