The Hourglass

Chapter 18 - 13th

CIELLE

Surprisingly, Gray really did come out.

Ang sama nga ng tingin n'ya kay Jett nang tinawag ako. Si Aila, mamamatay na kakapigil ng tawa. Para silang may inside joke na si Gray, hindi gusto, at ako, hindi maka-relate.

Hindi lang yun ang nakakagulat na nangyari.

The King and Queen entered his room after he got dressed and they were shocked to see me. I was about to bid them goodbye and return to the receiving area but the Queen suddenly hugged me, shocking me to the core.

She said things like, it was nice to see me well after what happened. As well as that she didn't expect me to actually be here for the meeting since it seemed like I was locking myself within our mansion.

Which I am guilty of. I didn't wanna go to school and get the looks of pity from not just classmates but teachers. So I asked to be homeschooled and I was. Alam kasi ng buong Artisan na dahil kay Mom at Dad, mas maliit ang naging casualty. Kaso namatay sila.

I would've felt resentment for them but I know that they also saved me even though I have no recollection of that day.

Now, I really am thinking that homeschooling was a wrong move. The only people I got myself involved with for more or less 11 years were my brother, my Uncle's family, and people in our house.

Hindi man lang ako makatagal na tingnan sa mata kung sino nakakasalubong ko. Sa folder kung nasaan lang tuloy yung pinag-uusapan nila yung atensyon ko. Pero nakikinig pa rin ako sa sinasabi ng kung sino mang nagsasalita.

Buti na lang nakaka-relate ako kaya hindi ako ganun kakabado kung tatanungin man ako. More on business naman kasi yung pinag-uusapan nila at partnerships. Pati mga future activities tapos kung paano nila isasagawa. Kaya medyo na-enjoy ko yung pinag-uusapan nila.

"Is that everything? Can we now get to the more important part of today's meeting?"

My eyes curiously darted towards everyone in the room. And everyone seemed even more serious. What could be more important than the businesses that makes our kingdom earn?

"Brizuela's followers are silently on the move." Uncle Silas Hudson said, breaking the silence.

"I guess not silent enough that we know they are making a move." The King said.

Brizuela, the power-greedy woman who killed the four most powerful Artees of their time, had a large following. We call them The Cult as they follow her absurd and dangerous beliefs. And they've been making their move to take down the Kingdom of Artisan, a goal which Brizuela failed to do.

Against all of us, they couldn't achieve that easily. But recently they've been accumulating more people on their side and they are getting dangerously powerful.

There are 12 Elites, currently. But there were 13 Elites before, the family where Brizuela came from. Her family just got cut off from the considered Elites. There used to be a 13th Elite Family and it was hers.

Dati kasi, talagang niraranggo yung Elites kaya halos magkakalaban turingan dati. Buti na lang ngayon, wala na. Pero hindi nawala yung kapag walang lalaking magiging Head ng Elite Family, mawawalan sila ng Elite title.

Ganun ang mangyayari kapag walang lalaki sa susunod na henerasyon ng Elite Family. Hindi naman mahalagang purong dugo na mula sa Elite Family. Dahil may ibang Elite Family na dahil hindi nagkaroon ng lalaking anak, nag-aampon sila. Para lang ma-preserve ang Elite title. Meron ding ipinapakasal ng maaga yung babaeng anak.

Difference is that, the guy will marry into the Elite Family. Lalaki ang magpapalit ng apelyido kapag ganun. Pero rare case lang yun.

Si Brizuela naman, gusto lang talaga n'yang mapabagsak siguro yung Royal Family. Kasi  dapat ikakasal s'ya sa Royal Family nun. Sa father ni Princess Desiree at Prince Dustin. Kaso nahulog yung father nila sa isang Elite na mas mataas ang standing ng family kumpara sa pamilya ni Desiree. At pumayag na doon makasal.