10 A Royal Decree

CHAPTER 10

A Royal Decree The ship docked at Primlox, and Lucas and Clara said good-bye to their new friend, Captain Brown. They unhitched Ivan and Scallop and galloped back to the palace. Ruskin flew close behind. The sun had gone down by the time they reached the stables. The stable hand began to feed and water their horses. Lucas and Clara thanked him and raced to the great hall with Ruskin at their heels. The king, the queen, and Anna jumped up from the table when the children walked in. "Where on earth have you been?" demanded King Caleb. "We were so worried!" said Queen Tasha. "Just look at you two!" said Anna.

Lucas and Clara looked like they'd been washed in with the tide. Their clothes were soaked, and they had seaweed tangled in their hair. "We went looking for the sea monster," said Lucas. The king raised his hands and looked at the ceiling. "And did you find one?" he asked. Lucas and Clara looked at each other and grinned. Then they shared their adventure.

"And Ruskin freed the sea monster with a little swirl of fire," finished Lucas. Clara pulled the fishing net from her pouch and placed it on the table. The queen and Anna looked it over.

"Quite a remarkable tale," said the king. "You two certainly have wild imaginations." Then Queen Tasha put a hand on the king's shoulder. "I'm not sure they're making it up," she said. "Look at this." Caught in the net was a shimmering green scale. The king untangled it and looked at it closely. He turned it over and rubbed it between his fingers.

"Well, look at that," said the king.