"Thank God, you're now awake!" I heard someone shouted. Pinilit kong imulat ang mga mata ko. Everything is color white. Am I already in heaven?

"I shouldn't have let you try that potion you made. Bakit ba kasi kailangang ikaw pa ang uminom n'on para malaman kung mabisa nga? You should have hired a guinea pig like you're always doing. Malalagot talaga ako sa parents mo once they knew about this accident."

She keeps on talking and talking but I know nothing about what she's  saying kaya naman inisip ko nalang kung anong nangyari and why I ended up in here.

Ano nga bang nangyari? I remember sneaking out with a book in the attic and reading it in my room. Then, after I cried when I finished the book, I fell asleep. I heard my grandma calling me. Then, I woke up… with this girl calling me--

"Victoria," she said kaya naman napalingon ako sa kanya. Yes, that name! That's what she called me lately before I collapsed.

"Nakikinig ka ba sa'kin?" She asked.

"Sino ka?" I also asked, ignoring her question pero imbis na sagutin ako, she just bursted into laughter kaya naman napakunot ang noo ko.

"Don't pull that lame prank again, Victoria. Hindi na gagana sa akin 'yan," she said. But instead of replying, pinagmasdan ko lang siya.

She looks like the age of mine. Blond long, slightly curled hair, fair skin, thick eye lashes, and emerald eyes. She looks like a doll-- a princess, to be exact.

"Hindi ka ba nagbibiro? Hindi mo nga ako nakikilala?" Tanong niya nang mapansing seryoso ako at hindi kumikibo. Umiling naman ako.

"Oh gosh! Could it be the side effect of potion you drunk!?" Hindi niya makapaniwalang sambit. What she's saying doesn't even made sense to me.

"It's me, Princess Ashley of Wilhem, Victoria. Your bestfriend!" Sabi niya at hinawakan pa ako sa balikat.

Wait… Ashley? Of Wilhem? That's the name of the bestfriend of the protagonist in the book I just finished reading last night named… wait, that's impossibly absurd!

"Sino ako, sabi mo?" I asked at tinuro turo pa ang sarili.

"You're Princess Victoria of Winzella." Sabi niya at umirap. Napakurap naman ako ng tatlong beses.

V-Victoria. She's the protagonist of that book. C-Could it be possible that I'm inside a fairytale?

~~~~~~

"Your parents shouldn't know about the accident. Malalagot tayo pareho! Kaya kapag nakarating na tayo sa palasyo niyo, just don't speak if you don't know. Ako na ang bahala. Myghad, Victoria! Ano na naman ba kasing gulo ang pinasok mo!" Ashley said while we're riding a carriage towards my so-called 'castle'

Huminga ako ng malalim. Maybe, this is just a dream. Siguro masyado akong natutok sa pagbabasa at napanaginipan ko na.

A huge silver gate opened for the carriage. Sinalubong kami ng isang napakagandang palasyo. I looked around. A fountain where crystal clear water are dancing is here. That's where Prince Ethan will reject Victoria's love. And there's also the garden full of Victoria's favorite flower, sunflowers.

Aish, I'm really going to be crazy because of these stuffs! This dream is so clear that it seems realistic.

We went inside the castle. Things made of golds and silvers were everywhere! Napakaganda ng paligid. If it's just a dream, I don't think I wanna wake up. I'm a princess here and I have everything.

"What happened? Bakit wala kayo sa school?" A sweet voice said. I looked at where it came from. A lady with black curly hair wearing a silver marvelous gown and a golden crown is in our front. Sa pananamit niya, I guess, she's the Queen Lea of Winzellia.

"Victoria is not feeling well, your highness. Kaya po pinauwi muna siya at sinamahan ko dito. Right, Victoria?" Sabi ni Ashley at tumingin sakin with a please- go- with -the -flow look kaya tumango naman ako.

Bigla naman akong niyakap ng reyna. I remember, Queen Lea is a sweet and loving mother and a good ruler in their kingdom like her husband. Matiwasay ang pamumuno nila not until they got an accident which led them to death. The kingdom doesn't have a choice but to crown Victoria as their new queen since her siblings are underage. She's a ruthless leader that led her kingdom into suffering.

"You should go to your room. Rest, my daughter, okay?" Sabi niya at bumitaw ng yakap. Ngumiti naman ako at tumango.

Sinamahan ako ni Ashley papunta sa kwarto ni Victoria. But as she open the door, my eyes ache with the color of the walls. Victoria loves the color yellow and it's my opposite. Ang sakit sa mata.

"You should rest for now, Victoria. Sana bumalik na ang alaala mo pagkagising." Ngumiti siya tsaka isinarado ang pinto.

Humiga ako sa kama. Hinimas himas ko ito dahil napakalambot. This is enough for a dream. If I'll sleep here, I'll definitely wake up.

~~~~~

Naalimpungatan ako nang may kumatok ng tatlo sa pinto. Napabangon naman ako habang hindi pa rin dumidilat. Aish, I'm still sleepy.

"Lola, inaantok pa po ako" reklamo ko nang narinig kong bumukas ang pinto.

"Anong lola ang pinagsasasabi mo dyan? I'm too young and beautiful to be a grandmother, duh" napamulat naman ako dahil sa nagsalita. Pero napapikit ulit ako dahil napakasakit talaga sa mata ng kulay dilaw na kisame.

Pinagmasdan ko nang mabuti ang babaeng nakakibit-balikat sa tapat ng pinto. She looks younger than me. Her black hair is bunned and she's also wearing the uniform I'm wearing. A white blouse and a golden ochre skirt.

"Inumin mo daw sabi ni Ina. Huwag mo na palang inumin. Alam ko namang nagdadahilan ka lang na masama ang pakiramdam. Nabored ka lang sa school kaya walang pasabi ka na namang umalis." She said as she put a medicine in the table beside the bed. Why do they keep on talking about things I know nothing about?

"What's your name again?" I asked. She might be one of the characters in the story I'm dreaming in.

"At kailan ka pa naging makakalimutin? I'm Ariel, your beautiful sister." Sabi niya at umikot ikot pa. Umalis din siya maya-maya saying that I'm crazy. Yes, I know.

I went out of the room because my eyes really ache with the color of the wall. Pumunta ako sa garden.

There are different kinds of plants and flowers there. Pero highlight talaga ang mga sunflowers sa gitna. I search the surrounding just to find my favorite flower, Orchids! Nakasabi ito sa mga katawan ng mga puno. How I love them, especially the violet ones.

Pero natigil ako sa pagmamasid sa mga bulaklak nang may marinig akong ingay sa labas ng gate.

"Umalis na kayo dito, tanda! Wala kang mapalala dito." Sigaw ng isang kawal tsaka tinulak ang isang matanda palayo. Agad naman akong lumapit at tinulungan siya.

"Bakit niyo ba siya tinutulak!?" Sigaw ko kaya napayuko ang mga kawal. Napalakas yata ng sobra ang boses ko.

"Patawad, mahal na prinsesa. Nais niya po kasing pumasok sa loobat humingi ng makakain." Sabi naman ng isa sa kanila.

"Bakit hindi niyo papasukin? Tinutulak niyo pa!" Sabi ko sa kanila at tinanong ang matanda kung ayos lang.

"Kamahalan, h-hindi po ba't kayo ang nag-utos sa amin na huwag magpapapasok ng mga pulubi sa palasyo?" Nagtatakang tanongng isa kaya naman natigilan ako.

'Hindi ako 'yon. It's Victoria.' But instead of saying that, "Simula ngayon, baguhin niyo iyon." Sabi ko nalang at inalalayang pumasok ang matanda.

Pinaupo ko siya sa isang bench sa garden at tinanong kung ano ang kailangan niya. Sinabi niya naman na nais niya ng pagkain kaya pumasok ako sa palasyo at inutusan ang isang tagapagsilbi na kumuha ng tinapay sa kusina. Ako na dapat ang kukuha kaso naalala ko na hindi ko pala alam kung nasaan ang kusina.

"Nasaan po ang pamilya niyo? Ang mga anak niyo?" Tanong ko habang pinagmamasdan ang matanda. Naaalala ko sa kanya si Lola Esme.

"Nasa malayong lugar sila." Sabi niya naman ngunit nabulunan kaya tinapik ko ng kaunti ang kanyang likod.

"Sandali lang po at kukuha ako ng tubig." Sabi ko at aalis na sana ngunit napatigil ako nang magsalita ulit ang matanda.

"Hindi ikaw ang Prinsesa Victoria, tama ba, hija?"

*********