Belle de Paw put on a black yoga outfit which she had bought, intending to do some exercise, but had never worn. Shylo wore his usual red jacket, but he carried a very special cargo in his rucksack: the Siberian Diamond.

Escorted by a squad of four Thumpers, they hopped down the corridor towards the dumb waiter, which was an old lift once used for taking food up from the palace kitchen to the dining room. They jumped in and the Thumpers pulled on the ropes. Up they went. Up, up, up into the palace.

‘This is the first time we’ve been on a mission together,’ said Belle de Paw excitedly. ‘I cannot think of a finer partner,’ she added, then she gazed at him with tender eyes. ‘I meant to say this before. Thank you, Shylo. It’s because of you that I realized I couldn’t keep the diamond. Thank you for making me the best rabbit I can be.’

He smiled shyly, and she smiled back. A smile that held within it affection, happiness and trust. ‘We all need reminding sometimes,’ he murred.

‘Indeed, we do.’ Belle de Paw sighed. ‘I shall be sad to give the diamond away, but it’s the right thing to do. I know that.’ She grinned mischievously. ‘But perhaps I can look at it one more time.’

She put out her paw and Shylo patted it away playfully. ‘Not until we’re in the Queen’s bedchamber,’ he murred, bowing his ears. ‘And only for a moment.’

They arrived in the old kitchen and hopped out on to the tiled floor. They opened the two-door hatch in the wall and snuck through, into the palace. The crimson carpets and gold-backed chairs, high ceilings and papered walls filled with enormous paintings were familiar to Shylo now, as was the smell of corgi. Today it wasn’t strong. He hoped that meant they were out for their morning walk.

As they hopped through the state rooms and down the corridors, Shylo no longer looked about him in awe at the scale of the rooms or the splendour of the fireplaces, mirrors, tall windows and elaborate curtains, for he had seen them many times before.

They hurried on through the palace until they reached the Queen’s private apartments and Shylo’s sense of wonder returned. He would never get over being in the Queen’s own sitting room and boudoir. He would never grow complacent about being close to Her Majesty. In those rare and wonderful moments, he was truly grateful to be a Royal Rabbit of London, protecting the King and Queen of England.

Shylo and Belle de Paw lolloped into the Queen’s bedroom. It was empty. However, the four-poster bed was not made and there was a large basket of laundry on the carpet, as if the maid had had to leave in a hurry. Shylo took off his rucksack and put it on the floor. He opened it and lifted out the diamond. It was very big and heavy for such a small rabbit to hold. He placed it on the carpet where it caught the light streaming in through the nearby window and sparkled.

Belle de Paw gazed at it longingly. ‘It is so beautiful,’ she gushed.

Shylo remembered how, deep inside the diamond, he had seen a vision of the wood back at home on the farm, and his heart ached for his mother and his warm, familiar burrow. But he said nothing and watched Belle de Paw gaze at it lovingly.

‘Au revoir, precious gem,’ she murred.

Just then, the door opened. The rabbits spun round in alarm to see a pair of black shoes walking towards them. Without hesitating, they dived into the laundry basket, hiding beneath the sheets. When they peeped out, they saw that the feet belonged to a maid.

She didn’t notice the diamond.

She went to the bed and set about stripping the pillows, humming happily to herself.

Just when Shylo and Belle de Paw were thinking of jumping out and hopping to safety, in trotted the Pack. Messalina came in first. She wagged her stumpy tail, pricked her triangular ears and stuck out her tongue, panting excitedly. Then she sensed something delicious in the laundry basket and her tail began to wag faster, like a little propeller.

The other dogs trotted over to see what had captured her attention. They stuffed their snouts into the tangle of sheets. Shylo and Belle de Paw swiftly burrowed to the bottom of the basket as the dogs’ noses prodded and poked, this way and that, smelling rabbit and trying desperately to find it. Shylo pressed himself against the bottom of the basket. After this whole adventure, it would be very unfortunate if he was now eaten by a dog at the palace!

A voice shooed them away and the basket was lifted off the ground. Belle de Paw and Shylo put their heads out to see Messalina and her Pack gazing up at them furiously. Shylo was so relieved to be out of their reach that he gave a little wave. Messalina growled.

Then she noticed the diamond on the floor.

She gave it a sniff.

Shylo’s wave froze.

Belle de Paw stifled a cry.

The two rabbits watched in horror as the dog opened her mouth and lifted the diamond off the carpet, settling it between her teeth. She plonked her bottom down and gave Shylo and Belle de Paw a triumphant smile.