CHAPTER TWO
Nanatili lang sa pagkakaupo si Den sa maputing buhangin mula ng iwan sya ng babae kanina. She felt like crying. Nanghihina na sya, humihilab na rin yung tiyan nya sa gutom, masakit ang kanyang buong katawan at nakakaramdam pa rin sya ng takot dala ng mga nangyari sa kanya mula sa kamay ng dalawang lalaki. But a princess doesn't cry. She must never cry. Hindi sya dapat magpakita ng kung anumang emosyong nararamdaman nya. Kahit nasasaktan, kailangan pa rin nyang ngumiti lalo na sa mga taong makakakita sa kanya sa labas ng palasyo. Ito ang isa sa mga tinuro sa kanya mula pa pagkabata nya.
Natatandaan nya pa nung minsang mahulog sya sa hagdan, at mabalian ng buto sa braso. Sa gulang na pito, natutunan na nyang itago ang emosyon nya. Hindi sya umiyak. Kahit ang ina nya ay hindi nalaman ang nangyari. Isang buwan nyang tiniis ang sakit at kung hindi pa sya tingnan ng doktor dahil sa malimit na pagkakaroon nya ng lagnat ay hindi matutukoy ang pagkakaroon nya ng bali sa katawan. Her mother even congratulated her.
Now she was alone on this stranged country, on this deserted island. Oo nga pala, naisip nya, hindi pala sya nag-iisa, maaaring nasa paligid lang yung babae kanina. Baka nahihiya syang lapitan dahil sa naging asal neto sa kanya. She looked at the palm trees where the woman headed wondering when she will return. Palalagpasin nya ang nagawang asal neto kanina kung pagbalik neto ay may bitbit na etong pagkain para sa kanya.
She couldn't wait longer, she stood up and follow the footprints of the woman. Her head spin, and her legs weak from exertion, but she pulled herself up as stiff as possible and began to walk-no slouching or staggering for someone of the blood royal. She must always show that she is a Princess- her mother said to her. Kahit saan man sya, kahit anu pa ang nasa paligid nya, kailangang ipakita nya ang pagiging isang Prinsesa. She must always act as a Princess and people should know of her status so they wouldn't take advantage on her.
Take advantage? She thought of the woman's action a while ago. She couldn't believe she had said those words to her. Words she believed was only intent for lovers. At nagawa pa syang hawakan. No one, ever, in her life had touched her like that. Hindi ba alam nung babae na hindi kailan man at wala etong karapatan para hawakan sya. Isa syang prinsesa, at ang babae ay isang pangkaraniwan lamang.
Dahil na rin sa sobrang kapaguran, huminto na lang siya at naupo malapit sa isang puno ng niyog. Gusto sana niyang ihilig kahit saglit ang likod nya sa malapad na katawan ng puno, pero baka biglang bumalik ang babae at makita sya sa ganung sitwasyon. Ayaw nyang isipin neto na may kahinaan sya.
Instead she sat up straight, looked out at the ocean, at kahit ayaw nya, biglang nagsilabasan sa alaala nya ang mga nangyari netong huling nakaraaang araw bago sya napadpad sa lugar na eto.
This past days were the worst nightmare she had in her life. Three days ago, she left Moldova, for the first time in her life. Not that she didn't travel, she attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate, she was present even during their child's christening and other royalties engagements, but not this very far. Philippines was a far country and a very foreign to her. She only knew its existence because its part of the nations of the world she had studied a couple of years ago. Nothing else. She just knew that Manny Pacquaio lived there, the only Filipino she knew. Not that she was into boxing, she usually overheard his name during dinner, his cousins always talked about his bloody fights and of meeting him. She was to be a guest of the Philippine Government, attend some charity events especially to the typhoon victims and represent her country on the talk towards the friendship agreement of the two nations. The King, her grandfather, said to her that Filipino's hospitality were merely an effort to persuade him to open the possibilities to an open-free nation between the two. He also thought that Den will benefit from this experience.
