Chapter 3

Edward had already finished chatting with his ministers. Ann entered the meeting room in hurry. She stopped in front of Ed and bent while the latter was arranging some papers:

"Your majesty, I need to talk to you…"

"About?" Edward wondered indifferently.

"About Michor." She answered seriously, trying to attract his attention.

"What?" He wondered, surprised how she knew about the Indian kingdom.

"Listen… there's a secret I didn't reveal to anyone until few minutes ago." She whispered.

"To?" He asked.

"To his majesty your son." She revealed.

"What is it?" He questioned, coming back to his papers.

"Is Chandramukhi Singh the Queen of Michor?" She inquired.

"Yes, she the Queen of Michor, and she's married to Krishna Bai, the only legal heir of the Michorian throne after the death of all the royal family during a war between them and Moguls. They have only an adoptive daughter called Sundarta, or "The Adoptive Princess"" He informed.

"Wow! You know a lot about Indian kingdoms." She exclaimed.

"I have to know with whom I'm signing contracts." He said.

"Do you know this adoptive princess' biologic parents?"

"No." He answered indifferently again.

"I'm her mother." She normally announced.

Completely shocked, Edward looked at her:

"That's right, your majesty. I can't tell exactly what happened. But all what I can say is that Singh was my friend and I asked her to adopt my daughter Samantha." She explained.

"I… I have no idea that Samantha or Sundarta or whatever her name is British… is she 100% British or 50%?" He wondered as a joke.

"100%. But all what I'm asking you to, is to let me travel with George to Michor, please." She begged, ignoring his "joke".

"And why would you leave Kingdom of Great Britain and travel to such a "desert" like Michor?"

"Because I want to see my daughter. Besides, Chandramukhi is my friend and my daughter's adoptive mother! I'm sure I can help your son to convince her and her husband to sign the contract." She tried to seize his thirst to money and contracts to convince him to go.

"… You think?"

"Yes!" She yelled, waiting impatiently for his permission to go.

Edward kept silent, thinking about for a while. Despite having a stressing relationship with Ann and a trustworthy-less one, he found that she was right; as the Michorian queen's friend, that would make signing the contract easier and faster.

"So?" Ann cut his thoughts.

"Fine. You can go with George. But you have to promise me that they'll sign the contract." He insisted.

"I don't know. I said that my old friendship "may" convince Chandramukhi."

"Ok, after tomorrow, you'll leave Great Britain with George and your personal guards to Michor by land. The trip will take about 3 months." He finally allowed her.

"Thank you, your majesty!"

***

Few days later, George and Ann started their trip toward Michor by land with their guards at the end of December. The guards were on horses while Ann and her godson were inside a big wagon led by the same animals.

Finally, the convoy arrived and stopped in front of the huge fence surrounding the whole kingdom at March. The prince asked his guards to wait, looking up at Michorian soldiers upon the fence. Few seconds later, the big steel door opened.

Michor was a large kingdom in the middle of a desert. Most of their food was imported from other kingdoms.

The little convoy passed between Michorian citizens, sellers and guards. All of them were watching these weird white fancy people.

One of these guards stopped in front of the wagon, and he asked the head of British guards with his heavy black moustache and weird accent as they rarely speak English:

"What's the reason of your coming?"

"Our Prince inside the wagon has a message to the king of Michor." The British leader announced proudly.

"From?"

"Kingdom of Great Britain."

The Michorian looked at his partner who joined him. Then, he asked the leader again:

"Can I see your prince?"

"Of course."

The guard with his short dhoti (traditional Indian men clothes) overlooked of the black wagon's window, and saw George sitting next to Ann, wearing perfectly and much differently than the Indians.

"Who's that woman?" The Michorian asked seriously.

"She's my godmother." George answered confidentially.

"What is the message about?"

"It's about a commercial contract from his majesty the king of Kingdom of Great Britain, my father."

"Ok… Follow me."

5 minutes later, the convoy stopped in front of the colossal palace, waiting for the permission to get in.

Indeed, the convoy entered the palace of Michor. The prince and his nanny got out of the wagon and got really impressed by the beauty of the castle; they were particularly in a little courtyard with hundreds of doors decorated with beautiful shape in two floors, rock walls with different colors and pictures telling stories and tales of Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism…

George and Ann crossed the courtyard – which was the servants' courtyard – with both of Michorian and British guards. Two Michorian men opened a huge special door and another big courtyard appeared: there was a vast rectangle pool with many white and pink lotuses floating, accompanied with some diyas (special Indian candles), multiple better doors, and in the other side of that courtyard, there is a huge door with some stairs; It was the royal/middle courtyard, where rooms of the royal family were there and also the throne room (that one with a huge door and stairs).

The convoy stopped in the middle of the yard, on the edge of the pool. Suddenly, George saw the shape of a woman passing in front of doors in the first floor until she appeared; she was Milady, wearing a sari. She got too much older than before; her hair became grey, her face wrinkled, she got a bit hunchback and tiny glasses.

Ann got really shocked and happy in the same time to see her maid, while George, after noticing her reaction, asked his godmother to hide behind him, to surprise Milady.

In fact, the latter didn't really intend to meet the visitors; she was just passing by, walking rapidly and murmuring until she "bumped" into George. She studied him a bit then the British guards behind him, and she didn't see Ann. Actually, George was much taller than Milady.

The latter asked him, with her rude British accent:

"Who the hell are you?!"

The prince smiled after he studied her too, and answered:

"I'm Prince George… The prince and the official representative of Kingdom of Great Britain…You're Milady Cook, right?"

"Yes, so? Why are you asking, pretty boy?" She kept asking in a provoking accent.

"Because I think that you know my godmother." He mysteriously answered.

"And who's your da*n godmother?!"

George moved left and so Ann appeared…

Milady moved her glasses to see better, and opened her mouth of surprise. After long seconds of silence, and after her face literally froze, she "returned to life" and wondered: "Ann?"

Worthington nodded. Her eyes were shedding tears and with a big smile. Milady cried also, and started laughing as she couldn't believe. Ann walked and strongly hugged her, while her godson was just watching and grinning…

After they finished hugging, Milady joked:

"So… I guess you're here to finally restore your daughter, right?"

"Yes, but George is not…" She informed.

"Wait, is he your… godson?" She questioned.

"Yes!" She happily answered.

" Wow!... And where's his mother?" She inquired.

Ann's smile disappeared:

"His mother was my best friend; Lilly Fredric, Duchess of Richmond… You've met her before… She passed away…

"Oh my Lord…" She sobbed.

"While giving birth to George…" She sadly explained.

A silence spread between them. Then, Milady looked at Ann, and asked her, trying to kill the sadness:

"So… do you want to meet Samantha, and Chandramukhi?"

Her heart started beating higher and louder, Worthington answered as she was breathless:

"Yes… please…"

***