The Secret Promise Page 4

  The moon came out from behind a cloud and shone down on the man’s face and his purple hat.

  Emily’s stomach lurched as she recognized who he was. “Duke Raven!” She groaned.

  “Yes,” said the man, with a nasty smile. “I made the servants lock these gates to keep you nosy girls out of the forest. There’s no way you will get in there now.”

  “I watched your little game on the lawn this afternoon,” Duke Raven continued. “And I knew you were going to interfere with my plans.”

  “But we’re only trying to help the deer,” said Clarabel.

  Emily stared at the duke. “Your plans! So that’s why we saw those men in the forest. You sent them in there. You’re the one trying to trap the deer. Why would you want to do such a terrible thing?”

  “Deer antlers will look delightful on my palace wall,” the duke sneered. “After I’ve chosen the best pair for myself, I’ll sell the rest. Mistberg Forest deer have the most beautiful antlers in the world. They’ll make me an awful lot of money.” His narrow eyes glittered.

  “We’ll go and tell King Gudland what you’re doing,” said Lulu.

  “He’ll never believe you. I’m his cousin, and you don’t have any proof. Without that, he’d never believe anything bad about me.”

  With an air of complete satisfaction, Duke Raven strolled back across the lawn toward the castle.

  “Now what?” cried Lulu, shaking the gates angrily. They clanged loudly, but the padlock held them shut.

  “Is there another way to get into the forest?” asked Emily.

  Jaminta shook her head. “I don’t think so. This is the only way out of the castle grounds. Unless we can climb the fence.”

  Lulu tried to haul herself up the wooden fence, but slipped down again right away.

  “It’s too high and too slippery,” said Clarabel.

  “We need something to climb up on,” said Jaminta.

  Lulu’s eyes gleamed. “How about each other’s shoulders?”

  “Do you really think that would work?” asked Emily doubtfully. “We’ve never tried it before.”

  “I don’t like being high up, but I’ll try anything to help the deer.” Clarabel’s face was pale but determined.

  They arranged themselves next to the fence and climbed unsteadily up onto one another’s shoulders. Lulu, as the tallest, was at the bottom, followed by Emily, then Jaminta. Clarabel, as the shortest, was left to climb past them all to reach the very top.

  “This is terrible!” she cried, after falling off for the seventh time. “I just can’t balance.”

  Luckily, the grass underneath gave her a soft landing.

  “Why don’t I try?” suggested Emily, and, after a lot of wobbling, she managed to scramble past Clarabel to the top of the fence. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she leaned down and pulled Clarabel up. Between them, they hauled up Jaminta, and finally Lulu.

  They had chosen a place where a sturdy tree branch stretched across to the fence on the forest side. One by one, they scooted along the branch and down the tree trunk to the ground.

  “Phew!” said Emily, as she landed on the forest floor. “I guess Duke Raven wasn’t expecting us to do that.”

  “Duke Raven is a bad man,” said Lulu stormily, and the others agreed.

  They picked their way through the forest, directed by Jaminta’s compass and the light from her bracelet. Then a rustling up ahead made them stop.

  Something moved. It stepped into a shimmering shaft of moonlight and stood there, its antlers transformed into silver.

  “Look,” breathed Emily. “It’s a stag.”

  The beautiful animal turned its head toward her, listening.

  “Are we ready?” asked Clarabel. “I’ll make the danger call to scare it far away.”

  They all nodded.

  Clarabel lifted her hands to her lips and made a series of high-pitched noises. The stag heard the sound and galloped away, his hooves echoing through the trees.

  “It’s working! Keep going, Clarabel,” said Emily. “We’ll find the traps.”

  Jaminta quickly handed out diamonds to Emily and Lulu, and the three of them scoured the forest floor, waiting for their diamonds to light up when they found any metal.

  “Here’s one!” cried Emily. Her diamond glowed, shedding its light like a forest star.

  Jaminta rushed over and showed her how to spring the trap, making its deadly jaws close around a stick.

  “Once the trap’s sprung, it’s useless,” she explained. “It can’t hurt an animal after that.”

  They rushed from place to place, hunting down the traps in the darkness.

  Each princess worked fast. The silence was broken only by the snap of closing traps and Clarabel’s deer calls ringing eerily though the forest.

  Emily felt as if her diamond was leading her through the trees, as if it knew where she needed to go.

  Each time it lit up a little brighter, and Emily sprang the trap and hurried on, trailing diamond-light behind her like stardust.

  As the hint of a pink sunrise peeked through the trees, the princesses gathered around their oak tree again.

  Sleepiness was starting to cloud over Emily’s eyes, but she gave herself a shake. This was no time to lose concentration.

  “How many traps have you found?” she asked.

  “Two,” replied Lulu.

  “Three,” said Jaminta.

  “I’ve found four. That makes nine altogether,” said Emily. “That means there’s only one left to find.”

  “That’s great!” Lulu yawned. “It can’t be far away. Let’s keep going.”

  They spread out again. Emily walked along, staring so hard at her diamond that she didn’t even notice where she was going.

  At last, the sparkling stone glowed white. Emily grinned. She’d found the very last trap!

  A rustling made her look up. She was standing in a forest glade full of flowers and thick grass. Deer grazed quietly all around her, and there, right in the middle, was the trap.

  Emily froze. The deer were everywhere, full-grown ones and babies. Any sudden movement or noise could make them run, and one might run straight into the trap.

  The thought of hearing it snap shut on a deer made Emily shiver inside. She turned as slowly as she could.

  “Clarabel?” she croaked. “Where are you?”

  The deer raised their heads, poised to run.

  “I’m right here, Emily,” answered Clarabel. “I’ll wait for your signal.”

  Step by tiny step, Emily edged toward the trap. If she could get to it, then maybe she could stop the deer from coming near it. She could keep them safe.

  As she got closer, she could see how well the trap was hidden in the long grass. “Clarabel? Now!” she called softly.

  Clarabel let out the deer’s danger call and the animals took flight, galloping away through the trees.

  Emily felt relief flood through her. She grabbed a stick and sprang the trap. Its teeth snapped shut tight, like a metal crocodile.

  “We did it!” said Clarabel.

  Emily picked up the closed trap and glared at it. “This is the one we’re taking to show King Gudland. It’s time that he knew what’s been going on.”

  Ally brought a feast of pancakes and maple syrup up to Emily’s room that morning. The girls were absolutely exhausted. Spending the whole night saving deer was hard work, even for princesses.

  They sat around a little table, wearing gold-trimmed dressing gowns and tiaras, munching on pancakes and drinking tall glasses of peach juice.

  King Gudland had been astounded when they gave him the trap, and was shocked to hear that Duke Raven had shut the castle gates to try to stop them from rescuing the deer. Emily hadn’t realized that his twinkly eyes could look so angry.

  “Thank goodness for you four brave princesses. I would never have believed Duke Raven could do this if you hadn’t shown me this horrible thing,” he’d said, turning the trap over. “There will be no more traps
in Mistberg Forest. I will figure this out once and for all.” Then he had marched angrily away.

  Shortly afterward, Duke Raven’s carriage sped down the driveway and off of the castle grounds. The duke’s face frowned from the carriage window.

  “Look! Duke Raven’s leaving,” cried Emily, leaning over to look out of her turret.

  “I bet King Gudland threw him out of the castle,” said Jaminta.

  “Good! That saves me from having to do it!” said Lulu, taking another pancake and a large helping of syrup.

  The others giggled.

  The rest of the morning was spent down at the shed, looking after the deer with the injured leg and finding vegetables for him from the kitchens.

  In the afternoon, a feeling of excitement swept through the castle as the decorations went up for the Grand Ball. People rushed up and down the stairs with banners, golden tablecloths, and enormous bunches of roses.

  Every dress was smoothed, every shoe was polished, and every ring, bracelet, and necklace rubbed until they sparkled.

  The princesses met up in Emily’s room in their ball gowns. The orchestra downstairs had already started to play, and the melody drifted right up into the West Tower.

  Emily checked her pink satin dress in the mirror. Then she put on her ruby necklace, a ruby ring, and her best tiara, which was shaped like golden leaves woven together.

  She turned to the others. “You know, we make a really great team.”

  “That’s because we’re really good at animal rescues!” said Lulu. “We’re Rescue Princesses!”

  The other princesses smiled.

  “There must be lots of animals around the world that need our help,” said Clarabel.

  “You’re right,” Emily agreed, her hazel eyes shining. “If only we could get together to save them. But how can we call on each other? We won’t be together all the time.”

  Jaminta looked thoughtful. “Maybe there is a way. I haven’t tried it out yet, but I have an idea that could help us.”

  Just then, a trumpet fanfare sounded. The ball was about to begin. They climbed down the spiral stairs to the Banquet Hall together. Emily’s long red curls bounced as she stepped down. Her pink dress with its red flowers shimmered in the light.

  She glanced at her friends, looking perfect in their ball dresses and tiaras. No one would ever have thought they’d used ninja skills or scrambled over the castle fence the day before.

  Jaminta wore a straight dress of dark-green silk decorated with beautiful golden thread. An emerald necklace hung around her neck, and she had brushed her dark hair till it shone. Perched on her head was a tiara bejeweled with beautiful Onica crystals.

  Clarabel had to be careful not to tread on her pale-blue dress, which had a wide skirt that hung right down to her toes. Her golden hair was loose, and a sapphire gleamed around her neck, matching the sapphires in her tiara.

  Lulu wore a shorter dress of bright yellow dotted with sequins, and a necklace with a beautiful yellow topaz. She stepped down the staircase swiftly, her black hair braided into tiny plaits and pinned up beautifully under a bright golden crown.

  Emily’s stomach began to gurgle as she continued down the stairs. There were so many people that she would have to greet and curtsy to.

  The room below was crowded with kings and queens from all twenty royal families. They wore ceremonial robes and cloaks in every shade, from the brightest red to the deepest blue.

  Suddenly, the orchestra seemed deafening, and dozens of crowns glinted in the dazzling light of the chandeliers. Emily took a deep breath.

  As the princesses reached the bottom, the four princes — Olaf, George, Dinesh, and Samuel — came over to stand next to them. They were also old enough to be presented at this year’s Mistberg Ball.

  The kings and queens began to form two long lines, taking the younger princes and princesses to stand with them. Emily watched a little princess, maybe only four years old, clinging to her mother’s hand as she moved to her place in line.

  When the kings and queens were ready, two long lines of royalty stretched out from the staircase. The princesses exchanged a look. This was the moment they had all practiced for.

  They would have to walk between those lines and curtsy and speak to every single grown-up. They had to show that they could act exactly the way a princess should.

  Emily took a deep breath and stepped forward. The first person in the line was a tall king with a beard. Emily curtsied. The king bowed.

  Emily’s heart rose as she went down the line. Everyone was smiling, she realized. The very last person in the line was King Gudland. When Emily curtsied, he took her hand.

  “Princes and princesses, kings and queens,” he said loudly. “May I have your attention?”

  Everyone quieted. The other princesses came to stand next to Emily.

  “We are very proud of all our young people. But I have something special to say about these four princesses.”

  He smiled at Emily. “We can see that these young ladies walk and curtsy beautifully. But today they proved that they have much greater talents than this. They showed us how to be brave, inventive, and kind to other creatures. They have saved many deer from terrible harm. I can only say how grateful I am to them, and how delighted I am to have them here. They will always find a warm welcome at Mistberg Castle!”

  The kings and queens burst into applause.

  “Now,” continued King Gudland when the clapping finished, “let the Grand Ball begin!”

  The orchestra struck up a fast tune, which sent Emily’s feet tapping. She and the other princesses danced and laughed under the sparkling light of the chandeliers.

  Trays of strawberry juice and fizzy cherry-ade were brought around, together with plates of iced cupcakes decorated with sugar crowns.

  Emily noticed Prince Samuel trying to take five cupcakes before Queen Trudy pulled him away. Emily twirled and swirled until her head felt light and her feet tingled.

  She smiled to see King Gudland joining in. He even tried to teach them his favorite dance move, called “The Mistberg Funky Chicken.”

  Prince Olaf came past, moving to the music. “Hey! Did you really rescue all those deer?”

  “Yes, we did!” replied Emily.

  “That was really brave,” said Olaf. “Want to dance?”

  “Maybe later.” Emily smiled, twirling away toward her friends.

  “Emily!” said her mom, taking her to one side. “Your dad and I wanted to say how proud we are of you. You did the right thing telling King Gudland about those traps, and you’ve made some lovely friends. We should ask the other princesses to come and visit Middingland soon.”

  Emily beamed. “Thanks, Mom! I’m sure they’d love to!”

  At last all the cherry-ade had been drunk, and Emily’s feet grew tired. As she went to say good night she saw Jaminta whispering to Lulu and Clarabel.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Can I borrow your ring? Just for one night?” murmured Jaminta.

  “Of course,” said Emily.

  Jaminta winked. “I’ll show you why tomorrow. I want it to be a surprise.”

  Emily took off the ruby ring, with its jewel that shone like fire, and gave it to her friend. She yawned. With a successful animal rescue and an exciting Grand Ball, this really had been the best day ever!

  Emily wanted to check on the little deer before she left the next day. When she reached the garden shed she found Lulu, Jaminta, and Clarabel already inside.

  “Look!” said Clarabel. “Isn’t it amazing?”

  The deer tottered toward Emily, holding steady on his injured leg. His soft brown ears perked up as he listened to the girls, and his tail twitched.

  “That’s great! He’s so much better,” said Emily, delighted.

  “I asked the gardeners to look after him when we go home,” said Lulu. “And they’ll take him back to the forest next week, when he’s completely better.”

  “There’s one more thing,” Jamint
a said, taking a velvet bag from her pocket. “Last night you all gave me your rings, and I worked really hard on them.”

  She handed the sapphire ring back to Clarabel, the topaz to Lulu, and the ruby to Emily. Then she put on her own emerald ring.

  Emily slid her ring back onto her finger. The jewel in the middle had changed just a little. It was now heart-shaped, and it shone with a deeper fire. “Can they do something special now?” she asked.

  Jaminta looked pleased. “It took me a long time, but I managed to make it work. Now they are communication rings. So if you speak into yours, we’ll all hear you, no matter where we are and no matter how far away.”

  “Wow!” said Emily, her eyes wide.

  “Thanks, Jaminta,” said Clarabel.

  Emily twisted the ring on her finger. “You know, there’ll be a lot more animals out there that need our help. We should make a secret promise to always help an animal in trouble.”

  “No matter how dangerous the situation is!” added Clarabel.

  Lulu grinned. “The more danger there is, the better!”

  “Now that we have the rings, we can get help easily,” said Jaminta. “We can call each other right away.”

  “No one else will know that we’re really Rescue Princesses!” said Emily.

  The girls stood in a circle with their hands joined in the middle, one on top of the other.

  “We promise to help all animals in trouble,” said Emily.

  “We promise,” said the others.

  The four rings glowed for a moment and Emily’s heart missed a beat. Their adventures had only just begun.

  Can’t wait for the Rescue Princesses’ next daring animal adventure?

  Turn the page for a sneak peek!

  Princess Clarabel scattered the last of her breakfast crumbs for the brightly colored birds that fluttered down to the veranda.

  One small blue parrot sat on the wooden railing, eyeing her beadily.

  “Go ahead, or there’ll be none left.” Clarabel laughed, and the little parrot hopped down to peck at the pieces of apricot bread as if he knew exactly what she was saying.