My Black Inheritance

5

Making a straight route to my bed, I lay down, feeling the warmth and comfort of my sheets, and I finally felt at peace.

I stayed in bed for a few moments, soaking in the peace and calmness of my room, before I got up to start my day with a letter.

I took the letter out of my pocket, held it in the air and glanced at it again, admiring how neat the handwriting was. I knew that whoever wrote it had taken the time to craft something beautiful, and I was filled with a sense of anticipation.

That was before my curiosity finally had enough and I sat up, carefully broke the seal of the envelope and pulled out the letter.

I carefully unfolded the crisp paper, eager to discover what was contained within.

My heart was racing as I read the letter, my mind already spinning with the possibilities that I was presented with. The letter was so full of excitement that I could barely contain myself as I read it, my hand shaking slightly as I slowly took in every word.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly opened the letter and read the name on the front - it was from Prince Maxwell.

'Dear Princess,

It is Prince Maxwell Garbert-Smithe that is writing you this letter. Due to the fact that the to-be pupils will not start school for a week, we can communicate by letter until then. Surprisingly, not much has happened in my short time in Luxor despite all the drama I've always heard about.

I've only seen one bank robbery and it was led by three men. They were arrested immediately. There are hardly any crimes in Luxor, which is the exact opposite of Angevin. Their crime rate is one of the highest in the world. At least 20 crimes happen in one day. It is ridiculous. I was wondering if it would be possible for you to give me a personal tour of Luxor. Write to me soon.

Your sincerely,

Prince Maxwell'

After I finished reading the letter for the third time, I was unable to stop smiling and my face was hurting from the pain of my grin.

The letter was so heartfelt and sincere that it filled me with such joy and happiness. I felt like I was part of a fairytale, with a prince charming sending me a message of love.

I hugged the letter close to my chest and sighed with relief. I didn't scare him away, thank goodness!

I was overcome with emotion and all I could do was whisper a silent prayer of gratitude, thankful that he had not been put off by my words.

As soon as I had placed the letter into the envelope, I tucked it away in the place where I kept all my personal belongings. I had been so worried that he would take my words the wrong way, and I was relieved that he hadn't.

I knew I had to make sure the letter was securely placed away to ensure that no one else would see it.

After leaving my room, I decided to leave for my first duty of the day as soon as possible.

I was on my way to talk to the refugees that came from all around the world and were seeking asylum advice. I felt a sense of responsibility to help those in need, knowing that I had the knowledge and ability to make a difference.

Apparently from the information I received, they had been slaves to a white country and had been tortured for weeks before a few soldiers found them. I wanted to set them free and ensure they received the proper care and attention to heal their physical and psychological wounds.

Their trust in all white people had instantly crumbled to the ground. Every time any of our guards or even the Queen tried and talked to them, they would cower in fear. They could no longer differentiate between who was friend and who was foe, as they had been betrayed by the very people they thought they could rely on.

So the Queen decided that it would be better if someone who had their own skin colour tried and communicated with them. She believed that someone who looked like them would be more likely to understand their point of view and be more sympathetic to their plight. She hoped that this would help bring about a resolution to the conflict without further misunderstanding.

I felt sorry for them. Black people and just in general, people of colour are suffering in their own poor country or being slaves in another. I couldn't help but feel an immense amount of sympathy for those who have to endure such circumstances, due to a lack of resources and equality.

I was the special one, whose mother was adopted by the Queen herself and has spent all my life in a royal family without worrying about where I was meant to get food and water from or where I was planning to sleep.

The room that the refugees were assigned to had two guards standing guard over the door so no one could escape. As a result, the refugees would feel a sense of fear and despair, knowing that they were unable to leave.

One look at me and one of the guards had knocked on the door and said that they were coming in. This only added to their feeling of helplessness, as they had no way to resist the coming authorities.

After a few seconds, the guard opened the door and led the way inside the room.

As soon as the guard stood to the side, I saw that there were at least twenty people huddled up in the corner. My heart sank at the sight of them.

"Please! Go away and let us leave!" A man shouted.

It dawned on me that there were no men in the group except for three small boys who were the only males there.

Cowards, I thought. They probably left their wives and children to try and survive themselves. They are so selfish when it comes to family.

It happened with Mother's father, my grandfather. When the soldier came over for the tax from my father's job, he ran off because it was too much.

Leaving my mother and grandmother homeless to pay the tax for the week. However, one week later, my grandmother told my mother that she was heading out to get food and never came back.

The Queen found her the next day.

As soon as they saw me, they gasped in shock. Anyone would. It's not everyday that you see a black girl in such fine clothes.

All eyes were on me including a small baby who had supposedly been with his mother before he fought and struggled out of her grip.

Now everyone's gaze was on the baby as he pushed himself up and started to walk. Walking towards me with his arms wide open.

He took a few careful steps but as soon as he quickened his pace, it backfired on him.

Falling down, the baby had been too far from his mother for her to catch so he was closest to me. Would they even let me touch him?

I pushed that thought out of my head. I couldn't care less what they thought.

Quickly, I moved closer and bent down slightly for the baby to fall into my arms. I slid one hand under the baby's head and neck and the other hand under their bottom.

He giggled as I stood up from the floor, carrying him close to my chest as I made baby noises to keep him happy. His smile was so infectious, I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. His chubby face lit up with glee, and I knew that this was a moment that would never be forgotten.

There was no doubt in my mind that this baby hadn't taken a bath in some time because one sniff was enough to tell.

His tender body was warm against my chest, and I could feel his heart beating rapidly. His eyes darted around, taking in all the new sights and sounds around him. He was clearly excited, and I couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. His little nose was twitching, and I could tell that he was eager to explore the world around him.

I glanced at the mother to see that she was relieved that her baby was not getting hurt. She was not alone in feeling this way, as I was filled with a sense of hope and wonder at the sight of the newborn and his upcoming journey.

"We-" I started but stopped for a second.

Though there are some people who would want to hurt them. There are some people who do not share the same beliefs and values as the group. These people may use any means necessary to try to hurt or silence them.

"I am not here to hurt you," I reassured gently, trying to comfort them. "I'm only here to help all of you."