25: Agatha

When Sebastian went back to the palace, agad siyang sinabon ni Vio tungkol sa "pagkakatakas" nung nakaputing maskara. Simple siya nitong ipinihiya sa harap ng kanilang ama at mga tauhan nito.

Hindi naman nakakapagtaka iyon dahil bukod sa nabulilyaso na naman ang plano nila ay nagkaharap pa silang dalawa kanina. Kaya malamang ang init ng dugo nito sa kanya.

"Your priority should be the command of the Emperor before your role as the President of Supreme."

"My priority must be the most pressing one at the moment. And that is to suppress the Black Council members who were causing chaos around the campus.

"The Royal Guards have seen it too. The casualties made by the Black Council members were too much. Are you saying, Vio, that I should have turned a blind eye on them and instead pursued the White Masked person who did nothing but to defend the students against the Black Council?

"Do you really think that if I do that, the parents of those injured and wounded students will not pester our father? Or maybe that's what exactly you want to happen, brother? You want me and the Emperor to look bad by prioritizing the capture of the students' defender than stopping the Black Council."

Sebastian was never afraid to say whatever he wanted in front of their father. The Emperor was always fair. In fact, para walang agawan na mangyari, he decided to go by age sa pagpapasa ng trono.

That was why noong nabubuhay pa si Prince Marco ay ito ang dapat na itatanghal niya bilang Crown Prince. And now it was Prince Vio.

However, Prince Vio's eyes widened at the accusation of Sebastian. He looked at his father pero nakatingin lang din ito sa kanya with blank expression.

"Father, I..."

"Both of you have a point. Let's not castigate one another here. I still have that command standing but Sebastian can do whatever he deem more important within Grey Academy.

"After all, it is true that the Black Council has caused damage before and recently."

***

Emy, on the other hand, was dressed up as man today kasama ang kanyang mga maidservants at si Red, yung tauhan ni Calix na ipinadala nito para sa kanya. They changed in Purple Boutique ng mga damit nila saka sila nagdiretso sa isa pang tindahan ng mga damit sa bayan.

Gaya ng inaasahan niya, nandoon nga sa kabilang kalye nakatayo ang isa ring babae na nagpapanggap bilang lalaki.

Si Alessandra.

Emy smirked. She had been sparing this lady's life for quite sometime now.

Black Council had sub-unit teams when they were attacking and doing missions. Those seven members who died in the corridor where the White Mask was hidden were Alessandra’s team. That night, Diana granted her a day off. That exactly why Emy had chosen that day to attack.

And when she exploded the Black Council headquarters, she was suddenly received a letter from “Diana” and asked her to stay in the Multi-Purpose Hall.

Since she had been spared, Emy would start collecting now.

***

Alessandra had been already standing on that street kaharap ng isang tindahan ng mga damit for quite sometime now. She was waiting for Agatha to come out or kahit man lang sumilip sa bintana pero wala pa rin.

Baka sa loob ng patahian ito ngayon nakaassign. She sighed and weighed in her mind whether to go now or not. When suddenly, a group of men approached her.

Inalala niya na nakapanglalaki din siyang damit ngayon kaya naman baka magtatanong lang ang mga ito sa kanya.

Nang tuluyan na silang makalapit sa kanya ay saka pa lamang ibinaba nung nasa pinakagitna ang pamaypay niya. At napasinghap ng lihim si Alessandra dahil sa gandang lalaki nito.

"Whoever you're looking for was no longer there."

Halos napaubo si Alessandra when she heard the voice of that person in front of her.

She was also cross-dressing.

"Who are you?" Kunot noo niyang tanong dito.

"This is not the right place. If you want to know where is Agatha, then follow me."

Naglakad na paalis ang binata (na dalaga) at agad na sumunod sa kanya ang mga tao niya.

Agad din namang sumunod si Alessandra sa kanya. If it was about Agatha, then it was important for her to know.

Kalapit lang ng tindahan ng mga damit ay ang isang brothel.

Ilang beses ng nagcrossdress si Alessandra pero kahit kailan ay hindi pa siya pumasok sa isang brothel. Mainly because isa pa rin siyang dalaga at nakakahiya para sa kanya ang tumuntong sa lugar na ito.

Even Lia and Veronica felt the same way. But they just followed silently behind Emy and Anika na mukhang hindi man lang apektado kung nasaan man sila.

Emy actually didn’t care. When she was Samantha, she used to crossdress and visit brothel a lot. Marami siyang pinagkakaabalahan noon na kapag nalaman ng iba ay baka maapektuhan ang Papa niya. Kaya she disguised and visited places she should not have.

Lumapit ang isang dalaga sa kanila.

"What can I do for you, Misters?" Inisa isa niyang tignan ang mga magkakasama. Tatlo sa kanila ay nag-iwas ng tingin na nagpangiti sa kanya dahil naisip niya agad na baguhan pa lamang ito sa lugar na iyon.

Yung tatlo naman ay nakatingin sa kanya. But the one that caught her eyes was the one in the middle. What a beautiful looking man! He smiled at her nang mapansin nitong nakatingin siya. Agad siyang pinamulahan ng mukha at hiniling niya na sana ay siya na lang ang kunin ng mga ito.

"Give us a private room and tell Stella to join us." Sabi nung nasa pinakaunahan.

Agad naman siyang nadisappoint. It was pretty obvious from her face.

Anika smiled by herself. Her Miss could even charm the same sex. And she knew exactly how to use it.

Agad namang kumilos ang babae at saka sila dinala sa isang malaking kwarto na nasa pinakadulo na ng floor na iyon. Dalawa lang ang kwarto na naroroon at parehas na pangVIP lang ang mga iyon.

When they reached the room, sila Emy, Lia, Veronica at Alessandra lang ang pumasok doon. Anika and Red both waited outside.

Agad namang silang naupo at naghintay para kay Stella.

Stella was also one of Calix's people na nagtatrabaho sa brothel na yun. If a brothel was a good place to discuss a secret, it was also a good place to get one. Kaya lahat ng brothel sa Grey City ay may mga tao sila.

"Let's wait for Stella to come."

"Why do we need more people?"

Emy sneered at her. "Chill. It is not fun to talk without food in front of us."

Tumahimik si Alessandra saka tiningnan ang kaharap niya. She looked familiar and yet she couldn’t pinpoint kung saan nga ba niya nakita ito.

Napansin naman iyon ni Emy. But she didn't tell her what she should know.

Maya maya lang ay pumasok na si Stella at may dalang mga pagkain at maiinom.

"Young lady..." She greeted Emy at saka nakiupo rin sa kanila. Props lang naman siya ni Emy para masabi that they had done their purpose in this brothel.

"Well, she's here. Now tell me kung nasaan si Agatha."

Lia was about to tell her to fix her attitude in front of her Miss, pero pinigilan siya ni Emy by a stare.

"She is under my custody." Walang kagatol gatol na sabi nito.

Alessandra was surprised though. Anong ginagawa ng kapatid niya sa puder ng babaeng ito?

Oo, kapatid niya si Agatha. But the younger girl didn’t know.

It was her fault kung bakit sila nagkahiwalay na magkapatid.

Maaga silang naulila ng mga magulang niya. She was 8 while Agatha was still a new born during that time. Naaksidente ang pareho nilang magulang and that caused a great deal of argument among their families. Both of their parents' sides were fighting over their inheritance. Bata pa lang siya noon kaya wala pa siyang kakayahan na ipaglaban ang kanila.

Then she heard na gusto silang ipapatay ng mga kamag-anak nila. She took her sister and escaped their families. But she was not quick enough. In the end, napilitan siya na iwan ang kapatid sa simbahan.

Nang marinig ng Empress ang nangyari sa kanilang magkapatid ay agad sila nitong ipinahanap. Matalik na magkaibigan ang magulang niya at ito kaya ganon na lamang ang pag-aalala nito sa kanila.

She was saved by her.

Ipinahanap din nito ang kapatid niya, pero wala na ito sa simbahan.

Alessandra thought for a long time na namatay na ang kapatid niya. But she was able to come across her nang minsan siyang nasa market. Their resemblance was uncanny.

Ever since, she watched her sister secretly.

Hindi niya magawang sabihin dito ang ginawa niya noon. She was certain she would hate her.

Habang nabubuhay siya ng marangya at maayos sa loob ng palasyo ay inaalipin at nabubuhay ng parang hayop ang kapatid niya. She could not afford to receive her hate at nagkasya na lang sa pagtingin dito mula sa malayo.

"Your mind seems to be drifting away." Emy said. "Don't worry, wala pa din siyang alam. I took her from the slums she was living in dahil hindi siya kayang alisin doon ng nag-iisang kapatid niya. However, I can do that."

Alessandra balled her fist and looked at spite towards Emy. "What do you even know?"

"Oh, I quite know a lot, Alessandra. From your parent's death up to how you are living now as the Second-in-Command of the Black Council's leader."

Emy watched Alessandra as her eyes grew bigger.

"H-how..."

"I know everything. I even know that you conspired to kill Prince Marco months ago."

This time, Emy felt satisfaction as Alessandra changed her expression from shock to hurt. Sila Lia at Veronica naman ay parehong napasinghap.

"That's not true."

"I don't lie."

"That's not true!" She shouted at Emy. Lia and Veronica were alerted because of it.

But Alessandra didn't attack Emy. Instead, she started to sob in anguish. Emy, however, couldn't find in heart na maawa sa dalaga.

Alam niya na si Samantha talaga ang pakay nito. Diana promised her to get rid her. Because Alessandra was deeply in love back then kay Marco, she never liked the way he and Samantha were getting closer together. And so she made a deal with Diana.

Alessandra betrayed Marco and her which caused their deaths.

And Emy was going to use that against her.

"I didn't kill Prince Marco. All I want is to separate him to that slut Samantha. But he chose to die with her.

"What could he have possibly seen with that woman? She's nothing but a trash."

Alessandra found herself being slapped by Lia.

"How could you?!"

She was about to slap her back but her eyes landed on Emy. Then she remembered that her sister was in this lady's hands.

She slowly sank back on her seat habang nakatingin ng masama kay Lia.

"What do you want from me?" She asked Emy with spite.

Emy stood up and walked towards the mirror on the wall. She took off her hat and freed her long hair. Saka niya ito inayos ulit.

Anika could do it better but her work was good enough. Then she placed her hat again.

"What I want?" She traced her face on the mirror.

Then she smirked.

"Your betrayal back then in exchange of your betrayal now."

***