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ELIORA

MY FEET ARE hanging as I sit dangerously at the edge of the window at the highest point of this tower, staring in admiration over the magnificent town of Alcadia. I was born and raised in this magnificent town, but I was never given the chance to wander around and get to know the people.

I shiver when a gust of cold wind brushes against my bare skin. Winter's coming, and that's my favourite season! I tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear and continued to stare at the busy people working on the town and the children playing in the park.

"How I wish I could walk freely around the town, too..."

I sighed in despair, knowing I couldn't do that. Because I don't have a choice. My own family confined me permanently to this dark side of the castle, cut off from the rest of Alcadian.

Ni hindi ko na maalala kung kailan ako simulang itago rito ng pamilya ko. Siguro simula nang ipanganak ako ay dito na ako ikinulong dahil wala ako ni isang memory na nakalabas ako mula rito sa tower. Buong buhay ko nandito lang ako. Nakakulong.

Ang tanging nakakabisita lang sa'kin dito ay ang kakambal kong si Annalyn – na patago at tuwing gabi lang nakakadalaw, at kasama ko naman ang mag-asawang si Manang Imelda at Manong Ronald na nagpalaki at nagtiyagang nag-alaga sa'kin simula pagkabata ko. Si Ate Sally na naging teacher ko simula pagkabata ko hanggang magdalaga ako, at minsan napapadpad din ang magulang ko rito na mabibilang ko lang sa daliri ko kung ilang beses nangyari 'yon.

"Princess Eliora bumaba ka nga r'yan at baka mahulog ka!" Agad akong napalingon kay Manang Imelda na nakahawak pa sa kanyang dibdib dahil sa kaba.

"Nay! Mas lalo nga akong mahuhulog dahil sa pagsigaw mo." Natatawang sagot ko. Nanay na rin ang tawag ko kay Manang dahil siya na ang nagpalaki sa'kin.

"Halika na't kakain na tayo. Bumaba kana r'yan! Ikaw talagang bata ka, aatakihin ako sa mga ginagawa mo!"

"Ang ganda po kasi ng view dito, e. Tanaw na tanaw ko ang buong Alcadia."

I heard Manang Imelda sigh as I heard her footsteps approaching me. She reached for my hand, gently squeezing it.

"Konting tiis nalang at makakalabas ka rin dito Princess Eliora." I looked over my shoulder and slightly smiled at Manang, who had a sad look on her face. Ilang beses ko na bang narinig mula kay Manang Imelda 'yan? Hindi ko na mabilang dahil hindi naman nagkakatotoo.

Sandali kaming natahimik ni Manang bago ko mapagdesisyonang umalis sa pagkakaupo sa bintana. Ramdam ko na rin kasi 'yong kaba ni Manang Imelda dahil ang higpit nang pagkakakapit niya sa kamay ko dahil sa takot na mahulog ako.

"Siya nga pala at nagdala ng paborito mong pagkain si Princess Annalyn kanina."

"Babalik pa raw po ba siya?" agad na tanong ko. Nginitian ako ni Manang bago dahan-dahang tumango kaya napangiti agad ako.

"Ang sabi niya pagkatapos daw ng royal dinner nila kasama ang pamilya ni Prince Nolan Edmund ay babalik siya agad rito."

"Ahh, okay po. At saka Nay, Eliora lang po, wala ng Princess. 'Di ba sabi ko naman po sainyo na h'wag niyo akong ituring na Prinsesa dahil hindi naman talaga ako Prinsesa."

"Anak ka pa rin ni King Phelan at Queen Guinevere kaya isa ka pa ring tunay na Prinsesa."

I immediately shook my head and clung to her arm. "Na-uh! Anak niyo po ako ni Tay Ronald kaya." sambit ko at agad na natawa si Manang Imelda habang nailing nalang bago kami nagpatuloy sa paglalakad papuntang dining room kung saan nanghihintay si Manong Ronald samin.

Every day, the only thing I look forward to is when my identical twin sister visits me, which is usually at night. When everyone is getting ready for bed, she will quietly sneak out of the castle so we can chitchat continuously about what happened to us each day, or rather, I listen to her while she tells me stories about her exciting day.

Kung hindi dahil sa kakambal ko, wala akong malalaman tungkol sa mga nangyayari sa bayan ng Alcadia. My family is the town's royal family, and our duty is to serve and govern the people of Alcadia, as well as to ensure that they get adequate needs and assistance from us. And I had never done anything like that to Alcadians in my life because I am imprisoned.

The Alcadians don't even know that I exist.

They only know one princess, and that is my twin sister... and I don't resent or blame her for what is happening to me. It's not her fault that our parents believe she's the immaculate and perfect daughter while I'm the problematic daughter who cannot be seen by the rest of the town. It's not Annalyn's fault that our parents see me as a risk to their years of hard work in building our family's reputation.

Mas importante sa magulang ko ang reputasyon ng pamilya kaysa sa'kin.

"Princess—Eliora, okay ka lang ba?" Nag-aalalang tanong ni Manong Ronald. Agad ko siyang nginitian.

"Ayos na ayos lang po ako Tay."

"Alam ko 'yang mga ganyang kinikilos mo Nak, may binabalak ka nanaman ha." pinanliitan ako ng mata ni Manong kaya agad akong natawa.

"Grabe naman ho kayo sa'kin, hindi po ako tatakas... pa ulit,"

"Ikaw talagang bata ka," nailing na sabi naman ni Manang Imelda.

After dinner, I quickly took a bath and said my goodnights to Manang Imelda and Manong Ronald before heading to my bedroom. Wearing my PJ's, I patiently waited for Annalyn to come.

It was almost midnight when Annalyn entered my room, carrying cans of beer in her arms.

My eyes widened. "Did you sneak those beers out?!"

"Ah-huh!" Annalyn said proudly, handing me one beer.

"How, though?"

"Master na yata ako sa pagtakas! Sa ilang taon ko ba namang pagtakas para puntahan ka dito."

"You're so dead to the King and Queen!"

"Nope! Hindi naman nila malalaman, e." she answered, rolling her eyes before sipping her beer. "Besides, I really need a drink right now given what happened at the quote-unquote royal dinner."

My brow furrowed. "What happened at the quote-unquote royal dinner?"

Annalyn sighs heavily and stares blankly at me. I can tell just by glancing at her face that the king and queen — our parents – have done something again. It's amusing how Annalyn, and I appear identical, yet when I look at my twin sister, she's the polar opposite of me.

Annalyn is dressed in a magnificent gown made of the most expensive and high-quality furs and materials, such as silk trimmings and golden threads for lace. Long dark hair falls in smooth waves, and her body is covered in gold accessories, while I'm dressed in an old ragged shirt and PJ's and my hair is put in a messy bun. It would be difficult to tell us apart if it weren't for the fact that her eyes are brown and mine are pitch black.

We're both princesses, yet it doesn't seem right to refer to myself as one. It's just not right. I am never introduced as a princess anyway.

"I'm getting married."

"What?!" I exclaimed. Agad nanlaki ang mata ko dahil sa sinabi ni Annalyn.

"They set me up to marry Prince Nolan Edmund of Glandier. And they want us to get married as soon as possible." She started crying, and I immediately ran to her to give her a hug.

"Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko Eliora... Ni hindi ko alam kung papaano ko 'to sasabihin kay Olwen. You know how much I love him."

"Shh... everything's going to be all right, Annalyn."

"It's not! You know our parents, Eli! Kapag sinabi nila, wala na tayong magagawa pa!" she pulled away from me and started pacing back and forth.

I sigh. I can't let my parents ruin and control Annalyn's life just like how they controlled mine, but how can I stop them when I couldn't even do anything to get out of this hellhole!

"Sigurado akong makikipaghiwalay sakin si Olwen kapag nalaman niya 'to dahil iisipin niya kaagad ang kapakanan ko. Walang laban ang pamilya niya sa'tin dahil hindi naman siya nanggaling sa isang royal family."

Sa'kin sinasabi ni Annalyn lahat-lahat. Ako lang ang nakakaalam sa patagong relasyon nila ni Olwen. Nagtatrabahong driver ang ama ni Olwen sa royal family habang isang kasambahay naman ang ina nito. At alam kong kahit na gano'n ang estado ng buhay ng pamilya ni Olwen ay totoong mahal ito ni Annalyn.

But she couldn't and wouldn't defy our parents' orders since they had declared her the perfect daughter, and being the perfect daughter comes with great consequences.

We were engulfed by silence. I'm at a loss for words because, if I were in Annalyn's shoes, I wouldn't be frightened to flee with the person I love the most and lose my status as a princess. That is most likely why my parents chose to jail me.

"What are you going to do?" I asked after Annalyn had calmed down.

She looked at me with a determination I'd never seen on her face. My eyebrows furrowed. I've never seen her that enraged.

"I'm going to do all I can to prevent this wedding from happening."

If I had only known what was going to happen to Annalyn, I would have stopped her.

W H A T Y A S E Y