Emperor Haow brought them, together with Julianna and Rui sa Throne Room.
When they reached the Throne Room, kanya kanya silang pwesto. They all served as Councilors of Haow kaya naman normal lang na may mga pwesto sila doon.
Emy, however, had Julianna sit beside her. Habang si Rui naman ay sa tabi ni Vaughn.
"Nana, can you speak now?" Haow asked worriedly.
"Let her get a grip first. Obviously, she is having a meltdown." Lucy said na agad namang sinang-ayunan nila Emy at Diana.
When Emy and Haow both uttered her nickname kanina, she bowed her head because she could no longer stop all her emotion.
Nana, her youth name, was bestowed to her by Atticus. All her life, yun ang tawag sa kanya ng pamilya niya.
And when these two people called her that, she could no longer contained it. She missed Atticus. She missed her family.
She vowed not to cry in public and so she lowered her head to hide her tears.
Anyway, they let her like that for the meantime habang si Lie Chen muna ang ininterrogate nila.
"I found Yan and Rui on the way to Ming Province two days ago. Both of them were injured and wounded. Lalo na si Yan. Luckily, I passed by and saw them at dinala ko nga sila sa Ming. Then I found out, she wanted to go to Hans to see you, Emy."
"Nana, what are you doing here? Napakalayo ng Ming mula Magnolia. May nangyari ba kaya mo ako gustong puntahan? And your looks... your hair..."
Emy was having a hard time seeing Julianna like this. She knew the kid really well. People might view her as troublemaker but in actuality, she was just a kid with a very curious mind and pure heart.
She always asked questions which indicated how observant and smart she was. She was also sweet in her own way.
Julianna grew up around men kaya naman di malabong may pagkaboyish ito. But to Emy, this kid had her own way to express herself.
However, seeing the young lady like this, hindi niya mapigilang mag-isip ng kung ano ano.
This time, Julianna finally calmed down. But her eyes were red. Her tears came out too much, that's why.
"Aunt Emy, Magnolia City has fallen. Great Gran... Great Gran and Carlos are dead."
"Great Gran? Do you mean... Atticus?" Haow asked though he already had a hunch about it.
Julianna nodded.
That earned gasps from all of them. They knew Atticus, of course. Bukod sa malaki ang naitulong ng matanda sa Grey City mula noong hanggang ngayon, he was also Emy's grand father.
"H-how..." Emy's voice shook.
Atticus maybe old but he was still strong despite his age. So Emy knew he didn't die from illness but someone had killed him.
Agad namang ikinuwento ni Julianna sa kanila ang nangyari mula umalis si Julius para sa expedition hanggang sa pagkamatay ni Atticus.
Emy's hand tightened.
When Haow saw that, he quickly reached for her hand.
Nagkatinginan sila and he simply just tilted his head towards Julianna.
Napapikit si Emy and calmed herself. It was always hard for her whenever she lost people. Lalo pa nga kung sinadya silang patayin. But she needed to be level headed for now.
Kahit gaano pa siya nasasaktan dahil sa nangyari kay Atticus, this young lady beside her had lost more than just her great grandfather.
"I... I was brought away by my cousin, Carlos, when Great Gran died. Plano naming puntahan ka, Aunt Emy. Kaso we were chased hanggang sa gumamit siya ng portal to send me away.
"It was his last resort."
"Carlos is really your good cousin, Nana. He did it out of love and trust towards you. If he didn't sacrifice himself, you wouldn't be here now."
"I've lost my family... I have lost my home... All because of High Kingdom's greed. All because they wanted to be the remaining power at the North. Please help me, Aunt Emy. I need to rescue the rest of my people. I need to get my retribution."
"Of course, of course..."
Emy couldn't think of anything to say anymore. She was too young for this. Oo, she was also young then when she decided to revenge herself. But Julianna right now was still in her 16th years of age. Still very young and yet...
She just simply rubbed her back to atleast let her feel na hindi siya nag-iisa.
"Nana, alam mo ba kung saan nagpunta ang Papa mo?" Haow asked.
Julianna nodded and she relied the information he needed.
"That mine was not that far away from Magnolia City. However, it has been two months. Hindi ko po alam kung nagbalik na ba sila Papa sa Magnolia at nalaman na niya ang nangyari."
"Don't worry. We will know soon." Haow comforted her. Then he looked at the Franco. "Send Calix and his people to investigate this matter as much as they can and as soon as possible."
Agad namang tumayo sila Franco at Lucy and left the room.
"We should arrange for your nephew's accomodation here in the palace, Emy."
Emy was a bit startled though.
Nephew?
She looked at Julianna, who really looked a pretty lad right now. Kung hindi niya ito nakilala, malamang ay inisip rin niya na lalaki ito.
Agad namang nakaramdam ng habag si Emy habang nakatingin sa pamangkin.
Back then, she used to disguise herself to scheme others.
But Julianna did this to herself for survival.
"Aunt Emy, please... let me go with you. Whether in Hans or Ming or here in Grey, let me stay with you."
Emy held her hand and tapped it gently.
"Of course, Nana. How could I not let you? After some days, babalik ako ng Hans at isasama kita doon."
With that assurance, Julianna finally felt relieved.
She found her Aunt Emy. Next would be the rescue of her family...
However, Haow quickly bursted her bubbles.
"Emy, I am not sure that is possible. According to our law, you can only bring Nana with you in Hans dahil pamangkin mo siya. But her friend cannot go with her. Maiiwanan mo ba, Nana, ang kaibigan mo?"
Rui suddenly stared at Julianna.
He had no business in this city kundi lang dahil kay Julianna. And she had already asked him to leave several times bago pa man sila makarating dito. Would she really disregard him now?
"Uncle Haow, can't I really bring Rui with me?"
Haow shook his head.
Hans Province is considered as the exile province of Grey City. Lahat ng naninirahan doon ay may connection 21 years ago.
He could permit Julianna to live with Emy but not the stranger friend of hers.
"You can send him back to where he came from. I can help you with that."
To everyone's surprise, Julianna shook her head.
She knew Rui's circumstances, at kahit pa pinapaalis niya ito, she knew he had no intention of leaving her. Alangang iwan niya ito mag-isa eh ito nga lang ang nakasama niya nitong mga nakaraang araw. At utang na loob din niya dito kung bakit siya naririto ngayon.
"Since I cannot bring Rui, then I cannot stay with Aunt Emy. Baka po pwedeng sa Ming Province na lang kaming dalawa na tumuloy. Kung okay lang po kanila Uncle Chen at Uncle Vaughn."
"Sigurado ka ba, Nana?" Emy asked.
"I cannot leave Rui alone. Wala din naman siyang mapupuntahan na iba."
"Wala namang kaso sa amin ni Vaughn kung tutuloy kayo sa amin. May space na rin naman kayo sa Ming mula ng dumating kayong dalawa doon."
Everyone was surprised at Lie Chen.
"Talaga? Okay lang sayo?" Tanong ni Emy.
"Parang gulat na gulat ka?"
"Hindi ba at ayaw mo sa mga bata?"
"Anong ayaw? Itanong mo kay Emy if I treated her badly during these days?"
"Come on, Lie Chen, kilala ka namin. Anong motibo mo ha?" This time, Diana asked him.
"Motibo? Are you daft? Sadya lang napamahal na sa akin si Yan. Anong motibong sinasabi mo jan?"
"Don't get angry. Nagulat lang kami at hindi ka naman kadalasang magiliw sa mga bata." Natatawang sabi ni Emy sa kanya. "Well, if you really want to stay in Ming, since okay lang din naman kay Brother Lie Chen, then you stay there. Bibisitahin na lang kita doon."
"I will also give you a jade card you can use as pass to Hans Province everytime you want to." Sabi naman ni Haow.
Agad na kuminang ang mga mata ni Julianna dahil doon.
"Talaga, Uncle Haow?"
"Of course."
"Uhm, can I bring Rui with me?"
"You can."
Julianna grinned widely and hugged Haow, na ikinagulat ng husto nito. Because of his stiff expression, hindi na napigilang matawa nila Emy.
Haow never had a child so he never knew what it was like to be hugged like that. Although he was in good relationship with her friends' children, they were still cautious around here dahil siya ang Emperor ng Grey City.
But someone like Julianna was really not that cautious at all. After all, she was the lone daughter of her King Father so she could act as reckless as she wanted too.
Haow couldn't help a small smile appeared on his face.
***