Chapter 3
Fernland Castle
Later that day the Royal Coach arrived to transport Electra to the castle. She went looking for Avor but was told he had left earlier on horseback.
Electra arrived at the castle early in the evening. No matter how many times she visited the castle, she was always struck by its enormity. The castle had seven high turrets and countless rooms, most as yet unvisited by herself. In the sunlight its yellow sandstone walls seemed warm and inviting, though in truth the interior was cool and damp. It was hard to believe she had been born here.
She ran up the broad outside steps to the entrance, then up the smooth stone inside steps to her room where she quickly changed clothes. Throwing her muslin work tunic aside, she picked through the gowns laid out on her bed. She chose a blue satin gown, a gift from her mother, and walked at a dignified pace to the reception area.
A little group from the acting troupe had gathered at the entrance to entertain the guests with flutes and drums. Electra saw Take the Thief wave to her as soon as she stepped through the door. She walked toward him and he smiled at her.
"You look quite elegant this evening." Take the Thief continued to keep the rhythm with his drum as he spoke.
"As do you." Electra saw that all the actors were dressed tonight in the exotic robes and turbans of Taz. "Have our Taz guests found a market for their goods in your acting troupe?"
"These clothes are only on loan to us. They pacify us with trinkets while they delay in building our theatre." Take lowered his voice. "Have you seen any signs of construction on our theatre site as yet?"
"No, I'm sorry. I have not." Electra lowered her eyes. She knew Take would be disappointed. "Would you like me to ask the Caliph when they propose to break ground on your theatre?"
Take seemed to consider her suggestion. Then he shook his head. "No, not yet." He pounded harder on his drum. "I believe I will pay them a visit down at the lake. Perhaps we will put on a show for the workers."
Electra nodded and walked into the throng of people waiting to greet the King and Queen of Fernland.
Queen Delphinia saw her daughter and made her way through the crowd to greet her.
"Electra, my Dear, how wonderful it is to see you. And how lovely you look in your new dress. The blue color matches your eyes perfectly." She hugged Electra, then took her hand and pulled her along to take a place in the receiving line.
Electra quickly began her litany of welcoming phrases as the guests filed past. "So good of you to come." "So nice to see you again." "Of course I remember you. Have you been keeping well?" "Yes, I am a student of medicine now." "No, I am sure you will not have need of my services any time soon."
Finally, dinner was announced and the guests made their way into the great dining hall.
Electra was seated next to Rabar, her physician mentor, and across from the Caliph, who sat near her father.
"Any casualties from the day's work?" Rabar asked her.
"No. We had no patients today. I did a little work in the garden. The saffron plants are holding on, but no sign of blooms as yet."
Rabar frowned. "The wall keeps them a little warmer, but they are not accustomed to rain in the summer months. They may not be inclined to bloom because of it."
As the soup course was served, King Geoffrey cleared his throat and spoke to the Caliph.
"How goes work on our port project?"
"Ah, thank you for asking, Your Majesty. We have made great strides. Heroic strides, in fact. Already we have wagon loads of felled trees from your forest arriving daily. We have a temporary mill set up to turn them into the planks we need for siding. The first of our buildings is already framed. I've never seen our men so eager in their labors. It must be your healthy forest air." The Caliph smiled at the King and Queen.
The King returned the Caliph's smile. "My son Avor mentioned the framing of living quarters has begun."
"Yes. We will save much time in the long run if my men are quartered ashore. Too much time is wasted going to and from the ships. We will likely bring in some cooks and domestic staff as soon as the barracks are complete, to further speed things along."
"Domestic staff," the king repeated.
"A few of our women folk. It does not serve to use ship building men as cooks when others could free them for more skilled work."
"I met two women today," Avor said, as he dipped a piece of bread in his soup.
The Caliph turned to Avor, a look of surprise on his face. "They are not our women. We have only today reached a decision to bring them here."
"Yes, of course." Avor blushed slightly. "I remember now. They said they were friends of Electra's from Chase Bound."
All eyes turned to Electra. She choked a little on her soup and took a drink of water. "Not friends exactly. But I did recognize them as girls I knew from Chase Bound."
No one spoke for a few seconds and Electra did not enlarge on her comments.
"Are they staying with you?" her mother asked, finally.
"No, they are camped with their families on the other side of the lake."
Electra found her soup bowl empty and had nothing with which to occupy herself.
"I wondered what all those wagons were," Avor said. "They look like gypsy wagons."
Electra looked at Avor with a pained expression. "They call themselves Travelers."
"I see," King Geoffrey said. "They neglected to obtain my permission in camping there. I hope they continue to live up to their name and continue on in their travels."
"How goes your apprenticeship?" Queen Delphinia asked.
Both Avor and Electra looked up and Delphinia laughed. "We do have two apprentices now, do we not? I should have been more specific in my question. She paused and looked proudly at both her children. "Avor has told us a little of what he has learned as an apprentice engineer, but we have not heard as much from you, Electra."
Electra pursed her lips and considered her experience to date. "The men from Taz seem a healthy lot. We have had little to treat in the way of illness. But I have learned a great deal about the treatment of cuts, bruises and scrapes. I have set a broken leg and assisted in the amputation of a finger."
Delphinia put a handkerchief to her mouth. "Please, no talk of amputations at dinner. Though I applaud you stoicism. And we thank you, Physician Rabar for taking our daughter under your wing."
Rabar looked up when he heard his name mentioned. He had been watching his father, the Caliph, with a concerned expression. Electra noticed now what had concerned the physician. The Caliph had not touched his soup and his eyes had a feverish cast.
"My mother was thanking you for taking me under your wing," she whispered.
Rabar cleared his throat as he nodded at Queen Delphinia. "The Princess Electra is a natural born healer. It is my good fortune to have her in my service."
Queen Delphinia beamed with pride.
King Geoffrey patted his wife's hand and turned back to face the Caliph.
"About how many domestics had you thought to bring in?"
The Caliph seemed to be counting to himself as he put up one finger after another. Then his hand wavered for an instant and his eyes glazed over.
Rabar jumped from his chair and ran around the table to his father's side. The Caliph attempted to stand up, but instead slumped into his son's arms.
Dinner guests rose from their chairs to gather around the Caliph until Rabar called out.
"Stand back. Give him air. Help me get him to a bed."
Electra and her family followed the men carrying the Caliph.
"Take him to the royal physician's chambers," King Geoffrey commanded.
Princess Electra Book 3 Gypsy Music Page 3