The Ruby Princess Runs Away
Page 3
Roxanne took her place beside her cousins. Sabrina blew her a kiss. Demetra squeezed her hand. “Welcome back,” Emily whispered.
Now it was time for Roxanne to be crowned.
King Regal nodded to Gallivant, who signaled the court musicians.
Beautiful music filled the air.
Gallivant turned to the crowd. “The people of the Red Mountains have chosen one of their own to place the Ruby Crown on Princess Roxanne’s head. Will he please come forward?”
There was a loud flapping, and the room was filled with smoke.
Gallivant announced, “May I present—”
“Happy!” Roxanne cried with glee. Ignoring all royal manners, she raced to greet her friend. “It’s you!”
Hapgood folded his wings and bowed low. “Greetings, Princess Roxanne of the Red Mountains.” He winked and added, “And the Rushing River.”
Roxanne wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, “You must have known who I was all along.”
“Yes,” Hapgood confessed sheepishly. “I did. When you ran away, Gallivant gave me the shield and sent me to find you.”
Gallivant then presented the Ruby Crown to Hapgood. The dragon raised it above Roxanne’s head.
“Wait!” Roxanne cried. “I would like the man who forged this beautiful crown to be by my side.” She searched the room for the bearded gnome.
Applesap and Marigold stood at the back of the hall with Pip, looking very embarrassed.
“Come join the celebration,” Roxanne cried to all of them.
Marigold, Applesap, and Pip approached the throne.
Then Hapgood set the glittering Ruby Crown on Roxanne’s head. “From this moment on, I vow to be your friend and protector for all the days of my life.”
Tears of joy shone in Roxanne’s eyes. She hugged and kissed each of the other princesses.
Then the Ruby Princess turned to face the court. “As the ruler of the Red Mountains, I vow to have a keen ear and a kind heart, that I might always be a loving and giving … friend.”
Read the next sparkling adventure in the Jewel Kingdom series!
The Sapphire Princess Meets a Monster
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“It’s a perfect day for a picnic!” Princess Sabrina said as she sailed across the water in Blue Lake. She was riding in her laurel-leaf boat.
Gurt the gilliwag sat behind her, paddling the boat. The green froglike creature was a close friend of the Sapphire Princess’s.
“Princess Sabrina,” Gurt said in his deep voice, “this very golden afternoon matches your golden gift.”
That morning a golden basket had very mysteriously arrived at the gates of the Sapphire Palace. A card was pinned to the basket. It read, To the Sapphire Princess. Signed, A Secret Admirer.
The golden basket was filled with bread, cheese, and chocolate. Each piece was wrapped in gold cloth and tied with a sapphire-blue ribbon.
Princess Sabrina loved the basket. She had invited her three cousins to join her for a picnic that afternoon. Demetra, the Diamond Princess, and Emily, the Emerald Princess, had arrived. While they waited for the Ruby Princess, the three cousins sailed across the lake to Bluebonnet Falls.
“Let’s have a race!” Sabrina called to the Emerald Princess. Emily was on her knees, paddling a large green lily pad.
“I’m ready when you are,” Princess Emily said as she pulled up next to Sabrina. “Just say the word.”
Of the four Jewel Princesses, Emily was the most athletic. She ruled the Greenwood and spent her days climbing trees and riding through her lush green forest.
The Diamond Princess steered her boat made of white gardenias between her two cousins. Demetra ruled the White Winterland, and everything she wore was glittering white.
“I think we should wait for Roxanne,” Demetra advised. “Wasn’t she going to join us?”
“Roxanne is always late,” Emily said with a frown. “If we wait for her, it will be sundown before we get to eat.”
Sabrina focused her dark brown eyes on the shore. There was no sign of the Ruby Princess.
“I agree with Emily,” Sabrina announced. “Let’s have a race ourselves.”
“No, no, no!” squeaked a yellow-and-pink butterfly as she landed on Sabrina’s finger. It was Zazz, Princess Sabrina’s palace adviser and best friend.
“Princess, if you race in this boat, you’ll lose,” Zazz sputtered. “Or sink. Just look at what we’re carrying. Gurt. That heavy gold basket. The napkins and tablecloths, and all of the royal china.”
Sabrina put her face nose-to-nose with the tiny butterfly. “Then I’ll just have to get another boat. Any idea where I might find one?”
Blue Lake was dotted with boats. “I’ll call the nymphs,” Zazz said as she fluttered off the princess’s finger. “They’ll bring a leaf boat right over.”
“Don’t do that,” Emily called. “Sabrina, hop on my lily pad. We’ll race Demetra together.”
Sabrina stood up to leap onto Emily’s boat, but something tugged at her arm.
Sabrina spun around. No one was there. Just Gurt the gilliwag calmly paddling away. She looked at the mysterious golden basket. It glittered in the afternoon sun.
“Come on, Sabrina!” Emily cried. “Jump!”
Before Sabrina could make a move, the basket danced across the bottom of the boat and leaped into her hands.
Emily gasped. “Did you see that?” she asked Demetra.
“I don’t like this,” Demetra said, shaking her shiny black hair. “Sabrina, you should leave that basket alone. You don’t know where it came from.”
“Don’t be such a worrywart!” Sabrina stared at the golden basket. “This is a present. A very magical present from a secret admirer. Full of wonderful food.”
“And I’m starving,” Zazz called from her perch on the boat’s bow.
“Me too.” Sabrina leaned forward and whispered to the butterfly, “Zazz, let’s not wait until we get to Bluebonnet Falls. Why don’t you and I take a piece of chocolate from the picnic basket right now?”
Zazz rubbed her little legs together. “I like chocolate. Yes, yes!”
Sabrina opened the basket. But just as her fingers touched the food, something jolted the boat.
“Whoa!” Zazz fell backward onto the floor of the boat and bent one antenna. “What was that?”
“I’m not sure!” Sabrina replied.
Thunk! Something hit the boat again.
“I’m afraid something is trying to sink us,” Gurt declared, pulling his paddle into the boat.
“The water sprites must be playing a joke.” Sabrina peered into the water. She was looking for the ghostly outline of the little sprites.
“If the sprites don’t want you to see them, Princess, you won’t,” Zazz said as she tried to straighten her antenna.
“I’ll try calling them.” Sabrina cupped her hands around her mouth. “Hello? Anybody there?”
Nothing.
The Sapphire Princess leaned over the side of the boat. She was so close, her nose nearly touched the lake.
All at once two huge yellow eyes appeared just below the surface.
Sabrina screamed and fell backward.
JAHNNA N. MALCOLM stands for Jahnna “and” Malcolm. Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner are married and write together. They have written over a hundred books for kids. Jahnna and Malcolm have written books and musicals about ballerinas, horses, ghosts, singing cowgirls, and magic.
Before Jahnna and Malcolm wrote books, they were actors. They met on the stage where Malcolm was playing a prince. And they were married on the stage where Jahnna was playing a princess.
Now they have their own prince and princess: Dash and Skye, who are almost grown up. They live in Oregon with their golden retriever, Archie.
If you want to learn more about them and hear songs from their musicals, including “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical,” visit jahnnanmalcolm.com.
Copyri
ght © 2019 by Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner
Illustrations by Sumiti Collina copyright © 2019 by Scholastic Inc.
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First printing 2020
Cover art © 2019 by Sarah Gianassi • Interior art © 2019 by Sumiti Collina
Cover design by Maeve Norton
e-ISBN 978-1-338-56568-3
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