Unicorns? Get Real!

was there. And the next minute, she had just wandered off on her pony.” Myrella was almost in tears as she tried to explain how she had lost Princess Gundersnap.
    The cocaptains glared at her. “She couldn’t have just disappeared,” Maggie scolded.
    “Didn’t you hear her pony walking away?” Kinna asked.
    “I don’t know! I don’t know!” Myrella wailed.
    “We came here to round up a unicorn, and now we have to spend time looking for the Princess of Slobodkonia. Zounds! Gundersnap, of all princesses to lose. If her mother the empress finds out, she’ll declare war on the camp!” Maggie steamed.
    Myrella wailed even harder. “Well, stop your mewling!” Princess Maggie spat the words out.
    “Hey! Watch it, Princess,” Kristen said sharply as she rode her pony right up to Princess Maggie. Kristen leaned forward in her saddle and looked Maggie straight in the eyes. A kindling energy rustled between the two fiery-haired princesses. Alicia thought she might actually have seen sparks. It certainly looked as if something could ignite any second and the two princesses might burst into flames. “Lighten up, Princess Maggie. Myrella doesn’t have eyes in the back of her head. Now let’s backtrack to the spot where Myrella first realized Gundersnap was gone.”
    They had been riding for perhaps a quarter of an hour when they first caught the scent of roses. Quietly they proceeded, and as they came into a clearing, they all gasped at the amazing sight. Princess Gundersnap was standing straight up on top of her saddle near a pond of spring-fed water. She was beginning to twirl her satin lariat over her head. On the other side of the pool was a unicorn, a pure white unicorn, busily drinking. The rose scent was almost overpowering. How Princess Gundersnap stood so steadily in the saddle they would never know. How she cast the lariat from such a position was unimaginable. But silently a loop of pink satin ribbon sailed out across the pool and dropped perfectly over the unicorn’s horn. In a split second, Gundersnap was off her pony. She dropped to her knees, humming softly. And, just as Frankie had said, the unicorn began to walk around the pool and head directly toward her.
    The other princesses had never beheld such an awesome sight. It was mystical. A glow seemed to radiate from the unicorn when the creature gently placed its head in Gundersnap’s lap. The glow began to surround Gundersnap as well as she stroked the unicorn lightly and continued humming. The unicorn lifted its head slightly and nuzzled the princess’s chin. Gundersnap’s face was bathed in a light of sheer happiness. All the sadness had vanished. Not a trace was left.
    Minutes later, with Princess Gundersnap leading the unicorn behind her on the long satin lariat, they set off for the meeting place. As they approached, they saw what appeared to be a large gathering of ponies.
    “Hey,” Princess Maggie said. “That’s Camp Burning Shield’s riding team and their jousting team as well.”
    “Jousting!” exclaimed Kristen.
    “Boys!” said Alicia.
     
    “If I told you once, Sir Ralph, I’ve told you a thousand times.” Frankie was shaking a finger at the Burning Shield jousting coach. “In the first place, you shouldn’t even be out here on the plains of Wesselwick. Unicorns and boys don’t mix. Like oil and water. So now you’ve caught one and you are such a knucklehead that you decide to have this young Prince Rupert von what’s-his-name ride it. Well, he might be captain of the jousting team, but he doesn’t know royal diddly-squat about riding unicorns.”
    “What happened?” Alicia whispered to Parisiana.
    “See that prince sitting over there on a log, his arm in a sling? That’s Prince Rupert. I guess he tried to ride and was thrown. The unicorn got away, and now he’s out for the season—the jousting season, that is. But isn’t he cute, even with a broken arm.”
    “Hot!” exclaimed Alicia and smiled at the prince, then gasped. “Oh, by the grace of Saint Valentine, he winked at me!” she whispered to herself. Alicia could hardly contain her excitement.

Chapter 10
    AN INVITATION—AT LAST!

    Gundersnap was the only one of the princesses to capture a unicorn, which put the Purples quite far ahead of the Crimsons in the Color Wars. The Crimsons had come close to catching one, but not close enough. With just one unicorn and dozens of princesses, it would not do to have them all learning to ride the creature