As the princesses reached the palace entrance, the gate swung open and Princess Samantha stood there, clutching the pink shawl.

“Thank goodness you came back!” she said breathlessly. “I was worried you wouldn’t see me.”

“Where’s the guard?” asked Isabella. “He was just standing here.”

“I threw my hair ribbon in those bushes and asked him to get it for me,” said Samantha. “Come inside quickly, before he comes back!”

The princesses rushed through the gate and Samantha closed it behind them. Then they scurried into the garden and hid behind a square clipped hedge.

Samantha collected her ribbon from the guard and thanked him before she came to join them. “I don’t think he noticed you,” she whispered.

“But why were you waving that shawl?” Rosalind asked her. “If the grown-ups had seen you, we would have been in big trouble.”

“Has something happened?” asked Amina.

“It’s Queen Keshi!” Samantha told her. “She’s looking for all of you. She came upstairs while I was trying on my dress and now she’s checking your rooms.”

There was a scrabbling noise from Amina’s basket and a little black nose and a set of whiskers popped out from under the shawl.

“You did find a tiger cub!” gasped Samantha.

Amina pulled back the shawl and lovingly scratched the cub between his ears. He closed his eyes and mewed happily. “We can’t let my aunt see him until we find the other cub. If she finds out where we went, she’ll send the guards out to search instead of letting us go.”

“But then they’ll find the other cub, so at least he’ll be safe,” said Isabella.

“The guards would be too noisy,” insisted Amina. “They’d just scare the cub away. Anyway, I don’t want to ruin the wedding celebrations.”

“I think we should find the other cub ourselves,” agreed Lottie.

“Amina! Where are you?” Queen Keshi’s voice rang out across the palace.

“That’s my aunt!” Amina covered the tiger cub with her shawl again and raced through the back door of the palace.

Lottie, Isabella, and Rosalind left their empty baskets by the kitchen before they followed Amina up the stairs. Samantha came last.

Luckily, the corridor was empty. For a moment, Amina thought she heard footsteps but she couldn’t see anyone.

“Did you hear something?” she asked the other princesses with a frown.

Samantha stopped and looked back around the corner. “Henry! What are you doing there?”

A boy stepped out of the shadows and Amina’s heart sank as she recognized Prince Henry, the boy who had been so rude to her that morning.

“Everyone! This is my big brother, Henry,” said Samantha, smiling. “Henry, come and look at this rescued tiger cub. It looks like a big cat.”

Henry’s face crumpled, as if he was about to cry. “I don’t want to see your silly animal,” he said. “Now leave me alone!” He ran away down the corridor.

Samantha put a hand to her mouth. “Oh dear! I forgot —” She broke off as Queen Keshi’s piercing voice floated up the staircase. “The queen’s coming! You go inside and I’ll try to distract her for a moment.”

“Thanks, Samantha!” Amina rushed into her bedroom, and as soon as they were all safely inside, she lifted the little cub out of the basket to give him a hug.

“You’re lovely!” she told him, and he curled up in her arms and purred.

“We need to think of a name for him,” said Lottie, plonking herself down next to Amina and stroking the cub.

“How about Fluffy?” said Isabella.

“That’s not fierce enough for a tiger cub,” replied Rosalind. “I think we should call him Wriggle, because he squirms so much!”

“What do you want to call him, Amina?” asked Lottie.

Amina gazed down at the little cub who was watching her with his big golden-brown eyes. “I’d like to call him Sizzle. I think it suits him.”

The cub snuffled at her hand and then licked it with his little pink tongue.

“I think he likes that idea!” Isabella grinned.

There was a knock at the door and the princesses jumped.

“Quick! Hide all the shawls!” hissed Lottie, stuffing hers under Amina’s pillow.

Rosalind and Isabella rushed to the wardrobe and threw their shawls inside.

Amina looked around, her heart pounding. Where could the little cub go?

“Amina? Are you in there?” called Queen Keshi.

“Just a minute,” Amina called back. She lifted Sizzle back into the basket and kissed him on the nose. “Just be quiet, OK?” She covered him with her shawl again and then pushed the basket under her bed.

“Amina! I really do think —” began the queen.

“Sorry, Aunt!” Amina sprang to the door and opened it. “I was just cleaning up a little. Would you like me to help with the wedding flowers or the decorations?”

Queen Keshi’s frown lifted. “It’s nice of you to offer, but the flowers are all ready now. I just came to tell you that the evening banquet will be at six o’clock. You don’t have very long to get ready.” She turned to go just as Sizzle gave a low mew from underneath the bed.

“What was that?” asked Queen Keshi sharply.

Amina bit her lip. Should she say something? But if she showed her aunt the cub, she’d be interrupting all the preparations for the wedding tomorrow, and they hadn’t even rescued the second cub yet.

“It was me, Your Majesty!” Lottie butted in. “It was my stomach growling. I’m just so hungry. I can’t wait for the banquet!”

“You won’t have long to wait.” The queen smiled. “Hurry up and get ready now, girls.” She closed the door behind her.

Amina knelt down on the floor next to her bed and gently pulled out the basket from underneath. She smiled. Sizzle was stretched out comfortably on the shawl with his eyes wide open. He twitched his nose at her and yawned.

“As soon as the banquet is over, we’ll find your brother,” she told him. “We won’t let him stay out there all alone.”