She wore cream saree with green border with a matching green bordered at her arms blouse. Her whole garment wore turmeric stains on it which had run d...wn from her wheatish complexioned face arms navel and feet. This was done by the ladies adorning her with flowers on her plait after smearing turmeric paste on face arms and foot as part of a marriage ritual. Her plait was loaded with jasmine and kanakambara flowers strings and some coming around to the front sideAnd almost hitting the rim of her. The sponsor took a defensive position and faced Stephen."Thanks," Stephen said to me before he sat down. Sandeep's eyes stabbed at me when he looked up. I smiled down at him."Your protest doesn't really have anything to do with me being king, does it?" I asked him. He looked at Stephen before his lips pressed so tightly together that they whitened. "Sandeep, you're real question is--why am I sponsor and not you?" You're not better than me," he said angrily.I sighed."You're very smart," I told. "Mom! What are you doing here?" I live here, if that's okay with you." It's just... Are you sick? You should be at work." I'm fine, thank you. And I figured that if you got the day off, I should too."Mom playing hooky?"Uh, okay." And what would you like for breakfast? Your usual omelette with everything?" Sure. I'm gonna grab a quick shower." It'll be ready when you are," she said, turning off the talk show and getting up."Okay," I said and retreated to the bathroom.I turned on the water and. "You'll always be my princess, regardless of what you have on," I shouted from within the master bathroom. I moved over to check on the water temperature and level in the large Jacuzzi. "When you're dressed for skinny-dipping, come on in here. This is almost ready for you." You didn't have to get a bath going for me. I was, I just wanted to crawl into bed here," she replied as she sat on the edge of her king bed.I poked my head out of the bathroom door and said to her, "This hot bath will do.