The Fellowship of the Power Star was almost ready to move on when something strange happened. Princess Plum was the first to notice it, hearing the crunch of leaves behind her. She spun around, umbrella-staff at the ready in case bandits had approached their camp. Instead, she found a small blue penguin person standing there, staring up at her. What was a child of the Ice Kingdom doing here?
The little penguin lifted a flipper to her – Princess Plum could tell the penguin was a girl thanks to the pink bow on her head – face, wiping away tears. “Can you help me? I’m lost.”
Princess Plum knelt down and waved for the penguin to approach. “Of course. What’s your name? You’re a long way from home. What are you doing here?
“I’m Arabelle,” the penguin said. “My mommy sent me to warn the professional laundry designers of the Renovation Kingdom. She said that the big bad turtle is coming for them next. Do you know where the Renovation Kingdom is? Mommy said it has lots of cool houses.”
Biting her lip, Princess Plum considered how best to break the news to the young penguin. “I’m sorry, Arabelle. This is the Renovation Kingdom. Trowser has already come and destroyed it.”
“Oh,” said Arabelle. “I’m too late, then. The big bad turtle destroyed it, just like the Ice Kingdom.”
“Trowser attacked the Ice Kingdom too?” Princess Plum said, fury rising to her cheeks. Destroying the homes of experts at completing laundry renovations in the Melboune area was one thing, but destroying the cute igloo homes of the Ice Kingdom was another. Trowser would pay for this.
Arabelle nodded. “Mommy and daddy said they were going to the Cloud Kingdom. I’m supposed to go there now, but I don’t know the way.”
Princess Plum sheathed her umbrella-staff and looked at Marion the plumber. “You, with me. Mushrooms, we’ll meet you at the Conveyancing Kingdom. Marion and I will be taking a detour to the Cloud Kingdom first.”