The Jewel Princesses were at the Jewel Palace. Their parents had just arranged for a meeting for them with an unknown young prince. He was to visit with each of them in their respective lands and whichever one of them liked him the best he was to court. This naturally filled Princess Demetra with many misgivings.
"Now, Demetra," Sabrina said gently to her sister. "I know how you feel about princes and I understand. But it's just not right for you to think those things about the prince who is meeting with us today before you've even met him. You should give him a chance."
Demetra sighed with resignation. "I suppose you're right."
Just then the royal trumpets sounded and the four princesses entered the throne where their parents sat on their thrones. Then a royal page stepped in and said in a loud voice,
"Announcing, the King and Queen of the Kingdom of Silver and their son, Prince Fabian!"
Then in stepped the monarchs of the Silver Kingdom dressed in their finest royal silvery with Prince Fabian between them. Sabrina's eyes widened like saucers when she recognized him from the Gold Kingdom wedding dance. He must have recognized her too for he looked in her direction and smiled at her.
King Regal cleared his throat. "Greetings, Your Majesties, and young Prince Fabian. These are our daughters, Princess Demetra, Roxanne, Sabrina, and Emily. I'm sure you will find them to be most charming. Now I shall ask you which one of them you would like to visit with first?"
Fabian looked at each of the four smiling princesses and his eyes soon fell onto Sabrina. "I choose to first visit with Princess Sabrina," he said.
"Very well," said King Regal and he ordered for a carriage to be brought out to carry them to the Blue Lake.
Sabrina was delighted, to say the least. They arrived shortly to the Blue Lake which was the largest and bluest lake in the Jewel Kingdom next to Bluebonnet Falls. In the center of the Lake stood the Sapphire Castle which was pure white with light blue roofs and turrets.
Once they arrived they found a boat in the shape of a curved green leaf waiting for them. They climbed aboard and set sail through the Blue Lake.
"I must say your lake is the prettiest I've ever seen, Sabrina," said Fabian. "And also the bluest, and it matches your eyes perfectly."
Why, thank you, Fabian," replied Sabrina smiling. "I can't wait for you to meet the nymphs and water sprites and gillywags and storkz who live here also."
Just then a large yellow and pink butterfly fluttered up to them and landed onto Sabrina's shoulder.
"Fabian, may I introduce Zazz, my royal advisor and best friend," said Sabrina. "Zazz, this is Prince Fabian of the Silver Kingdom."
"Pleased to meet you," said Zazz.
Prince Fabian smiled and nodded to the butterfly. Then they sailed downstream and saw many plants growing alongside the water's edge such as lily pads and water lillies and weeping willows.
Then suddenly they heard a soft splashing beneath the water's surface beside them. They looked down and watched as a very small girllike creature with straw-colored hair and a tiny star on her forehead with pearly white skin wearing a swimsuit made of green leaves popped its head out of the water.
"Hello," said Sabrina. "Fabian, this is Jetsam, she is a water sprite. Jetsam, this is Prince Fabian of the Silver Kingdom"
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," said Fabian.
"Oh my!" squeaked the water sprite. "I've never met a prince before! I am so happy for you, my lady, that you have finally found someone to court."
"Well, we're not exactly courting," said Sabrina with a slight blush to her cheeks. "We're just getting to know each other right now."
"Oh," said Jetsam. "But I am sure though that you will find Princess Sabrina to be the most charming and gracious princess, Prince Fabian."
"Believe me I already have," replied Fabian, making Sabrina blush all the more.
Then they sailed onward and when they at last reached the Sapphire Castle they stopped at the edge of a bridge leading up to it. After crossing the bridge and entering the castle Sabrina introduced Fabian to her royal guard who was silver fish-and-manlike strider named Titus. She then had Titus packed them a picnic basket which they took back with them to the boat and sailed over to a small grassy hill nearby where they could eat and enjoy themselves.
"I like your guard Titus," said Fabian while they ate contentedly. "I'm sure he keeps you well-protected."
"He does indeed," replied Sabrina. "Though he can be a bit overprotective at times. I remember when Jetsam found a blue bottle with a map to a treasure inside it. Everyone went crazy and started digging up the banks of the Blue Lake everywhere. Then when we finally got the bottle opened Titus told us that the treasure of the blue bottle was secret guarded by the striders. The blue bottle appears once every one-hundred years and the map inside it leads to a rock that when found turns into a giant flower with gold and silver petals and the weeds surrounding it bloom in all the colors of the rainbow and shoot out fireworks into the sky. When we found it was the most beautiful sight I could have ever imagined."
"I'm sure it must have been," said Fabian. "And I am sorry I did not get to see it myself."
After they had finished eating they repacked the picnic basket and set off walking along the banks of the Blue Lake. Soon they found a bunch a green skinny creatures with webbed hands and feet and froglike faces who seemed to playing a game of leap-frog.
"Those are the gillywags," said Sabrina. "They are funniest and the most athletic creatures of the Blue Lake."
"You have so many marvelous creatures for subjects living here," said Prince Fabian. "Though I've been wondering if there are any merpeople around here."
"Well, actually," said Sabrina. "There used to be a mermaid living here a very long time ago before any of us were born. Her name was Oona and she was the most beautiful creature you'd ever see. But then the evil Lord Bleak cast a spell on her and turned into a gigantic monster and since then everyone has been afraid of her. I was afraid of her myself when I first saw her until she saved my life by eating a poisoned pear for me and then I realized she was good inside. Then I saved her with the purple flower that grew behind Bluebonnet Falls and then she told her story and she has been a friend to everyone here since then."
"A very interesting story," said Fabian. "You mentioned she was put under the spell by Lord Bleak? I've heard of him. Didn't he used to rule this Kingdom and made it dark and dreary before its rightful rulers were restored to the throne and it was restored to its true beauty?"
"Yes, that's right," said Sabrina. "Lord Bleak and all of his followers known as the Darklings were banished and sent far away across the Black Sea. Though sometimes the Darklings find their way back here and cause trouble like they did for my sister Roxanne when we were all crowned."
"Ah," said Fabian "And speaking of beauty being restored, I think I just may know a way to break the spell your friend Oona is under."
"You do? Really?" asked Sabrina eagerly.
"Certainly," said Fabian. "In the Silver Kingdom we have a great wizard named Saladin the Silverbeard and he knows all kinds of spells and how to break just as many. I'm sure he could find a way to release Oona from her spell."
"Oh, thank you, Fabian! You don't know how happy this makes me!" exclaimed Sabrina as she threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek.
They then walked to the edge of Blue Lake and Sabrina waved goodbye to Fabian as he stepped into the carriage again and went back to the Jewel Palace to choose the next princess to visit.
