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“Yes, Sarge!” said two eager voices.
Rosa’s heart sank at the sound of heavy feet traipsing away and the two guards talking in low voices outside the door.
She shivered as she looked around her. The room was very small with no windows.
Rosa bit her lip. How could she have been silly enough to think she could get into the castle so easily? She was trapped!
And what about King Rat? What would he do to her? And how would Nutmeg feel when she realised Rosa was missing? If the fairy had seen her being captured she would be so worried. Rosa felt awful. She had let her new friend down. There she’d gone again, just charging in without thinking.
I should never have headed off like that, she thought in despair. I’ve just made it all worse.
She looked at her shoes, hoping they might sparkle and whisk her away somewhere, but nothing happened. And Nutmeg couldn’t rescue her by magic because she had told Rosa that her magic didn’t work in the castle. If I’m going to get out of here, I’m going to have to get myself out, Rosa realised.
She thought hard. There were guards on the other side of the door but only two.
She went to the door and banged on it.
“Shut up!” snarled a mouse’s voice from the other side of the door.
“If you want food, there isn’t any,” said a higher pitched voice.
Mangy Tail, thought Rosa recognising the guard’s voice from earlier.
“I don’t want food,” she said. “I don’t feel very well.” She started to make sounds as if she was about to be sick as loud as she could. “Yuck!” she heard Whiskers exclaim. “If she’s sick in there I bet we’ll have to clear it up!”
“I just need some fresh air,” said Rosa, acting for all she was worth. “I’m sure I’ll be fine then but if I don’t get some fresh air I think I’ll be sick EVERYWHERE!”
“Come on, come on, let her out,” said Mangy Tail hurriedly.
Rosa heard the sound of the bolt sliding back and saw the door starting to open. She leaped to one side and crouched down in the shadows, staying as still as possible till the mice stepped into the doorway.
“Where are you?” Whiskers demanded, looking round.
Rosa leaped up, yelling as loudly as she could and the two mice jumped in alarm. Then Rosa charged at them, waving her hands about. It wasn’t exactly a well-thought-out plan but hopefully it would do!
“Whoa!” Whiskers yelled, staggering into Mangy Tail and knocking him over. Rosa leaped lightly over Mangy Tail’s fallen body, landing in perfect balance, before pushing Whiskers with all her might. He tripped over Mangy Tail, and they both rolled into the room.
Rosa slammed the door shut and pushed the bolt across, her fingers trembling. She’d done it! She’d escaped!
The mice started banging on the door and shouting but it was a very thick door and the noise was muffled.
I’m free! Rosa thought. She raced up the stairs. No one was in the main hall. The front door was just opposite her. But just as she was about to make her escape, she saw the big door handle turn and heard a loud voice…
“So the prisoner’s a girl, you say? A girl with red ballet shoes? But not the same girl who has been to Enchantia before?”
“A different one, King Rat. Definitely a different one.”
Rosa ran through a nearby archway. There was a large chest and she ducked behind it.
“Take me to this prisoner then!” she heard King Rat snap.
Peeping out from behind the chest, Rosa saw a black rat with a golden crown on his head and a long purple cloak come marching across the hall. He looked really scary with his red eyes and curling whiskers. She hid back behind the chest as he headed for the steps that led to the room where she had been kept prisoner.
Oh no! As soon as he got there he would realise she had escaped!
She looked all around her. The chest was in a small corridor that seemed to be used for keeping bags of vegetables. Turning, she ran down it, her heart thudding. Any minute now, the guards would get out and come looking for her! What was she going to do?
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Rosa didn’t know where she was going, but surely there must be a way out. She hurried down the corridor till she came to a small door in the wall. It looked like the door she had seen earlier from the outside of the castle. Her heart leaped. It was locked but there was a key in it!
She turned the lock and opened the door and now she could see the woods just ahead of her! She ran towards them, faster than she had ever run in her life. With every stride she expected to hear voices shouting to stop and mice running after her but the only sound was of muffled yelling from inside the castle. She had a feeling her escape had just been discovered and the guards were in trouble but she didn’t care. She had got out!
As she entered the woods, Nutmeg flew up to her. “Oh, Rosa! What happened?” The fairy looked scared stiff. “I saw the guards capture you. I didn’t know what to do!”
“I’m really sorry,” Rosa panted. “I was just trying to help the princess. I thought that if only I could get inside I might be able to hide and let her out tonight.”
“It was really brave of you,” Nutmeg said admiringly.
“It was really stupid,” groaned Rosa. “I got locked in a room and I had to escape.” She glanced around. “I think the guards might be after me at any moment.”
“Quick, let’s get out of here!” said Nutmeg. She grabbed Rosa’s hand, waved her wand and spun in a pirouette. Silver and pink sparkles swirled around them and Rosa felt herself spinning round as Nutmeg’s magic whisked them away.
They landed in a quiet clearing in the middle of the woods a safe distance away from the castle.
Rosa breathed out. “Phew!” She still had the key in her hand and her relief at escaping turned into excitement as she realised they now had a way to get into – and out of – the castle. She showed it to Nutmeg. “This opens the small door in the wall. We can use it to help Princess Cressida escape!” The fairy looked puzzled but a plan was already forming in Rosa’s mind. “As soon as the princess comes back to her room, you can run up to the tower and sneak through the door. Then you and the princess can run downstairs and escape back out through the little door. If the guards come I’ll distract them!”
“How?” asked Nutmeg.
“I don’t know,” Rosa admitted.
“Hmmm.” Nutmeg started dancing to the side, her feet crossing over quickly. Rosa recognised that it was a dance from Swan Lake. The fairy moved one way and then the other. “I always think better when I dance!” She spun round and then suddenly stopped, her eyes wide. “I know! I could use my magic to make you look exactly like the princess and teach you a dance she does! If the guards saw you dancing at the edge of the woods it would trick them and they’d run after you – leaving the coast clear.” She frowned. “But it would be really dangerous for you.”
“I don’t mind!” Rosa said bravely.
“It might work. If you could just distract them for a few minutes, Cressida and I could run to the woods and then I could magic us all away,” said Nutmeg.
“Let’s do it!” said Rosa. She looked at the sky. The sun was just starting to set. They had to be quick. “Can you teach me the dance now?”
Nutmeg waved her wand and beautiful music from Swan Lake filled the clearing. “Copy me!” Nutmeg danced three steps forwards before turning three times, one arm above her head, one out to the side. Then she danced on in a big circle, turning with every step until she stopped in an arabesque, one leg held out behind her.
Rosa copied her. It felt wonderful to be dancing outside in the open air. She spun around letting the music flow through her. She didn’t care if she got things a bit wrong; she just lost herself in the wonderful feeling. As she finished, she balanced on one leg.
Nutmeg looked very impressed. “You’re really good at dancing, Rosa!”
Rosa smiled at her. “Thank you!” She felt even braver after the fairy’s praise. “Do you think the mouse guards will have given up looking for me by now?”
“I should think so.” Nutmeg nodded.
“Then let’s go back to the castle!”
Nutmeg’s magic took them to the edge of the forest…just as the sun was setting. The swan princess flapped her her wings and took off from the water.
Rosa watched the bird swoop into the tower. A few minutes later, a girl in a white dress appeared at the window. She had long golden hair and looked sad.
“That’s Cressida,” said Nutmeg. “I’d better make you look like her right away!”
Nutmeg began to dance around Rosa. A tingling started in Rosa’s toes. It spread up her body and down her arms and up through her head. Nutmeg stopped and pointed her wand at her. There was a silver flash. Rosa blinked and gasped. Suddenly she was wearing a white dress. She put her hands to her head. She had a tiara on and her hair was now a deeper gold colour. “Oh, wow,” she gasped. Nutmeg took a small mirror out of the pocket of her tutu and held it up. Rosa stared. Her own face wasn’t looking back at her, but the face of the princess. It was a very weird feeling!
“How long will the magic last?” she asked quickly.
“Not long,” said Nutmeg. “Some fairies in Enchantia can do transformation magic that lasts for hours but I’m still not very good at it. But it should last until Cressida and I escape.” She rose into the air. “Good luck!”
“You too,” called Rosa.
Nutmeg ran as fast as she could to the little door, and with one quick look back at Rosa, she disappeared inside.
Rosa took a deep breath. This was it! Nutmeg would hopefully be letting Princess Cressida out. Oh, hurry up, hurry up, she willed them. Please get out before the guards come!
“Hup two, hup two!”
It was too late. The guards were marching around the building. If Nutmeg and the princess opened the door now they’d be seen for sure!
Rosa didn’t hesitate. Nutmeg and the princess were in danger. She had to help! Lifting her arms, she danced out of the trees…
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The two guards at the front of the group stopped so that the guards behind bumped into them. There was a chorus of “oofs” and “ouches” as tails were trodden on and swords tripped over.
“It’s the princess!” the guards in the front shouted as Rosa danced.
Rosa’s heart somersaulted as the guards started charging towards her. She turned and ran into the dark trees.
“STOP!” the guards yelled.
No way, thought Rosa as she ran in and out of the trees, jumping over tree roots and stumps. The ballet shoes seemed to help her, making her feet move more lightly than ever as she twisted and turned on the forest paths. She glanced behind her. The guards were getting closer!
But Cressida and Nutmeg were also running across the grass towards the trees, aiming for a spot far to the right. Luckily the guards were so busy chasing Rosa that they didn’t look behind them. They raced after her.
Rosa headed in the direction that Nutmeg and Cressida were going but as she did so, she realised there was a wall of trees and bushes in front of her. There was no way through. She was trapped!
“We’ve got her!” screeched Mangy Tail.
Rosa turned around as the guards skidded to a halt behind her. They formed a semi-circle, swords pointing at her. She backed up until she was pressed against the trees.
“Come on, Princess,” snarled Whiskers through the dusk. “I don’t know how you escaped but you’re coming back to the castle with us right now before King Rat finds out…” He blinked. Rosa felt herself tingling all over and glanced down. The magic was wearing off!
“What…what’s happening?” The guards began to back off in alarm as Rosa felt herself change.
Suddenly someone grabbed her hand from behind the tree.
“We’re here!” Nutmeg’s voice whispered.
Rosa’s heart leaped.
“It’s that girl!” said Mangy Tail suddenly.
Whiskers recovered from his confusion. “It’s a trick again! GET HER!” He and the other guards leaped toward Rosa but at that very moment, Rosa felt Nutmeg’s fingers tighten on hers.
“Hold on!” the fairy cried as a tinkling of music rang out.
And just as the guards’ paws reached out to grab Rosa, a swirling curtain of silver and pink sparkles surrounded her and she felt herself being whisked away into the air, twirling round as if she was on a tea cup ride…
She landed a few seconds later. As the sparkles cleared, she realised that she was standing in a bedroom on a cream rug. Nutmeg was holding her right hand and Princess Cressida was holding her left.
“We…we escaped!” Rosa gasped.
“Only just,” said Nutmeg, looking pale. “Oh, Rosa, that was so close!”
“Thank you so much for rescuing me!” Princess Cressida said, giving Rosa a hug as the bedroom door opened and a beautiful lady in a blue dress with a golden crown on her head looked in. “Oh my goodness!” she cried, stopping in her tracks. “Cressida! It’s you!”
“Queen Isabella,” said Nutmeg sinking into a deep curtsey. Rosa quickly followed her example.
Cressida however ran towards the Queen and hugged her. “I’m safe, Auntie! Rosa and Nutmeg rescued me! Oh, wait until you hear what happened!”
The Queen fetched the King and ten minutes later, Cressida and Nutmeg had told them everything. Rosa stood shyly at one side, not wanting to intrude. “Nutmeg used her magic to whisk us all back here,” said Cressida, “and now we’re safe!”
The Queen turned to Nutmeg and Rosa, grateful tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Nutmeg. And thank you, Rosa. You have both acted so bravely.”
“I’m really glad I helped, but I did some stupid things,” admitted Rosa. “I should never have gone off into the castle on my own the first time. It could have turned out really, really badly.” She sighed. “My mum’s always saying I should think more before I do and say things.”
And she’s right, Rosa thought, reminding herself of Olivia.
The Queen smiled though. “Do not be too hard on yourself. It is good to act and not just think, good to be prepared to take risks, good to be brave for the sake of others. I think you are a worthy owner of the ballet shoes, Rosa.” She took her hands. “I am very, very glad you have been chosen to wear them.”
“I am too,” said Rosa happily. The adventure might have been scary but it had also been really good fun!
“You must not tell anyone about your time here,” warned the Queen. “Keep the red shoes’ magic secret.”
“We should have a feast and dancing to celebrate Rosa’s first visit to Enchantia,” King Tristan declared. “Let the party begin!”
The rest of the evening passed in a whirl of eating delicious food, dancing to lively tunes and having fun. As they stopped after an energetic polka at midnight, Rosa felt her feet tingling. At first she thought it was just because she had been dancing so much but then she realised that her shoes were glowing again. “I think I’m about to go home!” she gasped.
“Come back soon!” called Nutmeg. “Bye, Rosa!”
“Goodbye!” called Princess Cressida.
The last thing Rosa saw was Nutmeg and Cressida smiling and waving and then colours swirled around her and she was swept away…
