Magic Ballerina 1-6

by Darcey Bussell

  “Whatever,” said King Rat swiftly. “I promise. Just get me out of here RIGHT NOW!”

  “OK.” Delphie looked around. The doors were all locked and the room King Rat was in was way up high, the window barred.

  “Um, Delphie?” Lila whispered. “How are we going to get him out?”

  Delphie thought for a moment. Lila’s magic was their only chance. “Can you stop your spells so Lila can do strong magic out here in your grounds?” she asked King Rat.

  “Yes,” he said. He waved his hands and muttered a string of words. “She should be able to do her magic now.”

  Delphie turned to Lila. “Can you magic up a rope ladder long enough to get from the window to the ground? Then King Rat could maybe squeeze out between the bars and get down.”

  But to Delphie’s dismay, Lila shook her head. “I can’t do that type of magic. I can’t make things appear like Sugar or transform things like Cinderella’s fairy godmother. I can change other fairies’ spells, like I did at Aurelia’s christening or use my magic to give people blessings like wealth, happiness or beauty.”

  “Oi!” protested King Rat from up above. “I –” he preened his whiskers – “am considered rather a catch already, I’ll have you know.”

  Delphie ignored him. “Giving him blessings isn’t going to help.” She frowned. “But what about changing spells? Could you change the Wicked Fairy’s spell on the locks so that instead of being closed they were open?”

  “Yes!” exclaimed Lila. “It would take a lot of magic but I could do it.”

  “You know that’s not a bad plan,” King Rat said, sounding astonished. “You’re not quite as stupid as you look, girl.”

  Lila brushed down her tutu. “I’ll have to dance to make the magic work though.”

  Delphie stood back as King Rat groaned. “Argh! No! Not dancing!”

  Lila ignored him. “Will you help me, Delphie? With two of us dancing the magic should be stronger and it’ll be easier to change the spell.”

  “Of course I’ll help!” said Delphie eagerly. She always loved to dance. “What do you want me to do?”

  Lila smiled. “Watch me first and then have a go!” She raised both arms above her head, and stood gracefully on her pointes. Then she waved her slender silver wand in a circle and music – a grand sweeping waltz – flooded through the air. Lila crossed her left foot behind her and pointed her right toe forward. Sweeping her arms round she stepped on to her right toe, lifting her other leg high in the air behind her and opening her arms wide. From there, she moved into a rapid spin, stepping out of it on to her left toe. She spun round again before jumping forward three times. Then she waved her wand to stop the music and looked at Delphie.

  Delphie’s heart had been sinking as she had watched the fairy. “I can’t do that,” she said anxiously. “I won’t be able to dance as gracefully as you, or to get my leg that high.”

  Lila took her hands, her blue eyes meeting Delphie’s. “Just do it as well as you can. It doesn’t matter if it is perfect or not. As long as you dance with your heart, the magic will happen.”

  She led Delphie to where she had started from and struck the opening pose. Heart beating fast, Delphie copied her. Lila waved her wand and the music started again. Delphie felt a moment of nerves but they vanished as the beautiful music flowed through her. She moved forward, following Lila as best she could, keeping her shoulders down, her arms open, her feet light. The music – and her shoes – seemed to guide her.

  On the third time of repeating the sequence, the music grew louder and Lila spun round in a rapid pirouette after the jumps. She stopped in perfect balance with her wand pointing at the castle and said: “The Wicked Fairy’s evil spell my dance will turn about. Locks spring open at my cry and let the big rat out.”

  There was a flash and then Delphie heard a click from the lock in the back door.

  The music stopped. Delphie ran to the door and tried the handle. It turned. “The locks have opened!” she cried.

  “Hooray!” yelled King Rat and he disappeared from the window.

  “We did it!” Lila said, hugging Delphie.

  A minute later, King Rat came charging out of the back door. “I’m free!” He grinned nastily. “And now I’m off!”

  And with that he charged away towards the woods, cloak flying behind him!

  For a moment Delphie was too surprised to move and then she raced after King Rat. “Hey!” she shouted. “Just you wait here a minute! You promised you’d help us out, and a promise is a promise!”

  King Rat glanced behind him. “You really thought I’d keep my word?” he yelled as he ran. “Ha! Not a chance! I’m out of here! I’m going to get some food and… OW!” He’d been so busy talking he didn’t realise he’d reached the edge of the woods and he bumped straight into a tree.

  With a yell, he bounced off it and landed at Delphie’s feet. She jumped on his cloak, pinning him down.

  “Let me go!” he said, struggling to get up.

  “No! You promised you’d help us!” said Delphie angrily.

  Lila had caught up with them. “If you don’t help I’ll… I’ll… ”

  “You’ll what?” demanded King Rat. “You can’t do much apart from give people blessings. Well, hey! Go ahead! Make me wealthy or happy then!”

  “She won’t do that,” Delphie said quickly. “But she will make you really beautiful.” King Rat opened his mouth but Delphie didn’t give him a chance to speak. “But it’ll be a fairy godmother’s idea of beauty!”

  Lila’s eyes sparkled. “I think I know what you mean, Delphie. Something like this!” She waved her wand and a mist appeared. In the clouds of white was a picture of King Rat. But it was a very different-looking King Rat! He had long golden blond hair, big blue eyes, his nose turned up at the end and there was a sweet smile on his ratty face.

  “Argh!” King Rat yelled, shuffling backwards on his bottom. “No, please no!” he said, shaking his head and holding his paws up. “I’ll do anything! Just don’t make me look like that!”

  Delphie looked at him sternly. “In that case will you help us to rescue the prince like you promised?”

  King Rat nodded. “I’ll do it! I’ll do anything!”

  Delphie grinned at Lila. “So where is he?”

  “At the Wicked Fairy’s Palace!” grimaced King Rat. “In the stable block – that’s where he’s being kept captive.”

  Delphie smiled. “Then I think we’d better all go there!” she said. “Immediately!”

  Lila’s magic set them down behind a large bush, just outside a grey castle that was somehow more menacing than King Rat’s. Tall pointed turrets reached into the sky and black flags, each with the picture of a green toad, flew from them. The roof was jagged and made Delphie think of crocodile teeth.

  A shiver ran down her spine; what must the Wicked Fairy be like?

  “That’s where she’s keeping the prince,” King Rat said, pointing to a stone stable block next to the castle. Five of the six doors were bolted shut.

  Just then there was the sound of wheels coming down the drive. They all ducked behind the bush as a dusty black carriage appeared. It was pulled by two giant black rats galloping along on all fours and a large fairy with grey hair and warts was driving them, hitting the reins down on their backs. “Go faster!” she shrieked at the poor rats. “Faster!”

  “The Wicked Fairy!” Delphie breathed.

  The fairy was wearing a swirling black dress with a full skirt and a floor-length green cloak and she had a long black wand in her hand. “STOP!” she yelled, yanking on the reins.

  “They’re my cousins,” hissed King Rat. “The ones I told you about. They can’t escape. She’s used her magic to attach their tails to the carriage.”

  Delphie saw that the ends of the rats’ tails were wound around the bar at the front of the carriage. “But that’s horrible!” she said, as the two giant rats collapsed, exhausted, on the ground.

  There was the sound of shouting a
nd fists banging against a door in the stables. The prince had obviously heard the Wicked Fairy arrive.

  “Oh, be quiet, you!” snarled the Wicked Fairy. “And don’t you be so lazy!” she snapped, kicking one of the rats. “Good for nothing, idle layabouts.” She lifted her foot with its high-heeled shoe to stamp on the other rat’s paw.

  Delphie couldn’t bear it. She leaped out from behind the bush. “Stop it!” she shouted furiously. “Stop treating them like that!”

  The Wicked Fairy swung round. “Who are you?” Her eyes fell on Delphie’s red ballet shoes. “Hmm… You’re that meddling human girl I’ve heard about. Here to try and free the prince no doubt. Well, we’ll soon see about that! Prepare to turn into a statue!” She raised her wand: “From flesh to stone you will turn. And so a lesson you will learn!”

  “No!” Lila shrieked as a bolt of green magic shot out of the Wicked Fairy’s wand and headed straight for Delphie!

  Before the curse could reach Delphie, King Rat thrust his paw out. A red ball flew from his claws, colliding with the Wicked Fairy’s green magic and exploding in a harmless shower of sparks.

  Delphie swung round. “King Rat, you saved me!” she gasped.

  “Why you… you… ” The Wicked Fairy looked like she was about to explode. “You’ll be sorry for that, King Rat,” she snarled. She waved her wand. “You’ll all be sorry!”

  They backed away.

  The Wicked Fairy advanced on King Rat. “You first. You can join your useless cousins and pull my carriage!”

  “No!” exclaimed King Rat.

  “Yes. You won’t be able to stop this spell,” she cried. “I’ll use my strongest magic and you’ll be my servant forever! That’ll serve you right for standing against me!”

  Delphie looked round desperately. King Rat had helped her and now she wanted to help him but what could she do?

  The Wicked Fairy cackled. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy this!”

  Delphie’s thoughts raced. Lila wouldn’t be able to stop the spell. Their only hope was to distract the Wicked Fairy in some way. But how? An idea began to form in her brain. “Lila!” she whispered while the fairy’s attention was on King Rat. “Can you change the curse on the rats so they’re attached to the Wicked Fairy? Then she’ll be so busy trying to free herself that she won’t have time to cast the spell on King Rat.”

  Lila nodded. “Yes but I’ll need your help again.”

  “Let’s do it!” said Delphie.

  Lila waved her wand in a very small circle and faint music flooded out.

  Delphie and Lila began the dance they had done earlier.

  The Wicked Fairy swung round. “What are you doing?” she demanded, as they spun and turned. “What are… ”

  But she was too late. Lila was already stopping, one leg held behind her, arms outstretched. “Your curse on the rats, I will now change and twist. Tails wound not around a carriage, but around your wrists!” She pointed her wand at the Wicked Fairy.

  There was a lilac flash and suddenly the two rats’ tails were wrapped round the Wicked Fairy’s wrists. The rats leaped forward and the Wicked Fairy bumped down on to her large bottom.

  “Ow! Eee! Ow! STOP!” she shouted in shock as they pulled her along the ground.

  “Good spell!” King Rat exclaimed.

  Delphie couldn’t help giggling. The Wicked Fairy looked so funny being towed along!

  “She’ll break the spell on the rats and free them!” Lila said, breathless with excitement.

  She was right. The Wicked Fairy waved her wand. “The curse on these two rats now be broken. Set them free; my will I’ve spoken!” she screeched.

  The two rats’ tails unwound in an instant and the Wicked Fairy jolted to a stop. But as she did so, she lost her grip on her wand. It clattered to the ground.

  Lila grabbed it. At the same moment, King Rat drew his sword and charged at the Wicked Fairy. “You’d treat my relatives like that, would you?” he yelled, his red eyes gleaming. “Just wait till I get my paws on you!”

  The Wicked Fairy jumped to her feet and raced to the nearest place – the open stable. She ran inside it, pulling the door shut behind her.

  King Rat slammed the bolts across. “Ha!” he yelled. “Now, see how you like being locked up!”

  Delphie and Lila hugged each other in delight.

  “I’m going to see if my cousins are all right,” said King Rat and he set off to comfort his relatives.

  “How are we going to keep her in there?” said Delphie, expecting the Wicked Fairy to burst out at any moment.

  “It’s OK. She can’t get out,” Lila said. “Fairy magic in Enchantia comes from our wands and from dancing. The Wicked Fairy has never been able to dance and now she doesn’t have her wand either, so she can’t magic her way out of the stable! King Rat was right. She really is trapped in there!”

  Delphie breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t help thinking that it was a deserving punishment.

  “I’ll come back and let her out later,” Lila promised as the Wicked Fairy screeched and kicked the stable door. “But first we need to help Aurelia, and that means taking her true prince to her.”

  Delphie and Lila ran to let the prince out. He was very dirty, very dishevelled and very confused.

  “What’s been going on?” he asked.

  Delphie and Lila quickly told him what had been happening. “So we need you to come with us and break the spell,” said Lila.

  “Of course,” said the prince, sweeping into a graceful bow. “It would be an honour. Prince Florimund at your service.”

  “There’s no time for that flowery nonsense,” said Lila impatiently. “Princess Aurelia needs us. Let’s go!”

  King Rat came over just in time to overhear. “The job’s done then here,” he said. “You’ve got your prince and the Wicked Fairy’s locked up.”

  “Thank you so much for helping us,” Delphie smiled at him.

  “Humph!” said King Rat. But he looked secretly pleased. He cleared his throat. “Well, I’m off now. My cousins have invited me back to their mansion for a slap-up meal.” He rubbed his stomach. “No more cobwebs for me!”

  “But aren’t you going to come and see Princess Aurelia waking up?” asked Delphie in surprise.

  “Hmmm.” King Rat looked suspicious. “Everyone will be really happy when that happens, won’t they?”

  “Of course,” said Delphie.

  “So, there’ll be… ” A shudder ran through King Rat. “Dancing?”

  Lila grinned. “Oh yes, there’ll be dancing.”

  “Urgh!” said King Rat. And he stomped quickly off. “Dancing, dancing, all they ever think about is dancing. If I had my way I’d stop it all… ”

  Delphie grinned to herself. King Rat might have turned out to be unusually nice this time but some things never changed.

  Hearing the sound of music behind her, she turned. Lila had joined the prince and was waving her wand. “Come on, we must get Prince Florimund to the palace.”

  Delphie ran to join them and in a whirl of sparkles Lila whisked them away.

  Lila’s magic took them straight to Aurelia’s bedroom. The princess was curled up in a pink dress on her big bed, sleeping peacefully. Queen Isabella was asleep beside her and King Tristan was at the end of the bed. Looking out of the window at the courtyard below, Delphie could see that all the servants and courtiers were also asleep.

  “She’s so beautiful,” Prince Florimund said in an awed voice.

  “Kiss her,” Lila urged. “Break the spell!”

  The handsome young prince approached the bed. He bent down and kissed Aurelia gently.

  Delphie held her breath. What if he couldn’t break the spell?

  The princess stirred and blinked. She stared at Prince Florimund. Her blue eyes widened and she smiled. “Who are you?” she breathed.

  “Your prince,” he replied softly.

  Delphie and Lila exchanged delighted looks as he hugged Princess Aurelia. The King and Queen bo
th started to wake up. Hearing noises from outside, Delphie ran to the window. The servants and courtiers were shaking their heads, rubbing their eyes, stretching and yawning.

  “Everyone’s waking up!” she said. “The curse is broken!”

  Aurelia got to her feet. She had been whispering to the prince.

  Holding her hand, he got down on one knee. “Will you marry me, Aurelia?” he said.

  Princess Aurelia smiled. “I will.”

  The Queen gasped. “You’re getting married!”

  “Yes, Mother,” Aurelia cried as Prince Florimund stood up and swung her round. “I am!”

  Everyone in the palace turned out to celebrate. King Tristan and Queen Isabella were so delighted that they organised a betrothal banquet and soon the musicians were playing and platters of food were being put down on the tables.

  “Oh, Delphie,” said Princess Aurelia. “I’m so happy! Thank you so much for bringing Prince Florimund to me.”

  “You saved the day again,” said Sugar, appearing at Delphie’s side, yawning after her long sleep.

  Delphie and Lila had told everyone about their adventures.

  “I can’t believe King Rat actually helped!” Princess Aurelia said.

  “I know. And he even stopped the Wicked Fairy turning me to stone!” Delphie said.

  “I suppose that means I’ll have to invite him to the wedding,” Princess Aurelia grinned. “Maybe some day we’ll be able to convince him that dancing is the most wonderful thing in the world! Come on, everyone,” she called. “Let’s dance!”

  Lila and Delphie ran on to the floor with everyone else and as Prince Florimund joined Aurelia, she took his hand, and the music began.

  They danced round the room holding hands, their other arms stretched out gracefully at their sides. It was a fast dance with lots of light skipping with pointed toes and every so often they would change direction or stop and one person would dance lightly around the other.