Chapter 41
Fernland
Electra stopped halfway up the steps to the castle. A page ran down to meet her.
"Queen Delphenia wishes to see you. She says it is an urgent matter.
Electra looked down at Dorian, waiting beside his horse in the courtyard.
"Please find two porters to help that man with his merchandise," she said, pointing to Dorian. "Prince Oswald has summoned him. He has come all the way from Helsop. His name is Dorian. Take him along with his wares to the prince and see to his horse."
The page nodded and darted off to find porters. Electra waved at Dorian and ran up the outside steps to the castle door, then up the inside steps to the family living quarters. She should have asked the page where she would find her mother. She knocked at the door to her parents' suite and was relieved to hear her mother's voice.
"Come, come."
Electra opened the door and Delphinia jumped up from her chair. Her assistant, Daisy, jumped up as well.
"Electra! I am so happy to see you. Where have you been? No, never mind. You are here now. That is what matters. We have so much to do. Bataar is leaving us tomorrow at sunrise. I can never quite understand the man, but this time it is certain. And now we learn the Caliph and Physician Rabar are leaving early as well. I would have liked to say goodbye in a grand fashion but with so little time we must make do with a dinner. You are so good with menus my dear. Would you like to take over that part of the planning?"
Electra could hardly believe what she was hearing. She was surprised to hear that Physician Rabar, her mentor, and the Caliph were leaving so soon, but the part of her mother's speech that shocked her into silence was the part that proclaimed Electra 'good with menus'. The last time she had planned a menu, the Barburians had thrown half their food on the floor.
Finally she found her voice. "I saw Take the Thief this morning. Perhaps I could ask him to play some songs. I am sure you and Daisy would be better than I at menus."
"Yes, that would be a help. Perhaps you could arrange for that fiddle player to be here. Everyone raves about his music. But you must return as soon as you are able. We have so much more to do and the day is already half gone."
Electra took this as her cue to leave. She thought about showing her mother the forged letter from Dagon, but decided this was not the time. Delphinia would be more relaxed once the dinner was accomplished. She raced back down the stairs and through the marketplace to Take's shack.
Take sat on a stump outside his shack juggling three apples.
"That is a good trick," Electra said as she stopped to watch. "Perhaps you could juggle tonight to entertain Delphinia's dinner guests."
Take looked up with interest. "The queen is planning something?"
"A farewell dinner for Bataar and his buzkashi players and Physician Rabar and the Caliph as well. They are all returning to Taz." Electra wanted to ask Take what message he had sent back to his father but decided it was none of her business and Take likely did not wish to discuss it.
"I'm not sorry to hear Bataar and his raiders are leaving. But why the Caliph and the physician? Has Bataar taken them prisoner?" Take asked.
Electra laughed. "He has no idea they come from Taz. He wants to hire them to build boats for the Great Khan."
Take continued to juggle. "Those he hires have a way of becoming prisoners eventually. I'm glad I know nothing about building ships."
He caught the apples one at a time and set two on the ground while he took a bite out of the third. "What sort of entertainment is Her Majesty needing?"
"Just some music as the guests assemble before dinner. She did hope your fiddle player would be available."
"He's staying down at the lake for some reason. I might be able to fetch him back in time but it would be close."
"We could take the royal carriage. That way we could bring the Caliph and Physician Rabar back with us as well."
"I would never pass up a ride in the royal carriage. We'd best start now," Take said as he stuffed his other two apples into his pockets.
When Electra and Take reached the lake, Physician Rabar and the Caliph were just saddling their horses.
"We have come to pick you up," Electra called out from the carriage window. "We have to make one stop to pick up Shandor as well."
The two men unsaddled their horses and climbed into the carriage with Electra and Take.
"So you are really leaving to return to Taz?" Electra asked.
"We feel blessed by fate for the opportunity," the Caliph answered with a slight bow. "How good of you to come for us. We are honored."
Electra faced Rabar with a warm smile. "I am glad I had this chance to thank you, Physician Rabar, for all you have taught me."
Rabar made a slight bow to acknowledge her thanks. "How goes your school of medicine?"
The carriage stopped by the theatre and Take jumped out. He ran up to the small apartment beside the stage.
Electra drew her gaze away from Take and gave some thought to Rabar's question. "I have only four students and my lessons thus far have had many interruptions, but all in all I am satisfied with the school's progress."
Physician Rabar nodded. "There is a need for such a school. I believe the number of applicants will soon astonish you."
"Have you ever given thought to teaching in a school?" Electra asked.
"I am anxious to return to Taz and continue my experiments with our native herbs—I have thought of little else."
"May I visit one day and learn of your achievements?"
"We are colleagues now. We must share our discoveries with one another," Rabar stated.
Electra beamed with affection for her mentor.
Take returned with Shandor in tow. Shandor seemed a little off balance as he walked and Electra wondered if he was too full of wine to play his fiddle.
Take shoved Shandor up onto the bench beside the driver, telling the surprised driver that the queen had requested Shandor be brought along. Then he took a seat beside Electra in the carriage.
"The fresh air will do him good," Take said, grinning at his carriage companions.
"I remember when first we met," the Caliph said to Take. "You had just come from spending time with the Great Khan."
"Not by choice," Take replied, with an involuntary shudder.
"Did you find him a reasonable man?" the Caliph asked.
"I found him someone to be feared. Beyond that, I have no opinion." Take looked into the Caliph's eyes. "He is used to having his way and I doubt he is one who would be swayed by flattery." Take looked out the window of the carriage to signal the end of his comments.
The Caliph sighed, resigned, "I suspected as much." Then he smiled at Electra. "It adds excitement, does it not, to see what the fates have in store for us?"
Electra returned his smile but in her heart she was thinking about six men on Cold Lake and wondering what the fates had in store for them.
Princess Electra Book 4 School of Medicine Page 43