Rescue Princesses #4: The Stolen Crystals (6 page)

Jaminta backed away, holding Lucky tightly in her arms. The other princesses edged backward, too.

“What’s going on?” moaned the earl.

The song became higher and more haunting, weaving around them like the wind. The earl dropped the Star Crystal and put his hands over his ears. The rocky outcrop behind the men began to shudder. The earth trembled. An
enormous splinter of stone broke off and shattered on the ground below.

“The mountain’s falling down!” cried the earl.

The two men ran away, stumbling over rocks and crashing through trees as they fled back down Cloud Mountain.

The princesses stood their ground. Jaminta held on to Lucky even tighter, while he buried his head in her shoulder.

The Star Crystal sang a final, piercing note, which made the earth rumble and opened up a gaping hole in the ground. Then the song faded away to nothing and the mountainside stopped shaking. One last swirl of dust rose from the fallen stones and floated away.

Jaminta breathed deeply in the sudden silence. She looked around, stroking
Lucky’s soft fur. She was so glad that he was safe and no one had been hurt.

“That was weird,” said Emily. “I felt like the Star Crystal wanted something. Like it was talking.”

Clarabel nodded. “I thought that, too.”

Lulu darted forward to look inside the hollow that had opened in the ground. “Come and see this! There’s something in here.” She climbed down into the hole and picked up a small brown sack lying at the bottom.

The girls gathered around as Lulu undid the string at the top and turned the sack upside down. Four beautiful heart-shaped crystals tumbled out onto the grass. Each one was sparkling and transparent, but with a tiny flame in the center.

Clarabel picked one up. The Heart Crystal sparkled between her fingers.

“The Onica Heart Crystals!” Jaminta gasped. “Grandfather will be so happy that they’ve been found!”

“So will Ally!” said Emily. “I can’t wait to tell her!”

“You were right, your crystal wasn’t a bad jewel at all,” said Lulu. “We should have believed you, Jaminta.”

Jaminta smiled back at them. “I knew it couldn’t be bad. It must have been trying to find the Heart Crystals all along. It was singing to set them free.” She gave Lucky a squeeze and patted his furry head.

Emily picked up the Star Crystal from where the earl had dropped it and laid it next to the Heart Crystals. The five gems glowed together for a second. “Look! They’re like sister jewels.”

Behind them came a loud rustling, and the mother panda lumbered into the
clearing. Lucky let out a soft squeak and licked Jaminta’s hand.

“There you go, little Lucky.” Jaminta set him gently down onto the ground.

“He’s safe now that the earl has run away,” said Emily.

Lucky ran over to his mother, who nuzzled him lovingly.

Jaminta smiled as she watched them amble away across the grass. Lucky turned to look at her one more time before he followed his mother into the forest.

Jaminta picked up the jewels and gave one Heart Crystal to each of her friends.

“Let’s go back to the palace and show these jewels to my grandfather,” she said. “It will be a perfect birthday present for him!”

The princesses hurried through the palace gate. It had taken them a long time to find a way back that avoided the rocky ravine with its broken rope bridge. A loud cheer rose as they walked into the garden. The girls looked at one another in surprise, but the crowd of people standing on the grass was all facing the other way.

“What’s going on?” whispered Clarabel.

Jaminta tried to peer through the mass
of people, but she could only see arms and legs.

“Your grandfather’s standing next to his birthday cake,” called Lulu, who had climbed halfway up the soldier statue. “I think we’re going to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him next.”

Jaminta’s mom noticed the girls and frowned at the sight of their muddy dresses. “Princesses! Where have you been? Jaminta, you’re absolutely covered in dirt and leaves. Go upstairs and change at once!”

“But, Mom! We found something really amazing,” said Jaminta, trying to show her the Heart Crystal. “And I don’t want to miss Grandfather’s party.”

“Jaminta! You can’t stand here with twigs in your hair!” said the queen of Onica sternly.

Jaminta swept a hand over her dark hair and pulled out a clump of twigs. She made a face and turned toward the palace.

“Is that my lovely granddaughter?” called Emperor Cho from the front. “Come up here, Jaminta!”

Jaminta brushed the leaves off her dress and made her way through the crowd until she stood next to her grandfather. “Happy birthday, Grandfather!” she said, hugging him. “I have a special present to give you!”

Her grandfather’s eyes twinkled. “Is it a surprise?”

Jaminta grinned. “I guess it is! You see, I tried to make a beautiful crystal to give to you, and it finally worked.” She dropped the Star Crystal into his wrinkled hand. “And then this star jewel helped me find these crystals as well.”
She dropped one of the Heart Crystals into his hand, too.

Emperor Cho stared at the magical crystals in silent amazement. Lulu, Emily, and Clarabel came to the front and showed him the other three heart-shaped gems.

“Happy birthday, Grandfather!” said Jaminta softly.

“The stolen crystals!” said the emperor, gazing at the sparkling jewels. “How did you find them after all this time?”

“They were buried on the mountainside,” explained Jaminta. “The thief hid them there, planning to dig them up later.”

“But who hid them?” The emperor looked all around, as if he was expecting the thief to jump out of the crowd.

“It was Earl Scrant, Your Majesty!” said Emily, with a curtsy. “We saw him trying to dig up the jewels today.”

“Really? Earl Scrant?” echoed the emperor in astonishment.

The kings and queens muttered to one another and shook their heads.

“Look! There he is!” someone called, and the crowd turned to look at a tall, thin figure that was hurrying toward the palace gates with a suitcase.

“Guards! Arrest him!” called Emperor Cho.

Earl Scrant saw the guards chasing him and began to run. He dropped his suitcase, which sprang open. Jaminta’s tiara fell out onto the walkway. The crowd gasped. The earl was caught by the guards and taken away.

“Well, this
is
a day of big surprises!” said the emperor. “I’m so very proud of you, Jaminta. You discovered something that has been lost for ten years.”

The queen sniffed. “I
suppose
you did very well to find them, even though your dresses are very dirty.”

Jaminta chewed her lip. “But … I nearly gave all these jewels away to save a panda cub.”

Her grandfather burst out laughing. “That’s because you’re a kind-hearted girl. Have I ever told you the true power of these Heart Crystals?”

Jaminta shook her head.

Emperor Cho gave her the heart-shaped jewel back. “Blow on the crystal very gently. You try it, too, girls.”

The princesses all blew gently on the Heart Crystals. As their breaths touched the jewels, their transparent surfaces filled with beautiful color. Jaminta’s gem turned green, Emily’s was red, Clarabel’s was blue, and Lulu’s was bright yellow. A
murmur of astonishment rippled around the crowd.

“They’ve turned the same colors as our rings,” whispered Jaminta.

“These crystals show the true nature of a person’s heart,” said the emperor. “I suspect if Earl Scrant blew on one of these gems it would turn black, revealing him for the scoundrel he is. But each of you has a very good heart indeed.”

The crowd clapped and cheered.

“I want you to keep this star jewel, Jaminta,” the emperor continued, “to remind you of this special day. Having these Heart Crystals back is enough of a birthday present for me.”

“Thank you, Grandfather!” said Jaminta.

“Well done, princesses!” whispered Ally, who had come to see the celebrations. “Ten years after they vanished, the Heart
Crystals are finally back where they belong.”

Emperor Cho asked his guards to put the Heart Crystals away safely in a display cabinet in the banquet hall. Then they all sang “Happy Birthday” and ate several slices of cake. The twelve-tier birthday cake kept everyone happy, with its layers of chocolate fudge, cherry, ginger, lemon, toffee, and many other flavors. Emily’s little sister, Lottie, ate a slice from all twelve tiers and then had to sit very still on a garden chair to settle her aching stomach.

Jaminta linked arms with the others as they went to get glasses of lemonade. “I know we don’t agree all the time, but I’ll never forget all the things we’ve done together.”

“Me neither,” said Lulu.

“The adventures just get better and better,” said Clarabel, with a happy sigh.

“Maybe one day we’ll find more princesses who’d like to join us,” said Emily, skirting around her sister, Lottie, who was now turning cartwheels across the grass.

“I’m sure lots of girls would love to join,” agreed Jaminta. “After all, who could say no to a life full of jewels, banquets, and ninja training?”