Amelia Fang and the Unicorn Lords. Laura Ellen Anderson
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tried,’ said the king. ‘But I had nobody to help me and I’m terrible at sewing. I tried to make a unicorn costume myself, but it fell apart en route to the Fairy Forest and I was left
stranded . . . how do I put this?’ The king paused. ‘Completely nude.’
Everybody erupted with laughter. ‘KING IN THE NUD!’ Florence bellowed. Then she punched the wall and dented it.
‘Yes, yes, calm down,’ said the king, his normally pale cheeks flushed.
‘But . . . couldn’t the Mummy Maids have helped make you a disguise?’ said Amelia through snorts of laughter.
‘PAH!’ It was the king’s turn to chortle. ‘Have you ever seen a Mummy Maid try to use
a sewing machine? They’d sew their heads together!’
‘Don’t fear, your highness, this time I’ve made you the perfect disguise, and I promise it won’t fall apart.’ The countess beamed. She handed the king a pair of spotty wings.
‘Um . . .’ The king looked awkwardly at the disguise. ‘Is that a ladybird costume?’
‘Correct!’ Countess Frivoleeta smiled and curtseyed. ‘A terrifying ladybird costume!’
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She looked very proud of herself.
‘I may be a tad large to pass as a ladybird,’ murmured the king, pulling his costume on.
Youuuu aaaare dead, you are dead! Grimaldi’s diePhone rang out from his pocket, letting him know some poor creature needed his services.
‘I’m not sure you’ll get a signal while we’re in the Kingdom of the Light,’ said the king. ‘Your grimpapa says he’ll make sure any squished toads are taken care of while you’re away.’
‘Thank you, your majesty,’ said Grimaldi, handing the diePhone to Countess Frivoleeta for safe keeping.
The countess put it in her pocket, then wrapped Amelia in her arms. The scent of her
mother’s new Slug Slime-Trail perfume was overpowering. ‘Oh, Amelia. Be safe out there, won’t you?’
‘I will, Mum, don’t worry.’ Amelia smiled.
‘YEH, WE GOT A MASSIVE LADYBIRD TO KEEP US SAFE!’ Florence chuckled.
‘And if you see any crossword puzzles in the Kingdom of the Light, do bring some back. I love a new challenge!’ said the count.
‘Now, Tangine, do you have the map of the Kingdom of the Light?’ said the king.
‘I gave it to Florence because she likes maps.’ Tangine blushed.
‘DON’T WORRY, I’M KEEPIN’ IT SAFE,’ replied Florence. ‘ROLLED IT UP ALL NICE INSIDE MY UNICORN ’ORN.’
‘Excellent!’ said the king. Then, from inside
his ladybird wing, he pulled out a scrap of glittery parchment: the clue he had found in the Petrified Forest the night Queen
Fairyweather had gone missing.
It read:
‘GLITTEROPOLIS, the city where the sun never goes down, and your dreams always come true . . .’
‘Let’s go and find Glitteropolis!’ said the king.
‘Now, where’s the right door?’ asked the countess.
The doors in the Fang Mansion tended to move around a lot. It was a matter of skill – and a dollop of good luck – to know which door led where.
‘Here it is,’ she announced, gesturing to a wooden door covered with vines. ‘If I remember correctly, this should lead you to the edge of
the Petrified Forest, and according to the king’s map—’
‘THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT BORDERS THE FOREST,’ Florence finished proudly.
‘Well, here goes,’ said Amelia, opening the door. She reached up to her head and gave Squashy a reassuring pat.
King Vladimir ruffled Tangine’s hair. ‘Come on, son, let’s go and find Mum!’
CHAPTER 2
THE WISHING WELL OF WELL WISHES
‘Wow,’ said Amelia, as she stood at the border between the Kingdoms of the Light and Dark.
The scene that stretched before them was quite a contrast to the grey spindly trees and dead branches of the Petrified Forest. Ahead, the sun shone brightly on a vast green meadow scattered with colourful flowers.
Contrary to some old myths that Creatures of the Light believed, vampires and other Creatures of the Dark were perfectly fine in
the sun. They just weren’t used to it, since they were usually fast asleep during the day. The soft hum of bumblebees made Amelia feel a little uneasy. Grimaldi yelped as a bunny rabbit hopped into view.
‘The Meadow of Loveliness . . .’ said King Vladimir.
Amelia took a deep breath. ‘Are we all ready?’ she said, straightening herself up.
The friends nodded and held hands tightly before stepping for the first time into the Kingdom of the Light.
Amelia gasped as her foot sank into the soft ground. It felt strange and spongy. The long grass was shimmering and even the air seemed to be sparkling. But it wasn’t as awful as she might have expected – just very different.
‘Flaaarg!’ Grimaldi shrieked as a butterfly tried to land on his head. ‘It’s going to eat me!’
‘Grimaldi!’ hissed Amelia. ‘You’ll draw
attention to us!’
‘YEH. YOU NEED TO BE MORE CREATUREY OF THE LIGHTY,’ said Florence. ‘MAYBE WE SHOULD PRANCE,’ she continued. ‘THEY LIKE TO PRANCE, RIGHT?’
Without waiting for a reply, Florence pirouetted across the flowerbeds as if she were as light as a feather.
Amelia noticed Tangine’s mouth drop open as he watched Florence dance among the flowers. She was quite surprised herself.
‘She’s quite the prancer!’ said the king with a laugh, before attempting a skip, hop and jump. He stopped when he pulled a muscle in his back.
‘Not as nimble as I used to be . . .’ he said, wincing.
Amelia felt a little nervous, but then she began shuffling her feet. And, before she knew it, she found herself skipping through the long