The Barbie Adventure VIII: Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses

eighteen missing, one fugitive

"Nobody came or left, my lady," Desmond announced as Rowena unlocked the door. "Not even the missing princess."

Rowena opened the door and frowned. "Desmond, get in here!"

He did, his eyes widening at the sight of eighteen missing princesses. 

"Do you see any princesses?" she asked. 

"Well, uh..."

"Neither do I!"

"But... I never left the door!"

" Are you telling me they just vanished into thin air? Find them! And if their missing sister comes back, I want her brought to me."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Outside the throne room, Rowena stood with the royal doctor, playing the part of a concerned cousin very well. "The poor man. He's never been the same since his Isabella passed away."

"Ah, yes, a broken heart. I should've guessed," the doctor said, his face now crestfallen. "In that case, medicine can't help him."

"That's what I was afraid of."

"Now, now. Don't give up hope, Your Grace. I'll check in tomorrow."

"Yes. Please do."

She stepped through the foyer, noticing the silver chest again at Isabella's shrine. 

Interesting. It had a latch. 

She flipped open the lid and picked up the folded letter, making sure no one was looking as she read the contents, surprised at everything it said. 

The doctor passed Derek and Applejack as they approached the front door. 

"We need to see Princess Genevieve," Derek told the doorman. 

He paled at the sight of Applejack. "Your Highness, you have to run!"

"I beg your pardon?" she raised an eyebrow. 

"Your sisters... they said they've run away..." the doorman gasped out. "And there's orders to detain you--"

Desmond shoved the doorman out of the way. "You, cobbler. We don't need you today."

"But we need to see Princess Genevieve," Derek insisted. 

"I said, be gone!" Desmond said, whirling to Applejack. "As for you, princess... Duchess Rowena has asked to see you privately."

Unfortunately for Desmond, he wasn't aware of her geode powers. Because the second he closed a meaty hand around her wrist she flung him onto the steps, rendering him unconscious. 

"Did you just--" Felix gasped. 

"It won't last forever," Applejack said. "We have to go!"

She and Derek bolted into the palace as Desmond gripped his head. 

Obviously she would be harder to capture than he thought. 

Luckily, they snuck into the princesses' bedroom without Rowena finding her. 

"This is risky!" Felix panicked as she shut the door. "Your Highness, you could be caught and thrown in the dungeon!"

"For the last time, don't call me that," she grunted. They turned to see that no one was inside. 

"They must've gone into the pavilion," she guessed. 

"What pavilion?" Derek furrowed his brows. 

She smiled a little. "This one."