small note scrolled up into a tiny holster was hooked on the band. I took it out, and to my surprise he waited.
The note said that Pappi would visit me the last week before school started again. He wanted to show me something.
“I think the crow wants something, Elena. He is still waiting.”
I turned the note around, and saw in my Pappi’s handwriting. “Give the crow a note and a cracker.”
I laughed. “He’s waiting for a reply and a reward. Can I have one of your crackers?”
“Sure,” Sammy said and I scribbled a note. A crow, really, owls aren’t trained. I laughed at myself while I rolled up the note into a tiny scroll and put it back into the holster.
The crow grabbed the cracker with his beak and flew off.
Sammy cleaned her hand on her shirt. “Humph, that’s something I didn’t think I’d ever see in real life. Who sent you post by crow?”
“Post by crow,” I laughed
“It’s something they did in the old days. They usually spoke the message because they are really easy to train to speak.”
“Crows can speak?”
“How didn’t you know that?”
“Probably because I didn’t grow up with post by crow.”
They both laughed. “Neither did we,” Becky said, “but we learned about it in primary school.
I wondered on numerous occasions if mom had any other relatives I didn’t know about, who were still alive.
I could have an entire family for all I knew.
Sammy and I took a carriage to Elm around three. She still treated me the same, just a tad more special as she truly believed I was King Albert and Queen Catherine’s daughter. She tried to tell me so many stories but most of them were what she’d read in history books. I’d read all of those myself.
During our first couple of days of break, Dean was there every day. He spoiled us rotten and George and Becky would always come with. I still missed Lucian and a small part of me even missed Blake’s mutt.
When was he going to come back?
Later that week, we spent the entire day at a theme park. There was nothing magical about it, just ordinary fun.
After our day of fun, Dean dropped us back off at Sammy’s around five.
We all entered Sammy’s house and found a man with brown hair and glasses having tea with Sir Robert and Isabel. She gloated as we walked in and the smile on her face made me curious.
“Someone win the lottery?” Sammy asked.
Isabel got up and came over to me. “Something like that. We might finally have proof that you are the princess, Elena.”
“What!” I looked at her and back at the man who sat on the couch. He stood up and walked right over to me. He took a deep bow. “My name is Borgen Haulster. I’m a banker and a dragon living on the other side. I’m so sorry that I haven’t come sooner.”
“It’s fine, what does this have to do with me?” I looked at Sir Robert who just stared into space with a cup of tea in his hands.
“Sit, please. We have much to discuss.”
“Mind if we stay?” Becky asked Isabel.
“Make yourself at home.”
I took a seat next to Borgen as Becky and Sammy took a seat next to her father. Dean and George made themselves comfortable on the floor.
“Before my father died he spoke to me in private. He told me about a sacred vault. One that belonged to the king and queen. He never said why the king had a vault in Elm, he only told me that when the day came, I would know when to tell. Also, that I should forget about it, until that day came. I tried to keep tabs on what was going on inside Paegeia and I apologize for the four-month delay. I only learned about you a couple of days ago, and I knew immediately that this was the day my father spoke about. The vault is located below a theme park in Elm. I don’t know if you’ve heard of the squeaky old vampire tree?”
“What!” Becky said excited. “That tree almost chomped my finger up.”
“What?” I asked.
The others started to laugh. “Becky is being a Drama Queen, Elena.” Sammy rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t chomp you, it pricks your finger for blood.”
“It’s not a vampire tree, it’s the vault’s lock,” Borgen said. “The vault operates on DNA. It’s your chance to prove you are the princess, Elena.”
“I don’t understand.”
“A drop of your blood can open the vault,” Becky