The Shell Princess (6 page)

“What?” Rani gasped. “But you promised Mother and Father you’d take me back!”

“I promised them I’d get you back
safely
– and I will. But, Rani, this is my true home – not Tingle Reef. I don’t have any family to go back to. And after
all, I can always go back and visit.”

“You can do that too, Rani,” the Mer-King added, overhearing them. “You can go back and visit your friends in Tingle Reef whenever you like.”

“Oh, but I shan’t need to
visit
them,” Rani said, feeling confused. “I’ll be going back there to stay.”

“But you have found your real home now – and your real family,” the Mer-King said. “Doesn’t that make a difference?”

“My
real
home is in Tingle Reef,” Rani protested. “And Mother and Father and Kai and Pearl
are
my real family!”

The Mer-King frowned and it was clear that he didn’t agree.

“I have an idea,” said Morva thoughtfully. “The message-stone will always show a magic mermaid her true family when she is separated from them. If, in your heart, you believe
that your family in Tingle Reef is your true family, Rani . . .” – she pointed to Rani’s pendant – “Well, why don’t you look inside and see?”

Rani lifted up her pendant. She hadn’t even opened the stone since she had met Peri.

As Rani blew on the stone and saw its hard shiny surface turn soft and watery, she started to smile.

“Are they there?” asked Morva.

Rani nodded. And as she gazed happily at the four familiar faces, she knew that it was time for her to go back to them.

“I’ll come back and visit you, I promise,” Rani said to Peri, who was upset when she told him her plans. Then she had a better idea. “I know! Why
don’t you come back with me and visit Tingle Reef?”

Peri asked the Mer-King, who thought it was a splendid idea.

“I shall send you both back in my special carriage. You will be quite safe because my dolphins will take care of you!”

And so it was settled. The only thing left to do was say goodbye to Morva.

“I’ll really miss you,” Rani said, hugging her friend, as they waited for the royal carriage to arrive. “Are you sure you won’t come with us? What about your
floating cave? And what will I tell Octavius?”

“My floating cave can be my holiday home,” Morva said brightly. “I intend to come back and visit you all soon – you can tell Octavius that!”

“Thank you for everything, Morva,” Rani said. “I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t been there to help me.”

“Well, you might not have discovered all this . . .” Morva admitted. “But tell me, Rani, now that you
have
found it, won’t it make you
unhappy
having to
give it up?”

“I won’t be giving it up,” Rani told her, smiling. “I’ll be coming back again one day. And anyway – it’s all in here!” And she tapped her head to
show Morva that everything she had found here was stored safely inside.

   Chapter Eight   

“It’s
Rani
!” shouted Kai, as she spotted her sister swimming towards their cave. “Rani – I’ve missed you so much!”

Their mother appeared, her long blonde hair swirling around her. “My darling!” she cried, rushing to greet her daughter.

“I’m so glad to be home, Mother!” Rani said, as they hugged.

Murdoch swam out of the cave with Pearl and shouted in delight as he saw his daughter again.

“You must come inside and tell us everything,” Miriam said, taking her hand. “Where is Morva?”

“I’ve got so much to tell you,” Rani gasped. “But first I want you to come with me. There’s someone I’d like you to meet. You see . . . I found my brother.
His name’s Peri. I wanted to come and see you myself first, so I’ve left him with Octavius.”

They all swam together to Octavius’s cave.

“
Wow
!” exclaimed Kai, unable to believe her eyes. The royal carriage was parked outside and the dolphins were out of their harnesses, tucking into large helpings of
Octavius’s stew.

Inside the octopus’s cave, they found Octavius telling Peri that he had guessed all along that Rani was a princess.

“ A
princess
?” Kai said, gaping at her sister.

“It’s a long story,” Rani said, blushing.

“I think you’d better tell it to us right away,” said Murdoch.

They all sat and listened as Rani and Peri explained how they had been separated as babies long ago and that, while Rani was growing up in Tingle Reef, Peri had been brought up by their
grandparents, the Mer-King and Queen.

“The Mer-King and Queen?” gasped Kai. “You mean . . . you mean, Rani really is a
princess
?”

Rani and Peri nodded.

Kai had non-stop questions for them after that – and so did everybody else. And they all wanted to see how the message-stone worked.

Rani let out a startled gasp as she opened the stone.

“What’s wrong?” everyone asked.

“Nothing,” Rani said, frowning. “It’s just that
Morva
is inside.” She looked at Peri. “And s
he’s
not family.”

“I guess you must
think
of her like she is,” her brother explained. “A message-stone can always pick up on these things!”

Rani thought about that for a moment. It was true that she had always
felt
very close to Morva. She started to smile as she looked into the stone again.

“Now I’ll always be able to see her, even though she’s not with me,” Rani said happily.

“That’s wonderful, darling!” her mother said, reaching out and stroking Rani’s hair. “Now, children . . . I know this is all very exciting but it really is time for
bed. You must be very tired –
especially
Rani and Peri!”

“Mother is a bit bossy, but you’ll get used to her,” Rani whispered to her brother.

“I think she’s great!” Peri whispered back. “So is your father –
and
your sisters! You’re so lucky to have
two
families!”

Rani just smiled. But she had a feeling that by the time Peri left Tingle Reef,
he
was going to have an extra family too.

The Shell Princess

“Look,” Rani whispered, holding in her breath as gold lines began to appear on the cave wall. “I’ve done it!”

Morva nodded slowly.

“So my magic
is
strong enough!” Rani said, turning her head to look at Morva. “Does that mean I’m ready to visit my brother?”

Books by Gwyneth Rees

Mermaid Magic (3 books in 1)

Fairy Dust

Fairy Treasure

Fairy Dreams

Cosmo and the Magic Sneeze

For older readers

The Mum Hunt

The Mum Detective

My Mum’s from Planet Pluto

Look out for

Fairy Gold

The Mum Surprise (World Book Day 2006)

The Making of May

First published 2001 by Macmillan Children’s Books

This electronic edition published 2011 by Macmillan Children’s Books
a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
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ISBN 978-1-447-21139-6 EPUB

Copyright © Gwyneth Rees 2001
Illustration copyright © Annabel Hudson 2001

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