BEROYALED

THE ESCAPE PROPOSAL

"YOU SEEM TO HAVE RECOVERED quickly." I blatantly said as I came across Simon in the hall from the King and Queen's quarters. It hasn't been long since our outburst in the vineyard. I did not expect to see him too soon. He looked rather rough and surprised seeing me as well. He kept two meters distance between us and we were both frozen on each of our spots.

"Have you made your bad decision yet?" He said without even looking up straight at me.

Looking back at the huge double door I just came from, he would have already figured it out. I did not have to answer.

"I'm leaving, Drei." He said. Out of nowhere. "I've made bad decisions my whole life and I don't want it anymore. This time, I'm pretty sure it'll be the best decision I'll ever make."

"You're leaving again. What makes you think you're not making the same mistake four years ago?"

"Do you want me to stay?"

I did not want to answer that question.

"Drei, I don't want you to hate me. At the very least, I don't want to see you holding grudges at me."

So you're running away?"

"I am doing the right thing!" He almost yelled. We were both a little startled and it took him two seconds to recompose himself before continuing what he was saying. "The King has been offering me a promotion for a while now. After hearing your words, I decided I should accept it."

"Where will you go?" I asked.

"South. Way down south on a remote island. I can't tell you more than that."

"I suppose." I said, sounding rather dejected.

"I'll be back—like always; stronger that you can be proud of. And I promise Drei, by the time I come back, you won't anymore be just a princess."

The next morning felt more like a wave—like I was just floating in the ocean. I vaguely remembered anything I did. I even had no idea how I got to school sitting on my desk. Then all of a sudden I heard the bell rang, cutting off the history teacher's lesson. It woke me up from staring blankly and realized that much time has passed by already.

"Don't forget to pass your essays about the National Heroes of the old Federal Isles. I'm assuming you've already picked one to talk about in your essay." Mrs. Kim reminded. "No one's allowed to pick Dr. Jose Rizal." She added and received a series of disheartened groans from her students.

Except for Gail who rather raised her hand and said, "The author is not actually a doctor. He never got to finish his thesis in ophthalmology before he was executed so he's not a doctor."

"Yes, I believe I said that in my discussion earlier miss Gamboa."

"No, you didn't."

The history teacher stared at her before sighing in pure exhaustion.

And then someone else butted in. We all turned at where Jeremy is sitting at farthest seat in the back. "Don't you think if he wasn't executed he'd finish his thesis and become a doctor? He was already treating patients and was doing an exceptional work than any ophthalmologists of his time."

"He's still not a doctor. If he focused on his thesis instead of writing novels that caused his countrymen to revolt. Now he's not a doctor nor does he have his country. Filipinos are easily fooled into premature if not senseless patriotic wars for freedom. No wonder why their country is gone ultimately. Don't you think Mrs. Kim?" Gail said but the teacher was already gone.