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Chapter Nineteen
Secrets and Lies
Once Serendipity re-appeared in the main room, her cape, mittens, and hat on, Corey produced a matching scarf and wound it tightly around her, tucking everything in against the wind he knew they were about to encounter. “Are you ready?” he asked once she was bundled up.
“Yes,” Serendipity confirmed through the layers. “How shall we get there? Will we take the sleigh again?”
“No, this time, we shall travel by my magic,” Corey replied.
“But, if you can magic me there with you, why couldn’t you magic me up those stairs yesterday?” she asked confused.
“I could have,” he admitted. “I thought you should have the human experience of meeting Santa in the most regal way possible.”
“Oh,” Serendipity muttered, still a bit confused. Then another thought occurred to her. “So, why couldn’t you have just used your magic to bring Pozzletot to me?”
“In order to use my magic to move someone or something from one location to another, I have to know where the person or object is located,” he explained. “Now, my sweet, are you ready?”
“Yes, of course,” Serendipity replied, “I’m so excited!”
“I hope that your excitement does not lead to disappointment,” Corey muttered as he wrapped his arms around her, and nodded his head once sharply.
A split second later, Serendipity found herself standing on a mountainside in the midst of a blizzard, Corey’s arms still around her, which did little to keep the wind and snow out of the uncovered portion of her face, but it did assure her that she was safe and not liable to fall off the side of the steep cliff. He knocked on the door boldly twice, and then returned his arm to her shoulders, and though her view was obstructed, she could see how high they were, with only a few paths down the mountainside which looked like they might be stairs, or some other safer passage a human might use to traverse this steep passage.
She felt Pozzletot squirming in her pocket and hoped that it was warm enough. She was just about to ask why Corey couldn’t just use his magic to let them inside when the tall, icy silver door opened, and what she could only describe as a rather large fairy stood before them. “What is the password,” she asked.
“Borealis,” Corey replied and the fairy gestured for them to come inside.
“Mr. Cane,” the pixie said in a melodically high voice as Corey and Serendipity shook the ice and snow from their coats and Serendipity removed her scarf and hat, “we are surprised to see you back at the palace so soon.”
Serendipity raised an eyebrow, wondering how often Corey frequented the Snow Queen’s palace for such a comment to seem warranted, but she said nothing, and in reply, Corey stated, “Serendipity wanted to meet Her Majesty, if she has a few moments.”
“I see,” the blue fairy replied. “You may wait here while I check.”
“Thank you,” Corey replied, and as she watched the fairy flutter away, Serendipity was amazed at her surroundings. “It’s entirely made of ice,” Corey explained.
“It’s amazing,” Serendipity said. The room where they stood had an extremely high ceiling capped in turrets which must have been at least four stories above them. There were high arching windows on either side and she sunlight poured through, the translucency of the ice causing the beams to fracture producing rainbows wherever she looked. There was no furniture save one small table at the entryway and a chair, which also appeared to be made of ice.
As she continued to look around the room, Serendipity asked, “How long have you and the Snow Queen been friends?”
“Quite a long time,” Corey replied, his hands folded in front of him. He was watching Serendipity, not looking around the familiar room, and he couldn’t help but smile at her amazement.
“What is she like?” she asked quietly, thinking she should have asked that question before.
“Well, on the outside, she is quite a bit like you,” he admitted. “Pale, blonde, beautiful. On the inside, however, I don’t think you’re much alike at all.”
“How’s that?” she asked.
“Let’s just say Ingrid has a tendency to be a bit… selfish,” Corey said quietly, aware that his words could easily be picked up by a number of winged creatures and carried directly to the queen.
Serendipity did not comment, only looked at him a bit puzzled and then shook her head. Just then, there was the sound of flapping wings down the corridor and the same fairy appeared before them. “Come with me,” she insisted, and Serendipity took Correy’s arm, both to keep from falling on what appeared to be polished ice, and to steady her nerves, and followed along behind the surprisingly quick little creature.
The fairy pushed the door to the throne room open, and Corey held it for Serendipity and then followed her in himself. There was no waiting for Ingrid this time as she was seated on her throne. Serendipity was shocked; she really did look much like the Snow Queen--except for Ingrid’s skin had a more blueish hue, her face was a bit fuller, and eyes danced with a hint of michief.
“Corey,” Ingrid said, standing as he approached her throne. “I’m very surprised to see you so soon. Usually, it takes weeks for you to pay me a visit after I’ve granted you a… favor.”
Serendipity wasn’t at all clear what she was hinting at, but she said nothing.
Corey looked at her with a dismissive expression on his face and then took both of Ingrid’s hands which she held out straight in front of herself in offering. “Your Majesty,” he said, kissing her ring, but not kneeling this time. “Allow me to introduce to you Ms. Serendipity Fizzlestitch.”
“Oh, yes, the doll maker. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Serendipity,” Ingrid said, her eyes still twinkling. She offered her ring, and Serendipity, not sure what to do exactly, having never met royalty, held it to her lips as she had seen Corey do. His nod of approval served as reassurance, and Serendipity curtseyed as she bid the queen good tidings.
“I hope you don’t mind our intrusion, Your Majesty,” Serendipity offered as she stood at her full height. “It’s just, my father used to read stories about you to me as a small child, and I am honored to have the opportunity to meet you at long last.”
“Stories? About me?” Ingrid said, smiling. “How lovely! I hope they were all pleasant ones.”
“Yes, of course,” Corey interjected. “How could any story written about you be anything but pleasant?”
“Indeed,” Ingrid nodded. “And have you read any such stories about my husband, Jack Frost?” she asked, looking at Serendipity.
“Jack Frost is your husband?” Serendipity asked, amazed.
“Yes, thanks to Mr. Cane,” the Snow Queen explained. “He was able to get the council to approve changing a mere mortal into a legendary character just for my benefit. Wasn’t that sweet of him?”
“Why yes…” Serendipity began, but before she could finish her sentence, Ingrid cut her off.
“Of course, I don't’ get to see him as much as I’d like, what with it always being winter somewhere…”
“His busy season will be over soon,” Corey reminded her.
“Yes, that’s true.” Ingrid agreed. She swung around then, her long flowing pink cape nearly hitting Serendipity as she did so, and she took the few steps back over to her throne where she straightened her cape and gown before sitting down. “Although, I must say I do get rather lonely up here all by myself. It’s so nice when you do decide to pay me a visit, Corey.”
There was that twinkle in her eyes again, and Serendipity couldn’t help but wonder if she was missing something.
“You have your fairies,” Corey reminded her.
The queen rolled her eyes. “Have you ever attempted to carry on a conversation with one of them?” Before he could answer she added, “Dalcops, the lot of them.”
“You seem in a rather disagreeable mood today,” Corey noted.
“Perhaps I get a little irritated when my favors are wasted,” Ingrid shot back, her nose in the air.
“What?” Serendipity asked quietly, unsure exactly what was unfolding around her.
“I assure you, it wasn’t wasted,” Corey replied stepping forward.
“Oh, is that so?” Ingrid asked. “It appears to me as if it were. Tell me, Serendipity, will you come and visit me now that you’ve taken up residency in the North Pole?”
Still confused, Serendipity replied, “Oh, Your Majesty, I haven’t decided yet whether or not I intend to stay.”
“You haven’t?” Ingrid questioned, her eyes locked on Corey. “Are you sure that decision is yours to make, darling?”
“Ingrid,” Corey said sharply.
“What do you mean?” Serendipity asked, growing more confused and concerned by the moment.
“What, love? You still haven’t told her?” Ingrid asked, amused. “When were you planning to explain?”
“Ingrid, please, be quiet. I’ll explain everything in due time. Now, let it be.” Corey glanced in Serendipity’s direction, a pleading expression on his face, but then he returned his gaze to the Snow Queen, and though he wasn’t looking directly at her, Serendipity could see that other Corey--the angry one--clearly showing through.
“Tell me what?” she asked. When Corey didn’t answer, she stepped forward, and pulled sharply on his shoulder. “Corey, tell me what?”
“It’s nothing, Serendipity. I’ll explain it all to you later, I promise,” he finally said, still staring intently at Ingrid.
The Snow Queen’s laughter peeled around her chamber. “Oh, Cornelius, surely you can’t continue to keep this lady waiting the way you’ve strung me along for years and years? Go on, tell her. Tell her of your visit just yesterday.”
“Ingrid…”
“Tell her of the favor you asked of me, the one to protect your perfect record…”
“INGRID!”
“So you can continue to be St. Nicholas’s number one helper. Tell her Corey! Tell her! She deserves to know!”
“Ingrid, please, be quiet! I will explain everything to when it is appropriate. Why are you doing this? What have I done to you to deserve to be treated this way?” Corey cried, his head in his hands.
“What have you done? Nothing--just arranged for me to marry another and then went off in search of your own happiness, while I still sit here, all alone. That’s all,” Ingrid explained shrugging her shoulders.
“But, you wanted to marry Jack. You begged me to help you. And then, just yesterday, you agreed to help me. Why would you do such a thing if you truly wanted me for yourself?”
“I wanted to be with Jack--and now, thanks to you, I’m married and all alone. Now, here you are, obviously in love with this… woman…. Why do you deserve to be happy, Corey? Give me one good reason why.
“I don’t,” Corey replied emphatically. “I don’t deserve to be happy. But Serendipity does--perhaps more so than anyone I’ve ever met--and now, you’ve ruined everything. I never even had a chance to explain….”
“Oh, you had your chance. You just didn't’ take it. And now, well, I’m afraid it’s too late.”
Corey turned to face Serendipity, sure that at this point, she must be furious with him, but when he turned to where she had been standing, she was gone. “Where...?”
“Oh, she took off minutes ago,” Ingrid explained with a smirk. “You really should be after her.”
“She took off, or you magicked her away?” he asked, still looking around the room for her.
“I’m afraid she left of her own free will--and since I’ve no idea where she’s gone to, I can’t rightly bring her back. Good luck, love.”
Though it crossed his mind to continue to berate Ingrid, Corey realized he had no time. Serendipity was human, and this blizzard was unlike anything she would have ever experienced before. If he didn’t find her shortly, there was a good possibility it would be too late. Without another glance in the queen’s direction, he took off towards the front of the castle, her laughter still peeling through the chamber behind him.
As he reached the front door he threw it open and yelled, “SERENDIPITY!” at the top of his lungs. In reply, he received only the echo of his own desperate cries resounding off of the mountain tops all around him.
Chapter Twenty
Help
Standing atop the crest of Mt. Menzelfrap looking down at the only two paths that seemed to be options for a young woman running through the ice and snow on foot. Two separate staircases led down the side of the mountain, both treacherous, and neither more friendly looking than the other. He glanced down both of them but saw no sign of Serendipity or her tracks. Of course, with the wind whipping the snow around so fiercely, he could only see a few feet in front of is face. Once again, he yelled her name but only heard the reverberations as they echoed off the mountains around him.
He used his magic to transport himself down to the bottom of the stairwell on the left, thinking she may have chosen that one since it seemed to be closest to home. When she wasn’t there, he magicked himself over to the other stairwell. There was still no sign of her. He ran his hands through his hair in desperation. Blindly, he turned about in the snow, trying to think of what he could do to find her. Suddenly, it occurred to him that there were several places along the stairwells that led off in different directions. If she couldn't see where she was going, there was a possibility that she may have lost the path. If she wasn't careful, she could easily tumble over the edge. There were also sharp cliffs, overhangs, and caves. There was simply no way that he could check all of those places by himself. If he were going to find Serendipity in time, he would need assistance. Reluctant to leave without her, he made the only choice he could and transported himself to the one place he knew he could find dozens of helpers at one time.
Serendipity hadn’t needed to hear the entire conversation in order to realize that Corey had not been honest with her. Clearly, he had used some sort of magic spell to make her wish to stay at the North Pole. Whatever it was he had done to her, it had made her feel as if he cared for her, as if he wanted her to stay there for him. To think, she had actually entertained the notion of relocating not so that she could make her dolls for thousands of children around the world but so that she would have the opportunity to spend the rest of her life with him.
There was only one other time in her life when she could remember feeling so foolish.
She knew that Ingrid was aware she had backed out of the room, had taken off running, but she wasn’t sure if she would notify Corey or not. She had no idea how much of a head start she had or how long it might take him to find her. She also had no idea where she was going or how she would find her way back home. She wasn’t sure if she was still inside the dome or outside. All she knew was that she needed to escape as quickly as possible, and if she perished while doing so, well, then so be it. Her only regret was that Pozzletot was with her. She wished she had left him behind so that he would be safe. Now, he was tucked inside of her pocket, and as she fought her way through the ice and snow, looking for some sort of shelter, she was hopeful that her body would stay warm enough to keep him alive.
She had attempted to take the first stairwell she had come to, the one on the right, but after sliding down what must have been considered the first flight of stairs, she had lost her way. She was hesitant to traverse too quickly, afraid she would take a wrong step and fall off of the side of the cliff. Soon, she found what seemed to be a path that, while still leading down the side of the mountain, seemed to be less steep, and she dug her hands into the side of the mountain as she scooted along, one foot and then the other, checking for security along the ridge as she did so. Once, she stepped on an unstable rock and pulled her lead foot back just in time as several chunks of loose gravel came tumbling down the side of the mountain below her. She was able to feel her way around the hole left in its wake and continue on her journey, one small step at a time.
It didn’t take long for her face to become numb with cold. Her feet were also freezing. Her hands seemed warm enough, and she thought that might be because Corey had infused her mittens with the same sort of magic he had used to warm the mittens he had given her yesterday. Thoughts of the day prior made her eyes tear up even more so than the bitterly cold wind, and she had to push them aside; she couldn’t possibly afford to start crying, not now, not in this weather. She pressed on, one unsteady step in front of the other thinking not about where she would go when she reached the ground but only about where to put her foot next.
Corey appeared in the barn so unexpectedly, he received a spray of warm cocoa in his face as he began to materialize, courtesy of a startled Hillstern. “Sorry, sir,” he began, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping away the droplets. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
“No, it’s fine,” Corey assured him, brushing hims aside. “There’s no time for that. I need your help.”
“What’s wrong?” the elf asked, frozen in his tracks.
“It’s Serendipity. She’s lost out there somewhere near the Snow Queen’s castle. I need the reindeer and every elf you have available to start searching for her. But most importantly, I need the baby reindeer.”
“The baby reindeer?” Hillstern echoed. “What do you need him for?”
“The light!” Snowshoes replied, dropping the armload of hay he had been carrying onto the ground behind Hillstern. “Come on, boss. Let’s go!”
“Very good,” Corey replied taking off behind him. “And Hillstern, will you send someone over to alert St. Nicholas? He should be able to use the globe to find her. Perhaps he can transport himself to where she is located.”
“I’ll send someone,” Hillstern replied. “If they can reach St. Nicholas in time…. It’s just, you know how hard it is to get an audience with him.”
“Tell him it’s an emergency, and that I need his help,” Corey insisted, knowing the elf was right. He watched as Snowshoes took the red light from the wall and began to strap it onto the miniature reindeer the same way that Serendipity had shown him. “How can I help?” he asked.
“That should do it,” Snowshoes assured him. “Now, can you transport us to where you think she might be?”
“I have no idea where she might be,” Corey admitted, “but I shall do my best.” He placed his hands on the elf’s shoulder and on the reindeer’s antlers and transported all three of them to the bottom of the first stairwell at the foot of the mountain.
Corey was astonished at just how well they could see with the light from the reindeer’s nose illuminating the mountain around them. Despite the falling snow, they could see Corey’s footprints from several minutes ago. They could also see nearly halfway up the side of the mountain. “I don’t see any sign of her, do you?” Corey asked.
“No, sir, nothing,” Snowshoes confirmed. “Shall we try another place?”
Corey moved them up the mountainside a bit, near where the light had began to dissipate from their previous vantage point. They began searching the area again. This time, the light shown all the way to the top of the mountain, illuminating the doors of the Snow Queen’s palace. Still, there was no sign of Serendipity.
Just as Corey was about to relocate them again, they heard a whizzing sound overhead. Looking up, they saw at least a dozen reindeer flying by, some manned by elves that worked in the barn, others riderless. Each of them picked a landing spot along the mountain range and began to search for Serendipity. Most of these reindeer had met her just yesterday and had already fallen in love with her. He knew it was just as important to them to find her as it was to himself. “Let’s check the other stairwell,” he yelled to Snowshoes before transporting them back down to the base of the mountain.
Using the red light to fight against the glare from the falling snow, they peered up the side of the mountain again. At first, they saw nothing. But then, just as Corey was about to move on, his eyes caught something in the snow. “Are those rocks sticking out of the snow there?” he asked pointing.
“Where?” Snowshoes asked, squinting into the wind.
“There!” Corey pointed with one hand and turned the reindeer’s head with the other so as to better direct the light.
Seeing what Corey was looking at, Snowshoes nodded. “Yeah, I think so! Maybe Serendipity knocked ‘em loose! How else would we be seeing gravel on top of freshly fallen snow?”
Corey knew it was very possible that someone--or something else--had caused the rocks to come loose, but he was hopeful that this was a clue as to where Serendipity may have gone.
“Let’s have a closer look,” he shouted above the wind and transported them up the side of the mountain just above where the gravel had fallen, hopeful that his guess as to where the footholds might be was correct.
Just when Serendipity thought she could not take one more step, she saw something in the distance, just a hundred yards or so away, that renewed her strength. At first, it appeared to be only a dark patch in the snow, which made little sense to her frozen sensibilities, but then she realized it was an opening! There, maybe twenty or thirty footsteps ahead of her, lay the entrance to a cave! If he could reach the entryway, she could get out of the wind and possibly have the opportunity to warm up a bit, maybe wait for the blizzard to pass. Her entire body ached from head to toe, her fingers had been jabbed so many times by sharp rocks that stuck right through her thick mittens, and her feet were so numb she could no longer feel for sure whether or not her steps were placed correctly, but with the echoes of her father’s favorite phrase playing over and over in her mind, she began to slide forward. “Come on Pozzletot,” she said aloud, her hoarse voice just a whisper. “Let’s give it a go!”
***
“Thank goodness you found a ledge, sir,” Snowshoes exclaimed above the wailing wind, “or else we would have been in for quite a fall.”
“Don’t worry, my good man. I’m quite capable of transporting you even in mid-air,” Corey replied as he glanced around his current position. Then, looking down the mountainside to the ground far below, he added, “Although I would certainly prefer not to.”
“Look, sir! There, in the snow! It looks like footprints, doesn’t it?” Snowshoes exclaimed. The baby reindeer turned his head to shine his light at the ground, and sure enough, they could plainly see what looked like fresh, scuffled footprints.
“They seem to be headed in that direction,” Corey replied. “If you look over there, towards the area where the staircase connects to the mountain, they aren’t nearly as easy to see, which means they are older.”
“Then, let’s proceed this way!” Snowshoes recommended as he took the baby reindeer by the reins and pulled him along as they carefully made their way through the thick snow atop the narrow ledge hopeful that they could locate Serendipity before it was too late and she succumbed to the intensity of Mt. Mendelfrap.
Chapter Twenty-One
Salvation
It seemed to take hours for Serendipity to reach the cave opening, even though in actuality it only took a matter of minutes. The snow was pelting her face, making it difficult to see, and her hands were beginning to freeze now, too, right along with the rest of her body. Her footing the last few steps was unsure, and she nearly slipped as she grabbed hold of the rocky entrance way and pulled herself inside.
The opening was narrow, and she had to crouch to slip inside, but once she finally made it through the entryway, though the temperature was still well below freezing, the lack of wind and snow seemed to make it more tolerable, and she collapsed on the damp floor against the mossy cave wall.
Squirming in her pocket let her know that Pozzletot was still with her, though she did not know what shape he might be in. She didn’t dare take him out to inspect him as she didn’t want to further expose him to the frigid air. “Oh, Pozzletot,” she said in a voice just above a whisper. “Whatever shall we do? If what the Snow Queen said is true, and we can never again leave the North Pole, how shall we get home? I can’t bare to stay here now, not knowing Corey was so very dishonest with me all along.”
There was no reply, of course, and Serendipity leaned her head back against the sharp, jagged surface of the cave wall in exhaustion. Her eyelids seemed extremely heavy. “I think I shall take a little nap,” she continued, “just a short one. And then, we shall decide what to do next.”
Pozzletot’s frantic chirping began to fade into the distance, as if he were on a train, traveling speedily in the opposite direction. Her body didn’t seem quite as cold anymore. In fact, she was beginning to feel warmer and warmer. Just as she was about to fall asleep entirely, she heard a familiar voice calling her name, and as difficult as it was, she forced her eyes open. There, smiling over her was the most unexpected, familiar face. She couldn’t believe it, but there he was, kneeling down beside her, slowly stroking her hair. “Papa?” she asked quietly.
“Hello, my sweet,” Rudolph said, his baritone voice echoing off the walls of the cave. “How are you feeling?”
“Well,” Serendipity began, glancing down at her body as if she wasn’t sure, “I was so very cold before. But now, since I’ve found this cave. I feel so much better. Whatever are you doing here?”
“I came to see you, darling,” he replied with a smile, sitting down next to her on the floor of the cave.
Serendipity was shocked. “After all this time? Why ever did you choose to appear now, while I am here, in a cave, at the North Pole?”
“Well,” Rudolph began, rubbing his nose, “I thought, perhaps, you could use a little help, a little direction?”
“Oh, father, are your allergies still bothering you even now?” Serendipity asked, fondly.
He chuckled, pulling his hand away from his nose. “Oh, no, dear. It’s just become sort of a nervous habit of mine. Now, tell me child, why did you run away?”
“I didn’t,” Serendipity assured him. “I came to the North Pole to get Pozzletot, and then I was going home straightaway, but then… well… I learned that I couldn’t, that I’d have to stay, and then,” Serendipity’s forehead creased in thought, “well, then, I guess I sort of did run away after that. But not intentionally. I just meant to put some distance between myself and Corey. He’s… not who I thought he was. Or else, he is who I thought he was before I thought he was someone different. Oh, Father, am I making any sense at all?”
Again, her father’s infectious laughter filled the small space and resounded off the cave walls. “Yes, my child, you are making sense, but only because I know you so well and because I have been watching your story unfold from afar.”
“You’ve been watching me, Papa?” Serendipity asked, sitting up as straight as she could, alarm filling her voice. “Then, you know… what I did.”
“Oh, my darling,” Rudolph said, sliding around to sit next to her, his arm draped lovingly around her shoulders. “Yes, of course, I know about the accident.”
Serendipity’s head dropped. “You must… hate me, then,” she said, just above a whisper.
“On the contrary, my love. If anything, it has made me even more fond of you. Oh, not for what happened, but in spite of it. I have seen you, every day since that fateful morning so many years ago, toil with the guilt, the remorse. I have seen it all but consume you. Until just yesterday, when at last, it seemed, you had put it behind you, began again, given yourself the opportunity to move on with your life, the life you deserve to live, my darling. No one holds you accountable for what happened, my sweet. No one,” he explained in his serene voice.
Serendipity considered every word carefully before asking, “You’ve seen Mother, then?”
“I have,” he nodded, “and your sisters. Often. Your sisters do not hold you at fault, and your mother, well, quite frankly, she blames herself. She understands now, though it is a bit too late, that she was much too hard on you after I departed. Serendipity, my dear, I appreciate the sacrifices you have made these past eight years to try and make things right, but it is time now to go on with your own life, to find happiness, to continue to make us proud. You can do it--but you cannot do it here, in this freezing cold cave. You must trust in those who brought you here, in your friends. They will show you the light.”
Every word her father spoke brought new hope to Serendipity. If he had forgiven her--and her mother and sisters--then, perhaps, she could forgive herself at last. Perhaps she could find a way to be happy here in the North Pole, making her dolls amongst those who were so cheerful and jolly, those who kept the Christmas spirit all year long.
She turned her head to face him and realized he was growing more and more difficult to see. “Father? Must you leave again so soon?”
“I must,” he replied, his voice growing more faint. “But fear not, my sweet girl. I shall be with you always.”
“But how will I know the way back home?” she asked, becoming more frantic as her father began to dissipate into a thousand twinkling stars.
“Follow the light,” he replied, faintly.
“Follow the light?” she repeated. “Follow the light…. Follow the light….”
“Serendipity? Serendipity!”
When her eyes flew open, still mumbling her father's final words, it wasn’t the kind and loving face of her father hovering over her but rather the equally concerned, yet slightly unwelcome face of Cornelius Cane. “Corey?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper. “How did you…? Where is my….?” She began looking around the cave, desperately searching for her father. There was not a trace of him anywhere.
“Calm down, Serendipity,” Corey insisted, his hand on her shoulder. “You’ll be all right just as soon as we get you to some place warm.”
Serendipity noticed then that they were not alone. Snowshoe was standing just in front of the entrance to the cave, the baby reindeer alongside him. “Is that how you found me? With the light from the baby reindeer?”
“Yes,” Corey explained. “He was able to find your footprints, and then we followed you here, by the red light of his nose.”
“Such a wonderful little fellow,” Serendipity mumbled, suddenly very much aware of how numb her entire body felt. “He deserves a good name… like Rudolph.”
“Rudolph it is, then,” Corey agreed. “Now, if you will allow me to, I’d like to transport you back to my cottage, where we can make sure you are well.”
“No,” Serendipity replied sharply, sitting up. “After what you did… you lwere completely dishonest with me. I shall never step foot in your cottage again. I should like to go somewhere else.”
“Oh, Serendipity,” Corey said, shaking his head. “Now is not the time to go into long winded explanations, but I assure you, I didn’t lie to you. I didn’t use the potion. Do you remember the plant? The one in my kitchen? I poured the location binding potion in the frost poinsettia. That must be what killed it. Thank goodness I did so, for a number of reasons, but most especially after seeing what it did to the plant… I can only imagine what it might have done to you, my sweet.”
Serendipity looked at him closely, her pale blue eyes intensely staring at his handsome face, looking carefully for any clue that, perhaps, he was being dishonest with her. “You didn’t use the potion?” she asked.
“No, I promise, I didn’t. And I can prove it, too, by taking you home, if that’s what you wish, just as soon as you are better,” Corey assured her.
Considering his words carefully, Serendipity closed her eyes, her head suddenly becoming extremely heavy. The cold seemed to be reaching into her very soul now. “I should like to leave this place,” she said quietly.
“Very well then,” Corey said, and just as he was about to reach back for Snowshoe and Rudolph, they were all quickly swallowed up by a giant swirling magic portal, which, within a few moments transported them to St. Nicholas’s study, and Serendipity found herself leaning back against the warm comfort of the very chair she had been sitting in the day before next to the fireplace, rather than the cold, damp cave wall, Corey still kneeling beside her, his hand on her arm.
“Well, now, how is everyone?” St. Nicholas asked from where he stood next to the fireplace, Mrs. Claus nearby. “Did we make it through the transportation safe and sound?”
“I think so,” Corey replied, surveying the others. “However, I believe Serendipity might need a physician. She is quite cold, and I fear for her safety.”
“It’s nothing a spot of my hot cocoa and a few blankets can’t fix,” Mrs. Claus assured him, pouring some hot chocolate into a mug. As Pozzletot climbed carefully from Serendipity’s coat pocket and scuttled down the chair leg and across the floor towards the fireplace, Corey helped Mrs. Claus cover Serendipity in a pile of warm blankets. “That should do the trick in a bit,” she said with a smile.
Serendipity needed a bit of assistance placing the mug against her lips, but once she did so, the warm liquid poured easily down her throat, and she instantly began to feel warmer, as if by magic. “Is that better?” Corey asked quietly as he helped her with the cup.
Nodding her head, Serendipity motioned for him to sit the mug aside, and she leaned back in the chair with a sigh. The feeling was coming back to the tips of her toes and fingers, and the sensation was odd, as if a thousand tiny needles were pricking her. It wasn’t painful--just unusual, and it made it difficult to concentrate on anything else for a few moments as the life seemed to pour back into her.
After a few moments, she heard St. Nicholas say, “Corey, would you mind waiting outside for just a moment?”
Watching his face, she could tell that he wanted to say no, that he wouldn’t leave her, but finally, with one more longing glance, and a gentle pat on her arm, he did as he was asked, and Serendipity was left alone with St. Nicholas and his wife, who sat on the arm of her husband’s chair with a kind smile on her face. “Serendipity,” Santa Claus began, “are you feeling better?”
“Much,” she replied, raising her head just a bit from the back of the chair.
“Very good,” St. Nicholas nodded. “Now, it has come to my attention that Corey was willing to do almost anything to prevent you from leaving. However, since he chose not to use the binding potion, you are free to return to England, if that is what you wish to do. Tell me, child, would you like to stay here at the North Pole with us and make your dolls amongst our fine team of craftsmen, or shall we return you to your home in Dunsford?”
Serendipity carefully considered his words. Afterall, she had been on the verge of deciding to stay that very morning, and then, after speaking to her father, she realized there really was no reason why she shouldn’t. Despite the fact that she had temporarily lost confidence in Corey, he had not failed her after all. And, now, she realized that no one in her family held her responsible for the accident that had taken the lives of her sisters and her mother. If they had forgiven her, then she needed to begin the difficult task of forgiving herself. She had never been happier than she was since she came to the North Pole. It just seemed to make sense that she would stay here, amongst the elves and reindeer, and begin anew, start over, find the peace that her father promised her she deserved. “If it isn’t too much trouble, St. Nicholas, sir, I think I should like to stay.”
A broad smile spread across his face then, and he began to chuckle, with a deep reverberating, “Ho, ho, ho!” Patting his belly, he said, “Serendipity, my dear, we would love to have you stay. Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas!” Serendipity echoed, sure that she would get used to saying the familiar greeting all year round.
“There’s something else, my dear,” Mrs. Claus said, her hands resting on her knees. “As you may know, in my former life, I was a schoolteacher.”
“Oh, yes, I had heard as such,” Serendipity responded nodding her head, wondering where this conversation was going.
“Did you know, darling, that there are many other intelligent, famous, successful, well-known people who also struggled their whole lives with the tasks of reading and writing?” Mrs. Claus continued, leaning forward to look more closely at the young lady.
“What?” Serendipity asked, glancing from St. Nicholas’s smiling face back to his wife’s “Whatever do you mean?”
“Oh, yes! People like Leonardo de Vinci, who had a habit of writing backwards, George Washington, who was never much for the pursuit of academics, and even your beloved Hans Christian Anderson--all of them struggled to read and write, much like you, but their creative minds allowed them to think so differently than others, which helped them become the successful legends they are today.” She stood then, and walking over to Serendipity, she put her hand on her shoulder, and looking her in the eye, she said, “You see, my child, though this difficulty has always been an awful burden to you, I think, perhaps, it is, in fact, a gift. And with the right type of work, we can teach your brain to read and write. And along with the other talents you so obviously possess, I think you, too, will someday be a legend, just as those who have overcome this divine obstacle before you.”
Even as Serendipity listened to the words of this sweet, loving woman, she could feel the tears coming down her face. “You mean, all this time, I struggled with reading and writing because there’s something different about my brain… not because I’m… stupid?”
“Oh, no darling, far from it,” Mrs. Claus assured her, smoothing her hair with the delicate touch of a mother. “You are extremely intelligent, my love, and I know you can learn to read, if you will allow me to teach you. May I?”
“You… want to teach me to read?”
“Yes.”
“And write?”
“Yes.”
“And… you think I can learn?”
“I know you can, darling. What do you say? Can we give it a go?”
Serendipity burst into tears then, with the familiar phrase. “Oh, yes,” she said, throwing her arms around Mrs. Claus’s neck. “Oh, however shall I repay you?”
“There’s no need, child. Just stay here and make your dolls for the children of the world, and that shall be thanks enough,” Mrs. Claus assured her.
“Now, Serendipity,” St. Nicholas interrupted, pulling himself to the edge of his chair, “if you feel up to it, I believe there is a young man waiting outside that door to speak to you.”
“Oh, yes,” Serendipity replied, suddenly remembering how desperately she wanted to speak to Corey. With one last fond look for Mrs. Claus, she leapt up out of the chair, the magical hot cocoa restoring her health entirely, scooped up Pozzletot, who had also recovered nicely, and with a last courtesy of thanks to her host and hostess, she propelled herself out the door.
Corey was waiting in the great room outside of the cozy study, near the globe, his hands thrust deeply into his pockets.
“Hello,” he said quietly as she slowly approached. “How are you feeling?”
Serendipity smiled at him shyly. “Well,” she relied. “I am feeling quiet well now, thank you.”
“Good,” he responded. She stopped a few feet from him, still holding Pozzletot in her hand. “And your mouse friend?”
“Oh, Pozzletot is just fine,” she assured him. “I think he was more frightened than anything else.” She glanced down at her little friend who was chirping away in excitement at seeing the delightful Christmas decorations all around them. She kissed him lightly on the head and then tucked him back into her coat pocket so that she may have the use of both hands, though once she had done so, she found herself interlacing her fingers in front of herself, not sure how to continue the conversation she needed to have with the gentleman standing in front of her. After several moments of nervous silence, she said, “I’m so sorry I ran off in such a tizzy. I must have frightened you as well.”
“Well,” Corey replied, shrugging his shoulders, “I wasn’t sure where you had gone. I couldn’t find you anywhere. The only thing I could think to do was to return to the barn and ask for assistance from Snowshoe and the… from Rudolph.”
“It was a wonderful idea,” Serendipity assured him. “If you hadn’t thought so quickly, who knows what might have happened to me. It was so cold up there on the mountain. Even in the cave…. I think I might have frozen to death if you hadn’t found me.”
“Thank God that didn’t happen,” Corey remarked, his eyes showing just how much he meant those words. “If anything should have happened to you, Serendipity, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.”
“I know,” she replied, placing her hand gently on his arm. “Believe me, I know. The weight of a guilty conscious is enough to stifle every last dream and destroy every last hope. I shouldn’t wish that upon you for anything in the world, Corey.”
“Then, you realize, at last, sweet Serendipity, that you should no longer carry the burden of what happened to your family?” he asked, removing her hand from his arm, and holding it in between his own as if it were a precious relic made of fragile glass.
“I do,” she nodded. “I’m not exactly sure what it was that happened to me when I was up there on the mountain, whether I truly had the opportunity to speak to my father through some sort of magic, or if it was just some sort of an hallucination brought on by my extremely cold state, but through that experience and talking to Mrs. Claus just now, I’ve come to realize that what happened to my mother and sisters was an accident. It truly wasn’t my fault, and I can’t spend the rest of my life feeling guilty or punishing myself.”
A look of relief and a broad smile spread across Corey’s face. “Oh, Serendipity, it’s so wonderful to hear you say those words,” he assured her. “If coming here has allowed you to make that realization, and you should still choose to leave this place, never to return, then I should think this journey a success.”
Serendipity shared his smile as he spoke, but at his final words, her smile faded just a bit. “Tell me then, Corey, do you wish me to go back to England now? Would you have me choose my former life over this one?”
“Heavens, no,” Corey responded quickly, drawing her closer to himself by tugging gently on the hand he still encompassed. “Serendipity, I told you yesterday, I couldn’t bare for your to leave. I want you to stay here, with me, always.”
She gazed into his eyes, carefully looking for the smallest hint of untruth or exaggeration. She saw none. “You weren’t saying those things, then, because you were concerned with your record, with meeting some sort of self-imposed quota?”
“I will admit that at first, of course, that was my primary concern. That’s why I asked Ingrid for the potion in the first place. But, Serendipity, in such a short time, you managed to change me. You made me remember who I am, why I do this. You helped me to see the magic all around me. You made life… fun again. I’m not quite sure how you did it so quickly. Perhaps your magic is even more powerful than mine, but while I was trying my utmost to ‘save’ you, you somehow managed to do the same for me, and before you came along, I didn’t even realize just how desperately I needed saving.”
With her free hand, Serendipity gently stroked a few loose strands of his otherwise perfectly steeped hair. “Oh, Corey, how wonderful it is to hear you say those words,” she said quietly. “You should know then, that I’ve decided to stay.”
“You have?” he asked a smile lighting up his entire face.
“Yes,” she grinned. “I shall stay at the North Pole and make my dolls in one of your wonderful workshops.”
“How marvelous!” Corey exclaimed, pulling her even closer. “And will you allow me to call upon you? To take you for walks in the snow? To dance with you beneath the stars? To take you for sleigh rides with Dunder and Blixen and Rudolph?”
“That would be wonderful, provided it doesn’t interrupt my studies. Mrs. Claus has promised to teach me to read,” Serendipity explained, her face just inches from his now.
“That’s delightful,” he laughed. “I’m sure you shall be the best student she has ever had.”
“I shall be,” she agreed. “And you shall be my best student, as I intend to teach you to build ships inside of glass bottles.”
Corey smiled and leaned in so closely his lips were hovering just above hers. “I can hardly wait for my first lesson,” he whispered.
“Mmm, hmmm,” Serendipity agreed, “but you should probably go ahead and kiss me first.”
“Yes, of course,” he replied before leaning forward and doing just that. A few moments later, he finally found the strength to pull his lips away from hers, and with his eyes closed, still breathing her in, he whispered, “I think I’m falling in love with you, Serendipity Fizzlestitch.”
“Good,” she smiled, “because you have won my heart, Mr. Cane. And you shouldn’t be able to get rid of me now, no matter how hard you might try. To think, you won me over and kept your record in tact to boot. It’s been a fine day for you, Cornelius.”
“My record doesn’t matter in the least now, Serendipity. From now on, only you matter,” he assured her.
“Splendid!” she exclaimed, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Now, why don’t you magic us over to the site of my new toy shop as I have a lot of dolls to make and not a lot of time in which to make them.”
“Why, yes, of course,” he said, and still holding her hand in his, he added, “right this way, my darling doll maker,” and with a spray of mist and a twist of glitter, they were gone, reappearing just down the road from the square in the middle of Serendipity’s very own doll making operation, with all of the familiar, unfinished friendly faces surrounding her amidst the perfectly positioned paints and paintbrushes, including Lizette Sassafrass and Hester Pineyfrock, whom Serendipity could only assume Corey had magicked there as well. At the sight of their smiling faces, Serendipity began to laugh, and sweeping her up in his arms, Corey began to waltz around the wide open spaces between the aisles of stations set to make the finest dolls the world had ever seen, dancing to a tune only he could hear and the sound of her laughter, which reverberated off the high log beams above them, filling the room with the splendid sound of joy. Serendipity had found her fate at last, a destiny with the promise of happiness, long life, and most of all, lots of love. After all, it had been her loving father who named her Serendipity, a name most fitting for someone so extraordinary.
Epilogue
Maevis had spent much of her time in Serendipity’s cottage awaiting word from her ward; would she choose to stay in the North Pole, or would she quickly return via some magic portal or reindeer transport?
She had received a bit of an indication that Serendipity may have decided to stay when all of her doll parts suddenly disappeared out of the cottage and Marwolaeth Hall simultaneously. However, she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it without some direct word from Serendipity herself. It was early on the third day when, as she continued to straighten and clean Serendipity’s workspace, the only task she could find to keep herself busy, she heard a bustling at the fireplace at her back. She turned quickly to see a magical envelope dancing atop the blazing fire, and careful not to burn herself, she used the poker to draw out the letter. Upon tearing it open, she read the following, written in the familiar hand of one Cornelius Cane:
Dearest Maevis,
I hope this letter finds you well and without care or concern for my well-being. I should like to inform you that I have decided that the North Pole truly is the most fitting place for me. It was only once I discovered the magic of a year-long Christmas season that my eyes begin to open to other types of magic as well, such as friendship, kindness, love--and perhaps most importantly of all, forgiveness. I speak, of course, of forgiving myself. I am forever indebted to you and Ms. Crotlybloom for your service and devotion over these past eight years. As you can see, my dolls have all been relocated here, which you must have taken as a sign of my intention to stay. I hope that you shall be able to sell Marwolaeth and make some sort of a profit to split between the two of you. As I have said before, I shall never return to that place; this time I truly mean it. I shall return shortly to collect my mice friends and to pay you one last visit. I do hope that you shall visit me here often. Remember, all you should need to do is drop a letter addressed to me into any fireplace, and I shall receive it. Once again, I thank you for your love and devotion.
All of my love,
Serendipity
Maevis held the letter to her chest and let out a deep sigh as a tear began to roll down her face. Serendipity had found it in her heart to forgive herself at last. A chirping at the floor drew her attention, and glancing down she said, “I do hope the lot of you appreciate a chilly breeze, as it seems you shall all be living amongst the reindeer soon, my little friends. Serendipity has found her place in this world at last.”
In reply, there was an excited array of squeaking, which Maevis took to mean that they understood. Even Serendipity’s mouse friends knew what it meant to be able to forgive oneself and move on. Now, Serendipity would be at peace at last, something she so very much deserved.
***
Meanwhile, at the North Pole, that very same morning, Mr. Waddlebug poured Corey a cup of hot tea as his master sat down to a breakfast of poached eggs and ham. “Well, it seems your record is still in tact, sir,” he said, taking his usual seat across from Corey.
“Yes, I suppose it is,” Corey admitted, taking a drink of his tea. “But that is certainly not as important as the fact that Serendipity chose to stay here at the North Pole. I am very much looking forward to getting to know her better--and learning how to make model ships.”
Mr. Waddlebug looked at him with a hint of skepticism in his eyes. “Am I to believe, then, that you have changed? That the Cornelius Cane I have known all of these years is gone?”
“Precisely,” Corey assured him. “I am a new man, Mr. Waddlebug. I am falling in love with Serendipity, and I hope to make a happy life with her here in the North Pole for several centuries to come.”
Mr. Waddlebug dropped two lumps of sugar in his own cup of tea before asking, “And what will happen if she decides she wants to go back home to Dunsford, perhaps to visit her caretaker?”
Corey looked at his valet, an expression of wide-eyed innocence on his handsome face. “Whatever do you mean?” he asked before taking another sip of his tea.
“I think you know what I mean,” Mr. Waddlebug replied, his eyes narrowing.
“Mr. Waddlebug, surely you don’t think…?” Corey began.
“You know what I think,” Mr. Waddlebug interrupted. “Tell me, am I correct?”
Corey held his gaze for a moment before a sly grin crossed his handsome face. Returning his attention to his breakfast he said only, “Come now, my good man. If Serendipity decides she’d like to return to Dunsford, we shall cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, I must be off. I have a date to keep with a very attractive doll maker.” And quickly raisings and lowering his eyebrows two times, Corey arose from his chair and was off to grab his coat from the hook by the front entry, the kitchen door left swinging as he did so.
Mr. Waddlebug followed behind him, opening the door, and saying, “Do you mean to tell me... “ but by the time he reached the living room, Corey was gone, with only a cloud of mist and glitter left in his wake. Mr. Waddlebug shook his head, his hands on his stout hips. Perhaps he would never know for sure if his suspicious were correct.
When Corey appeared in Serendipity’s toy shop, she was already hard at work, giving directions to the elves, showing them her precise technique for making her dolls exceptional and unique. He appeared in a swirl of light and sparkles, swept her into his arms, and led her outside where he twirled her around in the freshly falling snow. Corey leaned down and pressed his lips to hers as the snow gathered in the peak of his perfectly sculpted hair.
Serendipity giggled with glee as he dipped her low to the ground and proclaimed, “Serendipity Fizzlestitch, I love you!”
“I love you, too,” Serendipity replied, her cheeks growing rosey in the frosty air. She had found happiness at last, in his arms, and amongst her new friends at the North Pole, where she would always be the doll maker’s daughter at Christmas.
