Princess Rivers asked her mother if she would be a queen one day. Her mother, Queen Beatrice, replied, "Yes, but first you must grow and learn many, many things before you can become a queen. It will be a long, long time away, so for now, go outside and enjoy playing with your friends while you can."

Princess Rivers loved her friends. In the mornings, her friends would come with their parents, who worked for the king and queen, and come to the beautiful castle and play each day. They seemed so happy to play in the magical playground and, on rainy days, in the magnificent playroom in the castle.

In the evenings, the castle workers and their children would line up at the huge castle gates to go home. Princess Rivers had never been beyond the castle gates and wondered what it was like at her friend's houses and what it was like beyond the gates in general. One day, Princess Rivers decides to go on a little adventure herself and see the rest of the kingdom.

She discovers a need in her kingdom and thus learns a huge lesson on what it takes to become a good queen.