BEROYALED

THE BUTTON GAME

"...DON'T YOU THINK? YOU'RE FINALLY of legal age and I'm sure many legible bachelors will be lining up for your hand." Simon's words rang again in my mind. Simon's words never left my mind. I had constantly wondered what could have been in his mind if he had already heard about it. Did he already know? Did he already hear about it from the King? Or did he bribe Derick again for another hour of playstation to tell him? Oh, how I had wished this was really just all his prank.

"Senyorita, Your highness, we have to prepare you for school. Your highness?"

Maria must have been calling me again and again but I just couldn't hear her. Despite her distinct Mexican accent that I'd probably recognize anywhere, I still couldn't pay attention. I felt like I was hovering somewhere in between this world and something else and I couldn't quite choose where I should be. Do you know that feeling? Like you're given this situation and you don't know whether you'll cry or you'll just accept the fate with an optimistic mind. It's like you're feeling too vastly much all at once that you can't feel anything at all. Instead you lose your mind for a long moment.

"Why does it seem like everyone doesn't want to let me know what is happening? I don't mean to be disrespectful, Your Majesty, but I demand to know, who are they?" I bravely raised my voice that breakfast. If nobody there was planning to tell me anything I would've had to do it my way then.

I was already ready to leave my seat but the King stopped me. "You have been already promised, my princess." The King said. "You were promised to marry one of what the rebels call as, 'Kagalang-galang.'"

Puzzled, I asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means, 'The Most Honorable' Drei, and their symbol, three stars and a sun was derived from the old Federal Isles flag." Gramps explained.

"No. No, I—What do you mean marry?" My thoughts were so muddled that breakfast I might have just totally missed what the King just said. "F-forgive my lapses, but, I think I misheard you, Your Majesty."

"Rebels as we know are violent people." The King circumvented. "To wipe them out could be our only solution but that would require bloodshed. You know this, princess."

"I... I don't think that's what I was asking to hear, father."

"You heard me, Andrea!" The King bellowed. "As the princess of this nation you should know that your duty is to put the nation first before anything else! Your grandmother did not successfully pacify those rebels without giving them any compensation!"

"Drei, are you okay? Drei!" Simon's voice brought me back to the present. "Are you okay? Are you ill somewhere? You should skip school today, you don't look too well."

"What are you doing here, Simon?" I asked. Or did I? I don't know. I was still floating. It's funny, isn't it? There I was, face to face with the perfect man existing. Someone I have imagined a long life with. Yet, I'll never get to know what's on his mind. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Because even those simple personal things has been stolen from me.

"I am late for school, Simon. Please leave."

It was already lunch break but the mini party in the cafeteria that my friends organized had seemed to be still far from its program's end. From the moment I arrived at school, everyone greeted me a belated happy birthday: the teachers, all the students, school staffs and even the principal was there to greet me personally and were enjoying the food. I've asked Margery why the sudden late birthday bash and she just told me it's a thanksgiving that I had celebrated my birthday. It wasn't even exactly my extended birthday party. She's just literally thankful that the citizens of Nerio—that, of course, includes her—gets a holiday because of my birthday. Such friends I have.