PRINCESS EVIE YOUNG FICTION 3 Read online

  For Ygraine, with love

  Sarah KilBride

  To Flo love from your Tatine xx

  Sophie Tilley

  SIMON AND SCHUSTER

  First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Simon and Schuster UK Ltd

  1st Floor, 222 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8HB

  A CBS Company

  Text copyright © 2015 Sarah KilBride

  Illustrations based on artwork originated by Sophie Tilley © 2015

  Concept © 2009 Simon and Schuster UK

  The right of Sarah KilBride and Sophie Tilley to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library upon request

  PB ISBN: 978-1-4711-2180-7

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-4711-2181-4

  Printed in Great Britain by CPI Cox and Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire RG1 8EX

  CHAPTER 1

  Sparkling Springtime

  CHAPTER 2

  Rainbow Reunion

  CHAPTER 3

  Scouring the Landscape

  CHAPTER 4

  Corolla’s Special Day

  CHAPTER 5

  Petals Away!

  CHAPTER 6

  What’s in a Name?

  CHAPTER 7

  Rainbow Wishes

  CHAPTER 1

  Sparkling Springtime

  Princess Evie and her kitten, Sparkles, had been busy helping out with the spring-cleaning at Starlight Castle. The sun shone brightly through Princess Evie’s gleaming bedroom windows and there wasn’t a cobweb to be seen – quite an achievement, considering how high her room was! Evie opened her windows wide and the room filled with fresh spring air and birdsong. The sound of her ponies’ neighs drifted in from Starlight Stables.

  “Come on, Sparkles,” said Evie. “I think it’s time to do some spring-cleaning down at the stables.”

  Immediately, Sparkles stopped pouncing on a feather duster and was ready at the door. He always went to the stables with Evie, just in case they ended up riding through the tunnel of trees. You see, Evie’s ponies weren’t any old ponies. They were magic ponies and, whenever they went through the tunnel of trees, they took Evie and Sparkles on a magical adventure in a faraway land.

  Together they raced down the grand staircase. It was lined with portraits of Evie’s ancestors, sitting proudly on shining horses. Evie always stopped to look at one particular painting of a young girl on a pretty pony.

  “I’m sure I can see the tunnel of trees in the background, Sparkles,” said Evie.

  Sparkles rubbed his cheek against Evie’s ankle, and then skipped down into the great hall and out to the gardens.

  Although it was sunny, there was a strong breeze that blew white clouds across the sky. Princess Evie and Sparkles decided to walk across the lawn and then take the short cut through the orchard. It was looking beautiful. Daffodils and crocuses danced cheerfully in the wind and green buds decorated the fruit tree branches. Evie and Sparkles even spotted a honeybee that had come out into the spring sunshine to enjoy the flowers.

  “Don’t worry, busy bee,” smiled Evie. “It won’t be long before these trees are covered in blossom and then you’ll have plenty of food!”

  All the ponies at Starlight Stables neighed when they heard Evie’s voice and saw she was on her way. They were always pleased to see her because Princess Evie was an important part of their family. Each pony loved Evie and had shared amazing adventures with her. Shimmer kicked her stable door as Evie walked into the yard.

  “All right, my beauty,” said Evie as she closed the gate.

  She went to Shimmer’s stable and smoothed her thick mane. Last winter, Shimmer had taken Evie through the tunnel of trees to an ice cave where they had met an ice pixie called Freya. Evie always made the loveliest friends on her adventures, and that wasn’t all – whenever they rode through the tunnel of trees, her ponies were magically transformed. Their coats became a completely different colour and their tack sparkled with decorations. Evie’s clothes changed too. When Star, her Arab pony, took Evie to the desert, she found herself wearing an outfit of purple silk and a pair of sand slippers that curled up at the toes.

  Star was in the stable next to Shimmer and, because it was such a fine day, Evie decided that Shimmer and Star should have some time in the paddock. As soon as she turned them out, they rolled in the fresh grass and galloped around the field together.

  “Right, Sparkles,” said Evie. “Let’s start with spring-cleaning our bridles.”

  Evie and Sparkles went into the tack room and collected some of her ponies’ leather bridles. She carried them back into the sunshine and took them apart, making sure all the buckles were in good working order and the leather wasn’t damaged in any way. She always cleaned her tack and made sure it was safe to use, but today Evie was going to oil it.

  When tack became hard and dry, it was time to feed the leather with special oil. Evie got a clean cloth and poured a small amount of the oil out. She rubbed it into all the different parts of the bridles – the cheek pieces, the brow-bands, and the nose bands. Some of them were quite fiddly! It was a slow job but a very important one. If the leather wasn’t supple it might snap and that could be dangerous for Princess Evie and her ponies.

  While she worked on Star and Shimmer’s saddles, Evie watched the ponies playing in the spring sunshine. She wouldn’t be able to ride either of them for the next few days, because she had to wait for the oil to be completely absorbed before using their saddles again. Shimmer and Star were good friends and Evie could see how much fun they were having out in the warm sunshine together.

  Sparkles was in the paddock having a chat with one of his favourite ponies, Indigo. She was a beautiful golden Haflinger pony with a white mane and tail. Although she was quite small, Indigo was strong. Sparkles was especially fond of her because she was gentle and, while she had lots of energy, she was never impulsive.

  Indigo and Sparkles trotted over to watch as Evie finished cleaning the tack and put everything back together.

  “Would you two like to go through the tunnel of trees today?” asked Princess Evie.

  Even though Sparkles was only a cat, Evie knew he could understand every word she said. As soon as he heard Evie mention the tunnel of trees, Sparkles miaowed and jumped onto the gate and into the yard. He followed Evie into the tack room, where she hung up the bridles and got Indigo’s halter and the grooming kit. Before she could saddle her pony up, she would have to brush out Indigo’s coat.

  It always took a little longer at this time of year. All of Evie’s hardy ponies – Silver the Welsh Mountain, Willow the New Forest and, of course, Indigo, had spent the winter out in the fields. At the beginning of spring, they still had thick winter coats. Evie loved brushing this hair out to gradually reveal her ponies’ beautiful summer coats. Their colours and markings became lighter and more defined; even the swirls and whorls seemed shinier. And it wasn’t just Evie who loved the process of brushing out the ponies’ winter coats. A row of sparrows and blue tits was already waiting on the stable roof for the soft hair that made a warm lining for their nests.

  “Let’s do some spring-cleaning with you Indigo,” said Evie, tying her pony up.

  Evie started by cleaning out her Haflinger’s hooves. Then she brushed Indigo’s golden coat with the dandy brush. When Evie had finished grooming there were clumps of hair blowing around the stable yard. The twittering birds that had been watching flew down from the roof and began to collect it.

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nbsp; As Evie tacked her pony up, the clouds darkened. Her ponies went to stand under the trees and in the field shelters.

  “It looks as if there’s going to be a spring shower, Sparkles,” said Evie. “Come on, let’s get our rucksack of useful things. If we’re quick we should miss the rain.”

  Sparkles found Evie’s rucksack hanging by Shimmer’s hay net. They could never go through the tunnel of trees without it – there was always something in there that they needed on their adventure. Evie put on her rucksack and mounted Indigo. Sparkles jumped up after her, they were ready for an adventure. Evie loved riding Indigo. Haflinger ponies are quite light on their feet, and Indigo had a lovely balanced action. As soon as they were out of the stable yard, the first drops of spring rain began to fall. Indigo broke into a smooth canter and made her way across the fields, towards the tunnel of trees. “I wonder where the tunnel will take us today,” said Evie.

  CHAPTER 2

  Rainbow Reunion

  As soon as they came out of the tunnel of trees they saw a host of butterflies fluttering around them. Ahead of them was a shimmering rainbow and Evie knew exactly where it would lead them.

  “Hooray!” said Evie. “We’re going to the Rainbow Garden. I hope we’re going to see Violet and all the other Rainbow Girls again.”

  Indigo whinnied and shook her long mane, which was now beautiful shades of pink. Her coat swirled and shone and seemed to reflect all the colours of the rainbow. Evie’s flowing dress was patterned like the butterflies’ wings, with pretty sleeves that quivered in the breeze.

  “Come on, Indigo,” said Evie happily. “I’m sure you can remember the way!”

  Without any hesitation, Indigo started to climb up the rainbow, following the delicate butterflies into the clouds. Soon they trotted out into the Rainbow Garden where, sure enough, Evie’s old friend Violet was waiting for them.

  “Oh Indigo, you clever pony!” said Violet, stroking the pretty pony’s nose. “I knew you’d come back to see us. Well done for remembering the way!”

  “Violet,” smiled Evie, “it’s so lovely to see you again.”

  Evie hopped down and gave her friend a hug.

  “And you, Evie,” said Violet. “I can’t wait to tell the other Rainbow Girls that you’re here.”

  Violet led them through the Rainbow Garden. The garden was blooming with exotic flowers of every shape and size. There were fragile orchids growing in the trees, tall red lilies that looked like flaming trumpets and pretty pink mimosas with leaves that snapped shut when you touched them. The air was filled with the fragrance of tiny jasmine flowers. As they walked through the wonderful garden, the friends remembered their last adventure together.

  “Do you remember the first time you saw this garden?” said Violet. “There were no colours in it at all!”

  “How could I forget?” Evie replied. “I was so disappointed. Everything was grey – the flowers, the trees, even the lawns!”

  Evie, Sparkles and Indigo helped to return colour to the Rainbow Garden by collecting precious gemstones from each of the Rainbow Girls. When Evie put the gemstones into the magic well, the garden filled with rainbow bubbles and all the flowers returned to their beautiful shades.

  “If you, Sparkles and your magic rainbow pony hadn’t come to visit us, this garden would still be grey,” said Violet. “You are a great team.”

  Towards the end of the garden they found Rosa’s summer house, where all the Rainbow Girls were working hard. They were so busy that at first, no one noticed Evie and Violet arrive. Azure and Fern were cutting tiny petals from a huge piece of white silk. Magenta and Rosa were painting the edges of the heart-shaped petals with the palest of pinks, yellows and greens. Evie could see Saffron and Amber in the summer house making some food. It smelled delicious!

  It was Rosa who saw Evie first. She put down her paintbrush and ran over to give Evie a hug. It wasn’t long before all the Rainbow Girls surrounded Evie, Sparkles and Indigo. Rosa, Magenta, Saffron, Amber, Fern and Azure were all chatting away at once and welcoming them with smiles and kisses.

  “It’s brilliant that you’ve returned,” said Rosa.

  “How fantastic that you’ve come today, Evie,” said Magenta as she gave Sparkles a hug. “It’s one of the busiest days of the year.”

  “Today is the start of our Rainbow Blossom Festival and we’ve got lots of jobs to do before the festival can begin,” added Rosa.

  “Come on Evie,” said Amber, taking Evie by the hand. “Let’s sit down and tell you all about it.”

  There was a cluster of rainbow-coloured cushions underneath the apple tree. Everyone got comfy, especially Sparkles who sat on Evie’s knee and listened carefully to the Rainbow Girls.

  “Every year, visitors come from far and wide to enjoy the beautiful blossoms in our Rainbow Garden,” said Violet.

  “But first we have to make the blossoms from this very special silk.” said Rosa. She held up the material and the sun shone through it, making it shimmer.

  “Azure and I have to cut each petal perfectly,” said Fern. “It takes a lot of concentration.”

  “Then Magenta and I paint them,” said Rosa.

  “Just around the edges, so each petal has a hint of colour,” added Magenta.

  “My job is to prepare our pony, Corolla, and our chariot,” smiled Violet. “She will take us through the air when it’s time to sprinkle the trees with our beautiful blossoms.”

  “Then we can relax under the trees and eat our delicious picnic and sing flower songs,” added Fern. “Just like everyone else!”

  “It’s Fern’s and my job to prepare the feast,” continued Azure.

  “So you see,” said Violet, “we could do with an extra pair of hands and paws, and maybe even another set of hooves!”

  “We’d be happy to help you,” said Evie, “wouldn’t we?”

  Sparkles purred and Indigo neighed.

  “Thank you, Evie,” said Rosa. “We can always count on you.”

  “Will you come with me to the yard and prepare the chariot please?” Violet asked Evie. “It needs a good spring clean, and we’ll have to give Corolla an extra groom as this is her special day.”

  “We’ll have her ready in no time!” said Evie.

  “Brilliant!” smiled Magenta. “We’ll meet you down at the yard at midday.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Scouring the Landscape

  Evie and Sparkles mounted Indigo.

  “Come on up, Violet,” she said. “There’s room for the three of us.”

  Indigo trotted away, taking Evie, Violet and Sparkles to the yard. It wasn’t far, and when they got there Evie tied Indigo up and gave her some fresh water and hay. Violet opened the shed door and took her friend inside. Evie gasped when she saw the chariot. Even though the shed was gloomy, she could see that the carriage was decorated with rainbow jewels and had wheels of silver.

  “We only use this chariot for the Rainbow Blossom Festival,” said Violet. “It needs a really good clean.”

  Together, Violet and Evie pulled the chariot out into the sunlight. Even though it was quite dusty, it was beautiful.

  The friends sorted through cloths, brushes and sponges, and filled a bucket with soapy water. Sparkles had a lot of fun chasing the frothy bubbles, while Violet and Evie swept and scrubbed and polished. They weren’t just cleaning the chariot to make it look spectacular. They were cleaning it for the same reasons that Evie had to clean her tack, to make sure that it was in good condition and was safe to use. While the girls worked away, they checked all the nuts and bolts and oiled each moving part, making certain that everything was in good, working order.

  “I cleaned the harness earlier this morning, but I think I may have to adjust some of the straps as Corolla has grown rounder this spring!” said Violet

  Evie laughed. “Yes, some of my ponies get carried away at this time of year. I think it’s all the fresh grass.”

  As Violet undid some of the silver buckles and loosened the str
aps, Evie looked at the gleaming harness closely.

  “This doesn’t look like any of the driving harnesses I’ve seen before,” she said.

  “That’s because there’s something a bit different about Corolla,” said Violet with a smile. “She’s got wings and can fly through the air!”

  “Like Pegasus!” said Evie. “I’ve read the myth in Starlight Castle’s library, but I never thought I’d ever meet a winged horse.”

  “Well, today is your lucky day,” said Violet. “She’s a real beauty. You’ll see when we get her in from the fields. And this year she’s in such good condition, she’s radiant. She’s had a sparkle in her eyes for the past few weeks. I think she’s been looking forward to today.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her,” said Evie. “I don’t think Indigo can either.”

  Sure enough, Indigo sniffed the air and whinnied loudly, but there was no reply.

  “She’s probably too busy eating!” said Violet, polishing the silver wheel spokes. “She knows that it’s her special day and she’ll need lots of energy. We’ll bring her in when we’ve finished here.”

  Evie brushed the dust off the gemstones and then washed them gently with a damp cloth. Finally, she polished each jewel with a duster until every facet shone magnificently.

  Soon the girls stood back to admire their work. The chariot glittered in the spring sunshine.

  “Amazing!” said Evie.

  “You wait,” said Violet. “It looks even more wonderful when Corolla is pulling it through the sky!”

  Violet collected Corolla’s halter and they made their way to the paddock. But when they arrived, there was no pony.

  “That’s strange,” said Violet. “She normally waits by the gate when she hears me coming.”

  Evie scanned the field but could see no sign of the pony. Violet called her name and Indigo whinnied, but Corolla didn’t appear. Evie could see that her friend was worried.