QUEEN ANNE'S DEATH

"One more thing James, please name my daughter Annabelle," said Queen Anne, taking the blanket she had knitted with Annabelle's name on the bottom of the blanket. She tucked it into her sleeping little daughter after Watson gave Princess Annabelle a filling liquid. Queen Anne's hands, patted her daughter and whispered a song softly in her daughter's ear. A song that would make anyone cry when they heard it. A farewell song between a mother and her newborn child.

Not long after, Queen Anne's hands fell limp and fell on the bed. Watson immediately checked Queen Anne's pulse and breathing. Watson looked at James and shook his head, saying that Queen Anne was dead. James who knew it immediately took the woman into his arms. While Watson carried Annabelle to keep her safe.

"No don't leave me, My Queen. Get up! do not go!" said James who was crying as he continued to hug the woman. He repeatedly shook Queen Anne's body but there was no response at all from the woman.

"Stop your crying James! Queen Anne is gone. Now think about Princess Annabelle, what we will do to her," Watson reminded a grieving James. They did not have much time to immediately take Princess Annabelle away from the palace.

"Where should I take her to?" said James sadly.

"There just so happened to be a nobleman who today was waiting for his wife to give birth to her child. We can leave it to him so that Princess Annabelle can get enough milk for her growth, considering that Queen Anne can't give it at all."

"What about Queen Anne's womb, King George would be suspicious of it."

"I'll try to work it out. I will take Princess Annabelle first to the noble's place, past the back of the palace and through the forest," said Watson.

"I'm going to take Queen Anne to her room and clean it up before King George finds out she's dead," answered James, starting to share the responsibilities.

Watson covers Princess Annabelle with a blanket that Queen Anne knitted herself. Put it in a safe basket to carry the baby through the woods. Unfortunately, the rainstorm slowed his escape. He had to be very careful while carrying the baby Princess Annabelle. Luckily Princess Annabelle slept soundly, so she was able to get out of the palace safely.

Watson tucked his coat into the bassinet where Princess Annabelle had fallen asleep and began to gallop through the storm and the dark woods.

***

Lord Taylor, who had just lost his baby, was startled when someone approached his estate on a galloping horse. It was obvious that the man was in a hurry. Plus, he came from the side of the woods behind his estate, Lord Taylor knew right away that the person was coming from the direction of the kingdom. Was it something someone from the kingdom came to see him in the middle of a storm like this?

The man came down with a baby bassinet. As the face was exposed to a slight glow from his torch, Lord Taylor was surprised to know who it was.

"Lord Watson? what's wrong you come to my place?"

"Queen Anne is dead," said Watson quickly.

"Wha... what? Impossible," said Taylor, looking devastated. During this time, Taylor has always supported Queen Anne, she has a voice in parliament that can not be underestimated. Hearing Queen Anne had died, it was like a hammer hitting her.

"Someone has poisoned her. Luckily her daughter survived, but she was not safe in the palace. Before she died, Queen Anne gave a message and asked that her daughter be taken away from the palace. She wants her daughter to live without the title Princess."

"Then what should I do?" Taylor asked Watson.

"Take care of her daughter, think of her as your own child, but don't let anyone know that she is the daughter of Queen Anne, even you have to hide her identity from your own wife. Teach him to be strong, as strong as King George and teach him tenderness, as gentle as Queen Anne."

"That's a huge responsibility for me, especially since we just lost our child."

"What's wrong with your son?"

"He didn't survive when my wife gave birth to him."

Hearing Taylor's words, a plan immediately crossed Watson's mind. A way out seemed to open in front of him.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your son. Even so, I still need your help." After saying this, Watson opened the bassinet that he was carrying. Showing a beautiful baby with a red face was fast asleep there.

Taylor, who had just lost his child, then saw the baby, immediately burst into tears. Such a beautiful baby, how could Taylor ignore her. The daughter of Queen Anne, the rightful heir to the current ruling kingdom.

"What should I say to my wife when I bring Princess Annabelle to her?" asked Taylor.

"Say anything that won't put his life in danger. Have you buried your son?" asked Watson.

Taylor shook his head. "Tomorrow morning, we will just bury him. The storm got in our way, carrying out a funeral procession for our son."

"May I take him to the palace?"

"What do you mean? Why did you take my dead son with you?"

"To convince everyone in the kingdom that Queen Anne's daughter also died. So they won't be chasing Princess Annabelle anymore. Princess Annabelle will be Annabelle Taylor, your daughter who bears your name. Think of it as your daughter who rose from the dead. Whereas your son will be buried in a royal procession, it is an honor for your son that no one will be able to get unless he is someone from the royal family."

After handing Princess Annabelle to Taylor, Watson immediately took Taylor's child's body and brought it to the palace. Cleaned it and put it to bed next to Queen Anne who had been beautifully dressed.

King George who heard of the death of his wife and child, immediately fell to the ground. He feels like a failure as a husband and a Dad who cannot protect his family. Elsewhere, James was sipping his drink to relieve his sadness over the loss of the woman he loved.

Simon stood a few meters from where his Master was venting his sorrow. Simon knows that James loves Queen Anne. James often talked about it because Simon was the only place to complain. Since Queen Anne's death, James' health has been steadily declining. He couldn't escape his drink.

James often raved about Queen Anne's surviving children and raved about things that didn't make sense. Until a few years later, James died in grief and illness because of his bad habits. Watson was found murdered at his home while he was sleeping. And Taylor died at the age of his master.

The three people who knew about Princess Annabelle's secret finally disappeared from this world. Nobody knows Annabelle Taylor's true pedigree. Even Lady Taylor, the wife of Lord Taylor, only knew that Annabelle was the daughter of her husband's mistress.

Annabelle didn't even care who she was, because as far as she knew, she was the daughter of Lord and Lady Taylor. And currently, she was married to a Duke and became a Duchess. She did not know that her father was a king and her mother loved her very much. Not like Lady Taylor who always hated him.

When she has removed the title of Princess from her life and lives happily with a Duke, does she have to be faced with the same problems as when King George was captured by Victoria? When at last Queen Anne raised the white flag with her death.

***