The Diamond Princess

CHAPTER 1: FLYING TRIO

Chak, chak, chak! The pilot sighed, looking at the fuel level. "We'll have to land soon, Miss Kalamari," he said to me.

I flicked my orange hair out of my face as I hung my head out of the window, "Head east, east is always safe!" I yelled over the sound of the blades.

"Yes, miss."

I sighed. Aubur would never call me by my first name, Dianne. I sat by my hand-maid, Glaianna, as Aubur scanned the horizon.

"Why don't you use your precious USB PC to find the nearest island for us?" She shook her head.

"No wi-fi out here, Princess Dianne" Sigh. Correction – no-one will ever call me by just my first name. And I'm not even a princess, but that doesn't bother my servants. Chak, chak, chak!

I was woken by the blades screeching. That meant we were landing! I flung the door open to see we were landing on... a log. A big floating log, but we wouldn't be able to stay here for long.

"I hope it's not to your disappointment, Miss Kalamari, but it's the only thing I can find. We'll fuel up, and then we'll be back in the air." I got back on the silken seats inside my private helicopter and waited for Aubur to finish. Splosh! I looked out the tinted window and saw him swimming back over.

"All fuelled up!" he called, while trying to keep his head above water.

"Aubur, you're impossible," I said, motioning for Glaianna to help him in. Chak, chak, chak!

"Still? I thought we just fuelled up!" I said, exasperated.

He grimaced. "We need to land somewhere proper –somewhere flat and clean- to fuel up the main tank. We have to do with the side tanks until we find mainland." I made a note in my diary to make my scientists work harder for upgrades on my helicopter. This just would not do.

"Island in sight, Princess Dianne!"

"It's Miss Kalamari!"

"It's Princess Dianne!"

I glared at both of them. "It's neither, so stop bickering! Its just Dianne!" We landed in silence. I raced onto the sand. Finally, able to stretch my legs!

"I was closer," Glaianna whispered to Aubur.

"Glaianna, go find some food, Aubur fuel up the helicopter! And I want both of you far away from one another!" They marched in their opposite directions, but I could practically hear one of them sticking out their tongue at the other.

"SCRAM!" Alright. Now I could relax. Where did I put my towel and sunscreen?

Glaianna served up the feast. Not as good as the ones at home, but it would do. I didn't remember bringing along roast boar, but it was delicious anyway.

"Where's the wine?" I snapped.

"It went off, Princess Dianne."

"Why? Can't you make more?"

"I'm afraid not, Princess Dianne."

I cursed my luck. "What about the fuel? Could you reach the main tank?"

"The main tank will get filled with sand if I try. And Miss. Kalamari... are you feeling yourself?"

I groaned and stormed off to the four-post bed Glaianna had set up.

"Eeeh! New silk covers! Glaianna, you're the bestzzzzzz...zzzzz"

"Wee-hee! Nose-dive, Aubur!" The bright yellow helicopter dipped down, plunging me into the water. Time seemed to freeze as I watched the rippling waves wash over the silver schools of fish and tall coral towers. I flew back up and spun as the helicopter did a somersault. A good night's sleep had led to a good mood in the morning, so we had set out immediately.

"Miss Kalamari? Come in, Miss Kalamari." Aubur's voice came over the PA.

"These bungee ropes are the best idea you've ever had!" I yelled, "And I see another island with a volcano! Lets goooooo!"

"Aubur here. Noise check. Aubur here. Heading straight for the island, Miss Kalamari. Heading straight for the island."

"I can see that, you dimwit! Now haul me up before you land the helicopter on top of me!"

"Alright, Miss Kalamari. Glaianna, haul her up!"

"Why are you loading all the hard work on Glaianna? Do it yourself!"

"But Glaianna doesn't know how to fly the helicopter!"

"Teach her quick!" The PA system crackled as Aubur called her over. Soon, her voice came over the PA,

"Ready for anything, Princess Dianne!" Splosh! Splash! Chak!

"Glaianna! Get this blub thing under Eeek! control!" Scree! I jumped into the cockpit as we went into a 360 nosedive. Aubur slammed the door shut as we collided into the island.

"Landed!" called Glaianna enthusiastically, green eyes glinting. I glared at her. "If you think you're so good, then why is the helicopter upside down?! Aubur, can you fix this? And why did you let Glaianna take control?!!" Aubur groaned and started looking for the keys of the trapdoor.

"Nice help you are." I sneered, not sure who I was more annoyed with. "Hurry up, Glaianna! The faster we find the keys, the faster we get out of this! And find some smooth dresses... this one's all crinkled now. And wet..."

I sat shivering on a piece of driftwood. A wet and bedraggled Aubur (his knotty hair was actually neater with all the sand in... weird...) returned with a worrying expression. "I'm afraid you're going to have to start practising your court etiquette, Miss Kalamari. Our only hope is if we set off immediately and find mainland – the tanks are leaking. We have to set off immediately." I groaned as he pulled me over to the now mostly upturned helicopter.

"First rule of court etiquette," Glaianna reminded me, "is to never let anyone know what you are feeling. So groaning is off the list. So is eye rolling!" she added as I strode past to my wardrobe.

"SMOKE! SOMETHING'S ON FIRE!"

I jumped, causing my hair to fall out of place again. "WHERE?!"

A face fringed by a set of neat, black plaits peered round the doorway, "On the horizon! Just in time! We're almost out of fuel!" I raced to the cockpit and sat myself down next to Aubur.

"Can this window still open?" I asked slyly. He nodded. I whipped my head outside. "Safety, HERE WE COME!" I listened to my voice echo around the empty waters as I watched our reflection below. The fuel leak twisted up like a glass pillar. The fish weaved through the coloured coral. A seal flopped through the water. But best of all, a graceful white speck on the distance was headed towards us. Safety. We were safe.

I slid open the door and stepped out.

The captain bowed down, a man with lightly tanned skin, windswept blonde hair and kind green eyes "Princess Kalamari, welcome to my humble ship."

I let a slim smile cross my lips. "Hardly humble, Captain...?"

"Captain Jonathon Alexander, your majesty."

"Ah! Well, Captain Jonathon, your ship is hardly humble! It is a majestic work of art. Now, might we have a room for a day or two, while my pilot fixes the helicopter? We had a small... crash. And please, do call me Dianne." The captain smiled, and two deckhands rushed forward to help me to my room.

"A pleasure, Dianne!" he called after me, blushing. "A pleasure!" I paced down the elegant marble deck to the cabins. We went down some stairs and arrived at a corridor with polished wood walls. The sailors opened the fourth door and said, quite politely, that this was the only room left, and they hoped it wouldn't be to my disappointment. I went in to rest my head, clearing the way for Glaianna to set everything up. What a... day? Week? Half-week? Eh. I'd worry about it later.