Chapter 21
Kingdom of Henge
Serafina placed each of her twin girls on the floor of the nursery in a spot of sun that filtered through from a high window. She had always thought of herself as Electra's mother, having raised her from infancy after kidnapping her from the nursery of Fernland's castle. Electra had been a bright, happy child. She had never given Serafina a bit of trouble. Electra had not inherited the supernatural gifts of her Aunt Serafina.
The two little girls on the floor in front of her most assuredly had inherited the gifts of the black arts. She would need to watch them very carefully to keep them safe from their own gifts and safe from people who did not understand such gifts and might wish to do them harm. She was proud that they were so like herself.
"Good girl." Serafina watched as Esme managed to turn from her stomach to her back. The three month old twin kicked her feet in the air and gurgled with delight. Esme looked at her mother and Serafina felt a gentle probe in her consciousness. It was gone before she could analyze it. Esme turned her attention to Ebony. Ebony blinked her green panther eyes as she stared at Esme, then heaved herself up off the floor. The big cat padded over to Esme's crib, took a corner of a favorite blanket in her mouth, and pulled it from the crib. The big cat deposited the blanket into Esme's waiting hands where she lay face up on the floor. Then the panther flopped back down beside the happy infant.
"My, my," Serafina said, laughing at her daughter. "You have made your protector your servant."
Shalin pressed the front of her body forward in a baby's version of a push-up, regarding her sister silently. Then she relaxed onto her stomach, reached out and grabbed one corner of Esme's blanket, pulling it to her face.
A soft knocking on the door drew an annoyed glance from Serafina. She had just seen proof of Esme's ability to plant a suggestion in an animal's mind. She wanted to continue to watch her daughters without disturbance.
"Who is it?" she called out.
"Smithe here, Your Majesty. Prince Blackwell sent me to you as it concerns those Gypsies."
Serafina stood up and opened the door a few inches.
"Are they causing trouble?" she asked.
"No, Your Highness. We stopped two men at the border. They said they are here to visit the Traveler camp."
"Their names?"
"Shandor and Take the Thief."
Serafina's face took on an expression of curiosity. She was surprised that Shandor was not in Fernland's dungeon. El Grande had reported back to her about meeting Dagon in Fernland's forest and about Dagon's angry reaction on hearing about Shandor and his threats.
"I see. Take them to the barrack's mess hall. I will speak to them there when I am ready."
Several hours later, Take and Shandor sat fidgeting, tired of waiting, in the officers' dining room at the barracks. Thankfully, they had been given lunch, but Shandor was desperate to retrieve his flask from his saddle bag.
Serafina walked into the room, unannounced. Both men stood up.
"Take, my old friend. We meet again." Serafina smiled at Take and he managed an uncertain nod in response.
Take knew Serafina quite well, but they were hardly friends. Serafina had coerced Take into stealing Electra from her crib. It was Serafina's way of punishing her sister and King Geoffrey. Geoffrey had broken off his engagement to Serafina, claiming he was in love with her sister, Delphinia.
Serafina fixed Take in her steady gaze. "I understand you have taken to acting since last we met. Who would have predicted your reluctant role of Whirling Dervish would end thus?"
Take had to admit that Serafina was correct in this. Had she not forced him to gain access to King Geoffrey's secrets by pretending the part of an actor, the acting troupe would never have come into being.
"I admit it was a turning point in my life," he agreed reluctantly.
"And what is your business with the Travelers?"
Take swallowed, fearing to tell the truth and fearing to lie. There was no telling what might get one in trouble with Serafina.
"I am the son of a Traveler girl. I found an old woman who remembered my mother. I want to find out more about my family. The old woman left Fernland before I had a chance to speak to her at length."
"And why are you in the company of Shandor?"
Take looked surprised by the question. "Shandor played fiddle for us at our last show in Fernland. He said he was going to rejoin his caravan so I asked if he would like some company on his journey."
Serafina looked at Shandor. He nodded his agreement at Take's explanation.
"I see." Serafina tilted her head as she studied both men. "Smithe," she called.
Smithe stepped through the door as though he had been poised to do so.
"Your Highness?"
"Give Take directions to the Traveler's caravan and take Shandor to the dungeon. I will question him later."
"What?" Shandor gasped.
Take watched in horror as his friend was shackled and led out. He looked at Serafina, afraid to question her, but driven to it by a need to know.
"Why?" he stammered.
"That is not your concern. Be glad your story rang true."
Smithe came back to give Take directions to the Traveler's camp as Serafina left the barracks. Take hardly heard what Smithe was telling him as he was escorted off the castle grounds.
Take located the painted wagons by asking directions from people at the docks. He could not recall Smithe's directions, being too upset by Shandor's imprisonment. The caravan had settled within walking distance of the docks. He found the camp at dusk and was happy to run into the old woman as she carried wood for the cook fire. Take took the wood from her and helped her start the fire for the camp's evening meal.
"You remember me then?" he asked.
"Drina's boy. Of course. What was your name again?"
"My mother called me Finn, but I am known now as Take or Take the Thief."
"Finn. Yes. Drina said she would name you after your father."
"My father's name was Finn?"
"Must of been. Someone that lived in yon castle. That's where she found a job."
Take stared out at the castle on the hill above the city. "Finn from the castle. That would've been thirty some years ago. I suppose someone might remember him."
The woman blew on the fire to start a flame. "You sure you want to find out? Must have been some reason she moved on to Fernland to make a home for you."
"But someone..." Take decided not to elaborate on the gold coins. "Someone kept track of her. A soldier dropped by from time to time."
"That's likely it then. A soldier named Finn. Makes sense, a soldier wouldn't want to settle down, nor could he."
"You won't mind if I stay on a while, will you? Just while I do some investigating?"
"Stay as long as you like, Finn. You're one of us. I am called Zigana."
Take looked around the caravan and a warm feeling came over him. He felt that his acting troupe was his family now, but it was nice to know he had a second home with his mother's people. The thought of Shandor in Henge's dungeon intruded on his sentimental mood.
"I should speak to the men about staying here," he said. He did not want to burden the old woman with Shandor's problems.
"It's not necessary, but you could speak to El Grande. He's over there by the blue wagon."
Take recognized the big man from his previous visit to the Traveler camp.
El Grande stopped his work on a saddle when Take joined him.
"You look familiar."
"We met briefly in Fernland. The old woman knew my mother."
El Grande nodded and went back to sewing a tear in the fabric of his saddle. "What brings you here to Henge?"
"I came up with Shandor."
El Grande stopped again and looked around. "Shandor is here?"
"No. That's what I wanted to tell you. We came to the border together and they to
ok us to meet with Serafina."
El Grande grimaced. "And?"
"And she had him taken to the dungeon. She wouldn't even tell me why."
"I know why," El Grande said. "It's a long story, but the short of it is, she believes he threatened Electra."
"Threatened Electra? I know he wanted to talk to Electra, but he just wanted to find his daughter."
"Did he find his daughter?"
"He says he did, but..."
"But what?"
"I got the feeling she wasn't that happy to be found."
"Shandor should have left it alone." El Grande jabbed his needle into the leather fabric with more force than necessary. "There's naught we can do for him now."
Take decided to go back to help Zigana with her fire. If El Grande saw no way to help Shandor, there was probably nothing Take could do either.
Princess Electra Book 3 Gypsy Music Page 21