Brief Encounters

Timeline 1 (Part 2)

As Paul and I trudged toward the mountain's longer route, I stared at the steep, muddy incline with wide eyes. "Are you seeing this? I'd need a miracle or, at the very least, mountain-climbing skills I don't have."

Paul chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on, it's not Everest. Besides, what's a little more mud? Adds character."

"Character or embarrassment? Because I'm one wrong step from becoming a very muddy sculpture," I replied, carefully sidestepping a slick patch. "High-stakes mountain adventures weren't in the brochure!"

After a cautious ascent, we reached a jeepney terminal nestled between thick foliage and winding roads that only authorised jeepneys dared navigate. Private vehicles weren't allowed here, probably to keep the area safe. We had about ten minutes to spare before the next jeepney left.

"The tour guide bailed on us the second we got off that last jeepney," I muttered, noticing the lively chatter of locals around us. Words in Tagalog and a few in Spanish filled the air, most of them over my head.

Paul leaned closer, looking absurdly pleased with himself. "Actually, I studied up a bit. Learned some Filipino phrases just for this trip. 'Salamat' for thank you and 'saan ang banyo' for 'where's the bathroom?' I'm basically fluent."

I snorted. "Good to know you can handle bathroom emergencies. Let's hope you don't need it anytime soon."

As we waited, an unmistakable buzz of excitement spread through the crowd. Turning to look, I couldn't believe my eyes—William and Harry had just strolled up to the terminal, looking as casual as two tourists on a weekend getaway. No fanfare, no cameras, just two princes blending in as best they could.

They walked toward our jeepney, eyeing it with the same mix of curiosity and hesitation I had felt earlier. Harry, clearly amused by the locals casually lounging on the roof, shot us a grin as they climbed inside. He looked at us, laughter in his eyes. "I swear, we're not following you!"

William leaned in with a grin. "Right. But maybe it's time we introduced ourselves properly before the universe gives us another 'coincidental' nudge." He extended a hand. "I'm William, and this is my brother, Harry."

"Oh, I might have seen you guys around... tabloids, maybe?" I replied with a smirk, as if genuinely trying to place them. They both laughed, and Harry shrugged with a mock-sheepish look.

"Not the best family track record," Harry quipped, rolling his eyes.

"Nice to meet you," I said, then gestured to Paul. "This is Paul, my loyal—"

"Assistant," Paul interrupted with a dramatic flair, looking way too pleased. "Just to clear up any confusion—I'm not here as her boyfriend or anything scandalous."

"Oh, so you're the one keeping her in line," Harry grinned, glancing at me with playful curiosity. "That's got to be a full-time job."

"It really is," Paul replied, giving me a mock-disapproving look.

William was about to respond when the driver suddenly revved the engine, jolting the jeepney forward with a loud rattle. I grabbed onto the seat, laughing as we all braced ourselves against the bumpy road.