Chapter 18
Two lovers
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Play Sweet Psycho violin cover by Vitamin Quarter above. It's perfect for this chapter.
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Ortiz de Rozaz Palace
"Pinababalik ka ulit sa Ortiz de Rozaz, hija, hindi matutuloy 'yung pag-transfer mo sa Mendez de Sotomayor."
Nakakunot lang ang noo ni Natalie habang kasakay sa paglalakad ang isa sa mga kasamahan niyang palace maid. Kanina lang, inaayos na niya ang mga kagamitan niya para sa paglipat niya sa ibang palasyo—at nahinto nang bigla siyang pinuntahan ng kasamahan niya na kailangan niyang pumunta sa opisina ng reyna. Her palace maid co-worker told her that the Queen—who is obviously Queen Merida, wants to see her at the office.
Kaya naman naguguluhan siya sa kung anong mangyayari. Kakautos lang nito 'nung isang araw na pinalilipat na siya sa ibang palasyo.
Ilang segundo naman ay nasa harap na sila ng opisina. Kumatok muna ang kasamahan niya bago binuksan ang pinto. "Mauna ka na, Natalie." The middle-aged lady signalled her to go inside. Creasing her forehead, Natalie finally entered the Queen's office.
She stopped when she noticed who was sitting in the Queen's chair.
It was Madrid's young wife, Sofia Elena of Snowdon.
"Bakit ako nandito?" Nakakunot-noong tanong niya rito. At bakit ito ang nakaupo ngayon sa pwesto ni Merida?
"Hindi na matutuloy 'yung paglipat mo sa ibang palasyo." Anito saka napabuntong-hininga. Kung tutuusin, hindi malabong mas pipiliin ito ni Madrid na gawing asawa—Sofia is really beautiful and young. Rich and aristocratic.
Natalie crossed her arms and shook her head in disbelief, "Iyon ang sabi ni Merida sa kin, iyon ang utos niya. Kung sabi niya, lilipat ako, lilipat ako." Her voice was firm—while Sofia Elena just stared at her and she knew she wasn't amused at the way she answered her.
But who cares anymore? She's just a nobody. She doesn't belong to the upper class because she is just a palace maid. A poor woman.
"You won't follow her orders anymore," Fia answered her.
Tinaasan niya ito ng kilay.
"I am the Queen now." She suddenly added. Natahimik naman siya. Sofia Elena looked serious and Natalie felt a sense of power in her voice.
"This is going to be my office from now on. The Royal Household Staff will be under me now. Merida is not anymore the head of the household. Everyone will not anymore follow any orders from her, the orders should come from me. No one will interfere as long as I'm the Queen."
Natalie remained silent. She doesn't know what to react nor what to feel. She didn't really interact or become friends even way before Madrid became the king. Although they went to the same university, she didn't hear Sofia that much.
"And you, Ms. Natalie Villagomez, will become my personal assistant. You won't be a palace maid anymore and you will still remain as a college student in St. Ambrose."
Bigla siyang natawa sa suhestiyon nito. "What?"
"You're my personal assistant. You will not anymore stay at the maids' quarters. You'll stay in a different room."
"Are you really thinking of your decision, huh, new Queen?" She asked her in disbelief. Sofia Elena probably knows her affairs. Her past with Madrid and when she caught her getting out from Pancho's room.
If she was in her place, she'll probably be mad.
"I am." She still sounded serious while not breaking her stare at her.
"Alam kong alam mo dati pa kung anong meron sa 'min ni Madrid," she answered her and she even sounded sarcastic, "And most probably you already knew my affair with Phaedron."
"I know." Fia's face was unreadable. "And I know you love my husband... and I know he still cares about you."
Natahimik ulit siya matapos ang sinabi nito. Bawat salita na lumalabas sa bibig nito ay hindi niya inaasahan.
"And I know about Prince Phaedron too... Alam kong naiipit ka lang din sa mga sitwasyon ngayon. Kung pwede lang bumalik sa nakaraan, I'll let you have your way."
After a long silence, Natalie let out a sigh. Umiwas siya ng tingin dito.
"Kung naaawa ka lang, hindi ko kailangan ng awa. I can stand on my own. Hindi ko kailangan ng tulong ng kahit kanino."
"This is not a help, Ms. Natalie, I am the Queen now and it's my order."
Napatigil naman siya nang may pumasok na isa sa mga palace maid.
"Jasmine, please guide her to her new room." Sofia suddenly ordered the maid. The palace maid nodded then curtsied at the young Queen.
"Yes, your majesty." Jasmine, the palace maid, then turned at her, "Ma'am, tayo na po."
Natalie looked back at Fia who now was gesturing her to follow the maid.
Napailing na lang siya at lumabas na sa opisina. Sumunod naman sa kanya si Jasmine.
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Malacañang palace
"Gonzalo, how did the media know about my marriage with Sofia?" Madrid was already walking towards the exit of the Malacañang palace. Kasama niya sa Gonzalo pati na rin ang dalawang royal guard na kanina pa nakabuntot sa kanila. Earlier, he had a meeting with the parliament. Later, he'll meet his chosen staff for the Crown together with his royal advisor, Sir Richard Montez.
During his meeting with the parliament, they were already preparing for his upcoming official coronation as king of the country. They also discussed new laws that needed his signature in order for it to become official—and earlier, Prime Minister Sto. Domingo relayed to him the news that just circulating on that day—his marriage with Sofia Elena which was supposed to be announced jointly during his coronation.
He did not even tell any of the palace staff nor his own family members—and it is always a rule that what stays in the palace, stays in the palace. The royal household staff are forbidden to spread any information that they know inside the palaces or else, there will be a punishment. It was already a royal decree centuries ago.
Although he is already expecting that Merida and his siblings will already speculate as Sofia Elena is already living in Ortiz de Rozaz, he didn't announce their wedding specifically to them.
And they knew the rule.
"And your grace, I just learned this from one of our royal household staff, her majesty, Queen Sofia, reclaim the office of Duchess Merida—making the duchess evacuate the office. The royal household staff is now under the Queen, not anymore by the duchess. Queen Sofia made an order for the royal household to recognize her as the new head of the royal household... And Ms. Natalie Villagomez is now back at the palace too."
Napahinto naman si Madrid sa sinabi nito.
"Queen Sofia ordered her to remain at the palace and now, Ms. Villagomez is her new personal assistant and not anymore a palace maid."
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Ortiz de Rozaz palace
"Thank you, Gonzalo," Sofia Elena smiled sweetly at Gonzalo who opened the car door for her. Pumasok naman kaagad siya sa loob. Madrid Anselmo was already sitting inside the car. A few seconds after, the car finally drove off.
And Madrid didn't even greet her. It was like they were back to their cold and spiteful selves.
Sofia didn't talk either and held her head up high, watching through the window the places that they would pass by. It was already seven in the evening. Mamaya, pupunta sila sa isang charity gala kung saan mga prehistoyosong bisita rin ang dadalo. Even Merida and Madrid's other siblings would attend too. As what she had heard, the charity gala was for Madrid's late sister, Princess Tamara. The late princess was the patron of the said charity organization - the Philippine AIDS charity orgnization, also known as the PHAids.
She was wearing a sky blue sleeveless silk gown paired with a dazzling white faux-fur shawl cape. She was also wearing the Iñiquez tiara which was made of Aquamarine stones. Her golden brown hair was down and wavy on the ends. Her make-up was light.
Her husband on the other was just wearing a black tux.
"Your decisions were very abrupt, Fia," Madrid finally talked. Napakunot-noo naman siya at nilingon ito.
"What do you mean?"
"You didn't relay it to me first about you, reclaiming Merida's office. You announcing as new head of the royal household and probably telling Merida our marriage."
Mas lalo namang kumunot ang noo niya dahil sa sinabi nito. Madrid sounded disappointed, "And what's the problem with it? It's my office, I have a right. If I remember, when I married you, I became automatically the Queen."
"The media knows about it already. The charity gala probably will be filled by a lot of media people."
She became silent at what he just told her. She creased her forehead.
"Are you blaming me kung bakit kumalat at ibinalita ang tungkol sa kasal natin?"
Hindi naman ito nagsalita at nanatiling nakatingin lang sa harapan. His facial expression was even blank. The nerve of this guy.
She even thought, somehow, a small friendship was made between them the moment they were back at the palace. He even told they were going to have dinner last night but he was busy enough even to remember nor telling her beforehand that she shouldn't wait for him. Ni hindi man lang ito kahit isang beses ay kinamusta siya.
"Wow," she replied in disbelief. "You're unbelievable. Well, if you remembered the ground rules that I've written, I can do whatever I want to. And by the way, Natalie is now my personal assistant. She's also coming with me in the charity gala. She's in the other car - and please," She rolled her eyes and was now very sarcastic. "If you were just faking by being kind to me at Sitio Fatima, hindi mo na sana ginawa. I can handle your assholeness anytime."
Ilang minuto ay dumating na rin sila sa La Mercedez Hotel. The charity gala was held in a very luxurious hotel. Their car stopped at the grand entrance of the hotel and as expected, a swarm of media reporters and cameramen were already there.
Hindi na niya ito hinintay na magsalita at naunang lumabas na sa sasakyan. If the media already knows she's the wife of the King, then she better flaunt it.
She smiled and waved at the spectators outside the hotel. More clicks of the cameras were heard. May mga reporters namang nagtatanong kung totoo ang mga spekulasyon—but she remained quiet and just smiled and waved at them.
Dumating na rin sila sa function room kung saan ginaganap ang charity gala. They were immediately met by some of the guests. For Sofia, she wasn't planning to talk to him for the rest of the night.
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Everyone was already on the dance floor, slow dancing with their partner. Sofia Elena was sitting alone on a table, watching a couple of the guests dancing on the center. It was already past nine in the evening and during the entire event, she was just mingling with the other guests. Iyong iba nga ay tinatanong siya tungkol sa balita—that she was the new Queen and she was the new wife of the King but then she would just divert the topic to avoid answering the issue. In the gala, when Madrid gave a speech, he never acknowledge the issue nor introduced her to the crowd as the new Queen.
She scanned the surroundings to look for her husband. But she couldn't locate him. Kani-kanina lang ay nakita pa niya itong may kinakausap na bisita.
"Can I ask you for a dance?
Napatigil naman siya nang makita sa harapan si Phaedron who was also one of the guests that night. Kumunot ang noo niya rito. She scanned the surroundings and noticed Merida wasn't there too.
"My mom is not here if you're trying find her." He suddenly said, making her look back at him. "So let's dance? They're waiting." Napansin naman ni Fia ang mga bisita na ngayon ay nakatingin na sa kanila.
Napabuntong-hininga na lang siya at tinanggap ang alok nito. Phaedron guided her then to the dance floor. His right hand holding her waist while the other was holding her right hand.
"You seemed not in the mood." He commented the moment they started the eyes. She sighed at him, uninterested. She would never forget what he said to her last night.
"We're not friends."
"Of course, we're in-laws." He simply replied. Napatingin kaagad siya rito. She noticed Phaedron was already smirking at her. She also noticed how his facial features was a bit different from Madrid. Although both of them has golden brown set of eyes, Phaedron's hair was black - which obviously the same as with Merida's.
She didn't speak for the whole dance she had with Phaedron. After their dance, she decided to go out from the hotel. She felt like she needs some fresh air to breathe. The garden spot of the hotel was a perfect place for it.
She was just walking around the huge garden of the hotel. The night was very cold and thank God, she embraced herself with her white fur shawl she was wearing. The unfamiliar people inside were suffocating her.
Pero bigla naman siyang napatigil sa mga yapak niya. At one of the corner of the garden, it was a conspicuous space, she saw two familiar people. It was Natalie—whom she had brought with her at the gala and Madrid—who suddenly disappeared in the last hour.
They were kissing.
And it seemed passionate.
"They could have chosen a more private place." A sudden voice came beside her, it was Phaedron Lukas.
And her heart, somehow... felt weird.