Her friends laughed, and Dash was glad she was able to cool off Cocoa, Raina, and Berry. Melli smiled at her. Melli never liked when her friends argued.
“Raina and I will fill the boxes over there,” Berry said, pointing to the other side of the room. “And you three work on this side. Then we can meet in the middle.”
“Good plan,” Melli said. “Let’s get moving.”
Dash rubbed her nose. “The dust is making me very sneezy,” she said. She picked up a book and A-C-H-O-O-O-O! A puff of dust flew off the book she was holding. Then she sneezed again and again. And again. Her last sneeze was so powerful that she dropped the box she was holding.
“Dash!” Raina shouted from across the room.
Cocoa looked over at Raina. “Relax! Dash was only sneezing,” she told her. “Can you be a little nicer?”
“Can you be a little careful?” Raina asked, pointing at Cocoa’s slanted tower of boxes.
Cocoa huffed and turned her back. “What is it with her?” she said to Melli and Dash.
“I think Dash is allergic to the dust,” Melli said, looking concerned. “You should be kinder, Raina.”
“No, I think I am all right,” Dash said, rubbing her eyes. She looked at the box she had sneezed out of her hands. When she bent down to gather up the papers that had fallen out, she noticed that one of the floorboards was a different color. She knelt and lifted up the board. Inside was a hiding place with a pile of old light-green leather books.
“Come look at this!” Dash cried. She picked up one of the books to see the letters P and K in gold on the spine. She rubbed her fingers along the letters. As Dash opened the book, a puff of dust rose up. She twitched her nose and flipped through the pages.
Dash’s tummy started to rumble as she saw pictures of peppermint ice cream and other frozen minty treats.
Her friends gathered around her.
“I wonder why these books were hidden,” Berry said.
“There are more,” Cocoa said. She reached into the hole in the floor and pulled up five more books. All of them had the same light-green leather covers. “What is PK? Is that some sort of Ice Cream Fairy?”
Raina scratched her head. “This is some kind of hidden treasure.”
Dash picked up a book from the bottom of the pile. The cover was in better shape, and she could read the title. “I know what PK means!” she exclaimed. “PK is for ‘Peppermint Kingdom’! It looks like we’ve found some royal peppermint treasure!”
Mint Secrets
Peppermint Kingdom?” Raina asked. She looked very confused. “Are you sure?”
Dash pointed to the cover of the book. “Yes, that is what it says on the front cover!” she said. She touched the gold lettering on the pale-green leather. “I never knew there was a Peppermint Kingdom. How mint is that?”
“As you would say,” Cocoa said, “so mint!”
Raina took the book in her hands. “I wonder if the kingdom still exists,” she said thoughtfully. She opened the book and started flipping through the pages.
“I don’t know,” Dash said. “But I want to find out!”
“This looks like a whole set of books,” Berry said, gathering the books.
“If there are six, I think that we have them all,” Dash said, counting up the books. She turned to Raina. “This was worth the trip! How minty cool to find a lost kingdom!”
Melli stood next to the pile of books. “We only found the books, not the kingdom,” she said.
Dash laughed. “That’s true, but if I know Raina, she will read all these books by the end of the day. And then we’ll know more.”
“I’m not sure about that,” Raina said, looking up at her friends. She stopped flipping through the pages. “Look at the words. This book is written in a different language. I have no idea what it says.”
The friends huddled around Raina. The letters printed in the book created words that were not familiar to any of the Candy Fairies.
“What language is this?” Melli asked. “I can’t make out a single word either. Except for the title, Peppermint Kingdom.”
“The book must be written in some ancient Fairy language,” Raina told her.
“This makes Peppermint Kingdom even more mysterious,” Cocoa said.
Dash eyed the book. “What mint secrets do these books hold?” she asked.
“Let’s bring one of the books back to the palace, and maybe Queen Swirl or King Cone can tell us,” Berry said. “I bet no one has seen these books in a very, very long time.”
“We need to clean up a little more before we leave,” Melli told her friends. “We’ve barely made a dent in clearing the mess here.”
The fairies made a line from one end of the room to the other, putting paper and trash into boxes. They worked quickly and carefully to sort out the other books and boxes scattered around the room. Soon the floor was uncovered and the books were neatly organized.
“This looks better,” Berry said, slapping her dusty hands together.
“I can’t wait to hear what the king and queen have to say about the PK books,” Dash said. “I hope they can read this language.”
“Let’s go ask,” Raina told her.
When the five friends returned to the castle, King Cone and Queen Swirl were there to greet them.
“We found the most interesting books,” Dash told the royal couple. “They were hidden under the floorboards. We’re hoping that you can help us understand what the books say.”
“They are written in a language we don’t understand,” Raina said.
Confused, the king and queen looked at the books. Then they shared a knowing look.
“In the castle’s library there is an old kingdom map,” the queen said. “Come, I will show you.”
The Candy Fairies followed the king and queen into the library. On the wall was a large map. Near Ice Cream Isles were the words “Peppermint Kingdom.”
“So it is true?” Dash asked. Her blue eyes widened as she took in the ancient map.
“Yes, there was a Peppermint Kingdom that was part of the southern part of Ice Cream Isles,” King Cone explained. He pointed to the old map. “There are a few stories about the kingdom and its sad ending.”
“Sad ending?” Dash said, inching closer to the map. “What happened to all the fairies who lived there?”
“The Mint Fairies were all saved,” the queen said quickly. “But only because the queen and king acted so fast and unselfishly.”
“Oh, please tell us what happened,” Dash said.
“The Peppermint king and queen and their baby had to leave their kingdom because they were in danger, and all the Mint Fairies followed them,” Queen Swirl said. “Let’s go into the main hall for a snack, and we can speak more.”
Dash stayed back to gaze up at the map. Her wings tingled as she saw the land that was once called Peppermint Kingdom.
“Dash, come on,” Cocoa called.
And with one last look back at the map, Dash flew quickly to catch up with her friends and hear more about the mysterious kingdom.
Peppermint History
The five Candy Fairies followed Queen Swirl and King Cone into the main hall. When the hall was not being used for parties, the space was turned into a sitting room with couches and comfortable chairs in front of a large stone fireplace. Along the back wall was a long table filled with twenty different flavors of ice cream and trays filled with candy toppings.
Dash piled her bowl of ice cream high with crunchy mint treats. Then she dropped a large scoop of whipped cream on top and sprinkled some mint-chocolate flakes as a finishing touch. “Now, that is a royal sundae,” she said proudly.
“Indeed,” King Cone said, carrying his own bowl of ice cream. “Come, let’s sit down over here, and Queen Swirl and I will tell you what we know about Peppermint Kingdom.”
Queen Swirl was already seated in a large white chair. She was turning the pages in the book slowly. “I am so grateful that you found these books,” she told the fai
ries. “It has been a long time since I’ve seen this language. I am trying my best to read the story, but this is a language that is no longer spoken. I studied it when I was a young fairy, but I am a little rusty.”
“What is the name of the language?” Raina asked.
“The Peppermint language was very popular back at the turn of the century,” the queen replied. “When I was a young fairy, we had to study the different languages of the fairies.”
“But now we all speak the same language,” Raina said. “When did that happen?”
“Such curious minds!” King Cone said.
Queen Swirl nodded. “Around the time of the disappearance of Peppermint Kingdom, all fairies began to speak in the same language,” she said. “This helped to unite us.”
“Golly gumdrops,” Raina said. “I never knew that.”
“Centuries ago, the fairies were not united the way they are today,” King Cone explained.
Raina stopped eating. “Are you talking about the years before the Fairy Code Book?” she asked. Raina took great pride in caring for the Fairy Code Book. The book had many stories and recipes from generations of Candy Fairies. Princess Lolli had given her the book to look after. Raina had read the book so many times. She practically had every page memorized!
“Oh, yes,” Queen Swirl said. “Back in those days, there was no Fairy Code Book.”
“So you are talking about a long, long, long time ago,” Dash said, trying to understand.
“Yes,” Queen Swirl told her. “Long before King Cone and I were even born.”
“Wow!” Dash said. She licked her spoon. She smiled when she thought of the fancy king and queen as little fairies. She wondered what they had been like when they were small.
“There was an evil ogre who lived nearby,” King Cone began. “He loved peppermint, and he made the Mint Fairies miserable by stealing their mint candies.”
“Sounds like a sour version of Mogu,” Cocoa said. She shuddered when she thought of the salty old troll who lived under the bridge in Black Licorice Swamp. The Candy Fairies had had a few run-ins with the greedy troll.
“Oh, Orni was bitterer than Mogu,” Queen Swirl said.
Dash raised her eyebrows. Mogu was as greedy as trolls come! An ogre bitterer than Mogu must have been awful! “Tell us about Orni,” she said.
“Orni was a small ogre with a mighty sweet tooth,” Queen Swirl said. “He was clever and sticky. He caused many problems for the Peppermint royals.”
Raina thought for a moment. “Who were the Peppermint royals?”
“King Leaf and Queen Mintie were the rulers of Peppermint Kingdom at the time,” the queen explained. “They decided to leave their frozen mint castle here in Ice Cream Isles with their baby, Princess Min. Princess Lolli’s great-great-grandparents welcomed the mint royals into Sugar Valley, and they set up Peppermint Grove so there would be mint in Sugar Valley.”
“I never knew that minty fact,” Dash said, licking her spoon.
“What happened to the baby?” Raina asked. “What became of Princess Min?”
“Well, she became a working Mint Fairy and went on to plant Peppermint Grove,” Queen Swirl said. She flipped though the pages of the book on her lap. “What is interesting about these books is that there is more history here about the royal family.”
“What happened to the Mint royals?” Berry asked.
“The king and queen made the decision to leave their throne,” King Cone said. “That decision saved the lives of all the Mint Fairies, and they found a new home in Sugar Valley.”
“Sweet mint,” Dash said. “But there are some Mint Fairies here in Ice Cream Isles. I’ve had mint ice cream here.”
King Cone nodded. “There have been a few Mint Fairies who came back here to the isles,” he said. “Not nearly the same number as when there was a Peppermint Kingdom.”
Raina put her bowl on the table and flew over to the queen. She peered at the book. “Holy peppermint!” she cried. “There’s a picture here of the Peppermint queen!” She gasped.
They fairies flew over to take a look.
“I sorta look like her,” Dash said, grinning.
“You more than sorta look like her,’ ” Cocoa told her.
Dash leaned in closer. “Is that a butterfly birthmark on her ankle?” she asked.
Queen Swirl nodded. “Yes, the Peppermint queen had a special birthmark. And it says here in the book that the Peppermint princess had the same butterfly-shaped birthmark on her ankle as well. It seems to be a trait of the Peppermint royal family.”
Dash shrieked and dropped her bowl of ice cream on the floor.
“Dash!” Berry cried. “Watch what you are doing!”
Melli rushed to Dash and helped her clean up her mess. “Dash usually isn’t so clumsy,” she said to the very proper queen.
“Sorry,” Dash said, fumbling to clean herself. “I was just shocked.” She pulled down her sock. “You see, I have a butterfly on my ankle,” she said.
There on Dash’s ankle was a small butterfly-shaped birthmark.
“I never thought much about it,” Dash said. She felt everyone’s surprised eyes on her ankle.
Queen Swirl grinned. “I believe we have found the line of long-lost Peppermint princesses,” she said.
Royally Cool
Dash rubbed the birthmark on her ankle. She always thought the mark she was born with was cool, but royally cool? “This is just too weird,” Dash said, looking at her ankle. The butterfly shape had always made her feel special in a way that she couldn’t explain. Never had she thought this was the mark of a princess!
“Wow,” Raina sighed. “It’s a real sign.”
“Dash is a princess!” Berry said, shaking her head. “Sweet strawberries, that is some juicy news.”
Dash flew over to a window. She didn’t like everyone staring at her or her ankle. She gazed out of the palace window and took in the view of Ice Cream Isles. She could see the harbor and many of the colorful cone-shaped homes. The news that there was once a Peppermint Kingdom was shocking enough. Could she really be part of the royal family? She didn’t feel royal at all! “I can’t be a Peppermint princess,” she said. Dash turned around to face her friends and the king and queen. “How can this be? Why me?”
“Why not you?” Melli asked. “It is definitely possible. You have the same butterfly birthmark. And you are a true Mint Fairy.”
“That is not a birthmark you see all the time,” Cocoa told her. “It is the mark of royalty.”
Dash shook her head. “I don’t think this proves anything,” she said. “I don’t feel royal. Aren’t you supposed to feel royal?”
“My dear, it is not just about feeling royal,” Queen Swirl said. “It’s about acting royal.”
Dash turned to look out the window again. Did acting royal mean she couldn’t race anymore? She felt a lump in her throat, and her wings drooped to the floor. She plopped down on the window seat.
Raina picked up another Peppermint Kingdom book. She flew over to Dash and showed her a picture. “Dash, you look just like the princess in the book,” she said. “This is more than a coincidence.”
“Wow,” Berry said. She sat down on the window seat next to Dash. “I can’t believe I have been friends with a missing princess all this time.”
“Well, I’m not really missing,” Dash said. “I’m right here!” She got up from her seat. “And I am definitely not a princess.”
Raina laughed. “What makes you so sure? You might have a long royal history. Don’t you want to know the whole story?”
Dash thought about what Raina had said. Dash didn’t get all excited about fashions and royal events like Berry. She didn’t much care about history like Raina. She loved racing and sports. Cocoa and Melli were staring at her. What were they waiting for her to do? She was not about to start waving a royal scepter!
“If Dash is a Peppermint princess, can she bring back Peppermint Kingdom and rule?” Berry asked.
Dash
was speechless. What they were saying seemed so unreal to her. Didn’t they know that she didn’t like wearing crowns or jewels? She didn’t know how to rule a kingdom. Dash flew to the other side of the room and sank down in a large vanilla-colored chair. “I don’t feel well,” she said. “And I want to go home.”
“This has been a lot to think about,” Queen Swirl said. She flew over to Dash and put her hand on her head. “Why don’t we take a rest before dinner? Princess Lolli and Prince Scoop will be here tomorrow, and we can talk about this more.” She smoothed Dash’s golden hair. “For now, I think you need to rest.”
“Thank you,” Dash said. “I would like to go rest.”
“You are all staying in the sugar cone room upstairs,” Queen Swirl said. “Chipper will show you the way.”
Chipper was an older Ice Cream Fairy, dressed in a formal serving jacket and pants. He bowed before the queen and then before Dash.
Dash giggled. “You don’t need to bow before me,” she said.
“Oh, yes I do,” Chipper said. He made another grand gesture and bowed again. “I grew up hearing stories of the Peppermint royals. It is my pleasure and my honor to serve you.”
Queen Swirl smiled at Chipper. Dash could see that she was not going to be able to stop him. She followed the fairy up the winding staircase with her friends at her side.
“Thank you, Chipper,” Dash said when he opened the door to the large room.
“Is there anything I can get you?” Chipper asked.
Dash flew inside the room. “No, thank you,” she said. “We’re fine. This is a sweet-tacular room. I’m sure we will be very comfortable here.”
“She’s already sounding like a princess,” Berry whispered to Raina.
“I am not!” Dash shouted. She didn’t think she sounded at all different. And, in fact, she didn’t want to be different at all! She opened the long window in the corner and slipped out. “I need some air,” she said.
The Peppermint Princess Page 2
