Chapter 44
Fernland's Castle
The royal carriage drew up to Fernland's castle as the sun sank over the western horizon. Take the Thief stepped out followed by Princess Electra.
"You and Shandor should begin playing as soon as possible," Electra said. "Dinner guests may already be arriving. I am on my way to tell Mother she will have her entertainment." Electra rushed up the castle steps only to be intercepted by the same page that had stopped her earlier in the day.
"Your father wishes to see you in the throne room at once," he announced.
" I need to change into more formal clothes. Then I must tell my mother I have secured entertainment for this evening's dinner."
"Yes, Your Highness. Your mother has also requested that you see her as soon as possible, but I am to escort you to the throne room first on King Geoffrey's orders," the page insisted.
Electra strived to keep her irritation at bay. "Very well. Lead on."
King Geoffrey, Prince Oswald, Prince Avor and Dorian the Swordmaker sat around the table at the base of the raised throne. The weapons Dorian brought with him lay scattered over the table.
"Electra, my dear," King Geoffrey began, "where have you been?"
"I've been to fetch a fiddle player for mother's entertainment at dinner," she replied. She noticed that Dorian seemed quite relieved to see her. She wondered what her father might have said to him to make him uncomfortable.
King Geoffrey continued as though the queen's entertainment was not worthy of mention. "We are at an impasse with Dagon's man here."
"With Dorian?"
"Who?" her father asked.
"This is Dorian, Helsop's master sword maker and blacksmith."
The king looked at Dorian with renewed interest. "You made this sword?"
Dorian nodded and seemed to breath a little easier.
"I see." King Geoffrey nodded slightly as he fingered the edge of the sword. "Our sword maker here feels it would not be possible for Prince Oswald to go to Helsop to pick out his own weapons for purchase, though he does not know why. He insists that we speak to you about the matter. He says the letter you received from Dagon may hold the key to this mystery."
Now she understood Dorian's relief at seeing her. Prince Oswald had not let go of the idea of going to Helsop. Electra stood taller since no one had as yet invited her to sit at the table. "Dorian is correct. I did receive a letter today. I intended to share it with you as soon as I had a chance, though it concerns a delicate matter that should, perhaps, remain confidential." She withdrew the little rolled up parchment from her sleeve and handed it to her father. She remembered exactly what she had written.
My Dear Electra,
Some person or persons have made an attempt to break into our supply of the white powder. For the time being we are allowing no strangers into the village. You may tell Prince Oswald that I will send Dorian along with this message and a selection of weapons we have for sale. If he wishes to put in an order we will do our best to supply it. I hope you will be returning soon. We have a few taken ill here.
With affection,
Dagon
King Geoffrey read the letter through to himself more than once but did not read it aloud. He returned the scroll to Electra.
"Yes, this does change things." He turned to Prince Oswald. "I have new information to ponder. I suggest we change for dinner while I consider what might be done."
The men stood up and filed out of the throne room. King Geoffrey signaled to Electra to stay behind. As soon as the door had closed behind all but Geoffrey and Electra, he motioned for her to take a chair at the table.
"This situation with the white powder seems to point to a common enemy for both Fernland and Helsop. That could be Bataar or Blackwell of Henge. Have you any thoughts to add?"
Electra shook her head. "It is a mystery."
King Geoffrey studied his daughter, but did not seem to arrive at any conclusions. "I do not like to see you return to what may be some sort of epidemic. What would be served by your contracting a contagious disease?"
Electra stared at her father in disbelief. She had added the part about a few taken ill to give herself a reason to leave Fernland without delay. Since when did a few ill persons become an epidemic. She should never have added that last line. She realized she had to make some sort of response. "I seriously doubt Dagon would call me back if he believed it to be an epidemic. More likely a few have caught a cold. Be it what it may, I am a physician and I must return to deal with it."
Her father smiled. "I have my doubts as well, but they are more along the lines of whether or not your mother will allow it."
Electra sensed that further argument was useless. She would simply leave as soon as she was able. "I will speak to Mother."
King Geoffrey stood up. "We will make a decision tomorrow. I suppose we should not keep our guests from their dinner. Tell your mother I will be along soon."
Electra found her mother already dressed and ready to receive guests. "We have our entertainment. I will change and meet you in the dining room," she said without giving her mother time for a reply.
Electra took her time changing for dinner. She packed everything she would need for an early morning departure. She needed to get a message to Dorian. As soon as the drawbridge was lowered at dawn tomorrow they would leave for Helsop. Perhaps she could avoid speaking to her parents again before she left.
When Electra reached the reception hall, the guests had already moved into the dining room and the musicians were packing up their instruments.
Electra stopped beside Take. "How went the evening's entertainment?"
Take shrugged. He was wearing a sailor outfit, as were Shandor, Bear, Tom and Smiles. "Everyone was busy talking. I don't know that they really noticed the music, but the queen was happy." He held up a gold coin.
Electra smiled. "That is what matters most. Keeping the queen happy." Electra leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "Could you get a message to my friend Dorian in the royal guard quarters?"
Take narrowed his eyes. "Is this likely to bring me trouble?"
"No. It should not. Tell him to be at the drawbridge, ready to leave, at sunrise." She searched her gown for a coin but found none.
Take raised an open palm to the air. "Never mind the coin. I'll tell him. I would rather you owed me a favor than have another coin."
Electra was surprised to hear this. She wondered if old King Blackwell had tried a monetary way to his son's heart. "Thank you then. I am in your debt." She waved at the musicians as they left the reception hall.
The doors to the dining room were closed. As Electra entered she saw that the first course had already been served. All the seats close to the royal family were taken up by honored guests and members of the buzkashi team. She found an empty seat at the far end of the table next to Hilgard and Dong Hao.
Hilgard seemed surprised as she took her seat. "Shouldn't you be sitting with the royal family?" he asked.
Electra shook her head. "I am too late for that, but I am happy to be here with you and Dong Hao. How goes your campaign to visit China?"
"Actually, thanks to you, quite well," Hilgard said.
"Thanks to me?" Electra's shock was evident.
"It turns out, they likely do have vast supplies of the white powder there." He turned to Dong Hao. "Tell her, Dong."
Dong Hao was quite excited. "We have the little explosions that light up the sky. To honor our emperor. The colored stars. Very beautiful. It is likely the same powder. I have sent word to my uncle to send some to me. Maybe King Geoffrey will allow my friend to come back with me to China to buy the white powder. I am very hopeful."
"That is wonderful," Electra said. "You realize I was jesting when I suggested it. I had no idea the white powder could be found there."
"And mayhap," Dong Hao continued in a whisper, "King Geoffrey will give my uncle a ship f
or the white powder. No more going overland through the desert full of bandits and Barburians."
"What good news," Electra said. She looked at her father and realized she was not the only one to keep secrets. Somehow this helped to assuage her guilt at forging a letter from Dagon. Perhaps Dagon had not made a mistake leaving her in charge.
A page came by to tap Electra on the shoulder. "Queen Delphinia requests that you move to the seat beside her," he said.
Electra excused herself and followed the page back to the newly vacated seat beside her mother.
Queen Delphinia fanned her flushed face with a handkerchief. "Your father tells me you plan to return to Helsop in the midst of an epidemic."
Electra sighed. It was going to be a long night.
Princess Electra Book 4 School of Medicine Page 46