The princesses kept very still, watching in delight as the baby otter jumped in and out of the water, squeaking happily. Water drops glistened on his whiskers. Soon, three more little otters sprang out of the burrow…
For Bailey and Taylor,
also known as Squish and Doodles
Princess Scarlett fizzed with excitement as she ran down the stairs of Bearbrook Castle. She skidded to a halt in the dining room and looked round eagerly. “Has a letter from Ella come today?”
Her mum, Queen Ruth, set down her teacup. “Scarlett, do calm down! Our guests will soon be here to celebrate your birthday tomorrow. What will they think if you’re galloping round the castle like a wild pony?”
“Sorry!” Scarlett pushed back the tight black curls that bobbed around her face. “It’s just that Ella promised to write another letter. I thought it might come today.”
Her mum smiled. “Actually, she’s sent you a parcel. It’s on the table in the hallway.”
“A parcel!” Scarlett’s eyes widened. “Can I open it now? I know my birthday isn’t till tomorrow but I can’t wait to see what’s inside.”
“All right then.” Her mum nodded, smoothing her blue silk dress.
“Thank you!” Scarlett hugged her mum before dashing into the hallway to look for the parcel.
“And slow down a little!” the queen called after her.
Sitting on the hall table was a parcel wrapped in shiny pink paper and tied up with a gold ribbon. The postmark – Harebell Castle – made Scarlett’s tummy do a somersault. Harebell Castle was where Ella, her cousin, went to school – at the Royal Academy for Princesses. Ella had been writing to Scarlett every week describing their picnics and how they looked after the school pets. Scarlett thought it all sounded amazing and couldn’t wait until she was old enough to go!
More than anything, she loved Ella’s stories about helping animals. Ella had made friends with some other princesses and together they’d made a secret promise to always help animals in trouble. They called themselves the Rescue Princesses, and that name made Scarlett shiver with excitement. They used teamwork and ninja moves to rescue animals, and they even had magic jewels!
Hugging the parcel to her chest, Scarlett ran back up the spiral stairs. Bearbrook Castle was a tall grey palace with an enormous banquet hall and more than fifty bedrooms. Scarlett’s room was at the top of one of the towers.
It was crammed with soft toys and had red velvet curtains and a lacy canopy over the bed. From her window, Scarlett could see the river rushing through the meadow beyond the castle wall. The Kingdom of Deronda was a wild and beautiful land, with snowy mountains, deep forests and sparkling rivers.
Scarlett loved playing in the meadow outside the gate. Sometimes she would see a black bear cub skipping beside its mother on the river bank. If she was very lucky, she would see otters playing in the shallow water. The otters were so adorable, with their sleek furry bodies and bright black eyes!
Sitting down on her bed, Scarlett undid the parcel’s gold ribbon and shiny paper. Inside was a card saying Happy Birthday with a picture of a birthday cake. There was a letter too and a small wooden box with a gold key.
Scarlett turned the key, lifted the box lid and gasped. A row of silver tools lay neatly inside. There were several little chisels – each one a different size – and a tiny silver hammer. Scarlett’s heart skipped a beat. Ella had mentioned tools like these in her letters. They were for making the magic jewels that helped with the animal rescues!
Snatching up the letter, Scarlett read it eagerly.
The letter carried on with more news from the Royal Academy for Princesses but Scarlett turned over to study the picture on the back. The drawing showed how to use the tools to make jewels of different shapes.
Scarlett put the paper down and gazed at the tools again. They were so small – just right for shaping precious jewels! Pulling open a drawer, she went through her jewellery. She had two tiaras – a silver one, and a gold one decorated with square emeralds. She also had a diamond flower brooch that her mum had given her, and a sapphire bracelet. None of them seemed quite right though.
She delved below her collection of hair bands until she found a necklace with an oval-shaped ruby at the bottom of the drawer. It was a beautiful gem, as red as a sunset, but it was quite heavy so she hardly ever wore it. It would be perfect for making into a magic jewel!
Carefully, she took the ruby off the gold chain and laid it on her dressing table, before fetching the jewel-making tools. Then she studied the picture on the back of the letter again.
There was a sudden knock at the door and Scarlett looked up in surprise. “Come in!”
Her dad, King Philip, opened the door. He smiled broadly, his dark eyes twinkling. “Your mother sent me to fetch you,” he said. “The royal guests are starting to arrive.”
“I didn’t know they were coming so early!” Scarlett jumped up. She looked back at the ruby and the jewel-making tools as she left the room. She hoped there would be time to try out the tools before tonight’s banquet.
Six carriages were lined up on the drive outside Bearbrook Castle. Servants were rushing everywhere, carrying suitcases and seeing to the horses. Two little princesses were running around on the lawn, giggling. “Bailey! Taylor!” called a queen with a long purple cloak. “Don’t get grass on your dresses.”
Queen Ruth was welcoming people on the steps and she called Scarlett forward. “Scarlett, come and meet King Thomas and Queen Freda… This is Duke Robert… Say hello to Queen Umasa…”
Scarlett curtsied and smiled at everyone. It was amazing to see so many guests! She would never remember everybody’s names.
Her mum stopped beside a stocky man with a beard. “I beg your pardon! Are you…?”
“I’m King Bruno of Lidvia.” The man bowed deeply but didn’t smile.
“Of course! Welcome to the Kingdom of Deronda. It’s been such a long time since we last met and I think you’ve grown your beard. I feel I hardly recognise you.”
King Bruno bowed again and moved on.
A very young prince began tugging on his mum’s sleeve and whining, “I’m hungry!”
“Let’s all go inside and have a slice of strawberry cake,” said Queen Ruth. “You can look after the older princesses, can’t you, Scarlett? Get them something to eat and then show them the castle.”
All the grown-ups drifted inside and Scarlett was left on the castle steps with two girls that looked the same age as her.
One princess had a pale-green dress and blonde hair that hung over her shoulders. She grinned at Scarlett, her blue eyes sparkling. The other princess was staring down at the steps, so that her long dark hair hid some of her face. She was wearing a long yellow dress tied around the waist with a ribbon.
Scarlett’s heart skipped. She didn’t meet other princesses very often, except for her older cousin Ella. She hoped they would all become friends straightaway!
The blonde-haired girl spoke first. “Are you Scarlett? I can’t wait for your birthday tomorrow!”
“Yes, I’m Scarlett,” said Scarlett, smiling at them both. “Welcome to Bearbrook Castle!”
Scarlett showed the princesses where to hang up their cloaks. All the kings and queens were in the banquet hall, so she led the girls to the parlour and rang the bell for Mr Ellis, the butler. Mr Ellis brought in a cake topped with strawberries and vanilla icing. It looked so delicious Scarlett knew at once she was going to want more than one slice!
“So where do you come from?” she asked as she poured them each a glass of lemonade.
“My name’s Lily.” The girl in the green dress shook back her fair hair. “I live in Estaland, which is a very long way from here. We have some wonderful animals, like
kangaroos, and parrots with rainbow-coloured wings.”
“I love parrots but I’ve never seen a real one – only pictures in books,” said Scarlett.
The other princess shyly tucked her dark hair behind her ear. “I’m Zina from the Kingdom of Ramova. My island is covered in tropical rainforests, and lemurs play in the treetops.”
“I wish I could visit your kingdoms and see all the amazing wildlife!” said Scarlett. “I could show you some of the animals that live here if you like? There’s always something to see down by the river.”
“Yes, please!” Lily’s blue eyes sparkled. “I love animals.”
“Me too!” Zina smiled.
Scarlett led them back towards the castle entrance. There was a murmur of voices from the kings and queens in the banquet hall.
Queen Ruth waved as the girls passed the door, calling to Scarlett, “The banquet’s at five o’clock. Make sure you’re back in time.”
Scarlett waved to her mum before heading across the garden, past the trampoline that she’d got for her birthday last year. “I always come this way.” Scarlett stopped by the side entrance. “It’s a lot quicker than going to the main gate.”
The guard by the gate smiled and opened it for the princesses. Beyond the castle wall, the meadow gleamed in the sunshine. Golden buttercups and tall white daisies were scattered among a sea of waving grasses. Butterflies flitted from flower to flower, their wings shimmering as they moved.
“I think he likes me!” Lily giggled as a butterfly with orange-tipped wings settled on her fair hair.
Scarlett pushed her way through the tall grass to the path that ran beside the brook. Beyond the river lay a thick forest, and a tall mountain with a snowy peak rose up above the trees.
The water rushed along the stony riverbed, frothing and gurgling. On the opposite bank, two ducks were sleeping with their heads under their wings. A line of smooth, flat stepping stones led across the water.
“The river splits in two just up there and runs round on both sides, so this bit in the middle is an island. Come on – I’ll take you across.” Scarlett jumped on to the first stepping stone. “No one else ever comes here. I call it Bear Island because there’s a rock that looks just like a bear in the middle.”
Zina stopped by the edge, dipped her fingers in the water and shivered. “It’s so cold! The rivers at home are much warmer.”
“You get used to it,” Scarlett told her. “I paddle a lot – especially in the summer.” She sprang lightly across the stepping stones.
Zina followed, her dark hair swinging as she skipped across. A shy smile broke out on her face as she leapt on to the opposite bank.
Lily crossed more slowly, stopping on each stone to get her balance. She wobbled a lot but finally made it to the other side. “You’re so lucky, Scarlett. Imagine having a secret island all to yourself!”
Scarlett grinned widely. She was used to exploring on her own. It was so nice to have two friends to share the place with. “Look – there’s a squirrel.” She pointed at a tree. “And there’s a hare – it has very long ears.”
The others watched as the little grey hare drank from the river before hopping back into the bushes.
“I’ll show you my den!” Scarlett ran along a little path that was covered with twigs and pine needles. The wind made the pine trees sway and rustled the leaves of the beech trees.
“This is Bear Rock!” Scarlett patted the huge boulder that looked just like a bear rearing up on two legs. “And here’s my den. Come inside!”
The three girls crowded into the little den, which was made from sticks and leaves. Scarlett found a packet of chocolate biscuits that she’d hidden in a hollow in the tree trunk and offered them round.
“This is amazing!” said Lily, munching her biscuit. “Do you ever see real bears?”
“Sometimes I see black bears but it’s best to keep away from them, especially if they have cubs,” Scarlett told her. “The den’s fallen down a bit actually. I think the wind and rain have knocked some of the branches over.”
“Maybe we could help you build it up again,” said Zina.
They all agreed that this was a great idea so they spent a long time finding branches to add to the den, before putting leaves and moss over the roof. Then they went back to the river to wash the mud off their hands.
Scarlett took off her shoes and socks and waded into the shallows. Up ahead, there was a little pool below a sparkling waterfall. The river tumbled over a cliff, frothing and foaming at the bottom. “Come in if you want!” she called to the others. “It isn’t deep at all.”
Zina tiptoed in carefully, holding her yellow skirt in one hand.
Lily waded right in and stretched her hand under the waterfall, letting the water run over her fingers.
A whiskery face with two bright black eyes peeped out of a hole in the opposite bank. The baby river otter watched the girls eagerly. Then he bounded out of his den, his stubby ears pricked up. Pausing at the edge of the water, he sniffed the air with his little round nose.
“Here’s one of the baby otters,” Scarlett whispered urgently. “There’s a mother with four young living in that burrow and the babies only came out of the den for the first time last week. Don’t splash – we don’t want to scare him.”
The princesses kept very still, watching in delight as the baby otter jumped in and out of the water, squeaking happily. Water drops glistened on his whiskers. Three more little otters sprang out of the burrow, followed by a much larger one.
“That must be their mother,” whispered Lily. “Can the babies swim?”
Scarlett nodded. “They’re all amazing swimmers! Maybe if we go back to the riverbank they’ll come in the water properly.”
Quickly, the princesses waded to the edge and sat down on the sandy bank, letting their feet dry in the warm sunshine.
Just as Scarlett hoped, the otters leapt into the river. They swam gracefully, diving around each other and floating through the water reeds. The mother otter kept an eye on the girls but seemed to decide they weren’t dangerous.
“They’re lovely!” Zina tucked her dark hair behind her ear. “I never thought otters would make such funny squeaky noises.”
Scarlett smiled. She was so pleased the otters had come out to play. “Sometimes I sit and watch them for ages. I think they’ve got quite used to me!”
“That little furry one is so cute.” Lily pointed to the first baby otter.
“I call him Sparky because he’s got so much energy,” said Scarlett. “The first time I saw him…” She stopped suddenly. What was that strange buzzing sound?
The buzzing grew louder until it seemed to roar in her ears. A boat zoomed into view, churning up the surface of the river. Two men sat inside it – one with his hands on the wheel.
The mother otter barked in alarm. Scarlett jumped up, her heart racing. Boats didn’t usually come along this part of the river – especially speed boats with noisy engines. She had to stop them before the little otters got hurt!
Scarlett waved her arms at the boat. “Stop! There are otters in the river.” But the boat was so loud, she could hardly hear herself speaking.
The boat raced past the girls at top speed. One of the men gave a shout, spotting the waterfall. He spun the wheel at the last moment, driving the boat into the bank and churning up the earth around the otter’s den.
The otters scattered in all directions, darting out of the water and disappearing into the bushes.
The engine chugged to a stop and a man with grey hair jumped out, pulling the boat around. “Look what you did!” he snapped at the other man. “You could have made a hole in the boat driving into the bank like that.”
“Well, I didn’t know there was a waterfall here, did I?” The second man straightened his baseball cap.
“Excuse me!” called Scarlett. “Please don’t turn your engine back on. You almost ran over a family of otters.”
The men stared at the princesses. “How are we sup
posed to get back without using the engine?” scoffed the grey-haired man. “Who are you, anyway?”
Scarlett’s cheeks grew red. These men were very rude. “I’m Princess Scarlett from Bearbrook Castle,” she said. “Don’t you have any oars? You could use those instead of the engine.”
“You’re a princess?” sneered the man in the baseball cap. “Princesses don’t wade around in rivers getting their dresses muddy.”
“Yes they do!” said Scarlett fiercely. “Princesses can do anything they like. We don’t just sit around wearing tiaras.”
The two men exchanged looks. “If they’re telling the truth at least we know we’re in the right place,” said the grey-haired man, and his friend nodded. “We’re going now, Your Highnesses.” He bowed mockingly to the girls. “We’ll just … do our fishing a bit further down the river.”
With a roar of the engine, they zoomed away, leaving the water foaming behind them.
“They should be ashamed of themselves!” stormed Scarlett. “Look at what they’ve done.”
A large part of the river bank had been scraped away by the boat and the entrance to the otters’ burrow was blocked.
“They were horrible,” agreed Zina. “And if they were really fishing, why didn’t they have any fishing rods? And what did they mean about being in the right place?”
Scarlett looked around worriedly. “Did you see where the otters went? I hope they’re all right.”
“I saw them jump out of the water and run into those bushes,” Lily told her. “Maybe they’ll come back when it’s quiet.”
“I hope so.” Scarlett peered round the bramble patch that Lily had pointed to. She couldn’t get rid of the feeling that something was wrong.
A little yelp came from the next bush along. Scarlett pushed the branches aside and there, hiding beneath the leaves, was Sparky – the smallest baby otter. He looked up at the girls with fearful black eyes.
The Enchanted Ruby Page 1
