Rescue Princesses #6: The Magic Rings

by Paula Harrison

  For Jennie, the best sister in the kingdom

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  DEDICATION

  CHAPTER ONE: Royal Sisters

  CHAPTER TWO: The Royal Dance Festival

  CHAPTER THREE: Lottie’s Dance Escape

  CHAPTER FOUR: A Foal Named Twinkle

  CHAPTER FIVE: Lottie’s Secret

  CHAPTER SIX: Rescue Princess Tryouts

  CHAPTER SEVEN: The Princesses’ Dance Routine

  CHAPTER EIGHT: The Wicked Lady Slyden

  CHAPTER NINE: Ninjas in the Palace

  CHAPTER TEN: Finding Twinkle

  CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Way Home

  CHAPTER TWELVE: The Final Performance

  PREVIEW

  ALSO AVAILABLE

  COPYRIGHT

  Princess Lottie spun around the bedroom as fast as she could, her red dress swirling. She turned around and around, until she got so dizzy that she collapsed, laughing, on top of the velvet blanket.

  “Stop it, Lottie!” exclaimed Princess Emily. “You’re squishing all the things I was just about to pack.”

  Lottie yanked a pile of creased clothes out from underneath her. Then she bounced up to peer into the enormous suitcase that lay next to her on the bed. It was full of dresses, tiaras, and a hairbrush with a diamond-studded handle.

  “You can’t fit anything else in there, anyway,” she said bluntly. “How much stuff do you need at your Royal School Thingy?”

  “The Royal Academy for Princesses,” Emily corrected her. “You have to have clothes for lessons, clothes for parties, clothes for ceremonies, and much more. I’ll need all of these. There’ll be so many special occasions to go to.”

  Lottie yawned. “Poor you! It sounds boring. I hope I don’t have to go when I’m older.”

  Emily frowned. “It’s important for every princess to learn how to fulfill her duties, you know.”

  Lottie chuckled. “You sound just like Mom.” She tried out a fancy accent. “A princess must perform splendid and magnificent duties, like spinning around as many times as she can before she falls over!” She leapt off the bed and started twirling again.

  “Lottie! Stop it!” groaned Emily. Then she sat down on her bed and sighed.

  Lottie stopped spinning and landed beside her sister, making the bed wobble.

  “I guess I do sound a little bit like Mom,” said Emily. “I still like having fun, though, and I’m going to be seeing all my friends at the academy.”

  “I’ll miss you!” Lottie gave her sister a quick hug. “Even though you like to whine!”

  “I’ll miss you, too.” Emily grinned. “Even though you squish my clothes!”

  Lottie looked at the mirror on the wall, where their reflections sat side by side.

  Everybody always said it was easy to tell that they were sisters, mainly because their hair was exactly the same red color, like a flame. But while Emily’s hair hung over her shoulders in loose waves, Lottie’s was clustered into tight curls. Their eyes were different, too. Lottie’s were a bright sparkling green while Emily’s were a gentler hazel.

  Lottie had always wished she was the older one. But now she was glad she wasn’t leaving for school. Emily said the academy would be exciting, but Lottie wasn’t so sure.

  “If you’ve left any tiaras behind, can I borrow them while you’re gone?” asked Lottie, itching to look in Emily’s closet.

  But Emily wasn’t listening. She gazed thoughtfully at her sister, twisting a lock of red hair around her finger.

  “Why are you staring at me like that?” asked Lottie. “I promise I’ll put the tiaras back. I know I broke that silver one. But that was a long time ago.”

  “There’s something I need to tell you,” said Emily slowly. “You know that time you heard me and my friends talking about being Rescue Princesses when we were staying in Northernland?”

  “Yes, it sounded like a really good game.” Lottie pouted. “And I think you should have let me join from the start.”

  “It wasn’t a game at all,” said Emily. “I was just worried that you were too little to know about it.”

  “I am NOT little!” Lottie burst out.

  “I guess not.” Emily smiled. “Now that you’ve had your birthday, you’re the same age as I was when I first became a Rescue Princess! Jaminta, Clarabel, and Lulu have all sent me their magic rings, so I can explain that part, too.”

  “What?” Lottie nearly bounced off the bed. “What magic rings?”

  “Hold on! I need to tell you everything from the beginning,” said Emily. “Just listen! And try not to interrupt!”

  Lottie frowned, but then decided to be patient. After all, she wanted to know what Emily was going to say. “Tell me, then. What’s this Rescue Princesses thing all about?”

  Emily lowered her voice to a whisper. “Do you remember two years ago, when I went to Mistberg Castle for the Grand Ball? And you didn’t come because you had chicken pox?”

  Lottie nodded.

  “Well, that’s when I met the other princesses and we had our first adventure, rescuing the Mistberg deer from metal traps that had been left in the forest. It was really exciting, doing it all by ourselves! After that we promised each other that we would always rescue any animals in danger. And we have, lots of times!”

  Emily fumbled in her pocket and pulled out four rings, each with a beautiful heart-shaped jewel in the center. The red, blue, green, and yellow gems glittered in the palm of her hand.

  “Your ruby ring!” said Lottie, picking up the glowing red jewel. “You always wear this one. Aren’t you taking it with you to the academy?”

  “No, I’m not, and you have to listen to me,” said Emily urgently. “They’ll send someone along for my suitcase in a minute and then I’ll have to go.”

  “OK, I’m listening.” Lottie fixed her green eyes on Emily.

  “The four of us became the Rescue Princesses, and we’ve rescued lots of different animals all over the world. Now it’s your turn. I can’t rescue animals when I’m at school. You’ll have to do it. Find some other princesses, ones that you trust, and do it together.” Emily gazed at her sister earnestly. “You’ll have to do what we did. Train hard. Learn to climb, swing, and balance. Practice ninja moves….”

  “Ninja moves?!” Lottie’s eyes grew even wider.

  “Yes! Ally taught them to us. You know that she used to be an undercover agent before she came to work here. She’s the only other person who knows about the Rescue Princesses.”

  “You really learned ninja moves?”

  “Yes! And we used jewels with special powers. We had a lot of them, but these rings are the only ones I can give you right now.” Emily dropped the other three rings into Lottie’s hand. “This green jewel is an emerald, the blue one is a sapphire, and the yellow one is a topaz. We used them to contact each other when we were far apart. You have to press the jewel and speak into it when it lights up.”

  Just then, footsteps sounded in the hallway and the door handle swung slowly down. Lottie quickly hid the four rings behind her back and the girls held their breath. Ally, their maid, came in, carrying a pile of folded towels. The girls breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Are you almost ready, Princess Emily?” asked Ally. “Your carriage is waiting downstairs.”

  Emily closed her suitcase and zipped it up. “I’m ready now!” She turned to Lottie. “You will be careful, right? Sometimes you rush off and do things without thinking.”

  Lottie made a face. “I’ll be careful!”

  Emily smiled. “Good-bye, then! Look after those rings!”

  “Bye, Emily!” Lottie gave her sister one last hug, and then Emily was gone.<
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  Lottie watched from the upstairs window as Emily’s carriage rolled away. She held the four rings tightly, with a fluttering feeling in her stomach. Now it was her turn to be a Rescue Princess. She would seek out animals in danger and save them with fearless acrobatics and cunning ninja moves.

  Emily had told her to be careful. But that was just her worrying about nothing. Lottie had always been able to look after herself. She’d probably make a better Rescue Princess than her sister, anyway!

  Lottie leaned forward to look out the tiny, square airplane window. A whole week had passed since Emily had left for school. A whole week since she’d told Lottie about the Rescue Princesses! In that week Lottie had only managed to rescue one creature from danger, and that had been a bumblebee buzzing around her bedroom. She’d just opened the window and let the bee fly away. It hadn’t been very exciting.

  But this place would be different. Down below, she could see rolling hills dotted with small patches of woodland. Surely there’d be lots of animals to rescue there, maybe rabbits or badgers, or even a brown bear?

  She was going to the kingdom of Peronia with her mom, dad, and Ally, to attend the Royal Dance Festival. Lots of royal families would be there. They would spend several days dancing and hold a grand performance on the final day.

  Her dad smiled at her across the aisle of the plane. “We’ll be there soon, Lottie. Did you remember to pack all your dancing shoes?”

  Lottie nodded. “Ballet shoes, tap shoes, and jazz shoes.”

  “Ah, if only I was young again! Your mom and I really knew how to rock and roll,” said the king of Middingland dreamily. “Our favorite dance was called the jitterbug!”

  Lottie grinned at the thought of her mom and dad bopping around in their crowns and robes. She loved dancing and couldn’t wait for the festival. But she wasn’t just going there to dance. She was searching for girls who loved animals and adventure to join the Rescue Princesses. She unzipped her shoulder bag and peeked at the four jeweled rings lying safe inside. She loved the ruby ring the most, which was the one that Emily used to wear.

  Checking to be sure that no one was looking, she picked up the ring and pressed the ruby firmly. Nothing happened. She sighed and put it back in the bag again. She had tried the ring several times now, but it never lit up the way that Emily had told her it did. Maybe Ally would know why it wasn’t working.

  The airplane landed on the runway. They all climbed down the steps and got into a polished silver car that would take them the short distance to the Peronian Palace. Lottie stared out of the window as hedges flashed past, searching for signs of birds or animals that might need help.

  After a while, a row of tall gray towers rose above the hedges. They turned a corner and the whole palace came into view. It was a magnificent place with an enormous arched front door. Lottie counted twenty-two turrets along the roof. It was certainly one of the grandest palaces she’d ever seen.

  “Mom?” Lottie asked suddenly. “There will be other princesses at this dance festival, won’t there?”

  “Of course,” said her mom briskly. “There will be plenty of princesses, and princes, too. Just remember that you are from the royal family of Middingland, and must always behave with the utmost politeness.”

  Lottie nodded, her face lighting up. Plenty of princesses. That would mean plenty of potential Rescue Princesses!

  They rolled slowly up the gravel driveway, passing a boy with muddy boots leading a beautiful sandy-colored horse. The boy frowned at them, but Lottie was too busy looking at the horse to pay much attention. She loved horses and spent hours grooming them in the palace stables back home in Middingland. This horse had lovely chocolate-brown eyes and had been brushed until its coat shone.

  The car stopped at the front door just as a lady with a huge wide-brimmed hat came bustling out to meet them. Lottie couldn’t help staring at her hat. It was lime green and covered with plastic purple grapes.

  “Here’s Queen Sofia of Peronia! Please remember to curtsy, Lottie,” said her mom.

  “How wonderful to see you,” boomed Queen Sofia.

  Lottie climbed out of the car and performed her best curtsy. She knew it was a little wobbly, but at least she didn’t fall over.

  “Thank you so much for inviting us to visit,” said the queen of Middingland.

  “Not at all! Now let me show you where you’re staying.” Queen Sofia led them into the palace, her lime-green hat bobbing as she walked.

  The palace was full of royal visitors. Orange lamps glowed on the walls, lighting up huge paintings of soldiers galloping on horses. Queen Sofia led them up a grand staircase and down many hallways, until she suddenly stopped.

  “These are your rooms, my dears.” The queen patted Lottie on the head. “I hope we’ll see some splendid dancing from you. You look like just the kind of princess to treat us to a bouncy jig!”

  Lottie grimaced, but remembered just in time that she was supposed to be polite. “Umm, thank you,” she said.

  “Wonderful! Now, the opening ceremony starts in half an hour,” said the queen. “I’ll go and let you get settled in.”

  While her mom and dad thanked Queen Sofia, Lottie pushed open the door to her room. It had a thick red carpet and a large cuckoo clock hanging on the wall. Lottie ran straight to the window and pulled up the sash. The walls around the palace grounds were high, but she could still see the countryside beyond. A cool breeze played with the curtains and birdsong drifted over from nearby trees.

  There was a knock on the door. Ally came in with her suitcase and set it down on the bed. “This is such a beautiful country,” she said, seeing Lottie at the window.

  Lottie smiled. “There must be lots of animals outside those walls, and maybe some of them need help! I can’t wait to go and explore.”

  Ally frowned a little. “I know Emily asked you to look out for animals in trouble, but your parents won’t like it if you leave the dance festival too often.” She opened the case and began unpacking dance skirts and ballet shoes.

  “That’s why I have to learn more ninja moves. That way I can sneak out without anyone seeing me.” Lottie’s eyes gleamed.

  Ally smiled. “I think you’ll be very good at ninja moves once you’ve had a little more practice.”

  “Oh! I just remembered. I have something important to ask you.” Lottie unzipped her bag and poured the jeweled rings out into her hand. “These rings aren’t working. Look, when I press them nothing happens.” She pressed the ruby, sapphire, emerald, and yellow topaz. Although they sparkled beautifully, none of them lit up or did anything exciting.

  “That’s odd,” said Ally, looking closer. “I don’t know much about Emily’s special jewels. They have a magic all their own.”

  Lottie tucked them away in her bag. “There must be a way to get them to work. I’ll just have to keep trying.”

  “You will be careful, won’t you, Princess Lottie?” asked Ally. “I don’t want you rushing into something and getting hurt.”

  “Oh, don’t worry!” Lottie said airily. “I won’t get hurt. I never do!”

  There was a knock at the door and her mom called her name.

  “I’m almost ready!” Lottie grabbed her best party dress from the suitcase and yanked it on. It was a deep crimson red and covered with lots of sparkly sequins. She picked up her favorite tiara, a zigzag one decorated with rubies, and rammed it on top of her curls. Then, shooting Ally a quick grin, she raced from the room, letting the door swing out wide behind her.

  The opening ceremony was held in a hall with a high ceiling. The walls were covered in spears and shields made from polished metal. Kings and queens clustered around, sipping tea and nibbling cake. Lottie followed her parents to the front of the hall and managed another curtsy to Queen Sofia, who was still wearing her lime-green hat.

  While her parents chatted, Lottie scanned the room excitedly. This was her first chance to look for princesses to join her — princesses who wanted adventure.

 
She spotted one girl standing in a corner, wearing a long turquoise dress. The girl had brown eyes and straight black hair that fell down to her waist. Lottie stared at her for a moment, but the other girl looked shy and turned away. She seemed nice, Lottie thought, but maybe she was too nervous to be a Rescue Princess.

  Then she noticed a second princess. This girl had dark hair that hung in loose curls, a floaty yellow dress, and eyes that sparkled with excitement. She looked much more adventurous. But just then she bumped into a table, sending a pile of cherry cakes cascading to the floor. People ran forward, hurrying to pick them up. Lottie frowned; would a princess who was so clumsy really be good at animal rescues?

  She scanned the room one more time. Her eyes stopped on a princess in a dark blue dress with short blonde hair. But this girl was arguing with the boy standing next to her, pointing her finger straight at him and scowling. Lottie raised her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn’t realized it would be so tricky finding princesses that seemed just right.

  Just at that moment, Queen Sofia clapped her hands. “Your Royal Highnesses! Welcome to Peronia, and here’s to a wonderful Dance Festival. Now we’ll finish the opening ceremony with our first dance!”

  Lottie’s eyes sparkled. A dance! What would it be?

  “Let’s perform the Bobbing Dance,” continued the queen. “Please form two straight lines.”

  Lottie stifled a groan. The Bobbing Dance was the one that her mom had made her practice before they left home. It was a long dance set to dull, slow music. All you did was bob up and down and curtsy to the other dancers. It made her yawn every time she practiced it. Why couldn’t they choose something more exciting?

  The kings, queens, princes, and princesses arranged themselves into two long lines facing each other. Lottie stood at one end, near an open door that led out into a garden. Through the doorway, she could see green lawns and large flower beds full of tulips. She gazed out at them longingly.

  A woman started to play a tune on the piano. The royal dancers began to bob up and down, and Lottie reluctantly did the same. But the hall was small for so many dancers. Two kings bumped into each other. Then the princess in the yellow dress stepped on Queen Sofia’s toe, making her hop around holding on to her foot. The music stopped for a moment.