Chapter 2 - Second Visit To The Philippines

Another letter of invitation from the Malacañang Palace arrived at the royal castle in Denmark. This was the second invitation they received a few years ago when they went there to give help. Soon, the royals were in the palace again. Now, the president wanted them to see some of the major changes that happened in the area.

As they walked farther, they were all amazed except for Prince Mharl, who was not in the mood to talk and his mind flew back to the castle. In his senior year, he was the one to lead the group in their class, and besides his crush was there. This made him want to go home right away rather than join the trip to the Philippines again.

They turned right. A glass door automatically opened and the four guards were at their post at the entrance to meet them. Now, the president stood still suddenly, bowed his head, and gestured for everyone to enter. They were now in the dining hall overlooking the river and the garden on the other side.

“Prince Mharl, why not look at the river now? Look! The amazing arch in the center has a picturesque dove flying around,” the queen exclaimed.

“Yeah! So elegant and wonderful,” Prince Mharl exclaimed. Though art was his favorite, deep inside he was sleepy, tired, and uninterested.

Soon, dinner was served and maids came to give their food while the uniformed men were on their posts watching for their safety and other errands. While the conversation still going on and waiting for more food to serve, the prince asked to leave for comfort room needs. A PSG and a few uniformed men escorted him. While on the way, he saw a lady with long black hair crossing the other way near to the comfort room he was to use.  

 “Where is she? She might be somewhere working,” the prince thought as he now entered the cubicle of the room. “Wait! I guess I knew her,” Prince Mharl uttered to himself while did wash his hands.

Back to the table, the conversation was lively and full of fun as the host showed a friendly, active, and cheerful accommodation. Because of this, the prince completely forgets his bad mood. Dinner was over, and the plates and other dining utensils were gathered as the president and the highnesses stood to watch the view at the windows facing outside. Prince Mharl could not hide his curiosity as he intensely took a longer look at the young lady as he turned back to the table. He suddenly noticed the girl when she gathered his plate.

The prince asked the young lady with long black braided hair. “Will you get me a cold orange lemon juice?”

“Yes, my highness,” she replied timidly while lowering her head as she bowed.

“Please bring it to the Azotea,” he added while thinking of a way to get to know the lady. He was familiar with the face, but he cannot remember how and when she met her before.

The prince asked the president and his parents to go to the Azotea instead of joining them and they let him be accompanied by the PSG, uniformed men, and a few servants.

“My highness, your juice is here,” the young lady greeted the prince and blushed when he stood all of a sudden and faced her.

Prince Mharl inquired the young lady about the event that he now remembered. “Are you the girl that I bumped here a few years ago? Thanking silently that he vividly recalled everything now. “How are you?” he seriously asked with concern in his sweet voice.

Marie was so shy to nod, and instead, she lied. “No, my highness! I did not remember meeting you before,” she right away defended and asked permission to leave.

His sternness and authoritative but sweet voice were still familiar though he was in his senior year. She thought of his tall height, handsome face, and a charismatic smile that sent her butterflies in her stomach and a fast palpitation, yet created a tickle in her heart.

“What I am thinking? No! Marie behaves well. What happened to you?” she told herself while washing her face and facing the mirror after she used the comfort room.

“No! I cannot let that happen again. This time you need to be strong Marie,” she firmly told herself as she made her way outside. She cannot trust herself when a conversation needed to make, so she decided not to tell the truth.

Meanwhile, the prince wanted to ask what had happened to her after the accident. He knew she was the harelip girl he bumped before but she already answered.

"That was a lie. What happened?" Her lip is now fixed now though it still looks obvious when staying close to her told himself analyzing the changes he saw. He was upset because his plan to know her name did not succeed again. This time, he wanted to apologize for what had happened before but it seemed that she avoided him.

“Can you bring me to another area of the palace?” he asked the team that was assigned to watch him. He smiled and felt inspired by the plan he needed to make.

“Yes, our highness,” replied the PSG men, who led the group to attend to his needs.

They walked in the areas where he did not see before until they reached the place where he clearly remembered he and the young lady once made an incidental meeting.

“Great! The plant is still here." His eyes surveyed the area while making a soft laugh touching the trunk of the tree. "This looks like an old plant as the trunk obviously shows. Its flowers are beautiful. There is a big change now in the plants and the landscapes. It looks like one of the corners in their garden back to Denmark,” he thought while turning his head slowly back and forth.

“Our highness we have our man-made falls to the left side of that building,” the uniformed man pointed to the other side.

Soon, they walked more and the prince was delighted to see the unique greenery placed to highlight the falls in the midst of a bamboo tree and a mini mountain.

“This is cool,” he stretched his right hand to touch the water. The team answered some of his questions about the other stuff surrounding the falls. Now, as he made an exit, he noticed that there was a group of young ladies at the end of the way on the right side of the palace. He pretended to see the plants just to hear their conversation.

“Can we make some garlands, later?” the husky voice said. Then, a giggle was heard.

“I know you just want to see the prince,” another voice of the lady said making a tease to the group.

Prince Mharl walked more and told in gestures the team to wait for him as he made a look at the rest of the area since they can still see him even though he walk fast away from them.

“I guess he is a good match for Marie. Marie is a type of girl who does not have a boyfriend since birth,” laughter filled the area.

The prince was amused as he listened intently to the young teens. Suddenly, he made a peek at the plants in their area. He pretended to touch the big leaf of a plant, but with a desire to look at them who probably working as he thought. There, he saw a group of young ladies, younger than him circling the hill of black soil. They were placing the soil in different pots.

“Where is she?” he wondered working his way to look more closely at them. He all saw the teenagers except for the one who sat still with her back on him. He noticed her long hair again as her right hand reached her back to pull her hair from her chest. The prince smiled at the thought of fulfilling his plan. He is about to approach them when the PSG man walked hurriedly and told him the news. Though a royal poise was still carried, a look of dismay enveloped him.

“Prince Mharl, we need to go back right away to Denmark,” the queen told him in concern when he returned to their room.

“But why?” he asked absentmindedly partly as his thoughts were still on his plan to work on later.

“Something happened to the butler,” while reaching a paper on the table the king answered sadly. “Prince Richard sent him to the jail,” he added.

“What? That is not fair. He is a loyal, kind, and helpful one,” the prince exclaimed with a shock at what he heard. His voice echoed in the guestroom his parents occupied in the palace.

“Prince George, your cousin, was poisoned and they sent him to the hospital, “

“So, he is their suspect?” he angrily got the point now. “Mom, Dad, you know how faithful Rain Dee is to the castle. He serves several decades there already. Do they see it?” he clasped his hands while standing all of a sudden. “Something happen and I want to know it,” Prince Mharl determined voice raised. He entered the comfort room a few minutes later while the king and queen started to gather the papers on the table. Maids came when he opened the door. Their luggage was filled with their belongings again as hands worked hurriedly to gather their stuff.  

While getting ready the prince was furious and in mixed thoughts about the unfulfilled plan he made. He promised himself to make it happen someday.

“Something is not right. I knew how Prince Gorge wants the throne badly,” the prince fussed as he searched for his things in bed. While gathering them, a memory flooded her mind. That was one of his unforgettable memories of his cousin Prince Gorge. They played one day and their royal nannies were just watching.

“My father told me that I would be the next king, Prince Gorge told him while they were fixing their toy cars. I am fit to be the king because I have the leadership skills,” Prince Gorge proudly uttered loudly enough for him to hear.

“Oh! Am I not the eldest prince’s only son? You are wrong,” straightforwardly Prince Mharl exclaimed as he stood turning his face red. That was the start of their silent rivalry since then. However, the castle did not mind any of the teases and petty arguments they made thinking that the two were still in their childhood years. Yet, Prince Mharl knew that it was a serious matter that needed to be mindful of now and then. He was smart and marvelously solved anything that bothered him far, so he closely watched his cousin’s actions, so with his family.