“Well, the poem was written in 1455 by Gawain Laverok – ‘GL’ – when he must have left her. But the jewelled cross from the box was given to her by ‘GL’ in 1456 – one year later! So he came back! Of course he did. I just knew it!”
Chapter Ten
ARTHUR WROTE DOWN the code for the safe and placed the jewels back in there. “These will have to go to a museum eventually, but let’s keep them safe here until all the local people have had a chance to see them,” he said.
“Yes, let’s throw a party for the villagers before we hand them over,” agreed Daniel. “A medieval party!”
“Yippee!” said Poppy. “I hope Saffron will make us those medieval dresses, Honey!”
Honey smiled. “Me too! That would be brilliant.”
“The only part of the mystery we still have to solve is who sent me the clue which got us started on the quest,” said Daniel. “It would be nice to thank that person.”
“That might always be a mystery,” said Poppy’s dad as they headed for Bumble Bee’s Teashop for a hearty breakfast.
The Medieval Knights and Princesses party was to be held one week later in the Great Hall at Cornsilk Castle. Lily Ann Peach’s Beehive Beauty Salon was packed all week as all the ladies of Honeypot Hill wanted to look their best. Saffron’s Sewing Shop had also been frantically busy as she had designed a medieval-inspired range in honour of the discovery of the jewels.
“We’re so lucky that we were actually there when they were found, aren’t we, Saffron?” said Poppy as they tried on their princess gowns on Saturday morning.
“Yes, you are very lucky indeed. I’m so proud of you for solving the mystery and for proving that the story of Princess Alyssa and her knight was true after all!” said Saffron. “I can’t wait to see the jewels – everyone in the whole village is dying to see them – or that’s what my customers have been telling me anyway.”
Granny Bumble had organized a wonderful spread of food and drinks using medieval recipes that she had discovered in the Archive Room, and Arthur had agreed to dress up as a medieval court jester to entertain the guests.
When it was time to get ready for the party, Poppy was both nervous and excited. She slipped into her deep-red medieval princess dress, and as she looked in her long mirror, she felt a link to Princess Alyssa. She finished her outfit with a tiara encrusted with red sparkly stones and went to collect Honey.
Poppy and Honey had been given the job of greeting all the guests as they arrived at the castle.
The girls were thrilled by the efforts everyone had made. All their friends arrived, looking wonderfully glamorous in medieval-style gowns, with great hairstyles and pretty, sparkling headbands. Miss Mallow, who was especially interested to see the jewels as she loved local history and also designed jewellery in her spare time, arrived wearing a gorgeous white chiffon medieval fairy dress. Poppy and Honey decided that if there had been a competition for the best outfit, then Miss Mallow would definitely have won it – she looked amazing. The last person to arrive was Lily Ann Peach. Poppy didn’t like to say so, but she didn’t look her usual stylish self. Her hair was a terrible sight.
“I didn’t have time to do my own hair!” she laughed, patting her messy mop. “But I’m not missing this, not for anything!”
The jewels were beautifully presented in a velvet-lined cabinet with spotlights shining on them. Everyone gasped at their beauty. It was a very exciting moment for the villagers. During the speeches, Honey’s dad explained how they had discovered the jewels and then read out a poem he had found among the papers they had retrieved from the vault. It had been written by the princess herself, but Daniel had translated it into modern English for the benefit of the audience.
“My long months of lonely waiting are done,
My knight has returned, I have borne him a son.
We are happy here living as husband and wife,
In a perfect world, with a perfect life.
My soldier protects me all that he might,
We can only live by the rules of the knight.
Of valour, of honour and a love so true,
These are the purest of rules, of real virtue.”
Poppy and Honey smiled from ear to ear, and the local people fell in love with the princess just as they had.
“If the kind person who has helped us enormously by delivering the riddle is present, could he or she please come forward?” continued Daniel. “We want to thank you for enabling us to unravel the mystery and for helping us locate the exquisite jewels which are on display for the whole community to enjoy.”
At first no one moved, but then there was a movement in the crowd. Poppy gasped with surprise when she turned to see who had stepped forward. It was her teacher, Miss Mallow! Poppy didn’t understand. How could Miss Mallow have had the riddle, and why did she keep it a secret?
Miss Mallow took the microphone from Daniel Bumble. “It was me. I’m sorry to have been so secretive. When I was a teenager, my grandmother told me the riddle. She explained that we are directly descended from Princess Alyssa and the knight, but that over the years the Mallière family – or Mallows, as we became two hundred years ago – denied the link. The reason for this was the hurtful accusations of witchcraft. These accusations began when it was discovered that Princess Alyssa had made potions to bring her knight back or to free her from the castle so that she could go to him. She missed him so much. It seems that she was treated cruelly and locked up by those her knight had left to care for her. We changed our name from Mallière to Mallow to leave behind rumours of witchcraft that made the lives of my ancestors such a misery in this village. The Mallières fled the village in the 1600s, when witchcraft was an obsession, but returned in the 1800s with the new name. It may have been at this time that one of my ancestors set up the quest for the jewels. The riddle is the only thing I had and I didn’t know where to begin. But I shall be for ever grateful to Daniel, Poppy, Honey, and of course Arthur, for solving the mystery of the hidden jewels and telling the village this lovely, romantic story!”
The crowd cheered. Holly smiled happily. She was thrilled to have the proper story told and to have such an interesting family history.
“I am proud to be related to the princess and I hope the whole village can enjoy the story now.”
“Wow, Miss Mallow!” said Poppy, approaching her teacher. “This is the coolest thing ever! My teacher is related to a real-life princess. You are so lucky. I wish I was – I would never keep such a cool thing a secret. So are the jewels yours?”
“I don’t think so, Poppy,” laughed Miss Mallow. “They will go on display in a museum but I will copy some of the designs for my new jewellery collection.”
“From now on, you will always remind me of Princess Alyssa,” said Poppy.
Her teacher hugged her. “But don’t forget that you are a princess too – every little girl is!”
THE END
PRINCESS POPPY: THE HIDDEN JEWELS
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 407 05094 2
Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
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This ebook edition published 2014
Text copyright © Janey Louise Jones, 2012
Illustrations copyright © Random House Children’s Books, 2012
Illustrated by Samantha Chaffey
First Published in Great Britain
Young Corgi 9780552559195 2012
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The Hidden Jewels Page 4