The Girl with Glass Slippers

Chapter 5

"Taken... who?" Prince Jamie asked the frantic goose.

"Lapis!" Pearl squawked. "She was chained in the basement by her stepmother... Then a stranger came and at first, I thought he could help but then he started acting violently and I tried to stop him but he grabbed me by the neck and stuffed me in the oven."

As the goose explains the events, Jamie can't help but think, 'Could Lapis be my lost love? If she is, I want to know who took her.' "What did the man look like?" Jamie asked.

"He was tall, young, and he had black eyes. He also had an ax and he had a yellow cloak." Pearl said. "Oh wait! I bit the stranger's hand and I saw something fall off his finger but I don't know where it went." She looks around the ground.

Just then a fifth voice whispered to the group.

"Pluck the rose. Pluck the rose."

They looked to the rose bush and saw one of the pink roses glowing.

"Pluck the rose. Pluck the rose"

It was coming from the rose. Kevin plucked the glowing rose from the bush and a gold ring fell out of the petals. The ring was gold and it had a pink diamond on it.

"It's pretty and stuff but it's probably like any other ring," Amethyst added.

"No, it isn't," Jamie said in an ominous tone. "This is the ring of the past kings of Dymond. My brother has been wearing this ring ever since he turned 21 and I've never seen him without it since." Jamie then quickly ran back to his horse. All three of the birds followed the prince but not before Pearl plucked the pink rose from the prince's hand with her beak.

"What wrong?" Amethyst asked the prince.

"We have to get to the palace!" Jamie said urgently.

Earlier that day

There was a knock at the front door of the Beta estate, Jasper herself opened the door with Scarla and Carnelian listening from the hall.

"Ch–chamberlain Zircon," Jasper said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Zircon was dressed in her usual attire and there was a royal coach behind her.

"His supreme majesty, King Samuel, and his two sons, the noble princes', request an audience with Lady Jasper Beta and her two daughters at the royal palace, immediately." Zircon said.

"Really?" Jasper asked. "Is anything wrong?"

"Not at all, my lady." Zircon answered calmly, "All the young maidens are being requested, one by one, to the palace for an annual slipper fitting... and it is strongly suggested that you arrive in style."

"Well if the king insists," Jasper said. "Girls! Get your dresses on!"

"But my lady, just really quick. What about... the other one?"

"Oh... she will not be attending. You understand."

"Of course." Zircon said with a gentle bow.

Topaz has a large, broad, and muscular build with relatively short legs and large, powerful arms. She has a square head and chin. Topaz has yellow hair in a short, flat top–like fashion and pale skin. Her eyes appear to be brown.

Topaz takes the blue ribbon, ties it to an arrow, she shoots the arrow to the forest outside the house and places the bow back into its hiding place. Half an hour later, Jasper and her daughters get in the carriage, waiting for their trip to the palace. As the exit out of the gate, Zircon gives a loud whistle and Topaz snaps at the reins, driving the horses away.