There was a knock at the door. A palace guard was standing at attention.
“If you are ready for dinner, may I escort you?” he asked.
Melli’s cheeks turned red once again. “Yes, thank you,” she said quietly.
The guard flew next to her and brought her down to the royal dining hall. Prince Scoop and Princess Lolli were waiting for her. The long table was set with the finest sugar crystal and china. Many Royal Fairies were already seated. Everyone was very formal here at the palace. Melli wasn’t sure what to do!
“Melli, you look scrumptious,” Princess Lolli said, coming over to her.
“Thank you,” Melli said. She was so happy to stand next to Princess Lolli. “Berry picked this outfit for me.”
“You and Berry have very fine taste,” Prince Scoop added. “Come, I want to show you something before dinner. My parents aren’t here yet, so we have a few moments.”
The three of them flew outside to the garden, where the view of Sweet Cream Harbor was even more spectacular than it had been from her bedroom window.
Melli’s eyes were wide with excitement. “This is even more sugar-tastic than the drawings in the Fairy Code Book!”
The royal couple laughed.
“The harbor is where the Summer Spectacular will happen,” Prince Scoop told Melli. “In a few days this waterway will be filled with ice cream floats. And the ice cream festival is over on Swirl Island.”
“A new flavor is served every year,” Princess Lolli added. “It’s my favorite part!”
Prince Scoop pointed to a small island across the harbor. “That is Swirl Island, where everyone will taste your caramel sauce.”
“Oh my,” Melli said, taking it all in.
“Don’t worry,” Princess Lolli said. “Everyone is going to love your caramel.”
Melli smiled at Princess Lolli.
“Let’s head in for dinner,” Prince Scoop said.
As they walked back to the dining hall, Melli noticed a few large barrels of different sauces lined up outside in the garden.
“There is an empty barrel for your caramel sauce,” Prince Scoop said, pointing to a container at the end. “I can’t wait for you to fill it up!”
“The sauce needs a Caramel Fairy’s touch,” Princess Lolli added. “The fairies here have been having trouble getting the sauce just right.”
Melli smiled. “That’s why I’m here. Thank you again for inviting me.”
“Come this way,” Prince Scoop replied, holding the door open. As they entered the dining hall, Melli saw that King Cone and Queen Swirl were already at the table. Prince Scoop introduced Melli to the royal couple.
Melli curtsied. “Thank you for inviting me here,” she said. “It is so nice to see you again after Prince Scoop and Princess Lolli’s wedding.” She had practiced that curtsy and line a few hundred times!
“We’re happy to have you here,” King Cone stated.
“We hope you enjoy your time during your stay,” Queen Swirl added.
Melli remembered from the wedding that Prince Scoop’s parents were very formal. Melli nodded and took her seat next to Drizzle and Fluff, who were deep in conversation. They didn’t seem to notice Melli one bit.
There were many fairies around the table, and they were all dressed so beautifully.
Berry would love this! Melli thought.
Princess Lolli was on the other side of the room, and Melli wished she could be next to her. Then she remembered her promise to herself. She didn’t want to be sad. So what if the fairies next to her weren’t speaking to her and were giving her the freeze? She was eating with the king and queen! Melli wanted to go back to Sugar Valley with wonderful, sweet stories to tell her friends.
As the meal began Melli searched for something to say to the Ice Cream Fairies next to her. She turned toward Fluff just as the server was placing a bowl of chilled soup in front of her. Melli’s arm hit the dish, and she almost made the serving fairy spill the soup! She faced forward and didn’t move. Everyone else at the table seemed to know exactly what to say and do. Melli tried to enjoy her soup, but she was too busy making sure she was being proper and not making mistakes.
When the serving fairy had moved on, Melli looked up. She realized the royal family hadn’t seemed to notice her mistakes. In fact, no one seemed to notice her at all!
Melli couldn’t shake the feeling that her first trip ever by herself was going to be a bit cold.
Surprising Sauce
After dinner Princess Lolli and Melli flew up the long palace staircase to their rooms.
“I am glad that you’re here,” Melli said when they were alone in the hallway.
Princess Lolli smiled. “I’m glad that you’re here!” she said. “Scoop has been talking about bringing caramel sauce to Ice Cream Isles for a long time. The Summer Spectacular is the perfect time for it. And I can’t think of anyone more perfect for the job than you.”
“Yes, the ice cream festival does seem like just the right occasion,” Melli said. But she started to worry a bit about actually getting the sauce perfect here. Everything about Ice Cream Isles seemed to be different.
Princess Lolli stopped in front of Melli’s door. “Ah, here is your room. I still get lost in these halls,” she said.
Melli realized that the palace was still new to Princess Lolli. She and Prince Scoop hadn’t been married for long.
“Do you miss Candy Castle?” Melli asked.
“I do,” Princess Lolli said. “But now that Scoop and I are married, it’s nice to spend time in both places.” She smiled at Melli. “Do you have everything you need for tonight?” she asked.
“Yes, thank you,” Melli said. “I want to send my friends a sugar note and then go to sleep. I need to start on the sauce early tomorrow morning.”
“Very well,” Princess Lolli said as she headed out the door. “Sweet dreams, Melli.”
Melli wrote a quick sugar fly message. She let the Candy Fairies know that she had arrived safely at the palace. She left out meeting Drizzle and Fluff. She didn’t know what to say about them. She didn’t want to write I met two Ice Cream Fairies. I nearly knocked over a fairy serving soup, and then no one talked to me. I was so embarrassed. Melli thought it best to leave all that out for now.
Settling into her royal bed, Melli thought she would have a hard time falling asleep. But when she put her head down on the pillow, she fell asleep in seconds.
The sun streamed into Melli’s room early the next morning. She realized that she had not closed the curtains on the large bedroom window. But she didn’t mind the early wake-up. She ate a quick breakfast of fresh fruit treats and then was on her way. She had a lot of work to do.
Melli flew out to the garden area where Prince Scoop had pointed out the barrels of sauces. To her surprise, Prince Scoop and Drizzle were there.
“Good morning!” Prince Scoop called. “You’re up very early.”
“Good morning, Prince Scoop. Good morning, Drizzle. I wanted to get a head start,” Melli said. She thought about Dash and how bold and minty she could be. She put a smile on her face.
“Hi,” Drizzle said quietly.
Prince Scoop clapped his hands together. “Drizzle, can you help Melli and show her where our supplies are? Melli, maybe Drizzle can help you with the caramel sauce. You two can work together.”
Melli wasn’t too sure about that. When people worked together, they needed to talk to each other! At least, that’s the way it was in Sugar Valley.
“I have some morning appointments about the parade, but I’ll check on you two later,” Prince Scoop said as he flew off.
Once Prince Scoop had left, there was an awkward silence between Drizzle and Melli.
But then Drizzle spoke. “I once tried to make caramel sauce,” she said. “I got stuck near the end of the recipe. It was too thick to drizzle or to use as a dip.”
“Hmm,” Melli said. “Did you melt the caramel blocks first?”
“Caramel blocks?” Drizzl
e asked. She wrinkled up her nose. “What are those?”
“They’re the best way to melt the caramel for a sauce,” Melli replied. She opened up her bag and dropped a few large bricks of caramel into the barrel. She felt Drizzle’s eyes on her.
“I’ve never seen caramel like that before,” Drizzle said. “We usually just get small chips or scraps.”
Smiling, Melli lit the fire under the barrel and began to stir. If there was one thing she knew about, it was caramel sauce. Her wings straightened as she swirled the mixture. Slowly she added more caramel. She showed Drizzle how she found that combining the dark and light caramel flavors made the sweetest sauce.
“Does a Caramel Fairy ever run out of caramel blocks?” Drizzle asked, her eyes wide.
“No,” Melli said with a giggle. “She can keep making more! Just some pure sugar and Caramel Fairy magic!”
Drizzle laughed. “Lucky you,” she said. “Ever since Prince Scoop met Princess Lolli, he has been talking about caramel. And all the Ice Cream Fairies couldn’t wait to taste caramel sauce on ice cream sundaes!”
The two took turns stirring the caramel. Maybe because Melli loved making caramel, or maybe because Drizzle was busy telling a story about Prince Scoop when he was younger, the morning passed quickly.
Drizzle leaned over Melli’s barrel. “That smells delicious!”
“Well, now you can try it for yourself,” Melli said. “She lifted up the paddle and put some sauce into a bowl. “Maybe dip one of those chocolate chips and see what you think.”
Drizzle took a chocolate chunk from a basket and lowered it into the bowl. The caramel color was just right, and Melli held her breath as Drizzle put the coated treat in her mouth.
“Sweet cream!” Drizzle cried.
“Oh no!” Melli said, alarmed. “Is something wrong?”
Drizzle laughed. “No, this is just so good!” She licked her lips. “And it will be such a yummy topping for ice cream!”
Melli grinned. Maybe Drizzle wasn’t so cold after all.
Just then Prince Scoop returned with Fluff by his side. He looked into the barrel. “You have been busy this morning,” he said. “Looks like we’ve finally got some caramel sauce for the Spectacular! Please join us for lunch when you finish up.”
Melli’s wings fluttered, and her feet lifted slightly off the ground.
But then she saw Drizzle talking and laughing with Fluff and looking her way.
Are they laughing at me? Melli wondered. I thought we were having fun.
She felt a chill in the air and wished she had Berry’s wrap with her.
As Prince Scoop flew away a sugar fly landed on Melli’s shoulder. She took the note and saw that it was from Berry. She was so happy to get a note from one of the Candy Fairies. “We hope you are having a sugar-tastic time and making new friends. We miss you,” she read. Melli sent a sugar fly message back home, but this time she didn’t hold back. I’ve made the sauce, but not friends. Everyone is so cold! she wrote. I miss you all.
Melli looked over again and saw Drizzle and Fluff walking together into the palace. Why didn’t they wait for her or ask her to join them?
Would lunch be just as awful as dinner had been last night? Melli didn’t have much of an appetite at all.
Sinking Feeling
Having no Candy Fairy friends with her wasn’t the only thing Melli wasn’t used to at Ice Cream Isles. She also wasn’t used to all the fancy meals and different foods at the Ice Cream Palace. She wished she could have some fruit nectar or chocolate soup outside and continue with her work. But since she was Princess Lolli and Prince Scoop’s guest staying at the palace, she had to go along with their customs and have grand meals in the royal dining hall.
On her third day Melli was already tired of the formal meals, and especially the silent treatment from Drizzle and Fluff. Yesterday’s lunch and last night’s dinner were no different from the first night’s meal. She had sat and watched Drizzle and Fluff chatter and laugh while she had felt out of place. Even though she’d had a good time with Drizzle making the caramel, in the dining hall she felt invisible. And she didn’t want to bother Princess Lolli, who looked very busy herself with entertaining all the royal guests around the table.
So with the Summer Spectacular happening the next day, she decided to focus on the job she had come to do and spent the morning preparing another barrel of caramel sauce. She left the barrel under the shade of a large chocolate willow tree to cool while she went back to the palace for lunch. The tree reminded her of Cocoa and all the time they’d spent in Chocolate Woods together. The tree was not as large as the chocolate oaks that grew in the woods in Sugar Valley, but the fragrant tree made her think of her friends . . . and home.
Inside the royal dining hall, Melli saw that most of the fairies were already seated. At each of these festive meals, the queen and king invited royal and honored guests to eat with them. Melli saw Drizzle at the far end of the table. The seat next to her was empty.
“Don’t dip your wings in syrup yet,” she could hear her friend Berry say to her. Was Drizzle smiling at her? Melli smiled at Drizzle and flew over to her.
But as Melli reached the seat next to Drizzle, Fluff slipped into the chair!
“Hi, Fluff!” Drizzle said brightly. The two cousins quickly started chatting and never looked up to see Melli fluttering all alone.
Melli thought she had caught Drizzle’s eye. Had Drizzle not seen her? Or had she seen her and called Fluff over instead?
The service bell to begin the meal rang. Many palace fairies holding silver platters filled the hall and began to place the dishes on the table.
Oh no! Where was she going to sit? The Royal Fairies were not supposed to start eating until everyone was seated! Melli looked up and down the table and then spotted a open seat—next to Queen Swirl! It was hard enough sitting next to Drizzle and Fluff, but Queen Swirl? What would they talk about? Melli sat down and lowered her head. She didn’t want anyone to see how nervous she was . . . most of all the queen.
Even though Melli was hungry, she found eating very difficult. She was trying so hard to remember all her manners and say and do everything correctly. Princess Lolli was not at lunch, and Prince Scoop was speaking to his father and some other fairies at the opposite end of the table.
Melli wanted to slouch her wings, but she didn’t dare! She wanted the queen to like her and to report back to Princess Lolli that she had been a well-mannered guest. Being so proper at these meals was exhausting! Melli tried her best and smiled and nodded when the queen spoke to her. She didn’t dare slurp her fruit nectar!
Finally the ice cream dessert was served. Melli politely excused herself from the table. She was about to fly out of the dining hall in tears, when Prince Scoop stood up to make an announcement. She sat down as the prince spoke to the fairies.
“I would like to ask that all fairies working on their floats get them in the water by tomorrow morning,” he said. “We’ll have a practice run first thing.”
The queen turned to Melli. “Melli, my dear, have you been assigned a float?” she asked.
Melli shook her head. She wasn’t even sure what being assigned a float meant.
“Drizzle and Fluff,” Queen Swirl called, “do you have room for another fairy on your float?”
“Oh, that is not necessary, Queen Swirl,” Melli said quickly. “I can just watch.”
The queen stood up. “Nonsense!” she said. “You need to be on a float to experience the Spectacular. Why, I recall my first Summer Spectacular,” she went on. She fanned her face with waffle cone fan. “To ride on a float in Sweet Cream Harbor is just divine.”
Melli watched Drizzle and Fluff. There was no way they could deny the queen. Melli’s wings twitched. She wished with all her heart that she had the magic to disappear at that moment!
“I don’t want to cause any trouble,” Melli said softly.
“This is no trouble,” Queen Swirl replied. She looked at Drizzle and Fluff. “What do
you two say?”
“Yes, Aunt Swirl,” Fluff replied. “Melli can ride with us.”
Fluff’s words came out as sticky as the caramel sauce cooling outside. Melli didn’t know much about the floats in the harbor, but she could tell when a fairy didn’t want to do something.
“Please, Queen Swirl,” Melli said. “I’ll be fine watching.”
“No,” the queen said, “you’ll ride with Drizzle and Fluff. It’s settled.” She sat back in her chair. “You’ll love the ride, Melli. It’s one of the sweetest days in the Isles.”
Melli nodded. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth to speak, she might start crying. She felt her face turning red, and she rushed out of the room.
She had a sinking feeling that riding in the float with Drizzle and Fluff was a bad idea. Was coming to Ice Cream Isles in the first place a bad idea too?
Sticky Situation
Melli left the palace and flew out to Sweet Cream Harbor. Now that the caramel sauce was finished and cooling, she could take a break from the work—and those cool Ice Cream Fairies.
Maybe I can leave now—before the Spectacular, Melli thought. The caramel sauce is done. No one will even miss me or know I’m gone.
But then she remembered her friends and how they were counting on her to tell them about the Summer Spectacular, the newest ice cream flavors, and the colorful floats.
She couldn’t leave.
The smell and the beautiful scene from the purple sandy beach at Sweet Cream Harbor calmed Melli. She found a smooth rock and sat down to enjoy the view . . . and being alone.
There were a few Spectacular floats bobbing in the water. Some Ice Cream Fairies were putting finishing touches on their floats or anchoring them in the harbor. There were some very fancy ones with lots of decorations. Each float looked like a delicious dessert with colorful trimmings. Melli was amazed at the whipped cream and candy toppings. She took off her shoes and dug her feet down into the cool purple sand. She longed to be on the red sugar sand beach at Red Licorice Lake. In a few hours her friends would gather at Licorice Lake for Sun Dip. She felt a lump in her stomach.
Frozen Treats Page 2