Weddings and Wishes

by Stacy Gregg

  In a frenzy Lady Petronella grabbed Sparkle’s ostrich-feather wings and plucked them off! Then she tore off the tutu and yanked off Sparkle’s tiara and threw it away.

  Sparkle’s bottom lip quivered and she looked as if she were about to burst into tears but she said nothing as Lady Petronella flung the costume aside and turned back to survey what she had done.

  ‘There!’ she said. ‘Now you’re a very plain, boring pony, which means that everyone will be looking only at me – which is just as it should be on my SPECIAL DAY! Oh! Wait a minute! There are still diamonds in your tail. That will never do …’

  ‘Excuse me? Your Almost Highness?’ The head footman had suddenly appeared at her side. ‘I hate to interrupt but we do need to leave. Prince Patrick is already at the cathedral and he’s waiting for you to arrive so you can marry him.’

  Lady Petronella groaned. ‘Yes, yes, I’m coming.’

  She fluffed about with her gown and then glared at him. ‘Well? What are you waiting for? Help me up on to my pony! That’s your job, isn’t it?’

  There was much grunting and shoving as the footman pushed Lady Petronella in her enormous meringue of a wedding dress up, up, up until at last she was on Sparkle’s back.

  ‘Whew! It really is a very puffy dress!’ Lady Petronella exclaimed. Then she cast her cruel eyes around the palace. ‘Where are my trumpeters? I can’t leave without fanfare!’

  ‘Here we are, Your Almost Highness!’

  The trumpeters ran to her side and began to play and Sparkle pranced through the halls of the grand palace past Olivia and Eliza who had been watching the whole commotion in disbelief.

  ‘This is it, babes!’ Sparkle cried as she trotted by. ‘Wish me luck, Eliza and Livvy! It’s wedding time!’

  The roar of the crowd was deafening as Lady Petronella and Sparkle emerged on to the streets.

  ‘Hooray for Almost-Princess Petronella!’ A little girl ran forward to throw a handful of confetti.

  ‘Dreadful child! Stop flinging stuff at me!’ Lady Petronella shrieked in reply.

  ‘It’s confetti, Lady Pet, babes!’ Sparkle said. ‘She’s celebrating! They all are! Everybody loves a wedding.’

  ‘Do they?’ Lady Petronella sniffed haughtily. ‘I suppose for these commoners it must be marvellous to see me in all my splendour on my SPECIAL DAY. All the same, if that child throws anything at me again, I shall have her put in the dungeons.’

  Lady Petronella gave Sparkle a sharp dig with her heels. ‘Come on, useless pony. This is boring me! Hurry to the cathedral!’

  ‘Oooh, Lady Pet, babes!’ said Sparkle. ‘Your wish is my command! Sparkle’s on the trot!’

  Outside the cathedral, Olivia and Eliza, who had run on ahead, found Prince Patrick.

  ‘Sparkle and Lady Petronella are on their way!’ Olivia told him. ‘They’ll be arriving any moment.’

  ‘Ah, so they’re almost here then?’ Prince Patrick looked anxious. ‘Tell me, is the Lady Petronella in a good mood, do you think? Only this morning she was very grumpy indeed. She threw two footmen in the dungeon before we’d even had breakfast.’

  ‘She’s been a teensy bit grouchy,’ Eliza admitted.

  ‘More than a teensy bit,’ Olivia said. ‘She’s, well … she’s gone fully bridal bonkers.’

  ‘Bridal bonkers?’ Prince Patrick looked even more nervous.

  ‘I’m afraid so,’ Olivia said. ‘She’s been shouting at everyone.’

  ‘The florist,’ said Eliza, ‘and the poor cake maker!’

  ‘And the dressmaker,’ added Olivia. ‘And Sparkle.’

  ‘Oh dear,’ Prince Patrick said. ‘She’s really not very nice at the best of times and a wedding has brought out the worst in her.’

  ‘I wonder, Patrick,’ Olivia said kindly, ‘if perhaps Lady Petronella isn’t the right girl for you to marry after all …’

  ‘I wonder too,’ Prince Patrick admitted. ‘Except it’s a bit late now …’

  ‘Because here they come!’ Eliza said. ‘Oh, doesn’t Sparkle look like a fairy tale?’

  ‘She’s so clean and shiny!’ Olivia agreed. ‘And, uhhh, Lady Petronella looks very determined and a little cross.’

  ‘Yikes!’ said Prince Patrick. ‘She’s probably furious that we’re out here milling about! We’d better get up the aisle and be ready for her to make her grand entrance.’

  The three of them scurried hastily inside and the girls found a spot in a pew right at the front while Prince Patrick went to stand with the bishop. They had only just got into position when the string quartet swelled into song and the wedding march began.

  Lady Petronella and Sparkle made their grand entrance.

  ‘Here comes the bride! Here comes the bride!’ Sparkle hummed merrily as she trotted up the aisle.

  ‘Quiet, you ridiculous pony!’ snapped Lady Petronella. ‘You’re ruining my SPECIAL DAY with your nonsense.’

  Sparkle fell silent and as the music ended the pony came to a halt to allow Lady Petronella to slide off her back to take her place in front of the bishop and by Prince Patrick.

  ‘Uhhh … you look lovely, darling!’ Prince Patrick whispered.

  ‘Well, duh!’ Lady Petronella snapped at him. Then she straightened her frock, shoved her posy of flowers at Sparkle to hang on to and glared hard at the bishop. ‘Well? What are you waiting for standing there in your silly pointy hat? Marry us!’

  The bishop looked very nervous and cleared his throat. ‘Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today—’

  ‘Oh yes, yes, yes. BORING! Get on with it and marry us now or I’ll have you thrown in the dungeons!’ Lady Petronella barked.

  The bishop cleared his throat and cut to the chase. ‘If there is anyone here who has any reason why Patrick and Petronella should not be joined in marriage, let them speak now …’

  ‘I do!’

  There was a gasp from the crowd.

  ‘Who said that?’ the bishop asked.

  The eyes of the whole cathedral were upon her as Sparkle put her hoof up.

  ‘Me, Bishop, babes. I said it.’

  ‘The pony?’ The bishop was baffled. ‘But why do you want to stop the wedding?’

  ‘I don’t want to be unkind, babes,’ Sparkle said, snorting, ‘but we’ve all noticed how Lady Petronella’s dead mean and poor Prince Patrick, well, he’s lovely, ain’t he? It just doesn’t seem fair that he should get lumbered with her.’

  ‘Of all the insults!’ Lady Petronella hissed. ‘And on my SPECIAL DAY! Sparkle, you’re going be sent to the dungeons the minute this wedding is done!’

  Lady Petronella turned to the bishop. ‘Don’t listen to the pony! Finish it!’ she shouted. ‘Go ahead and make us married – now!’

  The bishop looked terrified. ‘Uhh … by the power vested in me I now pronounce you man and wife. Prince Patrick, you may kiss the bride!’

  ‘But I don’t want to …’ Prince Patrick began to resist but before he could object any more Lady Petronella lunged at him with her lips puckered up!

  ‘Oh no!’ Eliza cried out. ‘Once she kisses him they’ll be married forever!’

  ‘Somebody stop her!’ Olivia shouted.

  ‘Sparkle’s on the trot, princey, babes!’

  With a defiant shake of her mane Sparkle jumped between the bride and groom, and with a firm swish of her tail she knocked Lady Petronella aside.

  Lady Petronella gave a shriek as she landed on top of the bishop, and meanwhile Prince Patrick, who had been all puckered up bracing himself reluctantly to take the kiss, found himself somehow smacking his lips square on Sparkle’s cheek!

  ‘Oh my!’ Sparkle blushed. ‘Oooh, Prince Patrick, you kissed me! Oooh, I shall never wash my cheek again! All the other ponies are going to be well jel when I tell … Oooh, goodness! What’s happening?

  I’m feeling all funny and tickly inside! Oooh, Livvy, Eliza! Help me! What’s going on?’

  ‘Look!’ Olivia said. ‘Sparkle’s glowing!’

  The pony was bathed
in the most amazing golden light. It beamed and shone with such power that it filled the cathedral.

  ‘Oooh, Livvy, babes!’ Sparkle rose on her hind legs as the golden light grew brighter. ‘The light is so magical, it’s making Sparkle feel all …’

  But Sparkle never did get to say how she felt because at that moment the pony stopped talking and began neighing instead.

  ‘The Pemberley Witch’s spell has been broken!’ Eliza squeaked.

  ‘Oh hooray!’ Olivia cried. ‘Sparkle’s a real-life pony again; she’s free!’

  Sparkle seemed to realise it too because the pony began whinnying with delight as Eliza and Olivia jumped for joy.

  Prince Patrick, however, looked rather confused. ‘Did I do that?’ he asked Eliza. ‘I’ve heard that a prince’s kiss is very powerful magic. Is that what transformed her?’

  Eliza was about to explain to him about the witch’s curse but then she saw Olivia giving her a cheeky look.

  ‘Ummmm, I mean, possibly it could be your kiss that did it,’ she said. ‘You know, they do say true love’s kiss can do that.’

  ‘I wouldn’t smooch any frogs if I were you,’ Olivia added with a wink, ‘just to be on the safe side.’

  ‘Right,’ Prince Patrick said. ‘Good advice, Livvy. I shall heed it.’

  ‘What about me?’ Lady Petronella huffed as she clambered back to her feet. ‘Isn’t anyone going to even ask if I’m okay? That awful pony knocked me over and ruined my SPECIAL DAY!’

  ‘I rather think you ruined your own day, Lady Petronella,’ Prince Patrick said, giving Sparkle a pat on the neck. ‘The pony was quite right – you’re far too mean for me. The wedding is off!’

  ‘Hooray for Prince Patrick!’ cried the florist and the cake maker who were sitting in the front pew enjoying the spectacle.

  ‘And for Sparkle too!’ called the dressmaker with a hoot.

  And suddenly the cathedral was going wild with applause as Lady Petronella stomped out in a huff and Prince Patrick, Eliza and Olivia made their way up the aisle with Sparkle dancing gaily beside them, whinnying with joy in a shower of confetti and sunshine.

  It seemed a shame to let the wedding feast go to waste and so a picnic was held that afternoon at Spellbound Stables.

  ‘These egg-and-cress club sandwiches are just brilliant – you must have one!’ Patrick told Olivia, passing her the plate. ‘I say, Eliza, if you’ve had enough to eat, do you think you’d fancy a sword fight? It’s been quite a day and often I find the best thing to do at the end of a busy day is have a sword fight. How about it? Shall we duel?’

  ‘Oooh, yes please!’ Eliza beamed. ‘Wait here! I’ll get my sword …’

  And so, while the two of them raced up and down the corridor and bounded over walls as they clashed blades, Olivia practiced braiding Sparkle’s mane.

  ‘Oh rats!’ she complained. ‘I managed to do a perfect braid and then Sparkle shook her head and it’s all fallen apart. I’ll have to start again.’

  Sparkle shook her mane yet again and Eliza laughed. ‘Oooh, Livvy, babes, I think Sparkle is tired of being fussed over and wants to go and play with the other ponies,’ Eliza said.

  And so Olivia let Sparkle loose in the field with Bess and Prince and the three ponies galloped and reared and ran about wildly with glee. Then the girls and Prince Patrick went back inside the stables to Sparkle’s old stall where their dessert, a very big cake with white icing, was waiting for them.

  ‘This is extremely yummy!’ Eliza had helped herself to a large slice and started scoffing it.

  ‘Wait …’ Olivia asked suspiciously. ‘Patrick? Is this wedding cake?’

  ‘Umpfhl,’ Prince Patrick tried to answer but his mouth was full. ‘Well, yes, it seemed a shame to let it go to waste!’

  ‘Hooray!’ Eliza said, helping herself to a second piece. ‘Here’s to royal weddings!’

  ‘And to the Spellbound ponies!’ Olivia said. ‘May they all soon be free!’

  At that moment, a gust of ghostly mist swept through the stable doors, and there came the haunting bay of the hunting hounds.

  ‘Oh no,’ Olivia said, ‘the dogs are here!’

  ‘How many times do I have to tell you, Olivia?’ An icy voice echoed through the corridor. ‘They are not dogs. They are hounds, and you must always call them hounds, am I clear?’

  Floating magically behind the hounds on a cloud of spooky mist, a very beautiful woman appeared. She wore a black silk top hat and a velvet riding coat. Her auburn hair fell in lush waves and her alabaster skin looked ghostly against her scarlet lips. One dark eyebrow arched in an imperious manner as she examined the scene in front of her.

  ‘Who is this then?’ she demanded.

  Eliza broke the silence. ‘Prince Patrick, I’d like you to meet my mother, Lady Luella of Pemberley Manor.’

  ‘Oh, hullo!’ Patrick bounded forward to shake her hand. ‘Very nice to meet you, Mrs L. We were just eating the wedding cake. Would you like a piece?’

  ‘I’m not here for cake!’ Lady Luella arched her brows even higher. ‘I’m here because I see you two girls have unbound yet another pony?’

  ‘We have!’ Olivia confirmed. ‘And we’re going to keep going until all the ponies are free – wait and see. And then Eliza will be unbound too and she and I will be real friends in a yard filled with wonderful ponies.’

  Lady Luella’s brows arched so high now they were almost through the roof and Olivia could have sworn something peculiar passed between mother and daugh-ter as Lady Luella gave Eliza a very mysterious look.

  ‘One more spell you’ve broken,’ Lady Luella said as she hovered. ‘The other spells remain. You’ll need all your wits about you to break the chain. Farewell, Eliza, dear heart, until we meet again.’

  And, in a puff of spectral smoke Lady Luella and the hounds were gone.

  ‘I say,’ Prince Patrick said, ‘is it just me or is your mum a lot of fun, Eliza?’

  Olivia sighed. ‘It’s just you.’

  ‘Oh well.’ Prince Patrick looked at his watch. ‘It’s been a long day. The king and queen will be expecting me home for supper, so I’d best be off.’

  ‘Well, I’m going to have one more piece of cake …’ Eliza said, licking the icing off her fingers. ‘And then Olivia and I had better press on too. We need to free the next Spellbound pony.’

  ‘Two brave girls,’ Olivia said.

  ‘Together for ever,’ Eliza agreed.

  And, as they ate their cake and hatched their plans, back at the stables a new name was already beginning to materialise on the brass plaque on the door of the fourth stall. Another Spellbound pony would soon be here …

  NEXT IN THE SERIES …

  ‘What’s a fête exactly?’ said Olivia.

  ‘It’s like a big garden party and the whole village comes along,’ Eliza explained. ‘There are wonderful stalls selling treats of all kinds and animals on parade and lots of games—’

  ‘Games? What kind of games?’

  ‘Oh, the usual thing,’ Eliza said. ‘Guess the weight of the bull, duck racing, black-pudding hurling—’

  ‘Duck racing? Wouldn’t the jockeys have to be very, very small?’

  Eliza laughed. ‘Oh, now you’re just being silly! No one rides them! But you can make a bundle betting on which of the ducks is the fastest. There’ll be jugglers too, I imagine, and fire-eaters, and there’s always a fortune-teller, and did I mention there’s lots of scrummy food? Hot roasted chestnuts and sweet mince cakes …’

  ‘It sounds like you want to go,’ Olivia said.

  ‘I suppose I do,’ Eliza agreed. ‘It’s been two hundred years since the last one and I have so missed all the fun of the fair. There’s always a big showjumping contest at the end. I actually won it myself once. I rode our Pemberley Golden Boy, Champ, Mama’s boldest and most brilliant jumping pony, and we got a clear round even though the fences were frightfully huge!’

  ‘Why do you think Lady Luella is holding the fête again after all th
is time?’ Olivia was suspicious. ‘You know she’s always trying to get you to return home to live with her in the manor, Eliza.’

  ‘Oh, she must know by now that I’ll never leave Spellbound Stables until all the ponies are free,’ Eliza said breezily. ‘No, I expect it’s just that she couldn’t let the two hundredth anniversary go by without a celebration. Come on, Livvy, we should go. Did I mention there’s lots of scrummy food?’

  ‘I do like scrummy food …’ Olivia admitted.

  All this time, as the girls had been talking, the plaque on the stable door had been glowing more and more brightly, and now it shone and twinkled like a star.

  Olivia gasped. ‘Look! Do you see that? The name has appeared! It’s time to summon a new pony!’

  Eliza clapped her hands with glee. ‘Time to cross the threshold!’

  She stood beside Olivia and the two girls stepped into the stall and called out the name on the door. ‘Champ!’ …

  To be continued …

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  About the Author

  Stacy Gregg (Ngāti Mahuta/Ngāti Pukeko) is the author of Pony Club Secrets, the inspiration for the major TV series MYSTIC.

  www.stacygregg.co.uk

  Books by Stacy Gregg

  The Spellbound Ponies Series

  MAGIC AND MISCHIEF

  SUGAR AND SPICE

  WISHES AND WEDDINGS

  FORTUNE AND COOKIES

  The Pony Club Secrets series

  MYSTIC AND THE MIDNIGHT RIDE

  BLAZE AND THE DARK RIDER

  DESTINY AND THE WILD HORSES

  STARDUST AND THE DAREDEVIL PONIES