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The Unofficial Empress - Chapter 4
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Fifty years ago, the palace was overturned and the throne was usurped by the Hongs. Blood has covered the grounds of the palace as the Angenas family was almost eliminated. At the cost of the former queen’s life, she begged Jiro for her family to be spared. Jiro was then the royal advisor who is the closest to the king. He was one of the people who planned to dethrone the Angenases.
Jiro was indecisive at the queen’s request because the order was to eliminate the entire Angenas family. King Enrico had a heart disease that time and Jericho, the king’s only son was very young whom he treated like a son. Marie Hong exchanged gazes with Jiro and the latter motioned the knight to spare the two.
Having chose to let them go, Marie Hong told the knight to kill the queen. The queen who asked for that favor smiled at her beloved family before her blood splattered on the floor. Queen Sasha was the last victim of the bloodshed. After that, Enrico and Jericho were exiled to Karangyaan just north of the empire.
Marie Hong was enthroned by those families who couldn’t take the former king’s reign. She was just a puppet who was depicted by those families to fight for justice and freedom. In the end, she couldn’t rule the empire. She had no resolve nor strength to manage the overwhelming imperial struggles.
All works were passed on to Jiro who remained the royal advisor.
—–/////—–
Marco looked at the door when someone knocked. “Come in,” he said and Jiro stepped inside. “Were you reading my thoughts?” he smirked as the old man greeted him the Katapangan way, right palm against the left chest with clenched left fist, straight body, and feet 45 degrees apart measured from the heels.
“What thoughts exactly, your highness?” the old man tilted his head in confusion.
“I was thinking about the story you told me regarding the ‘darkest’ history of our empire,” he said and gestured the old man to sit down. “By the way, I’m committed as of yesterday,” he said which made the old man frown.
“How exactly, your highness?”
“By matrimony,” he said. The old man immediately turned his head towards Marco with gawking expression. “What?” he shrugged as he poured a freshly brewed coffee into two cups. “You’re just on time to savor this,” he said and placed the cup in front of Jiro.
“This is not the time to joke, your highness.”
“I’m not joking nor am I fooling you. I’m serious,” he said as he sat back. “Isn’t my duty to produce an heir?”
“But this is too sudden…the king…”
“The king does not mind as long as I bore an heir.”
“Where is that woman?!…”
“Please don’t be hasty sir,” Marco said calmly when Jiro was about to stand up and send someone to search the girl. “Don’t make another mistake just like you did fifty years ago,” he said and the old man calmed down. Guilt was evident on his wrinkled face.
“I did what I thought was best. I didn’t know it would result to the empire’s loss of resources and a few territories.”
“Then you should stay away from my business. Or I might lose an heir or the will to produce one,” he said in a low but threatening tone.
“I’m sorry, your highness. This matter does not only concern you but the entire Katapangan…”
Marco raised a palm so the old man stopped. “Truths, facts, myths, beliefs, thoughts, expectations, opinions…” he elaborated and paused before taking a sip. “They get mixed up sometimes. History can be altered, deleted, or concealed in order to brainwash the younger generations.”
“We can only follow the people’s demand…”
“Are you a ruler or a servant?” Marco asked directly with those cold eyes piercing through the old man. Jiro was speechless so Marco grinned. “I wish to be neither of them but the people demand me to be one or the other. Either way, people will criticize me.”
“You have to take heart, my prince…”
“I am not afraid nor I am weak…but…” Marco clenched his fists on top of his knees. Jiro noticed his usual calm demeanor to have swayed a little but the young man has completely concealed his emotions once again. “Why did you have to bother us once again with the imperial matters? You even brought my father back to reclaim his position to the throne…”
“Ten years ago,” Jiro cut him off. “No, 45 years ago, I saw the fruit of our actions. I could call it ‘seeing the true color behind the peelings’ just like for example red egg and rambutan. You can see the rambutan with spiky peelings. Others might not even try to taste it on first glance. Deep inside those red and yellow peelings lies a white, sweet, and juicy flesh with a hard and bitter seed.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Let me finish, boy,” Jiro said and sipped from his cup. “A red egg on the other hand looks nice with smooth and hard shell. Deep inside, the egg white looks appetizing but once tasted, first timers may find it repulsive and stinky. Deeper within is a soft mushy yolk which crumbles even with the slightest pressure.”
“Then…”
“I’m saying that your grandfather’s ways were harsh and he has hardened his heart in order to make a just and a better decision for the people. Very few would appreciate his deeds and he could only taste the bitterness of his actions. And the Hongs were like red eggs. Brave and courageous outside but stinky and soft inside. They enjoy watching the façade they made as if they are living in cloud nine.”
“Did you have to insult the Katapangan delicacies?”
“I didn’t mean it that way, your highness. In fact I like red eggs,” the old man cleared his throat. “Anyway, my point is that I regretted my decision. I couldn’t do anything to return to the past and redo it. I could only be the puppet of the Hongs together with the late Queen Marie Hong. We struggled together to lift the empire and restore it back to its greatness.”
“But you failed,” Marco smirked. “And why are you telling me all this? The king and the crown prince are in the palace.”
“The king and the crown prince have tasked me to convince you to go back and help with the imperial affairs.”
“The past does not concern me.”
“But the present may change the future if you lend a hand. We could prevent the past mistake from recurring.”
“I’m doing what I can without attaching my name to the Angenas and the past.”
“Pardon me my prince but you’re an Angenas.”
“I am and I will always be an Angenas. I just don’t want the people to look at my name and judge me using the past.”
“I understand your highness. I know where you’re coming from. Please come back to the palace soon. We will be waiting for you,” the old man stood up and greeted once more before heading out. Marco sipped his coffee until the last drop without batting an eyelid.