Chapter 2

"I'm here to claim my prize."

The old king just looked at me before laughing.

"Thalia, the brave and mysterious woman who won the cup. You're on the headlines now low life."

he sipped on his champagne in a gold goblet.

"I'm not here to converse with you your highness, I need to claim what you promised me. Set. Them. Free."

He just laugh hard. Damn it, I will explode and no one can stop me.

I stepped closer but the surrounding royal guards quickly drew swords and guns.

"Oops. They're over protective Thalia don't mind them."

I hate being here.

"As for the promise, you choose. Your mother or your brother? Whom will I free?"

I felt the numbness of my hands refraining from punching the old man in the face.

"That's not what we've talked about, your highness. You said you'll free them if I'll join that shit of a competition !!"

He just laughed.

"Nah ah, I'm the king. I have the right to change mind."

Damn it!

But I forced myself to calm down.

"Could..you give me time to think?"

"Oh sure. I'll wait, actually I could send you to the jail, talk with them and decide, after all you really made me proud after winning, my princess, my brother will be so proud of his daughter if his still alive . "

If you didn't kill him.

The guards took me to the basement, where the captives were.

At the very end my mother and brother Khairoa were lying down.

"10 minutes, duchess that's the limit."

"Mom, .. Khai .." It tore my heart to pieces seeing them here.

Mom heard me immediately and quickly hugged me across the railings in between. Khai also approached.

The cage is clean, has a bed and lighting which compared to other cages it is probably the most luxurious.

But that's still not enough, will never be enough to a queen and a Prince ...

"Mom .. Please .. We need to talk."

"How are you Thalia? You okay? Did Maurico hurts my princess?"

her eyes are teary, I looked at khai, he look worried but decided to speak with his eyes.

"I'm fine, I'm good."

"I'm sorry." Mom sobbed for a long time, I can't bear it.

"I hope I don't agree with your dad to take you here and live here, everything's a mess now after ..his death .."

I was 3 then, mom was pregnant with Khai when a battalion of men knocked to our doorstep way back in the Philippines. They want my dad back in Greece to continue his role and accept his responsibilities.

He's the youngest son of a powerful man in Greece, a royal blood run through their veins. Dad was disowned by his father when instead of marrying a princess he took off the country and fled in the Philippines, met my mother and married her. But 18 years ago, those men came and told my dad that his father was dying and he needs to see his youngest son and meet his family. He also tore the disowning promised he had before. Here I grew up but my Filipino blood is greater, mom and dad still talk with our language Tagalog, sometimes Ilocano since my mom is a native Ilocano. It was my mother tongue so I'm fluent with it, khai on the other hand learned it from us though not as fluent as me, he speaks Tagalog.

They want my father to be their superior.

That's why we are in this hell. But a year ago father died. Uncle Maurico made the people, our people believe that he died in a cardiac arrest, but no. Its a poisoning. Its a cyanide in his goblet that night.

The council wants khai to handle the people, the businesses, the territory, but uncle stand against the council telling he's not legal yet and he can't handle a huge responsibility. He convince the people he's more capable, and won.

That damn hungry for power monster even accuse my family and those who are loyal to my father that we're planning rebellion against him and sent us all to jail.

I just got out because of the proposal he gave, I need to win the traditional competition in Sicily, and he’ll free them from this hell but he’s really an asshole.

"I won the competition."

"Obviously." Khai said with a serious look.

I sighed, he resent me a lot, its my fault.

"His condition was to set you free. No. Only one of you."

I stare at them, they looked so hopeful.

"And I'm thinking of mom." I looked at khai ..

I saw a glint of pain and hatred before he turned serious. And nod.

"It should be."

"No! No Thalia, set free your brother, I'm your mother and I'm supposed to protect you, I'm not the one leaving this cage!"

"Mom cut it. Do you think I'll want to be free while you're here? No. I'll stay."

I wanna cry. My little brother is suffering.

"Khai. I'll do everything I promise, I'll do everything to set you free"

"Keep it."

My tears, they kept falling.

"Your time's up princess."

After I talked to my MOTHER and brother again

Maurico’s staff took me to his office.

"Have you decided princess?" He got this arrogant and irritating smile I badly want to swipe off his face.

"My mom. Set her free."

He smiled expectantly.

"Oh I know you will choose her."

He just look at one of his men without a word and as if the man understand him he went off the room

"Now tell me. UNCLE. What can I do for you to set my brother free?"

Maurico just laugh again,

"Oh such an impulsive and blant. Will you do everything t set him free?"

"I will"

I saw triumph in his voice and eyes.

"Marry Ezekiel Titus Cuerido. You can do that right princess?"

The words shock and anger are not enough to describe how I feel now. My freedom in exchange of my brother's.

Damn fate. Damn Maurico. Damn .. Life.

"Why me? I am no longer a princess, why not Equija your daughter?"

He sipped in his goblet. I'm dying to put some poisonous substance there and watch him die.

"That's your mission, princess. Pretend to be my Equija, because as of now, she's out of track, missing. And we're having hard time finding her. We have a deal with king Titus to Marry her off to Ezekiel, its a long over due so you must ... Agree with this mission and I'll set your brother free. "

I laughed sarcastically.

"How can I pretend to be someone I'm not?"

Idiot.

"They don't know what exactly Equija looks and her whereabouts, they can investigate and try to know everything about her but I'm done covering it up. If they'll try to, the result will come out as you. You will be equija now. I already erased princess Thalia in the history of baubax, they will know your name as an average woman, and the royals will recognize you as Equija my dear daughter. "

I closed my eyes.

"So you've sorted it out already like youre very sure I will do this shit for you?"

He laughed out loud.

"Because you will. Won't you?"

Khai. I'll do everything I promise, I'll do everything to set you free

Keep it

"Damn you!"

"Here, wear it already."

Its a diamond ring heart shaped.