Martha stayed living with her aunty, Aunt Edith whom later passed away few years after, as she was already old and didn't have any successor having worked as a nun in the church for years and only retired after she got older and partially blind.
Martha raised little Princess Mary and renamed her Melissa Davis. She never spoked to little Melissa about her true family background as she grew, but instead she told the little girl that she was her real mother and her father had abandoned them ever since she got pregnant for him, even though she was black and little Melissa was white in complexion.
Melissa believed her mother as she grew and loved her mother as her mother cared for her and gave her all she wanted even though they were poor and lived in a tattered house. She still ensures that Melissa had her three square meals daily, as she was working as a drycleaner and maid in an open restaurant in Emam kingdom to feed herself and Melissa.
Twenty years later...
Melissa had grown up from the little baby girl that she was into a beautiful young adult. Her mother never allowed her go out to work nor make any street friend in their community as she was always home either sleeping, eating or washing the plates and clothes as she always waited for her mother to return.
A day came when Martha fell seriously ill and couldn't go out to work again as her body failed her to stand up. She was getting older and already 47yrs, she brought out her saving and gave it to Melissa for them to feed but it wasn't enough as Melissa had used part of it in getting her some medication and drugs so she could recover.
Melissa didn't know what to do, for two days she hadn't eaten properly and she was scared for her mother whom couldn't go out to work again either. Confuse on what to do as there was no money in the house and getting a job in Emam kingdom was very difficult, she went to a friend of hers house whom has secretly been coming to visit her in her house for them to be friends, whenever her mother wasn't home before.
She went to Sandra's house and Sandra's mother was the only one at home.
"Good morning ma," Melissa greeted the woman whom stood in front of her house.
"Good morning my beautiful daughter what do you want?," questioned Sandra's mother. As Melissa also stood at a distance staring at the elderly woman.
"Am looking for Sandra.." Melissa told the woman.
"Oh, Sandra isn't home yet and hasn't returned from the palace," She replied the beautiful girls as she wondered how her poor daughter made friends with this magnificent beauty she was seeing.
She smiled to the girl and Melissa stood not wanting to go back home, as she had hoped if she meet Sandra then she would talk to her friend or ask her for food as she was very hungry and it hadn't eaten since three days now, she had not properly fed.
Melissa frowned as she stood there wondering what she would do, she knew were the palace was, but she was scared to go to the palace. She has never been to the Palace before, and worst was that she was very hungry and also tired to trek such long distance to go and look for Sandra in the palace.
Seeing that the beautiful girl that had come to ask for her daughter hasn't gone, Sandra's mother thought probably Sandra did something to offend the girl as she hadn't seen anyone close to as beautiful as this girl in a while. She decided to call the beautiful girl back before leaving the house, as she wanted to go out to the market.
"Come!," She called the young lady whom turned back and went to meet her.
"Why are you here to see my daughter, did she offend you?," She asked the beautiful girl whom looked downward and shook her head.
"No," Melissa managed to reply.
"So what do you want?," Sandra's mother asked her again.
"Am hungry.. I came to ask her for food," Melissa said to the woman and Sandra's mother stared at her in shock. She went back into their house and came out back with a plate of food. She brought out the food for the beautiful lady whom thanked her and collected the food.
Melissa didn't want to eat the food alone so she promised to return back Sandra's mother plates and she left with it, taking it home to her mother.
Sandra's mother stood outside of her home and continue to stare at the beautiful girl retreating back. Watching the beautiful girl exit her compound and she wondered if she wasn't dreaming or seeing double as she couldn't understand how her poor daughter made friends with such a breathtaking beauty. She shook her head in pity and decided to leave to the market and to also see her friend.
Melissa rushed back home, running with the food Sandra's mother had given her and when she got home, she went to her mother's side whom still laid tirelessly on the mat
"Mother! Mother! See I brought food," Melissa said as she came in and rushed to her mother side on the mat, opening the plate of food.
Martha stared into the plate, she was tired to speak as she wanted to ask her daughter where she had gotten the food from, she had told Melissa to keep her distance away from boys and she was sure the food wasn't given to her by a man. She smiled while Melissa started eating the food and remained a little portion for her.
Martha refused to eat and pushed it back for Melissa to finish but Melissa refused and stood up. She went outside of their house and thought of going to the Emam palace as she wanted to see sandra to ask for her help as she was the only friend she had. She went back into their old house that looked different from other beautiful houses surrounding them.
"Mother am going to the palace now, we can't continue to beg, maybe if I start working there I will be able to take good care of you" Melissa said as she squatted down on the mat beside her sick mother.
Martha wanted to refuse and suggest other works and places for Melissa to go too but she couldn't speak and was still tired and weak to speak so she shook her head in disagreement while Melissa frowned and stood up.
"No mother, I cannot go out to beg tomorrow, we are starving and beside am no longer a child. Am twenty one years and even though I didn't go to school I can still work and help," she told her mother and then she went to her bag of clothes to take out her scarf and tied it on her head.
"Am leaving mother!," She said to her mother and she left their house going to the palace to try her luck and most importantly to see sandra.
Martha wanted to call her back as she didn't want her daughter whatsoever to have anything to do with the palace, she feared maybe one day her nightmare would come to reality as she had dreamt several times where Queen Maria was the one flogging her and abusing her in her dream. She knew the queen would be in anguish as she was more selective and picky even on her own children.
She was not ready to give up Melissa or return her back to the palace where she belonged, she was ready to die with the secret other than have that ruthless queen smile again, she thought.
Melissa walked down to the palace. Trekking to the palace wasn't an easy job as it was very far from where they lived, but she could still sight it as it stood mighty and beautiful in the center of their kingdom. So she used her scarf to cover her head and to prevent the sun rays from burning her energy dry as she continued walking and made her way towards the beautiful palace until she arrived at the mighty palace gate.
She stood there contemplating for a while whether to knock as she didn't even know what to say. She drew closer to the gate again to knock but her hand froze in fear. She breathed in and out doing aerobics exercise and finally calmed rehearsing what she would say and how she would knock and what she would also say, stepping forward to knock again the palace gate opened and a visitor stepped out while the guard in charge of guarding the gate stared at her.
He came out and asked her, "Yes what do you want?."
Melissa looked downward feeling nervous as she hadn't even seen a palace guard before, seeing that the lady didn't want to respond to his question he turned to go back in and Melissa wanted to follow him in but he turned back and look at her.
"Where did you think you are going too?" He questioned her as his eyes subtly narrowed at her and she stopped.
Melissa swallowed and replied him, "Am looking for Sandra, Yes Sandra," She repeated.
The guard stared at her from head to toe, he obviously knew Sandra was a maid in their palace but visitors ain't allowed into the palace, he sighed and asked her,
"Why do you want to see her?." And Melissa shook her head and replied, "Am actually looking for a job so I want to ask her for her assistant" she told him.
"I see, wait here," The palace guard replied and went back into the palace to go and call Sandra. He went to the maid quarters that was built at the back of the royal mansion and there he saw Sandra.
"Sandra!" he called and she immediately left her friend side and went to meet him.
"Come with me," He told her, and she followed him from behind, walking behind him.
Melissa stood waiting at the gate, just then a beautiful car drove towards the entrance gate and stopped in front of it, blowing it horns and waiting for the guard to come open the gate.
She didn't dare to raise her face to stare at the car, but when the palace gate opened, she immediately rushed out from where she stood and rushed to stand in front of the entrance gate to stare into the beautiful palace, admiring it beauty and gushing over it.
"Awwn ." She said as her eyes lit, admiring the magnificent mighty mansion that was built inside the palace and forgotten there was a car behind her that wanted to drive into the palace.
The trusted guard driving the Prince's car ew the car horn for the lady to get away from the entrance so he could drive in, as Prince Charles Freeman was inside of the car.
He matched the car brakes, blew the car horn severally for the girl to leave the way as he was shocked to see her rushed out from where she previously stood and came standing in front of the gate blocking his entrance.
Prince Charles didn't take notice of it at first, as he was at the back passenger's seat, absent minded having returned back early from his office to go prepare himself as he had to welcome the princess of Ubi kingdom whom was on her way to his palace.