Electra opened her mouth to begin describing the events that led her to this cottage by the lake only to close it again. These Traveler girls would never believe her story.
She had left Chase Bound with her brother Avor, believing him a liar and worse—one of the persons responsible for her mother, Serafina's, death. She had agreed to go to Fernland only to accuse the king and queen of murdering her mother. She certainly had not believed Avor's outrageous story about Serafina abducting her as an infant.
Now she knew it was all true. Her real mother Delphinia had mourned her daughter's loss for sixteen years. Her father, as well, she supposed, although he had been at fault for breaking his engagement to Serafina. Serafina had lied to her even in her death, pretending to be dead only to turn up later, defending her outrageous behavior. In spite of all Serafina's misdeeds, Electra still loved her as a mother. Electra was saved from a recounting of the last few months when she heard someone calling her name at the front of the cottage. It sounded like her brother, Prince Avor.
"Excuse me, for just a moment." Electra left her little herb garden to walk to the front of the cottage. Uninvited, Juanita and Esmeralda followed.
Avor stood at the cottage door, poised to knock again.
"Oh, there you are. Mother wanted me to stop by and invite you for dinner. We're having the Caliph and..." Avor stopped talking when he noticed Juanita and Esmeralda.
Electra followed his eyes to the two girls. "These are old acquaintances from Chase Bound. Juanita and Esmeralda. This is my...uh, this is Avor. He is an engineering apprentice."
Avor looked at Electra curiously, wondering why she had not introduced him as her brother.
Juanita smiled at Avor and winked. "Finally, someone who speaks our language. I'd wager that's very interesting work, being an engineering apprentice."
Esmeralda ran her fingers through her hair and laughed mischievously. "Why don't you show us what you're working on? We're new here and have no one to talk to."
Avor blushed and looked back at Electra.
Electra gave a tiny shake of her head, staring hard at Avor. "He probably has to get back to work if he wants to keep his job. Tell your mother I'll be there."
Avor gave his sister another puzzled look before repeating, "My mother?" He stood waiting a second for an answer that didn't come, then turned away. "Right." He gave a little wave to the two girls, then walked back toward the building site.
Juanita poked Esmeralda in the ribs. "What a stalwart lad he is. I think he liked me."
"Me, more likely," Esmeralda immediately insisted.
"He is big for his age, but he is still quite young." Electra felt the need to protect her younger brother from these aggressive girls.
"He looks old enough to me." The two girls giggled together. "Is he here every day?" Juanita asked.
Electra looked more and more uncomfortable. "He comes and goes."
Juanita eyed Electra suspiciously. "So what's your story, then? Why'd the two of you leave Chase Bound in such a hurry? And where is your mother, Serafina?"
Electra sighed. She supposed she might as well tell them enough to satisfy their curiosity. It was only a matter of time before they found out anyway.
"You may as well come in and have a cup of tea. It's a long story." Juanita and Esmeralda followed Electra into her cottage, eager to hear all the details.
Electra put water in a pot and hooked it to a metal rod in the fireplace. She added some wood chips to the coals and sat a tea pot and cups on the table.
"Pull up a stool," Electra said. "The coals are still hot. We won't have long to wait."
"We're in no hurry." Juanita pulled a stool close to the table.
Electra sat down and sprinkled tea leaves in each cup.
Esmeralda took in the richness of the newly built cottage. "This is a smart little place you've got yourselves."
Juanita stared at Electra, willing her to begin her story.
Electra took a deep breath and began. "It turns out Serafina is not my real mother."
Both girls leaned in closer to listen.
"My real mother and father are King Geoffrey and Queen Delphinia of Fernland."
Juanita's jaw dropped and both girls were struck dumb by this news. Then Juanita began to laugh. Soon Esmeralda joined her.
"That's a good one," Esmeralda gasped out between giggles. "You had us spellbound with that one."
"And the apprentice engineer you just met is my brother, Prince Avor." Electra was not laughing along with them.
Now Juanita grew angry. "Fun is fun, but the joke's over. Do you take us for fools?"
"If I took you for fools, I'd tell you a more believable story that would soon be proven false."
The Traveler girls glanced at one another, then Juanita drew herself up straighter on her stool. "If you're the king's daughter, how is it you're not living in the castle?" Juanita's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Electra sighed. "So much has happened." She paused to gather her resolve to continue. "I choose to live here. I am apprenticed to a physician to study medicine. I could live at the castle if I chose. And whether you believe me or not is of no importance to me." Electra stood up with the teapot and stepped closer to the fire to ladle water into the pot.
The girls shrugged and whispered to one another while Electra's back was turned.
"Whatever you say." Juanita held her hands high in surrender. "So what of Serafina then? Is she kin to royalty as well?"
"As it turns out, she is. But she has moved on to Henge."
The girls raised their eyebrows as they exchanged glances.
"So you'll be dining tonight at your brother's mother's house, which turns out to be the castle and your mother the Queen?" Juanita looked as though she only wanted to clarify matters.
"That's correct. As I said—believe what you will."
"So where's this doctor you're apprenticed to? Is this his place? He seems pretty lenient—giving you today off, is he?"
"He's already at the castle. He'll probably be at the dinner as well."
Juanita stirred her tea as Electra filled her cup with water. "I don't suppose they'd be wanting you to bring your two old friends from Chase Bound along?"
Electra jerked her cup and a little tea spilled out. She looked at Juanita with serious eyes.
"Should I even mention that your people are camped here?"
Juanita stiffened at the implied insult. "Not if you're embarrassed to have us visit."
"You know what I mean. I don't know what the King's policy is on Traveler camps but from what I do know about my father so far—he's not an easy man."
Esmeralda pursed her lips. She seemed unwilling to believe Electra's outrageous claims. "What about all these other lot of men out here building whatever on King's Lake?"
Electra shrugged. "They've been hired to build a port. They're only here for two years."
"They speak some foreign tongue."
"They're traders and ship builders from Taz. Their leader speaks our language."
Juanita finished her tea and stood up. "I know there are things you're not telling us. But that's all right. We have secrets as well. If the subject of our camp comes up tonight, you might say we are here to visit you. That's what a friend would do—if you are still our friend, and if you have been telling us the truth."
Esmeralda's expression turned coy as she braided a strand of hair and hooked it behind her ear. "And tell your brother to stop by our camp. I'd like to be friends with him as well."
Juanita hit Esmeralda on the shoulder. "Not now, you fool." Juanita turned to Electra, ignoring an angry curse from Esmeralda. "Maybe we'll be back tomorrow to find out how your dinner went."
Juanita walked out the door with her chin held high. Esmeralda seemed reluctant to follow, still angry about being hit on the shoulder. Finally, she followe
d Juanita out the door, repeating her words, "Yes, we'll likely be back tomorrow." She paused, then finished. "To see how your dinner went."
Electra rinsed out the cups in hot water and wondered if the subject of the Traveler's camp would come up tonight and what she would say if it did.