The Royal Prince

chapter five

Clayton’s POV

“Clayton, come. Seat”

            Nasa sitting room kami ni Queen Allain. Ang sitting room ay walang ipinagkaiba ang itsure sa living room. Tipikal na salas ang itsura nito. Sa isang dingding ay nakasabit ang isang life-size portrait ni Queen Allain.

“I was told you want to talk to me? About what?” I said while sitting on a sofa.

“About a lot of things”

            I smiled.

“Be specific Grandmother. Youre making me nervous.”

            Tipid na ngumiti rin si Queen Allain.

“Okay. I will make it easy for you. What is your plan years from now?”

            Saglit akong nag-isip.

“Still doing the same things I am doing now”

“Be specific”

“You know what I mean Grandmother. Nothing will  change. My monarchial duties will be my top priority. I will never neglect that. Not ever. Why? Is there a problem? What is it that you want to tell me?”

“What Im trying to tell you is being the future king of this country. I want you to have definite plans.”

            There was silence before I answer.

“With all due to respect, Grandmother. I want to know where this conversation is going.”

            She met my eyes before speaking again.

“I want you to ger married.”

            I was surprides bu what he heard. Marriage is the one that he hasn’t think much about. Even if he’s 29 now, it still doesn’t cross hid mind yet.

“But….” As I said na natatawa. “have you forgotten that I do not have a girlfriend for the last two years?”

“I mean how can I get married? I would rather if you would tell me to look for a suitable girlfriend before wet talk about marriage.”

“Clayton, you are turning 30 next year. I got married when I was 19. You yourself should be married now.”

“But your generation is really different from mine. People nowadays marry late. Many things occupy their time. And they are carrer oriented. They do a lot of things at the same time, making marriage their last priority. And im no exemption”

“But you are 29. I don’t call your age young. And that age, you should at the very least, be contemplating about marriage already.”

            Nagpunta ako sa likdo ng aking lola at niyakap ito.

“Alright, if it would delight you for me to contemplate on it. I will do so from now on.”

            Ngumiti si Queen Allain at tumangot.

“That’s very good because you are to get married before this year comes to an end.”

            Natigilan ako. Teka tama ba pagkakadinig ko?

“What?” Inalis ko ang pagkakayakap ko sa aking lola at muling naupo sa harap nito.

“Did I hear you right?”

“Oh yes! My dear grandson!” nakangiting sabi ng kanyang lola.

“You are to get married seven months from now.”

“To whom?” I asked in an incredulous tone.

“To Princess Annie.”

            I was right! I knew it! Kapag kinausap siya ng lola niya tungkol sa isang bagay ay siguradong plantsado na ang lahat ng detalye.

“Princess Annie?” I said a little disgusted. “But ive met her only once! And..”

“When Queen Monique, my grandmother married King Ralph-Phillip XIV, your great great grand father, they haven’t met at all. They meet each other on the day of their wedding.”

“Grandmother, once again, my generation is far, far different from yours or from my great great grandparents. Arrange marriage is so inhumane!”

            Nabigla at si Queen Allain base sa reaksyion na nakita ko.

“I beg you pardon! What did you say?”

“Im sorry. But that’s how I see it. And do you really want me to marry a woman who will love her horses more than her husband?”

            Nakakabasa na ako ng ilang articles tungkol ditto na walang inatupag kundi ang mahigit limampung kabayong alaga nito.

            Isa pa medyo hindi niya rin guto ang itsura nito. Ang mga mata nito ay parang lagging inaantok and she has too pointed nose na parang isang loro. Wala na ring paglagyan ng freckles sa mukha nito.

            Ayaw niyang maging pintasero pero natural na ang mga hindi magagandang bagay sa prinsesa ang maalala niya ngayon dahil ito pala ang napili ng palasyo na pakasalan niya.

“Don’t argue with me anymore, Clayton. Arranged marriage has always been a pary of our family. It is a tradition. You cannot break it. And it is Princess Annie that I approve of to be your bride.”

“His father King Andrei and I have talked already and everything’s planned. Now all you have to do is play your part.  And play it well. It is the name of the family that is at stake.”

“But I don’t love her!”

“No one in the past generation of our family married for love, Clayton. It has always been this way for us.”

“And I think arranged marriage did not make anyone in the past generation of our family happy.” I said in a sarcastic tone. I made no effort anyome to hide what Im feeling because its just too unfair!

“You will learn to love Princess Annie” na medyo mataas na rin ang boses nito. “I assure you of that. I have carefully selected who you are going to marry.”

“And you know that I only want the best for you and Princess Annie will make a good wife. She loves children and she will love you. And I know that you will learn to love her too. You need an heir, Clayton. You have to get married soon.”

            Pagkasabi ng lola niya ay tumayo na ito para lumabas ng kwarto. Nakakailang hakbang pa lamang ito nang huminto at lumingon sa kanya.

“Oh by the way, we will be announcing your engagement two months from now.”

            After his grandmother said that then she goes out the room leaving me.

            I knew from the very beginning that i don’t have the right to refuse to do things the palace tells him to do. Growing up with this system. I have learned to live with it. Pero hindi ito mangangahulugan na hindi ako nahihirapan.

            Alam ko rin na darating ang panahong ito na hihilingan ako ng aking lola na mag-asawa na. but I don’t take it seriously then. I will just cross the bridge when I get there. Ito anglagi kong sinasabi sa aking sarili.

            But now I realized that I am at that bridge already. And now that Im at it, what will I do?

            Napapikit at napahawak na lang ako sa noo. Ano nga ba and dapat niyang gawin? Susunod na naman ba siya?

            Pero iba na ang sitwasyon ngayon. This is marriage. And marriage is a lifetime commitment.

authors note:

as i promised =)