Bangsie (JaDine Fantasy)

Chapter 13

James is now inside the Paguia household. Mr. Paguia had stopped him from dashing off to find Mira and Bangsie and instead called a helper to do it in James’s stead. He had then invited James inside his house where he said he would introduce his wife.

It was a traditional house, simple but grand.

‘And the residents are technically royalty, too.’ He thought.

The door opened and Mr. Paguia returned to the room.

“My wife will be coming in a while.” He said. “She is with my granddaughter at the moment.”

James nodded.

“This doll...” Mr. Paguia spoke once more as he sat in front of James.

“You told me it is special... where did you get it if I may ask?”

“An old doll shop.” James answered. “They sell antique dolls. I bought the doll for my sister's birthday...”

Mr. Paguia nodded and then he looked at James hard and long.

It was as if he was sizing him up.

And then he smiled, though James did not feel that he was cheerful... The smile was as if a recognition of something...

“My boy, can I let you in on a secret?” He asked James.

James didn’t know what to say and so just bow as a sign of accord.

“The Princess Victoria survived.” He said without preamble.

“Huh?” James uttered, shocked.

Mr. Paguia smiled at him, “Yes... this is the first time I am sharing this to anyone. In fact, the only ones who know about this are you and me. I have hidden this little fact to the whole country and even to my family. Even to my wife, the princess, herself.”

“Y-you’re wife is... the princess?”

Mr. Paguia nodded. “I am old, and I am tired of lying. Yes, my wife is the lost princess herself. There has been an inquiry. They have done tests to discover if my wife is the princess. But fortunately, technology then hasn’t grown. They had only proven that she was a descendant but it was not enough to prove that she was indeed the lost princess.”

“But she is?”

Mr. Paguia nodded once more. “She had forgotten about everything after that dreadful night. I... I was a kitchen boy in the royal house. We were friends. She was not like the other royal children, proud and haughty. She was very humble and she did not see her servants as mere tools but as human beings. I was there that night. I was in the kitchen when I heard two men talking about the plan. They did not notice me for I was small. Unfortunately, the plan was already in operation. The family was already dressed and was gathering in the living room.”

Mr. Paguia paused for awhile. He has a blank face on, as if he was lost in his own memory.

“I was watching them and then Ria gasped. She told her older sister that she needed to go back to their room for she had left the doll their father has given her. Princess Raquel scolded her but allowed her to go back. That was when I got the chance to warn her. I went to their room and waited for her there. She smiled when she saw me and asked me to come with them. I told her what I’d heard. She was scared. She took the doll and then both of us went to the living room to try and warn her family, too.”

James was surprised when Mr. Paguia started tearing up.

“But it was too late. When we arrived there, the men at the back of the princesses suddenly took out a gun and pointed it at the King. Ria tried to shout but I stopped her. I dragged her to the next room. The night was filled with shouts and gunfire. We saw everything that had happened. Ria saw her family murdered in front of her.  All night she cried without noise, hugging her doll to herself. She knew she needed to stay silent or else both of us would die, too.”