“No. Not right now.” replied Georgia in the same language. The butler tried the wine again and shook his head.

“It won’t do. But I have half a bottle from the plane in the boot. Hold on.” said the butler and left the room in a hurry.

Georgia looked at Malee and smiled. “Now you see the real princesses.” said Georgia as if she wasn’t one. Malee nodded in agreement. Not that she could argue against Georgia. No one could, not even her brother, George. The butler came holding an opened bottle and poured it in one of the two empty cups before holding it to the nose as he did before.

“It is not fresh, but almost unnoticeable.” said the butler before handing the cup to Georgia. Georgie held to to her nose as well and took a small sip.

“It is still fresh for me.” said Georgia with an air of approval and asked Malee for 2 more cups. The butler filled the wine into 3 cups and put them on the tray. Malee came forward to pick up the tray, but was stopped by Georgia before she could touch it. The butler picked up the tray and walked out of the room to the main lobby.

“Don’t touch the food for them. Leave it to their people.” said Georgia to Malee before she followed the butler. Malee nodded and followed Georgia to the door when it opened from the other side with George coming into the room.

“What do I say to her?” asked George with his hands in the air.

“You left her alone?” asked Georgia, grinning her teeth to control herself from not shouting at her brother’s face. He could be so idiotic sometimes, but leaving a guest and his future fiance, and a princess, alone was beyond stupidity. And he was supposed to take over everything from pa!

George could see his sister’s fist and the blood rushing to her face, but he was out of his wit. She was unlike the other children of his age that he was accustomed to. Asking help from his sister was the last resort, but he had no choice. He knew she would scream at him, but it was better than sitting in front of a pretty doll. Georgia looked at her brother’s face and wondered if they were really twins. But family before self, as what their late mother had always said to them, she had to rescue him.

“Follow me.” said Georgia. She pushed open the kitchen door and led the way to the lobby and found Mary looking at George behind Georgia and wondering what had happened for him to ran back into the kitchen. The wine cups were placed on the central table, yet nobody had picked them up. Georgia picked up a cup and handed over to her friend and took the other cup for herself before sitting back on the chair. George looked at her actions and took the remaining cup and handed to the princess in front of her.

“How was your flight?” said Georgia to her friend after taking a sip from the cup.

“It wasn’t so bad, but the weather is horrible.” replied her friend as she took a sip from the cup. Immediately, she looked at the cup in her hand and remarked. “Doesn’t this taste strange?” The butler’s face twisted for a brief period at the suggestion, Malee thought.

“No. It’s fine. The heat must have affected your taste bug, Isn’t it, Hashi?” said Georgia. The butler nodded with a relief look on his face. Giving wine from the bottle opened for a few hours was the last resort and something he would not be doing again.

“Anyway, we were discussing on where to go the next day. George had thought of a beach nearby to relax. Right?” said Georgia, to change the subject and to cover for George’s disappearing act a while ago. George looked at her in surprise. He didn’t remember suggesting any places to Georgia. Then he got the hint.

“Yes. I ran over to ask Georgia if she had prepared the place as I suggested a few days ago.” said George in the foreign language, but Malee thought he paused for a while between the words and it wasn’t as smooth as Georgia.

Just as they were about to take another sip, one of their servants walked to Hoshi and whispered to his ear.

“The rooms are ready.” announced Hoshi.