10 He is not my son.

"My princess I do know a few things but without evidence a maid's words will not be regarded," Ann replied politely.

"I know this, that is why I did not ask questions in the present of the king. I understand the Queen is crafty. She could turn your words against you and I'll get mixed up. I just want to know what she is capable of. I am leaving soon and my father trust her blindly. I need to know if he would be fine." Ellen explained.

Although the king has not been treating Ellen nicely in the last years, but she understood that the Queen would have been more vicious if something were to happen to him. Besides, he was the only family she had left.

She kept having the bad feelings that the Queen will get rid of her father once she left the Palace. After all once the king dies her son becomes the king.

"You do not have to worry about that my princess. The Queen fancy the king. I am sure no harm will come to him," Ann replied.

Ellen rolled her eyes seeing how confident Ann spoke. "How can you tell that, you are not in the Queen's mind. It maybe part of her act," Ellen stated.

"Oh I don't think it an act, she liked him enough to get rid of her best friend in other to have him" Ann stated as a matter of fact.

"What do you mean?" Ellen asked puzzled by her statement.

Ann kept quit for a while. " The Queen has fancy the king right from her youth but unfortunately the king fell for her best friend instead" Ann said and kept quiet. Ellen noticed that she was sweating, and she seemed to be finding it difficult to say what she knew.

"Speak" Ellen encourage her.

I.. The... I... "Before Queen Agatha gave birth to my princess, I noticed, Queen Regina adding something to her tea." She said and pause. She was currently sweating and unable to look at Ellen. "I never thought it was something bad until the Queen started complaining of pains few minutes after talking the tea."

"I think whatever she added to the drink was made to kill the baby but luckily the midwife was able to help and deliver my princess safely but the Queen did not make it." Ann explained.

"What! Why didn't you tell anyone" Ellen roared with anger as her hand bow into fist.

"Forgive me my princess but look around. Queen Regina is a noble lady, and I am just a common maid. Do you think anyone would have believed me?" Ann muttered.

Ellen took a deep breath. She knew Ann was right nobody would have believed her. She heard that her father had sought help from other kingdom to save his wife but nothing work. Maybe if Ann has spoken up the physician would have had a better chance to save her. But it was a sad reality that no one would have listened to a common maid.

"As agreed I will allow your son live but you must promise to take care of father when I leave," Ellen said.

"Your highness I will do my best." Ann answered she seems to be in deep thoughts and unable to voice out what she was thinking. Ellen looked past her and was ready to dismiss her when she spoke up.

"Can I tell my princess another secret? " Ann asked carefully. Ellen noticed the hesitation in her voice, so she nodded her head.

"Richard is not my son," Ann said in a low voice that Ellen almost did not hear her.

"What are you trying to say? " Ellen asked patiently.

Ann swallowed hard, she has kept this secret for over two decades, and she thought she would die with it. She never thought that one day she will have the courage to tell it to someone.

"In the first year of the king's marriage to Queen Agatha. As of then he was still the crown prince and his father was still on the throne." Ann paused and look at the princess who patiently waited for her to continue. "My princess you understand the tradition of the kingdom?" Ann asked and Ellen nod in response.

A brother could plan to kill the crown prince in order for the throne to fall on him. "The Queen had given birth to a baby boy at that time. But he was declared dead by the midwife."

"The second prince as of that time had his eyes on the throne, so he asked the midwife to kill his brothers child if he happened to be a son."

"The midwife did not have the heart, so she declared him dead but found away to bring him out of the Palace. She knew she could not keep him, since the second prince might be watching her. So she handed him over to me."

"As of that time, I did not work in the Palace, and so I did not know he was ROYALTY. The midwife lied to me that she had found him on the street. Knowing that I could not have my own children she decides to hand him over to me, and I was grateful for that."

Ellen raised her brows when she heard Ann's words. The situation described is possible but it sounds like a folktale to Ellen.

" I started walking in the Palace two years after that, when I lost my husband in a war. It was also the same time the midwife fell sick and thinking that she may not survive the sickness she told me the truth." Ann narrated.

"Why did you not inform my mother after finding out the truth?" Ellen asked. She had her doubts about Ann's story, but she listened anyway.

"I dare not my princess, the king will have my head for kidnapping the prince," Ann responded in a trifled voice.

Ellen sigh deeply, knowing Ann was right again. "How do I know you are not telling the truth and not some folktales. The midwife is dead and my uncle on Exile. There is no one else present to verify your story. Give me one reason why I should believe you?" Ellen asked.

*There is a way to prove that Richard is the king's son," Ann said softly. While Ellen raised her brows not believing a word Ann just said.

" Speak" Ellen command.

"The oracle of the Shiva " Ann answered with confidence.