Moonlight on the Magic Flute: A Merlin Mission Read Free Page A

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    “Move along, children. You’re holding up the line!” a woman behind them said.
    Annie picked up her hoopskirt, and she and Jack hurried up the stairs. At the top, Jack pulled their invitation out of his pocket again. He led Annie into the palace and showed the invitation to a guard in a red uniform.
    “Follow the line through the lantern room and into the Great Rosa Room,” the guard said.
    Jack saw a line of party guests walking slowly through a candlelit room. He and Annie quickly joined the line. The room was filled with sounds of whispering and the rustling of silk.
    A young girl in a white dress with red roses was standing near Jack and Annie. When the line moved, Jack waited for the girl to go ahead.
    The girl smiled. “I’m not in line,” she said in a soft voice. “I’m waiting for my brother.”
    Jack nodded, and he and Annie stepped forward. Jack craned his neck to get a better view inside the Great Rosa Room. He couldn’t see Her Imperial Majesty yet, but he could see part of the fancy room with its red velvet chairs and gold-trimmed, glossy white walls.
    Another guest entered the Great Rosa Room, and Jack and Annie took a step closer to the door.
Now
Jack could see Her Imperial Majesty. She was a tall, plump woman dressed in a blue silkgown with ruffles. To Jack’s surprise, the little kid with the sword was sitting on her lap! A long row of older children stood behind her.
    Jack turned to Annie. “Who do you think those kids are?” he asked.
    Annie shrugged.
    “They are the children of Her Imperial Majesty,” said the girl who had spoken to Jack earlier. “The imperial children.”
    “Thanks,” said Annie.
    “The imperial children look pretty unfriendly,” Jack whispered to Annie. The little boy with the sword was the only one smiling.
    “Well, it must be really hard to just stand there wearing stiff clothes and wigs while people are being received,” Annie whispered back.
    “Prepare yourselves. You are next,” a servant at the door said to Jack and Annie.
    Oh, no!
thought Jack. He’d been too busy looking at the imperial children to watch the guests in front of him. “What do we do when we meetHer Imperial Majesty?” he asked Annie frantically.
    “I don’t know! I forgot to watch!” she said. Annie turned to the girl in the white dress. “Um— excuse me? Can you tell us what to do when we meet Her Imperial Majesty?” she asked.
    The girl leaned close to Annie and whispered, “Enter the room and announce your names. Then walk to the middle of the room. You must curtsy; he must bow. Next go directly up to Her Imperial Majesty and do the same.”
    “Got it,” said Annie.
    “Oh, and remember—” the girl said to Jack, “do not rise from the second bow until Her Imperial Majesty tells you to. Do not even look up. Rise only when she says ‘rise.’ Then step backward out of the room.”
    “Backward?” said Jack.
    “Yes. You must never turn your back on Her Imperial Majesty,” said the girl. “It would be considered very bad manners.”
    “Thanks!” said Jack. He was grateful to thegirl for giving them such important information.
    The servant at the door turned and nodded to Jack and Annie. The two of them stepped into the Great Rosa Room.
    “Annie of Frog Creek!” Annie said loudly.
    “Jack, also of Frog Creek!” said Jack.
    Jack and Annie walked slowly to the center of the room; Her Imperial Majesty and the imperial children watched them closely. The little boy with the sword waved at them. Annie curtsied and Jack gave a low bow.
    Then Jack and Annie walked closer to Her Imperial Majesty. She had a double chin, a high forehead, and lots of teeny blond curls. Jack smiled at her, but her pale face stayed very serious.
    Annie curtsied again, and Jack gave a second bow. As he bowed, he remembered that it was bad manners to rise or look up before Her Imperial Majesty told him to.
    Jack stared at the shiny buckles on his shoes, waiting to hear Her Imperial