Typically, the time when the guest leaves is not up to the host. Lady Lara was facing an unwanted guest now. Grief. It was both an aftermath and a cause of death. She never wanted it. Who would? But she was unconsciously welcoming it with warmth.
 
If it weren't for the mattress' thick material, nothing could fix the crumple Lara's grip had made. The young lady was sitting on the bed with her knuckles out, pursed lips, and fiery eyes. A single thought had made her this way: the duchess' death, triggered by what seemed like her nanny's neglect of the gravity of the grief she was dwelling with now.
 
She closed her eyes as if feeling the cold wind that invaded the room, but then she sighed heavily before opening them again, proving she did it in an attempt to let pass what felt like a heavy load in her heart, and she had no success in doing so. Seconds later, she found herself scanning her dictionary, searching for the word ambush. Besides, her fingers must touch some surface to keep it from shaking.
 
She learned the word means a sudden and surprising attack on a person or group by one or more people who have been hiding and waiting for them. Waiting for them. She tried to imagine her mom inside the carriage, using her fan to ventilate the air, until an unexpected attack occurred.
 
Didn't she fight back? Lara thought while listening to her fast heartbeat.
 
"Mas titiyakin niya pang mabitbit ang pamaypay kesa ang magsama ng guwardiya sa biyahe."
 
She remembered those words from her nanny, which made her bite her lip. She must be seriously injured. And no one helped.
 
She continued to read as the worst case scenario unfolded itself inside her mind.
 
As the targeted force enters the "death zone," all potential cover and escape routes are also targeted if an ambush has been set up properly, which any competent force will ensure.
 
Who could be that competent force in Mom's case? She couldn't help but ponder.
 
"Meet me in the library when the afternoon comes."
 
Lady Lara rooted out her mom's last talk with her. Then she pushed herself up, rushed for something from her drawers, found a map of the whole empire, and took it. Nilapag niya 'yon sa sahig sa baba ng kama. She picked up the dictionary again and then squatted on the floor.
 
Charlotte Dukedom. She knew at least the name of their family's dominion. She scanned the map with her index finger and stopped where that name was written. It was in the southwest part of the empire. She traced the main route from their manor's location to the palace, which was in the center of the large land mass, and she found that the road was crossing through a small forest.
 
A forest was probably a place you can lie in wait to attack.
 
Lady Lara read into the dictionary again and found that the word 'ambush' was often associated with soldiers. Wars. She sighed; she didn't know how to analyze it. Mom wasn't a soldier. She's a woman. She innocently mouthed it.

If there could only be someone I could converse with about it. If only I have enough knowledge about the world outside. If only I could be toughened up and have such power to take immediate action. If only I could see justice from a higher point of view. If only. 
 
Her overwhelming thoughts could have led her to shriek if not for someone who opened the door. Even Ynara's gentle face couldn't make Lara sigh in relief.

Her lips stayed attached to each other while she gritted her teeth inside. At nang makita ang nanny niya sa likuran nito, doon na naderekta ang atensiyon niya.
 
"Nanny, how and where was Mom ambushed?" Lady Lara didn't notice how shaking and outraged her voice was. She was unaware of the stiffening of her nanny and the backward step taken by Ynara. "Why would someone want the duchess dead?"

No one responded. Lady Lara stood up and held her things up. She walked into her closet and took every article of clothing she needed to pack up. When her nanny saw this, she followed her.

"What are you doing, young lady?" Helia's voice was composed, careful not to equate it to Lara's earlier tone.

Lady Lara didn't take a break from her business. She put her things into her luggage, not minding if it was arranged properly.

"Lady Lara, tinatanong kita," naiinis nang ani Helia. Ynara stayed silent, standing around.

"Can't you see I'm preparing?" Lady Lara faced her, irritated.

"For what?"

"Ya!" the young lady sounded when she held her bag up. "The prince promised to fetch me tomorrow." Nagmamadali itong lumabas mula sa closet at naghanap pa ng ibang bagay na maaari niyang kailanganin.
 
"Fetch for what? Are you telling me you're going to the palace?" Sumunod na naman ang ginang sa kaniya. Natigil si Lara. She breathed heavily before facing the woman.
 
"Alam kong aayaw rin kayo. Pareho lang naman kayo ni dad e. Gusto niyong manatili akong tahimik," she stated.
 
Helia took a step forward and reached for Lady Lara's face. "Mahirap bang intindihin na iniingatan ka lang namin?" She asked softly. Lady Lara just looked at her. She saw the sincerity in the woman's eyes, but she gasped for more reasons. "Here, you are safe from any outside force that claimed your mom's life."
 
Lady Lara shook her head aggressively. "I'm not safe, nanny. I'm not emotionally safe here."
 
"And what, young lady?" Nanny withdrew her hand from Lady Lara. She was trying hard to keep her patience going. "You think you are safe in the palace? You know your dad does not want you to marry His Highness, and he has his reason. You are not prepared to face yet another challenge. Lady Lara, in the name of being honest, to be the empress is not a piece of cake! You need to have advocacy so that people can comment well on you and not torment you—"

 "I know, nanny."

"You don't, Lady Lara. You can't even control yourself, how can you control the empire?" Nanny paused, seeing the disappointed face of the young lady toward her. "Young Lady, trust me, we just want to keep you safe."

"Nanny, it's not about what keeps me safe." Lady Lara confessed. "It is about what would keep me going. I'm isolated here, can't you see? Besides, who are you to object to the imperial order? You are just His Highness' subjects."
 
Lady Lara did not see it coming. Nanny's hand on her face made her almost throw her head out. Before Helia could regret what she did, Lady Lara looked at her with fiery eyes and then rushed downstairs.
 

IT WAS already dark when Ynara found Lady Lara on one of the chairs in the manor's backyard balcony, looking at the starry sky outside, above the front orchard of oranges. She silently walked towards the young lady. And when Lara noticed her presence, she stood up immediately, which earned a sigh from Ynara.
 
"You look like you're going to scold me too," Lara interpreted Ynara's expression.
 
The other girl pouted. "Ikaw nga po 'tong parang pinapagalitan ako sa tono niyo." She chuckled. Lady Lara just looked at her coldly.
 
"I'm not mad, Ynara."
 
Ynara smiled at it before Lady Lara took her seat back. Umupo rin ito patabi sa kaniya.
 
"In fact, I am sad and disappointed," the young lady continued, looking forward.
 
"Makikinig po ako, Lady Lara," Ynara assured.
 
Lady Lara sighed. Tipid itong ngumiti. "You said friends know each other that well. I thought Nanny and I were examples. Pero hindi niya naman pala alam ang nararamdaman ko. She doesn't know me at all. Only mom did, and now she's gone."
 
"Bukod sa . . ." Ynara hesitated but continued, ". . . lungkot, ano po ba ang nararamdaman niyo na si tingin niyo'y hindi naiintindihan ni nanay at ng duke?"
 
Pinaglalaruan ni Lady Lara ang mga daliri niya. "I have this urge, Ynara." She looked at the other girl. "My instincts are telling me that I should know everything about Mom's death." She took a deep breath. "Sanay naman ako. Sanay akong hindi siya nakakasama araw-araw. But this hits different. She did not just disappear; she died. I want justice for her death. And it seems that Dad does not want me to behave like a member of the family. What exactly does he want me to do? Suck my life up here and sleep every day when I can reside in the palace as His Highness' future bride? If you think I'm too selfish to believe that I should enjoy a life of luxury while it is obviously a time to mourn, no, Ynara." She paused, trying to relax her troubled heart. Then she continued, "It seems like fate is helping me. Royalty isn't what I needed before; I just wanted to know the world outside. Yet at this point, I feel the need to have ties with the Emperor." She looked at Ynara again. "Maybe then, Mom's case would be solved. The imperial family would not want someone to pose a threat to them, would they?" Her face became perplexed with her own words.
 
"May banta sa pamilya namin. Nailibing si mom nang hindi namin nalalaman kung sino ang pumatay. Nanny said people are bringing up my parents' pasts. Hindi ko maiwasang magtaka." She gulped. "Why would the prince want to marry a girl whose family has a troubled life?"
 
A crease appeared on Ynara's forehead. She thought she knew what the young lady was implying.
 
"The imperial family . . . may have a deeper reason to choose me as the crown princess. Sabi ng prinsipe, tinatawag raw ng empress na uncle si Dad. They could have been . . . close acquaintances, right?"
 
Ynara gulped. She was unsure of how to react to Lady Lara's assumptions. Parang hindi naman siya ang kinakausap nito. Tila pinapalabas lang nito ang naguguhit sa utak.
 
"If that's the case, sigurado akong matutulungan ako ng empress para lagyan ng hustisya ang pagkamatay ni mom."
 
When Lady Lara had finished what she was saying, silence took over between her and Ynara. They both listened to the snoring of the birds that must be sleeping around. Only when Ynara felt the coldness of the wind did she speak. "Pasok na po kaya tayo sa loob? Mukhang uulan yata, baka magkasakit po kayo at hindi kayo makakapunta sa palasyo,"
 
Lady Lara's eyes sparkled with delight as she looked at her. "So you agree?"
 
"Po?"

Lady Lara widely smiled and immediately stood up. She took Ynara's hand. "Come on, Ynara. Help me prepare my things. Nanny distracted me earlier. Hindi ko tuloy nakompleto."
 
"Oo, hindi na nga kayo naghapunan e." Natawa si Ynara saka nagpahila sa kapwa dalagita.
 
Nang makapasok sila sa loob ng mansiyon ay natigil sila sa paglalakad. Tiningnan ni Ynara ang kasama sa pagtataka.
 
"I think my stomach's going to hurt," Lady Lara declared. Ynara sighed and then volunteered to get food from the kitchen while Lara proceeded to go upstairs. Afterward, Ynara helped Lady Lara with her preparations.
 

 
THE SNORE was as loud as that of a pig, which made Lady Lara suddenly sit up from lying. She breathed heavily before she realized it was just a dream; that dark space where she was earlier, but the scary sound continued even after she woke up. She looked aside and saw Ynara, whose lips were parted and whose hands became pillows for her head.
 
It stretched Lady Lara's lips into a smile before she looked up at the wall clock. She sighed when she realized it was still dawn. The air was quite cold, it felt like she slept on a wet mattress, but it did not stop her from rising up. Shivering, she did not turn the lights on because Ynara's snoring continued, and she didn't want to interrupt whatever dream she was having.
 
With the lamp's light, she saw the things they had prepared that night. The two travel bags, all of which were half of Lara's height, were standing beside each other in front of the couch. Umupo siya roon at nagpakawala ng malalim na hininga. What does it feel like to travel? She thought. Nakalimutan niyang naitanong niya pala ito kagabi kay Ynara.

 
"Ynara, what does it feel like to travel?" Lady Lara asked as she watched Ynara having a hard time zipping one of the bags.
 
"Hmm . . ." Ynara tried to think. "Kapag may bintana po 'yong karwahe, hindi po kayo mabuburyo sa biyahe."
 
"So, on the other hand . . .?"
 
"Kapag wala naman po . . . patingin nga ng daliri niyo,"
 
Nagtatakang ipinakita ni Lara ang mga daliri sa kausap. Ynara gently pulled it, and then chuckled. "Baka po ay hindi na 'to ganito kahaba pagdating niyo sa palasyo."
 
When Lara got it, she looked intently at Ynara. "I'm not biting my precious nails. I'll bring a book then so that I can read while travelling. Tama. One of the empress' books. She has to know I'm her reader."
 
"Ang swerte niyo po, Lady Lara," imik ni Ynara. "Makikita niyo po sa personal ang empress."
 
"Oh, haven't you?" Lara stopped when she saw Ynara shook her head. "I thought you did. I mean, you were outside the whole time."
 
"Nasa labas nga po ako pero hindi po ibig sabihin no'n ay malapit ako sa palasyo," paliwanag ni Ynara. "Nasa loob pa rin ng Charlotte ang pinapasokan kong paaralan."
 
"Is that so?" Lady Lara whispered to herself. "Please bear with me, Ynara. I really don't know how wide the empire is. You know what, ikaw nga itong maswerte. I've always wanted to go to school and learn in a . . ." She pursed her lips. "normal setting. But I haven't been given the opportunity as you have."
 
"Alam ko po," malungkot na ani Ynara. She then bumped her hand on the bag's texture when she found an idea. It alerted Lady Lara. "Pero isipin niyo na lang po, Lady Lara. Hindi po ako gano'n kahalaga katulad niyo kaya hinahayaan lang ako sa labas," natatawa niya pang patuloy. But her statement didn't please the young lady. Lara took a seat on the single couch, facing Ynara.
 
"That's highly unfair. Where's the equality? I'm not even a princess."
 
"Malapit na po," nagagalak na ani Ynara. She smiled when she looked at Lara. "Malapit na po kayong maging prinsesa. Kapag nangyari 'yon, 'wag niyo po akong kalilimutan ha? Ay!" Lara raised a brow while Ynara continued with her excited tone. "Sigurado po akong kailangan niyo ng tagapagsilbi. Isama niyo na lang po ako bukas."
 
Lady Lara didn't take it as a joke when Ynara intended it to be. She immediately made a scolding expression. "Ynara, you have a life. Nag-aaral ka nga 'di ba?"
 
"Kayo naman 'di mabiro. Bakasyon naman po. Puwede ko pa kayong samahan sa palasyo. Tapos uuwi kapag balik-pasok  na naman. O kahit hindi na po."
 
"Oh, Ynara, how much I'd like to take you with me. Pero ano na lang ang sasabihin ni Nanny? Hindi nga niya ako papayagan. Ikaw pa ba?"
 
Ynara pouted. "Ede tatakas."
 
Nabigla si Lara sa sagot nito. Nagtagpo ang mga kilay niya saka lalo pang tinitigan si Ynara. "Are you used to it?" Nagbaba ng tingin si Ynara saka umiling. Lady Lara sighed. She crossed her arms and leaned back on the couch. "What I'm doing isn't an escape, Ynara, if that's what you think I'd tolerate. The prince promised to fetch me after his discussion with my father. So technically," she straightened up her posture, "it's not an escape because Dad knows the whole thing."
 
"Pero hindi po siya pumapayag 'di ba?" Ynara countered.

Lady Lara shrugged to herself, remembering Ynara's question. Dad would eventually accept everything. She thought and then sighed. She was about to get back to bed when she saw the trinket box in one of the room's corners. Nilapitan niya ito.
 
"I will leave you here," she whispered. "Someday, I will know where you came from."
 
Isip-isip niya ay maaari niya nang makilala si Duke Cassano kapag nakalabas siya mula sa mansiyon. She was so excited to meet new people and stand on new ground that she didn't get back to sleep until sunrise.

Nang magising si Ynara ay makikita agad ang gulat sa mga mata nito na kaharap niyang nakahiga si Lady Lara at nakamulat pa. "Dito po ako nakatulog?"
 
Nakangiting tumango-tango si Lady Lara. Nahihiya namang bumangon si Ynara at tumalikod, kagat-kagat ang labi. "A-Ah, Lady Lara," imik niya nang lumingon. "Siguro baba muna ako. Siguradong papagalitan ako ni nanay nito. A-Ano pong almusal ang gusto niyo, Lady Lara?"
 
"Bababa rin ako, Ynara. Gusto kong kasabay ko kayo kumain ni Nanny bago ako umalis."
 

HELIA SLOWLY took her bite of the bread while watching Lady Lara drink her milk in front of her. Tahimik ang naging almusal nila sa malaking mesa. Eyes were not meeting each other until she decided to speak. "It snowed all night." It made Lady Lara stopped eating and looked at her. "The paths are certainly icy, but that didn't stop the duke from leaving."
 
"Dad left?" Lady Lara's brows almost crossed. "To where?"
 
"To the sheriffs' headquarters. I guess they found a lead to the duchess' case. So, Lady Lara, you don't have to—" Helia was interrupted by the maid running toward them. "What now?" She almost shouted at the lady.
 
"Knights. Carriages are entering the manor."
 
Helia took a few seconds to look at Lady Lara. Then she rushed out of the kitchen and walked toward the mansion's entrance. Little did she know, Lady Lara and Ynara also rushed upstairs to get the young lady's luggage.
 
Helia stepped out of the manor and walked on the ground covered with snow as she saw the three carriages approaching, passing through the manor's long landscape. The horses stopped meters away from her. Bumaba mula sa unang kabayo ang isang lalaking pamilyar sa kaniya. The knight walked toward her and made sure to pay his greetings. The familiar face looked up, and Helia's forehead creased.
 
"His Highness sent us," said the middle-aged man. "Don't worry about your loyalty, Hel. Her Majesty's move was recently approved by your beloved duke."

Helia swallowed. She had known him for more than half her life. She could tell when he was telling the truth. And now she was certain he was.

***

A/N: Masyado nang madrama itong mc na to ha, patayin ko na lang kaya? Tsar, joke. Salamat ulit sa pagbabasa, sana nakakahinga ka pa. Comment down your thoughts on this episode. I'll be glad to read it. Muah.