“Mom! Dad!” Bella said, hopping up and down. “She’s here! That’s Violet’s train!” The speeding train halted silently, and the doors slid open at the front of the train. A handful of people were now standing around the royal family as if they were waiting for someone too. Bella tried to look inside the train through its windows to see if she could spot Violet, but there were too many people moving around. A line of people began exiting the train and spilling onto the platform.
“Do you see her?” Bella asked her dad.
“Not yet,” King Phillip said. “Stay still and let Violet find us.”
Bella’s view of the train exit was blocked as a group of people stopped and gazed around. Where was Violet?
“Uncle Phillip! Aunt Katherine!”
A small figure pushed through the crowd and stopped, grinning, in front of the princess and her parents.
“Violet!” Bella said. “You made it!”
All of Bella’s earlier nerves disappeared the second she saw her cousin. Violet dashed toward Bella, her long red curls bouncing, and they hugged. Violet’s powder-blue dress looked pretty against her red hair, and she had on silver ballet flats that were almost identical to Bella’s.
“Violet, darling, you look beautiful!” Queen Katherine said. She wrapped her arms around Violet, and King Phillip was next in line for a hug.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Violet said. Her hazel eyes sparkled with excitement. “I was practically counting the seconds on the train ride.”
“Let’s get off the platform and start the journey home,” King Phillip said. He snapped his fingers at Violet’s sparkly suitcase. “This way, ladies.”
Bella’s dad helped his wife, daughter, and niece maneuver through the crowd. The townspeople respectfully stepped aside to allow the royal family to exit. The king and queen got a few paces ahead. Violet grabbed Bella’s hand, and the girls grinned at each other. They skipped forward but slowed when they couldn’t get by a family that was shuffling along, their luggage floating alongside them.
“Excuse me!” Violet said with a huff, then rolled her eyes.
Violet pulled on Bella’s hand, pushing them past the group. Bella looked back over her shoulder as the family frowned and watched them walk away, whispering to each other. The princess’s face turned bright pink. That was so rude! Bella thought. Violet had never done anything like that before.
“Vi,” Bella said. “They had a lot of stuff—”
Violet sighed. “I know. I haven’t slept much lately! I’ve been too excited and I guess I’m kind of cranky.”
That made sense. Bella smiled at her cousin and kept going toward the carriage.
Once they reached the carriage, everyone settled in, and King Phillip requested that it take them home.
Bella, sitting across from Violet, caught her cousin’s eye. There were a few moments of silence. “Omigosh—” Violet started.
“We have—” Bella said at the same time.
They burst into giggles.
“You go,” Bella said.
“No, you go!” Violet said.
“Oh, girls. Come on now,” Queen Katherine said. “Don’t you have anything to talk about? Why all the silence?”
Everyone in the carriage laughed.
“I’ve been counting the days until you got here,” Bella told her cousin. “I was going a little crazy this morning. It felt like noon was never going to come!”
Violet nodded. “I know! I felt the same way. On the train, I asked the conductor twice if we were going to arrive on time, because I was sure the train was moving too slow.”
“You’re here now, and that’s all that matters. I have the best week planned.” Bella smiled. “Friday is going to be so much fun. You’ll get to meet everyone in my class.”
“I can’t wait. But I’m dying to meet Glimmer,” Violet said. “I feel like I know her already after everything you’ve told me.”
“She’s so excited to meet you, too,” Bella agreed. The carriage pulled away from the station and headed home to Crystal Castle.
Bella and Violet chatted the entire way home. They didn’t stop as the carriage glided back across the drawbridge and approached the castle. Violet had seen Crystal Castle before. Her attention was on something else: the unicorns.
“Look at them!” Violet pointed, climbing out of the carriage. She shielded her eyes with a hand and looked toward the pastures dotted with grazing unicorns.
“Violet,” Queen Katherine said. “Are you tired from traveling? Or hungry? You can come inside and rest for a while if you would like.”
“Thank you, Aunt Katherine,” Violet said. “But I’m way too excited to be tired! Can Bella show me Glimmer?”
“Please?” Bella added.
“Go have fun,” Bella’s mom said, smiling.
“Come on! This way!” Bella grabbed Violet’s hand. Giggling, they ran to the stable, and skidded to a stop when they reached the entrance.
“Frederick is the stable manager,” Bella said. “Don’t run in the stable unless you want to get in trouble.”
Violet nodded, eyes wide.
As they moved closer, Bella could see a unicorn tied to a stall. But it wasn’t just any unicorn.
“There she is,” Bella said, looking at Violet. “That’s Glimmer!”
Someone walked around Glimmer’s far side, brush in hand.
“Ben, hi,” Bella said.
Ben smiled and waved the brush as the girls walked down the stable aisle.
“Ben is Frederick’s nephew,” Bella explained to Violet. “He’s from Foris too. He goes to school with my friends and me and works at the stable before and after class.”
They reached Ben, and Violet shyly shook his hand. “I think every other word I’ve heard for a week has been ‘Violet,’” Ben said, then laughed. “Bella, I hope you don’t mind. I took Glimmer out to groom her so she’d be extra shiny for company.”
“Mind? Not at all! Thank you,” Bella said.
Glimmer wore a lavender-purple headpiece attached to a matching rope so Bella or Ben could lead her. Ben stepped away from Glimmer and stood next to Bella. The unicorn turned her head, looked at Violet, and let out a snort.
“She’s saying hi,” Bella said. “What do you think?”
Violet didn’t move or speak. She just blinked for several seconds.
“She’s beautiful,” Violet finally said. Bella wasn’t going to disagree. Every inch of Glimmer’s coat sparkled like fresh snow. Her purple-tinged mane and tail were combed straight. Glimmer strained against her rope to reach her muzzle closer to Violet.
Violet’s eyes shifted to Bella’s.
“It’s okay,” Bella said. “Glimmer’s so friendly. She wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
Violet took a tiny step forward, and Glimmer slowly lowered her muzzle into Violet’s open hands. The princess of Foris laughed.
“Her whiskers are tickly,” Violet said. She ran a hand up Glimmer’s forehead and petted her cheek. “Wow. She is so soft!”
Glimmer blinked her big brown eyes and leaned into Violet’s hand. Bella couldn’t help the grin spreading across her face. Her favorite cousin and her favorite unicorn had already become friends.
“I’ve never seen Glimmer so friendly with anyone new,” Ben said. He folded his arms, smiling. “She really likes you, Violet.”
Bella’s cousin grinned. “I really like her. She’s perfect, Bella.”
Bella reached up and scratched behind Glimmer’s left ear. “I know she is. You’re going to have so much fun with her all week.”
“Can I brush her?” Violet asked. She looked from Ben to Bella.
“Sure,” Bella said. “She loves it.”
“I’ll show you how,” Ben said, handing Violet the blue-bristled brush he held. “But be careful of your toes.” He picke
d up another brush and nodded toward Violet’s ballet flats.
“We will both wear boots next time,” Bella said. “Violet was so excited to meet Glimmer that we came straight from the carriage.”
“Bella said you’re from Foris,” Violet said to Ben. She mimicked him as he stepped up to Glimmer’s side and flicked the brush lightly over the unicorn’s coat.
“My family is still there,” Ben said. “Except for my uncle. He is allowing me to be his apprentice and learn everything about unicorns.”
Glimmer blinked slowly and peeked through her big eyelashes. Bella knew that look well. The princess leaned against the stall door.
“You guys are spoiling Glimmer,” Bella said in a teasing tone. “She has not one but two grooms. Glimmer’s so relaxed she’s starting to fall asleep.”
Violet threw her arms around Glimmer’s neck and hugged the unicorn. “Get your beauty sleep, Glimmer.”
Something pulsed inside the right pocket of Bella’s dress. She pulled out her Chat Crystal—a quarter-size stone. The stone changed colors and vibrated depending on who contacted Bella. She had cast a spell on the stone to become a vibrant purple when Queen Katherine messaged her.
“It’s from my mom,” Bella explained, letting the crystal lie flat on her palm. “We better go up to the castle, Violet.”
“Oh, fine,” Violet sighed, sticking out her bottom lip. “We will come back, right?”
“Only all the time!” Bella said. “We can visit Glimmer after dinner, I bet.”
Violet smiled and slid her arms around Glimmer’s neck. She squeezed the unicorn tight, and Glimmer leaned into the hug. “I don’t know how you ever leave her,” Violet said.
Bella stood on her tiptoes and kissed Glimmer’s cheek. “I’m only able to leave because I know I can come right back,” she replied.
The girls said good-bye to Ben, Violet gave Glimmer a final hug, and the girls left the stable.
“Aren’t you so excited that you’ll have a unicorn just like Glimmer soon?” Bella asked.
Violet nodded. “I can’t wait. Glimmer is so special—you’re lucky, Bella. I want to spend the whole break in the stable!”
“We can do that,” Bella said. “But it’s even better with Clara and Ivy—my best friends that I’ve told you about.”
“Meeting Glimmer and now your friends—yay!” Violet said. She looped an arm through Bella’s. “This is going to be the best vacation ever!”
“It so is!” Bella agreed. “And speaking of Glimmer, I am so excited to tell you all about my Pairing Ceremony! It’s going to be so much better in person than over Chat Crystals.”
“Yeah, me too,” Violet said slowly. She looked over at Bella. “Race you!” Violet tore off toward the castle, laughing as she ran. Bella sprinted after her, giggling so hard she could barely walk.
4
Early Princess Gets the Unicorn
Bright sunlight filled Bella’s room. She blinked slowly and yawned, stretching in her bed. I love Saturdays, she thought. And Violet’s asleep just down the hall! That made Saturday even better.
On the wall at the end of Bella’s bed, a handful of sparkly silver letters read HAPPY WEEKEND! They were Blinkers, and using her voice, Bella was able to change their color and message anytime she wanted. The Blinkers knew her so well that they had already preprogrammed their “Happy Weekend” message to appear every Saturday.
Yesterday Bella had helped Violet unpack and settle into her guest room. One of the maids hung all of Violet’s clothes in the closet. The girls picked out a pair of Bella’s riding boots for Violet so her toes would be safe from unicorn hooves.
They’d ended up sitting cross-legged across from each other, talking and swapping stories until Queen Katherine called them for dinner. Bella had asked Violet if she wanted to talk about the Pairing Ceremony, but Violet was too sleepy. She said she wanted to be super awake when she heard the story. Bella’s mom wanted to end the night with the family all together, so she and King Phillip had watched a movie with Bella and Violet until bedtime.
After such a full day, and with all of the excitement with Violet’s arrival, Bella had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Bella rolled over onto her side and checked the time on her pink alarm clock. It was barely after eight. Violet has to be tired from traveling, Bella thought. I want to wake her up to hang out with me, but that would be mean. I can wait a little longer.
Bella sat up, stretching her arms. She slid out from under her covers and plucked a cozy cotton robe off her closet door. The princess went to her favorite spot in the entire castle—her window seat.
She watched the flowers wake up—yawning and stretching like the princess had done moments earlier. Unicorns nibbled at the grass in pastures surrounding the castle. A handful of people whose faces Bella couldn’t make out unloaded wood from a large van. Bella followed the workers with her eyes and realized what they were building: a stage. What would a stage—?
“Oh!” Bella said. She put her nose against the windowpane. The stage was for Friday’s party! Queen Katherine had mentioned to her last week that workers would be making an outdoor dance floor. Bella had been excited at the time but forgot about it as her cousin’s visit got closer and closer.
I didn’t even get to explain the class party to Violet last night, Bella thought. Both princesses had gone straight to bed after the movie. King Phillip almost had to carry sleepy Violet up the stairs.
Bella couldn’t wait another second. Violet had to see this! The princess hopped off her window seat and sprinted across her room. She lifted a foot, and one of her slippers—purple with pink sequins—lifted off the floor and glided onto her foot. Bella opened her bedroom door and hurried down the hallway. She eased open the door to the guest room.
The large four-poster bed was empty. The bed had been made up with a daisy-patterned quilt, and the blinds were open.
“Violet?” Bella called out, walking into the bedroom. The bathroom door on the right side of the room was open, and no one was inside.
Bella left the guest room and headed down the hallway. She hurried down a black-and-white marble spiral staircase and heard her mom’s laugh coming from the kitchen. Bella pushed open the white double doors, and Queen Katherine, sipping something steaming from a mug, smiled when she saw her daughter. Thomas, the chef at Crystal Castle, stood across the kitchen island from the queen and had a pen in hand.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Queen Katherine said.
“Hi, Mom,” Bella said. “Good morning, Thomas.”
The black-haired chef tipped his head. “Princess Bella.”
“Honey,” Queen Katherine said, “Thomas and I are putting together a menu for Friday’s party. Do you want to help us with food and drink ideas?”
“Yay! That’s exciting!” Bella said. “I’d love to help. But where’s Violet? Her room is empty.”
The queen put down her mug and waved a hand at a glass pitcher of OJ. The pitcher rose into the air, tipped, and poured orange juice into a short glass. Bella’s mom handed it to Bella.
“Violet was up a couple of hours ago,” Queen Katherine said. “Thomas made her a lovely breakfast, and we talked for a while.”
“Oh, okay,” Bella said. She took a gulp of OJ. “Where’s Violet now? I have to find her and show her the view from my window. The platform for the party looks so amazing.”
Queen Katherine smiled. “I’m glad you think so. Violet headed down to the stables about an hour ago. She talked about Glimmer so much, Bella. You must be so excited that Violet and your unicorn get along so well.”
Bella smiled, nodding. But something felt wrong.
“I wonder why Violet didn’t wake me up,” Bella asked.
“I’m sure she didn’t want to disturb you so early in the morning,” her mom said. “Have some breakfast, then change and go
join her.”
“I’m not that hungry,” Bella said. “I’ll eat a little later.”
Before Queen Katherine could question why Bella was skipping breakfast—something she never did—Bella walked out of the kitchen and slowly climbed the stairs.
Violet and I have always woken the other person up if we were having a sleepover, Bella thought. We never wanted to waste any time we could be spending together.
Once she got to her room, the princess closed her door. She opened her closet door, flipped on the chandelier, and walked inside.
A nagging feeling in her stomach wouldn’t go away. Why hadn’t Violet asked her if they could go see Glimmer? Did Violet like Glimmer more than Bella? That would explain why she hadn’t woken up Bella and why she’d gotten up so early.
Stop being silly, Bella told herself. Violet probably wants to be around a newly matched unicorn, since she’s having her own ceremony soon.
Still feeling a little grumpy, Bella changed out of her pj’s and into a sky-blue T-shirt with a sequin pocket, black leggings, and riding boots.
She sat down on her bed and dialed Clara’s and Ivy’s phone numbers on the castle phone in her room. “Leave message,” Bella said aloud.
A small, square silver frame appeared in the air. It floated until it found the perfect spot in front of Bella. A red light started flashing—it was time to record a message.
“Hi!” Bella said. “I wanted to see if you guys wanted to come over and meet Violet and hang out. One of our carriages can pick up both of you whenever you’re ready. I’m heading down to the stable, so I’ll take my Chat Crystal. Clara, send a pink signal for ‘yes’ and when you’re on your way. Use red for ‘no.’ Ivy, message me with purple if you can come and blue if you can’t. Bye!”
The square folded and disappeared into the air. Bella hopped off her bed, shook out her arms, and rolled her shoulders, trying to shake off her weird mood. She pocketed her Chat Crystal and left the castle.
The sun warmed Bella as she headed to the stable. The closer she got, the worse she felt about how she had reacted to Violet being at the stable. When the princess walked through the stable entrance, she was smiling as she headed for Glimmer’s stall.
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