Anastasiya did not expect to find herself under Maria Contessina's scrutinizing gaze. She had been called late in the afternoon by Maria Contessina's attendant and was led to Casa Byzantina.
"Hindi ko alam kung paano ka pinalaki sa Amerika. Ang iyong kilos at diwa ay hindi nararapat bilang miyembro ng isang maharlikang pamilya lalo na ang pagiging miyembro ng pinakamataas na pamilya sa imperyong ito." Maria Contessina said straightforwardly.
"Te agradezco que me cuides, María Contessina. Ngunit para sa akin ay wala namang mali sa aking pananalita at pamamaraan( I appreciate you looking out for me, Maria Contessina.)" Anastasiya said as she gently sipped her cup of tea.
"¿Te estás cuidando?(Looking out for you?)" Maria Contessina scoffed in disbelief and in a cold tone she continued.
"Hindi ako ganoong tao, me importas menos(I could care less about you.)" she pouted slightly. "Ang tanging iniintindi ko lang ay ang estado at pananaw ng mga tao. Ang pamilyang ito ay kagalang galang at mataas ang tingin ng mga tao..." Maria Contessina trailed off and broke her eagle-eyed gaze at Anastasiya.
Motioning her attendant to come forward. Maria Contessina turned to her.
"Llamar a las damas de la corte que administran el palacio (Call for the court ladies who manage the palace)," Maria Contessina ordered and she reverted her gaze back to Anastasiya who froze once again.
"Mas mainam na sumailalim ka sa pag aaral muli ng etiketa ng isang maharlika. Tuturuan ka muling umupo, magsalita at higit sa lahat ay umasal bilang miyembro ng Unang Pamilya."
Anastasiya remained silent for a while.
"Kung iyan ang ginusto mo, Maria Contessina. Sino ba ako para tumanggi?" Anastasiya said carefully.
Making enemies in this palace would not help her. It was better to succumb to their will, Anastasiya can move freely if she satisfies them.
Obeying them would suffice at the moment.
----------
The older prince navigated his way inside the Real Audencia towards his younger brother. Alejandro noticed the door open but did not pay attention to it. Carlos sat down on the couch.
Between the two princes of the nation. Alejandro was the one who was more focused on work. He was way too serious than his older brother, Carlos could see that very well/
Mas magiging mabuting emperador ka sa akin. Mapalad ang bansang ito para magkaroon ng tagapagsilbi sa bayan na tulad mo.
"Huwag mong masyadong dalas dalasan ang pagpunta dito." Alejandro softly remarks.
Carlos raised his head from being sprawled on the couch.
"Bakit naman?" Carlos asks cluelessly.
"Baka maniwala na ako sa mga kwento kwento na ayaw mo kay Ate Contessina." Alejandro said while doing his paperwork.
"Ella es simplemente una espía que le dirá al gobernador general mis movimientos.(She is merely a spy who will tell the Governor General my movements.)" Carlos remarks. "She is merely a shell of who Mar-"
Alejandro shushed him as he scanned his surroundings. Then he spoke:
"Mag-ingat ka sa pananalita mo. Mas mabuting huwag na nating ungkatin ang pangyayari limang disyembre na ang nakaraan. Hindi natin alam kung sino ang nakikinig sa mga pader."
Silence engulfed them again.
"Kay Anastasiya, hindi ka ba nababahalang maari ka nyang tryadorin para sa angkan nya?" Carlos asks.
"Hindi iyon magagawa ni Stasiya. Hindi siya ganoong tao," Alejandro interjects as he stared at his older brother.
"Kung sakaling magkasala siya sa iyo? Batas pa rin ba ang paiiralin mo?" Carlos bravely asks.
Alejandro fell silent and reverted his gaze on his workload.
"She's outspoken, but she could pose as a threat. "Carlos said in such a low tone. "Guard your prized possession well, dear brother," he advises.
"¿es eso una amenaza? (Is that a threat?)" Alejandro asks without meeting the gaze of his older brother.
"Hindi, pina-alalalahanan lang kita." Carlos said. "Wag mong ulitin ang pagkakamaling nagawa ko, na siyang araw araw kong pagbabayaran."
----------------
Their discussion however was halted when Ariella, the sister-in-law of the two ladies called them to the rose courtyard. The rose courtyard was situated in the middle of the palace filled with roses, hence its namesake.
It was the pride of the palace itself, the rose courtyard is where the older Infanta was around always. Ariella tended to the roses herself. An unmarked statue was in the middle of the courtyard. It was made of marble and was shaped like a woman.
Anastasiya did not mind it as she was led by Ariella's attendant.
"Aqui!(Over here!)" Ariella said and the two ladies walked towards her.
As expected Ariella was tending to the roses.
"Minsan nang nakwento sa akinng mahal na reyna na ika'y pinaglihi sa rosas ng harding ito. Kaya ang pisngi mo raw ay kasing pula ng rosas." Maria Contessina remarked.
Ariella turned to Anastasiya and smiled. The new member of the family was taken aback by the sudden attention her sister-in-law gave her.
"Kamusta ka, Anastasiya?" Ariella asks. "Hindi kita masyadong nakausap nung kasal niyo paumanhin kung hindi ko kayo nabati ni Kuya."
"Salamat sa iyong pagbati, Ariella. Nasa magandang lagay naman ang aking kalusugan kya huwag kang mangamba para sa akin." Anastasiya replies.
"Mukha namang maalaga si Kuya Alejandro sa iyo. Hindi ba Ate Contessina?" Ariella smiles cheekily.
"Ako'y nagagalak na may makakasama na ako dito sa palasyo. Higit sa lahat ay may dalawang ate akong makakasama at maaliw."
Before Ariella could say anything further: an attendant walked towards Maria Contessina curtsied, and whispered something in her ear. The duchess' brows furrowed. Maria Contessina turned to Ariella.
"Paumanhin, Ariella. Ngunit ako'y kinakailangan sa bahay at nagkaroon ng problema sa bagong guro ni Maria Aleta. Kay sutil ng batang iyan," Maria Contessina said and took her leave
Anastasiya and Ariella were left alone. Ariella took her sister-in-law's hand and squeezed it. Concern was seen in her eyes:
"Hindi ka ba nalulungkot, Ate? Dahil malayo ka sa pamilya mo?" Ariella asks sympathetically.
"Nangungulila din akong hindi ko sila kapiling dito, ngunit andito si Alejandro sa tabi ko. Hindi niya naman ako pinababayaan," Anastasiya smiles.
"Halatang mahal na mahal nyo talaga ang isa't isa. Tingan mo yang mga ngiti mo, abot tenga." Ariella teases. "Sana biyayaan agad kayo ng supling. Hayaan mo ate, isasama ko sa aking mga dasal sa adoracion na ika'y magdalantao na."
"Ibibigay naman iyon sa tamang panahon. Hindi naman kami nagmamadali ng kuya mo."
----------
Beneath the nonchalant and carefree attitude of Dolores de la Cruz, lies a scarred woman. She dreamt of a happy and satisfied marriage when she was young. All those dreams were crushed by reality pouring down on her.
"Dumaan ba ang Conde?" she asked once reaching the de la Cruz Manor. The maid in question shook her head and did not answer. Dolores headed upstairs. When she opened the door, it was a sight she did not want to see.
Her husband in bed with another woman. Naked bodies tangled together in the silk sheets of their marital bed. She definitely saw signs of coupling.
"Hayop ka! La Mujerzuela!(Whore!)" Dolores said as she seethed in fury and grabbed the maiden her husband spent the night with.
Morning rather.
The young maiden shrieked as Dolores dragged her outside with no clothing on. The young maiden was humiliated in front of so many men and women serving the de la Cruz mansion.
"Jacinta..." Dolores treaded dangerously. The attendant walked towards her. "Kunin mo ang latigo." She said nonchalantly.
"Madam! Patawarin nyo po ako!" the young maiden begs but Dolores did play deaf to her pitiful cries.
"Sa lahat ng tao,ayoko ng mang aagaw. Ayoko ng inaagaw yung kung ano ang nararapat para sa akin." she grabbed the maiden by her chin. "Ano nasarapan ka? Ngayon ipaparamdam ko sa iyo ang sakit!"
Turning to the attendant, she spoke in low tones:
"Bigyan nyo ng 3 dosenang paghagupit ang keridang iyan."
Dolores did not pay attention to the young maiden's screams of agony. It was as if she was immune to it. Seeing that the three dozen lashings were not enough. The lady of the house stood up from her seat and grabbed the salt.
"Budburan mo ng asin ang mga sugat niya." She said coldly.
Screams filled the courtyard once again. With the maiden begging at her feet, Dolores took the pistol and pulled the trigger. No one would know.
She cared less about whores anyway.
------------
They spent their afternoon with members of the royal family. Anastasiya who was with Ariella at that time gladly accompanied the older Infanta to the main palace. Everyone drank their tea in silence.
"¿Cuál es el alboroto en la Casa Byzantina antes?( What is the ruckus in the Casa Byzantina earlier?)" the emperor asked.
"Papalitan nanaman ang guro ni Maria Aleta. Pang ilan na ba iyan, Carlos?" the empress sighed in worry.
"Pang-apat ngayong buwan, Ina..." Carlos said with hesitation.
"Bakit hindi nyo kunin si Kondesa de la Cruz? Natitiyak kong bihasa ang kondesa sa edukasyon para sa babae. Isa pa ay galing siya sa isang magandang pamilya." Ariella recommended.
"Mas gugustuhin ko pang ipasok na lang si Maria Aleta sa kumbento. Unti unti nang nagiging laki sa layaw ang batang iyan." Maria Contessina said placidly as she sipped her tea.
"Hindi ba sobra na iyan, Ate Contessina?" Alejandro pipes in. "Baka naman hindi lang talaga natitipuhan ni Aleta ang guro niya." He adds.
"Mas maganda siguro kung manatili na lang si Maria Aleta dito, susulat ako ng liham kay Conde dela Cruz upang maabisuhan ang kondesa na siyang magtuturo na kay Maria Aleta." Emperor Felipe said as he lands to his final decision.
The king however chose to speak up amidst the silence.
"Darating ang araw na kayong kababaihan ang mangangalaga sa bansang ito. Bilang reyna ay kayo ang tatayong ina ng bansang ito at hahalili sa asawa niyo."
It was a topic they seldom talked about. The line of succession is frozen in time as the emperor refuses to talk about it. Both Maria Contessina and Anastasiya were taken aback by the emperor's words.
"Huwag kayong mag aalala, hindi pa ako namamaalam. Naghihintay pa ako ng apo sa iyo, Alejandro." The emperor said as he stared at his second son.
"Sa tamang panahon, Ama..." Alejandro says as he held his wife's hand.
"May katanungan lang ako sa inyong dalawa." Emperor Felipe looked at Maria Contessina and towards Anastasiya. Both ladies dared not to meet his eye.
"Darating ang panahon na tataas ang rango ng asawa niyo at isa sa kanila ang maaring maging hari ng bansang ito." The emperor began. "Kung maaari mong timbangin ang halaga ng isang hari sa pera, magkano sa tingin nyo ang halaga ng isang hari sa bansang ito?"
The sound of silence echoed inside the room. Heavy tension filled the room as they awaited the answer.
"Kamahalan..." Maria Contessina says without meeting his eye. "Ang halaga ng isang emperador sa bansang ito ay mas mataas pa sa langit at kasing lalim ng karagatan. Ang halaga ng isang hari ay hindi mabibilang katulad ng ginto o matitimbang katulad ng pilak. Patawarin mo ako kamahalan at hindi ako mangangahas na itakda ang haalga ng isang hari." Maria Contessina said with conservative nature laced in her voice.
"Anastasiya." The emperor awaited her answer.
She looked at Alejandro first, and he nodded. Facing the emperor without seeing eye to eye, Anastasiya spoke with a clear voice.
"Me atrevo a responder a la pregunta de Su Majestad: Piso.( I dare to reply to His Majesty's question; piso)"
Maria Contessina stared at Anastasiya furiously. Ariella also stared at her sister-in-law who delivered a treacherous answer. Whispers echoed throughout the room about the treacherous answer of the new duchess. Alejandro held no expression as his mother looked at him in disappointment.
Anastasiya's words were considered treacherous to the crown. She did not falter or whatsoever.
"Walang mas hahalaga sa piso sa taong nagugutom at naghihirap. Ang taong siyang sagana sa yaman at pera ay hindi alam ang kahalagahan ng piso. Sa siyang nagugutom at naghihirap, ang siyang mamumuno ng bansa ay ang pisong kaasam asam at kaingat-ingatan na piso."