Charlotte’S Magical Adventures

By Ellena Michnik

Charlottes Magical Adventure is a middle-grade fiction chapter book. From Tom Sawyer to Harry Potter, most of the middle-grade stories celebrate boys as the adventurous heroes. They are the ones who always capture and keep the worlds attention. Here you meet an alternative heroine who saves the day. She is a girl, and her name is Charlotte.

Charlottes Magical Adventures is an enchanting tale that is inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. It is a tender story of an unconventional friendship between a young girl from our contemporary world and the prince of Candyland. Their upbringing differed, but they were united in the purity of their souls, their willingness to help, and the openness of their hearts. Loving and giving Charlotte is a wonderful friend who is smart, sensitive, courageous, inventive, and heroic in her own quiet way. Prince Lollipop for the first time experienced loss, death, betrayals, loneliness, and fear, and he accepted and fought those challenges in a valiant way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524620196

Ellena Michnik

Dr. Ellena Michnik is a psychiatrist, who also has master in health administration degree. She has recently completed the middle-grade fiction “Charlotte’s Magical Adventures.” A longtime student of the spiritual and metaphysical, Dr. Michnik is currently working on a spiritual fiction about the end of the world; the working title is “The Sixth Millennium.” She is also writing a second children’s fiction; the working title is “Catherine the Brave and the Fantastic Ten.” Since 2012, she resides in Boca Raton, Florida. She is currently a member of FWA.

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AuthorHouse™

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© 2016 Ellena Michnik. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/27/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5246-2018-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-2019-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016911967

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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TO

MY

W

O

N

D

E

R

F

U

L

SWEET

CHARLOTTE

W

I

T

H

LOTS

O

F

LOVE

CONTENTS

Part I: New Friends, New Roads

1.   Charlotte Meets A New Friend. The Sorrows Of Prince Lollipop

2.   Candyland In Mourning

3.   King Consort Barbaris Is Inconsolable

4.   The Emergency Meeting Of The Late Queen’s Cabinet

5.   The Decision Of The First Lady In Waiting, Caramelitta

6.   The World’s Search For Prince Lollipop’s Bride Begins

7.   Charlotte Gets Smaller And Starts A New Adventure

8.   Prince Cupcake And Princess Honeycake

9.   The New Royal Visitors At The Pudding Castle Gates

10.    A Rocky Road To Gingerbread Kingdom

11.   Count Almond Taffy Warns Gingerbread Kingdom

12.   Prince Lollipop’s Imprisonment In Gingerbread Kingdom

Part Ii: Princess Charlotte Saves The Day.

13.   Prince Lollipop Meets King Strawberry Bismark

14.   King Consort Barbaris Receives The Most Wonderful News.

15.   The First Minister Is Outraged And Travels To Gingerbread Kingdom Himself

16.    Sultan Rakhat The First Feels Unexpectedly Happy.

17.   King Consort Barbaris Finds A Life-Saving Answer.

18.   Distinguished Guests Arrive At Pudding Castle.

19.   The Glorious Wedding Of Countess Vanilla Pudding And Count Almond Taffy

20.    A Tragic Accident Occurs During The Wedding Celebration

21.    The Nuptuals Of Prince Lollipop And Princess Honeycake.

22.   Charlotte Says Goodbye To Candyland.

23.   Epilogue

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Ellena Michnik is a Psychiatrist, who also has Master in Health Administration degree. She recently has completed the middle grade fiction, Charlotte’s Magical Adventures. A long time student of the spiritual and metaphysical, Dr. Michnik is currently working on a spiritual fiction about the end of the world, the working title: The Sixth Millennium. She is also writing a second children’s fiction, the working title: Catherine the Brave and the Fantastic Ten. Since 2012, she resides in Boca Raton, FL. Membership: She is currently a member of FWA.

Charlotte’s Magical Adventure is a middle grade fiction chapter book.

From Tom Sawyer to Harry Potter most of the middle grade stories celebrate boys as the adventurous heroes. They are the ones who always capture and keep the world’s attention. Here you meet an alternative heroine who saves the day, she is a girl, and her name is Charlotte.

Charlotte’s Magical Adventures is an enchanting tale that is inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. It is a tender story of an unconventional friendship between a young girl from our contemporary world and the Prince of Candyland. Their upbringing differed, but they were united in the purity of their souls, their willingness to help, and the openness of their hearts. Loving and giving Charlotte is a wonderful friend who is smart, sensitive, courageous, inventive and heroic in her own quiet way. Prince Lollipop for the first time experienced loss, death, betrayals, loneliness and fear, and he accepted and fought those challenges in a valiant way.

Synopsis of the story: When twelve year old Charlotte, who grew up in our contemporary world, suddenly encountered in her playroom a tiny figure of Prince Lollipop of Candyland, he was sobbing over the recent loss of his mother, Queen Caramella. While running away from Sugar Rock Castle, the Prince made a mistake following the map and accidently ended up in Charlotte’s house. The strict laws of Candyland dictated that only a female of royal decent could become a new Queen, but Prince did not have a sister, and she must be installed on the throne within 3 months.

If these two rules will not be properly observed, Candyland will forever become a part of Gingerbread Kingdom ruled by the ruthless King Bismark.

The Prince desperately asked Charlotte for help and she full heartedly agreed to join him in the quest. With the help of a magic ointment left by his beloved mother, Charlotte became small and their breathtaking journey began. They ventured through three Kingdoms and were thrown in a prison, where they accidently discovered a deeply hidden secret of Gingerbread Kingdom. They faced betrayals, espionage, royal intrigue, deceptions and lies. The Prince proposed marriage to his beloved Princess Honeycake, but it was rejected by her father. The armies of both countries were on the brink of war, when everyone suddenly witnessed a horrible death of a vicious enemy.

With the help of Prince Lollipop’s beloved family, Charlotte’s friendship, his devoted servants, and the magic help of his departed mother, Candyland was saved. The long awaited wedding between Prince Lollipop and Princess Honeycake brought everyone together. Candyland was now ruled by the new Queen Caramella the Second, and King Consort Lollipop.

With great sadness in her heart Charlotte said goodbye to Candyland and returned home. She woke up in her own bed feeling ill, and wondered if her adventure had truly occurred, or was it just a dream. Suddenly, she felt something prickly in the palm of her right hand. She pulled the hand from under the blanket and opened the fist. To her surprise, Charlotte saw a tiny diamond crown that Prince Lollipop placed into her hand, before they parted. Smiling the widest smile, she fell into abyss of a deep sleep.

PART I

NEW FRIENDS, NEW ROADS

CHAPTER 1

CHARLOTTE MEETS A NEW FRIEND. THE SORROWS OF PRINCE LOLLIPOP

Charlotte was a friendly, curious, and beautiful girl, full of charm and bubbly energy. Her light chestnut hair ran down her back in long, shining curls. The large blue eyes had a mischievous sparkle and her smile was warm and inviting. Lanky and bright, she looked a bit older than twelve, only her round face and a soft, round tummy gave away her true age. Charlotte loved to spend summer afternoons playing computer games, talking with friends on the phone, swimming, riding a bicycle, or kicking a football into a net in her backyard practicing for soccer. Summer was her favorite season of the year, full of freedom and offering endless little treats: walks in the woods, trips to the ocean, visits to a horse farm, camping, traveling, or sleeping over at friends’ houses.

She often swam in the backyard pool with her younger sister, or flew high and fearlessly on the swings. Tired and hot, she would retreat into the kitchen and eat her favorite chocolate ice cream, sticky gummy bears, or smooth and colorful plain M&Ms. Charlotte especially enjoyed reading an old and very thick book of exciting, sometimes scary fairy tales, full of vivid, thrilling adventures that ignited her imagination.

It was full of mysterious, breathtaking legends and favorite tales, many of which she knew by heart. Alone in her playroom, she often imagined herself as one of the princesses, dreaming of dancing at the ball with a handsome prince or running down the magnificent steps of a castle before the clock struck midnight. When she was younger, she acted out those exciting tales by dressing up in beautiful ball gowns that her mother still kept in a special trunk.

I am so happy! This summer is going to be an especially great one! Charlotte thought to herself, as she dreamed of the most wonderful places in the world.

She grabbed her beloved book from the shelf and settled down on the large, brown suede sofa covered with big, fluffy pillows. It was facing the sliding double glass doors leading to a flower garden in the backyard. As the sun was at its zenith on that steamy afternoon, Charlotte wore her favorite light-pink spaghetti-strap dress covered with tiny white flowers. She slowly sipped cold apple juice from a large paper cup, munched on tiny chocolate chip cookies, and leisurely leafed through her favorite book full of mysteries and magic. The off-white linen curtains were drawn over the sliding glass double doors leading to the garden, leaving the darkened room cool and quiet.

Suddenly, Charlotte was startled by the faint sound of rustling paper, followed a few seconds later by the even fainter sound of someone crying. She looked around the room, but not seeing anything suspicious, she quickly returned to her reading. Feeling calmer now, she gazed intently around the room, but nothing in the room seemed different. So Charlotte turned around and laid down on her tummy, gently stooping her body over the big, soft pillows piled up on the couch. It was then that, to her great surprise, she noticed a tiny, odd-looking figure slouching at the base of the couch, right next to her shoes on the floor. He looked like a miniature boy, head was hanging down and resting on his tiny chest. His whole body shook silently and his little hands were covering his round, shiny face. He wore a pale yellow shirt that seemed old fashioned under a fully buttoned- up, dark yellow jacket with a puffy, off-white lace collar that encircled his thin neck.

His off-white, knee-high pants were decorated with rectangular gold buckles on the outside of each cuff.

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A large, elongated, heart-shaped pocket, adorned by a gold thread on the periphery, embossed the center of each trouser leg. His legs were bent at the knee and crossed in front of him. He wore off-white, knee-high socks and pale yellow, long-nosed shoes with gold rectangular buckles that covered his tiny feet. Soft curls of blond hair fell to his neck. His head was adorned with a tiny, shining diamond-encrusted crown.

Who are you? What are you doing here? And why are you crying? Charlotte fired off one question after another, a little bit scared but also very concerned with the plight of her little visitor. The odd little figure stopped sobbing for a moment and quickly looked around but did not notice anyone. He looked up at the sofa, searching for the source of that loud voice and was very surprised by a giant head with big blue eyes looking directly at him from above.

"Who are you? Are you an evil monster? Are you going to hurt me? The tiny stranger inquired.

-Oh, no, no, no! I am just a girl and I live in this house. Please don’t be afraid, I am not going to hurt you. How did you get here and what is your name? Charlotte asked quietly, trying not to scare him even more.

She noticed that her new guest now looked at her with less fear in his eyes.

My name is Prince Lollipop. I live in the wonderful Kingdom of Candyland and I am very, very sad today.

Looking deeply upset and lost in thought, the little Prince paused for a minute, his voice quivering. He continued almost in a whisper.

My mother, Queen Caramella, suddenly died yesterday and I do not have a sister who can become the next ruling Queen of Candyland. My Kingdom is in trouble. You see, according to the laws of my country only females may become rulers of the Kingdom.

Can you tell me what happened to her? How can I help you? Charlotte asked without hesitation.

Once her eyes had adjusted to the dusky light, Charlotte could get a little better look at the Prince. Upon closer inspection, he seemed rather pleasantly looking, although a bit peculiar. He had a slender body and skinny legs and arms. His pale face framed a small nose, big blue eyes, and rather thin, red lips. His skin seemed to gently glisten in the twilight of the room and a sweet aroma filled the air around him. Vanilla, with just a hint of lemon, Charlotte thought.

As the young Prince wiped away the tears streaming down his face, he appeared to be fully immersed in his thoughts. He sighed deeply, as he began to tell his sad story.

"My mother, the powerful and benevolent Queen Caramella, was taking her usual early Sunday morning ride in the open royal carriage. I kissed her on the cheek and hugged her tightly before the carriage moved on, not knowing that it was the last time that I would ever see my mother. She wore a light blue taffeta dress with puffy sleeves that gently slid off her shoulders. Her neck was adorned by a large, star-shaped sapphire necklace. Delicate, atlas-blue high-heeled shoes graced her small feet. The royal carriage was generously decorated in silver and gold and ornamented with her favorite fresh gardenias.

A royal seal encrusted with precious stones shone brightly on the carriage doors, sporting in the center a profile of Queen Caramella.

A coachman urged on six magnificent bay horses, while a footman standing on the top step of the carriage held a very large umbrella made out of six layers of white lace and silk over the Queen’s head. It was a beautiful day, clear and cloudless. No one could have predicted the horrible tragedy that was about to take place. The horses were galloping up a steep hill, pulling the carriage higher and higher. As the Queen savored the feeling of brisk, fresh air brushing against her face and hair, she joyfully urged the coachman to ride faster and faster. She giggled as she loudly sang her favorite childhood songs, feeling like a happy little girl bouncing on her father’s knee. A sudden, strong gust of wind right at the top of a hill shook the royal carriage violently and threw the poor coachman down the hill and into a knoll."

Prince Lollipop stopped for a moment to catch his breath, swallowing frequently as he did so. His eyes were closed; he was sobbing intensely. After a long pause, he opened his eyes and spoke quickly:

"The royal horses kept running faster and faster up the hill. Soon the Queen’s carriage had become uncontrollable. Suddenly, the carriage door flew wide open and my poor mother tumbled out and rolled down a steep hill into the valley below. The footman, meanwhile, was thrown into a deep ravine on the other side of the carriage and the white umbrella protecting my mother from the strong rays of the sun was blown away by the wind. The footman, his leg badly injured, hid behind a large bush in a shaded area. He was found later the same day and I learned from him this sad story. When the royal carriage did not return to the castle by midday, my father, King Consort Barbaris, dispatched a royal search party to find her Royal Highness and bring her home at once.

After hours of searching my poor mother was finally found in a field of flowers at the bottom of the hill. She suffered severe injuries and spent hours in the hot sun, sadly, she could not be saved." The little Prince was moaning and weeping uncontrollably as he paused.

Charlotte was listening intently, as tears of sadness ran down her cheeks. The Prince could not continue his account, but instead sat silently on the floor of the playroom, staring intently at a shiny object that he pulled out of the right pocket of his trousers.

My dear Prince, this is a terrible and sad story. Charlotte uttered, while shivering and wiping her tears.

-What a heartbreaking fate! Your poor, poor mother! She leaned forward and stroked his head gently and lovingly.

Tell me, what happened next, and how did you get here and why? Charlotte whispered quietly, trying not to break his train of thought.

She moved closer to the right side of the sofa so she could see and hear the Prince a little bit better. The quiet in the room was becoming almost unbearable, when suddenly the little Prince continued.

Now, I will share with you my real problem. The royal funeral is planned for the next week and an official search for my bride, the future Queen of Candyland will begin on the first day of the next month of Pollen. As I said before, I do not have a sister who could inherit my mother’s throne directly according to the laws of my country. So, the future of my Kingdom and the happiness of my people are heavily weighing on my shoulders. Prince Lollipop sighed deeply and carefully looked around, worried that someone is listening to him.

The sovereignty of our country will be lost to the wicked King Strawberry Bismark of Gingerbread Kingdom, if I will not find a maiden that will be willing to marry me. She must be truly touched by the plight of my country and agree to enter into a union with me by the end of three months. The Prince continued with a noticeable intensity in his voice.

As established by a joint Royal Decree between Candyland and Gingerbread Kingdom a mandatory grace period of three months will be observed in case of an untimely departure or incapacitation of the ruler of Candyland. My country will continue to be independent without a living, ruling Queen on the throne only that long. If this decree will not be properly upheld for whatever reason, my country will instantly revert under control of King Strawberry Bismark. My beloved Candyland will become a permanent part of Gingerbread Kingdom forever."

The young Prince raised his head and gave Charlotte an inquiring look.

What will we do? What will we do?

CHAPTER 2

CANDYLAND IN MOURNING

"My father, King Consort Barbaris, was devastated by the tragic and unexpected news of the Queen’s death. Thirty days of mourning were declared throughout the Kingdom. Funeral marches could be heard from every direction. The mournful blowing of horns, the sad, silver sighing of the violins, the loud sounding of the trumpets, the shaking of tambourines, and the slow, steady beating of the royal drums.

The instruments, like mostly everything else in Candyland, were made out of pure sugar of different colors, tastefully decorated with black licorice ribbons and bows.

All of the courtly Barons, Counts, Countesses, Queen’s Cabinet Ministers, and Ladies in Waiting wore black arm bands made out of the purest dark chocolate." The Prince took a deep breath and continued, his eyes filled with tears.

"The Court Jester, Sweet Giggles, was dressed in a red shiny blouse topped around the neck with a very wide, pleated, white collar. His puffy, golden short pants buttoned below his knees; a motley colored shiny vest, white stockings, and red pointy shoes completed his attire. A long, wide, black-licorice sash ran across his chest, worn in memory of his beloved Queen Caramella. Sweet Giggles was officially ordered not to make any puns, jokes, or gaffes, an order the jester found extremely difficult for him to obey. From time to time, he sighed and shook his head, looking completely lost. The Court Jester did not know how a sad person was supposed to act.

The Prince stopped for a second, and continued on after wiping his eyes.

"The First Minister was completely stunned. He was caught by surprise by