After one last check to make sure everything looked perfect, Princess Bella had dashed out of the castle and into a special carriage that took her to the start of her official birthday celebration.
Queen Katherine, King Phillip, and Bella had taken the royal carriage they used only for special occasions. It was powered by Crystal’s pride and joy—the sun itself! The royal carriage needed only a royal driver to steer. The carriage glowed like a giant orb. Usually, Bella stared out the clear exterior with her nose pressed against the glass as they made their way down the winding roads from the castle to town. This time, she’d sat silent with her hands clasped in her lap. She was nervous and excited.
The royal carriage stopped at the beginning of the parade route. Tons of people were already lined up behind the shield spell on either side of the cobblestone road.
“Your mom and I will see you at the end of the parade, Bells,” King Phillip said. “Have fun!” Her mom kissed Bella’s cheek. “We’re heading to our float just in front of yours.”
Bella stepped out of the royal carriage, and flashbulbs popped. Her parents exited the opposite side with royal security. They wanted all of the attention to be on Bella on her special day.
Crystal’s weather seemed to know it was Bella’s birthday—sunlight beamed down, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was unseasonably warm.
Just like her mom had taught her, Bella stopped and turned to wave at the newspaper and TV crews. A dozen or so men and women had notebooks, giant cameras and recorders, and microphones. It was a little scary, but Bella remembered the security guards at her sides and the shield spell.
The location calmed Bella too. The royal carriage had stopped at the edge of town in a grassy field filled with daisies and clusters of wild tulips. Bella loved the pops of color. It looked like pieces of a rainbow had been sprinkled in the field! The parade floats had lined up, and Crystal’s police patrolled the area with fierce wolves. None of the wolves had teeth bared, so no danger was near.
Now Bella could really see the sparkly line of the shield spell along the sides of the parade route. The spell glittered—a sign it had been cast by a royal—so none of the townspeople could break the barrier. Only a royal could disarm the spell.