The Golden Shell

by Paula Harrison

  Ella gazed at the small shells carved into the back of the throne. One shell gleamed more brightly than the others and she traced her finger across its fan-like shape.

  Then, the shell moved…

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One First Day at School

  Chapter Two Seahorse Tower

  Chapter Three The Pet Barn

  Chapter Four Daisy the Baby Rabbit

  Chapter Five Sharing a Secret

  Chapter Six The Ninja Bumblebee

  Chapter Seven The Wonders of the Throne Room

  Chapter Eight Ella in Trouble

  Chapter Nine The Hidden Passageway

  Chapter Ten The Bunny Hunt

  Chapter Eleven Lady Eggley’s Bedroom

  Chapter Twelve Pet Picnic Day

  Copyright

  Princess Ella gazed out at the trees and hedges flashing past the car window. She linked her fingers together tightly and tried to ignore the fluttering feeling in her tummy. It wouldn’t be long now. Soon they would reach the Royal Academy for Princesses, her new school!

  Ella tucked her dark, wavy hair behind her tiara and smoothed the grey pleats of her new school skirt. She was trying not to think about missing home, especially her puppy, Sesame with his beautiful brown eyes and soft little paws. But thinking about her new school didn’t make her feel better either. Her mum had told her that the school was enormous. What if she got lost trying to find her way around? What if none of the other girls wanted to talk to her? What if—

  “Are you all right, Ella?” Her mum, Queen Jade, leaned towards her. “You look a little pale? Do you feel ill?”

  “No, I’m fine.” Ella tried to smile.

  “Really?” The queen frowned. “You don’t look fine. Perhaps we’d better stop for a moment.” She leaned forward to speak to the royal driver. “Stop at the side of the road, please.”

  The car pulled over next to a hedge. Ella’s dad, King George, gave a quiet snore from the front passenger seat.

  “Your father’s nodded off again,” said the queen, opening the car door. “Out you go! You’ll feel much better after some fresh air.”

  Ella climbed out on to a grassy verge dotted with purple flowers. They were in a narrow lane with tall hedges on both sides. The sun shone brightly and thin wisps of white cloud floated in the sky.

  The queen climbed out of the car, keeping hold of her golden crown. “Ah, there’s something wonderful about the air here!” she said, smiling. “It makes me feel quite energetic! I remember when I used to come to school here, many years ago. One day we all went on a long walk through the fields and…” The queen carried on talking but Ella didn’t listen closely to the rest.

  Her mum had been talking about the old days at school quite a lot. She’d talked about it while making Ella try on her new green and grey uniform. Then she’d talked some more while packing Ella’s suitcase. Ella knew that her mum had loved going to the Royal Academy for Princesses. She just wasn’t sure she was going to like it, too!

  She breathed in deeply. Her mum was right. The air did seem fresher here. She noticed a gap in the hedge a little further along and went to look through it. Sheep were grazing in the field on the other side. Ella stared at the view beyond the field and her heart beat faster. In the distance there was a towering red-stone castle and the sparkling blue sea.

  “Wow! That’s a really big castle.” Ella gazed at its tall square turrets. It looked much more old-fashioned than their palace back home.

  “There it is!” said her mum, joining her. “Harebell Castle – home to the Royal Academy for Princesses.”

  “That’s Harebell Castle? I didn’t know we were so close!” said Ella, surprised.

  “Yes, we’re nearly there.” The queen smiled. “Let’s carry on. We should reach the school in a few minutes.”

  Ella glanced at Harebell Castle one more time before returning to the car. She still felt a little nervous but now she’d seen the castle she wanted to know what it was like inside.

  They drove through the castle gates ten minutes later. As the car swept along, Ella stared at the large statues beside the driveway that had been clipped from privet hedges. One was a boat with a tall mast next to the shape of a sailor looking through a telescope. Ella’s favourite was a tall starfish standing up on two legs.

  A tall grey-haired lady was waiting for them at the front entrance. She greeted them as they got out of the car and shook their hands.

  “Good afternoon,” she said in a clear and calm voice. “I’m Miss Goldwin, the Headmistress of the Royal Academy for Princesses, and you must be Princess Petronella.”

  Ella winced. Petronella was her full name but her mum and dad only used it when they were telling her off. “Could you call me Ella?” she said hopefully.

  Miss Goldwin nodded. “Very well, Princess Ella! I hope you all had a good journey. Please come in.” She led them through a door with sea creatures carved into the wood. Ella traced a finger along the carving of a long octopus’s tentacle.

  The red stone walls gave a warm feeling to the inside of the castle. Two long staircases rose upwards at opposite ends of the hallway and met on a wide balcony. In the centre of the balcony was a huge bronze-coloured bell standing on a wooden pedestal.

  Queen Jade looked around, beaming. “It’s just like I remember – the pictures of famous pupils on the walls and the smell of chocolate pudding. I had such a wonderful time here.”

  Miss Goldwin led them into a large hall set out with tables. “This is our dining hall. We have assemblies in here on a Friday and put on concerts and plays at the end of term.” She swept a speck of dust off a nearby table. “Term began two weeks ago. You’ll be sharing a room with three other girls who have also just started here.”

  A girl with short blonde hair came in. “Did you want to see me, Miss Goldwin?” she asked with a curtsy.

  “Yes, I did, Rosalind,” replied the head teacher. “This is Ella, who will be taking the empty bunk bed in your room. Please would you show her where she’ll be sleeping?”

  Rosalind nodded. “Yes, Miss Goldwin, and then maybe I should show her around the rest of the school.”

  “An excellent idea!” Miss Goldwin turned to Ella. “Rosalind will be your guide today and I’ll get someone to bring your suitcase upstairs in a moment.”

  “Goodbye, darling.” Queen Jade hugged Ella. “Have a lovely time. We’ll send you postcards from everywhere we go on our royal tour.”

  “Bye, Mum. Bye, Dad.” Ella hugged tiiihem both. “I’ll see you soon!” She felt excitement fizzing inside her as she followed Rosalind out of the hall.

  “Have you had a really long journey?” asked Rosalind.

  “Yes, it took five days to sail here from the Island of Varras. I like being on the ocean though.” Ella stopped, suddenly shy.

  Rosalind smiled. “Come on – I’ll show you where we sleep!”

  Ella hurried after her. She couldn’t wait to see her new bunk bed and look all around the rest of the castle!

  Ella followed Rosalind across the entrance hall and up the grand staircase. “Are you new here too?”

  Rosalind nodded. “I started two weeks ago, at the beginning of term. So did Lottie and Summer, the other girls in our room. We wondered who would come to take the last bunk bed.”

  “I should have arrived at the start of term like you,” explained Ella. “But my mum and dad couldn’t bring me till now because they’ve been getting ready for their royal tour. They’ll be visiting places for weeks and weeks.”

  The girls reached the balcony and Ella stared at the enormous bronze-coloured bell.

  “They ring the bell three times for each mealtime,” said Rosalind, noticing where Ella was looking.


  “A bell that big must be really loud,” said Ella.

  “It is!” Rosalind turned a corner and led them up another staircase. “The castle has four towers and that’s where we sleep. We’re in Seahorse Tower.”

  Ella noticed three more staircases leading off in different directions. “What are the other towers called?” she asked.

  “As well as Seahorse there’s Coral, Jellyfish and Barnacle,” Rosalind told her. “I wouldn’t want to sleep in Barnacle. Their tower always seems so cold. Anyway, here we are!”

  She pushed open a door that was painted with a gigantic picture of a seahorse and decorated with shells. The corridor beyond was painted bluey-green with wavy shapes along it. Ella almost felt as if she was underwater.

  The bedroom was large with bunk beds at both ends and plenty of cupboards. Two girls were perched together on a top bunk with their legs hanging over the edge. They were both wearing the Academy uniform and pretty tiaras. They looked up as Ella walked in.

  A girl with curly red hair and sparkling green eyes jumped down from the bunk. “Hello, I’m Lottie! Are you the new girl?”

  Ella smiled. “Yes, I’m Ella!”

  “I’m Summer.” The second girl climbed down from the bunk and pushed her golden hair behind her ears. “I hope you don’t mind having a bottom bunk. Lottie and I took the top ones when we arrived.”

  “No, I don’t mind.” Ella noticed the seahorse quilts on each of the beds. “Are there lots of bedrooms in Seahorse Tower?”

  “Five,” said Lottie. “It’s the smallest tower but the cosiest one, too! We’ll show you round the whole place. You have to see the stables. And you must see the music room, and the garden and the pet barn.”

  Ella’s eyebrows rose. She was just about to ask what the pet barn was when Rosalind broke in. “It’s my job to show her around, Lottie. Miss Goldwin asked me especially!”

  Lottie folded her arms. “All right! Don’t get your tentacles in a tangle! We can all show her round together, can’t we?”

  Ella liked that idea. She was just wondering how to agree with Lottie without upsetting Rosalind, when a brightly-coloured parrot flew in through the open window. The bird landed on Summer’s shoulder, folded his blue wings and looked beadily at Ella. He tilted his head and gave a loud squawk.

  “Shh, Kanga!” said Summer. “You’re not supposed to be in here.”

  A door banged further up the corridor.

  “Quick, Summer!” said Rosalind. “That could be Molly checking up on us again.”

  Summer took the parrot to the window and he flew away again.

  “Is he yours?” asked Ella. “He’s very beautiful.”

  “Yes, he’s mine,” said Summer. “He’s supposed to stay in the bird house but he doesn’t seem to like it down there. He’s used to roaming free at home and now there are all these rules.”

  The bedroom door swung open and an older girl marched in. Her pointed face was framed by thin dark hair. “Have you brought that bird inside again? I told you before: it’s NOT allowed! Only cats and dogs are allowed up here.”

  “Do you mean Kanga the parrot, Molly?” said Lottie. “There are no birds in here. Look – no birds at all!”

  The older girl looked around, frowning. “Well, make sure you don’t bring him up here. The rules say no birds!” She muttered something about new girls, then – with an extra glare at Ella – she closed the door.

  Lottie sighed. “That’s Molly,” she told Ella. “She’s one of the Seahorse Tower captains. There are four of them – all older girls – in charge of this tower.”

  “The other captains seem lovely but Molly just wants to boss everyone around all the time,” said Summer.

  “You see! That’s why we can’t ask just anyone to join,” said Rosalind. “Molly would be awful as part of the—” She stopped suddenly and glanced at Ella.

  Ella noticed the other girls exchanging looks. What had Rosalind been about to say? Ask everyone to join what?

  Summer coughed awkwardly. “So what pet did you bring, Ella?”

  “I…” Ella looked confused. “I didn’t bring a pet. Is everyone allowed to keep one?”

  “Oh yes! Every princess brings an animal with them. That’s what the pet barn is for,” said Lottie in surprise. “As long as it’s not something too difficult to look after. I mean, they wouldn’t be happy if you brought an elephant or something. It would be way too big!”

  “Did you all bring animals with you?” Ella twisted the sleeve of her school jumper.

  “I brought Kanga, my parrot,” explained Summer.

  “I brought a little hamster called Fluff,” said Rosalind.

  “And I brought my pony called Strawberry,” added Lottie. “I couldn’t bear to be away from her for long. I love riding her.”

  “Oh,” said Ella.

  “Didn’t you have a pet that you wanted to bring?” asked Lottie.

  Ella thought of her beautiful puppy, Sesame, who she’d left at home in his soft doggie bed. She swallowed. “No one said I was allowed to bring a pet. My mum told me lots about coming to school here because she came here too, a long time ago. But I guess they didn’t have a pet barn back then.”

  Just then there was a knock at the door and a girl with two brown plaits came in. “The postman’s just arrived! Lottie and Summer, there are letters for you downstairs. Rosalind, I think you’ve got a parcel.”

  “Great!” Rosalind rushed to the door. “Do you want to stay here and settle in, Ella? We won’t be long.”

  “Sure!” said Ella. “I’ll wait here.”

  As they disappeared down the corridor, Ella heard Summer saying, “I think we should be careful who we tell about You Know What!”

  Then the girls turned a corner and Ella couldn’t hear any more. She pushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear. It seemed like there was something the other princesses didn’t want her to know. Sighing, she walked over to the bedroom window.

  Below her were the school playing fields. A tall fence marked the edge of the school grounds and then the grass sloped down to a steep cliff. Beyond the cliff, the sea shimmered as sunlight danced on the waves. A handful of rocks jutted out of the water, guarded by a tall orange-and-white-striped lighthouse. For a moment Ella thought she could hear a faint song drifting on the wind.

  She stared at the sea for a while. Somewhere beyond those waves was her home but it was thousands of miles away. And now she’d found out she was going to be the only one in the whole school without a pet to play with.

  “Ella? Are you all right?”

  Ella swung round and saw that Rosalind had come back in without her noticing. She took a deep breath and tried to smile.

  “I came to get you! You need to come downstairs straight away.” Rosalind grabbed her hand. “Lottie and Summer and I have a surprise for you. I think you’re going to like it!”

  Ella raced along the corridor after Rosalind. They ran downstairs to the balcony with the bronze bell. Rosalind began pointing things out as they passed. “The music and the art room are down that corridor,” she said breathlessly. “And the staff room’s there too.”

  They carried on down the next set of stairs to the entrance hall.

  “I promise I’ll show you round properly later on,” added Rosalind. “There’s the hall – you’ve seen that, haven’t you?”

  Ella nodded. “Where do we go for lessons?”

  “There are lots of classrooms and a science lab around here somewhere,” said Rosalind, waving her arm. “I get a bit lost sometimes because there are so many rooms. That door with the purple crown painted on it is the Throne Room where we do our Royal Skills classes.”

  Ella glanced curiously at the door with the purple crown. Her mum had told her a lot about the Royal Skills classes. Those were the lessons where you practised behaving in a royal manner – learning to bow and curtsy.

  “Come on! We can look at all that later.” Rosalind pulled her out of the front door and they ran across the
garden together.

  “Where are we going?” said Ella.

  Rosalind grinned. “You’ll see!”

  They ran past a row of greenhouses. Then Ella saw Lottie and Summer waving at them from the doorway of a long, wooden barn.

  “This is so exciting!” called Lottie. “I wish I was getting one too!”

  Ella’s brow wrinkled. “What do you mean? Getting what?”

  Summer giggled and stood back from the doorway. “Come inside and we’ll show you.”

  Ella stepped into the shadowy barn. At first she couldn’t see much. What was that smell? It made her think of hay and animals.

  Rosalind switched on a light. “Welcome to the pet barn!”

  “Oh!” Ella stared round the barn in delight. There were pens on one side and rows of smaller hutches on the other. A lamb bleated right next to her, making her jump. The little animal stuck its head over the side of its pen and looked at her nosily.

  “What do you think?” said Rosalind, beaming.

  “Wow! This is great!” said Ella. “I’ve never seen so many animals in one place.”

  “There are guinea pigs, gerbils and hamsters here, as well as the sheep and chickens which belong to the school,” explained Lottie. “Cats and dogs are allowed upstairs in the bedrooms as long as they’re well behaved, and ponies like my Strawberry live in the stables.”

  “Birds live in the bird house next door and that’s where my parrot Kanga is meant to be,” said Summer. “Except that he keeps on escaping to come and find me!”

  “Hello, girls!” A lady with freckled cheeks wearing jeans and wellies came into the barn. “Ah, is this someone new?” She smiled at Ella.

  “I’m Ella,” said Ella shyly. “I arrived today.”

  “Lovely to meet you!” the lady replied, brushing mud off her hands. “I’m Rebecca. I look after the pet barn and make sure that all the animals are happy and well looked after. Did you bring a pet with you?”

  Ella shook her head sadly.