A/N: Okay, okay! I underestimated you, guys. I thought it would take 2-3 days to reach 500 votes, but you proved me wrong! A promise is a promise, so here's the update!

CASTIEL

I HAD been losing sleep since the day Reynard Falcon requested the complete list of USC scholars. The dark circles under my eyes got even darker, making my black horn-rimmed glasses look like full-rimmed ones from afar. I was also absent-minded most of the time, trying to solve this Rubik's cube of a puzzle in my head. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not complete it.

Initially, I thought of delaying the release of the documents to give me more time to think about my counter-attack. But after some contemplation, I gave him what he wanted this Monday morning. I would only delay the inevitable if I did not. Besides, the documents would not cause us any harm on their own. Yes, they would add another piece to his puzzle, but he still lacked a piece or two. I was confident that he did not have the full picture yet.

So I made a "pass" during my turn in our silly game. I would let him have the files. I would even let him talk to Fabienne. Once he made his next move, that was when I would launch a counter-attack. It's best to let him think that everything was going his way. There was a chance for him to lower his guard. If and when he did, that would be my opportunity to strike.

It had been cloudy since morning. Dark clouds were brewing over the city, a sign of an impending heavy downpour. With the cane in my left hand, I stood at the ledge of the admin building's rooftop where I could appreciate an overview of the Elysian campus. From my vantage point, everyone and everything below me looked so insignificant. I wondered if the gods had the same feeling whenever they stared down on us from the heavens.

No, I was not thinking of jumping off here despite the challenges ahead of me. I was here for a quick meeting. Fabienne sent me a message right after her conversation with Reynard. She wanted to meet me and Priam to report in person, so I suggested the rooftop. Pwede namang sa student council office kami magkita, ngunit parang mas gusto ko kung dito muna kami mag-uusap. Tahimik. Mahangin. Hindi mainit dahil maulap. Wala rin masyadong tao sa paligid. Nakare-relax din ang tanawin. No one would overhear our conversation as long as none would try to eavesdrop behind the door.

The Herald's editorial office was also in the same building, so I did not have to wait too long. The door behind me swung open. I turned around. Fabienne emerged from the doorway.

"Hi!" Nakangiti siyang kumaway sa akin. Not gonna lie. Her smile brought light to this gloomy weather. She was a walking ray of sunshine after all. "Sorry! Pinaghintay ba kita? Tinawagan ko pa kasi 'yong stage manager namin para sabihing male-late ako sa rehearsals. Mabuti't wala si Direk ngayon. Baka batuhin niya ako ng pamaypay kapag nalaman niyang late ako."

"Hindi masyado," nakangiti kong sagot. I limped my way to meet her at the center, my cane making a repeated clanking noise. I came to a halt when we stood face to face with each other. "Halos kararating ko lang dito. Pasensya na kung pinaakyat pa kita sa taas."

"Wala 'yon! Sanay naman akong umakyat ng hagdan lalo na kapag rehearsal namin." Iginala niya ang kanyang tingin sa paligid, tila may hinahanap. "Teka, nasa'n pala si Priam? I thought he's already here with you."

"Meron siyang tinatapos na paperwork sa USC office. He'll be here in probably ten to fifteen minutes." I checked the time on my phone. I put both of my hands on top of my cane's handle. "So . . . How did your meeting with Reynard go?"

"Ipinakita muna niya sa 'kin ang layout ng magazine cover at cover story article. Pero alam kong may iba pa siyang pakay. You were right. He tried to get some info from me. Naitanong pa nga niya kung bakit hindi ko na-mention sa kanya na isa ako sa USC scholars."

As expected, that annoying campus journalist would use that card on her.

"And?" My eyes squinted. "What did you tell him?"

"Sabi ko, ang akala ko'y insignificant ang detail na 'yon kaya hindi ko nabanggit sa kanya no'ng interview. He told me na hindi 'yon insignificant, blah, blah. Don't worry! Nalusutan ko naman."

That was good to hear. I was right to trust Fabienne in not giving away anything important to a busybody like Reynard. She was so good at acting, she must also be good at improvising. That was no doubt a skill that a theater actress must possess just in case she forgot her lines during a show. And she did not disappoint.

"By the way, I have a question. Alam kong naitanong ko na 'to dati at ayaw ko ring magmukhang makulit. Pero may update na ba kayo kung sino 'yong nagpakalat ng fake rumor tungkol sa Mulan role ko?"

Oh, that? I let out a sigh and shook my head. "Unfortunately, wala pa rin. All we know is that a dummy account messaged the What's The Tea account. We've already asked some IT experts to trace the account's IP address or location, but to no avail."

"Ah, gano'n ba?"

"I'll let you know as soon as we have answers," I assured her. "Sisiguraduhin namin na maparurusahan kung sinuman ang may gawa n'on, gaya ng nangyari sa ex-boyfriend mong si Michelangelo. It won't go unpunished."

"Oh, really?" Fabienne lowered her head, the vibrant smile across her lips vanished. Her lips moved, but no words came out.

"Are you okay?" I leaned forward to get a closer look of her face. Kaso hindi ko makita ang mukha niya dahil sa ilang hairstrands na nakaharang sa harapan. What's with the sudden change in her demeanor?

She raised her head, her face lit up again, and beamed at me. "Can we be honest with each other, Cas?"

"Of course. I don't see any reason why we can't be." My eyes narrowed into slits. Where was this conversation heading? Why was I feeling that there's something off with her?

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

The wind blew so hard from the east that some strands of her hair danced along with it. She tucked them behind her left ear. Her serious eyes were transfixed on me.

On the other hand, I stood still in front of her, my hands steady on my walking cane. I returned her gaze without me blinking.

This meeting was going in the direction that I did not like. And I could only think of one reason why: Reynard Falcon.

"No," I answered firmly. That was a lie, of course. "Where did you get—"

My head snapped to my right as her hand swiftly landed on my left cheek. My eyes went wide and my mouth gaped. I did not see that coming.

"Liar," she hissed. Her smile vanished once again as her eyes shot daggers at me. I saw the disappointment and resentment in her eyes. So the moment she stepped on the rooftop, she had been hiding what she was truly feeling. Her mask fell off.

I should have seen this coming.

My left cheek must have turned red and swollen by now. I caressed it and felt a stinging pain. I never thought that she had so much force in her hand. Siya yata ang kauna-unahang babae na sumampal sa akin.

"'Yan ba ang sinabi sa 'yo ni Reynard nang nag-usap kayo kanina?" tanong ko habang marahang dinadampi ang aking kamay sa pisngi. "Mas paniniwalaan mo ba siya kaysa sa 'kin? You know very well that he's after the USC. He wants to expose us. He wants to take us down. You heard him back in the team building. He'll do everything just to get what he wants."

"Then tell me . . ." She closed her eyes for a moment. "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?"

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

"Then why . . ." Fabienne looked down, her voice cracked and her fists clenched. When she raised her head again, her eyes were welling up with tears. "WHY DIDN'T YOU DEFEND ME WHEN I WAS BEING JUDGED FOR SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T DO?"

Tears began to roll down her cheeks. I cut my gaze away from her. Hindi ko kayang tingnan ang mukha niyang nababasa ng mga luha.

I knew that this day would come, but I did not expect it during a time that our situation had become precarious. Pwede ko ba siyang pakiusapan na huwag muna naming i-discuss ngayon dahil may mas importanteng bagay kami na dapat asikasuhin?

Well, probably not. She wanted to know the truth, and I owed it to her. Mas mabuti kung harapin ko na ito ngayon at masolusyunan na agad kaysa dumagdag pa sa mga iisipin ko.

"Fabienne, let me explain—"

My eyeglasses flew meters away from me as she slapped me again in the face. Napaaray ako nang tumama ang kamay niya. This time, it was a backhand slap and it was on my other cheek. I caressed my face that twitched when I felt the pain.

"I ALMOST LOST EVERYTHING THAT DAY!" Fabienne roared at me. She wiped her face with her bare hands. "J-in-udge ako ng mga tao rito . . . Sinabihan ako ng kung ano-ano . . . Halos yurakan na ang pagkatao ko . . . Binawi pa ang offer na maging cover model ko . . . Muntik nang mawala sa 'kin ang lead role sa play . . . Tell me, Cas. Paano magiging sapat ang paliwanag mo sa mga dinanas ko? Paano?!"

I lowered my head. Unstable ang emotions niya ngayon. Hindi maganda kung sasabayan ko ang pagkadismaya at galit niya. "I am sorry."

"Sorry?" she scoffed. "Alam mo bang halos hindi na ako nakakain no'ng mga araw na 'yon? Halos hindi na ako nakatulog? Halos wala na akong mukhang naiharap sa mga tao? Halos lumayo na ang ibang nakakakilala sa 'kin na parang may nakahahawa akong sakit? Ano'ng magagawa ng sorry mo sa stress at sakit sa pusong naramdaman ko, ha? Meron ba?"

Judging by her tone, there was no way she would accept my apology and forgive me for the ordeal that I had put her through. I could humble myself before her, but it might not change anything. She would still hate me for what I did. At valid ang nararamdaman niya.

But maybe, I could try to convince her to look at this situation from another angle, another perspective.

"Fabienne, listen to me." I looked her straight in the eye and held both of her arms to make her still. I tried to make my voice as soothing as possible. "What I did is unforgivable, unspeakable. There's nothing I can do to make you feel better about what happened. But I implore you to look at the silver lining."

"S-Silver lining?"

"The student body showed their love and respect for you. Priam became more admired by his constituents. Your pretend relationship took a huge leap. Students began to think twice before sharing a false and malicious information. Everything became better and went exactly as planned. Can you see it now? How the benefits outweigh the cost?"

Her jaw dropped as her widened eyes kept on staring at me. Inalis niya ang pagkakahawak ko sa kanya at dahan-dahang humakbang nang paurong. She shook her head slowly, her mouth gaping. "I . . . I can't believe what you've just said. Okay lang sa 'yo na nasaktan ako basta umayon ang lahat sa plano mo? Okay lang sa 'yo na halos ma-trauma ako sa pamba-bash sa 'kin basta may napala tayo?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. That was a mistake. Trying to make her see things the same way that I did was futile. Maybe I should have humbled myself. Oh, well. It was too late. Kailangan ko nang panindigan ito.

"You could have achieved the same result nang wala kang sinasaktan o dinadamay na tao!" she yelled. "Kaya sabihin mo sa 'kin, Cas, bakit kailangan mo akong idamay? Bakit kailangan mo akong saktan? May ginawa ba ako sa 'yo? Deserve ko ba na danasin 'yon? Kasi hindi ko ma-gets! Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit ako ang naipit dito!"

You're asking why? Because that's the most expedient solution, and you're the most convenient piece available to me.

I should humble myself. Shoving my perspective down her throat would only worsen the situation. "You've done nothing wrong, Fabienne. You didn't deserve to be hurt. You didn't deserve to go through that traumatic experience. Nagkamali akong idamay ka."

Well, I was not mistaken. The fake rumor plan achieved its objectives. It worked perfectly fine. Yes, I regretted making her feel bad, but it was worth the sacrifice.

"Alam ba ni Priam at ng ibang USC officers?" papungas-pungas niyang tanong. "Kasabwat din ba sila sa plano mo?"

I pulled out my handkerchief. Inalok ko 'yon sa kanya, ngunit itinaboy niya ang kamay ko.

Mariin akong umiling. "Wala silang kaalam-alam sa plano ko. Kung sakaling sinabi ko sa kanila, malamang tututol sila."

Fabienne fell on her knees, her head hung low. Kasabay ng pagluhod niya ay ang biglang buhos ng ulan. Patuloy ang kanyang paghikbi. I was not bringing my umbrella so I did not have anything to protect us from the rain.

"Let's continue this discussion inside." I went down on one knee and offered her my hand. "Magkakasakit ka kapag nabasa ka ng ulan. Please, Fabienne."

Hinawakan ko ang palapulsuhan niya at sinubukan siyang hilahin patayo, ngunit muli niyang itinaboy ang kamay ko.

"You still have rehearsals," I reminded her. "Ayaw mo naman sigurong mag-practice nang basang-basa ka sa ulan."

But she did not budge. She stayed exactly where she was. Hinayaan niyang mabasa ang kanyang sarili, tila walang pakialam kung sisipunin ba siya pagkatapos. Hindi ko alam kung luha pa ba o tubig mula sa ulan ang nasa mukha niya.

Then the rooftop door opened. Priam stood frozen as his gaze landed on Fabienne and me. He removed his maroon blazer, used it as a cover, and put it over his First Lady's head.

"What happened here?" he asked, turning to me. "Bakit kayo nagpapabasa sa ulan? Bakit hindi pa kayo sumilong?"

"It's a . . . complicated story," I replied with a sigh. It would get more complicated once he and the student council found out the truth. Some of them might understand my intentions while some might not.

Fabienne buried her head in Priam's chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. I saw the traces of tears on her face. She moved her head a little closer to Priam's left ear, her mouth moving. Her words were unintelligible so I just watched the love birds get drenched in the rain.

"Let's go inside," Priam mumbled as he helped her get to her feet. Doon na tumayo si Fabienne, nakatakip pa rin ng blazer ang ulo niya. He then turned to me again. "Yen told me about that rumor some weeks ago. Is it true? You had something to do with it?"

I took a deep breath and looked down for a second. I shut my eyes close as I collected my thoughts again. When I was ready, I raised my head and looked back at him. "Yes, but it's kinda complicated so I hope you'll let me—"

Priam did not let me finish. He punched me in the face. My pants got wetter when I fell butt first on a puddle of water on the dampened floor. My left hand lost grip of my cane while my right touched my jaw.

"That hurts," I groaned. Akala ko'y na-dislocate na ang panga ko.

"What on earth were you thinking?" He looked down on me, his fists still clenched. The raindrops and the cold wind did not bother him.

The king and the queen standing up to me? Hah! Today was my unlucky day. I should have taken the dark clouds earlier as a sign that something like this would happen.

"Why are you so surprised, Priam?" I pulled myself up without the help of my cane. "You knew from the start that I'm willing to do anything and everything to get what I want."

Priam and I exchanged stares. This was the first time we looked at each other this way—his eyes filled with dismay and mine filled with determination.

★ ★ ★

NEXT UPDATE: Castiel's day of reckoning continues.

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!