BEROYALED

THE LONG LOST PRINCE

WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY EXACTLY? I thought quietly as I listened to Jeremy and how it made me even more confused. It's frustrating.

"I was there. I was there watching you and so was Simon. When you ran away I ran after you until Simon showed up. He was following us all along." He said.

Lucas. His name is Lucas but who is he? Is it Jeremy? Is it Simon? There are no other candidates suspicious enough that I could think of. No one else was there at the café except for the owner. That's right! The café owner. He was there. He would know! He acted like he didn't know who I was that day but when he saw me dropping the letter in the express mail he definitely curtsied. So he knows I'm the Princess. But who wouldn't? Jeremy did not know the first time. Ah, but he was only pretending. Well come to think of it—why did the café owner acted like I wasn't the Princess?

Preoccupied, I just blabbed the first obvious thing I could ask to Jeremy. "If you were there why didn't you come in?"

Thinking about it, the café owner looked suspiciously familiar.

"Why would I approach someone who just made my nose bleed? You might throw hot water at me if I did." I barely heard Jeremy's answer. But then he became quiet and the expression on his face fell. "Besides," he added. "...Simon was there. I could only watch from afar."

I realized he's being sincere. He really does have feelings for me. I thought to myself. But what happened? I guess the answer to my question was answered quickly enough. Simon came out of nowhere and grabbed Jeremy by the collar, enraged.

"Have I not beaten your face enough to warn you not to go near the Princess?" Simon said with clenched teeth.

Jeremy was being pushed against the tree but he only chuckled. "I believe your face was the one beaten enough."

Simon made a sound that couldn't quite make out. Something like, "Wag m—" but he was cut off by Jeremy.

"Shhh..." Jeremy hushed and whispered something quite the same as the sound Simon just made. "Wag." He shook his head then a smirk formed on his lips.

Irritated, Simon raised his fist—about to give Jeremy a blow.

"Stop!" I shouted. Both of them turned their heads at me frozen on their spots. "What do you think you're doing? Have respect—both of you!"

My mood was ruined. My solitary abode was infested with violent attempts. Upset, I walked out from the two of them down the hill. As I was walking down, I was able to hear them talking. Or so I thought. Maybe I was just hearing things. But it was their voices. I couldn't understand a thing they said.

"Alam ko kung sino ka." Simon said with a hint of threat in his voice.

"Alam naman pala natin kung sino ang isa't isa. Isn't it exciting?" Jeremy confidently fired back.

"I'll warn you for the last time, layuan mo ang Prinsesa" Simon's voice was more intense than earlier.

Jeremy just laughed. "Among the two of us, sino nga ba ang dapat lumayo sa Prinsesa?"

For the first time, I sat in a council meeting. Ma was sitting at the head of the table in place of Pa. I sat at her usual place while gramps sat at the right hand, his usual place. I took a look around first. It's not like I haven't ever stepped inside the Council hall but the ceiling seemed higher and emitting a gloomy aura. It did not help that the statues on the column seemed to stare at me when all the councilmen has their eyes on me as well. It felt like a crowd was there to watch me.