The Nutcracker Princess

The Nutcracker Princess: Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Cocktails & Curses

“Holly, I know what’s happened.” I was stirred from my muddled thoughts by Evan’s distinctive tones.

“What do you mean?” I asked, noting the excitement in his voice.

“Did you look into his eyes?”

“Yeah, But I don’t underst…”

“Holy Yule log! I’ve found you!”
 I jumped at the hearing another voice behind me, narrowly avoiding hitting my head off a low-hanging icicle. Then I realised who had spoken.

“Oh my gosh! Phoebus!” I cried out, running over to hug him.

“The one and only! Honey, whoa there- I don’t do hugs; I’m more of an air-kissing kind of guy.” I removed myself from his snowy torso and beamed up at him.

“Thank god you’re here! Do you know what’s going on? How did you find me?” 
The snowman smiled a pebbly grin and adjusted his top hat.

“Let’s answer the questions once we’ve got you something to eat. There’s a town an hour or so down that left tunnel.” I nodded, happy at the thought of food. Phoebus leaned in closer and whispered. “Maybe you should have a bath too, babe.” I slyly sniffed my jumper and realised I hadn’t had a shower in a week. Stupid North Pole sleeping patterns! The snowman looked down and finally noticed Evan; his usual glittering smile disappeared to be replaced by a grimace.

“What is he doing here?”  
Evan narrowed his eyes at Phoebus’ remark.

“Why, if it isn’t the vainest snowman that ever squelched the earth.”

“I do not squelch! I have never squelched! I have a walk that rivals Kate Moss on the runway, you scruffy little…”

“Alright, boys, break it up.” I interrupted standing between them, feeling like a female Jerry Springer. “Let’s be adult about this, anyway you should never fight on an empty stomach.” Hopefully they would get the hint I was hungry.

“Fine. I won’t breathe a word till we reach the town, after that I’m promising nothing.” Evan huffed, storming off ahead.

“What a diva!” Phoebus sighed, storming off in a Kate Moss-esque manner. 
 Wow, it was just like one big happy family up here in the north.
  

After enduring a less than enjoyable walk to the town, I was pleasantly surprised when we eventually reached our destination.

“This is beyond awesome!” I gabbled, gazing around at the buildings surrounding me. All were made from precious metals and gemstones of every colour imaginable. Not what I would have expected to find under the North Pole, but I wasn’t complaining. Maybe I could send my friends a postcard? Following Phoebus to a garnet embellished inn, I sat down, still completely in awe and awaited food.

“What time of day is it?” My watch read eight-thirty, though under the ice, I wasn’t sure if I was having dinner or breakfast.

“Evening.” Evan grunted, taking a glug of his mulled wine.

“Cool.” I mumbled, still glancing around like a kid in a sweetshop. I knew people were staring at me because of outfit, but I didn’t care. The residents of Bijou wore clothes that were a combination of; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast meets Roberto Cavalli. I was totally loving it.

However, there was an overwhelming cloud of gloom over the town, Here, people still remembered that Christmas existed, maybe that was worse than being blissfully unaware like down south? In Bijou they knew what had been lost. A barmaid set down a plate of Stew in front of me and I tucked in enthusiastically, giggling at Phoebus’ attempts to order a Mojito.

“Jeez, have these people not heard of cocktails?” He whined, rolling his eyes.

“Imagine if you had tried to order a Sex on the Beach.” I commented, drawing a questioning look from Evan.

“The people of the North Pole are not familiar with the changing trends of the south; they have lived happily without cocktails for the thousands of years.” The elf explained wearily. Ah, so that explains the henchmen being such suckers for the ‘curse of the ringtone’.

“So honey-” Phoebus addressed me, ignoring Evan’s cocktail rant. “Why don’t you fill me in on what exactly happened since we last met.”

After giving him a full rundown of the events which led to my Arctic adventure, Phoebus let out a deep sigh.

“Thank Blitzen’s hooves I managed to track you down by your necklace, without that I would never have found you.”

“My snowflake necklace?” 
 He nodded flecks of ice landing in my stew bowl. “It’s infused with magic, making it easy to sense-” Wow, all this time I had been wearing a magical necklace. “Let me tell you though, when I get my hands on that Christmas-thieving hooligan, Santa’s son or not…”

“He didn’t steal it.” Evan interjected, making us both stare at him.

“Of course he did short stuff; everyone knows it was him who stole the Yule crystal.” 
 Before I could ask what exactly the Yule crystal was, Evan jumped in.

“That wasn’t his doing.”

“But it has to be him; he’s even told me himself he had gotten rid of Christmas.” 
 Evan looked at me intently, his face serious.

“A piece of the mirror is in his eyes, I saw it for myself.”

“What are you talking ab…?” I stopped abruptly.

‘But it was the piece of glass in his eye, and the coldness in his heart, that made him act like this’

These words flittered through my mind like bats flapping in a cave, I couldn’t quite remember where they were from and then it hit me. Grandfather has always read me a bedtime story as a child and my favourite story for the cold winter nights, was that of The Snow Queen.
So wait, could this mean Noel wasn’t really evil? Was he under Snow Queen’s curse just like Kai in the story?