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Rosa didn’t know where she was going, but surely there must be a way out. She hurried down the corridor till she came to a small door in the wall. It looked like the door she had seen earlier from the outside of the castle. Her heart leaped. It was locked but there was a key in it!
She turned the lock and opened the door and now she could see the woods just ahead of her! She ran towards them, faster than she had ever run in her life. With every stride she expected to hear voices shouting to stop and mice running after her but the only sound was of muffled yelling from inside the castle. She had a feeling her escape had just been discovered and the guards were in trouble but she didn’t care. She had got out!
As she entered the woods, Nutmeg flew up to her. “Oh, Rosa! What happened?” The fairy looked scared stiff. “I saw the guards capture you. I didn’t know what to do!”
“I’m really sorry,” Rosa panted. “I was just trying to help the princess. I thought that if only I could get inside I might be able to hide and let her out tonight.”
“It was really brave of you,” Nutmeg said admiringly.
“It was really stupid,” groaned Rosa. “I got locked in a room and I had to escape.” She glanced around. “I think the guards might be after me at any moment.”
“Quick, let’s get out of here!” said Nutmeg. She grabbed Rosa’s hand, waved her wand and spun in a pirouette. Silver and pink sparkles swirled around them and Rosa felt herself spinning round as Nutmeg’s magic whisked them away.
They landed in a quiet clearing in the middle of the woods a safe distance away from the castle.
Rosa breathed out. “Phew!” She still had the key in her hand and her relief at escaping turned into excitement as she realised they now had a way to get into – and out of – the castle. She showed it to Nutmeg. “This opens the small door in the wall. We can use it to help Princess Cressida escape!” The fairy looked puzzled but a plan was already forming in Rosa’s mind. “As soon as the princess comes back to her room, you can run up to the tower and sneak through the door. Then you and the princess can run downstairs and escape back out through the little door. If the guards come I’ll distract them!”
“How?” asked Nutmeg.
“I don’t know,” Rosa admitted.
“Hmmm.” Nutmeg started dancing to the side, her feet crossing over quickly. Rosa recognised that it was a dance from Swan Lake. The fairy moved one way and then the other. “I always think better when I dance!” She spun round and then suddenly stopped, her eyes wide. “I know! I could use my magic to make you look exactly like the princess and teach you a dance she does! If the guards saw you dancing at the edge of the woods it would trick them and they’d run after you – leaving the coast clear.” She frowned. “But it would be really dangerous for you.”
“I don’t mind!” Rosa said bravely.
“It might work. If you could just distract them for a few minutes, Cressida and I could run to the woods and then I could magic us all away,” said Nutmeg.
“Let’s do it!” said Rosa. She looked at the sky. The sun was just starting to set. They had to be quick. “Can you teach me the dance now?”
Nutmeg waved her wand and beautiful music from Swan Lake filled the clearing. “Copy me!” Nutmeg danced three steps forwards before turning three times, one arm above her head, one out to the side. Then she danced on in a big circle, turning with every step until she stopped in an arabesque, one leg held out behind her.
Rosa copied her. It felt wonderful to be dancing outside in the open air. She spun around letting the music flow through her. She didn’t care if she got things a bit wrong; she just lost herself in the wonderful feeling. As she finished, she balanced on one leg.
Nutmeg looked very impressed. “You’re really good at dancing, Rosa!”
Rosa smiled at her. “Thank you!” She felt even braver after the fairy’s praise. “Do you think the mouse guards will have given up looking for me by now?”
“I should think so.” Nutmeg nodded.
“Then let’s go back to the castle!”
Nutmeg’s magic took them to the edge of the forest…just as the sun was setting. The swan princess flapped her her wings and took off from the water.
Rosa watched the bird swoop into the tower. A few minutes later, a girl in a white dress appeared at the window. She had long golden hair and looked sad.
“That’s Cressida,” said Nutmeg. “I’d better make you look like her right away!”
Nutmeg began to dance around Rosa. A tingling started in Rosa’s toes. It spread up her body and down her arms and up through her head. Nutmeg stopped and pointed her wand at her. There was a silver flash. Rosa blinked and gasped. Suddenly she was wearing a white dress. She put her hands to her head. She had a tiara on and her hair was now a deeper gold colour. “Oh, wow,” she gasped. Nutmeg took a small mirror out of the pocket of her tutu and held it up. Rosa stared. Her own face wasn’t looking back at her, but the face of the princess. It was a very weird feeling!
“How long will the magic last?” she asked quickly.
“Not long,” said Nutmeg. “Some fairies in Enchantia can do transformation magic that lasts for hours but I’m still not very good at it. But it should last until Cressida and I escape.” She rose into the air. “Good luck!”
“You too,” called Rosa.
Nutmeg ran as fast as she could to the little door, and with one quick look back at Rosa, she disappeared inside.
Rosa took a deep breath. This was it! Nutmeg would hopefully be letting Princess Cressida out. Oh, hurry up, hurry up, she willed them. Please get out before the guards come!
“Hup two, hup two!”
It was too late. The guards were marching around the building. If Nutmeg and the princess opened the door now they’d be seen for sure!
Rosa didn’t hesitate. Nutmeg and the princess were in danger. She had to help! Lifting her arms, she danced out of the trees…
The two guards at the front of the group stopped so that the guards behind bumped into them. There was a chorus of “oofs” and “ouches” as tails were trodden on and swords tripped over.
“It’s the princess!” the guards in the front shouted as Rosa danced.
Rosa’s heart somersaulted as the guards started charging towards her. She turned and ran into the dark trees.
“STOP!” the guards yelled.