The Kingdom

The story is set in the Kingdom of Kalayaan in the contemporary era. Kalayaan is an alternate version of the Philippines where the islands were never colonized. Lakan Makisig , the king of Kalayaan is facing a potential succession crisis unsure which among his three children to inherit the throne; Magat Bagwis who is reputed for his short temper, Dayang Matimyas with whom he has strained relations due to her romantic relations with a political enemy, and Dayang Lualhati the closest child to the monarch among the three. Lualhati, who is about to marry a Thai prince, is abducted by men whom Matimyas thinks are from the secessionist group Tiwalag. Makisig tasks Bagwis and the Kalayaan army to rescue Lualhati. However, Makisig and his personnel fail in their mission, oblivious that an outcast Sulo had already rescued the princess. Sulo returns Lualhati to the Palace with the latter beginning to question her father's rule. Meanwhile, Sulo faces accusations which threatens his life. Sulo eventually challenges Makisig in a one-on-one duel to the death and revealing himself as the son of Sigwa Tagum who is actually Makisig's late best friend and former bodyguard that he executed due to following the laws of the entire kingdom. Upon being imprisoned, Makisig eventually explains to Sulo about his father Sigwa and the reasons of his execution. Sigwa tries to defend him from his own older brother whom he had a massive argument with and attempts to take his life and Sigwa kills him. Because of this, he was stripped off as a Royal Guard and was executed by Makisig due to the laws of the kingdom and grieving over his losing his friend and bodyguard and he was guilty for not saving his friend's life and he had nothing to do with it because of the law. Prior to their duel to the death, Makisig gives Sulo a bracelet and to be given by Lualhati to remember him and making him as the protector to Lualhati after saving her. Both commences the one-on-one duel between Sulo and Makisig and Sulo emerges victorious by killing Makisig and was witnessed by both Matimyas and Lualhati and all of the royal crew. Makisig was later given a proper burial by floating into the ocean by boat and Matimyas succeeding him without his order. It was later revealed that Matimyas was the mastermind for causing both betrayal and bloodshed of her own family and orchestrating a kidnapping to Lualhati even she murders her own elder brother Bagwis when he and her father Makisig had tried to negotiate with Wigan and his rebels. She secretly made a blood compact with Wigan, the prime minister and the head of babaylan to make an alliance to cause bloodshed. Before his death, Makisig had already seen her actions and the reason he still accepted Matimyas as a family and despite they are not on terms between them because Matimyas had fallen in love with a man who is actually her father's enemy and bore a son named Felipe which Makisig accepts him as his grandchild. Felipe was the only one who witnessed the horrible actions of his own mother when she orchestrates the kidnapping of his own aunt. Lualhati eventually discovers their true colors and for orchestrated her kidnapping because Matimyas wanted to succeed her father to the throne and also displays both envious and angry to Lualhati knowing that Makisig had cared so much for her rather than Matimyas herself. Lualhati fought them both after learning of their treachery and when Matimyas attempted to kill her own sister due to the orders of the chief babaylan, it was stopped by her own son, Felipe who witnessed his mother's murderous actions and decided to side to her aunt Lualhati. Both Matimyas and the chief babaylan are found by the Prime Minister and the royal guards to discover their evil deeds and was immediately arrested and imprisoned. Sulo visits Lualhati at their palace and gives the bracelet to her and it was Makisig's final request before their duel to the death that he will became her protector which Lualhati accepts. With Matimyas was stripped off as queen, Lualhati became the new queen of Kingdom of Kalayaan and Sulo became her royal bodyguard in her stead. The mid-credits shown that Matimyas was still in prison, eating prison food after she was given royal utensils and also think about escaping a death row to her various crimes.