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A few days later, the family had settled into something of a routine. Belle was beginning to get used to living in the palace, and to its inhabitants. So far the children had proved very playful and eager to learn whatever Mrs Anna, as they called her, had to teach them, and she and Louis would sit amongst them as she taught them their numbers and about art and science.
The only think Belle didn’t like about the place was the fact that servants weren’t treated very fairly. She met Tuptim properly for the first time on the same day they arrived, the evening after their mother had decided they would stay and she had taken a walk in the grounds after unpacking everything, yet again, and she liked to think that they were friends. Tuptim was a bright, pleasant young woman and she and Belle bonded over a love of reading, even though they hadn’t necessarily read the same books. Belle hated the fact that Tuptim wasn’t allowed any of her own, however, King’s rules, although for some reason she couldn’t fathom why this was so. If she had to pick a second thing not to like, though, or rather to not be sure whether or not she did like it, it had to be Captain Shang. Something about his cold manner irritated her, it seemed that she could be as friendly as she could manage with him and he would still be curt and clipped towards her.
But as long as she didn’t do anything to anger him, she figured she could handle it.
Today’s lesson was geography, and Belle was helping her mother prepare whilst Louis played with the princes and princesses during their recess period. Anna had even found a way for Monshee to make himself useful, he was to ring a small handbell to start the lesson. For the minute, though, he was content shooting dried peas through a hollowed out reed. Belle giggled at his over eagerness as she helped her mother organise her papers.
“Mother, do you think the King will change his mind about the house?” she asked, presently.
Anna wrinkled her nose a little. “Perhaps, Belle, but something tells me that it’s going to take some time.”
Belle smiled. “I wonder what all our neighbours back home would say if they could see us now, living in a palace. I wish I could see the looks on their faces. Mrs Winters would probably have a fit.”
They both giggled together.
“For your room, Mrs Anna,” said a soft voice and they both looked up to see Tuptim holding a large vase of flowers.
“Oh, how lovely,” Anna smiled, and then noticed Tuptim eying the book of poetry on her desk curiously as she set down the vase. “Oh, you must have something in return.”
“Oh, no, Mrs Anna,” Tuptim insisted, although Belle could tell that she badly wanted the book. “You will be punished for giving books to servants.”
“Nonsense,” Anna laughed, handing her the book. “I’m a teacher. And I’m supposed to be teaching at this very minute.”
Belle and Tuptim exchanged a smile as she went over to where the children were still playing, calling “Take your places, please.”
“Oooh!” Moonshee immediately dropped his shooter and began to ring the bell, urgently. As the royal children and Louis dropped to the floor, Belle walked over and sat down beside her brother.
“I have a surprise for you,” Anna announced, going over to the large map of Siam on the wall and pulling down another one over it. “A new, modern, British map.”
Prince Chulalongkorn gasped, indignantly, hands on hips. “Siam is not so small!”
“Oh, but look,” Anna replied, pointing to Great Britain on the map, “England’s even smaller.”
“Ah!” the children chorused.
The Crown Prince got to his feet. “But Royal Palace is centre of whole universe!”
Anna laughed, softly. “Well, I suppose we all think our home is the most important place in the world. Whether we live in a palace or not.”
“Who does not live in palace, Mrs Anna?” one of the princesses asked, seeming confused.
“Lots of people,” Belle replied, sitting up a little straighter. “It’s only people who are royalty that do.”
“Belle’s right,” Anna agreed. “Just outside the palace walls...” The children began to mutter amongst themselves and she realised. “You’ve never been outside?”
“No,” the children chorused.
“Really?” Anna looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well then, come. I shall show you.”
Belle and Louis eagerly got to their feet. The prospect of finally seeing the rest of Siam up close was extremely appealing. Even Moonshee looked excited.
“King will be angry,” Chulalongkorn stated, worriedly.
“No, he won’t,” Anna reassured him. “He has brought me here to teach you.”
“You like us?” Princess Lin asked, shyly.
“Oh, very much,” Anna answered.
“Ah..!”
Belle grinned as they all lined up behind her and Louis and their mother began to sing.
“It’s a very ancient saying,
“But a true and honest thought
“That if you become a teacher,
By your pupils you’ll be taught...”
Everyone made their way out of the palace, along the path and towards the gates, much to the shock of the guards.
“As a teacher I’ve been learning,
“You’ll forgive me if I boast,
“But I’ve now become an expert
“On the subject I like most...”
Anna pushed open the gates, giving the children their first glimpse of the world outside the palace.
“Getting to know you...”
“Ah!”
The people outside the palace noticed that the royal children were in sight and immediately dropped to bow to them.
“Getting to know you,
“Getting to know all about you.
“Getting to like you,
“Getting to hope you like me...”
Anna led the way to a line of rickshaws and they all piled in, Belle and Louis climbing into the one with their mother, not noticing that Master Little had been following them since they left the palace. In fact, the only one who did notice him was Moonshee, and he did his best to put a stop to it at every opportunity.
“Getting to know you,
“Putting it my way, but nicely,
“You are precisely my cup of tea...”
Belle couldn’t believe how beautiful everything was, how exotic, the costumes, the food, even the little puppet theatre they stopped by to watch.
“Getting to know you,
“Getting to feel free and easy.
“When I am with you,
“Getting to know what to say...”
They passed the river, where some men were practising their boxing moves whilst dangling over the water. Chulalongkorn tried his luck, but fell in on the first punch, and so did his opponent, so they both laughed at that.
“Haven’t you noticed suddenly I’m bright and breezy?
“Because of all the beautiful and new
“Things I’m learning about you,
“Day by day...”
Much to Louis’s delight, they had a go at kite flying. Moonshee particularly enjoyed this because he climbed up onto Louis’s kite and flew around with the wind.
“Getting to know you,
“Getting to know all about you.
“Getting to like you,
“Getting to hope you like me...”
After trying a traditional Siamese feast, they went and bought some brightly coloured parasols from a stall that smelled of exotic spices and visited a stall that made gold statues of Buddha.
“Getting to know you,
“Putting it my way, but nicely,
“You are precisely my cup of tea...”
One of the princesses accidently got gold paint all over her hand and Belle did her best to help her clean it off.
“Well, it’ll wash,” she reassured her when they had got rid of the worst of it.
After that, they went and saw some dancers doing traditional Siamese dancing. Belle loved their silk costumes and the way they moved so gracefully, it made traditional English folk dancing look much clumsier by comparison. When that was finished, they went on a boat ride and had a run around some ancient ruins.
“Getting to know you,
“Getting to feel free and easy.
“When I am with you,
“Getting to know what to say...”
As they passed through the rice paddy fields, it began to rain, but everyone simply put up their parasols and they moved in a colourful line towards the gate.
“Haven’t you noticed suddenly I’m bright and breezy?
“Because of all the beautiful and new
“Things I’m learning about you,
“Day by day...”
By the time the rain had stopped, they were back at the palace gates. They bowed to the people, who bowed back to them, before making their way back inside, handing their parasols to the guard at the gate as they went. Belle and Louis giggled as a few of them opened up on doing so.
“Haven’t you noticed suddenly I’m bright and breezy?
“Because of all the beautiful and new
“Things I’m learning about you,
“Day by day...”
“That was wonderful, Mother,” Belle whispered to her. “I wish we could do that again.”
“Me too,” Louis enthused. “I think Moonshee enjoyed it too.”
Monshee nodded eagerly.
The children were full of beans as they ran inside, chattering to one another.
“Now, settle down,” Anna began, and then suddenly they were all cut off by the sound of the King clapping his hands. With gasps, the royal children dropped to bow as he looked very, very angry.
“What, what, what?” He noted the princess who still had gold paint on her hand. “You have been outside?”
Anna quickly stepped in as the princess began to stammer. “I thought it best they learned how people lived OUTSIDE the palace.”
“I will say what is best,” the King snapped, turning to his children. “Tell me something you learned today.”
“There are nice little houses outside palace, Father,” one of the princesses ventured.
“Every day,” the King sighed, loudly, “something about house outside palace.”
“Your Majesty did promise me a brick residence adjacent to the royal kingdom,” Anna insisted. “I remember your very words.”
“I will say when is time for remembering,” the King snapped. “Who is King here? I do not know, I am not sure of any promises. I remember nothing except that you are my servant!”
Belle and Louis both felt their jaws drop in indignation as Moonshee covered his eyes.
“Oh, no, your Majesty,” Anna replied, her voice soft and testy, “indeed I’m not your servant, and unless I get me the house you promised me, I shall return to England.”
“It is my pleasure that you stay here,” the King returned. “You stay here in palace, IN palace...”
“I cannot stay in a country where a promise has no meaning!” Anna snapped. “Where there’s talk of great changes, but everything remains according to the wishes of one man!”
“You will say no more!” the King snapped.
“I WILL say no more!” Anna replied. “Because I have no more to say!”
She turned as the King stalked out of the room. Belle and Louis looked at one another and knew that it was a good moment to make themselves scarce. They quickly went to Louis’s room and sat on the bed together, Moonshee shaking his head the whole time.
“She means it this time,” Louis said. “Even though we’ve only just got here.”
Belle sighed. “If the King would just realise that his way isn’t always the right way...”
Louis glanced at her. “What would Father do if he was here?”
“Back Mother up.” Belle smiled. “Probably cheer her on.”
They both giggled and even Moonshee tittered a bit. From the room across the hall, they heard their mother ranting about the King, it sounded like she had just kicked over her packing valise. Belle sighed and got to her feet. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“Come on, Moonshee,” Louis said, picking up the monkey.
Together they crept out into the grounds. Moonshee soon scampered off and Louis had to run after him, and since they couldn’t come to much harm in the palace grounds, Belle left them to it, wandering thoughtfully on through the gardens, feeling that today’s wonderful adventure was about to come crashing to a halt.