"Ito na nga ba ang sinasabi ko." Alfredo, the duchess' grandfather paced back and forth in the drawing-room of the Casa Ladrillo. "Two hundred men. Two hundred men were shot by the royal guards while the royal family threw lavish balls and feasts, even as his people continued to suffer,"
The matriarch of the Andrada family sighed as she stroked her daughter's hair.
"Hindi ito ang oras para pangaralan si Anastasiya," Adelita said protectively. "Kagagaling niya lang sa mga pangyayari,papa."
"Alam ko po,Lo..." Anastasiya murmured as terrible memories of the incident flashed before her eyes.
"Kailangan mo nang makialam, Anastasiya or bloodshed will rise upon this empire... unless you want another purging?"
Amelia's blood ran cold. Another purge is something she never wanted. She had spent time in the Andrada Library and knew how the empire itself purged citizens thrice in history.
And every time, the people had been innocent- this much she knew.
"Huwag mong kalimutan na isang babae ang apo mo, Papa!" Adelita shot furiously at her father."Do you want her to be deposed, or worse beheaded?" she adds.
"Pinalala mo ang sitwasyon ni Anastasiya nang napagpasyahan mong pumayag kang kunin ni Alejandro ang kamay niya. Pwede kang tumanggi, Adelita at hiinintay mo sana ang pagbalik ko mula Pransya. But you didn't- you dug your own daughter's grave the moment she became affiliated with this family."
The head of the family then turned to Anastasiya, who was distressed to be caught between her grandfather and her mother.
"Kahit sabihin kong wag kang makialam, alam kong susuwayin mo ako." he said staring intently. "With the line of succession frozen in stone, hindi natin alam kung hanggang saan ka mananatiling nasa taas at kung kailan maaring umiba ang ihip ng hangin."
"A-Anong ibig mong sabihin?" Adelita asks.
"Do what you must, dear granddaughter. Lumaki kang isang matalinong dalaga. Alam kong naiintindihan mo kung ano ang nais kong hilingin sa iyo."
A glimmer of hope was seen in his eyes. With that being told with careful words, Anastasiya knew it was a dangerous game that she was about to play. A fight with a double-edged sword that can both slay the enemy and slash her in return. Each step must be planned and executed in absolute perfection.
Finding out the truth was the first step.
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She got her aim on his handsome face. Frozen by the ambitions that she can't erase. All the thoughts of gold and wealth that make her head spin in delight. In her eyes, lies are hidden and deception is about to take place.
In the eyes of the woman is the demise of one's man.
"Dolores? Anong sadya mo at namalagi ka dito?"Carlos asked as he looked up from the paperworks he was reading. Somehow, he found herself lost in those eyes and alluring lips.
The new governess of Maria Aleta looked at the prince. Her red lips upturned into a smile. Sitting down on the chair in front of his table. The countess spoke:
"Bilang bagong guro ni Prinsesa Maria Aleta, may mga tanong lang akong nais masagot upang mas maging epektibo ang pagtuturo ko sa princesa." she said with such eloquence.
"Hindi ba dapat ang asawa ko ang tanungin mo sa mga bagay na iyan?" Carlos asks as he reverted his gaze back to his work.
The countess got up and gently massaged his shoulder. Her feather-like touch felt like a raging fire across his skin. Her hot breath sent chills upon his spine as she whispered in his ear.
"Kanina ka pa nandito sa Real Audienca." Dolores said with a husky voice. "Tus hombros están tensos(Your shoulders are tense.)" she added as she massaged his shoulders.
"Ba't mo ginagawa ito?" Carlos asked irritably, finally turning to her.
Undeterred, Dolores said, "Paumahin, Don Carlos, Hindi naayon ang aking inasal, masarap ang hangin sa labas,nais mo ba akong samahan?"
The eldest prince wordlessly stood and fell in step beside Dolores. She purposefully kept some distance between her and Carlos.
Some time later, Dolores spoke up. "Huwag kang magkulong sa Real Audencia pag hindi ka makatulog ng maayos. Maglakad-lakad ka at makakabuti ito sa kalusugan mo."
Carlos stopped in his tracks.
"Paano mo nalaman na nahihirapan akong matulog?" He asked her curiously.
She hastened to explain.
"Hindi ako eksperto sa medisina, Don Carlos. Ngunit sa kilos at galaw mo pa lang,kitang kita na. Iyan, kasama nang tungkulin na kaakibat ng pagiging prinsipe ng bansang ito ay napagtanto kong hindi maayos ang tulog nyo"
Carlos impressed by the countess's knowledge and sensitivity, and it was all Dolores could do to suppress a smirk at his awe of her. Women are indeed men's weakness, and it was all fair in deception and war.
-----------------
Anastasiya was not the sort who was fond of climbing over the castle walls. And yet, she was doing exactly that. She had replaced her exquisite clothes with a maid's outfit.
"Maam Stasiya! Nagmamakaawa ako,bumaba kayo diyan. Lagot ako kay Don Alejandro pag may nangyari sa inyo!" Consuela said worriedly even as she went along with her mistress's plan.
The duchess paid no mind to her lady in waiting as she jumped over a final fence.
"Sige na, Consuela. Ngayon lang, gusto ko malaman ang lagay ng mga ordinaryong tao." Anastasiya said as they walked down the path towards a small village.
The village stood upon the outskirts of Bagac, Bataan. As they came closer, a monastery was visible. Anastasiya quickened her pace, and soon they stood atop of a cliff, where they could see all of Bataan.
Overlooking the West Philippine Sea and the Palace itself.
"Mag-iingat po kayo, Maam Stasiya. Matarik ang daan, at lalong ayokong mahulog kayo," Consuela said as she grabbed ahold of the duchess.
Anastasiya tore her gaze from the view and proceeded to walk towards the village. Along the way, she saw friars emerging from the tavern, jugs of ale in hand. The tavern was filled with prostitutes and seeing how the friars took them made Anastasiya disgusted.
Children were not playing in the grass, but rather working and being sent down in the mines. Anastasiya stiffened.
"H-Hindi ko alam-," the duchess said, moved.
A small child drove past the duchess and snatched the satchel Anastasiya had brought. The child however was no match to Consuela's reflexes.
"Sino ka para pagnakawan ang amo ko?" she reprimanded the young child.
Anastasiya held up her hand to silence her lady-in-waiting and approached the guilty child. The young child held the satchel tightly.
"Maari bang ibalik mo iyan sa akin?" Anastasiya asked kindly.
The child guiltily gave the satchel to the disguised duchess. He hung his head low.
"P-Patawad Binibini," the little boy mumbled. The duchess' features immediately softened.
"Masamang magnakaw, nak. Ano sa tingin mo ang mararamdaman ko kapag kinuha mo ang pag-aari ko?" Anastasiya bent down to the child.
"May pera, pwede ko ipambili ng pagkain para hindi kami magutom. Pangako binibini hindi ko na uulitin, huwag nyo po ako isumbong sa mga prayle! "
Anastasiya looked at the little boy in pity as he flung himself unto her. Her maternal instincts kicked in as she comforted the child.
"Mayroon ka ba diyang makakain pa sa bata, Consuela?" Anastasiya asked.
The child devoured the bread as the duchess cleaned the dirty face of the child. Consuela watched as disguised duchess tended to the peasant child.
"Angelo!" A woman cried out from a distance before running to fetch her child. "Paumanhin binibini kung naka-abala kami sa inyo ," she told Anastasiya .
"Kayo ba ang ina ng batang ito?" Consuela asked.
The peasant woman knelt to the ground and the child ran into her waiting arms. "Ako nga po, binibini," she said.
"Kamusta ang lagay nyo dito?" Amelia asked curiously.
"Nagugutom kami dahil sa emperador na iyan! Laging nagdadaos ng selebrasyon ang palasyo tapos hindi naman siya tumutulong..." the woman ranted out her frustrations.
Anastasiya reached into her satchel for a few coins and gave it to the peasant woman. Before the grateful woman left, had some final words for the disguised duchess:
"Salamat, binibini ngunit alam kong alam mo na hindi panghabang buhay ang mga baryang ito. Ang pasakit ko at ng bayan ay ang dapat tugunan ng emperador mismo."
-------------------
She opened the delicate page of the journal she found in the room. Alejandro was at Real Audencia working late, it was the perfect opportunity to read what the journals contain. The page was yellowed and a bit brittle.
It was dated back to 2005.
Kakarating ko pa lang sa Casa Ladrillo. Dito na ako maninirahan bilang dukesa ng imperyong ito.
Anastasiya flipped more of the pages. The real Maria Contessina's handwriting felt somewhat familiar to the young duchess. A cold wave passed down her spine as the atmosphere grew heavier.
Maria Contessina used to live in the Casa Ladrillo. It was the opposite of numerous statements that this house was uninhabited for decades.
Napakatahimik ng paligid, wall akong makausap. Nananatili lang ako dito sa kwarto, mag isa. I have no one by my side.
Curiosity getting the best of her, Anastasiya read the journal to her heart's content. She did not notice the time as it seemed to flow so slowly. There was something, she could definitely feel it.
The journals themselves show melancholy and fear. The real Maria Contessina was alone all the time, for reasons Anastasiya did not know.
Isinilang ko si Maria Aleta. Sa isang mundong kasing delikado ng imperyong ito, ano nga ba ang lugar ng isang sanggol na babae? Anong pakinabang nya sa mga hangal na nais ang kapangyarihan?
It was dated 2010, five years after the real Maria Contessina arrived at the Casa Ladrillo.
Ang mga bato na siyang bumubuo sa Casa Ladrillo, ay tilang rehas ng aking kulungan. Sa ibon at tubig na siyang malaya. Saan ako lulugar?
At the end of the last journal she managed to get her hands on, an English poem was written at the very back. Maria Contessina's elegant script illuminated in the pale moonlight. It was a poem but did not have a rhyme.
Of pursuit of such darkness
Lies a malicious intent
Of waters that filled this sacred land
Of such stroke of moonlight, the die will be cast.
She stepped out of the master suite. Tracing over the ornamental molding of the wall, the duchess slowly treaded through the dark hallway. Imagining as if she walked into Maria Contessina's same footsteps. Euphoria then filled her senses,
Of memories taking plight, what was it that draws her?
The young duchess' reality slowly melted away. In a trance-like state, Anastasiya trudged upon the hidden door. The handle gave way once again. With only the moonlight illuminating her path, Anastasiya trudged upon the dark tunnel.
Once reaching the room, she lit a candle that was laying around by the corner. On the desk was another journal. She could have sworn that she took all of the journals. Opening it slowly, the entry was dated five Decembers ago.
Anastasiya could briefly remember being in the palace as she was Alejandro's guest. The atmosphere grew heavier as she opened the journal.
A photograph attached was with a message written in scrawny handwriting. Anastasiya was in that photograph.
It was taken exactly five Decembers ago. Alejandro was showing her around the vicinity of the palace.
"I ask the majestic rivers and bodies of water. How is it possible that we share the same fate?" Anastasiya recited.
With the atmosphere growing colder and damper. The small light of the candle illuminated such truth in her eyes. She staggered back at the portrait of a woman. Wearing the same traje de mestiza when a portrait was commissioned for her.
How is it? How is it that they will share the same fate?
The candles flickered out as darkness surrounded the room. The door slammed shut, heavily.