Part Three

Candy showed Ms Leevey to the spare room. "You'll find Mom and the lady in there, Ms Leevey. If you'll excuse me now, I'll go below again. If you or mom needs me, you'll find me in the living room." And Candy left.

Susan knocked at the spare room door and called with a little hoarse voice. "It's Susan Leevey here. May I come in?"

Inside, Carolyn and Daniel looked at each other and then at Lana, who was still thrashing in her high feverish condition. "What do you think, Daniel?"

"Well, you should let her in, my dear, because we don't know when Martha will be back with the good doctor in tow." Daniel was wondering why the housekeeper wasn't back yet because she had left the house about a half an hour ago. He hoped nothing had happened to her because he know about the condition of the road. "And I think you really could use some help. And don't worry, Carolyn. Ms Leevey can neither see nor hear me, unless I wish it."

Carolyn knew Daniel was right. "I know, Daniel. I know." Before going to the door, she put a new cold cloth on the forehead of the young lady.

Daniel vanished before Susan entered the bedroom, but before he left, he told his dearest he wanted to look for Martha. He was really worried about her now.

Once inside the room, Susan examined the young lady. Immediately she noticed that Lana was in very, very bad condition. Her very high fever was alarming. Susan was worried about Lana's life. She knew the young lady really needed full medical support. Since she would only get that in a hospital, then Lana needed to be placed immediately in the intensive care unit.

When she told Carolyn her opinion, the two had a rather bad dispute about that subject. Carolyn didn't want to take the young lady to a hospital but Susan was of a different opinion. Ms Leevey didn't want to fulfill Lana' s wish simply because she was the daughter of a hospital doctor. Her father had taught her never to comply with the request of a person in the throes of a feverish delusion.

Neither Carolyn nor Susan suspected that her highness, because of her feverish delusion, was fully registering everything in her near vicinity. In this moment, Lana saw again the face of her grandma in her mind's-eye. She not only saw the queen's vision, but Donald was also there. Lana, in her feverish delusion, became a witness to a very bad dispute between her grandmother and the 'Head of Security' . The dispute between these two seemed to be caused by Lana's terrible ship accident. Elaine blamed Donald for his inattentiveness. She accused him of not having tried hard enough to prevent this accident, since he knew about the escapades of her grand-daughter.

As a countermove, Donald reproached Elaine for having permitted Lana's trip in the first place, so he said Elaine was also partly responsible for this accident. Now the queen was very furious. In her rage, she terribly scoured her 'Head of Security' and yelled very angrily. "I never want to see you again, Donald. Get out of my sight immediately."

"Very well, your majesty. Goodbye!" Snorting with rage, Donald left the compact area and let Elaine be alone in her pain. NO! She wouldn't cry, not about him.

Now the princess moved still more restlessly in her bed and yelled, "NO, NO, please NO! GRANDMA, please call Donald back!"

And suddenly followed words which Susan hadn't expected. "And nobody takes me to a hospital, is that clear? Because it's my life!"

Lana's cry interrupted the dispute between Carolyn and Susan. "Now, Susan, you heard the young lady's request. And by the way, this is my house and I, for myself, do respect the wishes of my house guest even if they say it in a feverish delusion." Carolyn spoke very determinedly because it gradually dawned her now what was the true reason for the high fever of the young lady. It was certainly not the accident she had had alone.

Susan left the room without a further word. Just outside the door, she knew Carolyn was right and wondered which devil had ridden her because of the illness of this pretty young lady causing her to argue with her best friend in such way. Maybe the terrible events of this damn day but also her great tiredness had caused these reactions in her. She knew she needed a hot bath, a brandy and much sleep.

Inside the room, Carolyn had meanwhile sat down on the bed, taken the young lady's right hand and squeezed it. Now she spoke very tenderly to the still strongly-trembling Lana. "I don't know what troubles you, my dear. But I can see your anguish. I wish I could help you. If only you could tell me your name, so I could really help you." Continuing in her thought. 'Oh Daniel, please come back soon and with Martha in tow.' Now she was worried about Martha, too.

Back on high seas, night was falling. Hours had now passed since they had started the search for the princess. But the result was depressing as no sign of her highness had been found anywhere at sea. In view of the upcoming darkness, the search was stopped. Donald, however, did not want to accept this result. His friends tried in vain to get him to stop the search but didn't succeed. After the other two yachts had left, the royal yacht 'Mary' anchored for the night in the bay above Schooner Bay. Nobody on board suspected that Lana wasn't all too far away from them.

At eight P.M., Daniel discovered Mrs. Muir's car. It was stuck very deep down in the mud. And it had begun raining again. Inside the car, Martha was still awake and shivering over her whole body. Doctor Ferguson had meanwhile fallen asleep in the passenger seat. Nothing could get him awaken. The housekeeper was praying that someone would come and rescue her. She was so tired, but she knew she should not fall asleep. She tried to keep her eyes open.

And the miracle happened; as if by magical hands, she was transported back into the cosy warm cottage. When opening her eyes again, she immediately noticed that she lay on the couch of the living room. The roaring fire warmed her. And candles were all around because the power still was not back on. Jonathan and Candy were upstairs and Ms Leevey had somehow managed to get home to her own warm cottage.

Carolyn was still sitting on the bed and she squeezed Lana's right hand. The princess was still continuing with her babbling of nonsense, as it seemed to outsiders. When Daniel appeared in room to take a look at how the lady was doing, he saw Carolyn on the bed and said, "I found Martha and brought her home. But your car is still stuck in the deepest mud. Somehow I managed to transport the young doctor back home, since he was with Martha in the car."

"Oh Daniel, that's good news." Carolyn was relieved. "The car isn't so important at the moment, the main thing is, our good Martha has remained uninjured." Seeing Daniel's questioning face, she continued. "I had a dispute with Susan about our ill female guest. As you can see, she left."

"Oh, I see, Carolyn." Daniel had a certain idea what had to have happened during his absence. "How is the young lady doing?"

"She still has her high fever. But what worries me the most are her very peculiar fever dreams."

"Peculiar fever dreams, you say?" Daniel asked. "What kind of fever dreams?"

"Well, I can't tell you. Please have a seat, Daniel, and watch. Then you will learn what kind of dreams I mean." Carolyn was still squeezing the princess' feverish right hand. And then again she put a new cold cloth on the princess' still glowing forehead.

Her highness had yet another peculiar dream. Lana found herself again in the royal palace and she was once again witness of another bad conversation between her grandma and Donald. This time it was all about the love relation between the queen and her 'Head Security'. Donald had asked Elaine once again if she would consider marrying him. It was high time to bring their relationship into the public view. But Elaine had turned him down again. It was the same old story. She still was the queen and he was her 'Head of Security', so a real open relationship between the two would be impossible right now.

But Donald didn't want to wait any longer, so he left forever. Lana couldn't stand the anguish of both, so she yelled again. "NO, NO, please NO!" GRANDMA, DONALD!" Lana 's strengths faded. She fell into a coma.

"Oh NO! Daniel, what can we do?" Carolyn had tears in her eyes. "She mustn't die. She still is so young."

"Please, don't cry, my darling." and he took Carolyn in his protecting arms.

It was a terrible night. Carolyn stood night-watch with Lana, who was still in coma. Sleep wouldn't come for Carolyn, although she was terribly tired. Daniel was by her side. He was very worried about his beloved's health condition. But he couldn't persuade her to rest. Fortunately, neither the children nor Martha knew of this unbearable condition. And for that the captain was grateful, that all three were slumbering peacefully in bed.

On the Royal Yacht, Donald was pacing the ship's deck like a hungry tiger. He simply couldn't sleep, either. His thoughts were always with Elaine. How would she react when he maybe had to tell her that Lana lost her life? NO, he didn't want to think of this extreme case. He knelt down by the railing on the starboard side and began to pray.

In Boston, sleep wouldn't come for Elaine either. Like her 'Head of Security', she was pacing her hotel suite. Now she knelt down, too, and began to pray.

Against Six A.M on the next morning, Carolyn had finally fallen asleep. It wasn't conscious for her that she lay next the princess in the same bed. Daniel was still watching both ladies.

Two hours passed, and thanks to the nearness of Carolyn, Lana woke up from her coma. Her forehead wasn't glowing any more. She blinked and suddenly her eyes were wide open and finally she looked in the deep blue eyes of the captain. "Who are you?" she asked, astonished, because she hadn't suspected to see a man in the bedroom. And finally she noticed a sleeping female body by her side. And then something deep down told her that she was facing a ghost. But she had no fear because Daniel looked so friendly.

Well, you may wonder how it could be possible that the princess could see the captain. Quite simply, he had made himself visible to her. "My dear, your are safe here. I am Captain Daniel Gregg, at your service. Glad to see you recovered from your bad illness."

"Captain, where am I? The only thing that I remember is that I was on deck of the Royal Yacht 'Mary' in that terrible thunderstorm on the sea. I was trying to reach the bridge when a big wave hit the yacht, overcame me and then finally washed me overboard. I remember that I cried for help but nobody heard me. I know I struggled very desperately with the sea and then I know nothing more." Then it occurred to her again about the weird dreams she had had when she was in a feverish delusion. "I must have spoken rather confusing things, I believe."

"Not at all, my dear. But now you should tell me your name."

"Oh, how could I forget? I'm Princess Lana of San Victoria, Captain."

"Well, nice to meet you, your highness."

"Oh no, please call me Lana. That sounds much better than your highness."

"Very well, Lana."

In this moment Carolyn began move and opened her eyes. Immediately she was out of the bed after noticing the young lady was awake. Daniel immediately noticed Carolyn's questioning face. "It's alright, my dear. May I introduce you? Carolyn, this is Princess Lana of San Victoria. And Lana, this is Mrs. Carolyn Muir."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Muir."

"Oh, please call me, Carolyn."

"Very well, Carolyn. Then you should call me Lana."

"Well Lana, nice to meet you, too. And I'm glad to see you have recovered from your bad illness. We all were very worried about you."

"I can imagine, because I must have spoken considerable confused things, Carolyn." Lana said.

"I think, NO, Lana!" Carolyn said with a grin on her lips. Her tiredness was as blown away. "Well, since you are awake, what do you think about a big breakfast?"

"Sounds great, Carolyn. I'm really starving and very thirsty. Where is the bathroom? I think I should take a bath before breakfast. I really could use one after all this sweating health cure." Lana felt really well. "And at breakfast I'll inform you who you should call and tell that I'm alive."

"Very well, Lana. Come with me." Carolyn said and then she remembered the naked state of the princess. "I'll better get you a bathrobe of mine before you leave the bed."

Lana knew what Carolyn meant because Captain Gregg was still in the room. "I'll wait for your return, Carolyn."

"Good, I'll be back in a instant. Captain, you better come with me."

"Oh yes, my dear." And both left the room.

Just outside Carolyn said, "That was very sweet of you, Captain to show yourself to the princess."

"My dear, how often must I tell you that I'm not sweet?" And he vanished.

At 1:00 P.M. in the afternoon, Candy and Jonathan were, like the other children, in school and Martha had Ed's help with the tidying work, and getting her employer's car out of the mud. Carolyn and Daniel were still in the house together with Lana, who impatiently awaited her grandmother. Daniel had discovered the Royal Yacht. He had somehow managed to inform Donald through Captain Mabery that the princess was alive and where she could be found.

Donald, for his part, had immediately called Elaine in Boston and told her the good news. Now she was on her way to Schooner Bay, as a friend of Donald's was driving her to the small town.
About three o'clock, the queen and her 'Head of Security' arrived at Gull Cottage. Immediately Lana hugged her grandma after she and Donald had entered the house. "Oh grandma, I'm so happy to see you. Grandma, may I introduce you? This is Mrs. Carolyn Muir, who saved my life."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Muir. I must really thank you for saving the life of my grand-daughter."

"Your Majesty, you're welcome." Carolyn said politely. "But tell the truth, I wasn't alone. I had help from my housekeeper, Ms Martha Grant. She and I together found the princess down on the beach. But Martha isn't here right now."

"Oh, too bad." The queen said. "Well, maybe I can also meet her someday. Well then, Lana, it's high time to get back to San Victoria, as duty calls."

"A pity. But Grandma is right, it is high time to get back to my royal life. But I promise I'll come back, Carolyn." Before she left, she hugged Carolyn very tightly. Lana had tears in her eyes when finally leaving the cottage with her grandma and Donald.

Carolyn was standing alone in the living room. She seemed very sad but Daniel comforted her by taking her in his protective arms. "Carolyn, my darling, you will see her again, believe me."

"I know, Daniel, I know."

Three weeks later, Carolyn got a phone call from San Victoria. It was Lana who invited Carolyn, the children and Martha to visit her and her grandma on the royal Carribean island. Of course, the captain was invited, too, because Lana knew about him and she wanted to see him again.

The End?