Rescue Princesses #3: The Moonlight Mystery Read Free Page B

she knew she would have to wait until after dinner. They met in the hallway next to the huge lion picture and waited for the dinner gong to sound.
    Emily wore a pink satin ball gown, while Clarabel’s was pale blue and shimmered in the light. Jaminta wore a dress of wonderfully smooth green silk. Their special rings sparkled on their fingers. Emily’s ring was a red ruby, Jaminta’s was a green emerald, and Clarabel’s was a sapphire of the deepest blue.
    Lulu’s golden tiara matched her golden dress, which swished around her as she moved. Her yellow topaz ring twinkled. She grinned at her friends. “I’ve got so much to tell you,” she said. “I hope dinner doesn’t take too long.”
    “I got here as fast as I could,” Emily told her. “I begged my parents to let me pack as soon as your message came through!”
    “The rings worked really well,” said Lulu, smiling at Jaminta. “Prince Olaf asked me why I wore mine all the time, but I wouldn’t tell him.”
    “We saw lots of animals through the carriage windows,” said Clarabel. “I’ve never seen giraffes before. They’re so tall and so graceful.”
    “But which animal is in danger, Lulu?” asked Emily. “You didn’t tell us in your message.”
    Lulu’s face clouded over. “A lioness and four of her cubs have gone missing. No one knows why. Walter, the palace ranger, thinks other animals have disappeared, too. Something really strange is going on.”
    “What’s really strange?” said Prince Olaf, coming down the stairs.
    Lulu scowled and nearly said something rude. Then she remembered her promise to her parents. With a huge effort, she turned to Olaf. “It’s strange that the banquet hasn’t started yet, that’s all.”
    Just then, the kings and queens and Lady Malika arrived, dressed in their fanciest robes and crowns. The king and queen of Finia had fair hair, just like Olaf, and wore velvet robes that hung down to the floor. Lady Malika wore a long black dress and her hair was decorated with bright feathers.
    “Good evening, Your Majesties!” Prince Olaf gave them a huge bow, providing them all a close-up of the top of his spiky blond head. “And good evening, princesses.”
    The princesses curtsied in response.
    The queen of Undala nodded approvingly. “You have lovely manners, Prince Olaf.”
    Lulu rolled her eyes. Why couldn’t her mom see how annoying Olaf was?
    The gong sounded for dinner and they all trooped into the Great Hall. The long table was laden with delicious food served in golden dishes. Lulu, who had been too excited about seeing her friends to eat very much all day, suddenly realized how hungry she was. She grinned as Emily sat down next to her, and groaned inwardly as Prince Olaf sat down on her other side.

    “I’d love to go and see some wildlife tomorrow,” said Olaf loudly. “I thought I saw a squirrel earlier and it’d be great to see some more.”
    Lulu rolled her eyes again and took a huge bite of dinner so that she didn’t have to reply. Did he seriously think squirrels lived in Undala?
    “Actually, we don’t have any squirrels in our country,” said Queen Shani. “But it’s a lovely idea for you to see the wildlife. I’m sure Lulu will take you.”
    Lulu shot a look of dismay at the other princesses. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck with Olaf when there were animals to help!
    “You must go look at Shimmer Rock as well,” said the king of Undala. “There are stories about the mountain going back hundreds of years.”
    “What do the stories say?” asked Emily.
    “Shimmer Rock is supposed to be a hollow mountain with magic inside — so the old tales go. It shimmers in the moonlight, just like its name says. People used to think the lights were pixies having a party in the night.” The king chuckled at the thought of it. “Of course, it’s all made up. But the place is still worth a visit. After all, it’s the only mountain in Undala.”
    Lulu sighed. All this talking was just