Magic Ballerina 7-12 - Darcey Bussell

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can’t believe you lot. Get back to patrolling the castle right now! Lying around! Lazing about! Honestly. I can’t trust you for a second! If King Rat catches you he’ll have your guts for garters. Come on! Hup two, hup two!”

      There was the sound of general mumbling and grumbling and the stamp of boots heading towards the front of the castle.

      Rosa froze to the spot. The guards were coming! She looked round desperately. Where could she hide? There were some giant pots that looked like they had once had plants in them.

      Rosa raced to the nearest one and scrambled inside. The bottom was covered with old dry soil and as she landed, it blew up in clouds around her. She could feel a sneeze tickling in her nose…

      She covered her face with her hands as the grumbling guards came around the side of the building. Rosa could hear them passing near the plant pot and felt the sneeze building. She pinched her nose but she couldn’t stop it! “A…a…ACHOO!”

      “What was that?” the leader’s voice snapped out.

      The guards’ footsteps stopped.

      “There’s someone hiding!” said the Sergeant. “Find them!”

      Rosa huddled down in the bottom of the plant pot, her heart beating painfully against her ribcage. Please don’t look in here, she thought as footsteps echoed around her…

      Too late…A pointed face peered over the edge of the plant pot before shrieking out loudly. “Oi, Sarge! I’ve found someone! I’ve found someone!”

      “Get them out then, Mangy Tail!”

      The flowerpot was tipped over roughly and Rosa tumbled out. She scrambled to her feet, scared, dusty and dishevelled.

      “Who are you?” the Sergeant demanded.

      “N…no one!” Rosa stammered.

      “I bet she’s trying to help that silly princess, Sarge,” said the mouse. “I bet she’s a spy!”

      The Sergeant nodded. “Take her to the dungeons!”

      “No!” gasped Rosa. But Mangy Tail and another mouse took her by the arms. They were very strong and although she kicked and struggled they had no problem holding on to her.

      “Stop your wriggling, Prisoner!” snarled the Sergeant, poking her with the hilt of his sword.

      Hastily Rosa did as she was told. She was dragged into the castle and through a big entrance hall before being pushed down a long flight of stairs. The Sergeant clambered round her and opened a heavy door ahead. “In there!” he ordered.

      He pushed Rosa hard through the doorway. She fell over and heard a bolt being pushed firmly across the door on the other side.

      “You’ll stay there until we tell King Rat about you!” snapped the Sergeant through the door. “Mangy Tail and Whiskers, you guard her.”

      “Yes, Sarge!” said two eager voices.

      Rosa’s heart sank at the sound of heavy feet traipsing away and the two guards talking in low voices outside the door.

      She shivered as she looked around her. The room was very small with no windows.

      Rosa bit her lip. How could she have been silly enough to think she could get into the castle so easily? She was trapped!

      And what about King Rat? What would he do to her? And how would Nutmeg feel when she realised Rosa was missing? If the fairy had seen her being captured she would be so worried. Rosa felt awful. She had let her new friend down. There she’d gone again, just charging in without thinking.

      I should never have headed off like that, she thought in despair. I’ve just made it all worse.

      She looked at her shoes, hoping they might sparkle and whisk her away somewhere, but nothing happened. And Nutmeg couldn’t rescue her by magic because she had told Rosa that her magic didn’t work in the castle. If I’m going to get out of here, I’m going to have to get myself out, Rosa realised.

      She thought hard. There were guards on the other side of the door but only two.

      She went to the door and banged on it.

      “Shut up!” snarled a mouse’s voice from the other side of the door.

      “If you want food, there isn’t any,” said a higher pitched voice.

      Mangy Tail, thought Rosa recognising the guard’s voice from earlier.

      “I don’t want food,” she said. “I don’t feel very well.” She started to make sounds as if she was about to be sick as loud as she could. “Yuck!” she heard Whiskers exclaim. “If she’s sick in there I bet we’ll have to clear it up!”

      “I just need some fresh air,” said Rosa, acting for all she was worth. “I’m sure I’ll be fine then but if I don’t get some fresh air I think I’ll be sick EVERYWHERE!”

      “Come on, come on, let her out,” said Mangy Tail hurriedly.

      Rosa heard the sound of the bolt sliding back and saw the door starting to open. She leaped to one side and crouched down in the shadows, staying as still as possible till the mice stepped into the doorway.

      “Where are you?” Whiskers demanded, looking round.

      Rosa leaped up, yelling as loudly as she could and the two mice jumped in alarm. Then Rosa charged at them, waving her hands about. It wasn’t exactly a well-thought-out plan but hopefully it would do!

      “Whoa!” Whiskers yelled, staggering into Mangy Tail and knocking him over. Rosa leaped lightly over Mangy Tail’s fallen body, landing in perfect balance, before pushing Whiskers with all her might. He tripped over Mangy Tail, and they both rolled into the room.

      Rosa slammed the door shut and pushed the bolt across, her fingers trembling. She’d done it! She’d escaped!

      The mice started banging on the door and shouting but it was a very thick door and the noise was muffled.

      I’m free! Rosa thought. She raced up the stairs. No one was in the main hall. The front door was just opposite her. But just as she was about to make her escape, she saw the big door handle turn and heard a loud voice…

      “So the prisoner’s a girl, you say? A girl with red ballet shoes? But not the same girl who has been to Enchantia before?”

      “A different one, King Rat. Definitely a different one.”

      Rosa ran through a nearby archway. There was a large chest and she ducked behind it.

      “Take me to this prisoner then!” she heard King Rat snap.

      Peeping out from behind the chest, Rosa saw a black rat with a golden crown on his head and a long purple cloak come marching across the hall. He looked really scary with his red eyes and curling whiskers. She hid back behind the chest as he headed for the steps that led to the room where she had been kept prisoner.

      Oh no! As soon as he got there he would realise she had escaped!

      She looked all around her. The chest

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