“Tilly!” Ajay dashed around the corner.
“Here you are!” Summer carefully handed the bunny to Ajay. “She’s a cute rabbit.”
“Thank you for finding her.” Ajay smoothed Tilly’s soft floppy ears. “I’m going to get her some treats.” He carried the rabbit away.
“Oh, Summer! This is Lottie and Rosalind,” said Maya, realizing that she needed to introduce them all.
“You coaxed the rabbit out of there really easily,” Lottie told Summer approvingly. “Do you like animals?”
“Yes, I have lots of pets at home, and I love wild animals, too.” Summer shook back her hair. “I’m from the land of Mirrania. I bet you’ve heard of some of our wild animals — like koalas and kangaroos.”
“We have some fantastic wildlife here, too,” said Maya proudly. “I saw two snow leopards on the mountainside early this morning. One of the snow leopards was a little cub, and I’ve named him Cloudtail.”
“Aw! You’re so lucky!” cried Rosalind. “I would love to see a snow leopard cub.”
“Me too!” Summer’s eyes shone. “It would be like a dream come true.”
An idea popped into Maya’s head. “Maybe you can! I can take you up the mountain and show you the cub. It’s perfectly safe as long as you don’t get too close.”
Lottie looked thoughtful. “Doesn’t the Spring Festival start on Saturday? Because that would mean the next two days are totally free and we can do whatever we want.”
“That’s if the grown-ups let us,” said Rosalind doubtfully.
“We should ask them right now,” Lottie decided. “Why don’t you try your dad first, Maya? If he says yes, then all the other kings and queens will have to agree.”
“All right!” Maya beamed. “Let’s go and ask.”
Together, they ran back to the palace and found King Ramesh still talking in the banquet hall. The king’s brother, Duke Levon, was there, too, wearing a black velvet robe and a heavy gold chain that made him look even richer than the king.
“Dad?” said Maya. “Can I ask you something?” The other princesses crowded behind her.
The king turned around. “Yes, Maya, what is it?”
“Can I take these princesses up to Ching-May Peak tomorrow so that they can see the snow leopards?” Maya wound her braid around one finger. “They’d love to go.”
“Go all the way up Ching-May Peak!” said Duke Levon sharply. “What nonsense! Little girls should stay inside the palace where they belong.”
Maya wanted to tell her uncle that she’d been up the mountainside earlier that day with Deena, but she didn’t dare. He looked so fierce sometimes, with his dark eyes and sharp features.
The king silenced his brother with a look. “I’m afraid not, my dear,” he told Maya. “At ten o’clock tomorrow morning, we’ll begin a whole day of speeches leading up to the Spring Festival. We call it the Grand Assembly, and everyone will be there in full royal costume. ”
Rosalind sighed loudly and folded her arms.
Maya blinked. A whole day of grown-ups talking! That would be awful. “But please, Dad —” she began.
“I’m sorry, Maya,” said King Ramesh. “It’s out of the question.”
Maya’s heart sank. She hated disappointing the other girls.
“Couldn’t we go for a little while?” asked Lottie, but King Ramesh had turned to speak to some other guests and didn’t hear her.
Maya led the other princesses over to a corner. “What are we going to do? A whole day of speeches sounds so boring, but my dad never changes his mind about anything.”
“If the speeches don’t start until ten o’clock, we could sneak out, see the snow leopards, and come back before they even realize we’re gone,” said Lottie.
“What if we’re late?” asked Maya doubtfully. “We’ll get in trouble.”
Lottie and Rosalind exchanged glances. “There is a way we could sneak into the banquet hall without being seen, even in the middle of the speeches,” said Rosalind.
“That’s right,” said Lottie. “We know ninja moves.”
Summer’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Rosalind nodded. “We have a book that helps us….” She glanced around, checking that no one was listening. “Come to my room, and I’ll show you.”
They raced upstairs. Rosalind shut her bedroom door. Then, very carefully, she took a blue sweater out of her suitcase. Gently, she unfolded it to show them what lay inside — an old book with a black cover and golden letters on the front.
“This book …” Rosalind lowered her voice mysteriously, “is the secret Book of Ninja!”
“Wow! Is it very old?” asked Maya.
“It is.” Rosalind nodded. “And every single ninja move ever invented is written down inside. It’s been very useful.”
“But what have you used it for?” asked Summer.
Lottie and Rosalind exchanged looks. “We said we’d keep all that a secret — remember?” said Lottie.
“I think we should tell them,” said Rosalind. “They both love animals, and that’s the most important part of being a you know what! Anyway, we need to teach them some ninja moves so that we can go to see the snow leopards.”
Lottie nodded. “All right!” She turned to Maya and Summer. “We’ll tell you our special secret as long as you promise not to tell anyone.”
“I can keep a secret. Cross my heart!” Maya put her hand on her heart.
“Me too,” said Summer.
“The secret is that Rosalind and I are Rescue Princesses!” Lottie told them. “We help animals in trouble no matter how dangerous it is. There are two other girls who are Rescue Princesses as well. Together we’ve had lots of incredible adventures!”
Maya felt a fluttering in her stomach. “That’s amazing!” she said. “I’ve always wanted to go on an adventure!”
Lottie and Rosalind smiled at each other. They knew they could trust these girls to keep their secret.
Maya ran downstairs to the kitchens and brought up tall glasses of lemonade with curly straws and bowls of ice cream with chocolate sauce on top. Then the four princesses talked excitedly about how they would go to see the snow leopards without anyone missing them!
Lottie amazed Maya and Summer with stories of the adventures they’d had as Rescue Princesses, especially the last one, when they’d rescued two tiger cubs.
Maya looked longingly at the jeweled rings on Rosalind’s and Lottie’s fingers. They’d told her they used these magic jewels to call one another when there was an animal rescue emergency.
Maya was also fascinated by The Book of Ninja. Its yellowy pages contained astonishing details about ninja moves and disguises. She felt like she could have read it forever, and she was disappointed when they were called down for lunch, followed by an afternoon of royal duties.
Maya woke early the next morning, full of excitement. She put on black leggings and a silver-gray T-shirt, picked up a bag with her finest royal dress and tiara inside, and crept downstairs. She stopped in the empty hallway, her heart racing as she thought of the plan they’d made yesterday. If this worked, they’d soon be on their way to the mountains to see the snow leopard cub!
“Maya!” hissed a voice. “We’re over here.”
Maya spotted a patch of curly red hair poking out from behind a pillar. “Hi, Lottie!” she called softly. “Are the others with you?”
“Yes, we’re all here.” Summer’s smiling face peeked out from the other side. “We were just waiting for you.”
Maya grinned. “Let’s go, before the kings and queens wake up.”
Lottie, Rosalind, and Summer darted out from behind the pillar. They were all wearing leggings and T-shirts, too, and carrying bags with their fancy clothes inside.
Maya led them outside. “Ready? We’re going straight to the stables.”
They ran across the garden, only slowing down once they’d turned the corner into the stable yard. There were five horses in the stalls, all busy eating hay. A chestnut-
Maya collected the bags together and hid them in an empty stall. “As soon as we get back, we can change into our royal clothes, and no one will notice a thing.”
“At last! We can go!” cried Rosalind. “But how are we going to get there? Isn’t it too far to walk?”
Maya went over to her favorite pony, Dazzle, and rubbed his shiny black coat. “Yes, it’s a pretty long way, and that’s why I brought you to the stables. We’re going to ride.”
Rosalind turned pale. “But I don’t know how to ride! Nobody said this was part of the plan.”
“Don’t worry, you can sit behind me. I’m a good rider,” said Maya. “Lottie and Summer, can one of you ride a horse?”
“I can,” said Summer. “I love horses.”
“Me too!” Lottie’s eyes gleamed. “We can take turns holding the reins.”
“Take Fernleaf,” said Maya, pointing to a small, sandy-colored pony. “She’s very gentle.”
“Hello, Fernleaf.” Summer rubbed the pony’s nose, and Fernleaf gave a soft answering whinny.
Maya handed out riding hats to everyone. Then she helped a nervous Rosalind onto Dazzle’s back before getting on herself. Lottie and Summer climbed onto Fernleaf, and Lottie took the reins. Tapping her heels gently against Dazzle, Maya urged him forward. They trotted down the drive and through the palace gates.
“Are you all right, Rosalind?” asked Maya, turning to look behind her.
“I think so,” said Rosalind. “It’s a little bumpy, isn’t it?”
Maya laughed. “I guess it is! Hold on tight because we’re going to go faster!” She leaned forward to whisper in Dazzle’s ear, and the little pony tossed his head and broke into a canter.
Fields rolled by as the horses gained speed, their hooves drumming on the ground and their tails flying. The city with the royal palace was now far behind them. Ahead rose a majestic row of mountains, all capped with glittering snow.
“It’s really beautiful!” called Summer. “Which one is Ching-May Peak?”
“Ching-May is a small ridge halfway up the first mountain,” Maya called back. “We’re not far away now.”
A few minutes later, Maya asked Dazzle to slow down. Then she leapt off, and Rosalind climbed down, too. “I really liked that!” said Rosalind, her cheeks pink. “I didn’t know riding would be so much fun.”
Maya smiled as she took off her riding hat. “Dazzle loves galloping, and he went just as fast as ever with two of us on his back.” She led the pony over to a field with a fence around it. “We’ll leave the ponies here. The farmer never minds us using this field.”
The princesses said good-bye to Dazzle and Fernleaf and began the steep climb up the mountainside. The ground grew rockier and clumps of wildflowers pushed their way up between the stones. A low humming noise echoed around the mountains, and Maya wondered what it was.
“What a beautiful view,” said Lottie. “Look, I can see the palace!”
But Maya didn’t look at the view. She stopped climbing and frowned. “Do you hear that? There’s a sort of chugging sound.”
The noise got louder and the rocky ground shook. Some little pebbles rolled away down the mountainside.
“It sounds a little like a truck or a backhoe,” said Summer.
Maya shook her head. “It can’t be! No one is allowed to build anything on these mountains. This is a wildlife area by order of the king.” She ran up the mountainside, her heart thudding.
“Slow down, Maya!” called Lottie.
Maya reached the smooth stone of Ching-May Peak and gazed down. Her heart sank. From here, she could see much more of the mountain. The lower slopes had been taken over by people in orange jackets and builders’ helmets. They shouted to one another, motioning a huge backhoe forward. Two more trucks waited at the bottom. Part of the slope had already been flattened, and the rocks and wildflowers covered with dull brown earth.
The other girls caught up with her. “What is it, Maya?” Rosalind panted. “What’s going on?”
Maya stared at the mountainside in horror. “They’re not allowed to do that here! They must have started yesterday after I left. They’ve caused so much damage already.”
“It does look like a real mess,” said Lottie. “And I bet they’ve scared away the snow leopards.”
Maya scanned the mountainside for any sign of the beautiful snow leopards. What if the little cub had been hurt?
Then she caught sight of something moving higher up on the slope. “There’s the mother.” She pointed. “But I can’t see the cub.”
“Where was their den?” asked Summer.
“I think it must have been among those rocks down there,” said Maya. “It’s hard to see because snow leopards choose places that are well hidden. I hope Cloudtail’s gone with his mother.”
Just then a furry white head peeked out of the rocks and looked around.
“There’s the cub!” Rosalind pointed across the mountainside. “Poor little thing! Those machines must sound even louder over there.”
“We have to help him.” Maya’s eyes shone with determination. “We have to tell those people to take their noisy equipment away.”
The princesses scrambled down the slope, the stones sliding beneath their feet. Maya went first because she knew the mountainside best. She took them down a path that skirted along a steep gully and led to where the builders were working.
“Stop!” cried Lottie over the noise of the backhoe. She waved her arms and the others joined in.
At last, one of the men saw them and signaled to the person inside the digging machine, who shut off the engine.
“That’s better,” said Rosalind. “I can’t stand that horrible noise, and goodness knows how scary it is for the cub!”
The first man marched over to them, looking angry. His orange jacket barely fit over his pudgy middle. “What do you think you’re doing, little girls? You shouldn’t be here.”
“What?!” snapped Rosalind, but Lottie shushed her.
“This is a protected wildlife area,” explained Maya. “Maybe you didn’t know. No one is allowed to build here by order of the king.”
“Is that right?” sneered the builder, turning to laugh with another man who’d just walked over. “And what would you four know about the king’s orders?”
Maya felt her cheeks grow hot. “I know a lot about them, actually, because I’m Princess Maya, the king’s daughter.”
The men laughed even harder at this. “You don’t look very royal to me,” said the pudgy man. “Anyway, we have different royal orders to follow that you know nothing about. Now, off you go. We have a lot to get done today.” He waved for the digger to start up again.
“But there’s a snow leopard cub in a den over there!” cried Maya. But the men didn’t hear her over the chugging noise of the machinery.
“How dare they not believe that we’re royal!” Rosalind glared at the men.
“It’s because we’re not in our best dresses,” said Maya. “Poor Cloudtail! He must be so frightened.”
“We should rescue him,” said Lottie. “Let’s go get him from the den right now.”
“I don’t think we should,” said Summer. “The machines aren’t digging next to the den yet. There’s a chance we could upset the mother snow leopard if we try to take the cub away. It’s her instinct to protect her baby. It would be awful if she tried to come down here. The trucks and backhoes make it a dangerous place for an animal.”
Maya glanced up at the mother snow leopard, who was still prowling across the higher slopes. “Deena, who works on the wildlife projects, is always telling me not to disturb a den.” She bit her lip. “We need to get back home and tell my dad,” she decided. “He’ll be able stop these builders.”
Lottie looked disappointed.
Together, they ran back to the field where their ponies were grazing. Dazzle and Fernleaf trotted over right away. The girls put on their riding hats before climbing onto the ponies.
“Good boy!” Maya patted Dazzle’s neck. “Take us home as quickly as you can.”
The ponies set off at a fast pace. The wind streamed past the princesses’ faces and made Summer’s fair hair fly out behind her. Soon they left the fields behind and turned down the path that led through the huge stone archway into the palace garden.
Dazzle and Fernleaf sped into the stable yard, and the girls jumped down.
“Well done, Dazzle!” Maya rubbed the pony’s shiny coat. Dazzle whinnied and trotted away to the water trough. Summer stroked Fernleaf, who bent her head to nuzzle the girl’s shoulder.
“I’ve found our royal dresses!” Rosalind ran out of a stall holding the bags.
“There’s no time to get changed!” cried Lottie.
“I think we should,” said Maya. “Otherwise the grown-ups will get mad as soon as they see us.”
The princesses picked up their clothes and each rushed into an empty stall to get changed. Maya came out first in a red-and-gold dress that stretched down to her ankles. She wore a heart-shaped tiara on top of her dark hair.
“I’m ready,” she called, stuffing her T-shirt into her bag.
“Me too!” Lottie appeared in a crimson dress decorated with sparkly beads. A ruby tiara perched awkwardly on her red curls.
Summer rushed out in a yellow dress and a tiara made of flowers. “The poor snow leopard cub! I can’t stop thinking about him in his den with all those machines roaring close by.”
Maya, Summer, and Lottie looked back at the stall where Rosalind was still changing. “Come on, Rosy!” cried Lottie.
“All right! All right!” Rosalind hurried out, smoothing her dark blue dress and checking that her sapphire tiara was on straight.
They ran back through the garden, slowing down as they reached the front door. Maya hid the bags of clothes behind a large potted plant, and they headed straight into the banquet hall.
“There’s no point using the ninja moves,” said Lottie. “We want them to notice us.”
Maya swallowed. “We’ll just have to tell the truth about where we went. I don’t mind if I get in trouble, as long as Cloudtail is safe from those backhoes.”
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