PREVIOUSLY ON "PLAY THE QUEEN"

—Priam the USC President has a problem—

"You're a serious man. You're a workaholic. What we need to do is to show that you're a human too. That you're relatable to the students."

"So you think finding me a First Lady will make me more human, more relatable? Do you think the students will believe that I—someone whom they see as heartless and detached—am capable of being in a relationship?"

"That's why we have to make it believable. It doesn't have to be real. It just needs to look real. As I said, perception is everything."

—Fabienne the theater actress has a problem—

"Fab . . . I'm sorry, pero kailangan na naming i-terminate ang part-time contract mo sa amin."

"Naintindihan ko, sir. Kasalanan ko rin."

"Kumusta ho ang application ko for the student aide program?"

"Sorry, miss, pero hindi ka qualified. Taken na ang lahat ng slots, eh. Kung sanang mas napaaga ang application mo, nakahabol ka siguro."

—Fabienne sees glimmer of hope—

Good day, Ms. Fabienne Lucero! You are being considered for the limited USC scholarship."

—Castiel meets Fabienne and makes a proposal—

"You need to act as the First Lady by pretending to be in a relationship with him. You need to put on a show and make everyone believe that you're the perfect couple."

"I accept the offer. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

—Priam meets Fabienne at Moonbucks Cafe—

"You must be Fabienne Lucero. The star of last theater season's Mulan."

"And you must be the USC president, Priam . . . "

—The President makes a promise to his pretend First Lady—

"As long as you're with me, you will be under my protection."

—A busybody becomes suspicious of the USC president love's life—

"The incumbent USC president must be planning to run for reelection, and the low approval ratings weren't helping him. So this must be where this whole date thingy came in. Looks like I found my next target. I have another big fish to catch and fry."

—Castiel confronts Valeria about her feelings for Priam—

"Val . . . You like Priam, don't you?"

"A-Ano ba'ng pinagsasabi mo, Cas? I admire Priam because he's a competent leader of our council. Using the word like is too much."

"Drop the act now, Val. We both know that you like him."

—Fabienne meets the USC officers—

"Ladies and gentlemen, the First Lady. Let's welcome her, shall we?"

"You can call me Fab! My friends and classmates do."

"You can call me Val! Please make yourself comfortable here. If there's anything you need, just tell me, okay?"

"I-I'm Sabrina Ynares, the USC secretary. P-Pleased to meet you."

"Tabitha Rustan, the mistress of coin here. Nice to makilala you, Fabel."

"I'm Rowan Oronce, the public relations officer. You must have seen me in my weekly press briefings."

—Castiel warns Fabienne of a serious threat—

"Who's this guy?"

"He's Reynard Falcon, a reporter for The Herald. There's a chance that he's decided to investigate your pretend relationship with Priam."

—Fabienne meets Reynard—

"You look prettier in person. The photos don't do your beauty justice! Sorry, nakalimutan kong magpakilala. I'm Reynard Falcon, a reporter from The Herald assigned to cover the team building."

—Fabienne notices Castiel's leg hurting—

"Okay lang ba si Castiel? Parang sumasakit ang binti niya. I told him to sit, but he said he's fine."

"That always happens when he senses evil in the area."

—Fabienne meets Alaric the Prick—

"Fabienne? What a nice name. Your face looks . . . quite familiar. I must have seen you somewhere."

"Maybe on posts about the rumored girlfriend of a certain student leader?"

"Aha! So you're that mystery girl! I didn't expect the president to bring his rumored girlfriend with him in this event."

—Castiel bares his fangs at Alaric the Prick—

"May problema ba rito?"

"W-We're just having a conversation—"

"I'm not talking to you, Fabienne. Should I repeat the question, mister chairperson?"

—Fabienne and Priam have a heart-to-heart talk—

"Priam, the thing between us is just for a show, right?"

"It is."

"Do you think it's possible for either of us to fall for each other?"

"I won't say it's impossible, but it's not on my mind right now."

—Valeria lets her feelings get the better of her—

"I hope you're not crossing the line yet. You know naman what I mean, 'di ba?"

"I'm not falling for Priam. I'm only playing my role as his pretend First Lady."

"You may not be falling for him, but you might be trying to make him fall for you."

—Castiel and Priam talk about Valeria after her confrontation with Fabienne—

"Remember why I recommended Valeria to you?"

"Because you think that she likes me. You said we can take advantage of her feelings for me to retain her loyalty to our party."

"You know that we can't lose Val and her college base. She also knows about Oplan First Lady. She might talk if she loses control of her emotions and begins to think irrationally."

—Castiel confronts Priam about the possibility —

"Before you tell Val anything, I want to be a hundred percent sure. Is it possible for you to fall for Fabienne?"

"If we're talking about possibility—"

"Yes or no?"

"Can you let me explain—"

"YES OR NO?"

"There are some questions that one cannot answer with a simple yes or no."

"You can't outright say no . . . So that means there's a chance."

"A slim, a very slim chance."

—Castiel joins truth or dare game of CSC officers—

"O sino ang may dare kay Alaric?"

"I dare you to . . . vote in favor of the Freedom of Information bill. We know that you and your allies here are not in favor of that proposal. You are their shepherd and they follow you like sheep."

—Priam reiterates his promise to Fabienne—

"Fabienne, you may not be officially part of my council, but you are one of us. I will protect you the same way I protect the rest of the council. You have my word."

—A rumor spreads—

How FABulous! The rumored First Lady and promising theater actress slept with the director to get the role of Mulan last semester. Did she do the same in their upcoming play?

—Fabienne loses everything—

"Nandito ako bilang messenger ng The Herald. As much as we want you to be on the cover, we have to put the idea on hold for a while. Ayaw muna ng editorial board na mag-feature ng isang currently controversial na student sa cover."

"The CCA is worried na baka maapektuhan ang ticket sales kung may controversial actress na nasa lead role. Habang hindi pa settled ang issue, we decided na pagpahingain muna si Fab. Lucresia will play muna the role of Juliet para ma-prepare natin siya."

—Priam calls Fabienne to reassure her of his promise—

"I feel like I was slowly being pushed away from the stage. Nasa edge na siguro ako. Just one more nudge, I'm out. This may be an exaggeration, but everything's being taken away from me by that rumor."

"Cas advised us to not make any move publicly. But I made a promise to you. I will not abandon my First Lady."

—Fabienne's ex-boyfriend joins the drama—

The rumored First Lady and Mulan lead star's ex-boyfriend confirms rumor: Yes, she bragged about how she slept with the director to get the role. That's why we broke up.

—Fabienne confronts her ex, Michelangelo—

"Why . . . Why would you tell them a lie?"

"Is it a lie though? 'Yon ang pagkakatanda kong sinabi mo sa 'kin noong magkasama tayo. Matalas pa naman ang memory ko kaya imposibleng magkamali ako ng alaala."

—Reynard pays Castiel a visit—

"Sorry for being a teensy bit confrontational! Hindi ako naparito para makipag-away. Nandito ako para tulungan kayo."

"Tulungan? Sa paanong paraan?"

"It's rare to see The Herald and the USC work together, but it still happens sometimes."

—Michelangelo asks for one more chance from Fabienne—

"Come back to me, Fab. Let's start over again. Give me another chance. And I'll make sure that the rumor will finally go away."

"After everything you said and did, sa tingin mo'y maiisipan ko pang makipagbalikan sa 'yo? You think I'd be desperate enough to run back to you? Naalog na ba ng bola ang utak mo kaya naisip mo 'yan?"

—Michelangelo becomes desperate—

"Stop this, Mitch. Masisira ang image mo. Tingnan mo, kinukuhanan ka nila—"

"You don't understand what's at stake here, Fab. I will stop when you say yes."

—Priam saves Fabienne from Michelangelo—

"Mr. President! Comment naman diyan, oh! You went through the trouble para ipagtanggol si Fabby. Ano na ba ang real score sa inyong dalawa? Kayo na ba?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

—Reynard knows what Castiel tried to do—

"If the USC is hiding any secrets, I'll figure it out eventually. You better come clean now before I expose you to the student body."

"Please let me know if you find any. I'm curious as well. Good luck!"

—Alaric the Prick defends Michelangelo in grievance committee hearing—

"I humbly ask the committee to reconsider the harshest punishment. Expulsion is too much for him. Let's give justice to the victim but, at the same time, let's not jeopardize the future of our university."

"I object. There must be no compromises when it comes to the penalty. The rules in this university must be applied equally to everyone, whether you're an ordinary student or a special one."

"I've offered a win-win compromise. Personally I'm more concerned about Chancellor Eliseo's opinion. I'm sure he'd want this university to reach greater heights and he'd be willing to sacrifice anything to make it happen."

—Alaric the Prick and Castiel exchange fire—

"How's your left leg, by the way? Is it getting any better?"

"Don't pretend as if you actually care."

"Just chill, okay? This is just our opening salvo. I want to join in the fun, but it's not yet time. You already have a problem to deal with anyway. That campus journalist will be a pain in the ass."

—Castiel and Valeria blackmail Chevy, Alaric the Prick's ally—

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, that's why we will do everything to turn your 'no' into 'yes.' Please return to your seat."

"Wala na tayong dapat pag-usapan pa dahil hindi na magbabago ang isip ko."

"Return to your seat if you don't want me to destroy you and your council. I won't ask you the third time."

—Fabienne's brother, Fabrice, reveals his sister has a boyfriend to their mom—

"May boyfriend ka na raw?"

"Boyfriend? Totoo ba 'to, Yen? May boyfriend ka na? Pwede mo ba siyang imbitahan dito sa bahay?"

"I agree! Gusto ko siyang makita at gusto kong malaman kung anong klaseng lalaki siya."

—Committee votes on Freedom of Information bill—

"Avrille Marie Padilla of the College of Allied Medical Professions?"

"Aye."

"Antoinette Santibanez of the College of Arts and Sciences?"

"Aye."

"Alaric Esteban of the College of Business and Accountancy?"

"Aye."

"All nine chairpersons have voted unanimously in favor of Bill No. 006 series of 2021 or the Freedom of Information bill. This committee hereby approves the proposal."

—Fabienne takes care of Priam in Castiel's apartment—

"Ang mahal siguro ng rent n'yo rito, 'no? Sa amin na studio-type, P3,000 monthly ang rent. Paano pa kaya sa two-bedroom na may malaking space sa sala?"

"To be honest, I don't know how much the rent is here. Hindi naman kami ang nagbabayad. Let's just say that . . . we have a generous benefactor."

—Reynard interviews Fabienne for magazine article—

"One of your classmates told me that you're hardworking not only as an actress, but also as a student. Kahanga-hanga raw ang time management mo lalo na last semester noong pinagsabay mo ang studies, pag-arte sa stage at pagiging working student."

"Oh! Last semester kasi, I was working at a coffee and tea shop nearby to support my studies here in the university."

"Are you still working at that cafe?"

"I resigned a few months ago para makapag-focus ako sa acting at sa academics ko."

—Reynard takes one step closer to the truth—

"I'd like to request for a complete list of all USC scholars, their application forms, and all related communication letters. Thanks to you and the CSCs, the Freedom of Information act made my job easier. The walls are closing in now, Mr. Chief-of-Staff."

—Alaric the Prick and Castiel exchange fire again—

"Someone I know reached out to that reporter and offered a mutually beneficial arrangement. Sadly, he declined."

"That's sad. He would have been a valuable ally."

"He and I may not be allies, but I still found a way to help him in his crusade against lies. All I need to do is to give him the tools. Then he'll indirectly and unknowingly help me back."

—Fabienne's family meets Priam—

"Ris, nandito na ang boyfriend ni Yen. 'Di ba gusto mo siyang ma-meet?"

"Oo naman! Hi! Ako nga pala si Fabrice, ang kuya ni Fabie—Ikaw 'yong isa sa mga bumibista sa coma patient namin sa hospital, 'di ba? Kay Cassidy Seville?"

—Priam tells Fabienne what happened to Castiel's leg and Cassidy—

"Cas, his sister and I were there when the accident happened. When we're walking back to my car at the parking lot, another car was coming to our direction. It lost control and hit Cassidy and Castiel. The driver was not drunk, nor was the crash intentional."

"A-Ano'ng nangyari sa driver? Nakasuhan ba siya? Nakakulong na ba siya ngayon?"

"Let's just say that the driver is related to an influential family in the city. They promised to pay for Cassidy's hospitalization and send money to Castiel for his therapy and everything he needs to finish his education."

—Reynard tries to convert Fabienne to his side—

"The USC is just using you, Fabienne. Once you outlive your usefulness, they will throw you away. Don't enable their lies and deception anymore. Be on the side of the truth. Be on my side."

"Sorry, Rey. But I think we got off-topic here."

"You fail to understand how dangerous these people are, don't you? Do you know who's behind the fake rumor about you that almost ruined your reputation and your theater career?"

—Fabienne confronts Castiel about the fake rumor—

"Are you the one who started that fake rumor?"

"No, I'm not. Where did you get—"

"Liar."

—Fabienne breaks down—

"Nakausap mo ba ang director ng Mulan production ilang araw bago pumutok 'yong tsismis sa CampuSite? Hiningan mo ba siya ng proof kung bakit ako ang napili at bakit deserve ko ang role?"

"Oo. Bahagi 'yon ng background check namin sa 'yo para masigurong wala ka ngang dumi na itinatago mula sa amin. I already told you during the interview that we can't afford—"

"Then why . . . WHY DIDN'T YOU DEFEND ME WHEN I WAS BEING JUDGED FOR SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T DO?"

—Priam confronts Castiel about the fake rumor—

"How can you do this, Cas? How can you do this to Yen?"

"Why are you so surprised? You're speaking as if you didn't know me very well. As your friend, I'm trying not to be disappointed."

"But this is unacceptable!"

"Unacceptable? Did you say the same thing when I found a way to have the frontrunners disqualified from the student council elections? What makes Fabienne's case different from my elections strategy—"

"Fabienne is one of us!"

—Fabienne is disappointed in Priam—

"Totoo bang na-suspend si Castiel o nag-file siya ng leave sa council duties niya?"

"I suspended him for two weeks, but we made it appear as if he went on leave voluntarily. It won't look good on the council if we've announced his suspension."

"Why?"

"Why? Because he needs to be punished for what he did to you—"

"No, Yam. I'm asking why suspension lang ang sanction mo sa kanya? You know what he did. You know how much it affected me."

—Reynard and Fabienne go on a livestream to expose the USC—

"During our pre-interview at lunchtime, you said that this is about you, the president, and his officers. Correct? Tungkol ba riyan ang pag-uusapan natin?"

"Correct. This involves the entire University Student Council."

"I already know what this is about. Now, it's time for the student body to hear about it, too. Fab, everyone's watching."

"My relationship with the USC president . . . is going strong."

"But Fab . . . This is not what we discussed during the pre-interview. You said that you want to talk about Oplan First Lady?"

"Oh? I thought the pre-interview was off-the-record?"

—Priam and Fabienne talk after their kiss—

"I honestly thought you're going to expose us. We were worried the entire afternoon."

"Not you. Just Castiel. Balak kong ituro sa kanya ang lahat para matanggal siya sa council. Ayaw mo kasi siyang tanggalin kaya . . ."

"What changed? Bakit hindi mo itinuloy?"

"Maybe, just like you, I want to give him a chance to change? I don't know. Hindi ko rin maintindihan ang sarili ko minsan."

—Castiel meets with Reynard the failed exposé—

"You're so obsessed with a big fish that you failed to notice that there's a freaking whale out there. And that's why I'm here to make a proposal, Reynard. A truce between you and I. Let's go hunt the whale together."

"Does this whale have a name?"

"Alaric Esteban, chairman of CBA's student council and grandson of Dr. Aldous Eliseo, Elysian University's chancellor."

—Alaric the Prick declares war—

"I'm invoking Article XIV, Section 2, Subsection 5 of the Elysian University Student Government's Constitution and Bylaws. I'm formally filing an impeachment complaint against USC President Priam Torres and USC Vice President Valeria Encarnacion."

"You . . . !"

"It's my turn now, Cas. This is me officially declaring war against you and the USC."