Chapter 48: The Princess for a Night
Months have passed since the day Andoy confessed his love for me. Honestly, our relationship hasn't changed much, even though we rarely see each other now due to his new job. He never fails to check on me, sending letters and gifts to show he cares.
My studies have never been an issue either, thanks to General Romeo's unwavering support. He doesn't just cover my tuition; he also provides a monthly allowance that caters to all my needs.
Though I often feel embarrassed by the excessive generosity he shows me, I have no choice but to accept his kindness. One day, Andoy invited me to his house after class.
I already knew his family—simple folk who rented a small apartment in a busy part of Manila. Despite their modest means, they were decent people who always welcomed me with warmth, making me feel comfortable in their company. So, when he asked me to visit again, I didn't hesitate to say yes.
When we arrived, a heavy silence greeted us. The house was empty. During my previous visits, his parents or siblings were always around.
"Where are your parents?" I asked, scanning the living room.
"They're at my aunt's. They probably won't be back until tomorrow," Andoy replied casually while preparing food in the kitchen. His voice was calm, but a sudden wave of anxiety washed over me.
I realized we were alone—in the middle of the night.
"So, it's just the two of us here?" I whispered to myself, panic rising.
I still hadn't officially accepted Andoy's courtship, even though I knew I had feelings for him. But in that moment, a strange fear took root in my chest. What if he tried something? My cheeks flushed as scandalous thoughts raced through my mind—the possibilities of what could happen between two people alone at night.
What would the General think if he found out I went to a man's house alone at this hour? As a proper Filipina, I knew this wasn't how a decent woman should behave.
The General sent me to school to become a respectable person, yet here I was, alone with a man who wasn't even my boyfriend. I slapped my own cheeks to snap out of my intrusive, indecent thoughts.
"Flora, stop it! Don't think like that!" I scolded myself, but my heart continued to hammer against my ribs.
I held my head in my hands and leaned against the table, disappointed in myself. Why didn't I realize how inappropriate this was? While I was spiraling, Andoy walked in from the kitchen with a glass of water.
"Flora, what's wrong? Are you okay? Does something hurt?" he asked. Before I could answer, he reached out and touched my arm.
Flustered, I reflexively pulled away. "N-nothing! I'm fine!" I stammered, my voice trembling with nerves.
My tension was obvious. After a moment, he sat beside me and said in a calm, steady voice:
"It looks like we'll be here for a while. You should take that off first."
My world stopped. "Take—take it off? What?! Why would I take off what I'm wearing?!" I shrieked, scrambling away from him and covering my body. "Not yet, Andoy! I'm still a student! I don't want to!"
Andoy froze, the confusion written all over his face. "What are you talking about?"
It took a few seconds for him to process my reaction. Then, his face turned bright red, and he shook his head vigorously. "Wait, Flora! Do you think I'm talking about your clothes?" he said, his voice cracking with nervous laughter. "I was just telling you to take off your socks!"
It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on me. I turned my back to him, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole. A thick silence followed.
A Simple Celebration
We were both awkward, clearly unused to such situations. I noticed I was sweating from the tension, and Andoy noticed too. He picked up a hand fan from the table and began to fan me gently.
"I think you're uncomfortable here," he said, his voice tinged with concern.
I looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "I just didn't know it would be just us. It's normal to be nervous, right? Especially since it's late."
He understood and immediately apologized, clarifying that he had no ill intentions.
"You know, the neighbors are just on the other side of that wall. If I ever do anything wrong, just scream. I'm sure they'll hear you," he said with a slight smile.
"It's not that I don't trust you!" I explained quickly. "I know you're a good person, Andoy. But... I'm just not used to being alone with you like this, especially at night."
He smiled and nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry, I didn't think about how you'd feel. But this is the only time we can be alone, and I didn't want to let the chance pass."
"Why does it have to be just us? What are you planning?" I asked, my nerves returning.
He shook his head, laughing. "Not what you're thinking, Flora! It's different..."
"I'm not thinking anything! Maybe you're the one thinking things!" I shouted, getting defensive.
"If you're not thinking anything, why are you shouting? I haven't even done anything to you!" he countered, still chuckling.
"Not yet? So you do plan on doing something?" I retreated further.
"Like I said, just scream if I do something bad! The neighbors will hear!"
"Why would I wait for you to do something bad before I scream?" I yelled, clutching a sofa pillow.
"Because you're not supposed to scream here! The neighbors will get mad!" he argued, almost giving up.
"Now you're telling me I'm not allowed to scream? What if you actually do something?"
"You've been screaming this whole time! If you don't stop, I really will do something bad to you!" he blurted out, then immediately stopped and covered his face, clearly mortified by his own words.
We both fell into a shamed silence. My heart raced as I tried to calm down. A few seconds later, his phone rang, snapping us back to reality. He excused himself to the kitchen. When he returned, he brought out a roasted chicken, a small cake, and a bottle of Coke. He set them on the small coffee table.
I was stunned. "What's the occasion? Why did you prepare all this?"
He smiled shyly. "I found out from a staff member at the orphanage that today is your birthday. So, I prepared a little celebration."
My cheeks burned. I hadn't expected him to remember, especially since I had nearly forgotten it myself due to my hectic university schedule.
"Andoy..." I whispered, fighting back tears.
"I admit, I was too busy all day, so I couldn't prepare it properly. But I wanted to make your day special," he said, moving the cake closer to me.
There was a single candle, and in its simple light, my heart felt an extra surge of warmth. "Andoy, thank you so much... I didn't expect this."
"Happy birthday, Flora," he said with a smile full of sincerity.
That night, our bond deepened. As we shared the meal, I realized that he was willing to prove his feelings not just through words, but through patience and the small gestures that meant the world to me. For the first time, I asked myself why I was still making him wait. I wondered if it was finally time to say yes and accept his love.
The next morning at my dorm, I was woken up by the persistent ringing of my doorbell. I had barely slept thinking about the night before, and my body felt heavy. Wearing just a tank top and pajama pants, I stumbled to the door, too tired to care about my appearance.
"Who is it?" I groaned, swinging the door open.
I nearly fell backward in shock. "General Romeo?!" I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was hallucinating.
"Glad to see you finally opened up," he said, walking straight into my unit and heading for the living room.
He was dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, but he still carried that unmistakable air of authority. "What are you doing here?" I asked, following him. "Shouldn't you be in Batangas?"
He smiled with a hint of mischief. "Is it wrong to visit my youngest sister? I am still your guardian, in case you've forgotten."
I rolled my eyes. "General Romeo, I am older than you! Stop calling me 'little sister'!"
He suddenly turned and looked me up and down. "You look healthy enough."
I noticed his gaze and realized I was only in a tank top. I immediately crossed my arms over my chest. "General, don't stare at me like that!" I squeaked, blushing furiously.
He laughed at my reaction. "Don't worry, Flora. I'm not interested in your body," he joked.
"You shouldn't say that to a woman!" I snapped. "And sorry if my body isn't 'interesting' enough for you!" I pouted.
He scratched his head, looking frustrated. "Fine, my mistake. I am interested in your body, and I think it's beautiful," he said, then immediately shook his head.
My face turned scarlet. "That's also not right to say to a woman!"
He sighed in exasperation. "Women are truly impossible to understand."
I ran behind the sofa to hide. "General Romeo, you can't just barge into a woman's home! I just woke up; I haven't even fixed myself yet!"
He ignored my complaints. "I'm used to seeing you a mess, Flora. Did you forget? We were in the camp together, living in the same house. I've seen you drool in your sleep, and I've seen you wearing those childish 'Hello Kitty' undies." He sighed, telling me I had nothing to be ashamed of. "I think I've seen every embarrassing thing there is to see."
"General!" I screamed, my face feeling like it was about to explode. "Stop mentioning those things! And wait—you told me back then you couldn't see anything in the bathroom because of the fog!"
He didn't answer and changed the subject. "Is there any coffee?"
"General, answer me! Did you see me or not?!" I shouted, but he just looked away and busied himself in the kitchen.
"I don't know what to say, Flora. No matter what I say, you'll get mad, right?" He stepped closer until our faces were inches apart. "To me, Flora is Flora. No matter what you look like, it won't change how I see my 'little sister'."
I sighed, defeated. He had treated me like family for so long, but why did he insist on calling me "younger" when I was clearly older? He then became serious as he surveyed the room.
"I'm disappointed in you, Flora," he said. My heart sank. Disappointing the General was one of my greatest fears.
"W-why, General?"
"You told me you were doing fine here in Manila. I trusted you, but look at this place—it's tiny, and it's thirty minutes away from your school!"
"It's cheaper here, General. And it's enough for me," I explained, but he wasn't convinced.
"You've been enduring this for two years? Do you think I can't afford a better place for you?"
"It's not that, General. It's just embarrassing that you're already spending so much on me. I feel like I owe you too much."
"Money is nothing to me, Flora. I just want you to be well while you're under my care," he said, his eyes filled with sincerity.
To change the subject before he could lecture me more about my dorm, I asked, "Why are you really here in Manila? And how did you know where I was?"
He smirked. "I have people watching over you, keeping track of what you do all day. I need to know if my troublesome 'sister' is getting into mischief."
I froze. Did he know about Andoy? Did he know I was letting him court me? I swallowed hard and forced a smile. "Of course, General! Everything is fine!"
He studied me, and I felt like he was reading my soul. "Don't worry, Flora. I know you won't do anything foolish," he said, though there was a hint of doubt in his voice. "Anyway, I have a new mission. And I need you to come with me."
"You're taking me?" I asked, incredulous.
"Yes. It's classified information, so get ready. I'll give you one hour."
I immediately saluted and ran to my room. Minutes later, we were in a sleek black van—a luxury vehicle I didn't expect the General to use.
"What exactly is the mission, General?"
"Just call me Romeo," he said.
"But Gene—" He pressed a finger to my lips.
"Our identities are top secret. For our safety and those around us, we must hide who we are. For now, I am Romeo, an ordinary citizen, and you are Flora, my younger sister. Clear?"
"I understand, Gene—I mean, Romeo." It felt strange to use his name. As we traveled, he called me "little sister" again.
"If we're ordinary people, why am I still the younger one? I'm three years older than you!" I protested.
He ignored me and looked out the window.
We hopped out at a street in Tondo. I wasn't familiar with the area, but I followed him closely. We walked through the crowds, and though I wanted to ask where we were going, I didn't want to jeopardize the mission. Suddenly, he stopped at a street food stall.
"Let's eat kwek-kwek first," he said casually. I was confused but complied.
Afterward, we went to a park, sat on a bench, and ate while watching children play. He was silent, but his eyes were sharp, scanning the surroundings. Then we walked to a crowded market, where I almost got lost in the sea of people.
When we reached a mall, he stopped. "What are you doing? You're lagging behind."
"I can't get through, there are too many people!"
He suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me along. "Hold on to me so you don't get lost," he said. Despite our sibling-like bond, I felt a flutter of shyness.
We ended up at a gaming center. He bought tokens and invited me to play. I was shocked—I never imagined the General playing arcade games during a mission. He stopped in front of a claw machine, staring intensely at a doll with a flower on its head. He stared at it for ten seconds as if having a silent conversation with it.
"Romeo, why are you staring at that?"
He didn't answer. He spent token after token trying to win it. He failed ten times.
"Romeo, that doll is cheap. It's not practical to spend this much on it."
He grabbed my hand and reached for my wallet, saying seriously, "It's not about the money, Flora. I will defeat this machine. I will get that short doll no matter what."
After spending nearly five hundred pesos, he finally won. He beamed like a child. "Told you I could do it."
"You got it, but you spent five hundred for a hundred-peso doll!"
He handed the doll to me. "Hold this for a moment."
"Wait, are you giving this to me?" I asked hopefully.
"Are you kidding? I worked hard to get 'Sampaguita' here, why would I give her to you?" he teased.
"Sampaguita? That's not even a sampaguita flower on its head!"
"I don't care. That's her name. I chose it because she was the smallest doll in there, like she was being bullied by the others." He looked at me with a playful grin. "She reminds me of a certain crybaby I used to know."
"I wasn't bullied!" I protested.
After ice cream, we continued walking. Suddenly, he stopped and threw his arm out to block me.
"I knew I'd find it here," he whispered, staring at an old man in a white jacket across the street. He signaled for us to follow him.
I went into high alert. This must be the target! We followed him into a building, but instead of confronting him, Romeo bought movie tickets. I was impressed—how did he know the target was going to the cinema?
Inside the dark theater, I whispered, "Romeo, it'll be hard to find him in here."
"Find him? Don't worry, I've got it."
We sat in the third deck, fourth row. The old man was just two rows ahead. I was in awe of the General's genius. But then his expression changed. "Wait. Why didn't I think of this earlier?" He stood up. "Stay here and watch, Flora. I'll be back."
"Watch? Watch what?" I assumed he meant the target.
While I sat there tensely, Romeo returned minutes later with popcorn and snacks.
"What were you doing outside?"
"Shh, it's starting."
I watched the movie, but my eyes were glued to the back of the old man's head. After the film ended, Romeo asked, "So, what did you think of the movie?"
"What? I don't know, I was busy watching the target!" I looked at the seat, but the man was gone. "Romeo, the target escaped!"
I ran out of the theater, pushing through the crowd. I saw the old man heading down the stairs to the ground floor. I was on the fourth floor and actually considered jumping over the railing to cut him off.
Romeo grabbed my clothes, pulling me back. "What are you doing? Why are you running?"
"The target is downstairs! He'll get away!"
"Target? Get away?" Romeo looked genuinely baffled.
"The old man! In the white jacket! The mission!"
Romeo sighed, a look of utter disappointment on his face. "Flora, calm down."
"But I thought—"
"We weren't following anyone. There is no target."
"Then why are we here?"
"To watch a movie," he said simply.
"And the arcade? The park? Tondo?"
He stared at me, brow furrowed. "I just wanted to go out with you."
I was furious. "I skipped class because I thought we were doing something important!"
He tapped me on the head with a rolled-up movie poster. "Stop being paranoid."
He explained that he never said we were tailing someone. "I told you I was in Manila for a mission, and I am. But I wanted to have some fun before it starts. I went through the trouble of picking you up so you could enjoy yourself too. Aren't you happy to be out?"
"If you just wanted to hang out, you should have said so! I look ridiculous!"
He stopped and turned to me. "If I told you I just wanted to go for a walk, would you have come? No. You would have made excuses about school."
I told him that every time we went out, it felt like he was only doing it out of obligation or pity because I was an orphan.
"I am grateful for you, General. I know you feel responsible for me. But you don't have to force yourself to make me happy. I can be strong on my own."
He placed a hand on my head and smiled. "When I said I'd take care of you like real family, I meant it. And don't think I'm doing this just for you. I'm a selfish man, Flora. I do this for myself because I enjoy it too."
His phone rang, and his face instantly shifted back to the cold, commanding General. "Hurry, Flora. We need to be at the venue in ten minutes."
We drove to the City of Dreams, a five-star hotel. As we entered the grand hall, we were greeted by soldiers and staff. Female soldiers I used to know grabbed me.
"Get the princess ready!" they shouted.
"Wait, what's happening?"
"Orders from the General!"
They pulled me into a room filled with gowns, makeup, and diamonds. When they were finished, I didn't recognize the girl in the mirror. I was wearing a white gown adorned with pearls. I looked like a movie star.
General Romeo walked in, wearing a white tuxedo. He looked incredibly handsome. He walked up to me and placed a beautiful tiara on my head.
"General, why am I wearing this?"
He put a finger to my lips. "Don't worry about the details. Just enjoy tonight." He paused. "Happy 18th birthday, Flora."
Tears blurred my vision. "Since I forced you to become a soldier, you haven't had the chance to be a normal girl. I remember when we were in the province, I saw you through the window, pretending to be an elegant lady in front of the mirror, dreaming of being a princess. I can't give you a real palace, but I can make you a princess for tonight."
I covered my face in embarrassment. "Please don't remind me of that!"
He gently pulled my hands away. "There's nothing wrong with dreaming. Live a normal life, Flora. Strive to be happy."
I smiled through my tears. "Thank you, General. Thank you for everything."
I noticed he was still wearing a serious expression. "General, why the long face? I want you to be happy too," I said, reaching up to poke his cheeks into a smile.
"I'm just not used to smiling all the time. You're getting bold, asking me to smile all night," he joked.
"I'm the princess tonight, right? So you have to smile for me!"
He finally let out a real smile. That night was a memory I would cherish forever. Looking at him, I realized that this man—this "traitor" to some, but hero to me—had given a little girl her dream, even if only for one night.
End of Chapter.