Chapter 20
1387 Words
Asper Reign’s Pov
“So, kalmado na ba ang lahat?” tanong ni Mommy nang i-resume namin ang video conference na naudlot dahil hindi kinaya ng mga kapatid ko ang rebelasyon na kanilang nalaman. “You didn’t think of using this information, right?”
“Taking back the country is not really an option,” mabilis na sabi ni Jasper. “Hindi na nga madali ang pagha-handle ng isang region, paano pa kaya kung isang bansa? So, hindi ko din talaga masisisi si Lolo kung bakit ganoon lang kadali para sa kanya na bitiwan ang posisyon niya.”
“Well, not that he was tired of serving the country,” ani Daddy. “He just did what he thought was right at that moment. It is already hurting him seeing that the soldiers of his palace were dying to protect him.”
“But Dad,” I said. “Kung sakali ba… Kung sakali lang, okay?” mabilis kong depensa nang makitang halos lahat sila ay nakakunot na ng noo. “I am not doing anything, I just wanted to know the extent of something.”
Dad sighed and nodded. “What is it?”
“Kung sakali ba na… you know, we do something and take back the country for ourselves, do we have a chance?” Given what the Azaria are doing right now, I have the feeling that soon, we will be forced to do something about them.
Hindi siya nagdalawang-isip na tumango. “Yes, Asper,” he answered. “We do have a chance.” He looked straight at the camera. “Your grandfather didn’t give up this land because he was afraid. Gusto lang niyang pigilan ang pagdanak ng dugo bago pa ito kumalat sa buong bansa at madamay pa ang mga ordinaryong mamamayan.”
“But your grandfather still has power over the palace,” Mom said. “Marami pa rin sa mga nagtatrabaho doon ang naniniwala na ang lolo niyo ang nararapat na namumuno sa bansa at lagi nilang sinasabi sa Daddy niyo kapag may pagkakataon na lagi silang nakasuporta sa pamilya natin.”
“At handa silang sumuporta kung sakali man na magdesisyon akong bawiin ang pamumuno dito.”
Tumangu-tango ako. “Just to be clear, I am not thinking of taking back this country, okay? But with what is happening right now and with this knowledge that I got, I have to tell you that if the safety of the people is compromised, I am not going to just sit in the side and watch them hurt.”
Iyon ang kinalakihan ko, ang paniniguro na hindi kailanman malalagay sa panganib ang buhay ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan ng bansa. At kahit na abala ako sa pansarili kong problema, hindi ibig sabihin ay wala na akong ginagawa para sa ikabubuti nila.
“Well, you were not Asper if you will not do that,” nakangiting sabi ni Daddy.
“We kinda expect that you would say that,” ani Mommy. “Especially now that Azaria has been doing dangerous things that might put the whole country in danger.”
“Speaking of that,” ani Kezia. “Is it really true? Azaria has been working with the people that betrayed Jyn and started a war over other countries that they want to invade?”
I nodded. “It has been happening for six years but the world government only took action three weeks ago.”
“Hindi na nakakapagtaka kung bakit nagkakagulo ngayon ang palasyo,” ani Aasiyah. “I visited there one time and the tension between Cloven and Hector’s faction is way more intense than usual.”
“Does it mean we have to expect that a war might happen in our land?” Easter asked.
“That is not impossible,” Dad answered. “There has been talk that the world government is asking the Azaria to relinquish their post and give their leadership to somebody else before things got worse.”
“With this rumor floating around, the Reveni Empire reaches out to your father and offers their help if we need it in any way we want,” Mom added. “But they advise us that we should work with the world government if we want to put an end to the issue.”
Well, magiging madali nga naman iyon.
The world government only wanted the Azaria Clan and the Rioghail since they were the ones responsible for the attack on the other countries. They don’t want to involve the ordinary people of this land so they couldn’t do much to stop this issue.
Pero siguradong hindi papayag ang mga Azaria na bumagsak na lang. Pinaghirapan nilang kunin sa angkan namin ang pamumuno sa bansang ito. They give so much effort and life just to own this land and they will not just back down.
“So? What are we going to do now?” Jasper asked.
“Nothing,” I said and smiled. “Not everyone in that clan has ill intent for this land or wanted to invade others. The current generation turns out to be more suitable for the throne because they are willing to do their best for the sake of the people.”
Miracle and Hector have been trying to deal with their clan’s mistake. It is not right for us to meddle with that when they are still working on it.
We have to let them handle their own affairs and trust them.
“Yeah,” Dad said. “Upon learning the issue, Miracle and Hector, along with the youngest princess, Clea Mair, were the ones who confronted their elders. Raydan and Clarielle’s hands are tied in this issue and cannot decide for themselves so they just give that responsibility to their children.”
“What about Cloven?” I asked.
“Well…” Napaiwas siya ng tingin at napasapo ng noo tsaka bumuntong hininga. “I don’t even know why that man has the guts to fight Hector when he doesn’t even know about what was happening in the country.”
“Well, the elders of his clan have his back,” I snorted. “Dad, with what is happening right now, I’m worried they might use this chance to force a marriage into our family.”
“Right,” ani Kezia. “Siguradong alam ng mga matatandang iyon ang relasyon ng angkan natin sa Reveni Empire.”
Once one of them is married into our family, they can take advantage of our relationship with the Reveni Empire, as one of the former clans that serve the previous emperors and relatives of the last empress.
They will surely force us to use that relationship to take them on our side so they can continue what they are doing.
“They are already pressuring me, kids,” Dad said. “Just like what Asper thought, they now wanted Aasiyah to wed Cloven. Nagbanta pa sila na kapag hindi ako sumunod sa gusto nila ay ituturing nila itong kataksilan sa bansa at agad na lilitisin ang angkan natin.”
“What?” s**t! I have to do some—
“No!”
Natigilan kaming lahat sa biglang pagsasalita ni Aasiyah.
“Aasiyah?”
“I know that you have been protecting me all this time to ensure I don’t experience what happened to Asper when she was the target of the Azaria Clan,” she said. “But I am a grown lady. I may be physically fragile but I know how to protect myself.”
“Are you telling us to back off now?” Dad asked.
At nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang biglang tumango si Aasiyah.
“Aasiyah!”
“As Dad finally told us the truth about our clan, I suddenly realized that we still have a duty to the people of this land,” she said. “And I am ready to fulfill that.”
“What are you trying to do, Siyah?” Kezia said.
“Dad, please accept the marriage agreement with Azaria,” she said, which shocked us all. Kahit si Daddy ay hindi din inaasahan ang sinabi niya. “But clearly state to them that I will only marry the heir to the throne. Kaya hindi mangyayari ang kasal hangga’t hindi natatapos ang laban sa pagitan ni Hector at Cloven.”
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