3 – Uh Oh
“Holly, Amy!” Millie called from the palace doors. “You’re here!”
Her two best friends had arrived at the palace doors with picnic baskets in their hands in preparation for a tea party.
“Millie,” Amy wrapped her in a hug. “I’m so excited for the sleepover!”
“I heard you have a new pet, Millie!” Holly’s eyes sparkled in anticipation.
“Oh, yes,” Millie replied. “Her name’s Shadow.”
Shadow slowly peeked her head from behind Millie.
“Oh my goodness!” Amy squealed. “She’s beautiful.”
Millie grinned. “Let’s go set up for our tea party in the garden. The macarons the chef made are absolutely wonderful.”
Shadow and the three girls headed off to the magical garden with their picnic baskets and a blanket. What they didn’t realize, however, was what had happened the day before.
“Ahh!”
A shrill yell echoed in the palace.
“What’s the matter?” Lucy raced across the palace halls toward her sister’s room. “I heard a scream.”
“My dress!” Alyson said. “It’s completely ruined!”
Alyson’s newly made party dress was indeed destroyed. The once lacy silk dress was in shreds with the pearls ripped off and the sleeves unrecognizable.
Lucy gasped in shock. “What caused such a thing?”
Alyson picked up a piece of black fur. It was unmistakably Shadow’s.
“That wretched cat!” Alyson hissed. “It must be the cat. I knew black cats were no good from the start! Why did we even let Millie keep her?”
Lucy considered it for a moment, then snapped back into what seemed to be a trance. “Whatever do you mean? Shadow is wonderful.”
Alyson stared at her sister in surprise. “She did this and you call her wonderful?”
“Now, now,” Lucy said. “I’m sure it can be patched up in no time.”
“Why are you siding with that cat? It’s been nothing but trouble since the first day,” Alyson stormed out the door. “Shadow, you’d better watch out.”
A light breeze hovered over the magical harden, lightly ruffling the plants in the garden.
“Have you seen the new layered sweet potato cake in the Sweet Tooth Bakery?” Holly’s eyes lit up in delight. “It looks so scrumptious with light, fluffy bread, and perfect proportions.
“Yes!” Lucy said, “I went to town the other day and saw it in the store.”
Millie sighed in disappointment. “I’m afraid I’ve never been out in town before. My parents are always telling me that I’m not ready yet.”
“What a pity,” Holly replied, “I hope you can come with us one day.”
“I hope so.” Millie changed the subject. “How are Cole and Hailey doing?”
Holly and Lucy stared at her as if she’d said that the sun was green. “Who?”
“Cole and Hailey,” Millie repeated. “Your siblings?”
“Siblings?” Holly said. “Millie, are you feeling alright? We don’t have siblings.”
Millie looked at them in confusion. What was going on? The only reason Holly and Amy could never come over was that they were busy watching their younger siblings.
Before she could respond, she heard Alyson’s voice from a distance.
“MILLIE JANE KADY!” Alyson yelled. “LOOK AT WHAT YOUR CAT HAS DONE!” She held up a tattered ballgown full of rips and holes.
Millie jumped up in surprise. “Whatever do you mean? Shadow has been with me this whole time.”
“Don’t act innocent, Millie,” Alyson snapped. “If your precious pet ruined my dress, then learn to take some responsibility. Playing dumb won’t help you.”
“I really don’t know!” Millie insisted.
“Girls?” Queen Klaire raced up behind Alyson. “Is this really something to deal with right now? We have guests over.”
Alyson glared at Lucy, who came with her mother. She seemed to have told Queen Klaire what had happened. “Well, that thing destroyed my dress.”
“Shadow would never do such a thing,” Millie said.
“The dress can be fixed. We will talk about this later,” Queen Klaire said.
“Mother,” Alyson cried. “You can’t be serious! This dress isn’t just something that can be patched up! It’s one of a kind. Limited edition. It’s irreplaceable.”
Queen Klaire’s expression hardened. “Not now, Alyson. Now, I’ve come to alert you that Cole and Hailey have come down with a severe cold.”
Millie’s eyes widened.
Holly and Amy, as if awakening from a trance, stood up in surprise.
“Oh no,” Amy said. “I was supposed to take Cole horse-riding today!”
Holly’s face paled.
“It seems that Cole and Hailey went horse-riding alone and fell into a lake. Thankfully, a gardener discovered them before things got worse,” Queen Klaire said.
Millie realized what had happened. “The well!”
“What do you mean?” Holly said.
“Come on, Shadow!” Millie scampered up with Shadow in her arms. “I’ll be right back!”
Queen Klaire called after her in alarm. “Millie? Where are you going?”
But Millie had already raced off.
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