Once upon a time there were two kingdoms that were on the verge of war. However neither king wanted to go to war because both of their brides were due to give birth within the month. Yet both kingdoms prepared for battle. Little did they know that it was not each other they should worry about however instead those in their own courts.
King James was known for his affairs, however when he saw Belle for the first time it was instant pag-ibig and they married. Immediately after meeting Belle he broke of his affair with Madame Isley, who had her sights set on James and the crown, even though she would have made a terrible queen. Madame Isley was furious and felt that James had taken everything that had ever mattered to her. When she heard that reyna Belle was expecting her first child she devised a plan. What would happen would devastate the kingdom.
reyna Belle went into labor, on the very night of the war meeting. Many in the kingdom considered it an omen that war was not meant to be. After receiving the news at the meeting King James of Trion and King Jullian of Innala decided that they would hold off and try to find a way to unite their kingdoms after their wives gave birth. What neither of them had ever imagined was that their kingdoms would be united sa pamamagitan ng their children.
The following morning reyna Belle and King James announced the birth of a healthy baby boy. It was just three nights later that reyna Catherine went into labor. To everyone’s surprise and delight reyna Catherine and King Jullian announced the birth of a beautiful, healthy daughter.
There were still those, however, who sought war and wanted the kingdoms to be united. It was then that the Kings and Queens came up with the idea of uniting the two kingdoms sa pamamagitan ng marriage. Not just any marriage. The marriage of the first born of both kingdoms. So it was that Prince Lorenzo and Princess Annalise became betrothed.
King Jullian never suspected that his main sorcerer would be a threat not only to him and his kingdom however to his daughter and her betrothed. The Sorcerer, Sema, was the most powerful in all the land however he was obsessed with becoming madami powerful. However reyna Catherine was a good witch and knew that Sema was doing the most vile of dark magic you can do. When he refused to stop, Catherine had the most powerful white witches come and strip him of all however the most basic powers. This in turn just made Sema into a bigger threat. In fact it fueled him to do something that no one had thought was possible.
One night when Lorenzo and Annalise were about a buwan old they simply disappeared. Both kingdoms were devastated. At first they wanted to blame each other however it soon became clear that someone else had taken their precious babies. Both Isley and Sema felt wronged so they had decided that they would get back at the Kings and Queens the only way they knew how-- through their precious children.
Coincidentally they both estola into their kingdoms palaces and found their way to the nursery. They managed to get around the guards and servants. In the nursery they even managed to snatch the children without anyone knowing. They silently got away and made their way out of the city. Both of them knew of the city Nemania, a city of great refute. It was also the last place that anyone would look to find the missing prince and princess.
Growing up is never easy, especially in a city where crime is as common as being illiterate. Isley and Sema both moved to the slums. They, in fact, ended up as neighbors. From that first araw till the end of childhood Lorenzo and Annalise grew up side-by-side as peasants.
“Can I go play with Anna, please mama?” Lorenzo asked.
“Fine, however you stay out of trouble,” Isley answered.
Lorenzo frequently went over to play with Annalise. They would often play out in the streets without a worry in the world. They never even suspected that they were anything however peasants. This went on till the taon they turned fourteen.
Shortly after their fourteenth birthdays there was a sickness that was spreading like wildfire. It was an epidemic of epic proportions. At the time no one knew what it was. Later it was found that the deadly Red Fever had come and would devastate not only both kingdoms however the whole world.
It started innocent enough as a cough, and Madame Isley had always had a cough. Therefore at first no one ever really noticed however then the insomnia set in. Not long after the insomnia set in her skin started to turn a blotchy red. Within the same araw of getting the blotchy skin she was bedridden with a high fever. Within a week Isley was gone and Lorenzo was left as an orphan.
“What am I suppose to do, Anna?” Lorenzo asked.
“The only thing you can do, ilipat on. Everything will be alright Loren,” she reassured.
“I have to find work; I will not be another criminal. I have to find a way to live without doing wrong or without living off of others kindness.”
“You will, I just know it.” In deed she did, though she would not find out why she knew it until she had finally found her real parents.
Just two weeks later Scrava, the landlord, told Lorenzo that he either had to pay him or ilipat out. Loren did not yet have a job so he could not pay. He knew his only chance was to pack up what little he had and go find work.
“Anna, what am I to do? I just Nawawala mother, I am getting thrown out of my tahanan and I have no money!”
“It will all be alright. I will help you pack up everything and you will get a job. I heard that the Duchess Rewana has an opening.”
“You always know exactly what to say.”
They went into his tahanan and started with packing up his mothers stuff. It did not take very long because she had had very little. Then they found heap of paper. They started to go through it to find out if any of it was important. After about a half oras of going through the papers Annalise found something.
“Look at what I have found!” she exclaimed.
“What is it?”
“It is a letter addressed to King James!”
“Open it so we can read it,” he replied full of curiosity.
“Are you sure we should?”
“I am the man of the house so I get to decide what is right and what is wrong.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear James,
You will probably never get this letter however I will write it anyway. What we had together was magical and meant to be. I would have been everything that you needed however you never gave me a chance. Since you took everything I held dearly I now have that which you hold dear that should have been mine all along. May you suffer like you have forced me to.
With all my love,
Madame Isley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What is she talking about?” Lorenzo asked.
“I do not know. Whatever she was talking about went to the grave with her. I hope she found peace before she died. You should keep the letter just in case you ever meet King James.”
“I will. I just wish I knew what Mother was talking about. What do we possible have that could have been the King’s once upon a time?”
“I do not know and I doubt we will ever know.”
“You should get tahanan to your Papa.”
“I will. Good bye. You will see me before you go?”
“Of course,” he replied as he bent to halik her on the cheek.
Annalise could not get the letter out of her mind, it was still on her mind three days later when Lorenzo came to say good bye.
“Do not forget to write, I know you do not like to however I want to know all about your new and adventurous life. I am going to miss you. Promise me you will come and visit if you get the chance,” Annalise begged.
“Of course I will come and visit you if I have the chance. I would have to be a complete oaf not to call upon the most beautiful girl,” he sinabi taking pleasure in making his Anna blush. He then leaned down and kissed her on the cheek as she ferociously hugged him.
“Good bye!” she yelled after the carriage the Duchess Rewana had sent as she waved, fearful that this would be the last time they ever saw each other.
About every three days she got a letter from Lorenzo. She loved getting the letters because they were her lifeline to him. He told her about the city, how all the girls seemed dull and dimwitted compared to her, and he told her how much he missed her. This time away from each other really showed them how much they meant to each other.
What little happiness Lorenzo’s letters brought it lasted less than two years. Not long before her sixteenth birthday Sema died. There was a new and quick spreading illness that no one stood a chance to once they caught it. Within two days of getting sick Sema was dead. No matter how much magic he did he could not cure himself or slow down the illness.
Sema’s death triggered the magic in Annalise that had lain dormant. It was then that her magic started coming through. She tried to hide it however the madami grief she had the madami her powers became unpredictable and since she had no one to teach her what to do or how to stop them she became scared of her self. She became so terrified she locked herself away. It was then that she sent Lorenzo a letter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Loren,
Father just died and I do not know what to do. There is so much that is happening that I am lost. I know you are busy with your job however I need you, I have no one else. I have no job and cannot find one. I have no money and I fear Scrava will make me leave. Madame Ishtar has offered me a job at one of the local brothels however I cannot do that. It is not right; I know Father would not want that for me. I do not wish for you to get into any trouble, however if it is possible could you come home?
With all my love,
Annalise
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Lorenzo got her letter he knew that there was madami going on than she was letting on to. He knew that if she was asking for him to come tahanan that it was extremely important. It was because of this that he decided that he needed to go home. Not to mention he did not like the idea that she would have to work in Madame Ishtar’s brothel if she did not find work soon.
“Duchess Rewana?” Lorenzo asked.
“Yes?” she replied not unkindly.
“May I ask for a leave of absence?”
“Whatever for, my dear boy?”
“My friend’s father just died and she needs my help. She would not even have mentioned it if it were not such a dire situation.”
“Does she not have a family?”
“No, if I do not go and help her Mister Scrava will force her out on the streets and then she will be forced to take Madame Ishtar’s job offer of working in her brothel.”
“Oh, the poor darling! Of course you can take a leave of absence for two weeks to settle everything. If you cannot find the poor child a job you must bring her here and I will find her a respectable job.”
“I thank you with all my heart.”
The following araw Lorenzo packed a little bag and headed off for Nemania and back to his Anna. When he arrived he surprised Annalise. She was so happy to see him that for a moment she had forgotten all manners and ran up to him and hugged him. When she pulled back she blushed so deeply that her whole face and ears had turned a delightful shade of red. As Lorenzo and Annalise looked at each other to see how the other had changed in the last two years they realized just how much they had missed each other.
“May I come in?” he asked effectively breaking her trance.
“Of course! Come in, come in!” she exclaimed as she led him into the small quarters she had called tahanan for as long as she could remember. She quickly got tsaa started and took out her two tsaa cups with their matching saucers. “Do you still take your tsaa plain?”
“Yes, you have a good memory. After tsaa do you want any help going through your fathers things?”
“Oh, I could not ask you to do that.”
“You are not asking, I am offering.”
“Then in that case, I would pag-ibig your help,” she sinabi as she smoothed out her palda and tucked her wayward hair behind her ears.
They sat and had a lovely tsaa time. As they drank their tsaa they each told the other of the odd little adventures they had been on and they even reminisced about their childhood. After talking for almost two hours they got to work going through Sema’s belongings.
“Look what I found here!” Lorenzo exclaimed.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It is a letter your father wrote.”
“Who is it to?”
“Queen Catherine and King Jullian!”
“What?”
“It is a letter to the King and reyna of Innala! Can we open it?”
“I do not know. Do you think we should?”
“I do not see what harm it will do.”
“Alright, let us open it and find out what Father wrote to the king and reyna however never sent.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear reyna Catherine and King Jullian,
You forbade me to be powerful and it is sad that it has come to this. I wish it had not come to this and that we could have found some compromise however it was not to be. Since you prevented me from being as powerful as I could be I took from you the most powerful thing you had. You did not even know how much power you held. You took all that I held dear and now I have that which you held dearest of all. For all your treachery I will see that you suffer. You will never see her.
May you suffer for all time,
The Sorcerer Sema
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What was he talking about?” Annalise demanded.
“I do not know however I have a feeling it was nothing good. I doubt we will ever know.”
“I hate that they did not tell us everything! Is it so hard to tell your children the truth? Both our parents died and left behind cryptic and mystifying letters to the royal families.”
“What I want to know is who the ‘her’ is that he mentioned. And why did he want the royal family to suffer?” Lorenzo frustratingly asked.
“I wish I could talk to him. There is so much I want to talk to him about and ask him! It is not fair that he died. What am I suppose to do now, Loren?” Annalise asked as she started to cry.
“I do not know, Anna. I just do not know,” he replied as he gathered her up into his arms and held her till she cried out all of her anger, hurt, frustrations, and grief.
They continued to go through Sema’s belongings. After that first night they never mentioned it again. Before they knew it Lorenzo only had one araw left of his leave. sa pamamagitan ng then Lorenzo had realized he could not leave his Anna to fend for herself and he knew the only way they could survive is if he convinced her to come back with him to the Duchess Rewana.
“Anna, as much as I wish I could I cannot stay here forever,” Lorenzo pointed out after their afternoon tea.
“I know I loved having you here however you need to go back to your life. I completely understand. You have your duty that you have to fulfill,” Annalise replied as she tried to keep the tears out of her eyes and voice.
“You could always come back with me.”
She remained silent for several moments. “What would I do?”
He let out the breath he did not even know he was holding. “The Duchess is looking for a new personal maid because her current one is going to get married. We could always ask if you could have that position.”
“That could be someone else's job and I do not want to take someone else's job.”
“I am sure that if the position is already filled that she could help us find you a different job. Please. Say you will come, please?” he begged.
She looked long and hard into his eyes, searching for who knew what. Finally with stars in her eyes and sorrow in her puso she said, “Yes, I will go with you to the Duchess Rewana.”
That evening they packed up what little she had and what little she wanted to take of her fathers. The following morning they climbed into the carriage the duchess had sent and started their journey to their future. Little did they know that sa pamamagitan ng starting on this path they would end up where they truly belonged.
They pulled in front of the colossal palace the Duchess called home. Annalise was beyond amazed at what stood before her. Lorenzo handed her down from the carriage then led her through the front doors. Once inside Lorenzo inquired where the Duchess was. They were told she was in the sitting room having her afternoon tea.
“Duchess Rewana? This is the friend I told you about, the one I had leave to go and help,” Lorenzo said.
“Ah, the poor young lady that needed your help. I see that everything went well. What is your name?” the Duchess Rewana asked. She was startled when she first actually looked at Annalise because she had the overwhelming feeling that she knew this young girl.
“Annalise, milady,” she replied and gave a perfectly executed curtsy.
“What a lovely name, and great manners too. Would you sa pamamagitan ng any chance need a job? Gretta, my old personal maid just got married two days nakaraan and is no longer in my service. Would you like the job?”
“Oh, yes! I would pag-ibig the job. Thank you so much for this chance. I do not know how I can ever repay you,” Annalise gushed.
“I need no thanks. It just seems to be your good fortune that you arrived in the nick of time. Since it was such a long journey, I am sure Lorenzo would pag-ibig to ipakita you to your quarters. I am sure you would pag-ibig the chance to get settled in. Then I am sure he can ipakita you around my home.”
Lorenzo gave Annalise a little tour as he took her to her quarters. Annalise was beyond amazed at all the extravagance and did not quite know what to do with herself.
“Here is your room, Anna,” Lorenzo sinabi with a flourish and a smile.
“This is all mine? It is as large as the quarters I shared with Father back home!” Annalise stood nagyelo in amazement.
“I will leave you now to get settled in.”
“Oh, thank you,” she sinabi as she jumped up to give him a hug.
“It was my pleasure,” he sinabi as he departed with a grin on his face.
Both Lorenzo and Annalise loved their jobs with the Duchess and worked to make her proud. For them she was like a substitute mother and they relished her affection. They did not think life could get any better. This is how it went for several weeks.
Over time the Duchess Rewana saw how each araw Lorenzo and Annalise fell madami and madami in love. The romantic in her could not help however want to make sure that they both got to live happily ever after. So six months after Annalise had started working for her, the Duchess decided to give them the araw off so that they could have a araw to themselves.
“Lorenzo, take Annalise to town and ipakita her a good time. Take the araw to spend time together and decide what you want with the future. The araw is yours to do with as you please.”
“Thank you for this opportunity,” Lorenzo replied.
Lorenzo immediately went to Annalise. “Come, Anna. Let us go see the town and have fun.”
“What about work? We cannot just leave!”
“The Duchess gave us the araw off. So come and let us go and have adventures.”
“I do not know…”
“It will be just like old times. Come, please? Please spend the araw out with me?”
“Alright, however only if you take me to go see the beach.”
“It is a deal.”
They decided that it would be a beautiful araw to walk and have a picnic on the beach. The bulaklak were blooming, the sun was shinning, the waves were gentle, the breeze was kind and the future was bright. They had nothing to lose. It was a four mile walk to town however they calmly walked it, holding hands the whole way. Once in town they went to the local bakery and got a fresh loaf of Cheat tinapay that Annalise wrapped up in a handkerchief and placed in the small basket she had brought along. Their susunod stop was at the kalye vendor who sold wedges of cheese where they bought one medium sized wedge of Brie cheese that was then wrapped in another handkerchief and placed in the basket. Thanks to the Duchess they already had spiced wine and figs. There was nothing left to do however enjoy their day.
After leaving the vendor Lorenzo took Annalise to the tabing-dagat as he had promised. sa pamamagitan ng then it was high noon and the tabing-dagat was empty. They had it all to themselves. They sat the basket and Annalise’s balabal on a rock large enough to sit on in a small alcove. They walked along the water line. Watching the birds fly and the isda swim, they felt like they had all those years nakaraan as young children.
They continued to hold hands for the whole day, feeling completely at tahanan in the others arms. To them the araw seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Before they knew it, it was close to sunset. They sat down on the sand sa pamamagitan ng their rock and ate their bread, figs, and cheese and drank the wine. As the sun set they walked in each others embrace with the glow of true pag-ibig all the way home.
As the petsa of Lorenzo and Annalise’s seventeenth birthdays loomed closer the kings and queens grew madami and madami anxious. They were growing madami apprehensive that the prince and princess would not be found. Since the kings and queens had agreed that Prince Lorenzo and Princess Annalise would be married once they turned seventeen they decided that it was also a good time to finally declare the prince and princess dead. Because the grief was so strong they decided to go to the only other person who felt what they felt, the Duchess Rewana who was Lorenzo and Annalise’s godmother.
The Duchess Rewana had the entire staff gathered. “King Jullian and reyna Catherine from Innala along with King James and reyna Belle from Trion will be joining us soon. So the whole palace needs to be in tiptop shape. Everyone needs to be in their best and cater to their Royal Highnesses every wish. Am I understood?”
All of the staff nodded that they understood. Lorenzo and Annalise looked at each other and knew that if they had the chance they needed to give the kings and queens the letters their parents had wrote before death however had never sent.
Everyone was working overtime to make the palace shine like it had not since it had been built. Lorenzo and Annalise spent so much time helping the rest of the staff get ready that they barely had time to see each other to say hello.
Then the araw finally arrived.
“Welcome, welcome. Come in my dears,” Duchess Rewana greeted.
The whole staff stood on the steps waiting for their orders. Once the kings and queens got to the steps they all curtsied and bowed in the most regal and respectful way possible.
“Hello, my dear Rewana,” King James greeted.
“Thank you for allowing us to come on such short notice. It must have been hard on your staff,” reyna Catherine said.
“It is my pleasure to have you, as it is my staffs,” Duchess Rewana replied.
“I am happy to see all of you, I just wish it were under better circumstances,” King Jullian
remarked.
“We have been unsuccessful in finding them. If they are not found soon we will be obliged to announce them dead. I just want our mga sanggol back,” reyna Belle sinabi with tears in her eyes.
“None of my parties have come back with any sign of them either. Have yours had any luck, King James?” Duchess Rewana asked.
“I am afraid not. We are quickly losing what precious little time we have left. It is my fear that without the prince and princess to unite our kingdoms that we will be headed for war,” King James fretted.
“Let us go and sit down for some tea.” Duchess Rewana then addressed her staff, “Go about your normal duties. Lorenzo and Annalise you are to help any who need it since I will not be in need of your services.”
At hearing Lorenzo and Annalise’s names the kings and queens felt a stab of pain at the remembrances of their children they had not seen since they were babies.
Lorenzo and Annalise spent the whole araw together doing all the odd jobs no one else had the time for. This went on for days since it was so busy none of the royals really noticed them. However as everything slowed down to a madami normal routine the royals started noticing Lorenzo and Annalise. Whenever they caught a glimpse of Lorenzo or Annalise they were struck with an uncanny familiarness. Each time they heard the names of their missing children the royals felt a stab of pain.
After a week Lorenzo and Annalise got back to their actual jobs. It is because of this that the Nawawala prince and princess were found.
Just a week before their seventeenth birthdays Lorenzo and Annalise were ibingiay the jobs of serving the Duchess, the kings, and the queens for a tea. At first no one really took notice of them, however when they did the truth would come out.
“I pag-ibig seeing two people who pag-ibig each other get to be with each other,” reyna Catherine sinabi thinking about her own pag-ibig match.
“As do I, in fact I have helped two young ones be together. They are truly in love,” Duchess Rewana confided.
“Really? Who ever had you to help them achieve love?” King James asked.
“Lorenzo and Annalise. They were childhood friends. Lorenzo came here to find work when he was fourteen, almost three years ago, when his mother died and his land lord put him out on the street. Then almost a taon nakaraan he asked to go on leave because his friend’s father had just died and if he did not go then she would be forced to work. She would have been forced to work in a brothel. So I offered her a job.”
“That is a lot to overcome! Wherever did they live that that was common or allowed?” reyna Belle asked.
“Nemania, the wretched place that causes us grief everyday. They are, in fact, the servers for this tea,” Duchess Rewana boasted.
“Is that so?” King Jullian asked. “With names like those they should be worth meeting. Do you not think my dear?”
“Why of course I should pag-ibig to meet them! What says you, dear Rewana?” reyna Belle asked.
“What a splendid idea! Lorenzo. Annalise,” she called.
“Yes, milady?” Annalise and Lorenzo asked in unison as they curtsied and bowed.
“Get up; you need not bow to us. We just want to get a look at the couple in pag-ibig on Rewana’s staff,” reyna Catherine said.
“Yes, your majesty.”
When they looked up everyone froze in place. In that instant Duchess Rewana realized why both Lorenzo and Annalise had looked so familiar. They both looked almost identical to their parents. It was when the clock struck five that the trance was broke.
“What are your names?”
“When are your birthdays?”
“How old are you?”
“Who are your parents?”
“What is going on, Loren?” Annalise whispered.
“I do not know, my sweet Anna. We should answer them; maybe this is the right time to give them the letters,” Lorenzo replied.
“Please answer them,” Duchess Rewana sinabi in a choked whisper.
“My name is Lorenzo. I will be seventeen in one week from today. My mother was Madame Isley.”
“No, it cannot be!” King James exclaimed.
“My name is Annalise. I will be seventeen in one week and three days. My father was the sorcerer Sema. Why do you ask?”
“No, I should have known!” reyna Belle cried out.
“Have you heard of the story of the missing prince and princess?” Duchess Rewana asked.
“Yes, everyone has,” Annalise answered. “We grew up hearing it.”
“The prince and princess have just been found.”
“Really? When did you find them? Who are they?” Lorenzo asked.
“Prince Lorenzo of Trion and Princess Annalise of Innala.”
“Those are our names! Are we named after the prince and princess?” Annalise asked.
“No, sweetheart, you are not named after the prince and princess,” reyna Belle answered.
“However… it makes no sense!”
“Lorenzo. Annalise. You are the missing prince and princess.”
“This cannot be! Is that what the letters were talking about?” Annalise asked Lorenzo.
“It has to be, there is no other explanation,” he replied.
“What letters are you talking about?” asked King James.
“When our parents died we found mysterious letters that they had never sent. We held on to them in case, sa pamamagitan ng miracle, we were to ever meet you.”
“Who were they addressed to?” asked King Jullian.
“Mother addressed hers to King James,” Lorenzo replied.
“My father’s was written to reyna Catherine and King Jullian,” Annalise said.
“May we see them?” reyna Belle asked.
“Yes, you may. We had already planned on giving them to you, we just did not know when or how to give them to you.”
Lorenzo and Annalise left and got the letters. When they got back everyone was red eyed and had handkerchiefs out dabbing at their eyes. They instantly gave the letters to the recipients. After pagbaba the letters they discussed them, however Lorenzo and Annalise still did not understand what they had meant. It had taken almost seventeen years, however the missing prince and princess had finally been found.
“May we hug you?” reyna Belle asked.
“Yes, however first could you explain what is happening?” asked Annalise.
“You are the Princess Annalise. You were taken from me when you were a buwan old sa pamamagitan ng our main sorcerer Sema. Sema wanted to hurt me because I am a good witch and when I found out he was performing some of the evilest forms of magic I gave him an ultimatum. He either had to stop casting black magic or have some of his powers drained. He refused to stop and tried to kill your father, you, and myself. It was then that I had my bilog sumali together and drain his powers. He disappeared and we never heard from him again. Now I know why we never heard from him, he already had what he wanted,” reyna Catherine explained. “He had the most powerful witch and he could influence her as she grew older.”
“Father was evil? However he was always so kind and gentle!”
“I am truly sorry.”
“How did I come to be missing then?” Lorenzo asked.
“Before I met your mother I was very… unruly. I had had a mistress. Her name was Madame Isley and she wanted to be reyna and rule, even though she was quite callous. When I met your mother I instantly fell in pag-ibig and I broke of the affair. She did not like that. In fact she tried everything to break us apart however she only made us stronger. Then we got married and announced that we were expecting. She was beyond enraged and tried to kill your mother. Instead of getting her way she got banished. When we did not hear anything from her we just assumed that she had set her sights on someone else,” King James replied. “Now, however, we see that that was not the case.”
“That does not even sound like Mother! She was so independent; she never let a man interfere and never depended on one.”
“I am sorry. I doubt either of you wanted to find out you have been living a lie. However now that you do you will have to take on the responsibility that you were born to,” Duchess Rewana said.
“What about us? We pag-ibig each other! I do not want to spend my life without Loren!” Annalise anxiously said.
“And I cannot madala the idea of ever not having my sweet Anna sa pamamagitan ng my side!” Lorenzo exclaimed.
“Yes, well, about that… it fits right into the plan,” King Jullian replied.
“What plan?”
“When you two were born our kingdoms were on the verge of war. Then when you were born we realized that we could stop the pending war sa pamamagitan ng uniting our Kingdoms in the most assuring way.”
“How did you plan on uniting the kingdoms?” Annalise asked.
“Since you both were born you have been betrothed. We were going to announce after your seventeenth birthday that you would be considered dead if you were not found. We chose this because you were suppose to be married right after you turned seventeen. Now, of course, the wedding will be postponed however it will still happen. You two can live happily ever after,” reyna Catherine replied.
“We can still get married?”
“Of course, we are planning on it.”
“What do we do now?” Lorenzo asked.
“Now we take you both tahanan and teach you how to be royalty, and of course you will plan your wedding. Then you will get married and take on your royal duties,” sinabi King Jullian.
Lorenzo and Annalise packed up what little they owned and headed off to their true tahanan with their newfound parents. It was only six months later when they celebrated their wedding. Their wedding did not just unite the kingdoms of Trion and of Innala, however the peasants and nobles.
Later when King Lorenzo and reyna Annalise were mentioned it was always with love, because when it came to caring for their people there was none madami considerate. With this the story of the destined prince and princess was a story that was told for centuries to come.
With the glow of true pag-ibig Lorenzo and Annalise walked into the hearts of all of their people and into the stars where they will dwell for all time in remembrance.
King James was known for his affairs, however when he saw Belle for the first time it was instant pag-ibig and they married. Immediately after meeting Belle he broke of his affair with Madame Isley, who had her sights set on James and the crown, even though she would have made a terrible queen. Madame Isley was furious and felt that James had taken everything that had ever mattered to her. When she heard that reyna Belle was expecting her first child she devised a plan. What would happen would devastate the kingdom.
reyna Belle went into labor, on the very night of the war meeting. Many in the kingdom considered it an omen that war was not meant to be. After receiving the news at the meeting King James of Trion and King Jullian of Innala decided that they would hold off and try to find a way to unite their kingdoms after their wives gave birth. What neither of them had ever imagined was that their kingdoms would be united sa pamamagitan ng their children.
The following morning reyna Belle and King James announced the birth of a healthy baby boy. It was just three nights later that reyna Catherine went into labor. To everyone’s surprise and delight reyna Catherine and King Jullian announced the birth of a beautiful, healthy daughter.
There were still those, however, who sought war and wanted the kingdoms to be united. It was then that the Kings and Queens came up with the idea of uniting the two kingdoms sa pamamagitan ng marriage. Not just any marriage. The marriage of the first born of both kingdoms. So it was that Prince Lorenzo and Princess Annalise became betrothed.
King Jullian never suspected that his main sorcerer would be a threat not only to him and his kingdom however to his daughter and her betrothed. The Sorcerer, Sema, was the most powerful in all the land however he was obsessed with becoming madami powerful. However reyna Catherine was a good witch and knew that Sema was doing the most vile of dark magic you can do. When he refused to stop, Catherine had the most powerful white witches come and strip him of all however the most basic powers. This in turn just made Sema into a bigger threat. In fact it fueled him to do something that no one had thought was possible.
One night when Lorenzo and Annalise were about a buwan old they simply disappeared. Both kingdoms were devastated. At first they wanted to blame each other however it soon became clear that someone else had taken their precious babies. Both Isley and Sema felt wronged so they had decided that they would get back at the Kings and Queens the only way they knew how-- through their precious children.
Coincidentally they both estola into their kingdoms palaces and found their way to the nursery. They managed to get around the guards and servants. In the nursery they even managed to snatch the children without anyone knowing. They silently got away and made their way out of the city. Both of them knew of the city Nemania, a city of great refute. It was also the last place that anyone would look to find the missing prince and princess.
Growing up is never easy, especially in a city where crime is as common as being illiterate. Isley and Sema both moved to the slums. They, in fact, ended up as neighbors. From that first araw till the end of childhood Lorenzo and Annalise grew up side-by-side as peasants.
“Can I go play with Anna, please mama?” Lorenzo asked.
“Fine, however you stay out of trouble,” Isley answered.
Lorenzo frequently went over to play with Annalise. They would often play out in the streets without a worry in the world. They never even suspected that they were anything however peasants. This went on till the taon they turned fourteen.
Shortly after their fourteenth birthdays there was a sickness that was spreading like wildfire. It was an epidemic of epic proportions. At the time no one knew what it was. Later it was found that the deadly Red Fever had come and would devastate not only both kingdoms however the whole world.
It started innocent enough as a cough, and Madame Isley had always had a cough. Therefore at first no one ever really noticed however then the insomnia set in. Not long after the insomnia set in her skin started to turn a blotchy red. Within the same araw of getting the blotchy skin she was bedridden with a high fever. Within a week Isley was gone and Lorenzo was left as an orphan.
“What am I suppose to do, Anna?” Lorenzo asked.
“The only thing you can do, ilipat on. Everything will be alright Loren,” she reassured.
“I have to find work; I will not be another criminal. I have to find a way to live without doing wrong or without living off of others kindness.”
“You will, I just know it.” In deed she did, though she would not find out why she knew it until she had finally found her real parents.
Just two weeks later Scrava, the landlord, told Lorenzo that he either had to pay him or ilipat out. Loren did not yet have a job so he could not pay. He knew his only chance was to pack up what little he had and go find work.
“Anna, what am I to do? I just Nawawala mother, I am getting thrown out of my tahanan and I have no money!”
“It will all be alright. I will help you pack up everything and you will get a job. I heard that the Duchess Rewana has an opening.”
“You always know exactly what to say.”
They went into his tahanan and started with packing up his mothers stuff. It did not take very long because she had had very little. Then they found heap of paper. They started to go through it to find out if any of it was important. After about a half oras of going through the papers Annalise found something.
“Look at what I have found!” she exclaimed.
“What is it?”
“It is a letter addressed to King James!”
“Open it so we can read it,” he replied full of curiosity.
“Are you sure we should?”
“I am the man of the house so I get to decide what is right and what is wrong.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear James,
You will probably never get this letter however I will write it anyway. What we had together was magical and meant to be. I would have been everything that you needed however you never gave me a chance. Since you took everything I held dearly I now have that which you hold dear that should have been mine all along. May you suffer like you have forced me to.
With all my love,
Madame Isley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What is she talking about?” Lorenzo asked.
“I do not know. Whatever she was talking about went to the grave with her. I hope she found peace before she died. You should keep the letter just in case you ever meet King James.”
“I will. I just wish I knew what Mother was talking about. What do we possible have that could have been the King’s once upon a time?”
“I do not know and I doubt we will ever know.”
“You should get tahanan to your Papa.”
“I will. Good bye. You will see me before you go?”
“Of course,” he replied as he bent to halik her on the cheek.
Annalise could not get the letter out of her mind, it was still on her mind three days later when Lorenzo came to say good bye.
“Do not forget to write, I know you do not like to however I want to know all about your new and adventurous life. I am going to miss you. Promise me you will come and visit if you get the chance,” Annalise begged.
“Of course I will come and visit you if I have the chance. I would have to be a complete oaf not to call upon the most beautiful girl,” he sinabi taking pleasure in making his Anna blush. He then leaned down and kissed her on the cheek as she ferociously hugged him.
“Good bye!” she yelled after the carriage the Duchess Rewana had sent as she waved, fearful that this would be the last time they ever saw each other.
About every three days she got a letter from Lorenzo. She loved getting the letters because they were her lifeline to him. He told her about the city, how all the girls seemed dull and dimwitted compared to her, and he told her how much he missed her. This time away from each other really showed them how much they meant to each other.
What little happiness Lorenzo’s letters brought it lasted less than two years. Not long before her sixteenth birthday Sema died. There was a new and quick spreading illness that no one stood a chance to once they caught it. Within two days of getting sick Sema was dead. No matter how much magic he did he could not cure himself or slow down the illness.
Sema’s death triggered the magic in Annalise that had lain dormant. It was then that her magic started coming through. She tried to hide it however the madami grief she had the madami her powers became unpredictable and since she had no one to teach her what to do or how to stop them she became scared of her self. She became so terrified she locked herself away. It was then that she sent Lorenzo a letter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Loren,
Father just died and I do not know what to do. There is so much that is happening that I am lost. I know you are busy with your job however I need you, I have no one else. I have no job and cannot find one. I have no money and I fear Scrava will make me leave. Madame Ishtar has offered me a job at one of the local brothels however I cannot do that. It is not right; I know Father would not want that for me. I do not wish for you to get into any trouble, however if it is possible could you come home?
With all my love,
Annalise
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Lorenzo got her letter he knew that there was madami going on than she was letting on to. He knew that if she was asking for him to come tahanan that it was extremely important. It was because of this that he decided that he needed to go home. Not to mention he did not like the idea that she would have to work in Madame Ishtar’s brothel if she did not find work soon.
“Duchess Rewana?” Lorenzo asked.
“Yes?” she replied not unkindly.
“May I ask for a leave of absence?”
“Whatever for, my dear boy?”
“My friend’s father just died and she needs my help. She would not even have mentioned it if it were not such a dire situation.”
“Does she not have a family?”
“No, if I do not go and help her Mister Scrava will force her out on the streets and then she will be forced to take Madame Ishtar’s job offer of working in her brothel.”
“Oh, the poor darling! Of course you can take a leave of absence for two weeks to settle everything. If you cannot find the poor child a job you must bring her here and I will find her a respectable job.”
“I thank you with all my heart.”
The following araw Lorenzo packed a little bag and headed off for Nemania and back to his Anna. When he arrived he surprised Annalise. She was so happy to see him that for a moment she had forgotten all manners and ran up to him and hugged him. When she pulled back she blushed so deeply that her whole face and ears had turned a delightful shade of red. As Lorenzo and Annalise looked at each other to see how the other had changed in the last two years they realized just how much they had missed each other.
“May I come in?” he asked effectively breaking her trance.
“Of course! Come in, come in!” she exclaimed as she led him into the small quarters she had called tahanan for as long as she could remember. She quickly got tsaa started and took out her two tsaa cups with their matching saucers. “Do you still take your tsaa plain?”
“Yes, you have a good memory. After tsaa do you want any help going through your fathers things?”
“Oh, I could not ask you to do that.”
“You are not asking, I am offering.”
“Then in that case, I would pag-ibig your help,” she sinabi as she smoothed out her palda and tucked her wayward hair behind her ears.
They sat and had a lovely tsaa time. As they drank their tsaa they each told the other of the odd little adventures they had been on and they even reminisced about their childhood. After talking for almost two hours they got to work going through Sema’s belongings.
“Look what I found here!” Lorenzo exclaimed.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It is a letter your father wrote.”
“Who is it to?”
“Queen Catherine and King Jullian!”
“What?”
“It is a letter to the King and reyna of Innala! Can we open it?”
“I do not know. Do you think we should?”
“I do not see what harm it will do.”
“Alright, let us open it and find out what Father wrote to the king and reyna however never sent.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear reyna Catherine and King Jullian,
You forbade me to be powerful and it is sad that it has come to this. I wish it had not come to this and that we could have found some compromise however it was not to be. Since you prevented me from being as powerful as I could be I took from you the most powerful thing you had. You did not even know how much power you held. You took all that I held dear and now I have that which you held dearest of all. For all your treachery I will see that you suffer. You will never see her.
May you suffer for all time,
The Sorcerer Sema
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What was he talking about?” Annalise demanded.
“I do not know however I have a feeling it was nothing good. I doubt we will ever know.”
“I hate that they did not tell us everything! Is it so hard to tell your children the truth? Both our parents died and left behind cryptic and mystifying letters to the royal families.”
“What I want to know is who the ‘her’ is that he mentioned. And why did he want the royal family to suffer?” Lorenzo frustratingly asked.
“I wish I could talk to him. There is so much I want to talk to him about and ask him! It is not fair that he died. What am I suppose to do now, Loren?” Annalise asked as she started to cry.
“I do not know, Anna. I just do not know,” he replied as he gathered her up into his arms and held her till she cried out all of her anger, hurt, frustrations, and grief.
They continued to go through Sema’s belongings. After that first night they never mentioned it again. Before they knew it Lorenzo only had one araw left of his leave. sa pamamagitan ng then Lorenzo had realized he could not leave his Anna to fend for herself and he knew the only way they could survive is if he convinced her to come back with him to the Duchess Rewana.
“Anna, as much as I wish I could I cannot stay here forever,” Lorenzo pointed out after their afternoon tea.
“I know I loved having you here however you need to go back to your life. I completely understand. You have your duty that you have to fulfill,” Annalise replied as she tried to keep the tears out of her eyes and voice.
“You could always come back with me.”
She remained silent for several moments. “What would I do?”
He let out the breath he did not even know he was holding. “The Duchess is looking for a new personal maid because her current one is going to get married. We could always ask if you could have that position.”
“That could be someone else's job and I do not want to take someone else's job.”
“I am sure that if the position is already filled that she could help us find you a different job. Please. Say you will come, please?” he begged.
She looked long and hard into his eyes, searching for who knew what. Finally with stars in her eyes and sorrow in her puso she said, “Yes, I will go with you to the Duchess Rewana.”
That evening they packed up what little she had and what little she wanted to take of her fathers. The following morning they climbed into the carriage the duchess had sent and started their journey to their future. Little did they know that sa pamamagitan ng starting on this path they would end up where they truly belonged.
They pulled in front of the colossal palace the Duchess called home. Annalise was beyond amazed at what stood before her. Lorenzo handed her down from the carriage then led her through the front doors. Once inside Lorenzo inquired where the Duchess was. They were told she was in the sitting room having her afternoon tea.
“Duchess Rewana? This is the friend I told you about, the one I had leave to go and help,” Lorenzo said.
“Ah, the poor young lady that needed your help. I see that everything went well. What is your name?” the Duchess Rewana asked. She was startled when she first actually looked at Annalise because she had the overwhelming feeling that she knew this young girl.
“Annalise, milady,” she replied and gave a perfectly executed curtsy.
“What a lovely name, and great manners too. Would you sa pamamagitan ng any chance need a job? Gretta, my old personal maid just got married two days nakaraan and is no longer in my service. Would you like the job?”
“Oh, yes! I would pag-ibig the job. Thank you so much for this chance. I do not know how I can ever repay you,” Annalise gushed.
“I need no thanks. It just seems to be your good fortune that you arrived in the nick of time. Since it was such a long journey, I am sure Lorenzo would pag-ibig to ipakita you to your quarters. I am sure you would pag-ibig the chance to get settled in. Then I am sure he can ipakita you around my home.”
Lorenzo gave Annalise a little tour as he took her to her quarters. Annalise was beyond amazed at all the extravagance and did not quite know what to do with herself.
“Here is your room, Anna,” Lorenzo sinabi with a flourish and a smile.
“This is all mine? It is as large as the quarters I shared with Father back home!” Annalise stood nagyelo in amazement.
“I will leave you now to get settled in.”
“Oh, thank you,” she sinabi as she jumped up to give him a hug.
“It was my pleasure,” he sinabi as he departed with a grin on his face.
Both Lorenzo and Annalise loved their jobs with the Duchess and worked to make her proud. For them she was like a substitute mother and they relished her affection. They did not think life could get any better. This is how it went for several weeks.
Over time the Duchess Rewana saw how each araw Lorenzo and Annalise fell madami and madami in love. The romantic in her could not help however want to make sure that they both got to live happily ever after. So six months after Annalise had started working for her, the Duchess decided to give them the araw off so that they could have a araw to themselves.
“Lorenzo, take Annalise to town and ipakita her a good time. Take the araw to spend time together and decide what you want with the future. The araw is yours to do with as you please.”
“Thank you for this opportunity,” Lorenzo replied.
Lorenzo immediately went to Annalise. “Come, Anna. Let us go see the town and have fun.”
“What about work? We cannot just leave!”
“The Duchess gave us the araw off. So come and let us go and have adventures.”
“I do not know…”
“It will be just like old times. Come, please? Please spend the araw out with me?”
“Alright, however only if you take me to go see the beach.”
“It is a deal.”
They decided that it would be a beautiful araw to walk and have a picnic on the beach. The bulaklak were blooming, the sun was shinning, the waves were gentle, the breeze was kind and the future was bright. They had nothing to lose. It was a four mile walk to town however they calmly walked it, holding hands the whole way. Once in town they went to the local bakery and got a fresh loaf of Cheat tinapay that Annalise wrapped up in a handkerchief and placed in the small basket she had brought along. Their susunod stop was at the kalye vendor who sold wedges of cheese where they bought one medium sized wedge of Brie cheese that was then wrapped in another handkerchief and placed in the basket. Thanks to the Duchess they already had spiced wine and figs. There was nothing left to do however enjoy their day.
After leaving the vendor Lorenzo took Annalise to the tabing-dagat as he had promised. sa pamamagitan ng then it was high noon and the tabing-dagat was empty. They had it all to themselves. They sat the basket and Annalise’s balabal on a rock large enough to sit on in a small alcove. They walked along the water line. Watching the birds fly and the isda swim, they felt like they had all those years nakaraan as young children.
They continued to hold hands for the whole day, feeling completely at tahanan in the others arms. To them the araw seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Before they knew it, it was close to sunset. They sat down on the sand sa pamamagitan ng their rock and ate their bread, figs, and cheese and drank the wine. As the sun set they walked in each others embrace with the glow of true pag-ibig all the way home.
As the petsa of Lorenzo and Annalise’s seventeenth birthdays loomed closer the kings and queens grew madami and madami anxious. They were growing madami apprehensive that the prince and princess would not be found. Since the kings and queens had agreed that Prince Lorenzo and Princess Annalise would be married once they turned seventeen they decided that it was also a good time to finally declare the prince and princess dead. Because the grief was so strong they decided to go to the only other person who felt what they felt, the Duchess Rewana who was Lorenzo and Annalise’s godmother.
The Duchess Rewana had the entire staff gathered. “King Jullian and reyna Catherine from Innala along with King James and reyna Belle from Trion will be joining us soon. So the whole palace needs to be in tiptop shape. Everyone needs to be in their best and cater to their Royal Highnesses every wish. Am I understood?”
All of the staff nodded that they understood. Lorenzo and Annalise looked at each other and knew that if they had the chance they needed to give the kings and queens the letters their parents had wrote before death however had never sent.
Everyone was working overtime to make the palace shine like it had not since it had been built. Lorenzo and Annalise spent so much time helping the rest of the staff get ready that they barely had time to see each other to say hello.
Then the araw finally arrived.
“Welcome, welcome. Come in my dears,” Duchess Rewana greeted.
The whole staff stood on the steps waiting for their orders. Once the kings and queens got to the steps they all curtsied and bowed in the most regal and respectful way possible.
“Hello, my dear Rewana,” King James greeted.
“Thank you for allowing us to come on such short notice. It must have been hard on your staff,” reyna Catherine said.
“It is my pleasure to have you, as it is my staffs,” Duchess Rewana replied.
“I am happy to see all of you, I just wish it were under better circumstances,” King Jullian
remarked.
“We have been unsuccessful in finding them. If they are not found soon we will be obliged to announce them dead. I just want our mga sanggol back,” reyna Belle sinabi with tears in her eyes.
“None of my parties have come back with any sign of them either. Have yours had any luck, King James?” Duchess Rewana asked.
“I am afraid not. We are quickly losing what precious little time we have left. It is my fear that without the prince and princess to unite our kingdoms that we will be headed for war,” King James fretted.
“Let us go and sit down for some tea.” Duchess Rewana then addressed her staff, “Go about your normal duties. Lorenzo and Annalise you are to help any who need it since I will not be in need of your services.”
At hearing Lorenzo and Annalise’s names the kings and queens felt a stab of pain at the remembrances of their children they had not seen since they were babies.
Lorenzo and Annalise spent the whole araw together doing all the odd jobs no one else had the time for. This went on for days since it was so busy none of the royals really noticed them. However as everything slowed down to a madami normal routine the royals started noticing Lorenzo and Annalise. Whenever they caught a glimpse of Lorenzo or Annalise they were struck with an uncanny familiarness. Each time they heard the names of their missing children the royals felt a stab of pain.
After a week Lorenzo and Annalise got back to their actual jobs. It is because of this that the Nawawala prince and princess were found.
Just a week before their seventeenth birthdays Lorenzo and Annalise were ibingiay the jobs of serving the Duchess, the kings, and the queens for a tea. At first no one really took notice of them, however when they did the truth would come out.
“I pag-ibig seeing two people who pag-ibig each other get to be with each other,” reyna Catherine sinabi thinking about her own pag-ibig match.
“As do I, in fact I have helped two young ones be together. They are truly in love,” Duchess Rewana confided.
“Really? Who ever had you to help them achieve love?” King James asked.
“Lorenzo and Annalise. They were childhood friends. Lorenzo came here to find work when he was fourteen, almost three years ago, when his mother died and his land lord put him out on the street. Then almost a taon nakaraan he asked to go on leave because his friend’s father had just died and if he did not go then she would be forced to work. She would have been forced to work in a brothel. So I offered her a job.”
“That is a lot to overcome! Wherever did they live that that was common or allowed?” reyna Belle asked.
“Nemania, the wretched place that causes us grief everyday. They are, in fact, the servers for this tea,” Duchess Rewana boasted.
“Is that so?” King Jullian asked. “With names like those they should be worth meeting. Do you not think my dear?”
“Why of course I should pag-ibig to meet them! What says you, dear Rewana?” reyna Belle asked.
“What a splendid idea! Lorenzo. Annalise,” she called.
“Yes, milady?” Annalise and Lorenzo asked in unison as they curtsied and bowed.
“Get up; you need not bow to us. We just want to get a look at the couple in pag-ibig on Rewana’s staff,” reyna Catherine said.
“Yes, your majesty.”
When they looked up everyone froze in place. In that instant Duchess Rewana realized why both Lorenzo and Annalise had looked so familiar. They both looked almost identical to their parents. It was when the clock struck five that the trance was broke.
“What are your names?”
“When are your birthdays?”
“How old are you?”
“Who are your parents?”
“What is going on, Loren?” Annalise whispered.
“I do not know, my sweet Anna. We should answer them; maybe this is the right time to give them the letters,” Lorenzo replied.
“Please answer them,” Duchess Rewana sinabi in a choked whisper.
“My name is Lorenzo. I will be seventeen in one week from today. My mother was Madame Isley.”
“No, it cannot be!” King James exclaimed.
“My name is Annalise. I will be seventeen in one week and three days. My father was the sorcerer Sema. Why do you ask?”
“No, I should have known!” reyna Belle cried out.
“Have you heard of the story of the missing prince and princess?” Duchess Rewana asked.
“Yes, everyone has,” Annalise answered. “We grew up hearing it.”
“The prince and princess have just been found.”
“Really? When did you find them? Who are they?” Lorenzo asked.
“Prince Lorenzo of Trion and Princess Annalise of Innala.”
“Those are our names! Are we named after the prince and princess?” Annalise asked.
“No, sweetheart, you are not named after the prince and princess,” reyna Belle answered.
“However… it makes no sense!”
“Lorenzo. Annalise. You are the missing prince and princess.”
“This cannot be! Is that what the letters were talking about?” Annalise asked Lorenzo.
“It has to be, there is no other explanation,” he replied.
“What letters are you talking about?” asked King James.
“When our parents died we found mysterious letters that they had never sent. We held on to them in case, sa pamamagitan ng miracle, we were to ever meet you.”
“Who were they addressed to?” asked King Jullian.
“Mother addressed hers to King James,” Lorenzo replied.
“My father’s was written to reyna Catherine and King Jullian,” Annalise said.
“May we see them?” reyna Belle asked.
“Yes, you may. We had already planned on giving them to you, we just did not know when or how to give them to you.”
Lorenzo and Annalise left and got the letters. When they got back everyone was red eyed and had handkerchiefs out dabbing at their eyes. They instantly gave the letters to the recipients. After pagbaba the letters they discussed them, however Lorenzo and Annalise still did not understand what they had meant. It had taken almost seventeen years, however the missing prince and princess had finally been found.
“May we hug you?” reyna Belle asked.
“Yes, however first could you explain what is happening?” asked Annalise.
“You are the Princess Annalise. You were taken from me when you were a buwan old sa pamamagitan ng our main sorcerer Sema. Sema wanted to hurt me because I am a good witch and when I found out he was performing some of the evilest forms of magic I gave him an ultimatum. He either had to stop casting black magic or have some of his powers drained. He refused to stop and tried to kill your father, you, and myself. It was then that I had my bilog sumali together and drain his powers. He disappeared and we never heard from him again. Now I know why we never heard from him, he already had what he wanted,” reyna Catherine explained. “He had the most powerful witch and he could influence her as she grew older.”
“Father was evil? However he was always so kind and gentle!”
“I am truly sorry.”
“How did I come to be missing then?” Lorenzo asked.
“Before I met your mother I was very… unruly. I had had a mistress. Her name was Madame Isley and she wanted to be reyna and rule, even though she was quite callous. When I met your mother I instantly fell in pag-ibig and I broke of the affair. She did not like that. In fact she tried everything to break us apart however she only made us stronger. Then we got married and announced that we were expecting. She was beyond enraged and tried to kill your mother. Instead of getting her way she got banished. When we did not hear anything from her we just assumed that she had set her sights on someone else,” King James replied. “Now, however, we see that that was not the case.”
“That does not even sound like Mother! She was so independent; she never let a man interfere and never depended on one.”
“I am sorry. I doubt either of you wanted to find out you have been living a lie. However now that you do you will have to take on the responsibility that you were born to,” Duchess Rewana said.
“What about us? We pag-ibig each other! I do not want to spend my life without Loren!” Annalise anxiously said.
“And I cannot madala the idea of ever not having my sweet Anna sa pamamagitan ng my side!” Lorenzo exclaimed.
“Yes, well, about that… it fits right into the plan,” King Jullian replied.
“What plan?”
“When you two were born our kingdoms were on the verge of war. Then when you were born we realized that we could stop the pending war sa pamamagitan ng uniting our Kingdoms in the most assuring way.”
“How did you plan on uniting the kingdoms?” Annalise asked.
“Since you both were born you have been betrothed. We were going to announce after your seventeenth birthday that you would be considered dead if you were not found. We chose this because you were suppose to be married right after you turned seventeen. Now, of course, the wedding will be postponed however it will still happen. You two can live happily ever after,” reyna Catherine replied.
“We can still get married?”
“Of course, we are planning on it.”
“What do we do now?” Lorenzo asked.
“Now we take you both tahanan and teach you how to be royalty, and of course you will plan your wedding. Then you will get married and take on your royal duties,” sinabi King Jullian.
Lorenzo and Annalise packed up what little they owned and headed off to their true tahanan with their newfound parents. It was only six months later when they celebrated their wedding. Their wedding did not just unite the kingdoms of Trion and of Innala, however the peasants and nobles.
Later when King Lorenzo and reyna Annalise were mentioned it was always with love, because when it came to caring for their people there was none madami considerate. With this the story of the destined prince and princess was a story that was told for centuries to come.
With the glow of true pag-ibig Lorenzo and Annalise walked into the hearts of all of their people and into the stars where they will dwell for all time in remembrance.
Isabella
Isabella
The manor I imagine. Without the moor however.
