Chapter One
The Castle in the Snow
Bea leaned her head out the car window and a snowflake landed on her nose. Her tummy fizzed with excitement. “It’s snowing already and we’re not even there yet!”
“Beatrice, what on earth are you doing?” said her father, King George. “Close that window at once, before you catch a cold.”
But while Bea closed the car window, her younger brother, Alfie, opened another one. The wind rushed past and a flurry of snowflakes blew in.
“Hey!” cried Alfie. “I caught a snowflake on my tongue!”
“Alfie! Dad said don’t open the window.” Natasha, their older sister, leaned over and shut it.
Mr. Humbert, the royal chauffeur, turned the wheel, and the shiny black car swept around a corner into a long driveway. A magnificent castle crowned with a row of snowy-white turrets came into view. Fir trees stood on both sides of the driveway, which sloped upward to the castle steps.
The king, who was sitting in the front beside the driver, turned around to smile at his children. “Here we are! Take your first look at Peruva Castle.”
Bea stared up at the snowy castle. It was white and sparkling, as if powdered sugar had been shaken all over it. She had been excited about this holiday visit to see Great-Aunt Sylvia for weeks and weeks. There would be plenty of time for snowball fights and building snowmen, and that slope down to the field looked perfect for sledding!
Snow never fell at home in Savara because it was so hot and sunny. Here, in the north, they had snow every winter. The snowdrifts were so crisp and deep that you could jump into them and sink until the snow came to the top of your boots!
Bea’s mind wandered. She imagined she was swooping down a hill on a sled, holding tight to the reins with her woolly mittens.
Natasha nudged her. “Bea, are you listening? Dad’s talking to us.”
Bea jumped. “Yes, I’m listening.”
“Remember you must all be on your very best behavior. Great-Aunt Sylvia is very kind to invite us to stay, and your cousins are little, so you have to set a good example for them,” said King George.
Bea smiled. She couldn’t wait to see their cousins, Annie and Leo. Annie was three years old, and Leo would be having his first birthday tomorrow. They had wrapped up lots of presents for him. Bea’s favorite was the teddy bear with the shiny red ribbon around its neck.
“Natasha, I’m putting you in charge because you’re the oldest,” the king continued. “I don’t want to hear lots of noise and mischief. We’re going to be perfect guests for Great-Aunt Sylvia.”
“Yes, Dad.” Natasha nodded seriously. “I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong.”
Bea glanced at her sister in alarm. Natasha was already quite bossy about royal rules and manners. She was sure to be even worse now that she was in charge!
The car stopped outside the castle, and Annie came running down the steps, her eyes sparkling. Her parents, Uncle Henry and Aunt Amber, followed with baby Leo. Lastly, Great-Aunt Sylvia came out with her walking stick. She was wearing a rainbow-colored scarf, and she had dyed her hair purple.
Great-Aunt Sylvia was actually Lady Sylvia Nibbs, whose family had owned Peruva Castle for hundreds of years. Bea liked her a lot because she wore brightly colored outfits, played rock and roll very loudly, and didn’t seem to care what anyone thought. Bea remembered dancing along to the music when she was younger.
Bea climbed out of the car, and little Annie leapt at her. “Hi, Bea! Do you like my new bobble hat?” The little girl pointed to her blue hat with its fluffy pom-pom.
“It looks great!” Bea hugged her back.
“Thanks for inviting us to stay, Aunt Sylvia.” King George kissed Lady Sylvia’s cheek before saying hello to Uncle Henry and Aunt Amber.
“It’s wonderful to see you!” said Great-Aunt Sylvia, smiling. “Children, come here and let me look at you all. Goodness, Princess Beatrice! It’s amazing how much you’ve grown!”
“Can we play in the snow?” Alfie jumped around, trying to catch more snowflakes on his tongue.
“Alfie!” Natasha made a grab for him. “We’ve only just got here.”
“There’ll be plenty of time for playing in the snow later,” said their great-aunt. “Come inside and warm up first. I’ve asked Mr. Upply to fetch us hot chocolate and cinnamon buns.”
A gloomy-faced man in a black suit appeared at the front door. “The refreshments are ready in the parlor, Your Ladyship.”
“Thank you, Upply.” Lady Sylvia turned around slowly, leaning on her stick.
As Bea followed her into the house, she looked around eagerly for animals. “Great-Aunt Sylvia, do you keep any pets?” she asked hopefully.
“No, my dear,” replied Lady Sylvia. “But there is a little robin that likes to come and perch on the parlor windowsill. I sprinkle crumbs there for him. I’ll point him out to you sometime.”
“Oh!” Bea’s heart sank. She had really hoped Great-Aunt Sylvia might have a dog or a cat she could play with.
Even though Bea was animal-mad, she wasn’t allowed to have any pets in her room at Ruby Palace. Her father had always been quite strict about this rule, saying, Beatrice, a palace is no place for a pet. Bea had felt quite sad about it at first, but then she’d begun looking after any animals that needed her help. She’d rescued Tiger, a gorgeous kitten, and Rosie, a playful puppy. She couldn’t imagine spending the whole holiday without any animals around.
Bea tried to smile as she followed her great-aunt into the parlor. Soon everyone was sitting beside the crackling fire, drinking mugs of hot chocolate and eating warm cinnamon buns. Baby Leo began to gurgle, and everyone chatted happily. Even Natasha stopped looking serious and smiled as she braided Annie’s ponytail.
“It’s so nice to have you all here together!” Great-Aunt Sylvia beamed, handing Bea the empty bun plate. “Would you go to the kitchen and fetch some more buns, please, Princess Beatrice? Obviously, some of us are very hungry.” She glanced at Alfie, who was cramming a third bun into his mouth.
Bea nodded and took the plate. She hurried through the drawing room and the library, following the long chain of rooms that led to the kitchen. Fires were lit in all the hearths, and there were boxes of shiny streamers ready to hang up around the walls. The sunshine made the snow on the windowsills sparkle.
Bea sighed. Then she gave herself a shake. She had been so excited to come to the snowy castle—and she was still really glad to be here—but she missed Rosie and Tiger. If only there was an animal here she could make friends with!
Text copyright © 2019 by Paula Harrison.Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Olivia Chin Mueller.
