“Of course they did,” said Queen Freda. “There’s no need for you to worry. Now, go and play like a good girl!”
Scarlett turned to Lily and Zina. “King Bruno tricked them!” she whispered. “And now the guards are gone so we have to stop those men ourselves… I think it’s time for some ninja moves!”
The princesses crept to the castle door and scanned the garden carefully. There were no guards anywhere but King Bruno was standing at the end of the drive beside the main gate.
“Do you think he’s making sure no one follows those men to the boat?” asked Zina.
“Maybe,” said Lily. “We have to reach the side gate without him spotting us.”
“We can do it!” Scarlett’s eyes gleamed. “Just keep really low and use all the hiding places you can.” She waited till King Bruno had turned away, before dashing down the steps and jumping behind a fir tree.
One by one, the girls darted behind trees and statues, stopping to check if King Bruno was looking. When they reached the castle wall, there were no guards and the side gate was firmly locked.
“What do we do now?” Lily gazed up at the smooth wooden gate. “Is there a spare key somewhere?”
Scarlett shook her head. “I don’t think so. And we can’t climb over it – the sides are too smooth.”
“Then we’re stuck … unless we can jump as high as a kangaroo,” said Lily.
An idea popped into Scarlett’s head. “That’s it! We can jump over. Zina, I need as many cushions as you can find. Lily, I need your help with the trampoline.”
Zina ran back to the castle while Scarlett and Lily raced over to the trampoline. It took all their strength to pull it across the grass. Scarlett darted a look at King Bruno. What would he do if he saw them? Luckily there was a thick patch of bushes blocking his view of the side gate.
At last, Scarlett and Lily managed to push the trampoline right up against the wooden gate. When Zina came back with armfuls of cushions, Scarlett climbed on to the trampoline and threw them over the top one by one. She couldn’t see over the other side to check where the cushions had fallen but she’d thrown them as carefully as she could.
“I think I should go first. I don’t want either of you getting hurt if this doesn’t work.” Scarlett’s heart pounded as she got into the centre of the trampoline. She would have to jump higher than she’d ever jumped before!
She bounced lightly, soaring higher with each spring. Then she made the most enormous leap, tucking her legs into her tummy. She held her breath as she zoomed upwards.
“Go, Scarlett!” cheered Zina and Lily.
Scarlett brushed the top of the gate with her toes and plunged down the other side, landing on the soft cushions on her hands and knees. Her stomach felt wobbly but she’d made it! “I’m all right,” she called. “It worked!”
Scarlett quickly put the scattered cushions back into position. She could hear whispers on the other side of the gate. Then at last Lily’s head appeared, bobbing up and down as she jumped on the trampoline. “It’s no good! I’m never going to get over,” she cried. “You should all go without me.”
“We can’t do that!” Scarlett called softly. “Rescue Princesses have to stick together!”
Lily stopped bouncing, then she tried again. This time she tucked her knees in tight enough to jump right over the gate. She landed and scrambled up, beaming. “I did it! I never thought I would.”
Zina came last, leaping gracefully over the gate. Then the girls hid the cushions behind a bush before running across the meadow. Scarlett ducked behind the long grass as soon as she saw the men.
A bucket half full of fish stood on the seat of the boat beside a pair fishing rods. The grey-haired man was pushing the boat into the middle of the river. The other man was looking inside King Bruno’s rucksack. Scarlett caught a gleam of gold and diamonds before he shut the bag.
“Let’s get out of here,” said the grey-haired man. “We’ve already wasted enough time catching these fish!”
As the other man laughed, Scarlett saw the water ripple by the side of the boat. A little black nose with whiskers poked out of the water. Then a baby otter scrambled over the side of the boat, scampering towards the bucket of fish.
Scarlett’s heart froze. It was Sparky! “Oh no! What are we going to do?”
The others had spotted him too. “Stop it, Sparky!” hissed Zina. “Come away from there.”
The otter didn’t hear them. Standing on his hind legs, he poked his head into the fish bucket.
The grey-haired man saw him. “Hey! Get out of there, you little pest!”
Sparky’s whiskers quivered and he shrank back, hiding behind the bucket.
“We have to help him!” Scarlett sprang out of her hiding place and together the girls pelted towards the riverbank.
“Not you again!” The older man jumped aboard as soon as he saw them, yelling to his friend, “Start the engine!”
The engine roared and the boat zoomed off, churning the water into foam. Scarlett caught one last glimpse of Sparky trembling behind the fish bucket as they sped away. Then they vanished round the bend in the river, taking the baby otter with them.
Scarlett stared after the boat, her heart thumping. She couldn’t stop picturing Sparky, cowering behind the bucket of fish. He’d looked so scared.
“Quick – we have to catch them!” cried Zina.
Scarlett thought quickly. “There’s a short cut over Bear Island but it’s really tricky crossing the river on the other side.” She saw the determined looks on her friends’ faces. “All right – I’ll show you!” She led them to the stepping stones that spanned the river.
The princesses followed the straightest path across the middle of the island. Brambles snagged their leggings and low-hanging branches caught against their hair. The undergrowth rustled as birds, squirrels and mice scampered away from their running feet. At last Scarlett spotted the steep bank that bordered this part of the island.
The river gurgled at the bottom of a rocky ravine. Trees grew right up to the cliff edge and one oak tree branch stretched over the river like a long arm.
“The water’s too deep to wade across just here,” Scarlett told them. “But the river’s narrow and if we use this branch we should be able to climb along and jump to the other side.” She leaned on the branch with both hands to check that it felt strong.
“Maybe we should go one at a time,” said Lily nervously.
Zina went first, sitting on the branch and pushing herself along. Reaching the end, she leapt off and landed on the sandy bank.
Scarlett noticed that Lily had turned pale. “Why don’t you go next? I’ll hold the branch steady for you.”
“Thanks!” Climbing up, Lily pushed her way to the end. Her hands clenched tightly around the branch. “I don’t like being high up. I don’t think I can do this!”
Scarlett clambered up to join her, ignoring the sharp creaking of the tree. “Hold my hand and we’ll jump together!”
Lily took her hand and held tight. Scarlett leapt off the branch, pulling her friend along with her. For one long moment it felt like they were flying. The water bubbled over the rocky riverbed below. The wind rushed past and Scarlett’s dark curls fluttered. A second later, they splashed into the water right at the edge of the river.
Zina leaned down and pulled them out of the shallows.
“We did it!” Lily gasped. “That was scary though.”
“That was the hard bit!” Scarlett scrambled up the bank. “Now we can catch up with the boat. See how the river doubles back on itself over there?” She paused, frowning. “We should hear the boat engine. Where are they?”
Running to the brow of the next hill, the girls scanned the river.
“Over there!” panted Zina. “You can see the boat through the trees. But why has it stopped moving?”
“Maybe they think they’re safe and they’re looking through the stolen jewels again,” said Lily.
“Maybe Sparky managed to
jump off.” Scarlett crossed her fingers, hoping it was true.
They ran down the slope to a cluster of fir trees and peered through the spiky leaves. Scarlett’s heart sank when she caught sight of the baby otter still trembling behind the bucket of fish. “He hasn’t even moved! He’s probably too scared to know what to do.” She leaned sideways, trying to get a better view of the men.
“What’s that animal in the water?” said Lily suddenly.
Scarlett pushed a branch aside to look. “It’s a black bear! They often catch fish in this part of the river. That must be why they’ve stopped the boat – the bear’s in the way.”
The men shouted at the bear to move, waving their fishing rods. The bear stared back grumpily, not moving an inch. The girls slipped from tree to tree until they reached the water’s edge.
“Sparky!” whispered Scarlett. “We’re over here. Jump off the boat and swim!”
Sparky’s whiskers twitched as he saw the girls.
Zina leaned down and gently splashed her hand in the river. Scarlett and Lily joined in.
Sparky’s eyes brightened. Then with a flick of his tail, he leapt into the water and swam towards them.
Scarlett’s heart skipped. “That’s it, Sparky. Swim as fast as you can!”
The men noticed the otter’s sudden movement before spotting the girls on the riverbank.
“You again!” snarled the grey-haired man. “You’re always following us.” He grabbed the wheel of the boat, turning it so sharply that his friend stumbled sideways. The boat tipped a little and the bucket of fish and the rucksack full of stolen things toppled into the river.
The man in the baseball cap groaned. Leaning over the side, he tried to snatch up the bag but it sank below the water. “Give me that fishing rod!”
Both men flicked their fishing rods at the water over and over, but they didn’t even manage to catch the fish bucket.
“This is your fault!” yelled the grey-haired man.
“You’re the one that made the boat tip!” shouted the other.
The bear shook its head, upset by all the shouting and the waving fishing rods. Rearing up on two legs, it gave a roar so loud that the ground seemed to quiver.
The men jumped. One of them started the engine and the boat sped back upstream. The bear growled even louder but once the boat had gone the animal lumbered out of the river and disappeared into the bushes on the opposite bank.
Sparky swam to the water’s edge and leapt out, squeaking happily.
“Sparky, you’re safe!” Scarlett stroked his wet fur and he nuzzled her hand.
“Good boy!” said Zina, scratching the baby otter behind his ears. “Don’t worry – we’ll get you back home.”
“And after that we need to go back to the castle and tell the grown-ups all about King Bruno and what he did,” added Scarlett.
Lily moved closer to the water’s edge. “We might not want to go back just yet.”
Scarlett looked up. “Why? I hope those men aren’t coming back!”
“No, it isn’t them.” Lily shaded her eyes. “It’s really strange… There’s something happening in the river.”
A sparkling red light shone below the clear water. It was close to where the boat had been. As the girls watched, the light slipped a little further down the river.
“It looks beautiful!” said Lily.
“What do you think it is?” asked Zina.
Scarlett’s heart beat faster. “I’m not sure … but I think it might be magic!”
Zina scooped Sparky into her arms and held him tight. The princesses hurried along the bank, following the strange glowing light, but each time they got close it would slip a little further downstream.
“The water’s shallow here so maybe we can catch it.” Scarlett skidded down the riverbank and leapt into the water.
Lily jumped in with a splash and waded after Scarlett. The round pebbles on the riverbed felt smooth beneath their feet and the water only came up to their knees. They hurried towards the glowing red light just as it floated away again.
“It’s being pushed along by the river,” said Lily. “I wish we had a fishing net.”
Scarlett noticed a stick drifting by and grabbed it. Then, as soon as she was close enough, she pushed the stick towards the light. Something pulled against the piece of wood and she wobbled, so Lily grabbed her arms to keep her steady. She pulled up the stick and the rucksack lifted out of the water, hooked by one of the straps.
“It’s the bag with the stolen things!” gasped Lily. “But why is it glowing?”
Scarlett opened the dripping rucksack, which was filled with jewellery. Queen Freda’s diamond bracelet was there and so was Scarlett’s emerald tiara. At the bottom of the bag she found her special ruby, which was glowing brighter than fire. “Look at this – it was my ruby shining!”
“Wow!” breathed Lily. “I guess your jewel-making tools worked after all.”
“I guess they did! I made the jewel into a perfect eight-sided shape just like the one in the drawing and that set the magic free.” Scarlett gazed at the glowing gem. After a few moments the glow faded, but as soon as she dipped the ruby in the water it shone again.
“The magic comes out when the jewel is under the water!” cried Lily.
Scarlett smiled. “My cousin Ella told me that different jewels have different kinds of magic. I think it’s amazing!”
They carried the rucksack and the ruby to the bank to show Zina, who was waiting there with a very tired Sparky.
“You know what this means!” Scarlett’s face shone with excitement.
“It means we can give Queen Freda her jewellery back?” suggested Zina.
“Yes! AND now we have all the things we need to be proper Rescue Princesses,” said Scarlett, beaming.
The princesses crossed the river where the water was shallow before walking back towards the castle. They let Sparky go beside the pool with the waterfall and watched the other otters bound out of their burrow – their eyes bright and their whiskers twitching.
“Bye, Sparky!” Scarlett gave the baby otter one more stroke. “I’ll come back and visit you very soon.”
Sparky snuffled at Scarlett’s hand. Then he paddled across the water, climbed on to his mother’s tummy and stretched out happily. His brothers and sisters all joined paws while lying on their backs in the water.
“I didn’t know they slept like that,” said Zina.
“It’s ever so cute, isn’t it?” Scarlett smiled. “They hold paws to make sure they don’t drift away from each other when they’re asleep.”
When the girls reached the castle, most of the kings and queens were gathered in the parlour, looking worried. Scarlett slipped the ruby into her pocket as they went inside.
Queen Ruth’s mouth dropped open when she saw her daughter. “Scarlett, what have you been doing? You’re absolutely soaking wet! You really must take better care of your clothes – even when you’re just wearing leggings.”
Scarlett was too happy to mind being told off. “Sorry! But guess what? We found the stolen jewellery and we know who took it in the first place.” She held up the wet rucksack. “We saw King Bruno throw this bag with all the jewels over the castle wall and two men took it away.” She told them about the boat they’d seen and how the men had said they were just fishing when they were really waiting for the stolen goods.
Lily chipped in, telling everyone how the men had dropped the bag in the river by mistake. “But we found it and brought it back,” she finished proudly. “Because we’re Res—”
Scarlett realised what she was about to say and gave her a nudge.
“Oh!” Lily went red as she realised she’d nearly told everyone their secret. “I mean we’re res … resourceful!”
“You certainly are!” King Philip’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve shown quick thinking and determination. I’m very proud of you all.”
The royal guests began talking all at once. Queen Freda smiled as Scarlett fished her gold
necklace and diamond bracelet from the bag.
“Mr Ellis!” called Queen Ruth. “Tell the guards to find King Bruno right away please.”
The butler coughed. “They’ve just caught him trying to sneak out of the main gate, Your Highness, and they’re bringing him here now. Strangely, it seems he may not be King Bruno at all.” He took an envelope from his pocket. “I found this letter when I was cleaning his room this morning. It’s a reply to your invitation saying he isn’t able to come.”
The queen frowned. “Do you mean that man is only pretending to be King Bruno?”
“Exactly, Your Majesty!” The butler bowed. “He must have come in the king’s place, planning to steal things during his stay.”
“I thought I didn’t recognise him!” Queen Ruth shook her head. “King Bruno never had a beard like that. Well, that man is going to the police and the guards can look for his friends with the boat too.”
“Excuse me!” Lily dropped a curtsy, her fair hair bouncing on her shoulders. “But now that’s all sorted out, can we have Scarlett’s birthday lunch? I really want to give her my present!”
Mr Ellis set out a long row of tables in the garden under the trees. Scarlett, Lily and Zina carried out some chairs and set the table with plates, cups and a jug full of pink lemonade.
“Are there any sausage rolls and raspberry jellies and those little butterfly cakes with cream inside?” Scarlett said hopefully.
The butler’s face broke into a rare smile. “Of course, Princess Scarlett! I shall fetch all your favourite things. It is your birthday, after all.”
Just then Cook brought out Scarlett’s birthday cake – an enormous chocolate cake decorated with icing stars which had nine red candles on top.
Two younger princesses, who’d been playing tag on the grass nearby, came over to gaze at the wonderful cake.
“That looks amazing!” said the taller one. “I’m Taylor and this is Bailey.” She pointed to her younger sister.
The Enchanted Ruby Page 4
