18

Yoko is in the library, reading and learning the lesson about her Family's culture and heritage. It's been like this for her in the past weeks. She's been lonely but trying her best to learn -- she had no choice anyway.

She heard the door open and close followed with silence footsteps but she did not pay attention to it as she thought that maybe it was just the maids or the guards checking up on her. She was expecting someone to approach her but when nothing came, she look up to check who it was. Her heart drops when she saw Faye.

Yoko instantly tear up.

"Faye.."She called her up and run towards her.

They hugged each other tightly.

"You are here. Finally you are here." Yoko cried, she has lot of question in her head but she cannot articulate them right now.

"Yes, I'm here." Faye replied, she is also crying and weeping her tears out.

Yoko slowly break the hug to properly see Faye's face. She miss her so much and she can see the longing in her Phi's eyes as well.

"Omy goodness! You are here! This is not a dream. Wait ...Why are you here? Who let you in?"

Faye just smile.

"It doesn't matter." She whisper. "The important part here is I'm here and I promise to be with you always."

Yoko felt the sincerity in her voice but Yo can tell that Faye is hiding something.

"Is everything alright?" Yoko asked, she is concern on the way Faye is behaving.

"Yes, I'm just nervous."

"Huh? Why are you nervous?" She asked.

"Because..." Faye did not finish her sentence and just went down on her knees.

Yoko just looked at her, trying to process what is happening.

Is she proposing?

"Marry me, Yoko." Faye said and showed her the ring.

"A-are you sure?" Yoko asked instead of answering right away. "Was it 3 months already? Are you sure you want this?" She asked again.

Faye nods.

"Yes, I am. So please marry me."

Yoko look around and there she saw her father and Yuki, and other royals watching them.

"They know about this?" Yoko asked, she is confused.

"Yes, I-I asked for their permission." She stuttered a bit but Nong did not notice.

Yoko looked at Faye, shocked with everything that is happening infront of her.

"Really?"

"Yes...will you marry me? P-Please?" Faye voice is begging, pleading for Yo to answer.

Yoko looked back to Faye and nod her head.

"Yes."

***

After Faye's proposal, everything went smoothly. Yoko was surprised that her father approved their relationship and encourage them to have the ceremony right away. The paper works being done and the date is already set for them to have a wedding. The date of announcement is also settled with all of the articles that will come out for Faye and Yoko once the announcement is made, all of it is pre-approved by the palace.

All of Yoko's worries and doubt are buried for now. No issue or what so ever arises that it feels too good to be true at the moment... or was it?

"Can I at least invite Mom?" Yoko asked in the middle of the meeting for their wedding. She asked this because she felt that everything is being decided on so rapidly without her or Faye's inputs.

She look at Faye that is just beside her.

"Don't you want to invite your family too?" She asked, she hasn't meet Faye's parents or any family member so she wants to at least meet them before they properly get married.

Faye look at her and smile, then Phi reach hand to her and held it gently.

"I understand if we cannot invite my family. I will talk to them once everything is settled. You can meet them soon."

Yoko looked at the rest of the royals in the table. She look at her Father, she is sensing some weird sht in this meeting.

"Can we postpone the wedding then? I want our family to witness our union and not some strangers." She said looking at her Phi. She knows that Faye will be understanding to her.

But she did not anticipate her response. Faye cup Yoko face in attempt to calm her down but Phi face is also nervous, her hand is cold.

"We cannot postpone it, Yo. Please let them decide for now. I promise I will take care of everything once it settled in."

Yoko looked at her intently. She is sensing fear, frustration and massive doubt in Faye's eyes.

"Napipilitan ka ba?" She asked in tagalog, which means 'are you being forced?' Yoko figured that royals most likely understand English, Thai and Japanese but not Tagalog so she opted to ask Faye in that language.

She saw her father in her peripheral view. She knows that her father understood what she said.

"No." Faye replied.

"Mapagkakatiwalaan ba kita ngayon?" She asked again, 'Can I trust you now?'

Faye nods.

"Yes." She smile to give her Nong assurance.

Yoko still feels uneasy but since Faye is here and Faye is the only person that she can fully trust, she heave a sigh then look at the head royal and her father.

"Okay, we can proceed to the arrangement you proposed earlier."

Aki smile.

"Good."

This feels strange.

***

Yoko cannot sleep that night. There are lingering thoughts in her head. She heave sigh again and look at her side where Faye is sleeping soundly beside her. Yo don't want to doubt her and want to fully trust Faye but deep down she feels like there is something that is missing. There is a missing piece that is being concealed to her.

She slowly move and got up in their bed. She thought of one person that she can ask and rely on this situation... Yuki.

Yoko silently walk towards Yuki's office on the side of the palace. She knows that Princess is often in her office at this time of the night.

"Princess in?" She asked the guards.

"Yes."

"Can you let her known that I'm here." She requested, after few minutes the guards let her in.

***

"You know that I love Faye, right? I want to marry her but this is happening too fast that I'm now having doubts." She said.

Yuki looked at her and nods.

"What do you want to know?" She asked.

"Is there something that I need to know? Are they forcing Faye to do this? But why?"

Yuki adjusted her seat and sigh.

"I don't want to assume anything but once you are married, your name will be permanently on the registry list but at the same time you can move out the country if your spouse is foreigner. I don't know which one is their motivation to speed up the process. It could be either one or maybe both. I see it as a win-win situation for both the royal family and you personally."

Yoko nods, now it's making sense.

But why does Faye agreed on doing this?

"By the way, do you know that your brother has a son? His name is Yuan. Uncle Aki register his name in the registry last week."

"No." She replied, shocked at everything.

Yuan...

She has a nephew?

Yuki opened a folder and show the paper works to her including some pictures of baby Yuan. He has undeniably resemblance to her brother and her. He looks like baby Yoko but with male features.

"I've been meaning to ask you about this cause it should have parent's consent when doing this process and I saw Faye's name as a parent of the child. Do you know about this?"

Is this Faye's motivation all this time?

She shook her head but no words can come out to her mouth.

Yuki is dumbfounded as well.

They become silent.

"Sorry..." Yuki said after a few moments of silence. "I just realized that I drop a bomb on you. Think about it first and let's have another conversation about this when you have clear mind and..."

"Can I ask for your help?" Yoko cut her off.

"Yes, of course."

"You said I can move out the country once I got married, right?"

"Yes."

"I want to go back to Philippines right after the ceremony. Can you arrange my flight for me?"

"Yes, with Faye?"

Yoko looked at Yuki with blank dead stare.

"No, just me and I don't want anyone to know about this."

Yuki hesitated but nods in the end.

"Okay, I can do that."

**