Christmas in Enchantia

“Well, open it then!” Poppy urged.

Delphie unwrapped the paper. “Ribbons!

Just like yours!” she exclaimed as she pulled a set of green, pink and blue ribbons out of the paper.

“Now we can all be the same!” said Lola.

Just then their teacher, Madame Za-Za, poked her head into the dressing room. “Hurry up, girls.”

Delphie started to get changed. They all had to wear white leotards and knee-length white nightdresses. Over the tannoy system, Delphie could hear the sound of the audience coming into the town hall, talking and taking their seats. The orchestra was tuning up. A violin was playing a string of notes. Another musician blew a few deep notes on a tuba.

Poppy and Lola helped Delphie do her hair and then they started to warm up. Delphie bent and straightened her knees and thought about the dance ahead. It had been interesting watching the others at the dress rehearsal and seeing what they were good at. After the rehearsal, when she was practising at home, she had tried to skip as lightly as Poppy and to spin without wobbling like Lola and to lift her leg as high as Sukie, but the only problem was, the more she tried to be as good as the others at the different bits, the more her dancing just didn’t feel right. I hope it’s going to be OK when I get on stage, she thought nervously.

The tannoy crackled and there was an announcement. “Beginners to stage please. Beginners to stage.”

Delphie’s stomach clenched with excitement. “Good luck!” she said to Lola and Poppy and they all hugged. Even Sukie was looking anxious and as they got into line ready to go up to the stage, she caught Delphie’s eye and gave her a nervous smile.

Delphie smiled back. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Sukie said, her nervousness making her nice for once. “You too, Delphie.”

As they all hurried up the stairs on to the stage, they had to be very quiet. Standing out of the way of the stage hands, they watched the older girls before them go forward and get into their opening positions, waiting for the curtains to rise. Delphie didn’t think she’d ever felt so nervous or excited. The lights in the auditorium went down and a hush fell. There was a moment’s silence and then the orchestra started to play.

The curtains rose. The older girls were dancing a scene from Cinderella. One was a winter fairy, another was a summer fairy, then there was a spring fairy and an autumn fairy. It was the bit of the ballet where all the fairies danced together. They had to do lots of quick footwork including dancing on their pointes and spinning together perfectly in time. Delphie watched, entranced, as they each took it in turns to do a short solo. She couldn’t wait until she was old enough to have pointe shoes! One of the stage hands came over to them. “Time to get into your places, girls.”

Delphie’s class moved up to the curtains. Delphie had to come on alone from the entrance at the back of stage. She waited in the dark, out of sight of the others, hearing the loud applause as the older girls finished and curtsyed.

This is it, she thought, her heart thudding. I’m about to go on!

But just as her nerves almost started to get the better of her, her feet started to tingle. She glanced down at her shoes and stared. They were glowing! Surely she couldn’t be about to go to Enchantia? Not at that very moment? Quickly she put down the nutcracker doll she was holding. Bright red, green and gold colours rushed around her as she was lifted up and swept away. Where would she land this time?

She couldn’t wait to find out!

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Delphie spun down gently to the ground. As the colours around her faded, she stared in wonder. She was standing in a town square covered in snow. Long icicles hung from the roofs of the houses and shops. A man was roasting chestnuts, carol singers were singing and fairy lights were twinkling in all the windows.

It looked wonderfully Christmassy.

Delphie waited for someone to come up and speak to her. The ballet shoes usually only took her to Enchantia when someone was in trouble. Who could need her help this time? She glanced around but everyone seemed to be very cheerful and happy. They were bustling around the stalls, buying food and presents and wishing each other a happy Christmas.

Delphie shivered and rubbed her arms before hurrying over to the chestnut seller’s fire to warm up. The stall next to him was selling delicious-smelling gingerbread and tiny carved wooden figures of all the different characters from the ballets. Delphie spotted Cinderella, the swans from Swan Lake and Clara holding a tiny nutcracker doll. Delphie wished she had some money so she could buy one each for Lola and Poppy. They would love them!

“Delphie!”

Delphie looked round to see a familiar fairy in a lilac tutu dancing towards her. It was her friend the Sugar Plum Fairy. “Hi, Sugar!” she called.

“Hi, Delphie.” Sugar smiled and gave Delphie a big hug. “I’m so glad you’ve come!” Then she tapped Delphie’s shoulder with her wand. Delphie gasped as she suddenly found herself wearing a long red coat, black gloves and a black scarf.

“There, that will keep you warmer!” said Sugar.

“Thank you!” Delphie said gratefully, pulling the thick red coat around her. “So, what’s going on, Sugar? Why was I called? Everyone looks pretty fine here.”

“Yes, but they’re not fine at the Royal Palace,” said Sugar lowering her voice. “It’s King Rat again. He’s been trying to ruin Christmas.”

“Oh no.” Delphie’s heart sank. King Rat was very mean and hated dancing. “What’s he done now?”

“I’ll take you to the palace and the King and Queen will tell you,” Sugar said. “Come on! There isn’t a moment to lose!”

The fairy waved her wand and silver sparkles swirled around them. Then Sugar grabbed Delphie’s hands and they spun away through the air.

When they landed, Delphie found herself in the ballroom of the Royal Palace. It had been decorated with great swags of red-berried holly, golden tinsel and red ribbons and looked very festive. But the King, Queen and Princess Aurelia didn’t.

They were standing at one end of the hall, next to a table that was piled high with golden envelopes and were deep in worried discussion.

“I’m back!” Sugar called. “And Delphie’s with me!”

The royal family looked round. Princess Aurelia’s face lit up. “Oh, Delphie! Thank goodness for that.” She hurried over. “I’m so glad you’re here! King Rat has ruined Christmas!”

“So I’ve heard. Sugar just told me,” said Delphie. “But how can he have managed that?” she asked, curtsying to King Tristan and Queen Isabella.

“Come over here and we’ll explain,” said the King.

He led the way over to a group of comfy chairs near the fireplace and they all sat down. “King Rat hates Christmas,” King Tristan said. “He likes the food and the presents, but he hates all the singing and dancing and he really can’t stand people having a good time.”

“But the rest of us all LOVE Christmas,” said the Queen. “So this year I thought it would be a good idea to have a huge banquet on Christmas Eve.”

“Tonight!” Delphie breathed.

“We were going to invite everyone in the land and have lots of food and dancing and presents,” Princess Aurelia added.

“It sounds amazing!” said Delphie.

“It would have been,” Princess Aurelia replied sadly. “But it’s all gone wrong. The elves came to the palace to help us wrap the presents and when Mother went to check on them, they had all disappeared!”

The Queen nodded. “There was just a little red hat left on the bench with this.” She reached into the pocket of her dress and handed a black card to Delphie.

Delphie looked at it. There was just a scrawling signature in gold:

“He must have taken them!” Delphie gasped.

“That’s what we think,” said King Tristan. “And it’s not only the elves who have gone either. The magic Christmas tree has been stolen as well.”

“And we’ve been so worried about the elves and trying to work out how to rescue them, that we haven’t had time to deliver the invitations for the banquet!” wailed Princess Aurelia. “Oh, Delphie, what are we going to do?”

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Delphie’s thoughts raced. Kidnapped elves, a missing tree, invitations that hadn’t been delivered …