No way this was real. The stress of tomorrow's performance was getting to me, and I still had so much to do!
'Where are we? What just happened?' Dad said grabbing me and Mum and holding us close.
'This isn't real right? It's just a dream?' Mum asked.
None of us said anything.
Even though I was terrified, I had to admire the vibrancy of the world around us. I don't think we were in Melbourne anymore.
A trumpet sounded somewhere behind us.
'What is it Anala? You caught me at a really bad time…' we turned in the direction of the voice.
Dad stepped in front of us and I grabbed a stick from the ground. Mum followed my lead.
'Who's there?' Dad called.
A man appeared and behind him was an elephant. I guess it wasn't a trumpet after all.
'Greetings,' the man said raising his hands, 'I mean you no harm. My name is Yohan.'
He looked us over.
'You are not from here, are you?'
'I'm not really sure where 'here' is but I don't think so,' Mum said, supposedly trusting the man, or not finding him threatening, since she lowered her weapon.
'Well, in that case, welcome to Manjipoor.'
My eyes widened. As in where Kuru was from?
'Manjipoor? But how did we get here? One minute we were standing in the carport and the next we were here!' Dad said. He was on the verge of a freak out.
'I might have some idea as to how that happened,' he said as he seemed to glare at the elephant- was that Anala? 'But I assure you there is a logical explanation to all this, there is no need to panic.'
Dad nodded hesitantly.
'Do you know how we can get back?' Mum asked.
'Wait!' I said. 'Don't we want to check this place out?'
'I have always wanted to come here,' Mum admitted, looking at Dad who didn't seem capable of making decisions or conversation of any kind.
'You've heard about Manjipoor?' Yohan asked, his eyebrows creased.
'Oh yes, we housed an exchange student from here, he was lovely and he always talked about how wonderful Manjipoor was.'
'I see…' the man looked thoughtful, a smile forming.
'Well, the Prince Consort will be wanting to meet you. He would love to give you a tour of the village and palace.'
'What, oh, no, we don't want to bother anyone, certainly not a prince!' Dad said, snapping out of his trance.
'Oh, believe me, he would be thrilled to meet you. He's the one you will need to see about returning home anyway.'
'Oh,' Mum looked at Dad and I, 'Well in that case, how could we refuse?'
'Excellent, if you would please follow me, we are only a few minutes' walk from the palace.'
Dad moved up to walk beside Yohan.
'Do you think you could explain what brought us here?' he whispered.
'All shall be made known shortly, I'm sure,' Yohan said. I was sure he was grinning.
He was finding this all too amusing. I just wish I knew why.
'Why would a Prince want to see us?' I asked Mum quietly.
'The Prince and Queen always insist on meeting guests,' Yohan answered. 'They believe a personal welcome is a warm welcome.' He followed the elephant through a bush and held it apart for us to come behind him.
'Unfortunately the Queen is away on business, though you may get to meet the young Princess in waiting and Prince James.'
Yohan paused and turned back to us.
'How rude of me, I never asked your names.'
'I'm Jim, this is my wife, Anita, and this-'
'I'm Zoe,' I said, eager to get to the palace and see what this guy thought was so funny. Maybe he knew Kuru and had seen a picture of us?
'Wonderful to meet you all,' he said, bowing slightly before continuing on.
Thankfully he wasn't exaggerating when he said we were only a few minutes from the palace. It was beautiful. Everyone was dressed in such beautiful clothes though by the way they were gardening and setting up tables I assumed they were servants.
A woman ran up to us.
'Master Yohan, there you are! We ran out of flour, what shall we do to replace the chapatis?'
'Have them prepare extra rice, we don't have time to track more flour down in the village.'
The woman ran off and Yohan led us to a more secluded part of the garden.
Some children were laughing and chasing each other. When they saw us they ran to us and cried 'Uncle Yohan!'
The girl, maybe eight years old, said 'Papa's been going crazy wondering where you disappeared to. He keeps saying Mummy's birthday has to be perfect.' He laughed and let her lead him, and us, around the corner where there was a man pouring over some scrolls and muttering to himself.
'How may I be of service your highness?' Yohan asked.
I took a step back. This scruffy man in tattered clothes was the prince? I guess that made the children the princess and prince. Wow. I just met royalty.
'Took you long enough!' the prince said looking up.
I gasped. No way.
His eyes widened and darted around as though looking for a way to hide.
'Kuru?' Mum said breathlessly.
'You're the prince?'
Dad looked like he was going to faint.
'Um… Hello Mr and Mrs Wilson. Hi Zoe. Uh… Ho- how did you come to be here? I don't suppose Alex is with you?'
'Alex?' Mum said.
Oh no. This was not going to go well.
'She's supposed to be with you!' Mum said.
Kuru rubbed his neck.
'Oh right, of course. Alex…'
'Daddy!' the Princess cried running to hug Kuru's leg.
'Who are these people?'
He rubbed his hands together then patted her head.
'That, milady, is a very good question. One that I wish your mother was here to answer…' he muttered the last part.
Dad stepped forward and eyed the princess. When he spoke, he did so quietly. Obviously not wanting to make a scene.
'Kuru.'
He looked at Dad.
'Where is Alex. She was home just three days ago and never said anything about you getting divorced. By the looks of things, it must have happened years ago but it makes no sense.'
'Mr Wilson, I can explain-'
'You'd better explain!' Dad yelled.
Kuru shrunk back. All the while Yohan was just grinning while playing catch with the young prince.
'Al- uh, the Queen, should be back any minute. Everything will be clear then.' Kuru must have observed Mum and Dad's frustration because he continued, 'Please trust me. It's not my place to talk about this.'
They grudgingly accepted his request.
'Please, have a seat. Let me make the introductions.'
'Maharani, Raja, come here,' Kuru called to his children who had gone back to chasing each other.
'This,' he said placing a hand on his daughter, 'is Nita, and this,' he said ruffling his son's hair, 'is James.'
I waved at them and smiled. Mum and Dad were obviously having a harder time accepting this but tried to smile too.
'These,' he said gesturing to us, 'are the people that looked after me when I was in Australia, if it's okay with them you can call them Aunty Zoe, Grandma Anita and Grandpa Jim,' he looked at us questioningly.
Dad winced.
'I'm not so sure-'
'Mummy!'
Princess Nita ran behind us and Prince James followed close behind.
I got ready to bow but as I turned my first instinct was to give her a hug. Which made no sense. My brain was not computing.
Why would I want to hug the queen?
'Alex?' Dad asked hesitantly.
Alex was staring back at us, with her mouth hanging open. Or at least I think it was Alex. She was wearing Manjipoorian clothes, but it had to be her. Except it couldn't be.
'Uh, hey guys, what are you doing here?'
'Anala must have brought them to help celebrate your birthday. I was just introducing them to your husband the prince consort and the young Princess and Prince.' Yohan's grin was just getting wider and wider.
Alex now turned and glared at the elephant.
'Are you crazy? I had to fly halfway across Manjipoor just because you wanted to scare the daylights out of me?'
'Um, honey, why are you yelling at an elephant?' Mum asked.
Alex threw another set of daggers at the poor animal.
'She knows why.'
Dad coughed and Alex looked at him.
'Alex, could you please explain what's going on here? I thought you both were in Wagga Wagga teaching music and self-defence, but you're here in Manjipoor? And she just called you Mummy, but she's a Princess and Kuru's married to the… Crumbs. You're not… But how?'
Alex just smiled tiredly and gestured to the benches.
'I'm going to sit. Please feel free to join me. Yohan? Could you please get us some chai and soan papdi? I think you've had enough entertainment for the day.'
He grinned and bowed.
'Of course, your Majesty.'
Well. I guess that settled that then.
'So you haven't told them anything yet?' Alex asked Kuru.
'I did not think it was my place to share,' he said, still avoiding our gazes.
'Urgh,' Alex said into her hands.
We gave her a few moments but I couldn't keep waiting.
'Alex, what is going on?'
She straightened up and looked towards what looked like a memorial stone.
'I wish Father was here,' she said quietly.
I frowned and Dad did too.
'Oh, uh, sorry, I meant Omar, he is, I mean was,' Kuru took Alex's hand and rubbed it. She took a deep breath and continued.
'He was my biological father.'
We were stunned.
'Your real father was the King of Manjipoor?' Dad asked.
Alex shook her head.
'First of all Dad, you're just as much my 'real dad' as he was. You raised me to be who I am and he raised me to be a queen, but I love you both equally. I love all of you,' she said looking at us each in turn.
'And no, Omar was never king. He was my mother's closest friend and after the King died, they married and had me.'
'And it was your mother who was…'
'The Queen, yes.'
No one said anything for a few minutes.
'I'm sorry I didn't tell you all sooner,' Alex said finally.
'I kept it a secret for so long I just didn't know how to tell you. And I kind of liked still having a part of my old normal life to go back to.'
'Well, I'm glad we know now,' Mum said, her smiling slowly growing. 'Can I meet my grandchildren properly?'
'Of course!' Alex got up and called the over, using the same names Kuru did. Then it dawned on me. Nita and James.
'You named the after Mum and Dad, didn't you?'
Alex smiled and turned to our parents.
'This way I could keep a bit of you all with me, and besides, you were like Kuru's adoptive parents just like you were mine. It felt right.'
I couldn't help it.
'What about me?'
Alex laughed and bumped me with her elbow.
'Oh don't worry. One of the guards has a horse named after you.'
I grinned. I didn't care if she was joking or not. Queen or not, she was still my sister. I was just glad I finally knew the real Alex.
And it suited her.
