The Prince of Christmas

By Martin Hepworth and O K Lehto

Nicholas Kringle is a young boy who loves Christmas with a magical passion. Growing up in an orphanage his only link to his mysterious past is his Christmas amulet. It being the only thing he was found with as a baby. But upon discovering he is the long, lost son of Santa Claus and Mrs Claus he begins a magical adventure to The North Pole Kingdom.

Thus, with the help of his fairy guardian Dorothea, he reunites with his family and saves Christmas as the heir to the Christmas throne. Within the winter wonderland, he meets many other of the magical Idols who represent their respective holidays throughout the year and partakes in the festive preparations for his father’s journey around the world.

But a dark shadows loom over the kingdom as Nicholas is perused relentlessly by the evil Krampus who seeks to destroy Christmas forever. Nicholas’s adventure as the Prince of Christmas has just begun.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781035834440

Martin Hepworth

Martin, a great lover of fantasy elements and magic, combines this with his love for the festive time of year. A dreamer with a powerful imagination, Martin hopes to spread his creations and bring joy to anyone who reads them. In his words, age is irrelevant when it comes to believing in magic.

Book preview

The Prince of Christmas

Martin Hepworth

Austin Macauley Publishers

The Prince of Christmas

About the Author

Copyright Information ©

Acknowledgement

About the Author

Martin, a great lover of fantasy elements and magic, combines this with his love for the festive time of year. A dreamer with a powerful imagination, Martin hopes to spread his creations and bring joy to anyone who reads them. In his words, age is irrelevant when it comes to believing in magic.

Copyright Information ©

Martin Hepworth 2023

Illustrated by O K Lehto

The right of Martin Hepworth and O K Lehto to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035834433 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035834440 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

My deepest gratitude to my best friends who assisted me in my work. Oskari designed the illustrations and character designs for me with his talented artwork. And Pavel and Graeme helped me with the plots and themes. Also, my beloved wife Claire designed the musical manuscript. I could never have got this done without them.

’Twas once a year on this special of days, where those whose hearts were joyous would join together in union and festive celebrations. Indulge in the banquet of turkey, flamed puddings and wonderful confectioneries with those they loved. Where those with joyous hearts would express their love with the tradition of gift-giving. Wrapped presents in beautiful, gleaming paper and wonderfully wrapped bows. Cards with sweet messages and poems inside. Where these people with joyous hearts would sing in harmony together.

Praising the blessings, they had received both for themselves and their family and friends on this fine and special of days. And, for those whose hearts were also of kindness and generosity, this was a time to help those less fortunate. Extending a helping hand to offer a hot meal, shelter, a bed or simply a comforting embrace and company. For those whose hearts were of faith or not, this was a time for a festive celebration. A time for adorning one’s house with wonderful decorations. Twinkling, brightly coloured lights that flashed in magical patterns.

Gleaming tinsel lining the halls, candles flickering in the windows, the scent of freshly baked mince pies and brewed mulled wine wafting from the kitchens. And then there was, of course, the tree. Perched atop a golden star, a symbol of peace this festive time of year. Outside in the snow, those joyous hearts that were also fun-loving would join in, in the many activities the winter season provided. Skating on the frozen lakes, building snow forts and igloos if they had the right talents, of course!

Engaging in legendary wars of snowball fights and building snowmen in the gardens. On the street corners, candle-wielding choirs performed beautiful and timely Christmas classics in perfect harmony. Parades in the streets, acquaintances wishing good fortune on their neighbours as they passed one another. And, if the children were lucky, the Christmas season would start with a bang, with a snow day from school.

How I loved listening to the beautiful and wondrous medley of songs, coming from the churches as I passed by them in the evenings. These people with faithful hearts praised this time of year for its religious reasons, as well as its traditions of spreading goodwill to one’s neighbours.

And then there was the feast. Oh, how I loved the divine scent wafting from the kitchens. The turkey with all its trimmings was beautifully decorated. The sizzling roast potatoes and the freshly cooked vegetables with just a tint of spice in them.

And, of course, one could never forget the pudding. My mouth just waters at the thought. It’s delicious fruit and nut flavours, sizzling with flavour after a quick ignition by a trusty match. And cooled down with a helping of cool custard, and if one were very greedy a bowl of ice cream.

How I loved listening to the sounds of the other children laughing as they played with their new toys. Sitting beside the fire with its frankincense burning, emitting a sweet aroma through the room. And as the day came to a close, I would always pray through the open window. Staring up at the stars with my small hands pressed together, I thanked the heavens for the blessings I had received on this wonderful day and that for my friends too. And as I stared up at the North Star, the brightest in the sky. I also prayed for one more blessing. And it is from this prayer that my story begins.

Long, long ago in the distant past, those whose hearts were perhaps of faith or simply filled with kindness for one’s fellow man, made a prayer. A prayer for those who were less fortunate than themselves. That someone, a figure, would be able to help them. Someone of great power and wisdom. But also, of love and generosity. One who would be able to see through the first look they gave someone.

Look through the unhappy scowl they gave, look through the dirty clothes they wore. Someone who would be able to see more than a miscreant walking the street looking for a purpose in life. This person would be able to see what was inside their heart. That little light of goodness that would never go out, no matter what they did in life. For as it is proven, no one is born bad.

Influences and occurrences mould people into what they are now. And this person would be able to help them. Help them brighten that little light in their bleak hearts and shine once more. Help those down trod, the lonely and empty-handed. And this prayer was answered.

For as the law of magic worked, when humanity creates a new figure, one person is chosen to assume this new figure. Someone of a like-minded heart. And this one man that was chosen, had a heart filled with both faith and love.

And this one man was blessed with a great power. A power that would change the hearts and minds of people all over the world. Granted many names for his good deeds. But the most famous became known through the world. A name that would live on through the many Christmas tales.

And his name became Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas, Chris Cringle, Father Christmas. And many other names. And, deep within the northern Polar Regions, he established a kingdom. A kingdom that would become known worldwide as the North Pole. Here, nestled deep in the mountains and magically hidden from the rest of the world, was the place that children could only dream of.

There, a vast army of elves all working together, created countless toys and gifts for the children of the world. Inside their workshops, using a combination of both manual labour and creative magic, the elves would always be able to keep up with what was in fashion and design and create new gifts every year.

And, in the very centre of the great, magical kingdom lay the great castle. The home of Santa and his wife, the now famously named Mrs Claus. Its tall spires could be seen from the farthest mountains as it stood surrounded by the kingdom. The castle glowed brightly, even at night, generating a great aura of festivity.

It was from here on the famous platform, that Santa would begin his long, epic journey to deliver gifts to the children of the world. Oh, how I still love to admire the sheer magic and beauty as the northern lights danced overhead. How the nighttime stars would always seem to glow that bit brighter before I would begin the journey.

Oh, the preparations that had to be made. Ensuring the reindeer were properly fed. The delicate process of placing the enormous sack in the back of the sleigh. All I can say is thank goodness magic can do many things.

And, as the generations went by, this same timeless tradition was passed down from son to son. One father would eventually pass his crown and powers to his heir and allow him to carry on the tradition. Centuries went by, and the Claus line continued on its magical quest to give gifts to the children of the world and spread festive cheer.

But, as the modern age came to be, a dark shadow fell upon the North Pole. Something that would relentlessly stalk the family for many years to come. His name was Krampus. The self-proclaimed demon of Christmas. Born from the European folklore from which he came, this terrible beast, filled with greed, hunger and hatred, unleashed terrible wrath against the Claus family and on Christmas itself.

While Santa would happily seek out and reward the good children of the world with gifts, Krampus would hunt down the naughty ones and unleash terrible torments upon them. Treatments that no child deserved. And so, to ensure the safety and well-being of every child and citizen of the North Pole, Santa exiled Krampus from the kingdom. Banished to the forbidden mountains in the coldest and most desolate part of the polar region.

But before his departure, Krampus made one final threat to Santa. Fuelled by his hatred and greed for all the power Santa had, Krampus vowed to one day return. And, to ensure he possessed all of the family’s powers, Krampus would claim his future child and by doing so destroy Christmas forever.

But, that winter season, Santa and his wife were blessed with a child. A son to carry on the tradition. The kingdom rejoiced as Santa announced the birth of the new heir. And from the balcony of the tallest tower, the family grouped around the newest addition. There, nestled in the red blanket with furry white lining, the infant prince soundly slept. She held him close to herself as she hummed gently to her precious child.

Her hair was long and white but she had a young face. Never taking her eyes off her precious child she rocked in her chair, gently humming a soothing tone to him. She looked up and smiled as a hand was gently placed on her shoulder. Santa, clad in his casual royal red and a green cape leaned down and gazed lovingly at his son.

Nicholas. My son. His deep voice was soft and soothing. He paused as the wonderful realisation sunk in. The child he had so longed for, for such a long time, had finally been blessed to him and his wife. Gently scooping the sleeping bundle from his mother’s arms, the proud father of both Christmas and this precious child, strolled to the balcony.

Overlooking the snowy kingdom below, the tall, snowy mountains rose on either side of them. The moon shone brightly and a long trail of twinkling stars shone overhead. But the brightest star seemed to be shining far greater than it normally would tonight. With a warm smile, the white-haired and bearded man looked up into the heavens. Focusing on the northernmost star, the brightest in the sky, Thank you for this wonderful gift this Christmas.

As his wife stood by his side and gently raked her fingers through his patch of hair, Santa scooped something from his pocket. Clutched in his palm was a shiny amulet. A shiny golden snowflake, with emerald holly and ruby berries gleamed in his hand. And a smooth, red material to go around the neck.

This, Nicholas, is my first gift to you this Christmas. This amulet is the symbol of our family and what we do. For our kingdom and festive cheer. He allowed his wife to gently place it around his little neck. Whenever you wear this, no matter where you are, no matter how you may be, we will always be with you, watching over you. And as he gently pressed the symbol against the baby it emitted a gentle golden glow.

But, while the family lovingly embraced its newest member and the kingdom celebrated the birth, far away in the forbidden mountains one individual sought to end the joy. Fuelled by the greed and gluttony that occurred during the festive time, Krampus set to work on his sinister plan. Deep within the forbidden mountain in his cave, Krampus crafted and unleashed a terrible curse.

The rocky interior of the subterranean home was constantly engulfed in a glowing light of different strengths, either from the glowing, giant crystals that the horrific demon used to light his home or from the mountains of gold and jewels he kept all for himself. Indeed, the caverns were filled to the brim with treasures as far as one’s eyes could see. Precious metals and jewels, artwork, toys, antiques and so much more. All stolen treasures of others or forged materials that Krampus used to satisfy his never-ending hunger.

And, right now, his great hunger drove him to acquire a new treasure; one he had sworn to acquire some time ago from his nemesis. From the deepest cave, shrouded in darkness and hidden away from the interference of the great power of the North Pole, Krampus worked with a fury and wrath that was unwanted in the North. His clawed hands stretched out as he finished releasing the almighty curse.

His fang-like teeth bared in a wicked smile as the dark magic expanded to engulf the cave and spread out into the polar night. The dark cavern was briefly engulfed in an almighty green light of a terrible texture. A horrific cackle could be heard from the mountains as the dark magic swept across the snowy plains of the northern region to reach its target, the gleaming and magical lights of the North Pole.

***

The wonderful jingle of the bells with their magical melody always warmed my heart as I listened. The soft jingling, always going in the same tone and rhythm, had a magical effect. It was as if