Magic Ballerina 13-18

“Maybe she called in on some friends on the way back,” Holly suggested. She was very cold and had started to shiver.

The White Cat noticed. “I’ll find her later. Right now, we’d better get back to the Royal Palace and get you some dry clothes. I’ll take us there by magic.” He held his long tail in his hand and swished it around in a circle on the ground. Then he pulled Holly into the circle. “Get ready!” he cried. His whiskers twitched. Silver sparkles flew off them and suddenly they were whizzing away!

His magic set them down in a large walled courtyard in front of a beautiful palace with pointed turrets and pearly white walls.

“Welcome to the Royal Palace!” declared the White Cat.

“Oh … wow!” Holly breathed, looking round.

There was a group of dancers talking near the front door, a band of musicians, and servants setting out tables in the afternoon sun.

“Wait here a minute.” The cat bounded energetically into the palace and reappeared a few seconds later with a long velvet cloak. He wrapped it around Holly. “There, that should warm you up!”

“Thanks,” she said gratefully, snuggling into it. She couldn’t stop staring at the dancers across the courtyard. They were all characters she knew from the ballet of Sleeping Beauty – the fairies, the bluebird, Puss in Boots, Bluebeard and the enchanted princess. A few of them had noticed her arrival and were pointing.

One of the fairies ran over. She had dark brown hair caught up in a diamond tiara, a lilac tutu and glittering wings.

“Hi I’m Lila, the Lilac Fairy – Princess Aurelia’s fairy godmother. Are you the new owner of the ballet shoes?” she asked.

Holly nodded. “I’m Holly.”

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here.” The fairy’s face was worried. She turned to the White Cat. “We’ve got a real problem, Cat.”

“I know, Lila,” he said airily. “But don’t worry. The shoes have solved it. Holly can dance Red Riding Hood’s part.”

Lila shook her head. “No. You don’t understand.” She lowered her voice. “Goldilocks has gone too!”

“What?”

“Sssh,” Lila said hastily as several of the other dancers looked round at the cat’s loud exclamation. “I’ve been keeping it secret. No one else knows yet, but I found a note five minutes ago saying she’s gone home.” She lowered her voice further. “I’m really worried. They can’t both just have decided to go home. Oh, Cat. I think the Wicked Fairy might be to blame.”

“The Wicked Fairy?” Holly joined in.

The White Cat looked horrified. “The Wicked Fairy is the one who tried to spoil Aurelia’s sixteenth birthday, by making her prick her finger on a spinning wheel that would make her sleep for a hundred years,” he explained.

Lila bit her lip. “Look, I think trouble is afoot here, but I need to ask the King something before I say any more. Wait here. I’ll be back in a moment.” She ran inside.

The White Cat frowned. “I wonder what she’s going to ask the King. Hmm, I think I’m going to go in and find out. You stay here Holly, I’ll be back very soon.”

And leaving Holly in the courtyard, he hurried inside too.

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The minutes ticked by. Holly watched the dancers starting to practise the dance that was performed at the end of the wedding in Sleeping Beauty. It was a lively dance with lots of skipping and galloping and turning round in pairs. As the music played, Holly could feel her feet itching to join in. She was sure she could do it …

She was just edging closer when Lila came hurrying out of the palace. “Where’s the White Cat?”

“He went after you,” replied Holly, surprised.

Lila looked alarmed. “I didn’t see him. Oh, no! We have to find him!”

She ran inside the palace. Holly raced after her. “What’s the rush? He said he’d come back.”

But Lila was too busy calling for their missing friend. “White Cat! Where are you?” Holly spotted a piece of paper on the floor.

“What’s that?” She picked it up.

I’ve gone home. Tell them to cancel the dance.

From the White Cat.

“Look!” Holly gasped. “But the White Cat wouldn’t just leave!”

“Of course he wouldn’t,” said Lila. “Oh, Holly, this is dreadful. I think the Wicked Fairy has kidnapped him – along with Goldilocks and Red Riding Hood.”

Holly’s stomach felt as if it was full of icy water. “Why? Because she wants to ruin the party?”

Lila nodded. “Look, I’m going to tell you a secret,” she said in a whisper. “I told King Tristan about it a while ago. He asked me not to tell anyone else, in case people got worried. However, when I asked him just now he said I could tell you and the White Cat. He’s hoping you can help. You see, the Wicked Fairy has a very good reason for wanting to stop the dance from happening.”

Holly’s heart was pounding. “What is it?”

“Well, you know the prince broke the Wicked Fairy’s curse when he woke Aurelia by kissing her?” Lila asked.

Holly nodded.

“The truth is he only half broke it,” Lila sighed. “Being Aurelia’s special fairy godmother, I knew that the wedding dance had to be repeated at sunset today, exactly a year on from the wedding. If it isn’t, then the Wicked Fairy’s curse would fall again and everyone would go back to sleep. And this time there would be no one to save us. We wouldn’t ever wake up.”

Holly stared at Lila. “But that’s awful!”

Lila nodded. “I’m sure the Wicked Fairy thinks that if enough people disappear, then everyone else will realise that she’s up to something, panic and leave before sunset.”

“So the dance won’t happen and then her curse will fall,” said Holly. “Oh, goodness.” A thought crossed her mind. “But how can you be sure it is her?”

“When I was with the king we used my magic to look at her castle. We saw Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks trapped in the tallest tower. It won’t be long before the White Cat’s taken there too.” Tears filled Lila’s eyes. “Oh, Holly, I don’t know what to do!”

Holly’s mind whirled. A picture of the White Cat filled her head. She remembered the fear on his face before he bounded into the river to save her. Now she had to be as brave and save him — and the others.

“We have to go to the Wicked Fairy’s castle and rescue them, before anyone notices they have all gone,” she declared. “How do we get there?”

“We can use my magic,” said Lila, “but I don’t know how we are going to get them out of the tower.”

Holly thought for a moment. “Could we take a rope ladder?” she suggested.

“That’s a brilliant idea!” exclaimed Lila. “There’s a rope ladder in the store cupboard in the cellars.” She ran off and came back a few minutes later with a coiled-up rope ladder. She took Holly’s hands. “Are you ready?”

Holly nodded determinedly.

Lila waved her wand. “Then let’s go!”