Princess Electra Book 4 School of Medicine

by Dory Lee Maske

  Electra sealed the message with wax and quietly opened her door. No one was about yet on the floor that housed the royal family. She stepped carefully down the stairs and out the castle door. She approached the royal guardsman at his post just outside the castle door and asked where she could find a messenger.

  "There is always one waiting at the drawbridge tower. They'll be letting the bridge down soon, it's almost sunrise."

  "Thank you," Electra said.

  "Shall I call a page to take your message?" the guardsman asked.

  "No, I will take it myself," Electra replied.

  She raced to the drawbridge and found the messenger eating breakfast in the tower.

  "Will you take this message to Helsop as soon as the drawbridge comes down?" Electra asked.

  "Of course, Your Highness. Who is it for?"

  "It is for Headman Dagon—but he may be out hunting now that the snow has melted. If he is gone, you may give the message to the blacksmith, Dorian. You need not wait for a reply."

  "Yes, Your Highness. I will leave as soon as dawn arrives."

  Electra left the tower and walked to the edge of the drawbridge. She did not know if her father demanded that any messages sent by his men must first be read and approved by him. She watched the tower carefully but no one exited until dawn. As the eastern sky turned pink, the messenger came out, saddled his horse and rode across the bridge as soon as it was lowered. Electra let out a sigh of relief and returned to the castle.

  She opened the door to the breakfast room an hour later to find her mother, father, brother, Bataar, Odval and the Caliph already seated around the table.

  "You must have had a long sleep," her mother said. "No doubt you needed it."

  "Not so long. I took your advice about sending a message to Dagon, asking whether Prince Oswald might visit. The messenger left with it as soon as the drawbridge was lowered."

  "You did?" Delphinia glanced at King Geoffrey. "I really can not imagine why he would object. Prince Oswald sends his regrets for being absent at breakfast. He wanted to breakfast early and practice on the archery field this morning. I'm sure he will be delighted with this news. We all are, of course. It means your visit will be extended at least until we receive a reply. I know I am being selfish and you have your school to consider, but we do so treasure your visits."

  Electra smiled. "As do I."

  Avor looked up from his plate and spoke to Bataar.

  "How about you, Bataar? Could you extend your stay as well?"

  Bataar grunted at Avor with a hint of a smile. "We leave soon day. You come stay Barburee."

  Avor glanced at his father and could see the frown forming. Before his father could refuse for him, Avor spoke for himself.

  "I wish I could but I have work to do here at the shipyard." He smiled at his friend. "Especially if you plan to steal our ship builders from us."

  Bataar laughed. "I do." His laughter died as he turned to the Caliph.

  "When you leave? Bring ships to Barburee?"

  The Caliph put down his knife and fork. "We plan to leave in a fortnight. Are you certain you would not like to travel by ship as well?"

  "Barburee ride horse," Bataar replied gruffly, as though any other means of travel would be unthinkable.

  "Yes, of course," the Caliph replied, nodding in understanding.

  "You bring three ship. We maybe take two."

  "As I said before—we need all the ships we presently have, but we could build two like them, or perhaps bigger and better."

  "You talk Great Khan. Then see." Bataar said with finality.

  Bataar stood up and Odval quickly stood as well. Without Magsa beside her she could not follow the conversation but still took her cues from Bataar's actions.

  Electra walked over to Odval and took her hand. "We will miss you, Odval," she said.

  She hoped Bataar would tell Odval later what she had said. And she hoped that Odval would refrain from telling him about a black panther and two little girls with supernatural powers, although that was likely an unrealistic hope. She pointed to the fertility charms around Odval's neck and winked as she smiled.

  As soon as Bataar and Odval left the room, King Geoffrey glowered at the Caliph.

  "I think you are making a mistake, doing business with Barburee."

  The Caliph shrugged. "He offers an opportunity for us to return to our beloved city. Who could have predicted such a thing? It smacks of the hand of fate."

  "I do not trust him," King Geoffrey stated.

  "Nor do we of course," agreed the Caliph.

  "I think it an odd coincidence that he and his men were in residence when our white powder was destroyed," King Geoffrey mused.

  Prince Avor showed his alarm. "They were all at the Lake. We practiced buzkashi the evening before. It could not have been him or his men."

  "How difficult would it have been for one man to slip away unnoticed?" his father asked.

  "He sees himself as Fernland's friend," Avor insisted. "I am sure of it."

  King Geoffrey went back to his breakfast, but his dark mood was so pervasive that no one else felt inclined toward further conversation.

  Electra's stomach suddenly felt upset. She had not known her father suspected Bataar of the crime. Would her lie about an attempt to destroy Helsop's supply further incriminate Bataar in her father's eyes? She pushed her food aside and wiped a thin sheen of perspiration from her forehead. A lie did indeed weave a tangled web.