Rosa in Sparkle City by Poppy Collins Read Free Book Online Page A

cloaks, their sky-blue wings just visible under them. The queen’s thick blonde hair was topped with a delicate gold tiara, while the king wore an eight-pointed golden crown. They fluttered in slowly, the king helping himself along with a pearl-topped walking stick. The fairies watched in silence as the pair lowered themselves on to their ruby thrones.
    â€œHello, fairy princesses,” the fairy king began in a deep voice. The four friends curtseyed deeply. “Thank you for coming to see us.”

    Rosa relaxed her grip on Buttercup’s hand. The king didn’t sound very scary at all.
    â€œWe have something very important to ask of you,” the queen continued in a light, musical voice. Her beautiful green eyes glittered as she spoke. “We know how talented you fairy princesses are, especially when it comes to fashion. And so we’d like you to put on a fashion show for us.”
    Rosa’s heart leapt – how exciting!
    â€œBut this is no ordinary fashion show,” said the king. “It will be to celebrate our golden jubilee tomorrow. We’d like it to be extra special to mark our fifty years as fairy king and queen.”
    â€œNot only that, but your designs will make up the next season’s fashion in Sparkle City,” said the queen. “So it’s also important to design outfits that everyone here will love.”
    â€œSo, will you do it?” the king asked.
    â€œYes, Your Majesties,” replied the four friends in unison as they curtseyed again.
    â€œWe will do our very, very best,” added Violet.
    The king’s face broke into a huge beam. “Thank you, fairy princesses,” he said.
    The queen nodded. “We cannot wait to see your fashion fairy creations!”

“What do you think of this?” Bluebell asked.

    The four friends were gathered around a large glass table in the palace’s craft studio, Studio Sublime. They usually spent time together in one of their own wings of the palace, but this task was too important for that. They needed lots of space! The studio took up the whole of the fifth floor of the palace and had floor-to-ceiling windows, which let in the magical fairyland sunlight. Stretched across the ceiling hung threads of moth-silk on which they could pin up paper, or materials, or entire outfits. Bluebell was holding up a large sketchpad that was covered in doodles.
    â€œOr this one?” She turned the page to a sunshine-yellow summer dress.
    Buttercup smiled – yellow was her favourite colour. “Could it be made of yellow daffodil petals, with beeswax buttons and a buttercup-petal trim?”
    â€œThat sounds wonderful,” Rosa said. “But do you think we’ll be able to design the outfits in time? We only have one day to plan everything.”
    â€œI’m worried,” said Violet with a frown. “It’s tomorrow, and there’s so much to do!”
    Just then, the glass door of the studio burst open, and a green-winged fairy-helper flew in.
    â€œI found these for you in the basement,” she said in a squeaky voice, holding up a great pile of fabric that shimmered with fairy magic.
    â€œThank you ever so much,” Rosa said, fluttering over to meet the little fairy and take the piles of fabric that weighed her down. But instead of the helper flying off quickly as usual, she remained on the spot.
    â€œThere was something else,” she began quietly. “The fairy king and queen have sent you a special mirror-gram.” The fairy-helper reached into a little velvet bag that was hooked on her arm. She brought out a mirror, as thin as the rice paper Buttercup used to decorate her delicious cupcakes.
    The helper held it out towards the fashion fairy princesses, and they crowded round it, peering in.

    At first all Rosa could see was their own reflections in the mirror. But then clouds swam across the glass, and as they disappeared, the king and queen’s