To Marry The Prince

Chapter 8: Decision

"I will let it all die down and then maybe we can try some outreach programs? Charity events and a lot of... what else can we do?" Prince Kairo turned to look at his butler Fernan. "What else can we do after all those? Do we have anything else?"

Fernan shook his head, "Your Majesty, I can tell you so many of the plans written on here, however, we already tried all of these. None of them worked out for you in the past. They even got your name in a much more stickier situation. Right now I could see why the Queen is pushing for your marriage with Lady Aliyah."

"Lady Aliyah?" he scoffed. "I will never marry her Fernan, there is no way that I am going to marry her and force her into being the Prince of the country."

"But she already accepted."

"She's only saying that, she wont sign the agreement. I know she wouldn't. Artista 'yon Fernan, she's in the rising still. Hindi naman puwedeng itapon niya ang lahat para lang makapagpakasal sa akin-"

"Prince Kairo, she sent us the signed agreement yesterday."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Prince Kairo. He loosened up his neck tie and faced his palm, ruining his perfectly slicked back hair. He took a deep breath and sighed. Hindi siya makapaniwala sa balita na narinig niya. That is not what he expected to happen. Gusto niyang paniwalaan na hindi papayag sa ganoon nalang ang babae, ngunit mali ang inaakala niya. He hoped for something different, and now he couldn't even wrap his own head around it. Ano ba ang iniisip ni Aliyah? Bakit ito pa ang tinahak niyang daan?

"Prince Kairo?"

"Why would she do that? Bakit niya gagawin ang ganoon kalalang desisyon? Hahayaan niya na magamit ang sarili niya para lang dito? Para tulungan na iligtas ako? Hindi puwede, pasakit lang sa kan'ya ang mangyayari kapag natali siya sa akin. I can't let her be in that state, it's going to end her career too! Pinaghirapan niya kung nasaan siya ngayon. Hindi natin puwedeng sirain lahat."

Fernan cluelessly shrugged, "It's a decision that Lady Aliyah made by herself. It's what she wanted to do, she decided to push through with it. The Queen already told us all to treat her as the future Princess."

"Hindi puwede," Prince Kairo slammed his hands on the table. "I need to stop this marriage, no matter what. Hindi ako papayag na makasal kay Aliyah Grace."

"Prince Kairo, alam mo naman na ganito talaga ang mangyayari pagdating sa magiging kasal mo, 'di ba? Since you were a kid, you know that you will eventually be married with somebody that will help the kingdom. You are going to get married to someone that you may not like. But for the kingdom, you are to obey and to deliver."

"I can do that, yes, easy!" he stated. "I just hope that we wont pick someone that wont shoulder such a big loss just because of me and the identity I carry, you understand what I mean, right?" his expressive hazel brown eyes stared right back at Fernan. The middle aged butler saw the concern and sadness in his eyes. He can always tell whenever Prince Kairo feels guilt, the windows to his soul already spilled it all.

"Why do you feel guilt over this?" Fernan asked. "She is not doing this because we are forcing her to, it's her decision to do so. This is for the entire Kingdom. It's not even about you only, it's for the future of all of the citizens. Hindi mo rin naman siguro hahayaan na mapunta sa kamay ng iba ang hawak mong korona Prince Kairo, ang pinaghirapan ng iyong ama, lahat ay mawawala."

He knew that Fernan is right with this one. He knows that the easiest thing to do right now is to just let the arranged marriage to happen. That's the best solution to everything at the moment. It's what he needs to sway the public and accept him. Even a little change on how they view the Prince would help out a lot.

"Fernan, this is not what I want," he whispered. "It's too unfair for Aliyah, don't you think so?"

"No, I don't think so," Fernan stated. "She is going to be a Princess, she will have the status of a Royal."

"But her life will be limited to living without the freedom to choose what she want to do-"

"Hmm?" Fernan raised one brow to interrogate the Prince. "Her choosing to agree with this marriage is literally Lady Aliyah's decision made with her own free will. She wanted to do this. So I can tell, that is not the real problem."

Prince Kairo took a deep breath in. Right now he removed his coat and drank a cold water from his matte black tumbler.

"Fernan can you get me better ideas to clear my name first before choosing to go to the extremities?"

"No," the Queen entered his office without any notice or announcements. "The plan will push through Kairo. Hindi ako nakikipagbiruan, hindi ito basta- basta lang para sa babaeng pakakasalan mo,"ngayon lang nakita ang Reyna na ganito kagalit. Kunot ang kan'yang noo, nanlilisik ang kan' yang mga mata. Hindi na nga niya kinailangan na ma announce ang pagdating niya sa lugar ng Prinsipe. She couldn't contain the anger when she heard them from the outside.

"Queen," Fernan ang Prince Kairo bowed to show courtesy.

"Kairo, hindi mo pa rin ba naiintindihan kung gaano kasama ang posisyon natin ngayon? Kung mag tuloy- tuloy ang pag ayaw sa'yo ng mga tao, we will be pressured to move the title over to Tyler. Alam mo na 'yon ang gustong mangyari ni Felicia. Hindi ako tatayo lang dito para panoorin ang buong kaharian na tawanan ang iyong ama. Dahil sa kan'ya kaya naging ganito ka- successful ang Aztariya, kung malipat lang lahat sa pinsan mo, pipiliin mo pa na masira ang pinaghirapan niya kaysa sa ituloy ang kasal na ito?"

"Queen, that's not what I meant. Hindi ko lang gusto na madadamay si Aliyah sa ganitong gulo-"

"Stop talking," her voice gave off the authority that she always has whenever she's giving orders as the Queen. "Lady Aliyah decided, she gave us her word. And I found out through a simple letter that she's not only suitable because of her social status. She's literally doing this for the kingdom. She's willing to give her all just to save us. I didn't think that this scenario will occur. Expected ko na mahihirapan akong kumbinsihin siya. Hindi ko inaakala na ang sariling anak ko pa, ang mismong Prinsipe na siyang magiging susunod na Hari... ikaw pa ang gustong umayaw? This is not acceptable, coming from you."

Nakaupo lang si Prince Kairo at nakatungo kahit na iniwanan na siya ng Reyna. Tinanguan niya rin si Fernan upang lumabas na ito ng kan' yang opisina.

He hit his head on his own palm a couple of times before sighing. The sides of his head hurt, he did not intend to disappoint his mother that way. He just wished that he could deal with the problem himself before reeling anyone else in. Especially not Aliyah.

"Of course she agreed," he whispered. "Nakakahiya, kung sino pa ang pinaka nasaktan ko at pinaka nagawan ko ng masama, siya pa ang may kakayahan na iligtas ako ngayon. Hindi ko alam kung papaano ko siya ililigtas, kailangan ko siyang mailayo sa akin," kinakausap niya ang sarili niya habang tinitignan ang folder sa harapan niya. Punong- puno ito ng mga plano kung papaano niya masusubukan na mabaliktad ang sitwasyon. But everyone's right. It's not as simple as he think it is.

"Is this how karma works?" he asked himself with a bitter smile on his face. "I guess so," he nodded.

Lumabas nalang siya sa kan' yang opisina para sana magpahangin sa labas. Kaya lang nang makarating na siya sa may hardin, nakita niya ang isa sa mga maid na nakaposisyon sa kung saan siya nananatili.

Bata pa itong babae, kung titignan nang maigi, mapapansin na hindi masyadong malaki ang agwat ng kanilang edad. Siguro ay mas matanda lang ng dalawa o tatlong taon ang babae kumpara sa Prinsipe.

"Prince Kairo!" masigla niyang bati. Moira ang ngalan ng babae.

Nang makita siya ng Prinsipe ay kaswal niya itong tinanguan. Akmang maglalakad na ito papalayo ngunit magiliw pa rin siyang sinusundan ni Moira mula sa likod.

"Ano po ang kailangan nin' yo?" tanong ng babae.

Umiling ang Prinsipe, "Wala," tipid nitong sagot.

"Gusto niyo po ba na ikuha ko kayo ng maiinom? Makakain? 'Di kaya naman ay-"

"Can you leave me alone?" the maid was shocked. Mabilis niyang kinagat ang kan' yang labi at yumuko. "I want to do my own thing. Can you go?"

Tumango nang napakabilis ang babae at tumakbo ito pabalik sa kan'yang ina na nasa may likod ng palasyo, nag aayos sa mga halaman na nasa paso.

"Ma," Moira called her mother. "Sinigawan na naman ako ni Prince Kairo."

The older woman smiled, "Ano ka ba Moira, alam mo naman na hindi na basta- basta si Kairo ang lalaki na 'yon. Hindi porket noong bata ka ay nakakalaro mo siya s tuwing isinasama kita rito, ngayon ay magiging ganoon pa rin ang trato niya sa'yo. Marami na siyang iniisip ngayon, marami na siyang kailangan na problemahin. At sa tuwing lumalabas siya sa hardin, 'yan lang ang panahon na nakukuha niyang makahinga nang maayos."

"Pero gusto ko lang naman siyang kausapin. Kung hahayaan niya ako, puwede ko rin siyang matulungan para hindi na siya palaging stressed. Noong bata pa kami, masaya naman kami lagi sa tuwing naglalaro kami. Kung lalapitan ko siya bilang kaibigan, hindi ba at mas makakatulong ako?"

"Moira," her mother looked at her with concern in her eyes. "Siya ang susunod na hari ng bansa. Hindi siya narito para maghanap ng kaibigan. Huwag mo na siyang guguluhin ulit, lalo na ngayon at may kailangan pa siyang seryosong pagplanuhan."

"At ano naman 'yon?" Moira asked.

"Hindi mo ba narinig? Malapit na siyang ikasal."

Parang narinig ni Moira na mabasag ang lahat ng panaginip at imahinasyon niya nang malaman ang impormasyon na 'yon. Lumingon siya pabalik sa kung nasaan ang hardin para pagmasdan ang Prinsipe.

Her eyes were filled with fiery passion when she whispered , "Hindi puwede."

"Ano 'yon 'nak?"

"Hindi puwede. Sa akin lang si Kai... sa akin lang."