Princess Megan

OTHER TITLES IN·THE

The Secret of the Attic
Alison Goes for the Gold

Heather at the Barre
Three Cheers for Keisha

Alison on the Trail
Heather, Belle of the Ball
Keisha the Fairy Snow Queen

Cowgirl Megan

Alison Saves the Wedding
Heather Takes the Reins
Keisha Leads the Way
Downhill Megan

ISBN 1-57513-005-X

50 595>

9 781575 130057

PRINCESS MEGAN

by Trisha Magraw

Illustrations by

Janfce Leotti

Spot Illustrations by

Rich Grote

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Contents

Chapter I

The Friends
7

Chapter 2

Megan and Mom
13

Chapter 3

Visiting Ellie
19

Chapter 4

Just Like King Arthur
25

----

Chapter 5

At Home in a Castle
33

Chapter 6

Searching for the Unicorn
41

Chapter 7
The Challenge

51

Chapter 8

The Looking Glass
59

Megan's Diary Note

67

Chapter

One

THE

FRIENDS

D hat was great, but we have to run through it one
more time," Megan Ryder told her friends, Alison
Mccann, Heather Hardin, and Keisha Vance.
It was Friday after school and the four girls were
gathered in Megan's bedroom, rehearsing their own
special version of the play Peter Pan. This was their last
rehearsal before they were going to perform the play at
the nursing home where Keisha volunteered.
Ali son, Heather, and Keisha faked moans and groans

7

PRINCESS MEGAN

about having to run through their parts again.
"Just one more time," Megan promised."It looked

great and it sounded fabulous, but-"
"I know I blew a line or two," moaned Alison, who

played Peter Pan.Everybody laughed and agreed that
they'd all missed a few lines.

"I surrender!" cried Keisha, who was Captain Hook, as
she held up a white T shirt from Megan's laundry basket.

"Hey, you guys elected me to be the director.
I'm just doing my job," Megan replied as she waved
the script to show she meant business."You begged
me to direct. Remember how you said I had a 'talent
for the dramatic'?"

"Okay, okay," said Alison.She flapped her arms and
took a few quick steps into position on the far side of
Megan's room. "You're the boss, and this time I'm getting
it right.Now if I had your memory ..."

Everybody nodded in agreement.Megan had a way of
remembering even the smallest details, like what some
character had said twenty pages before or what color his
or her hat was.

'Tm ready, but starving," said Heather who was
playing the part of Wendy

Megan checked to make sure everybody was in
position."It's going to be perfect this time.Right?"

8





The Friends

"Pretty ribbon!" cried Alison, helping Megan scoop it
all back in the box.

"Mom and I found a sale on ribbon last weekend at
the sewing place in the shopping center. We kind of got
carried away." Megan stooped down to pick up a stray
piece about ten inches long. It was gold and it
shimmered when it caught the light. Immediately, Megan
slipped the gold ribbon into her diary. It would make a
perfect bookmark.

After everybody left, Megan sat on her bed next to
Ginger, who was still upset at having Keisha's backpack
pulled out from under her. Megan reached for one of the
decorative pillows at the head of her bed. "Here, Ginger,
this should make you happy," she said.

Megan's diary lay where she had tossed it among
the pillows Just seeing the familiar red leather cover
made her want to start writing in it. The diary was a
present from her father, who was a foreign correspondent
f r a newsmagazine. Her parents were divorced, and she

and her father didn't see
each other as much
as either of them
wanted because of
all the traveling
he had to do.

II

PRINCESS MEGAN

Megan used her diary to put down her deepest, truest
thoughts. Somehow it always made her feel good to be
able to say it on paper.

So Megan began to write about her day.Hi, Diary! she
began, because she got tired of writing Dear Diary over
and over. Our last rehearsal went really well today. I don't mean to
sound stuck up about myself or anything, hut I think I did a great

job making it all come together. When it works, you know it, and

today it worked. Plus we all had a great time. ...
As Megan turned to a fresh page, the phone rang.
A second later, Aunt Frances called up the stairs.

"Megan, your mother's on the phone!"
Megan marked her place with the gold ribbon and ran

to her mother's room to get the phone.

12

Chapter

Two

MEGAN
AND MOM

•11�, � I egan flopped on her mother's bed to talk. The
bed was big and filled with pillows
Sometimes her mother liked to work in bed on
weekends. She had an important job as a partner in a big
law firm. Megan would often find her mother sitting
in the middle of a sea of legal papers. It seemed that her
mother never had time to read anything that didn't have
to do with work.
"Hi! What's up?" said Megan.

13

"Too much. That's the problem," answered her mother.
Megan thought she heard her yawn.

"You have that I�have�to�work�late�again sound in
your voice, Mom," Megan said. She tried to make it seem
unimportant. The truth was, her mother missed a lot of
dinners because of her demanding job. Sometimes she
wished her mother was home more.

"We have a big trial coming up, and I have a pile of
briefs to read before I leave tonight." Megan could almost
see her mother rubbing her forehead. Sometimes her

14

Meg an and Mom

mother got a headache when she was working too hard.
"No problem," Megan told her. "Aunt Frances and I

can have dinner together again."
"I guess you might have to. I'm here for another two

hours at least."
"That's okay," said Megan, who was feeling good about

her day and was determined not to let anything spoil it.
'Tm not just stuck at the office tonight," Megan's

mother continued. 'Tm here tomorrow, too."
"On Saturday?" Megan said into the receiver.
"It's the only day the witnesses for the trial are

available to meet with us. It won't take all day, but I
expect it will go all morning, starting early. That's why I
need your help."

"Sure," said Megan, thinking her mother was probably
going to ask her to pick up some groceries during the day
or take clothes to the dry cleaner.

"Remember the annual food drive for the homeless that
we've been working so hard to organize?" she asked Megan.

How could Megan forget? Her mother had talked
about the food drive a lot lately. But Megan understood
how working on the committee was her mother's way of
helping. She felt the same way about putting on the play
at the nursing home.

'Tm supposed to be at the high school all morning t)

15

PRINCESS MEGAN

receive the food." Her mother paused, then continued. "I
need you to take my place. You're so good with organizing
things that you'll probably do it better than most of the
grown�ups on the committee."

"Why can't Aunt Frances do it?" Megan blurted. She was
thinking about the play, which was Saturday morning, too.

"Frances has plans she can't get out of," replied her mom.
Megan took a deep breath. "So do I," she told her
mother sharply. "The four of us are putting on a play and
I'm the director. The director has to be there. Can't you
get somebody else?" she pleaded, her voice starting to
sound angry.
"Not at this late date," replied Megan's mother.
"Besides, it's only the morning."
"Mom, I can't!" cried Megan. "I promised my friends."
"Megan," her mother said, "I hardly ever ask you to do

anything for me. Now I'm in a terrible bind and I really

need your help-"
"That's not fair!" Megan cried into the phone.
"Megan, I don't have time to argue," Megan's mother

said calmly in her lawyer voice.
Megan leaned back against the pillows and sighed.
"Megan, sweetie," Megan's mother said, her voice

softening. 'Tm exhausted and I still have a lot of work to
do. We'll talk about it when I get home."

16

Me g a n a n d Mo m

"Sure," said Megan, biting her lip to keep from cryi11{',·
As soon as she hung up the phone, Megan picked up
her pencil and began to write in her diary again: How can
I ever tell my friends that 1 have to cancel the performance? Good

directors don't cancel their own shows! And good friends don'l build
people up and then let them down. It's not my fault that Mom has
to work on a Saturday. She's not being fair. Not at all! To be

continued . ..
Dinner with Aunt Frances took Megan's mind off the

phone conversation for a little while. Their meals
together were always fun and cheerful.

Frances was her mother's sister and taught fourth grad
at another school, but she never treated Megan like one of
her students. She treated Megan more like a younger sist r.
Megan loved to hear about all the interesting things that
Frances did, like camping, rock climbing, and aerobics.

"Why don't you come to my aerobics class tomorrow
morning? Be my guest. I'm substituting
for the instructor," Frances told Megan
after dinner. She did a couple of
aerobics steps in the kitchen as h
loaded the dishwasher.
"Maybe another time,"
Megan replied.
"Things go all right today?"

17

PRINCESS MEGAN

Frances asked. She always knew when Megan had a
problem.

"It's complicated," Megan told her aunt. "I guess I just
need time to think."

Megan knew where she really wanted to go. It was
Ellie's attic, that wonderful place where all kinds of things
could happen.

''I'll be back soon," Megan called as she grabbed her
coat and her diary. "I'm going to Ellie Goodwin's."

,·

18

Chapter

Three

VISITING
ELLIE

egan still felt a little shy about visiting Eleanor
Goodwin without calling first, but Ellie had
told all four girls they were welcome any time. The white
Victorian house certainly looked inviting as Megan
walked up to the front door.
Megan thought about when Ellie had first moved
back into the neighborhood and how she'd been so
friendly to her and her friends. Ellie even asked them to
c II her by her first name.

19

PRINCESS MEGAN

I must remember to call her Ellie, Megan reminded

herself, instead of Ms. Goodwin.

Ellie's career had taken her around the world. She'd

met all kinds of people and seen things that most people

only dream about in their lifetime. Maybe that's what

attracted Megan to her. That and the fact that she now

gave private lessons in her spacious house-voice,

drama, and piano.

When Megan read, she could travel in her mind. She

wondered what it would be like to travel the way Ellie had.

Megan rang the front doorbell. Then she put her ear

close to the door and listened. Sure enough, she could

hear Ellie's little white dog, Monty, racing to the door.

Monty didn't bark like a lot of terriers, but his little paws

made eager tapping sounds on the floor.

"Come in! Come in, dear!" cried Ellie,

throwing open the door. She was wearing a ,I.
__

It reminded Megan of pictures she'd
seen of the sea in faraway places.

"You should have come an hour
sooner. I fixed the most wonderful
split pea soup for dinner-with
fresh marjoram and thyme from my
h rb garden. Even Monty had a small

20

Visiting Ellie

bowl."Monty wagged his tail appreciatively and sto d 11
his hind legs for a little pat.

The aroma of fresh herbs still hung in the warmth of
the room.Megan felt completely at home at Ellie's.
Everything about the house, especially the books and
framed photos from Ellie's travels, was fascinating.
Megan had a feeling that Ellie's home would always feel
cheerful and welcoming, even on a dark, rainy day.

"You said ... "Megan hesitated.
"I said to come any time at all, and I meant it." Ellie
smiled knowingly and twisted her long necklace of
multicolored gemstones.
"It's such a special place."Megan looked forward to
the attic where she and her friends had already had one
amazing adventure together.She felt a shiver of
excitement as she imagined how it might be on her own.
"You know where the key is," added Ellie cheerfully.
'Tm always happy to find you or one of your friends at my
door. So be on your way.I'll be having my tea in the living
room." She turned and leftMegan alone to retrieve the
key from the silver box on the table in the hallway.
Megan's hand trembled as she unlocked the door to
the attic.One quick turn and she was on her way up th
staircase, her excitement building with each step.
The attic was just as she had remembered, the

21

PRINCESS MEGAN

oriental rug feeling like thick grass under her feet. Megan
reached for the satin pull�cord on the hanging lamp in
the middle of the room. She loved the deep burgundy�
and�beige floral shade and the way it cast a rosy glow
throughout the room when the light was on.

Megan quickly forgot all about her fight with her
mother and the problems with the food drive and the
play.The attic was a place where she could tune out the
rest of the world and dream.

Megan began rummaging in Ellie's big steamer trunk.
Every dress looked as if it had its own special story to
tell.Then she came upon an outfit that made her put the
others aside."It's fit for a princess!" she exclaimed as she
looked at a deep purple dress trimmed in gold. There was
even a tasseled bag to match.

Megan stood in front of the mirror and slipped
the dress over her head. She gasped when she realized

that it fit as if it had been made
just for her.Megan put on the tall
and elegant hat. Then she slipped
her diary into one of the dress's
deep pockets.

"Well," she said to herself as she
smiled at her own reflection. "Well,
if it isn't Megan the Princess ..."

22



PRINCESS MEGAN

Megan's thoughts drifted hazily to
another time. "I wonder what it would be
like to be a real princess in a foreign land?"
Megan's words, strong and clear, echoed in
the quiet attic space.

Suddenly, Megan felt a chill and
realized that she was no longer standing in
front of the mirror. In fact, she was no
longer in the attic.

When she looked down, the thick
carpet had been replaced by a road filled
with rocks and pebbles. Her comfortable
sneakers had changed into gold slippers. When she
started to walk, Megan could feel every rock beneath her
feet. How could anybody walk in these shoes!

Megan looked around. She was in a village just
outside the gates of a magnificent castle. People bustled
about, horse carts practically ran her down, and pigs
roamed free in the streets.

"Look out!" a voice cried as an oxcart careened wildly
toward Megan.

24



PRINCESS MEGAN

\

Megan's thoughts drifted hazily to
another time. "I wonder what it would be
like to be a real princess in a foreign land?"
Megan's words, strong and clear, echoed in
the quiet attic space.

Suddenly, Megan felt a chill and
realized that she was no longer standing in
front of the mirror. In fact, she was no
longer in the attic.

When she looked down, the thick
carpet had been replaced by a road filled
with rocks and pebbles. Her comfortable
sneakers had changed into gold slippers. When she
started to walk, Megan could feel every rock beneath her
feet. How could anybody walk in these shoes!

Megan looked around. She was in a village just
outside the gates of a magnificent castle. People bustled
about, horse carts practically ran her down, and pigs
roamed free in the streets.

"Look out!" a voice cried as an oxcart careened wildly
toward Megan.

24



PRINCESS MEGAN

"My mother says the rich and royal have no sense
at all," the girl said, laughing sweetly. She rose slowly.
"Oh, I meant no disrespect, Your Highness," she added
quickly.

"What's your name?" asked Megan, noticing that the
girl was barefoot.

"Michelle," the girl answered. "Michelle, Jacqueline's
daughter."

"Hey, both our names begin with M," said Megan,
happy at last to find something in common.

"What's 'M'?" Michelle asked.
"The letter M," said Megan, reaching into her pocket
and finding her diary.
Megan began to write the letter M on one of the
pages, but realized by Michelle's blank look that she
didn't know anything about the alphabet. She
quickly put her diary back
in her pocket.
Megan looked around.
She was standing in the
long shadow of a castle. In
the distance, she could
see a high stone fortress
rising above everything
else, its many turrets

26

Just Like King Arthur

filled with soldiers protecting the walls surrounding it.
Megan was reminded of the days of King Arthur. H r

father loved the period of history known as the Middle
Ages,and together they had read many books that told of
those days. Was she in the Middle Ages, in her own
story of King Arthur?

"Where are we?" Megan wanted to know.
"In France,of course," Michelle said.Then she
laughed."You must have hit your head as you stumbled,
Your Highness."
Suddenly, Megan realized that whenever Michelle said
"Your Highness," she was referring to her.Megan was a
princess in this new place.
Michelle must have sensed Megan's confusion.
"I am your humble servant.I will protect you," she said.
Then she took Megan by the arm and led her through
the winding streets of the village and to the castle gates.
"It is not a good time to be out alone," Michelle
cautioned."There is too much going on...."
Megan noticed a hesitation in Michelle's voice.
"Please continue."
"It's because of the unicorn,and the feast, and all the
bickering...." Michelle began.Then the whole story
came pouring out.
It seemed Lord Claude and Lady Helene,who

27

PRINCESS MEGAN

owned the castle, were holding a celebration. Every
important nobleman and noblewoman in the whole
kingdom had been invited.

"We are so pleased that your father, the King, has
consented to be the guest of honor," Michelle told
Megan. "There will be jousting, with knights proving their
skills, and a marvelous feast. Afterward, a unicorn's horn
will be presented to the King as a show of loyalty to
ensure his good health."

Megan knew that some people thought that unicorns
were only mythical creatures. And some said they had
once really existed. Still others claimed that there were
still unicorns in the world today and that they were
peaceful, kind, and gentle.

Megan wasn't quite sure what to believe. But she grew
very excited at the thought of actually seeing one.

"A unicorn's horn sounds like a wonderful gift,"
Megan said.

Michelle seemed to feel quite the opposite. She looked
as if what Megan said were going to make her cry. Finally
she whispered, "Not if the unicorn has to die."

"Why would he have to die?" Megan wanted to know.
"Dust from the horn of a unicorn contains many
magical powers and offers a mighty protection to the
person receiving it. It is a rare treasure, fit for a king.

28

Just Like King Arthur

Many people think the kindnesses the King shows his
people will be withheld without such a gift."

A sad look came into Michelle's eyes as she went on.
"The unicorn is a shy creature. Still, if it senses friendship
and kindness, it can be coaxed into having its horn filed."

"I don't understand the problem, then," interrupted
Megan

"There are some who want the whole horn, and would
kill the unicorn to get it," replied Michelle. Then she gave
Megan a long, searching look.

Suddenly, Megan heard the hoofbeats of galloping
horses coming closer. "Who's that?" she wanted to know.
Soon, a group of huntsmen rode past with long
crossbows strapped to their saddles.

"The unicorn escaped last night. It was being held
behind the servants' quarters
where I live. Many have set out to
find it," Michelle explained.

"Do you live up there?" Megan
asked, pointing to the castle as
the girls approached the
drawbridge. The drawbridge
was usually open during the
day. At night it was closed
to prevent enemies from

29



Just Like King Arthur

crossing the moat.The gatekeeper nodded to Mich 11
they passed, then bowed his head at the sight of Megan.

"I live back there." Michelle pointed to a group of
hutlike buildings in the distance, just outside the second
set of castle walls.The huts had thatched roofs and
looked very drafty."With my mother, Jacqueline, who
works in the kitchen.My father is away, serving a group of
noblemen on a pilgrimage.Of course, there are also my
brothers and sisters."

"How many do you have?" asked Megan.
"Four brothers and two sisters," Michelle answered.
Megan, who was an only child, couldn't believe that
nine people lived in one of those huts.
"How did the unicorn escape?" Megan wanted to know.
"Somebody led him across the bridge and through
the gates in the dark of night. The person knew the
gatekeeper, another good soul who believes unicorns
should be free.The person had pulled a hood down over
her face,hoping she wouldn't be recognized." Michelle
began to sob."That person could get in a lot of trouble."
"Do you know who it was?" Megan asked kindly.
Michelle took a deep breath."It was my mother.If I
saw her,so did others.If they report her to the sheriff ...
Michelle began to weep again.
"Your Highness,I beg your help." Michelle looked

31

PRINCESS MEGAN

away to collect herself, then went on. "I have said too
much. This does not concern you-"

"But it does," Megan broke in. "As part of the royal
family, I want to hear these things." Megan could see how
upset Michelle was.

"Try not to worry," Megan comforted her new friend.
'Tl! think of a way to help."

The problem was that Megan wasn't the "real"
daughter of the King. So how could she help?

32

Chapter

Five

AT HOME
IN A CASTLE

,:,j nee inside the second set of castle

�� walls, Megan had trouble taking
everything in at once. The walls were made of
stones so huge that Megan found it hard to
believe that people without machines could
have moved them into place. She ran her hands
ver the cool jagged stones.
Flags decorated with the royal coats of arms f\app d i11

the breeze. In the large courtyard, Megan could see

33

PRINCESS MEGAN

pond, a flower garden, a group of haystacks, and a well.
Several children were playing a game of tag.

A commotion broke out to their right. 'That thief stole
my pig!" cried one boy, grabbing the squealing pig.

"But it's my pig!" cried the other, taking the pig back.
Megan and Michelle laughed, watching the squirmy
pig passed back and forth. Megan laughed again to herself,
thinking of how silly that scene would look in her
neighborhood.
"Come," said Michelle, leading Megan up a narrow
torch�lit stairway. "At this hour, Mother will be serving
her Ladyship."
Michelle led Megan through a maze of hallways on
the ground floor of the castle. They neared the staircase,
and Megan caught sight of a full�length mirror in an
ornately carved gold frame. She stopped to touch it.
"Hurry this way," said Michelle, pointing to the stairs.
Together, they headed for the fourth floor, where the
sleeping chambers were located. On the way, they passed
the Great Hall. Servants were scurrying around, setting up
tables and making fires so that guests could be fed and
kept comfortably warm.
"Take the Princess upstairs," a woman told Michelle.
"We're not ready for guests yet."
Michelle nodded and pulled Megan to the next level.

34

At Home in a Castle

"Shush!" Michelle put her fingers to her lips.
"Someone may be praying in the chapel."

Imagine, thought Megan, a house with your very own
church in it!

On the upper floor, they approached the main chamber
where everyone slept. It was also where the women
gathered during the day to do their handiwork. In one
corner, three women who looked like royalty were hunched
over spinning wheels. Next to them were two other women
seated at a loom. They were so busy working that they did
not even look up when Megan and Michelle passed.

"The spinners and weavers
must finish in time for the
celebration. It is then that we
will present an invisible
blanket to the King."

"Invisible?" Megan was
puzzled.

"Yes," answered Michelle""'
"They're spinning special
yarn to use in their weaving.
It makes things invisible. Anything it covers is
protected from harm by disappearing entirely. We were
presented with this gift by Merlin, who owed Lord
Claude a debt for saving his life."

35

PRINCESS MEGAN

"Wow!" cried Megan, clearly impressed. But Michelle
didn't seem to hear. She was asking a chambermaid if
she had seen her mother.

The chambermaids were pulling up the embroidered
bedcovers of the grand four-postered bed in the sleeping
area. Above the bed was a canopy the color of the sky on a
perfect day. The chambermaids shook the matching velvet
draperies to air them and tied them back with thick braided
cording that was tasseled on both ends. What luxury!
Megan thought. Then she saw the straw on the floor.

"Looks like a horse spent the night," said Megan, but
the joke was wasted on Michelle.

"Oh, the straw is soft and warm enough for the
chamber servants to sleep on it during the night. It's even
warmer when you have the largest, furriest dog sleeping
next to you."

Michelle was looking for her mother. Megan was
looking at the largest, furriest dog scratching his fleas.
She wondered if the servants had fleas, too.

Megan wondered if a lot of people slept in the same
chamber as the Lord and Lady, but she had to be careful
just how she asked such questions.

"This is a big room," Megan commented casually.
"Oh, yes," replied Michelle. "Big enough for the
number of servants who must be ever on watch. There is

36



PRINCESS MEGAN

much to do all night just to
keep the fires going."

Megan thought of
the privacy of her own
room, with only Ginger
curled up at the bottom of
her bed till morning.

A tall plain woman waved at them. She
was wearing a tunic similar to Michelle's and her head
was covered with a light-colored hood that hung below
her shoulders. For some reason, she looked familiar.
Then Megan realized the woman had to be Michelle's
mother, Jacqueline. They both had the same bright green
eyes and pale skin.

"What are you doing here?" Jacqueline asked sternly.
"I thought you were out doing errands for the kitchen."
Then Jacqueline saw Megan, and she bowed low.

"Oh, it's perfectly all right," said Megan, trying to sound
like a princess "I've asked Michelle to show me around."

"Very well," said Jacqueline. "But Michelle, you should
escort the Princess to her quarters. She must be weary
from the long journey."

At that, Michelle whispered something in her mother's
ear. Her mother drew in her breath and stepped back. "I
had no idea you saw me."

38

At Home in a Castle
Jacqueline spoke in a hushed tone, but Megan still
heard it all. "And you should not have placed such
confidence in a stranger, much less a royal stranger."
Then she put her hand to her head.
Megan recognized the gesture. It was the same one
her mother used when she tried to keep a headache from
coming on, when she was feeling overworked.
Jacqueline has a lot to be worried about, thought
Megan.
"I have a plan," Megan said. "You can trust me."
Then Megan took a hard gulp. She was really sticking
her neck out.

39



PRINCESS MEGAN

May I leave you here for a short while?"
"Of course," said Megan.
Michelle hurried from the room, and Megan went to a

nearby alcove. There two women were working on a large
tapestry, weaving a scene of a unicorn standing in a green
meadow beneath a bright sun.

"The tapestry is beautiful, especially the part with the
unicorn stitched in it," said Megan.

"Yes, but it's far from being finished," one woman
replied. "It takes many years to weave a tapestry,
depending on its size. My mother's mother worked on
one tapestry all day every day of her life for twenty�five
years. She died before it was completed."

As the women continued their work, Megan sat down
near a window, pulled her diary from her pocket, and
began to write.

Dear Diary, It's hard to believe that people spend their whole
lives on one project, like the tapestry with the maiden and the
unicorn. But they do. And did you
know that there is often a maiden in
the unicorn tapestries, because
legend says that the unicorn can he
calmed only by a gentle maiden?

The scene in this tapestry
seems so real, and not at all like

42

Se a rc h i ng f o r t h e Un ic o r n

a piece of cloth with millions of tiny threads. There's a meadow
in it just like the one outside the village. And would you believe
there's a forest, too? The trees seem to go on forever. Theycall it the

Endless Woods. . . .

Tm back, Your Highness," Michelle said softly. "I hope
you were able to keep yourself entertained."

"I was watching the women work on the tapestry,"
Megan replied as she tucked her diary back into her
pocket. "This tapestry is amazing. It looks almost real."

"It is real," replied Michelle, her eyes bright.
"What's this going to be?" Megan pointed to a patch of
silver threads where one woman had just started to work.
"That's Silver Lake," replied Michelle. "Silver Lake
where the unicorn is said to drink. You see, all this is his
kingdom-the land where the unicorn runs free. That is,
until now."
A sadness crept back into Michelle's voice.
As Megan was about to ask Michelle what the trouble
was, a movement in another part of the room caught her
eye. "Look Michelle!" she cried. "They've finished the
invisible blanket!"
By the way they moved, Megan could tell that the
weavers had removed the invisible fabric from the loom.
They seemed to be folding the precious blanket and
draping it over one of the spinning wheels, for as soon

43

PRINCESS MEGAN

this happened, the spinning wheel disappeared!
"That's amazing!" whispered Megan.
Megan and Michelle waited till the women had left

the room. Then they walked quietly to where they knew
the blanket was covering the spinning wheel. Together,
when no one was looking, they reached for the blanket. In
an instant, the spinning wheel was revealed once again.

As they passed the heavy draperies, Megan gave a
little tug on the thick braided cording that held one panel
off to the side. Effortlessly, it fell away into Megan's hand.

Outside the weaving area, Megan folded the blanket
and tucked it under her arm.

''I'll be back when I find the unicorn,"
Megan told Michelle.

"Wait, Your Highness!" cried Michelle,
retrieving a cloak from a peg in a hallway.
"It gets cool in the woods toward
nightfall." Then she tossed the
warm wool cloak over Megan's
shoulders. "And you must not
be recognized."

The cloak was crude and ugly,
but it would help Megan blend into a
crowd as she headed for the Endless Woods
near Silver Lake where the unicorn was said to roam.

44

Searching for the Unicorn

"Keep safe, Your Highness!" cried Michelle to her
new friend.

"Be on the lookout for me." And with that, Megan
passed easily from the protection of the castle and
through the village.

She soon realized how long a trip it would be to the
Endless Woods and the Silver Lake. It was one thing to
be flying along in modern running shoes. It was another
to trudge practically barefoot over rough roads and
across unknown meadows. She was already tired and
sore and thirsty, but she walked on as quickly as she
could manage.

A family in a donkey cart stopped just ahead. Five
small children were asleep in the back. The driver and the
woman beside him looked very tired. The woman turned
to the rear of the cart to check on her children. She saw
Megan on the road and smiled at her.

"Is it very far to the Endless Woods?" asked Megan.
"Yes, quite a ways, miss," replied the man.
Megan's shoulders slumped. "Oh, I see," she said.
"If you don't mind being in the back with the little
ones, we'd be happy to take you. Our journey takes us
near the woods," said the woman in a soft, kind voice.
Megan's mother had often told her never to accept
ride from a stranger. But this seemed like such a nice

45

PRINCESS MEGAN

family, and riding in a donkey cart would be quicker than
going on foot. And Megan had to find the unicorn as
quickly as possible.

With a grateful "Thank you," Megan jumped onto the
straw in the back of the cart.

The cart bounced over the crude stone road and past
rugged countryside. Finally the donkey turned around a
bend and a lush green meadow spread before Megan.
She recognized the Endless Woods on the other side of
the meadow. The scene that lay in front of her looked just
like the scene in the tapestry! She knew that Silver Lake
and the unicorn must be near.

It was time to bid the family good�bye. As Megan
slipped from the cart at the next turn, the mother handed
her a piece of bread.

"Thank you!" Megan shouted as she ran for shelter
behind the fullest willow tree she could find. She sat for a
moment, chewing on the most delicious bread she had
ever tasted. The crust was crisp and hard, but the center
was soft and moist. It had the flavor of nuts and honey.
Megan laughed to herself, wondering if she was eating
what was known as "peasant bread."

Megan's thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound
of hoofbeats. A moment later a band of men came
charging across the meadow on their steeds, probably

46

Se a r c h i n g f o r t h e Un i c o r n

the ruffians in search of the unicorn. Megan clutched the
blanket tightly and held her breath as she tried to blend
into her surroundings.

Megan could feel her heart beating so hard that, for
the first time, she realized how scared she really was.
Here she was, all alone in a strange land, in a distant
time. What would happen if the riders found her and
threw her in some medieval prison? And what would
happen if the King saw her and told everyone she was an
impostor? Megan sat on the ground as still as she could
until the riders were out of view.

Remembering her diary, Megan reached into her
pocket. It was still there! And the pencil was still tucked
safely between its covers. Suddenly, she felt better.
Sitting back against a willow tree, its bark scratchy right
through her clothes, Megan started to write.

My Dearest Diary, she began because that sounded
more formal and royal. I cannot believe that anyone would kill a
unicorn. I have a plan. Kind of. But to tell you the truth, I don't havr1

it all figured out yet. I just hope I can come up with something fa t. I

sure wish Heather, Alison, and Keisha were here to help me. Thi

one play I'd be happy to be directing instead of starring in . . . .

Just then, Megan heard a noise behind her. h
tucked the pencil back between the covers, cl d Ii 1 1
diary, and slipped it back into her pocket. Sh li:l( 1 111•cl

47

PRINCESS MEGAN

again, and she heard a rustling sound. She was sure that
somebody, maybe one of the unicorn hunters, had
doubled back and snuck up behind her. She was afraid it
was only a matter of time before she felt an arrow in her

back, just the way she'd read in Robin Hood.

Megan called up all her courage. "Okay, I surrender,"
she said raising her hands without turning around. "But
remember that I'm a princess. You will have to answer to
the King if anything happens to me."

Someone pushed at Megan's shoulder. She sat stock
still. She felt another nudge. Megan slowly turned her
head and blinked. She pushed the hair out of her eyes
and blinked again.

There stood the unicorn, looking straight into her
eyes. His eyes had the same look of fearful surprise that
Megan had once seen in the eyes of a deer. His coat was
smooth and soft. Megan reached out to pet him.

The unicorn stepped back, pawing at the ground and
shaking his mane.

"It's all right, boy," Megan whispered. "You're safe
with me." She continued talking softly as if the unicorn
were a lost child or an injured kitten. Gingerly, she stood
and stepped closer. The unicorn stood still.

"Good boy," she said. Slowly, she raised her hand,
holding her palm out toward his muzzle, and waited. Any

48