CASTIEL

MY HANDS could not stop shaking. My knees could stop not trembling. My body was in such shock that any attempt to calm it down was futile. I put my palms together and squeezed my eyes shut.

Priam, please be okay. Please, live!

The last time that I felt this way was about a year ago, when my sister Cassidy was rushed to the hospital after being hit by Alaric the Prick's car. Priam was with me back then, praying and hoping for good news from the doctors. Now, I was alone here, praying for his dear life as he clung to it.

Thanks to the presence of medics at the campus fair, Priam received immediate medical attention. May naka-standby na ambulansya sa labas kaya agad siyang pinasok doon at dinala sa ospital. We were fortunate to have coordinated with Clark Medical Center for this event. Kung hindi 'yon na-arrange ni Lavinia, baka hindi na umabot si Priam sa ospital.

Hindi ko alam kung sadyang mapagbiro ang tadhana o nataon na coincidence ito. Dinala si Priam sa kaparehong ospital kung saan naka-admit si Cassidy. Both were lying unconscious in their beds. Both uncertain whether they would open their eyes again or not.

I lowered my head and pulled at my hair in frustration. This is my fault... This is all my fault! I was so consumed with the present that I almost forgot the people that we had to trample over in the past. Now, the past had caught up with the present to bite me in the ass! Brandon did not stab Priam randomly. He stabbed him out of rage, out of vengeance for what happened to someone close to him. Back then, we found a way to disqualify his runningmate Candice Delavin in the last election, which made her severely depressed. She even tried to take her own life. That's why Brandon kept screaming "Para kay Candice" while swinging his knife at the president.

I took off my eyeglasses and buried my face in my palms. My goodness, what have I done? What have I brought upon ourselves? I would not mind if he attacked me instead of Priam. Yes, Priam benefited the most from Candice's disqualification, but I was the one who initiated it. Yes, Priam had knowledge of my plan, but I was the one who insisted on executing it.

For months, I had been hiding in the shadows, trying the manipulate events in our favor. I thought that was a good thing—being unseen, being invisible to the eyes of the public. But I did not expect that I was unconsciously putting a target on someone else's back.

If something were to happen to Priam... If he would not open his eyes again... I had no one to blame but myself. If I had been careful... If I had not been too reckless... Valeria would not have had to resign. I would not have been vice president. Fabienne would not have hated me. Priam would not have been attacked.

What is it? I felt the moisture on my palms. Inilayo ko ang aking mga kamay at napansin ang mga tumulong luha roon. I touched my cheeks and felt the tears streaming down from my eyes. I wiped them away with my bare hands, but the tears persisted.

In the distance, I heard approaching footsteps. Fabienne emerged from the corner and dashed toward me. Suot-suot pa niya ang kaniyang costume para sa kanilang play. She even had makeup on. Ano'ng oras na ba? It's just four-thirty! Their play should have started and must be ongoing!

Why is she here already?

I wiped the tears from my face before standing.

"Cas!" she greeted me with a worried expression. Napahawak siya sa mga braso ko. Namumugto ang mga mata niya at nasira na ang kaniyang makeup. "Where's Priam? Where is he?"

"H-he's still in the emergency room," I answered after swallowing hard. "H-he's been there for almost an hour. He sustained around ten stab wounds. Wala pang sinasabi ang mga doktor tungkol sa kondisyon niya."

"Oh, my goodness..." Napaluhod si Fabienne at halos maglupasay sa sahig. Her eyeliner and makeup became even messier as tears streamed down her face. Ngunit mukhang wala na siyang pakialam kung hindi na gano'n kaayos ang hitsura niya.

"Why are you here already?" I sniffled. "You should be performing in your play."

"I... I ran away and left the theater as soon as you told me kung anong nangyari." Nakatulala siya sa pader habang patuloy na umaagos ang mga luha niya. "I... I can't act hangga't 'di ko nalalaman kung kumusta siya. I would mess up my performance kaya..."

As soon as Priam was rushed into an ambulance, I instinctively called Fabienne. Hindi ko alam kung sino ang tatawagan maliban sa kaniya. She's not his real girlfriend, but she's the First Lady, so she deserved to know what happened.

That was another mistake on my part. I should not have called her in a panic. Meron siyang performance ngayong hapon, at 'yon dapat ang pagtuonan niya ng pansin. But because of me, she became a runaway theater actress. If she would get into trouble because of her sudden disappearance on stage, that would be another burden that I must bear.

I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket and offered it to her. Hindi niya tinanggap. Lumuhod ako sa tabi niya at pinunasan ang kaniyang mga luha. She slapped my hand away, but I persisted. If Priam were to miraculously recover and walk out of the emergency room, it would be better if he saw his First Lady not in such an unflattering state.

"Why... Why did this happen?" Fabienne muttered. She stared blankly at the wall, then looked at me. "Bakit nangyari 'to kay Yam? He was just fine this morning. He even said he's looking forward to watching me."

I shut my eyes for the nth time and took a deep breath. Napakuyom ang kamay kong may hawak na panyo. "It's all my fault."

Her eyebrows almost formed a straight line. "Y-your fault... ? Paano?"

"The person who stabbed Priam was a close friend of the presidential candidate we got disqualified in the last election," I answered, avoiding her gaze. "He was probably exacting his revenge on Priam for what happened to Candice—"

"YOU?!" Fabienne got up and grabbed me by the collar. "Ikaw na naman, Cas?! Dahil na naman sa kabaliwan mo?!"

"I never thought he would take their loss seriously—"

"IKAW! IKAW! PALAGI NA LANG IKAW!" Paulit-ulit niya akong pinagsusuntok sa dibdib. It hurt at first, then I became numb to the pain. I let her vent her frustrations, allowing myself to be her punching bag.

I deserve it. I deserve her anger and resentment.

"I knew you were trouble, Cas!" She grabbed me by the collar again. "Ilang beses ko na siyang sinabihan na dumistansya sa 'yo, na 'wag ka nang in-enable sa mga kalokohan mo! But he kept on trusting you! He held on to the possibility na magbabago ka na! But look at what happened!"

"Even if I did change in the past few weeks, this would probably still have happened," I said in my defense. "Hindi ko na maitatama ang mga pagkakamali ko sa nakaraan. Hindi ko na mabubura ang mga mantsa sa puting canvas. Hindi ko na maaayos ang mga sinira ko. They're all in the past—"

She let out a scream filled with hurt and hate. She grabbed onto my polo shirt and buried her face in my chest. Lalo pang umagos ang mga luha sa nadungisan niyang mukha. Lalo pang lumakas ang bawat hikbi niya.

I stood there, letting myself be the shoulder that she could cry on. She hated my guts. She hated even the sight of my shadow. But right now, there was no one else she could turn to.

Dahil sa lakas ng pag-iyak niya, napukaw namin ang atensiyon ng ibang taong naghihintay rin ng updates sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay.

"Umupo ka muna, Fabienne." Maingat ko siyang ginuide sa upuan sa tabi. "Priam's life is in the hands of the capable doctors and nurses of Clark Medical Center. What we can do now is pray for the best. I know you hate me, but save your anger until we hear about Priam, okay?"

Umupo na siya at doon ipinagpatuloy ang kaniyang paghikbi. I wanted to reassure her that everything would be okay, but the words got stuck in my throat. Around ten stab wounds and a significant loss of blood... It would be a miracle if Priam survived those injuries. I hoped that he did.

"Cas?"

I turned my head toward the long hallway. The rest of the USC—Lavinia, Sabrina, Tabitha, and Rowan—had arrived at the hospital. All of them wore long, worried expressions as they hurried toward me.

"How's Priam?" Lavinia asked. "Stable na ba ang lagay niya?"

I shook my head, exhaling deeply. "He's still in surgery. Wala pa akong nare-receive na update magmula thirty minutes ago."

She glanced at Fabienne who was sniffling and wiping her tears. "The First Lady is also here?"

"Kaya pala na-delay ang showing today," bulong ni Rowan na napatingin din sa kaniya. "I saw posts on SchoolBuzz na nagsasabing nakita nilang tumatakbo si Fab paalis ng auditorium at pababa ng AS building."

Tumayo na si Fabienne habang pinupunasan ang mga luha gamit ang sarili niyang panyo. "Excuse me."

We stepped aside to let her pass. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin hanggang sa lumiko siya sa hallway. Poor Fabienne. I wished that I could comfort her, but I knew that I was not the best person for that. Baka mas mainis pa siya sa akin kapag sinubukan ko.

"By the way, Cas, where's your tungkod?" Ngumuso si Tabitha sa kaliwang binti ko.

I looked down, my left hand opening and closing. My eyes scanned the hallway, searching for my cane. Oh, shoot. "Nakalimutan ko yata sa campus. Tumulong ako sa pagbubuhat kay Priam kanina kaya baka naiwan ko."

"So you came here without your cane?"

I nodded. For almost an hour, I forgot that I had a disability, that I was in mild but constant pain. Sa sobrang adrenaline yata kaya hindi ko naramdaman ang sakit. Kaya pala nagawa kong tumayo kanina para batiin si Fabienne nang hindi nangangailangan ng suporta sa pagtayo. For half an hour, I felt like a normal person again.

Then it came back—a sharp pain in my left leg. May kuryenteng dumaloy. Napaupo ako sa bench at hinaplos ang binti ko. I took some deep breaths to ease the sudden surge of pain. Maybe Tabitha should not have reminded me.

"How's the campus fair?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the pain.

"Business as usual, except the CBA area was cordoned off because of what happened," Lavinia answered. "Patuloy pa rin ang dagsa ng mga tao sa quadrangle. This time, may dineploy na ROTC cadets ang Office of Campus Security para magpatrol sa campus. Mas hinigpitan na rin ang security."

"That's good." I sighed with relief. Mabuti't hindi masyadong naapektuhan ang buong fair.

"I know you're worried sick about Priam," she said, glancing at our fellow officers. "We are, too. But we have duties to perform and a campus fair to oversee for the next three days."

"I agree." I bobbed my head.

"That's why," Lavinia handed me a leather folder with the USC logo in front, "you have to sign this and do your job. Sabrina, pen."

My eyes narrowed into slits as I reluctantly received the folder from her and the pen from our secretary. My lips parted slightly as I read the contents of the single sheet of paper inside. Should I sign it? Well, it's not like I have any other choice. My right hand quivered as I forced it to sign my name. Hindi pulido ang pagkakalagda ko.

"Here." I snapped the folder shut and handed it back to her. I almost forgot the protocol because of being too worried about Priam. Never in my college life did I imagine myself being in that position. But here am I.

"In accordance with Article V, Section 3, Subsection A, you shall temporarily assume the powers of the USC presidency due to the President's incapacity," Lavinia announced after checking the document. "What are your orders, Mr. President?" 

♔

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully fulfill my duties as Acting President of the University Student Council until the duly elected President reassumes the powers and duties of his office. I will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and By-Laws of the Student Government of Elysian University.

(sgd.)
CASTIEL SEVILLE
Acting President

♔

AND THAT concludes the first half of PLAY THE KING!

NEXT PART: THE REGENCY
Castiel reluctantly plays the King of the Elysian kingdom, but his reign isn't going to be a smooth one.