Rose 3: Rose and the Magician's Mask Read Free Page B

sort of way – all Princess Jane’s older sisters were in love with him. Quite unfairly, his good looks often got him out of trouble, but he was terribly dim most of the time.
    Raph dashed to open the carriage door, almost colliding with the coachman, who retired to his box, muttering.
    ‘Please hurry, sir,’ he begged. ‘His Majesty is beside himself with worry.’
    ‘What did you do, you idiot?’ Freddie hissed, jumping down, and handing Rose out.
    ‘It wasn’t me!’ Raph protested. ‘Really, I never went anywhere near the bally thing. His Majesty’s waiting in the throne room, do come on.’ He seized Rose’s sleeve, and actually pulled her inside past the guards, hustling the party up an enormous staircase, the banisters held up by plump and winsome cherubs that had Mr Fountain wincing. He strongly disapproved of many of the king’s renovations. ‘The throne room,’ he was muttering. ‘It would be. All that scarlet carpet gives me such a headache, and the statues are absurd.’
    Gus ran ahead of Raph, his tail waving high. He adored dramatic situations, and Rose suspected he was also hoping to finally have a chance to terroriseQueen Adelaide’s lap dog. Gus had been in disguise during most of their previous visit, and had been forced to control his natural instincts.
    The king was pacing up and down the scarlet carpet that had so worried Mr Fountain. Rose agreed – the carpet was blood-coloured, and the walls were a shade darker. It was like being inside a bag of liver, which had been liberally dotted with gilded marble statues. It was also unfortunate that the king was wearing a crimson Guards’ uniform which clashed, subtly and dreadfully. He looked haggard, his face greyish pale, and his eyes haunted.
    ‘At last!’
    ‘I’m so sorry, Sire, we came as soon as the message arrived. It’s really gone?’
    ‘Look!’ The king wheeled round and pointed dramatically at a display of weapons on the wall. Even Rose could see that there was a rather unfortunate gap in the middle.
    ‘Is this mask supposed to be there?’ she hissed to Freddie.
    Freddie shrugged. He looked put out, as he prided himself on knowing more about the palace than Rose did.
    ‘Why are those children here?’ Queen Adelaide was sweeping down the room towards them, thetrain of her velvet dress trailing across the red carpet. Behind her trotted a grumpy-looking pageboy, carrying her fat little Pekingese dog, its eyes bulging at the sight of Gus.
    ‘We need their help, my dear,’ the king reminded her curtly.
    Rose bent her knees slightly, hoping to hide the inches of leg that showed under her outgrown dress. But she could tell that the queen could see what she was doing. Queen Adelaide looked down her rather long nose at the two children. ‘Do they have to look quite so dishevelled ?’ she asked in a stagey sort of whisper.
    Mr Fountain bowed. He didn’t like the queen, it was quite obvious – though he was far too much the courtier to admit any such thing. ‘We obeyed His Majesty’s summons in rather a hurry, ma’am.’
    The queen’s ‘Hmmm’ was masterly, and Rose and Freddie both attempted to hide behind Mr Fountain. This meant that Gus came out from around his master’s legs, and leered at the Pekingese. The Peke stood up in the pageboy’s arms and barked itself silly, while Gus merely stared demurely at it, standing decoratively next to Rose and opening his eyes very wide. He knew that made him look innocent, but Rose could tell from the twitching of his tail-tip that he was enjoying himself enormously.
    The queen seized the Peke from the pageboy and cooed lovingly at it, but the little creature fought and scrabbled, yapping hysterically.
    I think he is being terribly rude in Chinese , Gus told Rose admiringly. I wish I understood.
    At last the queen handed the dog back to the pageboy, still wriggling frantically. ‘I shall have to take Flower out of here,’ the queen pronounced, frowning. ‘He cannot stand to