A/N: Our manipulative boi Castiel enters the tiger's den!

CASTIEL

I FELT like I was entering an enemy territory. I stood firmly before the door of the other villa, my left hand steady on my cane's handle. Fabienne and that wretched campus journalist went this way, so I was a hundred percent sure that they were inside. I was not the type to play the hero, but I had to rescue our First Lady from the lion's den. Or in this case, the tiger's.

The relationship between the University Student Council and the College Student Councils was quite complicated. Karamihan sa nanalong chairpersons ay hindi namin kaalyado. Teka, baligtad yata. Kami ang hindi nila kaalyado. Priam and Valeria ran under one ticket as independent. May tatlong tandem na tumakbo noon—the admin tandem, the opposition tandem, and Priam-Val. We tried to win as many votes as we could from vote-rich colleges, but my pair was only second in terms of number of votes. The admin tandem got the most.

We should have lost the election, right? But not so fast! I found a way to have the first placers disqualified before the university's Commission on Election could proclaim them. Kahit sila ang nakakuha ng pinakamaraming boto, invalidated na ang lahat ng iyon. By the rules of elections here, if the first placers were disqualified, the second placers would emerge as the victors.

And that was how Priam became the president with Val as his vice president.

Out of nine colleges, five are were dominated by the former admin party, three were oppositionists to the previous USC while one was independent. I cemented an alliance with the former oppositionists as we both did not want the former admin party to rule again. 'Yong nag-iisang independent, sinusuyo namin na kumampi sa amin. At most, we could have four colleges backing as up.

This proved to be a challenge, as any university-wide policy that we wanted to implement would need to be supported by majority of the Legislative-Executive Committee or LEXECOM. We only had four out of nine votes. Kulang ng isa para ma-meet ang simple majority rule. Sadly, that one vote would not be easy to win over because the former admin party always voted as a bloc.

So far, only one out of our five proposals—declaring a "wash day" every Wednesday when students may choose not to wear their uniforms—was approved by the committee. Only three to four chairpersons always voted in favor of us. Five would always vote against.

Guess who was the biggest obstacle in that committee? None other than College of Business and Accountancy's student council chairperson Alaric the Prick. He was also the chair pro tempore and the majority leader, since five out of nine CSCs were under his control. Kapag wala si Val sa meeting, siya ang nagpe-preside nito. He could steer the discussion to whichever direction he wanted, and always not to our favor.

Ugh. I bit my lower lip hard that it almost bled. Heto na naman ang sakit sa binti ko. Whenever I thought of that person or that incident, I would always feel a surge of pain. I had already drunk some painkillers tonight, but they seemed to be not working.

I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath. I could not let myself look weak. Not in front of these hyenas. USC officers must always posture themselves as strong and perseverant. Otherwise, they would make fun of us and not treat us seriously.

Here I go.

Laughters and yells seeped through the gaps. Hinawakan ko ang doorknob, maingat itong pinihit at dahan-dahang itinulak paloob. The noise paused as I was greeted with a bunch of stares. Taas-noo akong tumingin sa kanila. Mas mahigpit ang hawak ko sa aking cane.

I was not that surprised to see six of the nine CSC chairpersons seated on the couches and gathered around the center table in the villa's living room. Mas malaki ang ibinigay naming space sa kanila dahil mas marami ang kanilang bilang. Each council had their own bedrooms with comfort rooms, but they were sharing the same living room and kitchen.

My cane made a clacking noise as it tapped the tiled floor repeatedly. My eyes roamed around. I immediately spotted Fabienne whose eyes went wide upon seeing me. Katabi niya ang Herald journalist. She had some explaining to do later, but I had a bigger issue right now.

"I hope I'm not intruding to whatever fun you're having," I greeted them with a very welcoming grin. Nakita kong may empty bottle na nasa mesa na kanilang pinalilibutan. Spin the bottle, huh? How classic.

"Castiel!" Alaric the Prick, who sat in the middle of the biggest couch, dared to call me as if I had been his long time friend. How very telling. He was acting like a king here, and everyone else was just vassals to him. "The chief-of-staff or any USC officer is welcome to our villa!"

I stood behind the couch where Fabienne was sandwiched between the College of Allied Medical Professions' student council chairperson and the Herald journalist. Napangiwi ako nang nakaramdam ng kirot sa aking binti. Here you go again. Can you please shut up for a moment, leg?

Fabienne and I exchanged glances. I could not tell what she was thinking nor could she tell what I was thinking. May dalawang choices ako ngayon: tawagin siya't iuwi na sa aming villa o manatili muna rito at samahan siya sa kung anuman ang ipinunta niya. My gaze shifted from her face to the empty bottle on the table. They must be playing truth or dare. It's a classic party game that I was being tempted to play too.

"Do you mind if I join in the fun?" I asked. "My fellow officers are busy with boring council stuff. Ayaw kong masayang ang gabi ko roon."

"Of course! We'd love to have you here," Alaric the Prick answered. He gestured to the vacant space on the couch to his right. "Make yourself feel at home."

He was speaking as if he owned the place. Kami kaya ang nagbayad ng accommodation sa lugar na ito.

"Can I sit beside her?" I asked the girl next to Fabienne. She had auburn hair that reached past her waist. "Our volunteer might feel intimidated dahil pinaliligiran siya ng mga CSC officer."

"Sure, no problem!" CAMP-CSC chairperson Avrille Mae Padilla vacated her seat and settled down on the space that Alaric the Prick had pointed at a minute ago. She was one of our allies—and our only ally in this living room.

Umupo ako sa tabi ni Fabienne at ipinatong sa gilid ng armrest ang cane ko. I needed to be near her so I could quickly defend her from anything that these hyenas might threw at her. At least two participants here proved to be legitimate threats: Alaric the Prick and Reynard. And I could not say which of them was worse.

Oh, wait. I know who.

"So what are you playing at?" I forced a smile so they would not feel awkward in my presence. Alam kong alam nila ang reputasyon ko bilang seryoso at istriktong USC officer. That might turn them off. "You seem to be having so much fun. Narinig ko nga ang tawanan n'yo sa labas."

"We're playing truth or dare!" College of Nursing's student council chairperson Owen Navarro said. He wore a pair of eyeglasses with transparent frame. Shaggy ang kulay brown niyang buhok at may kalakihan ang katawan. "Halos kauumpisa pa lang namin. Halos kakasali rin nitong si Beauty."

Fabienne blushed. If I were her, I would not fall for their compliments. Kinukuha nila ang kanyang loob para madali siyang matanong at mapaikot dito. Sorry if I sounded like I got trust issues with them, because I did.

"The more the merrier!" College of Engineering and Architecture's student council chairperson Eamon Alonso exclaimed. He had a faux hawk hairstyle that stood out in the room. "O, ano pa'ng hinihintay natin? Paikutin na natin ang bote para magkaalaman na!"

"Teka! Teka!" College of Computer Studies' student council chairperson Chevy Serrano held up his right hand. He wore low bridge eyeglasses. His bangs was swept to one side with some loose fringes. Nagbato siya ng mapanghinalang tingin sa kasama naming Herald journalist. "Kung anuman ang itanong at isagot namin dito, off-the-record, ah? Baka pagkabalik namin sa campus, merong ma-publish na article tungkol sa ini-spill naming secrets."

Smiling, Reynard raised his right hand. Parang nagpa-Panatang Makabayan. "I promise na off-the-record ang lahat ng maririnig ko rito. Wala akong isusulat na kahit anong article na ipa-publish sa Herald o ipi-pitch na tsismis sa gossip writers. You have my word!"

"Totoo?" College of Fine Arts and Design's student council chairperson Felicity David asked. May highlights ang kanyang buhok na abot hanggang balikat. "Ikaw ang mahilig na mag-spill ng tea sa university. Baka nga sumali ka rito para mangalap ng tsismis na pwede mong i-pursue."

Reynard chuckled nervously. "Kung wala kayong controversial na ginawa, wala naman kayong dapat na ikatakot sa 'kin. I'm only spilling the t—not tsismis, but the truth. So you can all relax if your conscience is clear."

"Akong bahala kapag may lumabas dito," College of Criminal Justice Education's student council chairperson Jaeger Estrada warned. Naka-crew cut ang buhok niya at may band-aid sa kaliwang cheek. He cracked his knuckles. "Uupakan siya ng mga bata ko kapag—"

"Grabe! Upakan agad?"

"Sobra ka naman, Jae!"

"You're threatening a campus journo!"

"Gusto mo bang ma-feature sa front page ng Herald next week?"

"Please! No to violence!" Still smiling nervously, Reynard held up both of his hands.

"Kapag may nabasa akong article tungkol sa 'kin, sisiguruhin kong hindi mo na magagamit ang mga daliri mo."

"I'm sorry kung hindi ako nakapagpaalam," pasimpleng bulong ni Fabienne habang maingay sa paligid namin. "I just want to check if—"

I quietly shushed her by hiding it in my smile. She did not need to explain to me right now, especially when we were surrounded by enemies. None of them were our allies except for one—Val's friend Avrille from CAMP. Mamaya na kami mag-usap. Makipaglaro muna kami sa kanila.

"Shall we spin the bottle?" I asked in a slightly raised voice to drown their nonsense chatters, instantly silencing them and making them turn to me.

Alaric the Prick gestured at Fabienne. "Please do the honors."

"A-Ako?" She jerked her thumb to herself, eyes blinking.

"Go," I muttered.

Fabienne leaned forward as her right hand reached for the bottle. Nahihiya niyang ipinaikot ang bote kaya hindi matagal ang pag-spin. The room went silent as only the sound of the rotating empty bottle filled the air.

"Oh, shoot—" Fabienne almost cursed.

I squeezed my eyes shut for a second. Siya na nga ang nagpaikot ng bote, siya pa ang itinuro nito. I would have preferred if she would not be pointed by the bottle. Kahit ako ang paulit-ulit na ituro, walang problema sa akin. I could answer all their questions. But Fabienne . . . this was not in the script and we had no template answers for what they might ask her. Sana'y nonsense ang itanong sa kanya.

"Game!" sigaw ni Chevy. "Sino ang gustong magtanong kay Fabby?"

Fabby? Really? Gano'n na ba siya ka-close kay Fabienne para tawagin sa nickname? Feeling close talaga ang ilan sa mga ito.

"Hoy, excited ka masyado!" singit ni Felicity. "Tanungin mo muna kung truth or dare!"

"Ay, sorry! Masyado akong advanced. O Fabby, truth or dare?"

"Uhm . . ."

Between the two, I would prefer dare for her. Delikado kung truth ang pipiliin niya. They could grill her about her relationship with Priam. On the other hand, I also could not be complacent with dare. Wala akong idea kung ano ang posibleng ipagawa sa kanya. Nothing embarrassing, I hoped.

"Ano kaya?" natatawang tanong ni Fabienne sa sarili. She must be asking for my advice.

"Dare," I whispered.

"Dare!" she answered.

"Sino'ng magbibigay ng dare kay Fabby?"

"Me."

I raised my gaze at the guy on the other couch. Alaric the Prick raised his right hand. Nakangisi pa ang loko, mukhang may masamang balak. Maybe the dare suggestion was a mistake? Either way, Fabienne was already screwed.

My left eye twitched and my hand clutched on my hurting leg.

"Ano'ng gusto mong ipagawa sa kanya?"

"Kiss me," Alaric the Prick ordered. "On the lips. Just one second. Just a smack."

My eyes widened at him. What?!

"Se-Seryoso ba 'yan?" awkward na tanong ni Fabienne. She giggled to brush it off. "Shouldn't there be some limits sa dare?"

"We're already adults here, right?" Alaric the Prick glanced over his seatmates who gave him an approving nod. "At saka, wala namang malisya. It's just an innocent kiss. Tayo-tayo lang ang nandito at wala naman ibang makaaalam. Or is there a reason why you can't do it?"

"That's actually . . ."

My teeth ground and my fists clenched. The pain in my leg became more intense. Was this a trap? What the flipping heck was this guy playing with?

"Kiss na 'yan! Kiss na 'yan!" Some of the officers chanted. Really? They would encourage it? Had they lost their minds?

"We shouldn't force anyone to do a dare that's out of their will," I interjected before Fabienne could do anything. I would not let that prick get anything his way. "Halata namang hindi siya comfortable sa dare."

"Oh . . ." Alaric the Prick squinted his eyes at me. "Is there a reason why you won't allow her to do it?"

"Yes, there is." I nodded slowly. "It's called respecting the boundaries. Some of us here may have crossed the lines so many times that they already forgot what the word respect or boundary means."

Silence ensued in the living room. Everyone exchanged nervous glances as I stared at the guy on the opposite couch. Nakita ko rin sa peripheral vision ko ang nababahalang tingin ni Fabienne sa akin. Don't worry, I could handle this man.

Ngumiti sa akin si Alaric the Prick. "Good point."

I fired the first shot. He was surely going to retaliate. He was not the type of person who would allow himself to be humiliated, especially in front of those he deemed inferior to him. Because that's how he was—feeling superior.

"Truth na lang para walang issue!" Chevy broke the silence, diffusing the tension instantly. "O sino ang gustong magtanong kay Fabby?"

"Ako!" Nagtaas ng kamay si Felicity. "Medyo may pagka-Marites ako kaya matagal ko nang gustong itanong 'to. Ano ba'ng real score between you and the USC president?"

"Ganyan dapat ang mga tanungan!"

"Wala nang paligoy-ligoy pa."

"Priam and I . . ." Fabienne smiled. "We're very good friends! May ibang tao kasi na feeling dictionary—nagbibigay ng meaning sa mga nababasa at nakikita nila kahit wala naman."

"Wow! Pang-showbiz ang sagot, ah?"

"Mukhang 'di talaga aamin 'to."

"'Di bale, kapag natapat ulit sa kanya ang bote, gigisahin ko 'yan."

"Next na!"

Dahil si Fabienne ang tinapatan ng bote, siya rin ang nagpaikot nito. Muli na namang natahimik sa sala hanggang sa tumigil ang bote sa pag-ikot. Almost everyone held their breaths.

"Reynard! Truth or date?"

"Baka i-dare n'yo akong i-kiss ang isa sa inyo kaya truth na lang," nagbibiro niyang sagot. Marunong naman siyang makisakay. I would give him that.

"Kung dati siya ang nagtatanong, ngayon tayo ang magtatanong sa kanya!"

"O sino ang gustong bumanat sa special guest nating Herald writer?"

"Me!" Alaric the Prick raised his hand. Again. He leaned forward, his fingertips put together. "We all know you for your explosive exposés. Una, ang CCF director. Sunod, ang Social Sciences prof. Can you tell us kung sino ang susunod mong target?"

"That's an easy question!" Reynard answered with the same annoying smile that he always wore. "I expose people in the beat I'm assigned to!" He then beamed at me.

I gulped. Everyone in the room also turned in my direction. Him being recently assigned to the USC beat was not uncommon knowledge.

"But if they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear!" Reynard added, his smile at me grew wider. "Meron ba kayong itinatago, Mr. Chief-of-Staff?"

"We're promoting transparency in the student government," I answered. Ramdam ko ang concerned na sulyap sa akin ni Fabienne. "Do you think people like us have anything to hide if we wanna be transparent to the student body?"

"Good answer!" he commented, nodding.

Whew. Mabuti't may naka-ready na akong sagot sa gano'n klaseng tanong.

"Next!"

Si Reynard naman ang nagpaikot ng bote. This was supposed to be a fun game, but it was getting more intense in every turn. But it was something that I had already expected. Kaya nga ako nanatili sa villa na ito at nakisali sa kanilang laro. I wanted to mess with the people here.

"Alaric!" Sa kanya natutok ang bote.

Finally, my opportunity came.

"Truth or dare?"

"Dare! Baka kung ano ang itanong n'yo sa 'kin."

"O sino ang may dare kay Alaric?"

My right hand shot up in the air. Nakangiting tumingin sa akin si Alaric the Prick. Isa pa itong pinagyayabang yata ang mapuputi niyang ngipin.

"Ano ang dare mo sa kanya?"

"I dare you to . . ." I leaned forward, my face becoming serious. "Vote in favor of the Freedom of Information bill."

They all made confused faces and furrowed their brows, except the person that I was daring. He maintained the same smiling facade.

"Oh, this is getting interesting . . ." Reynard muttered.

"We know that you and your allies here are not in favor of that proposal," I added, glancing at every chairperson in the room, except Avrille. "You are their shepherd and they follow you like sheep. If you vote yes, they will vote the same."

Then there was silence . . . until Alaric the Prick broke it himself. He threw his head back in laughter. I watched him finish.

"Hindi mo pwedeng idaan sa isang game ang pagboto sa isang mabigat na proposal," sagot niya. "The committee needs to deliberate on it. We need to hear the arguments from both sides. Though frankly, if we were to vote for it today, the result's going to be . . . five against, three in favor, one abstain. The proposal won't pass the committee."

"I thought I'd give it a try." I smirked. Hindi ko naman ine-expect na gagawin niya iyon. "But I'm still confused. Why are you and your cohorts against it? Are you hiding anything that you don't want exposed?"

"I prefer to discuss this matter in a proper forum, but let me satisfy your curiosity—"

"Please do so."

"There are council-related documents and expenditures that should not be made available to the public," he answered, his right hand making some gestures. "Kung kahit sino'y pwedeng mag-request sa atin, pwedeng gamitin 'yon ng mga kritiko at kalaban namin sa susunod na student council elections. They can twist our words and the numbers to suit their narratives. Just to be safe, we shouldn't give them any ammunition."

"Hear, hear!" some of his allies seconded.

"Tama, tama!" May patango-tango pa ang ilan sa kanila.

"The student body also doesn't care about the numbers," he went on. "As long as we make their college life happy, they're already satisfied. May financial at accomplishment report na tayong inire-release every after semester. That alone is enough already in the name of transparency. The proposal is redundant."

"Well . . ." I sighed. My face was twitching again because of the pain in my leg. "If my dare makes you uncomfortable, I won't force you to do it."

"Thank you for understanding."

"Next na!"

While the bottle was spinning, Fabienne shot me with a sideway glance. Sunod na natuon ang tingin niya sa binti ko. Nakita niya sigurong nakahawak pa rin ang kamay ko roon.

"Whoa! Si chief-of-staff naman ngayon!"

Sa akin naturo ang bote.

"Truth!" I answered even if no one had asked me to choose between that or dare. "I have nothing to hide anyway."

"Sino ang gustong magtanong?"

"Me!" For the third time, Alaric the Prick raised his hand. I had already expected him to volunteer. He still had not retaliated to my jabs at him. Perhaps I should brace myself for an assault.

"This one's an easy question so you may relax." He leaned forward again, his elbows resting on his knees. "Have you watched Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows?"

Huh? My eyes narrowed slightly at him. What's with the question? "I did. A few years ago. Why?"

"Do you remember what Professor James Moriarty told Sherlock Holmes when the latter visited the former in his office?"

"I can vaguely recall since it's been years. Mind reminding me?"

"The laws of celestial mechanics dictate that when two objects collide, there's always damage . . . of a collateral nature." Alaric the Prick reclined in his seat. He quickly shifted his gaze from me to Fabienne, then back to me again. "That's all!"

"Next!"

My eyes glared at him for a minute. Pangisi-ngisi pa siya sa akin at hindi ako nilubayan ng tingin. I gritted my teeth. My leg hurt again, making my face twitch as the pain became more intense. I got a bad feeling about what he said.

This game was supposed to be between the two of us. How dare he involve someone else?

"Okay ka lang ba, Castiel?" tanong ni Fabienne na napahawak sa balikat ko.

I shrugged the thoughts off my head. Nanumbalik na sa normal ang aking tingin. Hindi dapat ako magpatalo sa kanya.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me—"

Knock! Knock!

We all turned our heads to the door. It creaked open and slowly swung inside. Priam's face and figure emerged, with Rowan standing behind him.

"Mr. President!" Alaric the Prick greeted him. "Do you want to join us? Your friends are here."

"I'm afraid I must decline," Priam replied before his gaze landed on me and Fabienne. "Sorry to ruin your fun, but we have an emergency meeting."

"Ay, sayang naman!"

"Hindi pa nag-iinit ang mga puwet nila sa upuan, eh!"

"Pwede bang bukas na lang ang meeting n'yo?"

I grabbed my cane and stood. "I'm sorry. President's orders."

Fabienne got to her feet as well. "I really had fun tonight kahit sandali lang."

We excused ourselves and promptly left the villa. Binilisan namin ang lakad palayo kahit na paika-ika ang mga hakbang ko.

"What were you doing with them back there?" Priam asked, looking at me over his shoulder. "And why didn't you tell me that you'd be paying them a visit tonight?"

"I thought of messing with our good old friend," I replied with a smirk. "I tried to shake him, but he's as solid as a rock."

"Kasalanan ko yata kung bakit nandoon din si Castiel," nahihiyang sagot ni Fabienne. "In-invite kasi ako ni Reynard kaya sumama ako sa kanya ro'n. I thought of tagging along, baka kasi makakuha ako ng insights nila sa relationship natin."

I knew she would not just mindlessly come with that annoying journalist. I was right to trust her.

"Teka, talaga bang may meeting tayo?" tanong ni Rowan. "Bakit hindi mo sinabi agad sa amin?"

Priam shook his head. "I made up that excuse so we could pull them out of that lair without any questions."

Quick thinking! I was only waiting for the right time to exit. Mabuti't dumating siya. Mas napaaga ang pag-alis namin.

After some quick paces, we reached our villa. Bago makapasok si Fabienne sa girl's room, tinawag ko muna siya sa labas para kausapin. Mukhang may ideya na siya kung ano ang topic namin.

"Is it about Valeria and me?" she asked.

I nodded before telling her that we had verbally reprimanded Val earlier. I also assured her that we genuinely valued her cooperation and we were deeply thankful that she had agreed to play a part in our plan. I needed to fix the mess that the vice president had created and straighten things up between her and the First Lady. That was also in my job description as chief-of-staff.

To my surprise, Fabienne did not seem to be upset about it. Parang wala man sa kanya. She did not rant about Val. She did not air any grievances.

"Hindi masyadong big deal sa 'kin," sabi niya. "Sanay na ako sa ganitong sitwasyon. Mas malala pa nga ang naranasan ko sa direktor namin. Nambabato pa 'yon ng pamaypay at upuan. So don't worry about it. I perfectly understand."

"Thank you, Fabienne."

She bade me farewell and waved her hand before going to the girl's room. My eyes followed her until she completely disappeared from my sight.

I could not help but feel worried about her. If Alaric the Prick would make good on his subtle threat earlier, Fabienne would be caught in the middle of a crossfire. And it was going to be dirty.

★ ★ ★

If you've enjoyed this update and you have some thoughts to share, let me know by tweeting with the hashtag #PlayTheQueenWP!

Special thanks to raze_dali and imthecentralorgan for the illustrations!