Tansy. âJust look at that food!â she exclaimed. âWhere do you suppose it all came from?â
Before they could ask Queen Charlotte, King Albert stepped into the hall. He beamed at the princesses and gave Tansy a big hug. âIâve just sent out a message with the good news about our gentle ogress. Already word of the young menâs release has spread. People are returning to the kingdom!â
Tansy clapped her hands together. âThatâs great!â Her friends nodded in agreement.
Three men clattered into the Main Hall, passing through with hammers, chisels, and buckets. âWhatâs going on?â Lysandra asked.
âIsnât it wonderful?â Queen Charlottesaid. âThe young men you helped to release have come with their families to repair the castle. And theyâve even brought platters of delicious food.â
âFantastic!â said Tansy. The sorry state of her familyâs castle hadnât made a bit of difference to her friends, but it would be nice to live in a place that was less drafty and crumbling. And perhaps theyâd even have servants again, since people were returning to the kingdom.
Jonah came into the hall, carrying a newly painted picture. âItâs about time you were up!â he exclaimed to the girls. Then he showed them his pictureâa grand view of Mount Majesta.
âIs that us?â asked Elena, pointing to a tiny flying carpet in the corner.
Squinting, Tansy could just make out six small figures on top of the carpet.
Jonah smiled. âThatâs right.â
The princesses helped themselves to the pastries and fruit. Jonah had eaten earlier, but he stayed around for a second breakfast. âIâd sure like to fly on your carpet again,â he said to Fatima. âIâd like to try to paint an aerial view this time.â
âIf Jonah goes, may I come too?â askedMatthew.
âIâd be glad to take you both,â said Fatima.
âWhy donât we all go?â Tansy suggested. âWe could fly to the ogressâs camp, check up on Edward and James, and see how the work is going.â
âGreat idea,â said Lysandra. âLetâs do it!â
After breakfast the princesses got dressed while Jonah and Matthew cleared the table and washed the dishes. Then they all gathered outside.
Fatima unrolled her carpet. âAll aboard!â she called out. Quickly the friends scrambled to take their places.
As they sailed into the sky above a sea of leafy green, Jonah leaned toward Elena. âIsnât the view incredible? Mount Majesta looks beautiful from above the trees!â
Elena nodded. âI bet youâre getting ideas for more paintings.â
âDonât encourage him,â Matthew grumbled. âHeâs already painted Mount Majesta from every angle and in every kind of weather and season.â
Jonah sighed dramatically. âTrue art is often underappreciated and misunderstood.â
âYou could say that about a lot of things,âTansy said slyly. â Sisters , for example.â
âOr ogres,â said Elena.
Tansy lifted her face to the sun and took a breath of fresh air. She felt happy that everything had turned out so well and that, once again, she and her friends had chanced upon a marvelous adventure.
About the Author and Illustrator
S uzanne Williams often dreamed of being a princess, but she relinquished all hopes of glitz and glory to pursue the adventure of a lifetimeâwriting childrenâs books. Besides the Princess Power series, she is the author of two chapter-book series and several picture books. Her fans know that while Suzanne might not wear a tiara, she definitely rules. Suzanne currently resides in regal Renton, Washington, where she and her husband share their reign with a toy fox terrier. When sheâs not penning princess stories, she enjoys puttering around her palace, going for walks in the