PRINCESS EVIE YOUNG FICTION 4 Read online

  For Annette & Nest, my fairy godmothers xx

  Sarah KilBride

  To Christine

  Sophie Tilley

  SIMON AND SCHUSTER

  First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Simon and Schuster UK Ltd

  1st Floor, 222 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8HB

  A CBS Company

  Text copyright © 2015 Sarah KilBride

  Illustrations based on artwork originated by Sophie Tilley © 2015

  Concept © 2009 Simon and Schuster UK

  The right of Sarah KilBride and Sophie Tilley to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library upon request

  PB ISBN: 978-1-4711-2182-1

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-4711-2183-8

  Printed in Great Britain by CPI Cox and Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire RG1 8EX

  CHAPTER 1

  Frozen Fountains

  CHAPTER 2

  Snowflake Surprises

  CHAPTER 3

  Fun in the Sun

  CHAPTER 4

  Moving Mountains

  CHAPTER 5

  Cave of Delights

  CHAPTER 6

  Snow Wonder

  CHAPTER 1

  Frozen Fountains

  It was a chilly winter’s morning at Starlight Castle. Princess Evie was cosy in her nest of duvets with the velvet curtains drawn around her four-poster bed.

  As Evie snuggled up, she heard her kitten, Sparkles, push open the bedroom door.

  “Good morning, Sparkles,” said Evie, peeping out from the thick curtains.

  “Miaow,” he replied cheerfully.

  She hopped down from her bed and gave Sparkles his morning hug, then opened the curtains. Evie and Sparkles looked out of the tall windows and saw that Starlight Castle’s grounds were white with snow and all the towers and turrets glittered with icicles.

  “I think today’s going to be a magical day, Sparkles,” said Evie. “It’s the winter solstice, which means it’s the shortest day of the year. Something special is bound to happen.”

  Evie and Sparkles didn’t waste any time in getting ready. As soon as Evie had finished her breakfast of porridge and berries, they went skipping through the castle grounds to see Evie’s magic ponies. They took the short cut through the fern garden. It had been so cold in the night that even the fountains had frozen, leaving cascades of beautiful icicles.

  “Wow, Sparkles!” said Evie. “They look like crystal crowns.”

  They didn’t stop to admire the beautiful icicles for very long. They had to keep moving to stay warm. Besides, Evie could hear all her ponies neighing and getting excited at the thought of breakfast. She smiled from behind her woolly scarf. She loved every one of her ponies - they weren’t any old ponies, they were magic ponies.

  Whenever Evie rode them through the tunnel of trees, they would take her on the most amazing adventures in faraway lands. Everything changed when they came out of the tunnel – her ponies’ coats, their bridles and saddles, manes and tails and, best of all, Evie’s outfits! Once, Evie had been a bridesmaid with a dress the colour of bluebells. There she had met Bella and her mischievous pet dragon, Loki. They always made such lovely friends on their adventures – star princesses, ice pixies and even mermaids.

  Evie was brought back down to earth as a sharp gust of wind blew from the north.

  “Brrr, I’m glad I put my thermals on, Sparkles!” she said as she picked up her little kitten and tucked him into her coat. “It’s no fun riding in the cold if you haven’t wrapped up.”

  At this time of year, Evie always made sure she wore layers of clothes when she went out riding. She couldn’t do without her woolly socks, scarf and thermal gloves. Even Sparkles appeared to be wearing an extra layer too – his winter coat was so thick!

  “How about warming up with an adventure, Sparkles?” said Evie.

  Although Sparkles was only a cat, he must have understood, as he started to purr loudly from under Evie’s coat.

  Evie unlatched the gate into Starlight Stables and took extra care as she made her way across the yard. There was ice everywhere and it was so slippery that she lost her footing a few times. Feeding in the winter time always seemed to take longer, but luckily Evie didn’t have to groom every pony. Her hardy ponies were happy to stay outside, as the oils in their coats helped to insulate them.

  Willow, her New Forest pony, Indigo, her Hafflinger, and Silver, Evie’s dappled Welsh Mountain Pony, all whinnied from the gate. Their breath misted like puffs of smoke.

  “Come on, Silver,” said Evie. “Let’s go for an adventure.”

  Evie brought her pony in from the paddock and tied her next to a net full of tasty hay. Silver was one of Evie’s smallest ponies – at only twelve hands high. But she was one of the strongest and most determined ponies Evie had ever met. Evie checked her pony over to make sure she was fit, and then cleaned out her hooves with a hoof-pick. Silver sensed that they were going to ride through the tunnel of trees and began to whicker.

  When Princess Evie finished this job, she walked carefully across the icy yard to the tack room, where she found Sparkles curled up on a comfortable old numnar that used to sit under Indigo’s saddle.

  “Come on,” Evie smiled. “I’m going to tack Silver up. She can’t wait to take us through the tunnel.”

  “Miaow,” replied Sparkles. He loved going on adventures with Evie and her magic ponies and never missed a chance to go through the tunnel of trees with them. They checked through Evie’s rucksack of useful things and added a few little extras – just in case.

  “We’ve got one more job to do before we leave, Sparkles,” said Evie.

  She went to the feed room and filled a scoop with a selection of oats, cracked corn and chopped apples.

  “We mustn’t forget the birds,” said Evie as she sprinkled the contents of the scoop onto the top of the wall in the yard. “This weather can be really tough for our feathered friends.”

  While Evie had been looking after her ponies, all the wild birds had been searching for scraps to eat. Sparkles watched as Evie gave them fresh water in a shallow dish, and Evie noticed his tail swishing and his long whiskers twitching.

  “Sparkles, I hope you’re not feeling hungry after your lovely big breakfast,” she said.

  Luckily it wasn’t long before Silver was tacked up and the little kitten was up in the saddle with Evie.

  “I wonder who will be waiting for us,” whispered Evie.

  They rode away from the stables and across the fields. Princess Evie took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as Silver tossed her thick mane and trotted into the glittering tunnel of trees.

  CHAPTER 2

  Snowflake Surprises

  Princess Evie opened her eyes when she heard Silver’s hooves crunching through a thick blanket of snow. She was surprised to see it was dark. Not as dark as night, more like dusk. There was no sign of the sun and the sky was heavy with snow clouds.

  “I thought it was the morning, Sparkles,” said Evie. Her little cat snuggled up to the lovely warm coat that Evie was now wearing. It was made of pale blue felt decorated with snowflakes and the collar was folded up high to protect Evie’s face from the cold. Evie wore a pair of white leather gloves to keep her hands warm, and snug winter boots lined with wool.

  Silver’s mane and tail were decorated with glittering snow crystals and little icicles hung from her reins, tinkling as she shook her head. Evie loosened the reins and Silver lo
wered her head and neighed loudly, announcing their arrival.

  The surrounding snow-filled valley seemed to absorb the sound. There was no echo and no answer. Evie searched the landscape.

  “That’s strange,” said Evie. “Usually, there’s somebody waiting for us when we come out of the tunnel.”

  The three of them looked around, but there was no one in sight. Suddenly, this stillness was filled with a shriek that made Sparkles, Silver and Princess Evie jump. They looked up and saw a raven in the branches of a bare, black tree. He looked down at them keenly with shining eyes.

  “Hello,” said Evie, “were you expecting us?”

  The raven swooped down and landed on the snow in front of them. He looked first at Evie and Sparkles, then at Silver, with his head cocked to one side. Evie thought that he might speak to them, but instead he cawed and began a funny little dance, hopping and zigzagging in the snow. He looked around at them with his bright eyes and cawed again.

  “I think he wants us to follow him,” whispered Evie. He flew up into the air, circled them three times and then began to fly on ahead. Evie was right – he did want them to follow him.

  Silver was sure-footed and sturdy, but had to take her time lifting her hooves high to walk through the deep snow. The raven waited for them on frozen branches, flying off again when Silver caught up with him. The promise of a snowstorm was growing as the snow clouds grew heavier in the sky. Evie hoped that wherever they were going, it wasn’t going to be much further. Then she realised that they were walking alongside a frozen lake.

  “This looks like Lake Perla,” Evie whispered to her pony, “where we went ice-skating with the snow fairies.”

  Silver whinnied and the raven crowed loudly from above and did a loop in the air.

  “I think our raven friend is telling us that this is Lake Perla!” said Evie. “Oh, wouldn’t it be lovely to see the snow fairies again?”

  The three of them had had such fun with Sylvie and Trina, the snow fairies.

  “What an adventure!” said Evie with a smile. “Do you remember how we rescued the little polar bear cub that was lost in a snowdrift? I’ll never forget how brave you were, Silver. You pulled the snow fairies’ sleigh through the blizzard, all the way to the North Pole and we delivered the polar bear cub back to his family.”

  Sparkles purred as he listened to Evie tell the story of their adventure, and Evie knew that talking to Silver was helping to keep her pony’s spirits up.

  “The polar bears were so grateful that they used their magic powers to help us fly back to the banks of Lake Perla where all the other snow fairies were waiting for us.”

  Just as Evie mentioned the words snow fairies, the snowstorm began and large snowflakes fell from the sky.

  If only we could fly through the sky now, Evie thought.

  She knew that plodding through thick snow was exhausting for her pony, and now Silver would have to plough on through the blizzard. It was so cold that when the freezing snowflakes landed on Evie’s eyelashes they didn’t melt. Sparkles tried to catch the flakes as they fell around him and Silver’s coat glittered with those that had landed on her.

  Evie looked up and saw two huge flakes swirling and dancing in the sky. As they swirled, they appeared to grow. They flew and flurried and transformed into two shimmering snow fairies. They were Evie’s friends Sylvie and Trina.

  “Hello, Evie,” said Sylvie as she fluttered down, landing gently on the fresh snow.

  The moment Sylvie and Trina landed, the snowstorm stopped.

  “Hello, Sparkles and Silver,” said Trina, brushing the snow from Silver’s coat. “Welcome back.”

  “I’m so glad you’ve come to see us,” said Sylvie. “When we heard Odin’s call we hoped that you had come through the tunnel of trees.”

  Odin, the raven, flew down and landed on Sylvie’s shoulder. Sylvie stroked his glossy feathers.

  “It’s so lovely to see you again,” said Trina. “And today is such a special day. It’s the winter solstice and we are going to Queen Aurora’s Midwinter Ball.”

  “Queen Aurora is the Snow Queen, the queen of the northern skies,” explained Trina.

  “Will you come along with us?” asked Sylvie. “I know the Queen would love to meet you all.”

  “We told her about our adventure with you and the polar bear cub,” added Trina.

  “Wow! A Midwinter ball,” said Evie. “It’s amazing,” said Trina. “It’s the best party of the year! We’ll have so much fun!”

  “Come on,” said Sylvie. “We’ll take you to a place where Silver can rest and we’ll tell you all about it on the way.”

  “It’s not far,” added Trina.

  The friends chatted as they travelled along the banks of Lake Perla with Odin flying high above.

  “Every winter solstice, Queen Aurora has a party to celebrate the longest night of the year,” said Sylvie. “You see, we live so far north that in midwinter it’s dark for most of the time. But from tomorrow the nights will start to get shorter and the days longer, and that is something we all celebrate.”

  “It’s a big party with fairies and snow creatures coming from miles around,” said Trina. “There will be a feast and lots of music, and Queen Aurora’s Fjord ponies will perform their magical dance.”

  “And you can see the Queen’s famous display of northern lights in the sky,” said Sylvie.

  “It’s the most amazing display you’ll ever see,” added Trina. “That’s because the Snow Queen uses enchanted crystals found deep in the mountains. Their magic is so powerful that they fill the sky with dancing colours.”

  “I can’t wait,” smiled Evie.

  It wasn’t long before Evie spotted a little wooden shack on the banks of Lake Perla. It was painted white and was almost invisible in the snow, but its windows shone warm and welcoming. Princess Evie knew that Silver was tired, but the moment that the hut came into view, she could feel her pony’s pace quicken.

  “Well done,” she whispered, resting her hand on Silver’s thick coat. “We’re almost there.”

  “We’ll take Silver into the hut,” said Sylvie. “She can recover from all this snow walking in there.”

  “It’s hard work, isn’t it, girl?” said Trina. “But you’re very strong.”

  Inside the shed there was some hay and water ready for Silver to enjoy. The fairies and Evie fussed over the little snow pony, making sure she was comfortable. Evie gave Silver a hug.

  “You’re safe and snug in here,” she said.

  “Soon the sun will rise and we will have a couple of hours of daylight,” said Sylvie.

  “And it will be time for some snow play!” said Trina.

  CHAPTER 3

  Fun in the Sun

  The snow fairies were right – it wasn’t long before the sky began to brighten. The sun rose and lit the snow-filled valley with a radiant pink glow.

  “Now for some snow fun!” said Trina with a laugh.

  “I’m still a bit wobbly on my ice skates,” said Evie.

  “Don’t worry,” replied Sylvie. “We’re sledging today.”

  Sylvie and Trina picked up a pair of sledges that were leaning against the hut’s wall.

  “We’ve only got these two,” said Trina. “You’ll have to share with me, but that will just make our sledge go even faster.”

  Silver pulled the sledges up the slope for them. The food and water had revived her and she was feeling rested. Sparkles loved jumping into the footprints that Evie left in the deep snow. Odin and the snow fairies flew with their wings stretched out wide, warming them in the sunshine. By the time they all got to the top of the hill, the sky was clear and blue and everyone sat down to have a rest.

  Evie could feel her cheeks glowing in the fresh air as she looked around the valley. It was breathtaking, with tall pine trees surrounding Lake Perla in snowy clusters and the majestic mountains sparkling in the sun.

  “Sunlight is so precious at this time of year,” said Sylvie.


  “We always try to make the most of it,” said Trina.

  Sylvie passed around a pouch of dried berries. They tasted deliciously sweet and Evie felt a surge of energy the moment she popped them into her mouth.

  “Shall we go down the slope first, Evie?” asked Trina. “You’ll have to hold on tight!”

  Evie sat behind Trina and before she knew it, their sledge was racing down towards Lake Perla. It felt as if they were flying and, although it had taken a long time to climb up, they were at the bottom of the hill in seconds. Trina and Evie landed together in a heap, looking up at the clear blue sky and giggling. They were covered in the powdery snow and Evie was glad of her gloves and coat.

  “We’d better get out of the way!” said Trina, as Sylvie got ready to whizz down.

  The friends carried on playing in the winter sunshine until it was time to get ready for the party.

  “Shall we get changed in the hut?” asked Evie.

  “No,” said Sylvie with a smile. “Here.”

  “But where are our outfits?” asked Evie.

  “Here!” said Trina, laughing and spinning around in the snow. “All around us!”

  “This is when the fun really starts,” Sylvie said, taking Evie by the hand.

  “We have to make our party dresses,” said Trina.

  Evie looked around, but couldn’t see anything that they could use to make an outfit. All she could see was a mountainside of snow, some trees and a frozen waterfall.

  “All we have to do is draw what we’d like to wear in the snow,” said Sylvie.