42: Futile Attempt

Diana clenched her fist.

Her situation now was too hard. Her family was angry at her for giving them shame to the whole Grey City. Ayos lang sana if her father was able to contain the news but it spread so much to point na ultimanong sa bayan ay nakaabot ang balita.

People were now talking behind her. Kesyo daw she was a seductress, na sinadya niya ang nangyari dahil hindi niya gusto na minamatchmake ng Emperor sila Prince Vio at Emy.

Maaatim pa sana niya ang ibang balita tungkol sa kanya eh. But not those that were attached with Emy's name.

Hindi rin siya pinapansin ni Prince Vio. Ang dami dami pa niyang plano. Ni hindi pa nga siya naaannounce as Crown Prince. Paano na lamang kung makaapekto ito sa kanya?

And he was trying his best to please their father. But now, it was Sebastian who had the most favor at the moment.

Matapos itong ipadala ng Papa niya sa isang mission, madalas na silang nag-uusap ng sila lang. Sebastian, the Emperor, the Prime Minister and the Minister of War. All the trusted people of the Emperor and he was not one of them.

At mas lalo pang lumala ang sitwasyon dahil sa scandal na ito.

Diana wanted to rectify the situation but she couldn’t find any solution.

The only thing she had at the moment was the Black Council and even that was crumbling. Iilan na lang ang members niya. At umaasa na lang siya kay Prince Vio para magmukhang marami ang mga tao niya.

But now that he was not supporting her anymore, ramdam na ramdam niya kung gaano kalaki ang damage ang nagawa ng White Queen sa kanya.

That White Queen and that bitch Emy...

They were both thorns in her throat. She needed to find a way to remove them out.

***

The past few days, pinag-isipang mabuti ni Diana ang mga dapat niyang gawin. She was recalling everything that happened in the past hanggang sa present.

What could have gone wrong? What could she have done better?

She was not an idiot. If it was just about strategies, she wouldn’t be easily taken down.

The most impacting factor na nakikita niya kung bakit ganito ang nangyayari was the fact that she had been complacent. That and the fact that she had focused on wrong things.

Nadala siyang masyado sa White Queen na hindi niya napansin that someone was already moving in the background to pull her wings one by one.

She also admitted that she was too proud then. That she had probably felt it but it just that she couldn't accept the fact that a tiny speck could shake her world and get it out of balance.

But as they say, walang malaki na nakakapuwing.

Napahinga siya ng malalim as she took a look on her table. She had written down the events that had happened these past few days and reenacted it by means of chess.

And the scene on the chessboard right now was very familiar.

Napangiti siya.

So it was her all alone.

Hindi niya alam kung paano niya iyon nagawa. From stealing the White Mask, bombing the headquarters up to putting permanent scars to their perfect relationship of Prince Vio...

But one thing was for sure, Emy had shown her these scenarios before... noong mismong nakalaban niya ito sa Initiation Day. Maaaring napakalaki na ng damage na natamo niya. But it didn’t mean she couldn’t retaliate now that she had found out about these.

It was time for her to revive herself and rectify the situation.

***

Diana called out her people, without Lucy, and planned the next attack.

She was going to use the Black Council. And this time, sisiguraduhin niya na maccorner niya ang babaeng iyon.

She just needed five teams kaya hindi na siya lumapit kay Vio para dito. She would use all of her members, except for Lucy, and they would serve as her bait.

The Black Council moved like a panther every time they attack. The reason why no one caught them before attacking was because they were using the secret passages of the Grey Academy.

There were lot of those at lahat iyon ay alam nila. Just because the engineer of this Academy was once a member of the Black Council. It was one of their privilege to have the real blueprint of the school.

Bukod pa doon, they used diversion. Some members would already send panic about the attack. It would bring scare to the students, at the same time, it would serve as signal for their members.

Saka pa lamang sila lalabas.

That was what exactly going to happen today. But she was not going to participate the attack. She had another plan.

As soon as she saw Emy, binigyan niya ng signal ang mga mag-uumpisa ng panic. Agad naman silang lumabas. They started shouting about the Black Council attack at agad na nagsipagtakbuhan ang mga tao.

That moment, lumabas na rin ang mga members nila na nakacloak saka nag-umpisa ng umatake. The more vicious they were, the quicker the White Queen would respond.

She looked at Emy at napansin niya na inabot nito ang gamit niya kay Lucy. Saka mabilis na tumakbo. She immediately followed her. She used secret passages to make sure na hindi siya nito agad mapapansin.

Hanggang sa tumigil ito sa may corridor kung saan nakatago ang White Mask. Emy pressed her hands on the wall saka may lumabas doon na numbers. She input the code at unti unti ay bumukas iyon.

That was when she showed up to her.

"So it's really you." Nakasmirk niyang sabi dito.

Natigilan ito at saka dahan dahan siyang hinarap.

"You..."

"Yes, it's me, Emy."

Humakbang siya palapit dito but Emy stood her ground. Then her eyes landed on the small compartment on the wall.

Isasara na sana nito iyon pero mabilis niyang pinigilan ang mga kamay nito. Sakto naman na nagsigawan sa labas.

"The White Queen has arrived! White Queen, help us please!"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Diana at saka ipinaling ang ulo niya mula sa corridor na pinanggalingan nila. But she couldn’t see from where she was. She could only hear the screaming and cheering from the outside. It sounded like the White Queen was really there.

Emy smirked.

"Diana, what are you doing?"

"You..." She looked at the lady in front of her incredulously.

Diana was sure about Emy being the White Queen. But how come, there were someone else outside posing as her.

Then a thought occurred to her.

"Is it Lucy?" She asked.

"What?"

"Is it Lucy? You left her there and run here. Yes, yes. I am quite sure. It is her."

"I don't understand you, Diana."

But the expression of her face said otherwise. Her smirk told Diana that the lady was playing her.

Bigla namang sumulpot si Lucy.

"Emy, why are you making me carry your things?" Iritable nitong sabi sa kanya. Then her expression changed as soon as she saw Diana.

Agad na pumagitna si Lucy sa dalawa.

"Diana, what are you planning to do?"

"You! Why are you here?" Yung itsura ni Diana ay parang mababaliw na. How was it possible? How could these two people were here?

"Lucy, I run here dahil may naiwan ako. Then bigla na lang sumulpot si Diana." Emy explained. Her expression was scared but the moment na inalis ni Lucy ang paningin sa kanya ay agad siyang ngumiti.

"You, bitch!" Diana screamed.

Kasabay ng sigaw niya ang nakakabinging pagdiriwang ng buong school.

"Yes! Capture them all! Capture the Black Council!"

Diana was dumbfounded. Her eyes were widened, her jaw dropped as she started to realize that she fell on the trap.

"Checkmate." She saw Emy mouthed at her.

Sinamaan niya ito ng tingin and was about to attack her but someone stopped her.

It was Alessandra.

She shoved Diana on the floor. Then looked at her coldly bago tumingin kay Emy.

"Emy, it's done. The Black Council members are all caught by the Royal Guards."

Kunot noo namang ipinagpalit palit ni Lucy ang paningin niya sa dalawa. But she just remained silent. She would just ask Emy later.

"And someone ask me to give this to you." Saka inilabas ni Alessandra ang White Mask saka ibinigay kay Emy.

Nanlaki ang mata ni Diana. Lucy was surprised too but her curiosity could wait.

Emy reached for the mask. Then she looked at Diana's expression.

At hindi na niya napigilan na tumawa ng malakas dahil sa itsura nito ngayon.

"How dare you?!"

She was about to attack her again pero humarang sila Lucy at Alessandra sa kanilang dalawa.

"Let me go! I will kill that bitch! I will kill her!"

Emy was still laughing habang ibinabalik sa small compartment yung White Mask. She wouldn’t be needing it anymore.

"Yes, Diana. You've got it all correct. It was me who was working behind you. It was me who was playing as the White Queen at the same time.

"I am the reason why you are looking so pathetic right now.

"But what else can you do about it?"

Alessandra and Lucy shoved Diana on the floor again. Then Emy started approaching her.

Diana had no longer strength to attack. It was not because of the push of Alessandra and Lucy. But because of the failure she experienced now.

Emy crouched beside her.

"You realize my plan a little bit too late, Diana. Kung noon mo pa sana naisip that it is me all along, baka sakaling hindi ganito ang nangyari.

"This is meant to happen though. This is the heaven's gift to you. After what you have done before, you are just lucky that I am still sparing your life right now."

Emy tapped her cheeks. Saka tumayo.

"Let's go..."

They left her there, sobbing at her defeat.

***