A/N: We're about to enter the final lap of PTQ! Buckle up!

CASTIEL

I WAS not sure if I should be relaxed or worried about Reynard Falcon's interview with Fabienne. Sure, it went well. Once or twice, that pesky campus journalist tried to force an answer out of our First Lady, but she responded to his questions gracefully. There was not any controversial topics during the interview—just some lovey-dovey stuff expected from a couple. Yet, I could not shrug this thought off my mind. When everything was going well, I always feared that something might not be right.

Perhaps I was just overthinking. Wala namang sinagot si Fabienne na makapagre-reveal ng kahit ano tungkol sa Oplan First Lady. Our agreement—our little secret—was still safe. There was truly nothing to be afraid of. But here I was, thinking and thinking on whether I missed something and Reynard picked something up or not.

Dagdag ko pa ang Alaric the Prick na 'yon. Until now, I was wondering why he changed his stance about the Freedom of Information bill. It had been days since the LEXECOM passed the proposal and the University Student Council approved the bill. Ang akala ko'y gagamitin niya agad 'yon laban sa amin gaya ng ginawa kong pag-request sa lahat ng documents ng College Student Councils sa nakalipas na tatlong taon. But he had not done anything yet. I could not tell if he was intentionally stalling or if he was just messing with me by his surprise move. Nevertheless, we should not lower our guard.

This seemed like a chess game where there were two possible openings, yet my opponent chose not to advance any of his pieces. What would be his next move? Where would he be attacking us? Would I be able to put up countermeasures?

"Cas? Are you with us? Cas?"

I shook my head as I snapped myself back to the present. Nasa conference room ako, kasama ang iba pang mga USC officer. We were having a meeting about our response to the post by GOTCHA! Covered. Rowan had sent out our official statement to the campus publications, hoping that it was enough to quell the rumor. But no. That gossip media doubled down and released another post about it.

USC in panic mode after fake First couple revealed —source

Whoever was behind this post must be trying to predict our movements. But their shot missed us by a hairline. While we were alarmed by their initial post, we were not in complete panic mode. I managed to calm everyone down and reaffirmed their loyalty. In short, they just revealed that they did not have a legit source in the council.

"Yes, I agree," I blurted out even though I had no idea what my fellow officers were talking about.

"You agree?" Priam asked me with furrowed eyebrows. Bumalik na siya simula kahapon. He was seated in his usual spot at the end of the table. "I haven't asked any question yet."

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head away. "Sorry, I thought you're asking me something."

"Are you okay, Cas?" Valeria squinted her eyes. "Parang disoriented ka yata the past few days. May sakit ka ba? Do you want to excuse yourself today?"

"Don't mind me." I shook my head slowly. It was not yet time for me to relax. "Marami lang akong iniisip. Sorry kung pinag-alala ko kayo. Please proceed with the meeting."

"As I was saying, Sabrina reached out to the staff of GOTCHA! Covered," Priam went on, motioning to our silent secretary. "What did they say?"

Lumingon ako kay Sab na nayuko ang ulo at binasa ang hawak niyang papel. "They stand by their post and refuse to take any of the actions that we've recommended. They will also refuse to name their source if we ask them to reveal it."

We tried to resolve this issue through diplomatic means. We simply asked them to take down the post because no one in the USC was the leak. Ngunit mukhang walang balak ang GOTCHA sa gano'ng paraan.

"Sa madaling salita, wala silang pakialam kahit ipinaliwanag na natin ang totoo," sabi ni Val bago tumingala kay Priam na nanatiling nakatayo. "Shouldn't they at least post our response as well? Dapat kinukuha nila ang both sides."

"They may be members of the campus media, but they don't adhere to the same standards as The Herald or any college publication," I explained with a sigh. Maybe if they had scruples, they would. "They thrive in gossips. Kapag p-in-ost nila ang response natin, mawawala na ang hype sa kanilang scoop. They can't allow that to happen."

"So we have to deal with them publicly, huh?" Priam muttered. "I can try to use the executive order that I signed against rumors, but that might be seen as a dictatorial move."

"Yeah, I can imagine the members of campus media protesting outside the admin building, calling us dictator wannabes and whatnots," Val added with a shake of her head. "Better not to poke the bee's nest."

"Then we have to do it the old way," Rowan spoke as he raised his right hand. "Let's hold a press briefing condemning the false rumor being spread by GOTCHA! Covered. They can't blame us anymore kung publicly natin silang aatakihin. We tried to deal with them through diplomacy, but it failed."

"We just need to word the statement carefully," Priam told him. "We can't be seen as too aggressive. The move might backfire on us. Sabrina?"

Tumango ang aming secretary. Alam na niya ang kanyang gagawin.

"Next? The FOI requests on the CSCs," Priam mentioned, looking at the list in his hands. Iniangat niya ang kanyang tingin kay Tabitha. "How is it going so far?"

"Three colleges pa lang ang nag-submit ng kanilang documents," sagot ng treasurer namin habang nakatuon ang atensyon sa fingernails niya. "As for the rest, they're still naghahanap ng copies na may acknowledgment ng Accounting Office para may proof na 'yon ang kanilang s-in-ubmit."

"Really? It won't be that hard to pull out those documents," I commented. "Paniguradong may archives sila ng lahat ng mga file na ginamit ng dating student councils para madaling hanapan ng reference. Some of them might be stalling to sanitize their records."

"We've already expected that, haven't we?" Val's gaze shifted from Priam to me. "What do we do if they give us incomplete documents?"

"We can make the case to their constituents." I rested my chin on top of my hands clenching the cane's handle. "I'm pretty sure none of the incumbents would want their collegemates to think that they're hiding something from them. Lubos na maaapektuhan ang kanilang image at reputasyon. It's disadvantageous, especially for reelectionists."

"When will you start the review?" Priam asked our treasurer. "Are you ready for it?"

"Ano ka ba, boss?" sagot ni Tabitha, iniangat na ang tingin sa kanya. "This is my specialty kaya. Hindi lang siguro obvious sa face at mannerisms ko, but love na love ko ang numbers. I also have sapat na resources para i-verify kung tama ba ang s-in-ubmit nilang documents. But I might need some tulong from my kaibigan. Merong so many files na gusto n'yong i-review ko, eh. I hope you all don't mind if I hingi their tulong."

"As long as they can be trusted," I replied. "Ayaw kong makatunog agad ang mga CSC, lalo na ang mga hindi natin kaalyado, na may natuklasan na tayong butas. They can cover it up quickly if there's a leak."

"Sorry to ask," Val raised her right hand, "but what's the purpose of this review? Gets ko na gusto nating mag-promote ng transparency at good governance. Pero hanggang three years ago ang ire-review ni Tabitha? What's with the time range?"

"Some of the incumbent officers have been serving in their respective councils since three years ago," I explained. "Kung meron silang dumi noong time na nagsimula sila, pwede nating gamitin 'yon para mapasunod sila sa atin. Let's say that we're gonna blackmail some of them. They don't want their credibility questioned and reputation tainted. Mabigat pa naman ang parusa sa mga nag-misuse ng council funds."

"I see."

"But of course." I darted a sidelong glance at Rowan whose eyes met mine. "We won't be telling the student body about our secret objective. Magiging pangit at masama ang itsura natin kapag may nakaalam sa kanila."

Rowan gave me a thumbs up. "Don't worry! I'll tell the campus media we're just making sure that the student council funds have been put into good use for the past three years. I'll also thank the CSC for unanimously approving the bill and cooperating with us."

In some way, I managed to trap Alaric the Prick and his allies. Sakaling may itinatago ang ilan sa kanila at ayaw nilang tugunan ang request namin, pwede namin silang palabasin na kontra sa transparency na isinusulong namin sa student body. Their constituents would turn on them and they could be potentially impeached.

"That's all set, I guess." Priam looked down on his notes before raising his gaze at us. Isa-isa niya kaming binalingan ng tingin. "Is there anything else that we need to discuss?"

"Yes." I raised my right hand.

"What is it, Cas?"

"Your welcome back party."

His eyes narrowed. "What?"

"You've been away for days so I figured that we should hold a party to celebrate your return here."

"Cas, dalawang araw lang akong um-absent."

"The argument still stands," I insisted.

"Besides, the council has unanimously agreed to it. 'Di ba, guys?" Val smiled at every person around the conference table. They gave her a nod. "Majority wins. Democracy prevails."

Priam looked away and let out a sigh. Alam kong hindi siya mahilig sa party. Mas gusto pa niyang mag-work, work, work. "Fine. Do as you please."

"Mamayang hapon, after class, ha?" sabi ni Val. "Walang tatakas sa atin."

"I-invite ko rin si Fabienne," dagdag ko. Ramdam ko ang mabilis na pagtingin sa akin ng vice president. "She took care of you when you lost consciousness and she cooked some meals for you. Tama lang na invited siya rito. She's your First Lady after all."

"If you are serious in inviting her, I'm sure she will be complaining about the food you want to order," Priam said, chuckling. Hearing him let out a chuckle was rare. "She does not like burgers, fries, pizzas or any fast food."

"My gosh!" Tabitha gasped, leaning forward. "May defect ba ang tongue niya? Bakit ayaw niya sa masasarap na pagkain?"

"Because they're unhealthy," Priam replied. "She will surely lecture us about eating the right kind of food. She prefers Caesar salad, by the way."

"Well, today's my cheat day so I can eat whatever na gusto ko." Tabitha reclined in her seat as she checked her phone. "Kayong bahalang kumain ng mga dahon at damo riyan. I already had my fill this week."

"Wala namang problem sa akin ang kahit anong salad," sabi ni Rowan. "Kaso mas bet ko ngayon ang pizza. Nagke-crave ako, eh."

"Okay lang sa akin kahit ano," sabi ni Sabrina.

"Let's just order pizza for us and salad for Fabienne para walang gulo," Val suggested. "We don't need to adjust our preference for her, the same way she doesn't have to adjust her preference for us."

"Salad for Fabienne and Priam," I corrected her. "We don't want our president to be sick again kaya dapat healthy na agad ipakain natin sa kanya."

"Ano 'yan? Couple goals pati sa food?" biro ni Tabitha.

Napayuko si Priam at bumuntonghininga. I knew very well how much he liked eating pizza and other fast food meals. Medyo ironic nga na para sa kanya ang party mamaya, ngunit hindi niya makain ang gusto niya.

"Fine." He lifted his head. "Salad ang akin."

"Priam," Val called, "hindi mo naman kailangang sundin ang recommendation sa 'yo ni Fabienne. Huwag mong ibase sa kanya ang magiging preference mo. You can eat what you want."

"I do agree with some points she has raised before. There's also no harm in following her advice."

Val looked away as she tried to hide her frown.

"But before we hold the party, we must deal with the campus media first." I turned to Rowan who nodded at me. "Tuloy ba ang press briefing ngayong umaga?"

"The usual time."

"Good. Mukhang wala na tayong pag-uusapan kaya baka pwede na nating i-adjourn ang meeting at gawin ang mga dapat nating tapusin?"

"Any more concerns?" Priam asked as he panned his head. "Hearing none, this meeting is hereby adjourned." He then knocked twice on the table.

AT EXACTLY ten-thirty, Rowan and I went to the media briefing room. Ipina-rush namin kay Sabrina ang statement at p-in-ractice din namin kung ano ang isasagot ng aming public relations officer sa harap ng campus media. We had to make sure that our arguments were airtight. Otherwise, they could easily drive us into a corner.

Pumuwesto na si Rowan sa likod ng lectern habang ako nama'y nasa gilid at nakasandal sa pader. The reporters also took their seats as they prepared to listen. Nandito rin si Reynard, suot ang kanyang trademark na hoodie. Sandaling nagkatagpo ang tingin namin. He smiled at me while I responded with a straight face. I was not in the mood to play friendly with him.

The reason why I chose to be here instead of elsewhere was so I could watch Reynard's movements and listen to his questions, if he had any. Ayaw kong masorpresa ako habang nagtsi-chill ako sa aking cubicle o habang kumakain sa food hub. I was not sure what moves he would take next so I better kept a close eye on him.

Aaminin ko. Medyo kinakabahan ako sa pwede niyang itanong sa briefing na ito.

Rowan began with his lively introduction and short chit-chat before opening the leather folder and reading the statement out loud.

"The University Student Council is calling out GOTCHA! Covered for the malicious post that they published on Monday and yesterday. They said that a USC officer has told them that the relationship between Priam and Fabienne is a sham. As much as possible, we want to ignore this issue because it involves the personal relationship of the president and another student, and it has nothing to do with the president's performance."

That's right. Hindi bale sana kung napababayaan ni Priam ang tasks niya. Doon talaga dapat ma-criticize ang kanyang priorities. But they should have known by now that he was taking his job seriously and doing more than what he should. Did they forget that he got sick while he was trying to manage the donation drive?

"However, dragging the council in this irresponsible post forced us to hold this presser and make this statement. We have already explained our side to GOTCHA! Covered that no incumbent USC officer said anything along those lines, but they refused to take any action. We implore our friends in the campus media to avoid publishing any info that's baseless and unfounded. Thank you. Now, I will take your questions."

Sunod-sunod na nagsitaasan ang mga kamay ng reporters. Go on. Hit us with your most hard-hitting questions!

Rowan pointed at the guy in the center. "Unahin na natin 'yong taga-GOTCHA. Kier?"

Tumayo ang isang lalaking bagsak ang buhok. "How sure are you na walang traydor sa USC? Kung meron man kasi, siyempre ide-deny niya na may sh-in-are siya sa amin."

"First of all, we trust each other in the USC. We know that no one's capable of fabricating that nonsense—sorry for the term. Second, in case you haven't noticed, the thing between the president and Fabienne is real. Kayo mismo ang naka-witness at nam-broadcast pa niyan araw-araw. That's how I can be sure that your post is erroneous. Next?"

Muli na namang nagsitaasan ang mga kamay sa briefing room. My eyes squinted at Reynard who had his arms folded across his chest. Strange. I thought he would be taking this opportunity to hit the USC. Why wasn't he raising his hand? Why wasn't he saying or doing anything? This should be good news for us, right? But it did not seem that way to me.

The quieter he was, the more worried I became.

"Crisha?" Rowan called.

"What's your comment on the allegation that the USC president is just using his relationship with the theater superstar to improve his image?"

Oh, shoot. Where did that question come from?

"Allegation?" Rowan furrowed his eyebrows. "Why haven't I heard of that allegation? Also, why will the president go that far? It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Let's say . . . for reelection? Third year student pa lang si Priam, 'di ba? He's eligible to run for a second term in the next student council elections."

Go, Rowan. Kaya mong lusutan 'yan.

"First, I haven't heard that allegation yet. Ikaw pa lang ang nagsabi sa 'kin. Second, I have to consult the Constitution and Bylaws if the incumbent USC president is eligible to run for another term—"

"He is. We've already checked."

"Then I have to consult the Office of Student Affairs if that's one hundred percent correct. Next question?"

Nice dodge, Rowan. Keep it up! But who among these vultures thought of looking at that angle? There was no way that reporter would come up with it on her own.

Nalingon ako kay Reynard. Nakakrus pa rin ang mga braso niya habang nagsitaasan ang mga kamay ng mga kasama niya. Wala talaga siyang balak makisawsaw? O baka naman . . .

"You, Darlene."

"Does the president intend to run for reelection? The allegation will make sense kung may balak siyang tumakbo ulit. Gusto niyang pabanguhin ang image niya as early as now."

Rowan chuckled. "I'm not sure why you're asking me about the president's career when we have something more important to talk about, which is to responsibly disseminate information. But to answer your question, I have no personal knowledge whether or not the president intends to run again, if proven that he's still eligible."

"Come on, Rowan! Lagi kayong magkasama ng president at magkakilala pa kayo. He must have shared his future political plans with you."

"Frankly, we're not that close. I was only recruited days before he had declared his candidacy last February," Rowan revealed. "Isn't it too early to talk about election plans? September pa lang ngayon. It's been just four months since we assumed office. We haven't carried out everything that we want to do for the student body. Hayaan n'yo muna kaming mag-serve. Okay?"

"But if he intends to run for reelection, siguradong may blueprint na siya kung paano niya mare-retain ang kanyang posisyon."

"Again, I'm not privy to any information about his intention to run for reelection. I will ask him for you and I will give you his answer. Will that be okay?"

Shoot! Shoot! Someone was forcing us to reveal our intentions! Wala akong ibang maisip kundi ang isang taong kanina pa tahimik magmula nang nagsimula ang press briefing—si Reynard. Muling nagawi ang tingin ko sa direksyon niya. This time, he was smirking at me as his arms remained folded.

"If you have no more questions about our statement, I will now end this briefing. Thank you!"

WE NARROWLY escaped being cornered. I told Rowan that he had done a great job at deflecting the questions. Mas mahalagang hindi maimpluwensiyahan ang confidence niya dahil baka makaapekto 'yon sa susunod niyang briefing. The way he spun the narrative and the way he thought on his feet greatly helped him dodge the most difficult of questions.

Hanggang sa party namin ngayong hapon, hindi pa rin tumitigil ang isip ko sa pag-o-overthink. Dumating na ang dalawang pizza box at dalawang bowls ng Caesar salad. Pumunta rin si Fabienne na katatapos pa lamang ang rehearsal. Everyone was having fun, except for me who was slowly sipping my soda.

What happened this morning bothered me. The enemies were already making their moves. And I had not made any counterattack yet. If I would not respond quickly, they would be able to outmaneuver me. Kapag nangyari 'yon, hindi lamang ako ang babagsak, kundi ang buong USC. Even Fabienne would be dragged into the mess that I created.

Yes, my mess. I was the one who wanted to get Priam reelected. I was the one who masterminded the Oplan First Lady. Kung may puno't dulo ang lahat nito, walang iba kundi ako. I had to take responsibility.

"Cas, are you okay?" tanong ni Fabienne na napahawak sa tuhod ko.

Agad na umangat ang tingin ko sa kanya. Mariin akong tumango. "Yes, I am. I just have a lot of stuff going on my mind right now."

"Pwede bang ipahinga mo muna ang utak mo? We're here to enjoy the party for Priam."

"Oo nga, Cas!" dagdag ni Rowan. "Sayang naman kung soda lang ang e-enjoy-in mo rito. Hindi ka pa nga nakakakain kahit isang pizza slice, eh!"

"Sorry, I'm not in the mood to eat. Napasobra yata ang miryenda ko kanina." That was a lie, of course. I had not eaten anything after lunchtime. Hindi talaga mawala sa isip ko ang mga pangamba. Baka kapag nagsaya ako rito, biglang may dumating na bad news.

Beep! Beep!

Napakapa ako sa aking bulsa. I fished the phone out of my pocket and checked the notifications. There was none. Mukhang iba ang nakatanggap ng message alert.

"Cas?" biglang tawag sa akin ni Sab. Lumingon ako sa kanya, seryoso ang tingin niya. She showed me her phone screen. I wondered at first, then I realized why.

Someone texted her. Guess who sent the message? Reynard.

Hi, Sabrina! Can I drop by the USC office right now? I have something to deliver. Thank you!

What did he want? "Tell him yes."

"Sigurado ka ba?"

I nodded. There was no point in delaying what that person wanted to deliver to us. Better to face it now than tomorrow. I would not be thinking so much about it at the very least.

"Nasa labas na raw siya," basa ni Sabrina nang muling nag-beep ang phone niya.

"Excuse me," I told my colleagues as I grabbed my walking cane and stood. Sinundan nila ako ng tingin hanggang sa nakalabas ako ng aquarium. I did not bother looking back.

Pumunta ako sa lounge at binuksan ang glass door. As soon as they slid open, Reynard's smiling face greeted me. Imbes na mahawa ako sa ngiti niya, parang nabuwisit pa ako.

"Good afternoon!" bati niya na may kaway. Bigla siyang napasilip sa likuran ko. He must have seen my fellow USC officers partying in the conference room. "Is this such a bad time? Gusto n'yo bang bumalik na lang ako bukas?"

"What is it?" I asked sternly. Wala nang greetings, wala nang intro-intro. "You said that you have something for us."

"Oh." Nanatiling maamo ang mukha niya, kaya lalong nakaiinis. He surely would not get easily intimidated by my serious look and voice. "Straight to the point, aren't we?"

"We're in the middle of a party kaya mabuti kung tapusin agad natin 'to."

"Fine! I won't beat around the bush anymore," he replied after letting out a sigh. He revealed a folder that he was hiding behind him. Iniabot niya 'yon sa akin.

My eyes stared down the folder. "What is this?"

"A love letter for you!" Lalo pa niyang inilapit sa akin. "Come on! Take it and read it."

Our eyes locked for a moment before I took the folder from him. It obviously was not booby trapped, but I carefully opened it. Isang papel na may letterhead ng The Herald ang nandoon. My eyes squinted as I read the contents.

Then at the end, my eyes protruded.

What in the world . . .

"As you may have read, I would like to request for a complete list of the USC scholars, their application forms, and all related communication letters," Reynard said. "Thanks to you and the CSCs, the Freedom of Information act made my job much easier. I have a feeling that I will find something interesting there."

I tried to maintain a composed look. Hindi niya dapat mahalata na isang malaking blow ang move na ito sa amin.

"Check," he added with a smirk. "The walls are closing in now, Mr. Chief-of-Staff."

★ ★ ★

And we're down to the last 10 chapters of PTQ's Act One! The last story arc, Chapters 41-50, is gonna be intense as the Falcon will try to move for a checkmate.

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!