Queen Lotu hesitated as her instincts told her King Chhotu, who at times could be very controlling in nature, would not like the condition she had in mind.
So she gatherd up her courage and said: "Ok. I need to go alone into Room #1 in my part of the palace - ALONE, that is the condition. NO ONE, not even you my King, would go with me or follow me."
Queen Lotu, the Duchess of Charming, was relieved she had blurted the condition out. King Chhotu had nothing to say! The condition was not that bad at all, he thought.
So Queen Lotu became more bold and pressed on: "No matter what sounds or noises you hear coming from that room or how long it takes me to get back, no one is to spy on me under any circumstances while I am in Room #1. NO sneaking up on me and NO SPYING!"
King Chhotu's curiosity was now aroused and he listened. The thought crossed his mind that may be he alone should be controlling whatever that was in Room #1 that could give him such a victory!
Queen Lotu continued: "If you DO NOT accept this condition, then I am sorry to tell you my sweet that you can forget about ever defeating King Motu. Everything bad that happens to you after that, well it will be your own fault."
"So, Queen Lotu my dear, let me see. What you are saying is that, whatever you do in that room, and you know that, of course, I.. why I will never, never ever, cross my heart... No never ever will I try to find out what it is! BUT . . but that "whatever" h’m yeah whatever, whatever you do WILL absolutely guarantee that King Motu "the Magnificent Meany", oh how I hate him, he will be totally totally totally wiped out. EVERYTHING he possesses will come to ME - No?"
Queen Lotu nodded her head and said:
"Yes guaranteed! Absolutely!"
King Chhotu readily agreed to the condition of Queen Lotu for now. Although he did not really like it one little bit. He told himself that he had no choice. His cunning mind started thinking about the victory over King Motu that would be his and what he would do with all the loot he will possess very soon. After all, his dreams were about to come true at long last!
Immediately Queen Lotu hurried to her part of the palace. She carefully closed all doors behind her until she came to a long open corridor. Room #1 was at the far end.
King Chhotu also made up his mind there and then to secretly follow Queen Lotu to Room #1 and get to the bottom of this mysterious room. Then, later on he can decide how he would use whatever it was that was inside Room #1 to his own advantage.
King Chhotu was no longer angry. All the servants sighed with relief! Slowly one by one they came out from hiding.
After making sure that she had not been followed, Queen Lotu knocked three times on the door of Room #1.
There was a long silence. Then an angry, squeaky little voice said: "Who is disturbing my sleep at this ungodly hour?"
"Daddy, it's your daughter, Queen Lotu".
A few grumbles were heard from the room. Everything went quiet for a long while. Some loud snoring could be heard.
Queen Lotu waited patiently for a while and then knocked again. At last, as if waking up from the snooze, the squeaky voice spoke again: "Oh I can't be bothered to get down to let you in myself. For God’s sake Left-Behind-Lotu, the door is not locked. Enter".
Queen Lotu was angry that her father had called her ‘Left-Behind-Lotu’ and kicked the door open to let herself in. She tried to control herself as she went inside and the heavy wooden door began to close slowly behind her.
King Chhotu ran down the corridor as fast as he could and was out of breath as he reached the only door to Room #1. The door was about to close. King Chhotu hurriedly drew his dagger and stuck its blade in the opening so that the door would not close completely. King Chhotu sighed with relief as the dagger held and stayed in place.
Surprisingly, King Chhotu had never met Queen Lotu's father or mother. King Chhotu had seen young Lotu for the first time when he had gone for a picnic in the forest that bordered his and King Motu's kingdoms. Afterwards he wanted to observe lions and other wild animals in the forest from a specially built tree-platform for the purpose. Lotu too had turned up on the tree-platform to see wild animals. King Chhotu had immediately fallen in love with her and she with him.
Lotu had said at the time that she was "an orphan" who had nobody in the world. Apparently, one day, a long time ago, her parents had just simply left her and went far far away "on business". They never returned. People cruelly called Lotu by the name "Left-Behind-Lotu". However, before leaving, the parents had made sure Lotu would be well looked after. Nobody knew except Lotu that they had left her a large sum of money to live on.
Lotu agreed to marry King Chhotu as they were so much in love. King Chhotu was delighted to hear from Lotu about the money she had. King Chhotu never gave a thought to her parents again after that especially as he would now have all of Lotu’s fortune in his possession after the wedding.
So. The wedding had duly taken place as arranged and Left-Behind-Lotu became Queen Lotu, the Duchess of Charming.
King Chhotu the Cheater did not care much about Queen Lotu's father as long as he helped King Chhotu to get hold of all of King Motu's treasures! King Chhotu could not wait to look through the crack in the door.