"The Queen hereby appoints you, Sir Evan Norton as the Governor of the Bengal Province in the British Colony of India. May you bring prosperity to our great empire by serving your duty faithfully."
The words echoed out in the throne room of Buckingham Palace. Queen Victoria was sitting on the 'Throne of England' with pride and grace.
In front of her was the 25-Year-old young man whose name was Evan Norton. He was the Youngest British governor to be appointed in British India. Evan was tall and handsome, with green eyes and blond hair, he had broad shoulders. He wore the ceremonial British Army Uniform as he was kneeling in front of the throne.
After the announcement of Evan's appointment in India, a clamor broke out in the throne room as countless people clapped and congratulated the young man.
"You may rise," The Queen said calmly but with undeniable authority and prestige. She was the queen of the most powerful empire after all.
Norton slowly raised his head and stood up. His demeanor was proud as he felt joy in his heart for his achievements. But from the outside, his face was as stoic as it could get. His body was not shaky and his eyes were firm as he looked up at the Queen.
The imperial decree was then handed to him which he accepted humbly and respectfully. The Queen nodded in agreement, stood up, and left.
The Throne Room was emptied and everyone left. Many people congratulated Evan personally, some of them he didn't even recognize.
Some began gossiping about different topics of the country while some talked about Norton's father in hush voices, although Evan himself did not notice.
A man in a military uniform then approached Evan. He had a few medals hung over his chest which signified that he was a veteran army officer. Many people who were present in the vicinity had an eye on him. He seemed like a really important person.
"Congratulations Sir Norton, At such a young age you have achieved great success in your career." The man said with a slight smile.
"Thank You, Lord Collins," Evan replied respectfully with a smile.
"Your father must be proud. Good luck out there!" Lord Collins said with a chuckle as he patted Evan's shoulders.
After a few pleasantries with more people, Evan left Buckingham Palace. He placed the anointment order in his suitcase and went to where the carriage was.
The coachman who was a young teenage boy sat straight and got ready to drive the carriage. Evan was in a good mood today so before going in, he handed a silver coin to the boy with a smile. The boy's eyes sparkled with delight as he bowed to Evan.
Evan Norton was from a Military Background and thus he was wealthy in the first place. His father was a retired General and now he was a professor in the Military Academy. His uncle was in political background and his younger brothers were still studying.
18th-century London was a beautiful city. Buildings of great architectural value were being built, The streets were neat and clean and the city was bustling most of the time. Every time Evan saw the prosperity of the British Empire, he felt proud to be an Englishmen each time.
As the Carriage was moving toward the Norton Family mansion, it passed the monumental British Museum. Evan remembered when he saw it for the first time. There were many artifacts stored there brought from India. Unlike most people, Evan knew much more about India. He knew that it was the 'Jewel of the British Crown' for a reason and had a great cultural heritage. He still remembered seeing the magnificent artwork he had seen which had come from India. There were many things such as highly ornamented ceremonial swords of Indian Emperors, sculptures of intricate carvings and artwork, and much more.
Evan had not visited India yet and he was very much excited to go there and see for himself the rich culture.
As he was drowned in his thoughts, he did not notice the passage of time. He staggered abruptly as the carriage was stopped. He woke up from the daze and got off the carriage.
In front of him was the five-story-high Norton Family Mansion, the mansion was very huge, it had a spacious garden at the side where the Gardner was currently looking after the flowers, on the front, there was a large space that was grassy and looked beautiful. in the middle, there was the pathway to the mansion. The mansion even had a guard post and it was protected by fences from all sides. The mansion itself was made from yellow bricks and painted with a reddish and white color tone.
The butler, maids, and Evan's whole family were standing at the gate to welcome him. His father was as much of a former general as one would imagine. Even on such a happy occasion, he wore a stern face.
The man wore a Victorian outfit, a waistcoat with trousers, and both his hands rested on the hilt of his cane. He also had a broad physique, blond hair, and a full beard.
The man looked at his son and just nodded in acknowledgment.
Evan opened his suitcase and showed his father the appointment order to be posted as governor in India. His father whose name was Hudson Norton opened the letter and went through it with narrowed eyes.
After some time, he returned the letter to Evan and began heading inside the mansion. But before entering, he left a remark.
"Well, you ought to prepare for the journey then."
Evan looked at the back of his father with confusion, he did not understand why his father was like this on a happy occasion. His view was suddenly blocked when his mother and siblings rushed forward to congratulate him.
Evan's uncle who was looking at the father-son duo from the side sighed with hopelessness. He followed Sir Hudson and went inside the mansion.