New Species

Seven: The Start of Being Me

Seven

Nakatitig lang ako kay Hugo na ngayon ay seryosong nakaupo sa kanyang swivel chair dito sa opisina n'ya dito sa kastilyo. I went home right after Thayne told me about me being a Caverly. Buti naman at may mabait na may-ari ng speedboat na naghatid sakin. Agad kong hinanap si Hugo kaya heto kami ngayon.

"Bakit hindi n'yo sinabi sa akin? Bakit naglihim kayo ni Papa?" puno ng hinanakit ang dibdib ko ngayon.

They were a bunch of liars.

"Believe it or not Piper, I wanted you to know. I wanted you to be here noon pa man. But your father wanted you out of this kind of life. He wanted you to be like him. Be with him."

Naiintindihan ko naman yun. Ako na lang ang pamilya nya. Pero hindi pa rin tama na iwanan ako sa dilim tulad nito.

"He never wanted you to know who you really are because he hated your mother."

Napakunut-noo ako. "What?"

Hindi nagkukwento si Papa tungkol sa ina ko. Ang alam ko lang, she died nang ipinanganak ako. Akala ko nasasaktan pa rin si papa kaya hindi n'ya binabanggit sa akin si Mama.

"She left when you were just one year old. Meron syang responsibilidad dito bilang bagong reyna dahil kamamatay lang din ng ama namin noon. She didn't have a choice but leave promising Noah that she would come back for you."

"But she didn't."

Umiling si Hugo. "She couldn't. The council wouldn't let her. Your father waited. He was so broken because he thought he was betrayed kaya inilayo ka n'ya."

"Pero bakit ngayon s'ya na mismo ang nagpadala sa kin dito?"

"Tulad nga ng sabi n'ya, may pinagtataguan siya. He wants you safe."

Hindi na ako umimik.

"I went to your house two years ago. Kasama ko si Vernice."

Tama. Kaya pala familiar sa akin si Vernice. I saw her outside of our house noong pauwi ako galing sa school. High school pa lang ako noon at fifteen years old. Nakatayo lang siya sa labas ng gate namin. When I asked her kung may kailangan siya sa amin, ngumiti lang siya saka umiling.

"Your mother just died then. Vernice was her nanny and we thought we could get you. Pinakiusapan namin ang Papa mo na isama ka namin dito. Bilang tagapagmana ni Eliana, you need to know what to do and what your responsibilities are. The council gave you three years to prepare at sa edad na eighteen they will decide kung nararapat nga bang ibigay sa'yo ang trono. Pero hindi pumayag ang ama mo. Ngayon, you only have one year left to prepare for your responsibilities. You have to learn everything that you could have learned for two years."

"Ako ang susunod na reyna dito?"

He nodded.

"Ayoko nga! Si Declan na lang."

"He can't. Hindi s'ya anak ng first born."

"Paano kung hindi ko kaya?"

"The throne will be given to the Degray family, the second strongest family. Si Griffin Degray, galing din sa line ng mga eldest ng Degray clan, ang next in line mo."

Oh my garshness.

"Paano ako maghahanda?"

"Practice your abilities, study politics, and other things that a good leader should know."

Oh no.

"Team 2 is assigned to teach you. Kaya sila nandito sa castle ngayon. They will give you one-on-one trainings."