A grand study hall echoes pleas for mercy.
"Please, she's your daughter, you can't do this!"
"Silence! She is no daughter of mine, and as such since you refuse to lay with me, that illegitimate child will,"
"Okay, okay I will do as you wish, please just leave her,"
Their voices turned to whispers and then silence, behind her bedroom door.
"Chesa," Her mother whines, struggling to open the door.
"Unlock the door, darling" soft hiccups.
"I'm sorry, my sweet child, that I birthed you into this world to suf-" kneeling down against the door.
"No, Mama, you did not" Chesa's head thumps against the wood which creates a barrier between them.
"You did not," she mumbles softly.
Her mother lingers, before treating.
"Chesa," A stern voice rings clear, halting her from returning to bed.
"Servant Guard, Venancio," she hears the clacking of metal against the wood above her.
"Papa, you can't be here-"
"Never mind that, are you alright?"
"Uh- ye- yes I am alright"
"That's good,"
"Sleep well"
Chesa waits upon the noise of his armour fading out, before finalizing her decision.
She already prepared a rope of made of sheets and blankets, her backpack filled with coins, clothes and she tosses them outside her bedroom window.
In her room on the highest floor of the palace she struggled to get down though succeeded anyway. She bolted for the woods nearby, planning to sleep in a tree for the night before making her way to a village for transportation. The next morning, she finds it difficult to find a taxi to take her since most Filipinos disliked the Spanish military and since she looked like her biological father, a Spanish native guard.
An elderly woman notices her struggle and offers a lift from her grandson.
"Hello, my dear why don't you ask my grandson to take you? Where are you headed?" she asks and Chesa informs her that she would like to go to the boarder.
"All on your own?" she queries, sceptical.
"Yes, my mama and papa are waiting for me across the boarder," adding a curt smile.
"Vincent!" she calls and he pulls up with a truck filled with crates of chickens.
"Lola! What is it?" Vincent eyes Chesa and immediately replies, "Not happening."
"Vincent, are you disregarding your Lola's wishes huh?"
"No, Lola, but I have enough cargo to worry about," exasperated by their arguing, he gives in.
"Fine! I'll take her with me," he caves.
"Thank you," Chesa gets in the passenger seat filled with chicken feathers.
"What's your name, dear?" the grandmother asks her.
"Che- Eliza, Eliza Fanning," she quickly blurts out.
"Okay Eliza, I leave you in good hands," she greets them and waves as they drove off. Suddenly, in a serious tone, Vincent comments something that catches Chesa off guard.
"I wasn't born yesterday, I know who you are," and adds "Miss Chesa"
"Look, I don't want any trouble, just tell me what do you want for your silence?"
"Oh, you know what I want," he coyly states, and she slaps him square in the jaw.
"Eww, NO, let me out!" she shrieks.
"Ouch! That's not what I meant, besides kids aren't my type," rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand.
"Then what?" and he replies with rubbing his index and thumb together.
"Oh! Here," she tosses him a solid gold bangle, which he almost lost control of the car trying to catch it.
"Hey! Also thanks!"
They drive on and Chesa drifts off to sleep and flashes of the past fill her mind.
"Chesa, catch me if you can!" a little girl with pitch black hair and crystal blue eyes calls out.
"Eliza! Wait for me," she calls back to her, running as fast as she can.
She loses sight of her, begins calling her name through the palace corridors.
"Eliza! Where are you?"
"Eli-"cut off by watching Eliza peep through a door.
"Eliza" she whispers, "What are you doing?"
"Chesa's dad isn't her dad," she informs before realizing who the person was behind her.
"What?" Chesa raises her voice.
"Shhh!" Eliza attempts to silence her.
"What are you talking about?" Chesa confused.
"Never mind that we need to go," Eliza pulling at her arm to leave.
Eliza explains what she heard from two servant guards.
"That can't be! Papa is my papa" she attempts to correct Eliza.
"That's not what I heard,"
"How can that be?"
"That's what I overheard."
After Eliza with her parents leave for home in New England, years go by since they have seen each other.
Chesa wakes up from her sleep with her chill, the windows wide open.
"Can you please close the windows?" she asks Vincent.
"No, because we here," tilting his head in the direction of the boarder gates.
"Where are you off too, huh?" he asks before getting out to open the door for her.
"If you must know," she begins, "New England."
A couple of weeks go by and Chesa finds a place to stay, still in search of the Fanning residence.