ANTHALIA IVVANOVICH: The Substitute Bride

Chapter 2

"I'm here to claim my prize."

Tinignan lang ako ng matandang hari bago tumawa.

"Thalia, the brave and mysterious woman who won the cup. You're on the headlines low life. "

he sipped on his champagne in a gold goblet.

"I'm not here to converse with you your highness, I need to claim what you promised me. Set. Them. free."

He just laugh hard. Tangina, sasabog ako at walang makakapag pigil sa akin.

Humakbang ako palapit subalit mabilis naglabas ng mga espada at baril ang mga nakapaligid na bantay ng hari.

"Oops . they're over protective Thalia don't mind them."

Nagtiim bagang ako. I hate being here.

"As for the promise ,you choose. Your mother or your brother? Whom will I free?"

Naramdaman ko ang pag manhid ng mga kamay ko dahil sa page titimpi na huwag suntukin sa mukha ang matanda.

"That's not what we've talk about, your highness. You said you'll free them if I'll join that shit of a competition!!"

Humalakhak lang siya.
"Nah ah, I'm the king. I have the right to change mind."

Tangina!

Pero pinilit Kong kumalma.

"Could..you give me time to think?"

"Oh sure. I'll wait, actually I could sent you to the jail, talk with them and decide ,after all you really made me proud after winning , my princess , my brother will be so proud of his daughter if his still alive."

If you didn't kill him.

Dinala ako ng mga bantay sa basement, kung nasaan ang mga bihag .
Sa pinaka dulo naka himlay ang aking ina at kapatid nasi Khairoa .

"10 minutes , duchess that's the limit."

"Mom,.. Khai.." It tore my heart to pieces seeing them here.

Agad akong narinig ni mom at mabilis akong niyakap sa kabila ng mga rehas sa pagitan. Lumapit din si khai.
Malinis ang kulungan, may nakalaang kama at ilaw na kung ikokompara sa ibang kulungan ay ito marahil ang pinaka maluho.

But that's still not enough, will never be enough to a queen and a Prince...

"Mom.. Please.. We need to talk."
"Kamusta ka anak? You okay? Did Maurico hurts my princess? "
her eyes are teary, I looked at khai, he look worried but decided to speak with his eyes.

"I'm fine ,I'm good."

"I'm sorry." Humikbi na ng tuluyan si mom, I can't bear it.

"Sana Hindi na ako pumayag sa papa niyo na dalhin kayo rito at dito manirahan, everything's a mess now after ..his death.."

I was 3 then , mom was pregnant with Khai when a battalion of men knocked to our doorstep way back in the Philippines. They want my dad back in Greece to continue his role and accept his responsibilities.

He's the youngest son of a powerful man in Greece , a royal blood run through their veins. Dad was disowned by his father when instead of marrying a princess he took off the country and flee in the Philippines,met my mother and married her. But 18 years ago, those men came and told my dad that his father was dying and he needs to see his youngest son and meet his family. He also tore the disowning promised he had before. Dito ako lumaki at nagkaisip, but my Filipino blood is greater, mom and dad still talk with our language Tagalog, minsan ilokano since my mom's a native ilokana . It was my mother tongue so I'm fluent with it, khai on the other hand learned it from us though not as fluent as me, nagsasalita siya ng Tagalog.