Domingo Alvarez De Leon

The rain poured hard in Manila that night, the calesa arrived late, a young man of no older than twenty-five rushed out and entered the house of Don Zarragoza the grain merchant The young man new that Señor Zarragoza is an old illustrado who owns a large plantation in the province, and he is one of those people who provides some of the best grains in town. He got into contact with him through his own father Don Miguel De Leon, the two have been drinking buddies for years and were both supporters of the revolution, they have been secretly sending money and supplies to those in the battlefield. He has been sent by his father to this house many times over for errands, but tonight was different. Tonight was to be formally introduced to the young Ms. Zarragoza, the youngest daughter of the merchant, who just returned from Spain. With the impending upheaval they deemed it better for the young lady to return to the country, much to her distaste. He will serve as her tutor, bodyguard and in the future her husband.

The two old foxes had arranged the marriage since Domingo was twelve, he knew of it but it's a different case for Antonina, to her, he will only be a tutor and bodyguard. Señor Zarragoza never mentioned the engagement to his child to keep her focused with her studies, a decision that made Domingo sigh at times, as he had heard how popular Antonina was with men back in Spain, even though she never entertained suitors it wasn't really comforting to find out that men pined for your fiance even if she isn't aware of her own engagement.

He knocked on the heavy wooden door and almost instantly a househelp was there to open it for him. He went up the steps until he arrived at the sala, where Senor Zarragoza and his wife sat, with them his two sons and his two daughters, one of which is Antonina. She looked bored, Domingo thought as she looked at the window and not bothered to even look at him. Domingo didn't know how to approach Antonina, but one thing was for sure, she is beautiful, His father only showed him images of the girl through the years and he had always known that he will marry her when they get older. Though sometimes he wondered how they will get along especially with him being seven years older than her, its time to test the waters.

"Good evening Don Ignacio," he nodded to the master of the house, "Doña Dorotea", then to the lady of house.

"Welcome Domingo, I hope your trip was well, despite the weather this evening", said Don Ignacio, Domingo smiled, "I believe you are familiar with my children", again Domingo nodded, after greeting them, Don Ignacio had invited them to dinner.

After dinner Domingo was then directed to his new quarters, he will be staying in this house in for a couple of days before going to the province with Antonina. She truly is beautiful, he was a lucky guy to be able to be her fiance. Just by looking at her made his heart beat faster, but, he was the only one who was in love. He sighed heavily, if only she was told of the engagement early, would she be favorable of it just as he was? Again another sigh, why must it be kept a secret from her, was the old man trying to deny him of this agreement with his father? Or maybe she already knows but didn't approve of it, that is why her father couldn't tell him that he wants to call off the engagement. His mind was plagued with thoughts that were not favorable for him. He shook his head, no! Don Ignacio will never go back his words, surely he has a good reason for not announcing the engagement early on, all he had to do was wait. He focused his attention to the room where he was staying instead, the room he was given was one of the guestrooms, it was big and comfortable, but before was able to settle in a house-help told him that Don Ignacio was asking for him.

He walked to the study, his heart beating fast, why would the old man want to see him at this point? When he entered the room, he saw Don Ignacio and Antonina inside.

"Good evening", he said feeling nervous

"Good evening Señor De Leon", said Antonina, giving him the faintest of smiles

"Nina, you know Inggo am I right?" said her father joyously, Antonina nodded, "as I have told you before you return to Manila, that he will be your tutor, he has been educated not only here but in Britain and France as well, you will be able to learn much from him."

"Yes, Papa", she responded, Domingo saw distaste and discontent on her expression, "I look forward to learning with you Señor De Leon."

"Yes Señorita," he responded, then she bade them good night.

When the two men are alone Don Ignacio, looked at Domingo with all the seriousness a father can have. He began pulling out documents and handing it to him, "Inggo, these are the documents that you will be needing in case an emergency happens, you need to take Nina out of the country and travel to Spain soon as you can."

With the coming upheaval the Villafuertes are under threat, the friars and government officials placed the family in surveillance because of their connections to the revolutionaries. The past few weeks the family had received threats and some unwanted attention from the guardia civil that made the old man fear for his family's safety, that is why he made the decision to plan their escape. The old man had devised a way to sneak out his children out of the city and to either the provinces or abroad, but for his youngest he thought it best for her to be sent to his sister where the climate is much more stable and the family holds much authority, and to do that he needed Domingo to keep her safe. Being a man who is well traveled, keeping her near Nina would be an asset; he can simply get them both on a ferry bound for Hong Kong claiming that they are married, then taking a steam ship to Spain.

"What of the engagement Sir?Is she aware that I'm not just her bodyguard?" he asked, the old man looked surprised by his question.

"Inggo, truth be told, Nina is still very immature, she hasn't fully grasped the idea of marriage", he replied

"So, I take that she is not yet aware of her own engagement?"

"No." his tone was flat and unapologetic, why would he not have told her given the situation they are in?

Domingo felt his blood boil in frustration, "is there still an engagement? My father fully expected that the promise will be fulfilled by my appearance here tonight, we are not fools Sir."

Don Ignacio's face contorted to a scowl, this impertinent young man, how dare he lecture him of his own promises, but he is right, it was his mistake that his daughter is unaware of her own engagement. "Do not blow your cap young man. The engagement is not yet broken, but you need to win Nina's hand on your own, with that I can not help you, Nina has a mind of her own, but I beg of you to protect her."

He agreed to what the old man had asked, but not because of him, but because he really like Antonina, he had liked her since the day he was told that she was to be her bride.

Albert Saldivar stared at the unmoving body of Bethany Villafuerte as he remembered the day he met Nina, she looked so much like her, she acts so much like her too, she is stubborn and head-strong, he smiled to himself, maybe this time they can finally be together, he waited for more than a hundred years just to be able to find this girl and kill her but now that she is in his grasp he realizes, maybe she was Nina! Of course, how can she be anyone else? She can only be Nina, there can never be anyone like her unless she is the person.

Filled with madness he began to believe that this girl was Nina, his Nina, and like before he will not let anything get in his way to be with her. With realization he shouted at his demon, "NO! Stop!"